Inner Woman Ch. 02: Charmed on a Cruise

Inner Woman 2 : Charmed on a Cruise Ship

Jayleigh Aura

Introduction

So let's just say there is this bracelet. Let's also say that this particular bracelet has magical powers. Now here's the kicker, if this particular bracelet is worn by a man, it has the power to release his "Inner Woman". This is Charissa's story.

Disclaimer: This isn't an actual "X-Change" story, I included it as a tag because it is mentioned a few times.

Day Zero

"Rise and shine sleepy head. Girl's trip is officially under way! And just look how pretty you are first thing in the morning, girl you don't need another second of beauty sleep."

My mom's voice and the gentle shake of my shoulders woke me up. I protested being woken up so early, but then I stretched my arms and pulled my shoulder length brunette hair from the bun I usually kept it in while sleeping. I yawned, then smiled up towards her while she bounced around my bedroom in excitement. She smiled back down at me and said.

"Oh Charissa, this is going to be the best girls trip of all time. The men are going to be beside themselves when they get a look at the two hottest women on the cruise ship. Plus I get to spend the week with my favorite daughter, who is the most amazing gift a mother could ever ask for!"

I cleared my throat and in my high pitched voice, replied.

"I'm your only daughter Mom, and you're pouring it on a little thick, but thank you. It means a lot."

"Well I just want my baby girl to know that I love her and that I'm very proud of her."

I rolled my eyes and sat up in my bed. Even though I was eighteen, "Baby Girl" was a nickname she recently started using for me. My mom had been acting like that more and more with each passing day. Using adjectives like pretty and beautiful to describe how I looked. She was also making sure to use every feminine pronoun in the book when she talked about me. Why would she be doing this you ask? Well, because I'm not really a girl...wait, let me take that back. I really am a girl, it's just that society and my biological male attributes tend to disagree.

Yes, I'm trans. My mom goes a little overboard with it but I can't tell you how much I appreciate her support. While she can be annoying about it at times, I have to remind myself that there is going to be an adjustment period for her as well. She reacted much better than my father did when I came out to them with my plans of transitioning. It was on my eighteenth birthday when my egg finally cracked and I decided to live my life in a way that felt right. Rage filled my father's eyes, he called me every homophobic slur in the book before storming out of the door. He never returned after Mom informed him that she would be supporting me. My mom didn't understand how I could feel the way I did, but she sat down and listened to me, she asked questions, she even did her own research on gender dysphoria and gender identity. During her research, she found a therapist and a doctor's office in our area that had experience with the trans community.

Shortly after that, I began HRT. I'd only been on "E" for two months at this point, not enough time to make a real difference in my appearance, but there were a few subtle changes happening. My skin and hair were already getting softer and my nipples were getting bigger and becoming very tinder and sensitive. Enough so that I would be needing to invest in a training bra or a sports bra soon. It wasn't as bad when I was in girl mode in the safety of our home, my padded bra didn't irritate my nipples as much. When I was out and about in public in boy mode, my t-shirts annoyed the crap out of my sensitive little girls.

I was very excited about the body changes that were happening as well as the changes yet to come, but also growing impatient everytime I saw a guy looking back at me in the mirror. I hoped that one day I would no longer see "him" and only see "her" in the reflection. My therapist reminded me that transitioning was a marathon and not a sprint. I shouldn't get ahead of myself but I just wanted to feel normal for a change. I wanted to feel happy, I wanted my outside to match my inside. Why couldn't they just create those X-Change pills that I'd read so many stories about on Literotica? I'd even written a few of my own gender swap stories and published them on the website as a way to momentarily escape my reality.

My mind started going down the path that could lead to depression so I rubbed my fingers along my bracelet. A bracelet I wore that had the name "Charissa" inscribed on it. It was a wonderful gift my mom gave to me. She told me that every time a negative thought entered my mind, I could rub my fingers across my new name to remind myself of the woman I was becoming. I really liked my new name. When my mom informed me that Charissa would have been my name if I was born female, I knew it fit me better than the feminized version of my dead name that I was considering.

