On Vacation - An X-Change Novella Ch. 02

On the drive into the club, Abby gave me some pointers.

"Try to beat them. You probably won't but it doesn't hurt to make them sweat. Besides Rick you will be going against two other guys that you know, Carl and Kevin. Flirt with all of them. Maybe go easier on Kevin, he's still married, but Carl is divorced. Let Rick bring it to you and once he sees you bat your eyes in Carl's direction, it will get Rick to up his game. If Rick tries to take you out for drinks or asks you to lunch, tell him you're busy. Make him ask you out to dinner, make him take out his driver...so to speak."

We laughed.

We found the guys at the putting green. Abby played her part well.

"Hey there Kevin. Hiya Carl, Rick. Kevin, Peter is out of town, he forgot to call you to cancel. My friend Peri is staying with me and she's a pretty decent golfer. Can she substitute for Peter?"

Abby had intentionally addressed Kevin because he was the married man and she wanted to elevate him as the decision maker.

"Hey there Abby. Look, you know we like to go $20/10 Acey Ducey."

I spoke up. "Nice to meet you Kevin. I can hold my own. I'm fine with Acey Ducey. I'll also take a side bet with any of you for $25 that I'm the aces on at least two holes, or $50 that I'm the ace on three. Any takers?"

Carl piped in "I'll take that $50." Kevin interrupted "Hold on Carl. Good morning Ma'am. Peri right? Let me ask you, were you ever on the LPGA tour?"

I was about to say no when Abby chimed in. "Kevin, do you think I'm bringing in a ringer? She wasn't on the tour, she didn't even play in college. She's just a pretty good golfer. Peter taught her."

Rick spoke up "One of Peter's students is certainly welcome. I'll just settle for the Acey Ducey. Maybe we can do a side bet on the back nine when we know what we're dealing with."

Kevin then said "I guess you're playing Peri. Ok to hit from the same tees as the rest of us?"

"Sure. If I was hitting from the ladies tees, the side bets would be for two more holes."

My biggest advantage was that I knew their games. I didn't expect to win, but I should contend. Carl just wasn't a good golfer. Being close to breakeven was a good day for him. Kevin needed to start hot. If he screwed up the first few holes it would be a long day for him. It usually was between Rick and Peter. Abby showed me some feel adjustments that I could make in the tee box that would make my ass twitch just enough to possible distract Rick.

It played out pretty close to as expected. I was always farthest from the hole after my tee shot, but at least I was on the fairway. They guys were spraying the ball around like a pipe with a hole in it. I usually made the green at the same time as the boys. Even for him Carl's front nine was a horror show. I think my ass twitching had unattended consequences. I started to give Carl encouragement on the back nine because I really felt bad for him and I also wanted to see Rick's reaction. He became very complimentary of my swing, and when we were waiting for the others to drive, he started standing close to me. In the end, Rick had seven aces, Keven and I had five each, and Carl had one on 16. I gave him a fist bump. He gave me $50.

We met back up with Abby in the clubhouse. Kevin told her "Let Peter know he had an excellent student. Very similar game." Rick interrupted "But much more pleasant company."

Rick took me aside and said "Could we go out for drinks tonight? I would like to get to know you better."

"I'm sorry Rick. Abby and I have plans tonight."

"Ok. Could we have dinner this week?"

"I'm free on Friday."

"Friday?"

"Rick, if you're asking me out on a date, then we will get together on date night. And it will be at a restaurant that has a good wine list. So, is Friday good for you?"

"I think I just got to know you better. Where can I pick you up?"

"I'm staying with Abby. Pick me up at 7:30."

Abby and I waited till we were back in the car and off the club's grounds before celebrating.

All week long, Abby could think of nothing else. I was actually grateful for the break that work afforded me. She was making me appointments for the salon, the spa, and a tanning bed. She set aside Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for us to go shopping. Almost every moment we were alone together, she was planning.

"Peri, the ultimate goal is for you two to be intimate with each other. Now if it was for the two of you to date, it would be an entirely different approach. You would be wearing a chastity belt and your knees would be locked together by industrial strength magnets. If you want a man like that to be your boyfriend, you have to make him work for it. However, to get him in the sack we use a similar approach but not as strong. You have to make him think that there's a good chance he's going home alone. That starts with what you wear.'

