The Hundred Year Storm

"We're going to need to move some more hay tomorrow. You'd better get some rest. It's going to be a long day."

"Yes, sir. I'll see you at breakfast after I take care of the horses."

I slept better than I had slept in a long time.

"Chris, honey, you slept through your alarm. Time to get up." Maggie was stroking my back as she gently jostled me from my sleep. I had a flashback to a time long ago when my mom had done the same thing.

Smiling, I rolled onto my back, looking up into her kind face. "Thanks. I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"I put some tights on top of your dresser. Put those on under your jeans and they'll help keep you warm. There's also a long-sleeved T-shirt. Now come on and get up."

I watched her leave before I slid out from under the covers, doing my best to not let her see the massive wet spot on the nightgown I was wearing. If I'd been a little smaller, I'd have soiled the panties, too. I couldn't remember the last time I had had a wet dream. It hit me she'd see it anyway when she did the laundry, and well, nothing had phased her so far, so maybe that wouldn't either. It bothered me a little that none of this had phased me either.

I found a blue camisole that almost matched my panties and pulled the long-sleeved t-shirt on over it before I tried to tackle the tights. Ok, the camisole wasn't really necessary under the t-shirt, but it matched my panties and the satin felt so nice against my skin.

It took a few tries to figure out the tights, but I finally figured out that I needed to ball them up and roll them up my legs. It was kind of erotic and I liked the extra support they gave my junk. Pulling my jeans on over them was even easier than it had been without the tights. 'My jeans,' I chuckled to myself.

Cowboy and Lady were glad to see me. I checked the trough in the corral for ice, and let them out while I mucked their stalls and got them fresh hay and their oats. They seemed to enjoy being outside, so I left the doors to their stalls open and went inside to breakfast. Ben confirmed it was fine, and I had done exactly what I was supposed to do. It gave me an odd sense of pride to hear him say it.

Who would have thought that a free spirit like me would get gratification out of something as mundane as feeding horses, but there it was?

Breakfast was bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage and hash browns with all the hot coffee I could drink. Maggie even gave both Ben and me a thermos of the black gold elixir as we headed out onto the back porch to pull on our boots. There was a zipper hoodie for me to wear under my jacket and after going out to the barn and back, I knew I'd need it. I didn't let its being pink bother me; It was extra warmth, and that's all I cared about.

Ben hooked up a massive trailer to his tractor, and I followed him in his truck. It took us all morning to load the trailer and get it back to the house and all afternoon to get it unloaded into the horse barn. We'd make trips out to feed the livestock from there since getting to the hay barn was going to be problematic when the second storm hit in a few days.

There was just enough room on the trailer for my bike and we brought that back to the house, too. When the hay was unloaded, I mucked the stalls and fed Cowboy and Lady before heading in to get some dinner and go to bed. I had never been afraid to work and earn my keep and I knew today had been an exception, but Ben had almost killed me today. I was sore and exhausted.

I stripped down and headed for the shower. Bending over to turn on the water, I noticed the remnants of a bottle of bubble bath. Instead of turning on the shower, I closed the drain and emptied the bubble bath into the tub, slipping into the hot water and letting the bubbles suck me into a trance.

Belle must have a thing for lavender because once again, the soft floral scent filled my head as I relaxed in the bubbles and hot water, letting the aches in my body slowly melt away.

"Chris, you in there?" Ben's voice followed a soft knock on the bathroom door.

"Just soaking the aches away." I grinned as he slowly opened the door, spying me in the sea of bubbles I had sunk into.

"Good idea. You worked your butt off today. You must be exhausted. Listen, you sleep in tomorrow. I'll take care of the horses before we head off to church. We'll be back around lunchtime, so just take it easy and relax. You did good today. Thanks for your help." He turned to leave. "I'm glad you're here."

I had to admit I was glad I was here, too. Sure, wearing Belle's clothes was odd, but they fit, and actually felt kind of nice. I liked the snug fit on my hips and in my crotch, and the soft delicate fabrics, the satin and lace, made me feel things I never knew existed. Inhaling deeply, I let my mind dance in an imaginary field of lavender, thinking about the floral scents I had adopted out of necessity and how nice they made me feel. No, nice wasn't the right word, I felt; I felt almost, almost feminine.

