48 Hours Ch. 12

Chapter 12 -- Serendipity

Sara checked her watch nervously, then checked the clock behind the bar to make sure there was nothing wrong with it as it seemed to be going very slowly. She was by nature a little bit highly strung and liked to be punctual so despite planning to arrive five minutes late she had actually arrived ten minutes early as the journey had gone without a hitch!

She had chosen to sit at the end of the bar rather than take up a seat at a table, but also liked the fact that she could keep an eye on people coming in as well as preserving her personal space, especially as she was dressed in her very best party gear with silver heeled sandals, black tights and a short silver sequinned dress that her black cardigan did little to cover, although it was keeping her shoulders warm!

The barman was dreadfully overworked, but found time to give her a lovely smile when he reached over for some more glasses.

"You waiting for someone?" He asked. "No one should be standing up a gorgeous girl like you," but before he could continue, a slightly flustered guy in a blue suit and tie came through the door, looked around nervously and then beamed a smile of joy at Sara when he saw her.

"I was, but not any more, but thank you! You're very sweet," Sara smiled, the bar seemingly having emptied so that all she could see was Grahame waking towards her. She lifted her neck and tilted her head so Graham could give her a kiss on the cheek and patted the stool next to her indicating where she expected him to sit.

"You're a lucky guy, if you don't mind me saying so," said the barman. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have a Stella, please, and would you like an Aperol Spritz Sara?"

Sara poked him playfully, "Are you trying to get me drunk already!"

"Not at all. What would you like?"

"Aperol is perfecto silly! I'm just teasing you!"

"Good, good, I just can't believe how fabulous you look! That dress is divine! Shall we sit over there by the window, it looks like that couple are just leaving?"

The table was in the alcove of the window so they could have a decent conversation without being drowned out by the music or without others overhearing. They caught up on things and compared notes on the delivery companies they worked for. Grahame reckoned Sara's company sounded really good!

They were having an amazing time and Sara couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much, but then she noticed it was nine and they really needed to make a move to the club as she didn't want Chris and Lynn to think she wasn't going.

She pulled out the tickets form her handbag and with the other reached across the table, placing her hand over Grahame's.

"We should think about going over to the club," she said, "are you sure you are OK with it, you know, with it being LGBT?"

"Yes, of course I am!" Grahame blushed a deep crimson.

"Are you sure?" Sara asked, a bit worried, having already decided that her 'little' secret would have to remain secret for the foreseeable future as there was no way she wanted this amazing evening to end.

"Yes, yes I'm totally sure, but, well, look..." Grahame paused and clasped her hand. "Look, I think you are great and I just totally love being with you..." He paused as if to gather his thoughts.

Sara winced, where was this going? Had he worked it out? The look of shock and despair on her face was obvious. Grahame, seeing her anxious expression knew that he needed to carry on and continued.

"You're the first girl I've been out with!" He spluttered out, strangely emphasising the word girl, "and I didn't know I could feel like this, and, well, I like you too much to hurt you so I just want you to know that if I'm awkward or shy, it's not because of you, it's me, I'm just hopeless!"

The expression on Sara's face mellowed. Was he gay? Did he know about her? She was sure there was more, so she stayed silent forcing him to carry on. His words were rushed, a bit garbled, and very emotional.

"So I need to tell you because you'll find out anyway and if you don't like it, then I won't blame you for wanting to call this evening off."

Sara frowned. What on earth was it? What secret could this lovely guy have that was so bad?

"You are the first girl I've been out with, but not my first date." His eyes were staring at the table. Sara's heart suddenly lifted and Grahame felt her hand squeeze his.

"I got quite attached to this guy once. He really liked me and I really enjoyed his company, but then one night we went out and he had too much to drink. When we got back to his place, he tried to kiss me. When I objected he forced himself on me! I guess it was almost rape, and then I hated it, I hated myself, I was so ashamed, and I've just been a wreck emotionally ever since!"

Sara wanted to speak, but she couldn't. It was requiring all her strength and concentration to hold back her tears. She held his hand tighter.

