The Transplant Ch. 03

© 2017 by Thrillerauthor

I was so nervous it took me three tries to get my eyeliner straight! Was it like this for every girl before her first date?

I still couldn't quite believe that I was going out to dinner with Dr. Richardson. Paul, I corrected myself. His telephone call late one afternoon came when I was in the middle of fixing dinner for my daughter, and I was sure I'd sounded like a total ditz when I answered the phone:

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Paul Richardson.

"Who?"

"Paul Richardson. Your doctor."

"Oh, hi!"

"Is this a good time to talk?"

"Not really! I'm in the middle of something. But I can talk for a minute," I said as I turned off the microwave.

"I was just wondering if you'd be free to have dinner with me on Saturday night?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Would you like to go out to dinner with me on Saturday?"

"Oh, uh, sure...Paul. That would be nice. But wait, I'll have to find a babysitter, and I don't know anyone!"

"Why don't you ask Nicole? I'm sure she can recommend someone."

"That's a good idea. Can I let you know tomorrow?"

"Of course. Well, I'll let you go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Bye," I said, totally numb. A man had just asked me to go out on a date! Talk about weird....I looked down at the apron tied around my waist. Who was I trying to kid? I was a woman now, what was so wrong about a guy asking me out? But Paul? He was my doctor! That couldn't be right, could it?

I put Paul out of my mind and finished fixing dinner for my daughter. I usually ate something light after I gave her a bath and put her to bed, and now that I was pregnant I was abstaining from my usual glass of Chardonnay with dinner. But that night, I helped myself to a small glass, and after I finished my salad I called Nicole at home.

"Hello?"

"Hi Nicole, it's Patricia." (After my sex change operation, I'd legally changed my first name to my wife's so I could get a new driver's license.) "Can you talk for a minute?"

"Of course."

"Do you happen to know a reliable baby sitter I could call?"

"So he asked you!"

"Huh?"

"Paul. He was so precious today, trying to build up his courage to call you. I told him he reminded me of my kid brother in junior high!"

"Why does he want to go out with me?" I had to ask.

"Are you kidding? He's had a crush on you since the day you walked into the office wearing that dress. Of course, you were married back then, and he's too much of a square to even think about messing around like that....but after your wife died, and you got pregnant, I think he started to fall in love with you."

"In love with me?"

"Haven't you noticed?"

"No!"

"Well, take it from me, he's been wanting to go out with you for a long time. After you got pregnant again, I think he finally decided to throw caution to the winds."

"Wow. I honestly had no idea. What's he like, Nicole? I mean, I've never really thought of him as anything but a doctor. How come he's still single?"

"Good question! I'm not that close to him, but I seem to remember him telling me once that he was pretty serious about a girl in med school, but he was so into his studies that she finally found someone else...I honestly don't think he's been out on a date since I started working for him three years ago. He's what they used to call a confirmed bachelor."

"But why would he be interested in me? He's not gay, is he?"

"I don't think so. I guess you never know. But Patricia, you're a woman now, a beautiful woman, and I can't say I'm surprised that any guy would want to go out with you."

"I don't know, it all seems so...weird."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Why not?"

"Are you attracted to men?"

"I honestly don't think so...I mean it never occurred to me, even after I became a woman. After I had to get my balls cut off, I just sort of lost interest in sex. And I've been so caught up on everything that was happening to me, and raising my daughter, that I haven't had time to think about it."

"Then let me give you a little advice."

"Okay."

"Give Paul a chance. I'll call my babysitter and see if she's free on Saturday. My husband and I aren't planning to go out, so she probably is."

"Okay, if you really think it's a good idea."

"I do. Call you back in a few minutes."

Her babysitter was available, and I booked her for Saturday night. Then I called Nicole back to ask her a stupid question. "What should I wear?"

"Hmmm....why don't you wear that dress you wore that first time? You know, the floral one?"

"Yes, I remember. It used to be my wife's."

"Maybe you shouldn't remind him of that!"

* * *

The next morning, I called Paul's office. He was tied up with a patient, so I left my name and number with the receptionist. He called me back a few minutes later.

"Paul, I've lined up a sitter and I'd love to go out with you."

