Victoria's Secrets

All characters are aged 21+

This is my entry for the 2021 St. Valentine's Day contest.

It is a slow burn love story and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you do like it please read my others.

I am happy to receive comments and PMs. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcomed.

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"Alex!" A husky female voice called his name out from the crowd.

Alex perked up and searched for the owner of the unrecognisable voice. Being a little short of six-foot-tall allowed him to look over the heads of the throngs of people crammed between the advertising stands. Despite being late Saturday afternoon, 'The London Ski and Snowboard show' was still busy with visitors.

"Alex!" The low husky voice sounded close, then a warm hand landed on his arm. The hand belonged to a beautiful slim brochure wielding saleswoman in front of him. She was about six inches shorter than him, with blond shoulder-length straight hair. Her bright white silk blouse embroidered with the logo 'Snow Adventures.' The blouse was of a higher quality than the other polo shirt wearing salespeople in the show. Maintaining her hold on his arm, he saw excitement on her face, showing she was pleased to see him.

"Oh. Hi." Alex tried to read her name tag without seeming to stare at her tight blouse. He searched her face to find clues as to her identity, which drew a barrel of blanks. How on earth could anyone forget someone as pretty as this?

The pressure to respond weighed on him, causing him to blurt out in panic, "I'm sorry, but how do you know me?" There wasn't anything he could hang a straw of recognition on. Vicky saw the slight furrow on his brow.

"Haha. Vicky Parks, don't you remember? We were at Bristol Grammar School sixth Form together. We went on loads of trips together." She spoke with confidence, standing straight with her shoulders back. Her eyes confirmed she must know him and it looked as if she wanted to say more but didn't or couldn't?

"I'm sorry. Jeez, that was six years ago!" Alex's mouth was drying faster than a desert. His mind raced to recognise this beauty in front of him, "I'm sorry this is embarrassing."

"You're 22 years old. Your Dad is Brian, your mum is Sophie and sister Tanya."

"Ah! Haha. Right on all accounts." She must have known Alex reasonably well, as she was right about his age and his family's names. Alex's throat dried further as his face flushed with embarrassment. The stranger's face and posture were showing she was now getting frustrated with his blank looks.

She stepped in close and said in a soft husky voice, "Alex, I'm desperate. It's been a long day. Having worked through lunch, the boss is happy for me to go. See those 4 creeps at the tall brochure display rack on the stand behind? They've been drinking and keep returning to the stand, harassing me and the other girls. Being on my own, I don't want to leave with those creeps around. Can you at least pretend to remember me for two minutes and take me for a coffee?"

Behind her was a stand displaying the same 'Snow Adventures' logo as on Vicky's blouse. Ignoring the three other staff members, there was a group of four men that would be familiar in any bar. They were pretending to scan the brochures whilst leering and making sexist gestures at the remaining saleswomen.

Vicky looked perplexed. Fidgeting as she waited for an answer whilst biting her lower lip. This all played into Alex's old-fashioned ideals of helping a damsel in distress. Also, any woman who is willing to acknowledge his existence deserved to be recognised, so he nodded in agreement.

"Vicky, I didn't recognise you, wow you have changed." Alex acted out his fantasy role of being a knight in shining armour.

She relaxed and drew him out of the thronging crowds back to her sales stand. They did a polite hug with European cheek to cheek kisses. Her sweet delicate perfume drifted to embrace Alex through the hot, dry, and sweaty show hall, like a pleasant breeze. Her cheeks were soft and cool on his and her face relaxed with a wide grin as she mouthed 'Thanks'.

Vicky spoke to the sole male on the stand who wore a crisp white shirt with logo and nametag.

"Dave, is that ok to knock off now? This is Alex, an old sixth form friend who promised to take me out tonight," She asked, although her voice was a pitch higher and contained less of its huskiness.

It did the trick as the four creeps slouched off, disgruntled.

"Hi, Alex," Dave said as he came over and shook his hand.

"Thanks, Vicky. Yes, that is okay, you've been a great asset today. I'm sorry about those guys. Have a splendid night out tonight and we'll still see you tomorrow. Don't forget the weekend after next, in Birmingham?"

"Thanks, Dave, I've enjoyed it. No worries, I'll see you tomorrow and in Birmingham."