"You want me to be sort of hard to get."

"Exactly. We want you to look casually elegant. You're the present that is wrapped so beautifully, you can't wait to open it. We'll start with seamed pantyhose. The seam is more casual than what you wore to the mixer, but still projects as classy. Using pantyhose will give you an extra layer between your cooch and him. It's the under garment equivalent of a speed bump.

A dress would be too formal. We need to find you a skirt that goes below your knees. A slit skirt. A flash of the goodies that wait below. Then we need a top. It needs to be elegant but also sexy. Hmmm. I got it! A lace top. It will show cleavage but through the lace. For your underwear we continue the lace theme. Lace boy shorts on the bottom, and a lace bra or bralette. It doesn't have to hold them up all day, just a couple of hours. The sooner they're not being held up the better. The key is I want YOU to know you're ravishing underneath even though HE will only suspect.

Finally, the shoes. I'm really sorry darling, but we need to put you in very high heels. At least four inches. If we get them Tuesday, you have a couple of days to get used to them. They will make you walk slower. Slower is hotter. Make him wait for you."

But before I go on this date, you should be aware that I had another, more neutral confidant. Three months earlier, I had brought Dr. Fleming... Rebecca on staff. Knowing about my three previous transitions, she was very interested in my experiences. She really is quite gifted. She had techniques that pushed me past my hesitations and allowed me to reveal what had been happening with Peri.

I called her into my office on Monday and told her "Rebecca, I have a gentleman caller."

After explaining the situation in full, she replied back "Let me see if I have this right. A wife, wants the person who is her husband, to have sex with the person she wants to sleep with, so she can know what it's like without cheating."

"Other than almost being a run on sentence that pretty much sums things up."

"My God Peri. Your over emphasis on the third person is going to win me a Nobel. So, Peter and Peri are two separate people who share memories. I'm sorry for being crude but I really need to understand this concept. Peri, you know what semen tastes and smells like. Correct?"

"Yes."

"Taste and smell are our strongest and most vivid senses. Therefore, Peter knows what semen tastes and smells like."

"Well, we haven't had to deal with men who have eaten asparagus yet, but to answer your question, Peter would remember the taste and smell of semen."

"Peri, would you say that you enjoy the taste and smell of semen?"

"I enjoy what they represent. It means I have satisfied someone I have been intimate with. I wouldn't exactly order it in a restaurant, but I don't mind the taste or swallowing it."

"Does Peter share that opinion?"

"Peter is a straight married man. He would not seek the taste or smell out. He would not enjoy satisfying an intimate because that person would be male. So to answer the question you haven't asked, Peter doesn't suck cock."

"Fair enough. Peri, you are having sexual intercourse with Abby. Why? From what you have told me, you are a straight woman who loves sex with men."

"Obviously, I'm not totally straight. I'm somewhat bi-sexual."

"Have you sought out sex with woman other than Abby? Do you find other woman attractive?"

"I still check out other woman, but I don't believe it is in a sexual way. I think it involves looking for beauty, whether that is their physical attractiveness, or their clothing, hair, makeup. This is now my fourth transition, and I have not yet been aroused by another woman. However, this might be due to Peter's memories. He checked out other woman, but did not get aroused by doing so."

"So, the only woman that aroused Peter was Abby. And the only woman that arouses you is Abby. Peri, you have crossed a sexual line and performed fellatio and enjoyed it. Peter won't cross that line. Peter had crossed a sexual line and performed cunnilingus, although a long time ago. You had no problem crossing that line. Not exactly measure for measure."

"Interesting point, but you are not factoring in emotion. I do not love the men I have been with. Peter doesn't love any man in a sexual way. Both Peter and I love Abby. In the memories that Peter and I share, we love Abby in a sexual way. It was Abby who needed to cross a line. She found a way to expand her sexuality because she found that she loved me and therefore needed to be intimate with me. The real unknown in this equation would be if I fell in love with a man in a sexual way. Could Peter love that same man, and would that love be enough for him to cross that line."

"Peri, do you believe you are capable of falling in love with a man?"