Smiling, I rubbed my legs together, thinking of images from movies, images of beautiful women taking bubble baths, their smooth delicate bodies hiding behind that thin veil of bubbles. Images of small rafts of shining orbs gliding across ivory skin, hairless, smooth ivory skin, their painted toes and fingers, brief flashes in the sea of white as they caressed their bodies in their soapy havens.

My eyes shot open as my body shuddered and I realized I had been rubbing my legs against each other relishing the slippery smoothness provided by the lavender bubble bath, while my left hand caressed and teased my chest, pinching and tweaking my nipples and my right brought me to an earth-shattering orgasm.

Filled with a mix of excitement and embarrassment, I leaned back, letting my mind fill with the images I had just created. I couldn't help but wonder. I had to know. There, on the edge of the tub, next to where I had found the bubble bath, I took the razor and, starting at my toes, shaved everything I could reach.

The difference was incredible and so erotic. I felt so alive as my now smooth legs glided against each other and my hands slid over my hairless chest, down to my crotch, sliding delicately across the bare skin of my genitals. My god, this felt so wonderful.

Completely spent after my second orgasm, I smiled and moaned softly to myself. There was no question; tonight, I was wearing the satin nightgown to bed.

I was awake when Ben and Maggie left for church, but was too comfy in my little cocoon to get up. The satin kissed my smooth skin like a mother would her newborn babe, sending gentle shivers up and down my body whenever I moved. It felt so wonderful. I just didn't want to get up. Eventually, nature's call won, and I made my way to the bathroom, relishing the feeling of the delicate fabric as it swished around my smooth legs.

That feeling caught me again, so feminine. I smiled at myself in the mirror, noticing that with my tousled hair falling around my face and the satin nightgown flowing around my body, I looked feminine, too, and it wasn't a bad thing. In fact, it sent a familiar sensation through me, one that made it a little difficult to do what I came into the bathroom to do. I sat and forced my erection down into the bowl to relieve myself. It was just something guys did when their erection made aiming difficult. I chuckled to myself. Sitting to pee was feminine, too.

As much as I liked the way the nightgown felt, it wasn't very warm. The tights Maggie had given me were in the laundry, so I headed for Belle's room to see what I could find settling on a heavier pair of what I thought were the same thing and a big comfy sweater thing that hung down just above my knees. All I knew was it was warm, and since I didn't think Ben and I were going to be going anywhere today, it would be perfect for just hanging around the house. Especially with the big fluffy socks I stole from Belle's dresser.

Maggie had left me an enormous stack of pancakes, which I heated in the microwave and devoured before exploring the house a little. It was about what I expected and reminded me of my grandparents' house from when I was little. Just a farmhouse full of memories and love. In one room there was the washer and dryer and a large frame with what looked like a quilt in progress suspended in it. I had a quilt my grandmother had made on my bed back in Chicago.

Continuing my tour, I found a copy of The Hobbit on a bookshelf in what I guessed was Ben's office and curled up on the couch, losing myself among the epic characters of Middle Earth.

"Somebody looks cozy." I hadn't even heard Maggie come in.

"And warm." I smiled at her.

"Ben's waiting in the truck. Why don't you see if Belle's knee boots are in her closet? They'd go perfectly with that sweater dress. Ben wants to take us to lunch."

Sweater 'dress'? I was sure she recognized the look of confused fear on my face.

"Chris, honey. I don't know if you did it on purpose or not, but that outfit is cute. Nobody here knows you or will care. Besides, with your long red hair... Just trust me. No one will say anything. Just go find the boots and you'll see."

There was no coercion in her voice, no evidence that she was trying to convince me to do anything, just statements of fact. I had even admitted to looking a little feminine myself just a little while ago, so, just like when she handed me that first pair of panties, I did what she said.

How different was this than trusting Captain Arturo on the Estrella? I had just trusted my gut that he was a good man and done what he said, and it had turned out to be an amazing adventure.

I had to agree with Maggie, too. The outfit was cute. I just didn't know what I thought about people thinking I was a girl. People mistook me for a girl all the time, but that was different, fleeting glimpses of mistaken identity quickly resolved and apologized for. This would be different. I had dressed like a girl. People would see it as intentional. It wasn't like I had much of a choice; I reminded myself and followed her out to the truck. She let me slide in the middle next to Ben. He just looked at me and smiled.