"That's great! I thought we might try La Provence." It was a romantic French restaurant that I'd taken my wife to once before we got married.

"That sounds lovely." How did a woman talk to a man anyway? "What time?" Now why did I ask him that? He's the one wearing the pants, let him worry about the details!

"I'll pick you up at around 7:45, if that's all right. We have a reservation at 8:00."

So he already made a reservation! I resisted the temptation to tease him about that, and simply said, "7:45 it is. See you then, Paul."

Now here I was, finishing up my makeup and about to get dressed for my first ever date with a man. Nicole's question came back to me as I brushed my hair. "Are you attracted to men?" she'd asked me. The honest answer to her question was no, I'd never been the least bit interested in men, and even after all I'd been through, it still seemed totally foreign to me. But I wasn't attracted to women either, not any more, even after the death of my wife. My castration had taken care of that, and I felt absolutely nothing downstairs.

Well, we could at least be friends, and I resolved to try to be pretty and pleasant and to have a good time with him. So I put on a bra and panties, and tugged on a pair of control-top pantyhose (I hoped my baby wouldn't mind) before I stepped into a slip. Then it was time to do my nails (a busy young mother, I had no time for manicures) and plop down on the bed for a moment while I waited for them to dry.

A glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand told me that I was running late, so after my nails were dry I grabbed the dress that Nicole recommended out of my closet and dropped it over my head. I was little concerned when I zipped myself up that my dress might be too tight in the tummy, with another baby on the way, but it just fit, and when I studied my reflection in the mirror, I had to admit that I looked very datable! The heels I selected were very high, and they'd be agony if I had to walk any distance, but Paul was very tall and he'd be driving so what the heck!

The babysitter pulled up in the driveway -- her name was Sarah, a high school senior driving one of her parents' cars -- and I let her in and gave her a quick tour of the townhouse. My daughter was already asleep, and I had just given Sarah my cell phone number when Paul tapped on the front door! When I opened it, the first thing he said was, "I didn't want to ring the doorbell and wake your daughter." Then, after he looked me up and down, he said, "You look beautiful."

I'm sure I was blushing as I showed him in so I could get my purse. It was the first time I'd ever seen him dressed in something other than scrubs, and I must say I was impressed: he was wearing a blue blazer, gray slacks, a white shirt and an expensive necktie, something like I might have worn for an important occasion a lifetime ago...now here I was, in a little dress and high heels, about to go out on a date with him! "You look nice too," I said, and we were on our way down the front walk to his Tesla. He opened the door for me and waited until I slid my legs into the car before he closed the door for me.

My heart was pounding as I waited for him to get in. I flipped open the mirror on the back of the sun visor and checked to make sure my makeup and hair were okay. What was I doing here, sitting in a man's car, on a date with him? My whole life seemed to be turning upside down.

Paul took my hand after he sat down. "Nervous?" he asked.

"Terrified!" I answered honestly. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"I'm nervous too, but for a different reason. Your feelings are understandable. Since the moment I met you, you've been on a wild ride that's taken you places no human being as ever been before. You lost your wife, you became the first man in history to give birth to a child, you've become a wonderful mother, you've changed genders, and you're going to have another baby. So tonight you're about to go out on your first date as a woman. After everything you've been through, how tough can that be?"

I had to laugh. "I never looked at my life that way."

"Why don't we just put all of that out of our minds, try to relax and enjoy a nice dinner?"

"Fair enough. What's your reason?"

"Sorry?"

"For being nervous?"

Now he laughed. "Because I'm trying to impress a beautiful woman."

"I remember how that used to feel!"

Somehow, we were able to banter back and forth like that during the drive to the restaurant. When the valet opened my door, the past few years of teaching myself to act like a lady paid off as I made a graceful exit in my dress and waited for Paul to open the door to the restaurant before I walked in. He followed me inside and made his way to the hostess, who showed us to our table and handed us enormous menus in leather-backed covers after we were seated. It was a cozy little booth, and I felt a little foolish sitting there with a man.

"Are you drinking tonight? A glass of wine, perhaps?"

"I really shouldn't, with the baby coming."

"Actually, a recent British study showed that one glass of wine per day during pregnancy will not do any harm."

