Dykeification Ch. 03

Reaching up, Danielle tugged at the edge of her baseball cap to try and pull it down a little further over her face. Aside from the hat, she was wearing large, dark sunglasses, a plain t-shirt, and some mom jeans. Dressing inconspicuously was a necessity of life, if you were a celebrity in Hollywood. Usually, paparazzi didn't give Danielle too much trouble - they had bigger fish to fry than Danielle Cartwright - but over the course of her career she'd learned that no scoop was too small for some bottom feeders. This time, though, paparazzi wasn't the reason Danielle felt so nervous.

"Come on, babe," Grace said to her, in the Valley Girl drawl that Danielle had come to find so comforting. She reached out and took Danielle by the hand, giving her palm an encouraging squeeze. "This is gonna be great!"

Danielle nodded and tried not to blush. Partly, she was embarrassed because she felt like a child, needing so much encouragement and letting her nerves show so clearly. Grace was there to assist her, of course, but Danielle didn't like the idea that she needed a babysitter. Partly, though, she was embarrassed because having Grace's hand in hers made her stomach fill with butterflies.

She wasn't sure how she felt about finding herself in the mindset of a flustered schoolgirl. But she couldn't help it. She was, after all, into women.

It had been about a week since Grace had helped her discover her same-sex attraction. In truth, Danielle could barely remember how, exactly, she'd come to that earth-shattering self-discovery. But she knew Grace had been instrumental to it, and she couldn't be more grateful. Everything made so much more sense now - at least, that was what a little voice in the back of her mind was telling her. Between that and Grace's glorious massages, Danielle felt like a woman reborn. There were just a couple of problems.

The first was that her attraction to women cut both ways, it seemed. Was it fun? Yes, absolutely. Danielle still got a little thrill each and every time she acknowledged it to herself, or every time she noticed something about another woman she thought was hot. But it was also somewhat inconvenient, particularly where Grace was concerned. She just couldn't get her curvy assistant or her bombshell figure out of her head. Worse, being around her was a constant source of temptation and distraction, and since Grace was her full-time assistant, that was a big problem. Danielle felt she was constantly in danger of tearing her own professionalism to shreds, slamming Grace against a wall, and-

She made herself end that train of thought before it could begin.

Danielle just didn't want to put Grace in an uncomfortable position - or worse still, commit outright sexual harassment. Grace had been such a good friend to her, after all, to say nothing of what a situation like that might do to her already-flagging career. It would be completely wrong, and so Danielle had to be constantly vigilant, lest she find herself slipping into flirtations or getting too touchy. The hardest thing to deal with was the massages. The experience of Grace's hands running over her naked body was a special kind of torture. It was all Danielle could do to keep herself from moaning, and she wasn't sure if Grace had noticed how flushed she got - or how wet. The only mercy was that she seemed to fall asleep during most of them. Danielle had considered calling the massages off, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She was hooked. She needed them.

The other problem with her newfound sexuality was her fiancé. Danielle knew that being LGBT was something to celebrate, but it was hard to feel that way when she couldn't bring herself to tell Cameron, the man she was going to marry. What if he didn't believe her? What if he wasn't supportive? What if he took it the wrong way? They were supposed to be getting married in a few months. How was she supposed to explain she was suddenly attracted to women? Didn't that imply she'd been looking at other people romantically and sexually? Danielle just didn't know what to do. She was a little grateful that he was still out of town for an acting gig. She simply didn't have the confidence in her new sexuality to start coming out to anyone besides Grace.

But, that morning, that was exactly what the pair of them had decided to go out and fix.

***

"Babe, trust me. I know just what you need. A makeover!"

Danielle blinked. She had just finished telling Grace her problems - not in any expectation that she could provide a solution, but simply in the hope of getting it off her chest. Grace was the only person she could truly confide in, after all. But now here Grace was, offering a solution.

"A makeover?" Danielle replied skeptically.

"Don't look at me like that!" Grace giggled. "I know, I know, it's like, kind of a cliche. But it's totally true! We gotta get you a new look, babe!"

Danielle couldn't help but smile. Grace always put her in a good mood, and no matter what, she always seemed to end up humoring her. "OK, you're going to need to spell that out for me."

"Sure thing!" Grace said earnestly. "OK, so, like, let me put it this way. When I say 'lesbian' to you, what pops into your head?"