I rubbed my fingers across the bracelet again as I took in my reflection in the mirror. My most hated feature was always the first to catch my eye. No, I'm not talking about my genitalia, although my penis and scrotum were a close second and third on the list. At least I could tuck those and hide them to a degree. My most hated feature was the huge adam's apple that bounced around under my chin. I mean seriously, it looked like I had a damn golf ball lodged in my throat.

After the dreadful task of shaving my face, I inspected my body for any changes that may have occurred. Of course the changes never happened over night, but that never stopped me from looking anyway. I shaved my legs and armpits in the shower, a task that I actually enjoyed. My feminine smelling soaps and shampoo were enjoyable as well.

My suitcase was filled with only feminine clothing and my bra was filled with breast forms. I was dressed in a knee length skirt with a sleeveless satin turtleneck and a pair of flats. Mom had been trying to get me to try heels, but at 6'4", I felt like I was tall enough. I was also very thin, tall and lanky was a term I'd heard many times before to describe my body type.

I actually felt like I was having a good hair day for a change, I had it styled nicely to frame my face and curl under my chin. I found that to be a good way to help cover the adam's apple that was somewhat hidden behind my turtleneck. Thankfully I'd been letting my hair grow out for years. I was also pretty happy with my makeup, those skills had been getting better over the past few months.

I was nervous as hell after the two and a half hour drive. We parked the car at the port parking lot and headed to the terminal. A porter offered to take our luggage, Mom thanked him and gave him a five dollar bill as a tip. The porter was friendly, but I could still see that look in his eyes. The look that meant I wasn't passing. The look that said he knew what was under my skirt. I knew I would be seeing that look on people's faces so I tried to mentally prepare myself. This was my first time presenting as female in public but I was determined to not let those looks bother me. This was my senior trip, this was my coming out party, this was my first girls trip with my mom and I was going to enjoy myself.

Our cruise ship was named The Majestic. As we boarded the ship, the friendly staff smiled and greeted all of the passengers. "Welcome aboard The Majestic, where dreams come true!" That was the slogan that was repeated over and over as we explored our home for the next seven days. It was a very fitting name for the ship. She was massive, like a small floating city. There were several restaurants and eateries aboard, so many options for entertainment, and tax free shopping, plus the elegant decor was quite... majestic. I even noticed a few LGBTQ meet and greets were listed in the events itinerary, which I absolutely planned on attending.

A short time after the sail away party where all of the passengers waved goodbye to the random strangers who waved back from the pier, one of my biggest fears happened. I think I handled it well enough. There was a group of seven or eight guys walking towards my mom and I in the hallway that led to our balcony stateroom. They all looked to be a couple of years older than me, but not by much. Probably college aged, maybe frat brothers or something. The guy in the front looked arrogant as hell. He chuckled and nudged one of his buddies, then he said.

"Get a load of this shit, fucking tranny."

I stopped in my tracks. I wanted to punch the jerk in the face but I took a deep breath, then I turned and pointed in his face and said.

"And you're a fucking asshole!"

Mom was about to explode on the guy so I took her hand and pulled her to our stateroom before the situation could escalate. At least a few of his buddies called him out for his rudeness. I even heard one of them say.

"Damn Joseph, what in the fuck is wrong with you man? She wasn't bothering anyone."

After returning to our room, my mom called guest services to log a complaint. Although it wasn't the cruise line's fault, they offered some onboard credit as an apology and assured us that security would be speaking with the young man. I just can't comprehend why some people think his kind of behavior is funny or acceptable. Why do my life choices bother people like that? It's my life, not theirs. The way I dress or the way I speak has absolutely no impact on his life, so why be a bully? After rubbing my bracelet, I decided that I wouldn't be giving him the satisfaction of sending me into a dark place.

Mom wanted to try her luck in the casino but I was more interested in spending my newly acquired credits in one of the onboard shops. She was a little worried about splitting up but I assured her that I was a big girl and could handle myself. The first shop I walked into was basically just general merchandise. It mostly sold souvenir shirts and hats. There were also plenty of little trinkets scattered around, all with the "Majestic" logo and the "Where dreams come true" tag line printed on them.