"So emotionally I'm a bit screwed up. I know I'm not really gay, not in the true sense of that word, but then I don't feel completely straight either. I love beautiful lovely people, whatever sex they are, so the thing is I'm not one of those macho guys, you know, sometimes I feel quite feminine inside!" He paused again. Sara gripped his hand tightly, she wanted to cry with relief, but she knew she had to be strong.

"Go on." She said calmly, but with a discernable tremble in her voice. Grahame lifted his eyes from the table, and looked into hers. He could see love, and he was confused. "Go on!" Sara repeated, with some urgency in her tone and squeezing his hand tenderly again.

"Well, I'm not a regular guy by any means, so you just need to know that, and I'll understand if that's not what you want, I will, honestly!" There was another pause and his eyes were watering. Sara kept looking into those hining pools that expressed more than his words ever could. Her eyes radiated love and understanding in return. Sara reached out and with her hand on his chin gently lifted his head.

"You have no idea how special that is for me." Sara said. "You are a truly amazing person to have the courage and honesty to tell me all that and put my feelings before your own. That makes you very special, very special indeed. To be honest, I'm not sure I am good enough for you."

"What! What! Don't be crazy, you are amazing. I can't even believe you're here, let alone still sitting there listening to me!"

"Come on, let's go to the party, there is something I need to tell you and I'd rather do that outside." She took his hand and pulled at it to indicate that she meant them to leave that instance.

It was cool outside, and as they got onto the street Grahame noticed that Sara had shuddered, so he put his jacket over her shoulders. He was silent, waiting for whatever she was going to say which he was sure would be lovely, but would also mean the end of their nascent relationship. He felt a tear run down his cheek. He had never felt so strongly about anyone before. Sara was close to tears herself. When he had put his Jacket over her it was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. She loved this man!

She grabbed his arm and draped it over her shoulder, bringing him right next to her. She wanted to kiss him now, and pulled him round to face her, their faces so close she could feel his breath on her top lip. It took all her strength to remember the advice of her friends. 'Tell him before you kiss.'

Her eyes, her proximity, the heat emanating from her inflamed cheeks, and her short, rapid breathing, told him that there was hope.

"You still want to go out with me?" Grahame asked nervously, so insecure, so desperate, and hoping he had read her signals correctly. Sara pulled back. She was so frightened that she might lose him, that having climbed this mountain of emotion and triumphed, she was about to bring on a storm that would tear it all asunder and leave her heart dashed on the filthy street below.

"Yes, but do you want to go out with me?" She said calmly and deliberately, knowing it had to be said. Their watering eyes were bound together, their tears were even falling in synchronicity. "At the end of the day there is no easy way to tell you this. I am a transsexual, a pre-op transsexual. I have a penis!"

Graham's face went from puzzled disbelief to happy-perplexed in seconds. He looked into her eyes.

"But you are so, so beautiful, so so beautiful, and so lovely. How can that be? There isn't the slightest hint of anything masculine about you!"

"Well thank you, but it's true, and that's my secret which I think it is fair to say trumps yours! I was going to tell you earlier, but I was having so much fun being with you I didn't want it to end. So you see, I have no problem with who you are, in fact, it's just perfect, it really couldn't be more perfect if it tried!"

Now it was Grahame's turn to be silent. Inside he suddenly had mixed feelings. The daemon in him wanted to try to exorcize the anguish of his past, prove that he was straight, even though he knew he was far more complicated than that. But the beautiful angel who stood before him had brought his own internal angel to the fore, and this side of him knew that against all the odds he had met someone he could love without bounds, and who could love him for who he was.

Thoughts washed though his head like waves in a storm, but then the tempest suddenly abated and the sun shone bright as Sara wrapped her arms around him and spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

"I will understand if you don't want to be my boyfriend, and I know I should have told you before now, but I do hope we can at least be friends, people like us are like diamonds buried in the sand, so precious, but so hard to find!"