Danielle blinked. "What? Uh..."

"Chill, you don't actually have to say it." Grace giggled again. "But let me guess: flannel? Leather? Short hair? How am I doing?"

"Well..." Danielle was faintly embarrassed. She didn't want to admit she was stereotyping.

Grace winked at her. "Nailed it! But, like, don't worry. Take it from me: no one loves lesbian stereotypes more than lesbians. Anyway, the point is, it's like that for a reason. If you want to feel gay, try looking gay. You get me?"

"Hmm." Danielle frowned. "I'm not sure I see myself as the short hair and flannel type. Besides, I'm still into men."

Grace's eyes flashed for a moment. "Well, you never know what might happen."

"I'm not sure..."

"C'mon, girl!" Grace reached forwards and took Danielle's hands in hers. "Don't you wanna even give it a shot? What's the harm?"

***

In the end, it hadn't taken Danielle long to succumb to Grace's eager persuasion, and so now they were walking under the bright West Hollywood sun, trying to avoid notice and looking for somewhere to pick up clothes. It wasn't the day Danielle had anticipated having, but she was enjoying it. Grace had freed up plenty of time in her schedule, and using some of it for a nice, relaxing shopping trip was a nice change. It reminded Danielle of being a teenager again, out at the crappy local mall with her high school girlfriends.

She shivered. Girlfriends.

"So, where are we going to start?" Danielle asked, turning to Grace. "How about here?"

She gestured to 'Des Kohan', just down the street. It was one of the finest boutiques in the city, and so exclusive even someone like Danielle couldn't afford to visit too often. But if she was looking for something to make her feel more confident, she couldn't think of a better place to shop.

To her surprise, though, Grace waved a hand in utter dismissal. "There? Pfft. No way. We're trying to think a little more outside the box for you, m'kay?"

Danielle blinked. "Then where?"

"Just trust me," was Grace's reply. "I know the perfect place."

Danielle allowed Grace to lead her through progressively smaller and smaller streets, until they were completely off the beaten track and straying into territory Danielle was totally unfamiliar with. Her skepticism was growing. None of the stores they were walking past looked very impressive. Outside the box was fine, but Danielle needed to maintain her profile. She couldn't afford to be seen wearing anything that didn't look designer. Perhaps she was going to have to put her foot down.

"Here!" Grace announced brightly, just as Danielle was about to say something.

'Black Lines.' That was the name of the clothing store Grace had led her to. The storefront was plain and without any fanfare or ornamentation, and the store within seemed just as dark and dim as the name suggested. From the outside, it was virtually impossible to tell anything about the store. Danielle looked at Grace dubiously.

"Are you sure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Grace just giggled.

"Of course, silly! Now, hurry up!"

Before Danielle could mount any further protest, Grace opened the door and ushered the both of them inside. Once she stepped across the threshold and got a look inside the store, Danielle's surprise immediately outweighed her skepticism.

The store was an alt fashion paradise. It put the Hot Topic in Danielle's Midwest hometown to shame. The store was larger than Danielle would have guessed from the outside, and the dim, atmospheric, purple lightning made it feel bigger still, as did the fact that it appeared totally deserted. There were hidden speakers all over, pumping low, industrial music into the store, and from the entrance all the way to the distant back walls, it was filled with shelves, mannequins, and racks upon racks of clothing. Danielle wasn't a complete stranger to alternative subcultures, of course, and as a celebrity she was certainly familiar with statement fashion, but even so, some of the items of clothing she could see made her raise an eyebrow. There was leather, chains, latex, and materials Danielle couldn't even name. She couldn't believe that a place like this had managed to survive here in West Hollywood, where the rents were extreme and anything daring immediately became the new mainstream.

"Hey, Grace," called out the shop assistant, standing behind the register. "Haven't seen you here in a minute."

Danielle tilted her head. She was a little surprised to learn that Grace was a regular. Her outfits were usually a lot more professional and a lot more classically feminine than anything she could see nearby.

"Heya, Vex!" Grace replied brightly, waving. "How's it going?"

The woman at the register - Vex - was a classic goth girl, and looked completely at home in a store like this. With her short, asymmetric hair and her many piercings, she didn't look that far different from what Danielle had been imagining earlier that day, when Grace had asked her to picture a lesbian. Once Danielle wouldn't have thought much of that. She might not even have noticed. But now...

