My Eyes Adored You

Dana Andriksen looked down at her office desk. On it, a picture of her departed girlfriend, a mess of paperwork and a glass of cheap chardonnay. She did not drink much else in the last couple months. It seemed like the death of her girlfriend was the end of Dana. Dana somehow still managed to drive herself out of the Montville, New Jersey home and drag herself to the Dover antique shop she owned. However, since the death of her confidant, the entire process became just a chore. Walking to and from the liquor store to purchase cheap wine was becoming a daily regimen. The inspiration to do anything else was not there. Somehow, despite drinking, she still managed to get to work and make some money on the stuff she sold. One night it got really bad.

After shutting the shop around 5pm on a Friday night, Dana grabbed the cheap wine from a mini fridge in her back office and poured a glass. Before she took her first sip though, she saw Dawn Andrews' picture on her desk. Dawn died a couple months earlier from a hard-fought battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The person she grew up with, went to college with, and helped partially transition into a woman, was gone. Dawn was the person Dana felt most confident with and with Dawn gone, she wondered if she would make it herself. Dana was trans herself, and despite her parents trying to help, it seemed like the only escape was the glass of chardonnay. After sobbing into her wine, she finished it, poured another one, and continued repeating the process until she blacked out on the floor. This was the only way in her mind she could escape the pain of losing Dawn.

While she was blacked out, time passed pretty quick. After a Dover fire truck wooshed by her store, she awoke, grabbed her phone from the floor she passed out on and looked at the time. She had slept all night. It was 12pm Saturday and she was late opening the store. Slowly she got up, put her heels on and did her hair before walking to the front of the store to open the door. It was a bright and sunny March afternoon and there would be some early spring locals out on walks. That was her target customer base much of the time. After unlocking the door and moving to the sales desk to check inventory, the door opened, where a mother and son duo walked into the store. Dana got ready to put on some hard sell, but she stopped when she saw the son.

"It's almost a matching picture of Dawn in college. Like, really strikingly similar." she thought to herself.

Dana snapped out of it and approached the mother, offering her hand.

"Dana Andriksen, owner of Martini Antiques. What's your name and what are you here for?" she asked.

The mother, rather large, walking in Adidas sneakers, yoga pants and a black hoodie, returned the favor. "Marianne Robinson. This is my son Davey. How are you today Ms. Andriksen?"

"Good. You're my first customers of the day. Are you looking for anything in particular?" Dana asked.

"Nah, just looking around."

"Well, you're free to browse the store. We have plenty for you to consider. If you have any questions, I will be at the sales desk."

Dana strolled back to her desk, but continued to stare at Davey. The similar looks to her former girlfriend were incredible. Like, take a photo of Dawn with no makeup or feminine clothing or jewelry, and you get Davey. Dana also wondered to herself if she is doing the right thing, foaming over an early 20s boy with his mother in her store. Part of it was the wonder of the looks, some of it was the pain she was suffering from. When his mother stepped into the restroom, Dana called over to Davey and had him come to the desk. He obliged.

"Yes Ms. Andriksen." he asked, wondering why the early 30s lady had called him over.

"So, you are Davey. You are a tad young for my store, why are you here?" she asked.

"My mother dragged me here. She loves antiques and she hates being alone. I am a bit stuck with her. My father refuses to go antiquing. He calls it gay. Not that he understands what being gay is. I certainly do." he responded.

Dana's eyes dilated momentarily. She thought "Damn it, he's gay. I'm never gonna get him now."

"Well, Davey. I'm looking for some extra help here at the store. Things have been rather tough for me since the death of my girlfriend a couple months ago and I could use some extra help. You working any other jobs?"

"Nope. I'm a senior at Montclair State Uni---."

She cut him off immediately. "Montclair‽ That's where I went! I studied history and business administration? What about you?"

"Communication studies. I really want to be on the radio."

"Well, Davey, I would like you to be my assistant here. I can see about getting you some local radio station work while working here. I need someone to promote the store too. Maybe a podcast or something?"

"Sure. If you can get me opportunities. I certainly need them."

"It's a deal. I will see you here Monday afternoon after class I hope?"

At that moment, Mrs. Robinson walked out of the restroom and clutched in her hand a clock that dated to the 1920s. Dana rang up her order, received the $35 for the clock and gave a receipt. "Enjoy the new clock, Marianne." she stated. As they walked away, she winked at Davey. It was gonna be a fun time.

----

After closing the store that evening, Dana walked into the back office and looked at Dawn's picture. This time, however, she did not break out the cheap wine. She just sat in her chair and looked at Dawn's picture. She imagined Davey in that same outfit. Strolling the store in high heels, wearing a nice mini skirt that fit the twink body he possessed. Dana opened her closet and grabbed a pink vibrator she kept in the office if she ever felt the need. It had been a very long time since he got to use it, because wine replaced the need for it. Dana kicked off her heels, dress and panties and laid on the couch in the back of the office. She kept thinking about Davey as the vibrator sizzled in her ass. She knew she had a second chance and was gonna use the opportunity to get Davey to be hers.