"Where have you been all my life?" I teased him with genuine relief. A glass of wine was just what I needed to help me cope with my jumbled feelings, and Paul ordered an expensive bottle of Chardonnay -- now how did he know that was my favorite?

I perused my menu in the dark light, and when I looked up I found him staring at me. "Your eyes are very pretty," he said.

Give me a break! My eyes were one of the few things about me that hadn't changed since I was a man. Or had they? Three shades of eye shadow, eye liner, brow pencil, mascara...who was I trying to kid?

"Maybe I should do makeup commercials."

"It really is uncanny, how feminine you've become."

"It's not like I had a lot of choice! I guess I could have tried to go back to being a man after my daughter was born, but I was so busy trying to be a good mother, I just sort of went with the flow."

"That's one of the reasons I wanted to ask you out tonight. You've been so caught up with all the incredible changes happening to you, and around you, that you haven't had much time to just relax and enjoy yourself for a little while. I don't know if anything's going to come from this, but I've genuinely grown to admire and respect you, as a person, and I just wanted to get you know you a little better."

"Well, that's a relief."

"How so?"

"For a while there I was afraid maybe you wanted to get into my pants."

He sighed deeply. "It's been a long time since I've had those feelings, about anyone."

Now it was my turn to probe. "How come?"

"My work! I've been totally consumed by it. Medicine is a jealous mistress."

"Well, I admire your dedication. Although it does seem like a bit of a shame for the women of the world."

"Don't get me wrong, it wasn't always this way. I dated all through college, and into med school. But I gradually lost interest, never seemed to have the time. There have been a lot of dry spells...."

"Well, it's a good thing I decided to go out with you! You could give a real girl a complex."

"You look like a real girl to me," he smiled. "Seriously, one of the reasons I was so positive about the transplant operation was because I thought you were the right fit. And I think your wife knew it, too...."

"What do you mean?"

The waitress appeared with our wine, and after she opened it and took us through the specials of the day, we ordered (filet of sole for him, scallops for me) before the conversation resumed. "What were you saying about my wife?" I asked after I took my first sip of Chardonnay.

"She was an extraordinary woman. And I think she saw something in you, a softness, a kindness, that would enable you to fulfill her dream. The desire to have offspring is the oldest and strongest imperative for any woman. I think she was a little jealous too, about what would happen to you after she was gone, and binding you to her baby -- your baby -- was the surest way to make sure you would be there for your child."

"That's pretty heavy, Paul. I thought you wanted me to enjoy myself this evening." I could see the hurt in his face, and I regretted my words. "I'm sorry, Paul, I shouldn't have said that. I've had some of the same thoughts myself. I knew she was manipulating me, but her health was so far gone, and I loved her so much...."

"Enough! Let's talk about something else," he said. "I really like your dress. Where did you get it?"

* * *

To say that our date went downhill from there would be an exaggeration, but the conversation sort of petered out after that, and there were long periods of silence while we ate. "We're like an old married couple," I observed at one point, but my little joke was lost on him and only added to the gloom. I was glad to get back in his car and be on my way back home to my daughter. When we pulled up to my townhouse, Paul switched off the engine and said something to me before we got out of the car. "There's something I haven't told you," he said.

Oh oh. "Let me guess," I said, trying to keep things light. "You're madly in love with me."

"Yes, in so many words." I was stunned. Sure, Nicole had hinted that the doctor might have a little crush on me, but this was way heavier than I expected. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You have enough to deal with, without having a lovesick doctor on your hands. I should probably find you another doctor to deliver your baby...."

Now I took his hand, and for reasons which I'll never understand, I leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. He pulled back in surprise for a second, then he took my head into his hands and kissed me back, a long, soft, gentle kiss that seemed to last forever. I'd never in a million years thought I'd ever kiss a man, let alone enjoy it, but I did, down to my toes, and I never wanted that kiss to end. "You'd better not," I finally said when we came up for air.

"Better not what?"

"Find me another doctor!"

* * *

The next day, life returned to normal and I tried to put Paul out of my mind. But try as I might, I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss! After a busy afternoon shopping with my daughter, I took her out to her favorite restaurant (McDonalds) for dinner before I bathed her and put her to bed.