"Ah Dr. Fleming, you squeeze me into a third person corner. I love Abby in a sexual way, but I don't consider having sex with men that I don't love to be adultery. Nor do I consider the sex with men that she doesn't love to be adultery. Our girl on girl relationship is non-monogamous. I would suppose that would extend to other female partners under the same conditions, non-loving. Among the major reasons for monogamy is that by having sex with other people you increase the chances of falling in love with other people. Couples commit to monogamy to minimize the possibility that they would hurt the one they love by falling in love with another. Abby and I so far have been able to limit our interactions with other partners to just sex. It is a risk. However, the thought of hurting Abby is a very strong check on my feelings getting out of control. I expect Abby has the same thought as well for both Peter and myself. To answer your question, I am capable of falling in love with someone else, I just don't want to."

"Peri, I think I will continue this conversation with Peter in a few weeks."

Rebecca and I went over all of Abby's planning for my date and confirmed most of what she had in mind.

"Peri, you and Abby are missing a very important piece of this puzzle."

"What are we missing Rebecca?"

"Back story. You're going on a first date. He's going to be asking you about your life. I realize that you had a date with Glen, but that was after he already had sex with you and wanted to have sex with you again. As far as he knew, you were some hot to trot woman from Seattle. You could have told him you had been Miss Idaho, and had invented smoothies and he would have believed you. Rick already knows some things about you. He's going to be asking you twenty questions in order to build rapport with you. Any hesitations and he is going to assume that you're not being honest with him. You and Abby need to figure out who this version of yourself is. What do you do, where have you been, why you are only around every six months. Although he likely wants to get in your pants, he sounds like someone who has mastered the art of conversation. You need to be prepared."

Later that day I passed on Rebecca's opinion to Abby. She was a bit angry with herself for not thinking of it but grateful we had a new co-conspirator. That night, after shopping and trading ideas on my biography, we were preparing for bed when I heard Abby call out from the bathroom "Hey, we forgot something else." She came out dressed in lace chemise. She put one arm around me, the other on my upper thigh and nuzzled my neck. "We need to lower your tension or you might be too worked up by Friday." And then she whispered "You're not the only one who can wear lace my lady."

We were able to find the right clothes. I practiced in the heels each night. In the meantime I was basted under the tanning lights. I was massaged, waxed, quaffed, and styled. When I came home from work on Friday, Abby greeted me with a checklist. "Ok, you're twenty minutes ahead of schedule. Go Shower." After the shower I came out in a robe and Abby did my makeup. She went with a mauve matte look for my eyes with a dusty mauve lipstick. When she was done she threw my underthings at me and told me to go get dressed. After putting on the boy shorts and bralette, I got my first real look at myself in the mirror. 57 years old but I looked at least fifteen years younger. This was a possible side effect of the process as we thought the accelerated release of hormones might be responsible for a more buoyant appearance. We hadn't even done my hair yet but I already looked quite engaging. The pantyhose was next and Abby helped me adjust the seams. She then began to comb and brush my hair into shape. I got my top and skirt on, and we picked out jewelry with ten minutes to spare. Just enough time for one last look in the mirror. We did it. I looked classy but not overdressed. There was a shade of sexy without being slutty.

The doorbell rang.

"Good evening Abby. Have you heard from Peter?"

"Hello Rick. I speak to Peter every day. He's fine but puts in some long hours when he's on the road."

"Well, tell him I'm looking forward to taking some of his money the next time we get a foursome set up."

I walked into the hallway. There was an immediate, tangible, ethereal connection between the two of us. I saw his eyes slightly widen and his eyebrows raise up. One corner of his mouth rose while his lips separated. He was wearing a dark charcoal suit with a hunter green shirt, possibly silk, with no tie. His physical appearance was suave, his body language projected confidence. I did a quick run through of Peter's memories about Rick. We play golf 5 or 6 times a year. Tennis about ten times a year. We've gone out drinking. We've been to each other's homes multiple times. Abby and I have even double dated with him twice, several years ago. He's a friend. Maybe not a best friend, but someone who I've talked to and at times may have bounced some ideas off of. But at the moment, all that was eclipsed by the attraction I was feeling.