The next shop I entered sold every name brand of fragrance you could think of. There had to be at least a thousand different perfumes and colognes available. As I was browsing around, I heard a woman's voice behind me.

"Excuse me Miss."

It didn't even cross my mind that she was speaking to me. Mom was the only person who had ever called me "Miss". Then I felt a tap on my shoulder and I heard her speak again.

"Excuse me Miss. Could I ask you a question?"

I turned around as the woman continued.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm having the hardest time deciding between these two perfumes. Could you maybe give me your opinion? Which one would you prefer?"

"Oh, um, yeah sure."

She smiled brightly, then she sprayed a testing strip with one of the perfumes and handed it to me. While I took in the scent of the first, she sprayed the second test strip and handed it over as well. I alternated sniffing the two fragrances, then I held up the one in my left hand and said.

"They are both really nice, but I think I like this one better."

"Yeah, I think you're right, that's the one I was leaning towards. Thanks. Are you buying any perfume yourself?"

"I'm thinking about it."

We ended up striking up a conversation as she helped me decide which perfume I should buy. She was so friendly and sweet. Not once did she give me that awkward look. She simply treated me like I was an ordinary girl. It didn't feel forced or fake either, our interactions felt genuine.

Not only was she super nice, she was super attractive too. She was older than me, I would venture to guess she was in her mid to late twenties. Her long platinum hair reached all the way down her back. Her left arm was tattooed with beautiful artwork. The yellow sun dress that she wore featured a low cut square neck that highlighted her ample cleavage and tanned chest. Everything about her screamed confidence, sexuality, femininity and class. God I was so jealous. I wondered if she had any idea of how lucky she was. If she knew how fortunate she was to experience the childhood and puberty that I was unable to experience. She probably played dress up with her friends while I had to sneak into my mom's closet on the few occasions that I was home alone. I could easily see her being the prom queen or homecoming queen in highschool. I bet all of those boys that chased after her are pretty jealous of the man that put that diamond ring on her finger.

After making our purchases in the fragrance shop, our conversation continued as we walked into the jewelry shop.

"Oh, I'm Mikayla by the way."

"Nice to meet you Mikayla, I'm Charissa."

"It's nice to meet you as well Charissa."

We browsed around the jewelry shop, then the candy shop. Before I knew it, We'd spent over an hour chatting and getting to know one another. She was a first time cruiser while I'd been on several cruises for family vacations. She had a fiance named Cole who wasn't able to make the trip. They recently renovated an old house and decided to move into it together. The two homes they each owned before their engagement were listed for sale instead. Both of those homes were scheduled to close this week so Cole stayed behind to handle the paperwork. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that she lived in the next town over from mine.

Hearing Mikayla talk about her fiance was very heart warming. Her eyes sparkled as she told me the story of the two of them being best friends for years before finally revealing their love for each other. It was a very beautiful story. She wasn't traveling alone however, she brought a friend of hers along. She was an elderly woman who Mikayla called her godmother. Neither of them had ever been on a cruise so this was a bucket list item for both of them.

"Hey Charissa, did you know the ship has a night club? We should go dancing!"

"Oh I don't know. I'm still learning to walk in a feminine way, I don't think I have the confidence to try dancing as a girl in front of people yet."

Throughout the evening, that was the first time our conversation hinted to the fact that I was trans. Mikayla didn't skip a beat. She didn't attempt to act surprised or confused just to boost my confidence or change the way she spoke to me. She simply replied.

"Well, you gotta learn at some point, c'mon chic, it'll be fun."

Dancing did sound fun, I loved to dance in the privacy of my own home. I'd spent plenty of hours trying to copy the dance moves that women did on those social media dance trends. I tried to mimick the way their bodies seemed to move so naturally and sexy, but it still felt forced and awkward when I attempted it.

"Maybe it would be fun, but I'm getting a little hungry."

"How about this? Let's go get a bite to eat, then freshen up a bit and go to the night club. Just dance with me for one song, if you're still feeling uncomfortable after that, we'll find something else to get into."