Grahame was suddenly clear. The raging storm had been replaced by a deep deep serenity. He felt stronger than he had ever done in his life, he felt calm, and he suddenly felt that he could be himself. His arms wrapped themselves around Sara and with a strength he had seldom felt before, he pulled Sara right against him and looked into her eyes, her dark lashes framing her gorgeous face in a gentle submitting way. He moved his gaze slowly down to her lips. She watched expectantly, her heart racing. Then he kissed her, softly at first, but then with a gradually rising passion until they had melted into each other's arms.

Eventually Sara pulled back and with a tissue, wiped the lipstick from Grahame's mouth before adjusting hers using her vanity mirror.

"OK boyfriend, let's go!" She said in a voice so cheery she hardly recognised it as her own. She grabbed his hand and almost danced all the way to the club entrance. She suddenly felt she was the luckiest person alive and even the massive queue to get into the club did not phase her.

Although it was billed as an LGBT event it was clear that a lot of the punters were just there for what they knew would be a great time! Still on a high, Sara walked boldly to the front of the queue and waved her VIP tickets at the bouncer who deftly unhooked a rope barrier and ushered them both in.

Belinda was greeting everyone personally and handing out prosecco to every guest.

"Well now, you must be the lovely Sara, so happy to meet you, I'm Belinda and welcome to my club! Here, please take this, and welcome to you too." She said to Graham, handing him a glass as well and allowing him to introduce himself. "Do have fun tonight, I'm sure you will. You'll find Chrissy and Lynn hosting in the bar upstairs, do go and say hello!"

After thanking BB they headed onto the still empty dance floor and headed towards the curving stairs up to the bar which they ran up holding hands as if they had just completed an all tens dance on Strictly-come-dancing!

It was hard not to notice such a spectacular entrance and Chrissy and Lynn quickly served their orders and rushed over to greet their friend and her new friend. After a hasty introduction, Grahame and Sara were seated and Lynn had brought them over some Canapés.

"They seem nice, are they sisters?" Grahame asked causing Sara to burst out laughing!

"Sisters... ha ha... no not sisters, husband and wife... ha ha ha!"

Sara's laughter was so infectious that Grahame had already started laughing before she had even finished her sentence and when she did, he laughed even louder, this was certainly turning out to be a night of surprises and he was finding his own naivety quite amusing.

Chrissy and Lynn were kept busy until midnight when waitress service stopped and the serious partying and drinking began and Belinda popped up several times to check that they were OK, but the very success of the night had meant that they were both absolutely exhausted. However, once they hit the dance floor it was like they had been injected with a huge shot of caffeine and wanting to make up for not having been able to dance for the last 3 hours, they went somewhat wild and attracted a lot of attention, especially when Conni and Belinda joined them for "Two can Play that Game."

Grahame and Sara had been in the quiet zone getting to know all about each other and closer and closer all the time. Grahame had revealed that his feminine side had made him wonder whether he would be better off as a girl and when he was young he had often raided the laundry basket at home and tried on various things that his mother and sister had deposited there. He even had some panties, a skater dress and some makeup at home which he would occasionally wear on a quiet night in. Sara explained the torment she had been through, and how she had finally decided to be full-time.

Finally they reached that point when the amazing initial journey of discovering someone with words was almost exhausted and Sara pulled Grahame up and demanded they hit the dance floor. He was not especially keen, but really wanted to make a good impression so willingly let her drag him into the action.

Far too loud to talk, they joined in with Chris, Lynn, Belinda and Conni, Sara giving it her all and Grahame looking a bit awkward. Sara shoved her mouth in his ear.

"This is a gay club! Stop dancing like a dad and start dancing like a girl," she shouted. He was a bit flummoxed at first, but then imagined himself in his lovely skater dress and began to dance like he had done numerous times in the privacy of his flat. His self consciousness evaporated and he suddenly felt really good!

"Wow look at you!" Sara mouthed with a big smile, taking his hands as they twisted together with perfect timing.

The dancing carried on for a while and they even had a lovely slow dance to "Endless Love" where Grahame took charge and they swayed locked together in a world of their own. When they returned to their seats Lynn grabbed Sara and whisked her off to the toilets desperate to find out everything about their blossoming romance. Sara explained how she had not had to reveal anything because Graham was pansexual, and had even cross-dressed, a detail Lynn found so incredulous she had to get Sara to repeat it.