The snow had stopped for now and Ben wanted to take advantage of the break while we could, especially since the county had plowed the roads. Well, the county and several of the local farmers that had the gear to help. Just one of those things that happens in a small town like this one. The next front was supposed to be worse than the one that had just gone through and was on its way.

Even with me being hypersensitive to everybody that looked at me and a certifiable bundle of nerves, lunch was nice. The diner was about what you'd expect for a rural farming community, a dozen short stools along a long counter with somebody's grandmother keeping guard, refilling coffee, and chatting with the men sitting there. A dozen tables spread across a worn tile floor and a handful of booths along the far wall. The lady behind the counter's twin floated among the tables with a coffeepot in each hand, sharing the biggest smile I had ever seen with everybody she saw. A girl about my age was busy taking an order at the booth in the far corner.

"Maggie, Ben, y'all grab a table and Sissy will be over directly to get your order." The lady with the two coffeepots beamed her smile at us.

I grabbed Ben's arm and did my best to hide behind him as we made our way across to the only open table in the diner while scanning every face I saw for some sense of what they were thinking about the boy in the dress and boots with four-inch heels that had just walked in, and pretending to ignore the looks I was getting from the young men pretending not to get caught looking at me and admiring how the dress fit my slender body.

"Chris, just relax. You're fine. Nobody knows or cares. They all see a pretty young girl in a cute outfit."

"But, I'm not..." I tried to answer.

"Mr. and Mrs. Marshall, how are y'all today?" I swear Sissy was the most effervescent person I had ever experienced. "Hey there, I'm Sissy." She gave me a huge smile that literally bubbled personality.

"Um, Chris. Hi." I tried to smile back, but wasn't too sure if I succeeded.

"Chris is staying with us for a while. She got stranded by the storm." Ben offered, diverting her attention from me for just a minute. 'She...'

"Well, welcome to our little town." I wouldn't have thought it possible, but her smile got bigger. "What can I get y'all to drink?"

"Um, just a Coke, I guess." Convinced she knew exactly what I was, I just wanted to find a hole to crawl into somewhere.

"Two coffees and a Coke coming right up, and the special is real good today. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. Apple pie for dessert."

Ben glanced and Maggie and then at me. We both nodded. He smiled at Sissy.

"And three specials." She bounced off to place our order.

"See." Maggie put her hand on my arm. "It's ok."

"But I just put this on because it was warm. I never thought we would leave the house. People will think I'm a freak, a pervert." I could feel tears welling behind my eyes.

"Chris, look around the room. What do you see? Is anybody looking at you funny?" Ben gave me that same look my father gave me when I was doubting myself.

I shook my head.

"Son, this is about as rural as it gets in Texas, and nobody cares. Are you comfortable?"

I nodded.

"Do you like the way you look?"

"I guess." I shrugged and then nodded again.

"You're a good kid and a hard worker. I know you're wearing Belle's clothes because you lost yours, but if it's something you want to explore, well, Maggie and I are fine with that and Belle's not here to complain about you borrowing her things. Just promise me you won't run around the house in nothing but panties, ok?"

I smiled and blushed. "Yes, sir."

I felt better but still couldn't stop scanning the room for that disapproving glare I knew I was going to find, and every time Sissy came back to the table and tried to talk to me, I froze. And there was this one guy across the room that was doing everything he could to not let me catch him looking. I noticed Sissy stopped to talk to him a few times, usually just after she left our table.

The meatloaf was excellent, and the apple pie was even better. By the time she brought the check, I had relaxed enough to say thank you and tell her I'd think about going to the bonfire on Wednesday night at the old grain silo.

"Well, just everybody is going to be there." She flashed that huge smile.

After lunch, Ben dropped Maggie and me at the grocery store while he went to pick up some more feed for the horses.

"Ben told me about the bubble bath." Maggie handed me a roast to put in the cart. "Belle loves those, too."

I just opened up. All the confusion poured out. I told her about how feminine I felt last night and how much I liked it, how I liked the way the clothes felt, and how much I liked the way I looked in the sweater dress. I even told her about shaving. She just smiled and listened, reassuring me that everything was going to be ok. Just like with captain Arturo, I believed her.