Vicky ducked behind the desk on the display stand, retrieving her silvery black puffer ski coat and purse. When she changed out of her high heels to some flatter shoes, she gave Alex and Dave a display of her curvaceous, peachy arse, as it fought to escape her black knee-length pencil skirt.

Vicky returned to Alex and said, "Come on, I need that coffee and there is a café just around the corner."

As they walked away, her arm slipped around Alex's waist, as if it were the most natural thing to do. He reciprocated to discover her slim build with nice hips. She walked with confidence, her hips swaying under his hand.

The cafe was almost empty, because no one wanted coffee this late in the afternoon. Vicky steered them towards one of the small vintage gondola style cabins for couples. The more confined cabins had tiny tables, ensuring they would be sitting close together.

Vicky slipped her coat off and reversed into one of the gondola booth seats, sitting down first then bringing her knees in. It was as if she felt Alex's gaze and looked up to catch him admiring her knees when her pencil skirt rose to expose them. His cheeks burned at being caught red-handed, but she smiled as if she enjoyed the attention.

Alex's chivalrous side asked, "What would you like to drink?" Hoping it would also act as an apology for not recognising her.

"A skinny Latte and any pastries if they have any, thanks? After working through lunch, I'm famished." Her voice returned to a lower, feminine, husky tone.

Up at the kiosk, Alex ordered drinks and brought a selection from the few pastries left. Vicky was watching him intently and as soon as his eyes met hers she glanced away, blushing. 'Touché.' He thought.

She was toying with the salt cellar, rotating it on its bottom edge. Reminding Alex of someone he couldn't place. Their drinks and the plate of pastries barely squeezed on the tiny table. Alex squeezed his backpack, full of show information and brochures, with his coat behind his chair. Vicky giggled, watching him squeeze into his seat with none of her grace.

"Thanks." Vicky smiled as she added sugar to her coffee.

Strangely, she sugared her coffee the same familiar way as Alex, which shocked him. Gathering three sachets at one end, shaking them twice, tear the tops off and pour all three onto the froth at once. Then push the floating sugar through the froth with the back of her spoon to stir. To then finally suck the froth off her spoon.

Whilst waiting for her coffee to cool, Vicky devoured the first pain-aux-chocolate. The way she licked her lips after each bite caught Alex's interest. After her last bite, her luscious wet tongue searched out the last flakes of pastry and a smear of chocolate on her lips. She raised a dainty fingernail to her lips, to clear the chocolate from the one corner. Her neutral nail polish highlighted her moist red lips. She then sucked her finger clean, savouring the last of her pastry. It was the most seductive gesture he had ever seen.

Her pastry finished, Alex's eyes zoomed out hoping for any clues in her face, but her green eyes gave nothing away. She grew a delicate smile under her button nose, creating cute dimples. It gave her an attractive elfish look to her soft face, which to Alex seemed to lack a few freckles. None of these details provided him with a solution.

"Can the pretty maiden save her knight in shining armour any further embarrassment and explain how we know each other?" Alex's heart thumped in his chest in anticipation.

"Alex, you have always been this pretty maiden's knight in shining armour." She smiled, relishing his discomfort.

"That doesn't answer my question." Now, Alex was frustrated, "Even I would remember someone as pretty as you."

"Haha, I'm in a secret disguise. First, let's see if you can work it out. We both went on the History trip to Italy, the ski trip to Austria, the Alpine trek, and I used to watch you play rugby as often as possible."

Alex's mind raced, but no blond-haired Vicky came to mind. What was her secret disguise? She beamed her wonderful smile again, showing she would not make this game easy. Her small, rounded, button nose hinted at a memory in the mists of time, yet still out of his grasp. Panicking inside now, something from earlier that may expose another clue popped into his mind.

"Um, your voice did rise in pitch when you talked to your boss?"

"Oh, so you noticed? Haha, although I hoped you would recognise my voice."

"You give me too much credit as a bloke and because your secret disguise is too good," Alex hoped that the pity card would save him.

She laughed out loud, "Maybe I am giving you too much credit."

Alex's memory banks ached under the strain. However, her mannerisms and banter reminded him of someone long forgotten. A silhouette of a face was building in his head and a name was on the tip of his tongue. His brain frustrated him by holding onto the remaining vital information. Her name 'Parks' rang a bell, but how popular a name was it? Vicky read his frustration on his face. it's no wonder why he hated quizzes.