Danielle giggled inwardly with sinful joy as she looked Vex up and down, checking her out and appreciating her body. Why not? It was one of the great pleasures of life, and now that she'd discovered it, she wasn't going to let a chance like this go to waste.

It helped that the tight, leather corset top Vex was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination. Certainly not her cleavage.

"Not bad," Vex replied, grinning. She nodded towards Danielle. "New project of yours?"

Project? What did that mean?

"Oh, you know," Grace said, giggling. "Just a friend."

Danielle dismissed the strange word choice. She was just glad Vex didn't recognize her, and that Grace was covering for her.

"Yeah?" Vex was grinning. "And what's your friend looking for?"

"She, like, hasn't really decided yet," Grace answered for her. "We're just gonna see what looks good. Y'know?"

Vex offered a knowing look, and returned her attention to her phone. Grace took Danielle by the wrist, and started leading her off through the many, many aisles of clothes.

"Wait, so..." Danielle ventured. "What are we looking for?"

Grace just turned and winked at her. "Just trust me!"

Danielle nodded. She did trust Grace. She didn't even need to think about it. She trusted her assistant more than perhaps anyone else. Somehow, she just knew the young trans woman had her best interests at heart.

"Now, let's see..." Grace murmured sorting through the clothes on the rack they had arrived at with machine-like efficiency. "How about... this!"

Danielle breathed a sigh of relief when it was just a leather jacket. A little bulkier and grungier than what she'd typically wear, yes, but nothing crazy. She slipped it on over her top experimentally. It fit perfectly.

"Looks good!" Grace exclaimed, clapping her hands. "Lots of space for, like, pins and patches and stuff!"

"Huh?"

"What are we feeling?" Grace mused, as much to herself as to Danielle. "A flag? A venus? A labrys?"

"What are you talking about?" Danielle asked.

"The DIY jacket look!" Grace explained. "It's very queer."

Danielle was unconvinced. "Don't you think that's a little punk for me?"

"Hmm." Grace peered at Danielle with uncomfortable intensity. Her eyes glinted. "I don't know. I could totally see it."

Something about the look on her face made Danielle shiver. "Y-you could?"

Grace shrugged, and reached out to take the jacket back from Danielle. "We'll circle back to it."

Danielle blinked again. "What?"

Grace ignored her, and grabbed something else. "Try this on."

Danielle just barely managed to catch the bundle of cloth Grace threw at her. She thought about arguing, but what would have been the point? They were here to buy clothes, after all. She wouldn't have been surprised at all to learn that fashion was amongst Grace's many talents. Perhaps she should just let her work. Danielle slipped out of both the leather jacket and, since Vex was out of view, her t-shirt, and slipped on the garment Grace had given her.

It was a tank top. Or perhaps a crop top? Danielle wasn't sure; the hem was uneven, and only just cropped enough to show off a little of her belly. Around the neck and chest it was very loose, so much so that it left plenty of her bra showing, and it had a few carefully-placed holes and tatters along the sides. Again, it was definitely a departure from Danielle's usual style, but only by a little. Danielle nodded approvingly.

"Great!" Grace said, beaming. "We can get you some pants to match. And, of course, this."

Before the celebrity could question her, Grace reached out and fastened something around Danielle's neck. It was a chain - not a chain necklace, at least not as Danielle would have recognized it. A chain. The links were each at least a couple of inches across, and they were a dull, gunmetal gray. The chain hung heavy around her neck, and was long enough to dip into her cleavage. Danielle looked at Grace, puzzled.

"Trust me," Grace assured her.

Danielle nodded. She trusted Grace.

"I know what else this outfit needs!" Grace suddenly announced. "Earrings!"

She reached past Danielle for a nearby shelf and plucked an item from it. When Danielle saw what the earrings were, she started shaking her head.

"Nuh-uh," she said. "No way."

These earrings appeared to be silver, but that wasn't what Danielle objected to. She objected to the shape. Each earring took the form of a pair of interlocking Venus symbols, one hanging from the other by their rings. It was cute, but far too blatant.

Grace pouted. "Why not?"

"It's too much!" Danielle replied firmly. "I don't want something that's gonna get all the tabloids talking."