"Okay, deal, but I'd like to check in with my mom real quick. She's probably still in the casino."

We walked through the casino on our way to the buffet. I found my mom at a slot machine. The machine next to her wasn't being occupied at the time so I sat next to her. Mikayla said her godmother should be in the casino as well so she went looking for her. When I sat down, Mom said.

"Oh, hey Baby Girl. Are you having a good time?"

"Actually, I'm having a great time. How about you? Have you gambled away all of your money yet?"

"Oh no, I just won a $2500 jackpot so I'm doing great."

"Oh, that's awesome Mom! Good job! So anyway, I just wanted to check in with you. Me and my new friend are going to get something to eat and hang out, we may go check out the dance club too."

"New friend? And who is this friend?"

"Her name is Mikayla and she's really sweet, we've been hitting it off really well. Look, that's her in the yellow dress talking to the older woman at the Blackjack table."

"Awe, I'm so glad you found another girl to hang out with. You two don't go getting into any trouble okay."

"Okay Mom. Thanks, love ya."

I kissed her cheek but before I could walk away, she responded.

"I love you too dear. Oh, would you please do me a favor and download the texting app on your phone so that we can keep in touch?"

"Sure thing Mom, I'll see you in a bit."

A few minutes later Mikayla and I were sitting at a table near the buffet. My stomach was rumbling as I nibbled on my salad while she stuffed her face with pizza. Lucky girl, not only was she blessed with beauty, apparently she was blessed with an amazing metabolism as well. She must have noticed the way I was looking at her when she moaned from how delicious the food tasted. With a mouth half full of pizza and a confused look on her face, she asked.

"Whaaa?"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes, then she jokingly responded by saying.

"Hey, don't judge me bitch. I work hard to keep my figure but I'm on vacation and so is my diet."

"Hmmm, you know what? That's an excellent point."

She nodded her head in agreement, then I reached over to her plate and snagged her last piece of pizza and took a big bite before she could pull my arm back. She slapped me on the shoulder and started to say.

"Oh you little.."

But before she could finish her sentence, I shot her my own confused looking face with a mouth half full of pizza, then I mockingly said.

"Whaaa?"

We both busted out in a fit of giggles.

We each ate an ice cream cone on our way to her stateroom where we would freshen up for our visit to the dance club. Her stateroom was a mirror image of the stateroom I shared with my mom, complete with balcony. I assumed that she shared the room with her godmother, but she booked her own room next door. I admired Mikayla as she fussed with her hair and touched up her makeup. As she was reapplying her lipstick, I said.

"I really like the way you've done your makeup. I wish I could do mine like that. The eyes are so tricky."

"Thanks, if you'd like, I could do yours for you. I could give you some tips too."

I was a little hesitant at first. I didn't want her to see my face without makeup, but I felt comfortable around her so I accepted the offer. She was very giddy when she sat me down and got started. She cleaned my face, then started her routine. She explained the benefits of each of the products that I wasn't familiar with, then she showed me a few techniques that I was unfamiliar with as well. As she applied the long fake eyelashes, I said

"Thank you for this Mikayla, I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome, but you don't have to thank me, it's just makeup."

"No, it's more than just makeup. Thanks for befriending me and being so kind, not everyone has been."

"You're welcome. It's terrible how people can be so close minded. I'm sorry that's an issue you have to deal with."

After she finished my makeup, she asked if she could try something different with my hair. She'd done an amazing job on my face, so I happily agreed. She also had a few pieces of jewelry that she thought would look nice with my outfit. I walked through a mist of my new perfume and was admiring my new look in the mirror when she said.

"Okay, one last piece and we'll be ready to go. I think this bracelet would look great on you."

The bracelet wasn't really all that elegant or anything, it was simple but still very pretty. The bands were made of braided leather that connected to a gold charm. The charm was in the shape of the female symbol, a circle above a cross. I had a feeling that Mikayla held some kind of sentimental value in the bracelet because she had a small tattoo on her inner wrist that appeared to be the same size and shape as the charm. As I started to put the bracelet on my wrist, Mikayla stepped into the bathroom.