"Give up?" She asked.

Alex nodded, hoping his lack of recognition wasn't an insult to her. Shrinking back, he waited for her forthcoming disclosure to slap him with further embarrassment.

"Last big clue, you, my brother and I were best friends."

She smiled knowingly and sat back with an intense look about her. It was as if she were waiting for Schrodinger's box to open with Alex inside!

Alex searched the jigsaw puzzle of his memories and only one-piece fitted that clue, although it left other pieces unconnected.

"Rich? But he didn't have a sister, only a twin brother Mike ... Oh!" Now all the jigsaw pieces fell together as at last Alex's brain linked his memories to the clues and Vicky. Her elfin features, the button nose, dimples, green eyes, the salt cellar habit and the sugar, all were Mike! ... Mike Parks!

Because Mike and Rich were fraternal twins, they were like chalk and cheese but were closer than any other siblings Alex knew. Their opposite personalities were complimentary as they would bounce jokes, banter, and ideas off each other. They were better than any comedy duo. For the two years of the sixth form, Alex and the twins were inseparable, like the three musketeers. Although Alex was always more drawn to Mike and they spent more time together.

Vicky looked at Alex with eyebrows raised, tense whilst still waiting for him to comment.

Still digesting this, confusion ran through him. A part of him welcomed Vicky, knowing that she could once again fill the void of companionship that had remained empty for four years. Another was shocked to find his closest friend had changed gender, more so that he was attracted to him ... No, her!

Nothing in life had prepared Alex for this, not knowing what to do or say... Does he run, shake her hand, kiss her or hug her? Regardless of etiquette, the gondola booth would make nothing easy. In the end, he panicked.

"Shit, Mike ... Sorry, Vicky, you're a woman?"

"Oh, you noticed? Although I prefer Trans-woman or even T-girl" Her hackles rose, ready to defend herself.

"Sorry, I'm shocked ... I don't know what to say?" Alex's mind raced to contemplate the myriad of options this brought. But first, his overriding priority was to re-connect with his lost friend.

"What? You're a poof, queer, gay?" Vicky spat back angrily. Her fists clenched and her teeth ground together, then she swung around her knees as if she were going to leave.

Alex panicked 'How was he supposed to react?'

"Whoa, whoa, hold your horses there, Tonto. I've never judged you, regardless of how much you talked about makeup with the girls, avoided sports or how camp you spoke. After four years it's a shock, that's all. What did you expect when you shouted my name out?"

"Haha," Vicky faltered, with his mix of joviality and defence. Pausing to think... "Okay, Kemosabe. Not knowing what your reaction would be, I jumped the gun there a bit. Being a Trans-woman gets you a lot of judgmental opinions."

Her anger dissipated. "I shouted as soon as I saw you without thinking. It's so exciting to see you after all these years. It was only when we first spoke that I realised you could help."

"I'm glad you shouted, Vicky. I've missed you since the sixth form."

Thankfully Vicky pulled her knees back in and relaxed a little.

"You've changed so much, Vicky. Your secret disguise is just too good."

"You think?" She burst out laughing as she waved her open-palmed hands down her bust, as if displaying her new shape as a product.

Now the penny dropped with Alex. Her body shape, whilst attractive, highlighted how little he knew and he pondered on the extent of transition Vicky may have undertaken. Knowing surgery, drugs and prosthetics could all be accessed to achieve whatever level of gender transitioning anyone would desire.

Vicky continued, "I've missed you too. Accidentally calling partners Alex doesn't help any relationship!"

"Haha, not good! You'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Because I saw you every day, I didn't need your contact details, then it was too late."

Vicky paused as if rebooting, her disappointment perked into interest. Sitting up, she flicked her hair back for the first time as if it would help her hear.

"There is so much to talk about, but first what about you? Are you here with a girlfriend?"

This surprised Alex as it is not the first question anyone ever asks.

"Haha. I came with dad and his ski buddies and we got separated. No girlfriends either. Both girls I've liked only wanted to remain friends."

"You are joking? You were so much fun to be around. They don't know what they are missing, especially seeing how tall and handsome you are?"

They both blushed and broke eye contact. Alex was not used to beautiful women giving him compliments.

"What about your sister, Tanya? She must have younger friends more about your age?"

Vicky slouched back into her seat as if readying herself to receive bad news.