"Well hello there Peri. You look stunning. I've made us a reservation at the Six Seven restaurant on the waterfront. We will be able to watch the sun set in Elliot Bay. I do believe they have a wine list."

"Hey Rick. You're looking very dapper yourself. The Six Seven, isn't that in the Edgewater Hotel."

"Yes. Best view for dinner besides the Space Needle, but better food."

"Well then, shall we? See you later Abby." As Abby and I expected, those parting words caused a millisecond hesitation on Rick's face with the verbal possibility that I would be returning here tonight. Mentally, I was high fiving her. We walked to his car and he opened and held the car door for me. Two different people with shared memories. I expected and appreciated his door holding when a week ago, it was I who held the doors.

Once we began driving, Rick said "Peri, Abby introduced you as her friend, but you look like you might be related to Peter. Are you?"

"You're very observant Rick. Peter and I are first cousins. Abby and I hit it off a very long time ago, and since we're not blood relations, she prefers to introduce me as a friend."

"So, that's why Peter gave you golfing lessons."

"Back when I was still a teenager. Over the years we've gotten together either on a range or on the course once or twice a year?"

"So what do you do?"

"Well, I'm Dr. Jacobs as well. I do medical research. I spend a good part of the year out of the country."

"Are you based in Seattle when you're not doing your research?"

"No, this is a recent change. Peter's company is expanding and he has to be out of town for a month twice a year. Abby didn't want to be alone, so I shifted work so I can keep her company while Peter is away."

"So, you're going to be in Seattle twice a year. For how long?"

"At least another year or two. Depends on Peter's company's status."

"What does Peter's company do exactly?"

"They're going to be providing some cutting edge medical treatment. I'm afraid I can't go into too much detail. I'm on the board. I work for Peter when I'm in town."

"Impressive. I'm used to Peter being cagey about his work, I guess I have to extend that courtesy. I'm curious because..."

"I know that you're an investment banker Rick. That's why I have to be careful talking to you. So, why don't we go with safer conversations? I understand that you were once married and have a son. Details?"

"Nice change of subject, I'm not sure how "safe" it is. I have been divorced for over twenty five years and that marriage did produce one child. My son is an adult, and has an MBA and works for a company down in the Bay area. I see him about every other month. We had split custody, so I helped raise him. Never remarried."

"Why?"

"Monogamy and I were incompatible. It wasn't just about sex. I'm motivated by my desire for freedom. I need to be able to go up to Alaska to go fishing when I want to fish in Alaska. I want to pick out my own clothes, decide what furniture is in my home, ride my motorcycle when I want. I actually never cheated on my wife while we were still married. I just wanted to. We actually remained friends. I just saw her last week for lunch. We were even still lovers after the divorce, up till she met her current husband."

"Thus, your reputation as a ladies man."

"Ouch. Tell Abby we didn't even make it to the restaurant before that came up."

"Well, you could tell me what your sign is, your favorite movie, or New York or Chicago style pizza."

"Taurus, Pulp Fiction, New York. We should be there in five minutes. Maybe we should just talk politics."

"New York style! The date can continue."

"Were you ever married?"

"Just to my work."

"Love?"

"Enough to not be judgmental. So, can we start that conversation up again over a glass of red?"

Rick probably thought my directness and banter was from natural rapport rather than the fact that I've known him for years. He turned in the car at the valet and we walked into the restaurant arm in arm. We were given one of the best tables in the restaurant. My guess is that I'm far from the first woman he's brought to Six Seven to watch the sunset.

The waiter poured a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. We clinked glasses and I asked "So, Ladies Man. What happened at the club a few years ago?"

"Ah. Abby taught you well. I was stupid Peri. This woman from the club came on to me. I knew she was married but she told me she was separated. Little brain talked the big brain into it. Three weeks later, her husband, the club's treasurer finds out, I'm suspended for a year. When I came back there was no animosity. She had filed for a divorce and tried to take him to the cleaners. He had used the minutes from my suspension inquiry to turn the court's opinion. The day I returned there was a cigar waiting in my locker. I join him for a foursome once a year."

"I heard it was more than one wife."

"Tell Abby they were just rumors."

"Ok, you said you're not husband material. Are you boyfriend material?"

"You're only in Seattle every six months. Are you girlfriend material?"