Once we had all the grocery items in the cart, Maggie took a detour through the pharmacy, picking up more bath items for me, all the same floral things Belle used, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, even more bubble bath and a package of new razors. As we turned to leave, she picked up some things I didn't recognize from the makeup aisle. What I recognized, though, was the lipstick and the bright red nail polish.

"Just in case." She winked at me and dropped them in the cart.

"Yes, sir, Captain Arturo." The words lingered in my mind. It's just another adventure. Just a different destination and I knew just about as much about where I was going as I did when I signed on the Estrella.

Ben met us at the checkout and pushed the cart out to the parking lot, where he and I started lifting bags into the back of the truck.

"Chrissy, right?" I set the bags in the back of the truck and turned around.

"Excuse me?"

"Um, I'm Rick, um, Rick Denton. Sissy, over at the diner, said you might come to the bonfire. I was wondering if you decide to go, maybe we could hang out. If you want to, that is."

I looked at Ben and then Maggie, and then back at Rick. He was the guy that had been watching me.

"You want to hang out with me?" I tried to hide the incredulity in my voice.

"Well, yeah. I mean, you're real cute and you're obviously new here. This isn't that big of a town that someone like you would go unnoticed." His face went flush. Since when did people get nervous talking to me? It was kind of nice, almost empowering. "I could introduce you to everyone. It's ok, isn't it Mr. Marshall?"

"That would be up to Chrissy." I'm sure the look on my face was just as priceless as the one on Bens but for very different reasons.

"Honey, why don't you give Rick your number so he can call you tomorrow? You can think about it and let him know if you're going to be there." Maggie stepped in and got me a temporary reprieve.

I gave Rick my number, and he texted me.

"Great. I'll call you tomorrow after dinner." Rick looked like he had won the lottery. Great, I had a stalker. I was looking for that hole to crawl into again. And somehow, my name was now Chrissy. Well, it was better than some nicknames the crew I had sailed with called me when I first got on board.

We all climbed in the truck, and I hit Ben in the shoulder as hard as I could. He just laughed.

"What is this bonfire, anyway?" I finally asked.

"The high school just won state. It's a big deal. Rick's the quarterback."

"High school? I'm 22. I've been to South Africa and Greece. What would I do at a high school bonfire?"

"Meet some people close to your own age. Maybe have some fun. Might get snowed on a little or a lot. Who knows? You like an adventure, right?" Ben laughed again. "Might be your last chance for a while if this next storm is as bad as they say it's going to be."

When we got back to the house, I went straight to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. What did Rick see? Sure, I saw feminine, but was I really cute enough that I would make the state champion high school quarterback nervous?

"You don't see it, do you?" Maggie stepped up behind me and pulled my hair back from my face. I just shook my head. All I saw was me in a big sweater. I was a slightly effeminate boy, not a cute girl.

Cute? I mean, I didn't even have boobs. I did, however, have a thin waist and a nice butt and long legs, nice hair and a kind of impish grin when I tried not to smile, but cute? Nah, I didn't see it.

Take your dress off and wait right here. There was that voice again. I don't think anybody told Maggie no.

When she got back, she handed me a ponytail tie, and I instinctively put my hair up.

"Now turn around and face me and no peaking." I did as I was told and let her do whatever she wanted to do to my face. Everything she had bought at the grocery store came into play except the nail polish.

"Now, take your hair down and turn around." It was all so subtle. I could barely tell I had makeup on, but the impact was so dramatic I found myself at a complete loss for words. "Nice, right? You're not just cute, Chris, you're beautiful, even without the makeup. You just never let yourself see it."

I just stood there, staring at the girl in the mirror. Maggie disappeared for a few minutes.

"Arms out." She whispered when she came back. Once again, I did as I was told and watched, mesmerized, as she slipped a bra up my arms and clasped it behind my back, adjusting it so it sat properly on my chest. "Now, put your dress back on and tell me what you think."

They barely qualified as modest, but there they were, two slight bumps on my chest. Just enough to give the illusion of breasts. If I had on one of Belle's flannel shirts, you wouldn't even have noticed, but with the tight formfitting sweater dress, there they were.