Dana got lost in her vibrator for a while, but eventually she came multiple times, leaking a giant mess onto the leather couch. Dana, relieved, got up and cleaned the couch she just creamed over. She put her clothes back on, switched the heels for some crocs and grabbed her keys. She locked the store and jumped into her car, making the drive home to Montville with a smile on her face. The March sun was setting above her head and she was sailing down U.S. Route 202 with Carly Simon blaring on the radio. After a quick stop at QuickChek east of Interstate 287, she turned the car into the driveway and settled in her home she once lived in with Dawn.

Dawn Andrews' presence was still in the building. After all, it was her income who paid for the nice house. Pictures of Dana and Dawn were all over the place. A giant trans flag flew outside on the flagpole, signifying how proud they were. She knew that if she was gonna get Davey, this was gonna be the place she'd make him Dahlia. She had the stuff and practice from feminizing Dawn from high school to morning he passed. She was an expert and she knew that Davey was gonna be just as easy. Deep down, however, she knew, she had to play this modestly. After taking a shower, she grabbed a pair of pajamas and hit the sack in the bed she once shared with Dawn. The spot was very empty. She had thought about adopting a cat to keep her company, but did not. Instead, Dana grabbed a giant teddy bear Dawn had gotten her one Christmas. It filled up the spot nicely and she clutched it until she fell asleep.

Monday morning, she got up, took a shower, did a jog around the neighborhood, then jumped in her car. After picking up breakfast from QuickChek, she drove to her store, eagerly awaiting Davey. Sales that day were pretty decent, pulling in a couple hundred in the first couple hours. Some old people liked a giant Anheuser-Busch pool table she was trying to sell for around $300. After some negotiating, she agreed to sell it for $245. After going into her office to check some paperwork of hers, she kicked off her heels and heard the door open. She ran out, forgetting to put her heels back in, hoping it was Davey. Thankfully it was or she would have felt very embarrassed in that moment.

"Hello Davey. Glad to see you showed up. How was class today?" she asked.

"Good. We learned about how to advertise on the radio today. Something you will want me to do." he responded.

"Cool. We will need it. Why don't you come back into the office while I close up the store early today?" Dana suggested. "We have a lot of learning you need to do."

He obliged and she showed him into the office. Meanwhile, she ran back outside, not putting the heels on, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote "closed early today for employee training, will re-open 11am tomorrow." She locked the door and put the sign on it. She walked back into her office, where she found Davey staring at the picture of Dawn on her desk.

"Like what you see?" Dana asked nicely, though her mind was getting more horny.

"Yeah, she's really cute. Who is she?" he asked.

"She was Dawn Andrews. My late girlfriend. She died a couple months ago from pancreatic cancer, just 29 years old. I miss her dearly." Dana responded, though tears were beginning to grow in her eyes. "Want some chardonnay? We have a lot of stuff for you to go over and it would be easier with lowered stress levels."

"I have never had wine in my life. Is it any good?" Davey asked.

"Absolutely!"

Dana poured a couple of glasses, something she had been used to doing for months. She handed one glass to Davey who gave it a quick sip. The look on his face was one of shudders. The wine tasted so foreign to him, he almost spit it out.

"Like it?" Dana asked.

"Not sure, it tastes really weird."

"It is not for everyone, but at least you tried. Here, let us start by quickly filling out some work forms. This just explains what you will do here at the shop and that you agree not to sue me if I fire you." She handed the paper to Davey. He signed immediately. She pulled out another paper. "This form states that you give me permission to have you do various tasks not explained on the other form, so on and so on. It also notes that the more tasks you do, the more you will be paid." He signed that form.

"Alright. Why don't you have more of the wine? We have plenty of time before I show you how to work the computer and register."

He drank it down for quite a while. Meanwhile, he could not stop staring at the picture of Dawn Andrews on Dana's desk. Something about that picture drew to him. Dana, meanwhile, was already on her 2nd glass and noticed Davey staring again at Dawn's picture. Tears started to form in her eyes as she wondered if it was okay to change this kid's life forever. It was one thing with Dawn, but because they grew up together and had each other's trust. This was a kid she never met until Friday and she was smitten with him. Adored him, and he did not even know it. Ultimately, she did not have to speak up.

"Ms. Andriksen?" Davey asked. "You alright? I can see tears coming out of your eyes."

"No, nothing. It's nothing."

"It's clearly something, Ms. A. You miss Dawn, a lot. I can understand why, she looks a lot like me." Davey responded.

"To tell you the truth, Davey, she does. When you and your mother came in on Friday, I had just woken up from a drinking binge caused by the pain of her death. I saw you walk in the door and was flabbergasted at how similar you looked to her."

Davey consoled her. "Well, I do not think she would want you drinking your life away over her. You two clearly were in love together. What does drinking gain? The pain hurts. But your future is still so bright, Mrs. A."

"Honestly, thank you Davey. I've been so hurt for a while and you are the first person other than my parents to say anything to me about Dawn. They do not know I have been drinking a lot of chardonnay. To tell you the truth, my goal in hiring you was to make you into a similar woman. I kind of regret that now."

"Was that what you meant by "other tasks"?" Davey asked.

"Yeah, I would have paid you more if you became a woman for me."

"Well, I don't think I will ever be Dawn, but if you think it will help me in my career and everything, I'll do it. What name did you have in mind for me?"

"Dahlia. Dahlia Robinson."