When Sara explained what she had said to Grahame to get him dancing Lynn almost choked she was laughing so much, but she did give Sara a really big hug and tell her just how good they both looked together and what a lucky girl she was! Sara was totally made up, and Lynn couldn't wait to share her gossip!

It was approaching one o'clock and the DJ was winding everyone down to leave, but Belinda had already invited all her helpers to stay on to celebrate what had been an outstanding success. She had even had the local paper in to report on the event with a lovely young reporter who had really enjoyed the evening and had promised a great review.

As a friend of Chris and Lynn, Sara was obviously invited, as was Grahame, and they both accepted since, with some foresight, they had both signed up for evening shifts the next day so were not at all worried about staying out late, and really didn't want to be parted.

With the music low, they all moved up to the mezzanine floor and were told to help themselves to drinks from the bar. It was a select crowd. Conni, Xavier and Sandra joined them and they regaled each other with stories from the evening.

Grahame had a long conversation with Chrissy and they both got on really well, even touching on the subject of dressing which Grahame was more than happy to admit to as it all seemed so natural in the company he was in. For the first time ever he felt among kindred spirits who truly understood him.

Once the bouncers had emptied the club, Belinda invited her closest friends up to her flat at the top of the club. Sorting out drinks while her guests admired the panoramic view, she was torn between a need for a good fucking from Xavier and the romantic delight she felt just watching the two little love birds. Pondering what to do, she excused herself and disappeared briefly to her bedroom for a while where she realised that she could have Xavier any time, but the magic between Grahame and Sara was very special and she wanted to help nurture it. Never one to keep her thoughts or ideas to herself, especially after a drink or two, she bounced back into the living room and collared Sara and Graham in private.

"Now Grahame my darling, I hear that you have a secret side, and I think it's would be nice if you shared it with us."

Grahame was very taken aback and had just began muttering incoherent denials and excuses, when Sara gave him a big hug and looking deeply in his eyes said "Yes, why not, that would be really nice, I'd get to see the other you."

"Well then," said Belinda, now off you two go, I've left a few things out for you on the bed in my room... we're about the same size... and you can use my cosmetics in the en-suite, don't be too long!

Sara dragged Grahame into Belinda's bedroom and was impressed by the lingerie, dress and even wig that Belinda had laid out on the bed.

Grahame was extremely excited the minute he saw the items on the bed, but also felt embarrassed and a bit reluctant as no one had ever seen him dressed en-femme before. Sara's encouraging words put him at ease and when she handed him the red satin panties and he felt them in his hands, he really couldn't wait to get them on. Sara helped him out of his clothes, and into the panties, matching bra and camisole. She ran a pair of black lace-topped hold-ups onto his hairless legs and squeezed his feet into the red patent heels which were a bit tight, but looked amazing. Finally she crumpled up two pairs of tights and carefully pushed them to the bottom of the bra cups, filling out his chest and leaving him with a hint of cleavage.

She led him to the bathroom and began to make-up his face despite his initial protests that he had only ever put lipstick on before. Concealer, foundation, fixer, bronzer, blusher, eyebrow pencil, eyeliner, eyeshadow and finally some thick mascara before she used a lip pencil and brush to do his lips. He was facing away from the mirror so Sara could work on him, and when he tried to turn round she stopped him.

"No, no, not yet, let's get this on, lean your head back!" She placed the blonde wig over his forehead and pulled it down to his neck and began brushing it out and straightening it, finally adding a small blast of hair spray to keep the style in place.

"Now close your eyes, turn around... Open!"

At first he didn't understand who he was looking at, it couldn't be him! He moved his head from side to side to prove that it was. He simply could not believe it, he was almost embarrassed that he was thinking how good he looked! Sara was a real expert! Equally impressed with her work, Sara gave him a massive kiss and squeezed his semi hard erection before leading him back to the bedroom so she could zip him into the sequinned black dress.

"Perfect," she exclaimed, the squeakiness in her voice betraying her excitement!