"Haha, now you are joking. All her friends are even older than she is. Who would want to go out with their youngest friend's younger brother? Especially after hearing my sister's opinions of me?"

"Oh! Not good."

"I don't have any friends so I socialise a lot with mum, dad and their friends, so it doesn't bring me into contact with single people my age. So I model and game a lot on the internet ... Jeez, this all sounds quite sad." Alex scratched his chin, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Oh my God, you still game?"

"Well Yeah."

"So just a hermit in hiding?"

"Thanks... I meet a lot of women skiing, but they're often shallow. Unless you throw yourself at them, buy them drinks and fawn all over them, they aren't interested. To be honest, I don't want to buy my way into a relationship."

Vicky looked pleased rather than disappointed with Alex's lack of a relationship.

"Have you moved out or do you still live with your mum & dad?"

"Oh, Jeez. Yes, I still live with mum and dad." Alex admitted, blushing further.

"So you've not moved at all?" Vicky didn't realise that this was just rubbing Alex's nose in it.

"Nope. It sounds depressing compared to you moving to London."

Vicky opened her mouth briefly as if she wanted to press this point further then changing her mind closed it.

Whilst Alex's comments made him realise how unsociable he was. Vicky had listened to every word he spoke. She was interested in him and what he had to say. Now he yearned to fill the void in his lost friendship with her.

"Enough about my wild and exciting social life. Tell me more about you and how great I'm as your knight in shining armour." Alex's request caused her to perk up and lean forward again as if she were about to divulge a secret.

"Oh, Alex, so much has happened. The teasing and bullying in the 6th form was unbearable if it wasn't for you being my hero at every low point. The worst was on the last day when you saved me from those three pricks on a day that should have been memorable for other reasons."

The memory returned to Alex of catching 3 teammates roughing up Mike in the upper 6th form toilets. This was no fun rousting, at best bullying and worst molesting. For the first time, red mist dropped over his eyes and he waded in with fists flying to protect Mike. Like any good cowboy film bar fight, they both walked out untouched.

"Jeez, I forgot about that." Alex gasped.

"I planned to move to London after summer, to live with dad. To then come out later that year. It was to be my new life as a trans-woman. So I thought it had to be a clean break, leaving everything behind, including you. In hindsight, your support and friendship would have been a godsend. Now today of all days you appear."

"Today?" Alex Panicked again, 'Oh shit,' was it her Birthday?

Vicky reached her hand across the tiny table to hold Alex's, bridging their old lost friendship. Her hand felt soft in his.

"Valentine's Day. You are still such a dumb arse." She looked at him laughing, shaking her head as her eyebrows rose again.

"It's just another sad day, living at home with my parents." Alex chuckled.

"Do you still receive those mystery valentines' cards?" Vicky asked leaning closer to Alex with her voice betrayed that this was more than just a passing interest.

"Haha, yeah every year," Alex replied, squirming as she was now rubbing his nose in his sad empty life.

"Have you worked out who they are from?"

"Nah, that first year in the lower 6th was a prank. As they were signed 'V', Veronica and Vanessa were chief suspects for a couple of days, but neither admitted nor gave anything away. It was quite a relief it wasn't them as they were rude about it. You even tried to help." It had hurt at the time, but Alex shrugged his shoulders, trying to show a lack of interest.

"Do you still receive them?"

"Yeah, the same writing, the same red envelope, same size, so I bin them."

Vicky looked gutted, as if the discovery of the secret Valentine would have been front-page news.

"Why?"

"If it was that important, they would have made contact by now. So it can't be life or death. It's Virgil from rugby, carrying a prank too far. He was always like that, I'm glad I bloodied his nose in the toilets defending you."

Vicky briefly looked in despair and then composed herself.

"You suggested I'd been your knight more than once?" Alex almost begged, as there was something egotistical about having an attractive woman revealing secrets and appreciating you.

"Haha, okay, hopefully this will work!" Vicky coyly answered.

"The Alpine trek trip was when you came to my rescue the first time. On our first high mountain trek, even with safety ropes, it terrified me. Everyone else was rushing ahead, leaving us behind. You stayed behind, holding me, talking me through each step forward despite my fears."

"Vicky, they were all scared. We were on that high, narrow walkway, above a sheer drop into the valley below, and the guide rails were rusty. That was why they all rushed ahead."