I was debating about pouring myself a glass of wine when the telephone rang. My heart skipped a beat at the thought that it might be Paul, only it was Nicole, calling to ask me about my big date. I was totally unfamiliar with the female ritual known as girl-talk, but I fell right into it. "He was over the moon all day," she confided. "I've never seen him so happy."

I took the phone into my bedroom and flopped down on the bed.

"All we did was talk, and he kissed me once. Actually I kissed him first, after he told me that he cared for me, then he kissed me back."

"Must have been some kiss!"

"My first, as a girl."

"Wow. Did he try anything else?"

"No! I invited him in for coffee, and we talked for a while about nothing in particular, then he said he had to get up early for an operation so he kissed me goodbye."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"Well, I guess that's up to Paul. I mean, he's the guy and I'm a girl now, so aren't I supposed to wait for him to call me?"

"Oh, he'll call you all right. And it sounds like you want to see him again."

"I don't know what I want! Nicole, I'm so confused."

"So why not take things nice and slow? He's totally smitten with you, and he'll be happy just to be with you. You can figure out how far you want to take it with him after you get to know him a little better."

"I definitely want to see him again. I just don't know how to get close to him...this body seems so foreign to me sometimes!"

"Just let him take the initiative."

"He seems awfully shy."

"This is true."

"And Nicole, I'm not sure I know how to love him, if I ever wanted to...."

"Hmmm...I think I get you know. Tell me, have you been playing with yourself?"

"Huh?"

"You know, masturbating. We all do it, you know."

"Never as a woman. I used to do it all the time as a kid, but that was so different."

"It's not so different. Do you have any sex toys?"

I was shocked. "No, of course not."

She laughed out loud. "No wonder Paul is nuts over you. It's like you're the last virgin in America! You've gotta loosen up, girlfriend."

* * *

Two days later, a package arrived via UPS. Fortunately, my daughter was out of the room when I opened it -- it was a plastic dildo! It came with a note from Nicole: "Try this tonight after you go to bed -- batteries required 😊"

I almost threw it in the trash, but I weakened and stashed it in the nightstand beside my bed. That evening, after I bathed my daughter, sang her some songs and read her favorite story to her, I waited downstairs until I was sure she was sound asleep. Then I took off my skirt, top and lingerie, put on a nightgown and panties, creamed off my makeup and curled up under the covers. I was fighting temptation when the telephone beside my bed rang.

I was sure it was Nicole. "I can't believe you sent that to me!"

"I beg your pardon?" It was Paul!

"Oh Paul, I'm sorry, I thought it was someone else."

"Some other male admirer sent you flowers?"

"Hardly," I laughed. "You seem to be the only man in my life at the moment."

"Well, let's keep it that way. I was wondering if you'd like to go out Saturday night?"

"I'd love to! I'll have to see if my sitter is available. Nicole and her husband have first dibs on her."

"I happen to know that Nicole and family are off to Wisconsin for the weekend, so I think you've got a shot at her."

I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little late to call her. "I'll let you know tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure. How are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

"Is this my doctor or my boyfriend speaking?" Feeling a little wicked, I slipped the dildo out of my nightstand drawer.

"Your boyfriend, sweetie. I haven't felt this way about a woman in a long time."

"Sweetie, I like that." I flipped the switch and the dildo began to hum.

"What's that sound?"

"Oh, nothing. Tell me Paul, how long has it been?" I lifted up the hem of my nightie and began to explore my body with the vibrating dildo. First I brushed it against one of my breasts, and a surge of delight swept over me.

"Too long. The moment I first saw you in that dress, the same one you wore the other night, something came over me...."

"Even though you knew I was a man?" I moved the dildo lower, towards the area between my legs."

"Yes. It didn't seem possible that you weren't really a woman."

I pulled down my panties and hesitated before I inserted the dildo into my vagina. "Have you ever been attracted to men?"

"No!"

"Well, neither had I, until you kissed me. It was like somebody threw a switch or something." I turned up the power setting on the vibrator and began to slide it in and out, in and out...it was a pleasant feeling, no fireworks, but it felt good, and the sound of Paul's voice was turning me on. "Say something."