"Aw, c'mon," Grace pleaded, looking up at Danielle with eager eyes. "Please? They'll look so good on you? I, like, really want to see you wear them."

The way Grace's voice slipped into a seductive, silky-sweet tone made Danielle pause for a moment. For a few, eerie seconds, she felt strangely dizzy. But then it passed, and Danielle found herself irritated at her assistant for being so pushy.

"I said 'no', Grace."

She expected her new PA to back off. She didn't expect Grace to, instead, throw herself at her.

Before Danielle knew what was happening, Grace was all around her. She could feel one of her assistant's arms at her hip, and the other clutching her shoulder. She would have called it a hug, if not for how ominously possessive the embrace felt. Danielle's instincts were screaming at her to run, but instead she found herself frozen on the spot, her muscles locking up and stiffening as Grace stretched to put her lips to Danielle's ear.

"Oopsie," the valley girl whispered. "Sounds like someone needs to drain for me."

As the word 'drain' dripped from Grace's honeyed lips, Danielle felt the world around her starting to slow and distort. Her eyes relaxed, allowing the world around her to fade into nothing more than a dim, shadowy blur. The low music playing within the store felt like it was beating inside of her brain, and the purple lights illuminating the room were suddenly dazzling.

"What... um... what..." Danielle murmured weakly.

"That's it," Grace simpered, and kissed her cheek. "Just let it all drain out for me, babe."

Against her will, Danielle nodded. It was like she could her mind drooling and draining out from her ears. It should have been horrifying, but she lacked the mental capacity to feel anything at all. After a few moments, she let out a deep, shuddery breath and went slack in Grace's embrace, her thoughts all reduced to a placid, hazy fog.

"Good," Grace purred. She drew back a little, and held the Venus symbol earrings up before Danielle's face like she was trying to distract a small child with a shiny trinket. "Now. Maybe you need to, like, remind yourself of a couple things. What do you want, Danielle?"

"I want to fuck girls," Danielle answered, without hesitation. The words were deeply embedded in her mind.

"And?"

"I want to top girls." The very thought made her shiver. "I want to dominate girls."

"Good!" Grace giggled. "But, like, how are you gonna do that if no one even knows you're a dyke? You gotta start putting out signals, sweetie."

Danielle twitched. "But..." she struggled to say. "But... my... Cameron... my fiancé?"

Grace flashed. "Don't worry about him right now," she instructed. "You don't need to worry at all. We're just two girls, out shopping. Why do you need to go thinking about him?"

And just like that, Danielle stopped thinking about her fiancé.

"You want girls," Grace continued. "And you love making girls like me happy. Right?"

Danielle nodded.

"Soooo," Grace drawled, grinning. "Wanna put these earrings on?"

She didn't wait for a response. The assistant simply tore open the clear plastic packet containing the earrings, carefully separated them, and used them to replace the plain stud earrings Danielle was currently wearing.

"There!" Grace stepped back once she'd finished putting in the earrings, and guided Danielle over to a nearby mirror. "What do you think?"

In her brain-drained state, Danielle could barely formulate a single thought as she stared at her own reflection. The simple accessories Grace had chosen for her - the chain necklace and the Venus earrings - lent her an entirely different look from her usual, mainstream-Hollywood glamor. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about all the girls who were going to see that she liked girls.

Looking like a dyke turned her on.

"Yeah," Danielle breathed, her voice full of thrill and excitement. "Yeah. Good."

Grace giggled and clapped her hands. "Oh, babe, and we're only just getting started."

As Danielle watched, hopelessly under her assistant's spell, Grace picked out several other items for her new look. First, a plethora of rings, to wear across all of her fingers. Then, a few more punk-ish necklaces, including a padlock necklace and a razor blade pendant. After that, several more earrings, all of them clearly intended to give off dyke vibes. Danielle could do nothing but stare placidly as Grace curated her new look for her, and she could feel nothing but a growing eagerness.

She was going to look so gay, and so hot.

"Now, how about, like, some flannel?"

Danielle just nodded dumbly. Even she knew that lesbians loved flannel. Grace led her around the store to another aisle and selected a flannel shirt in her size. When she gestured for her to do so, Danielle obediently lifted her arms so Grace could slip it over her shoulders, above the tank top she was still wearing.