The Contest Beginnings

by Sarah Bayen

 

PART NINE

Bridesmaid

 

As we walked along, the sun came out, and I began to feel a little warm in my sweater and tights. Anita chatted away to me about nothing in particular, and I kept trying to move the bag from one shoulder to the other to stop it cutting into me.

We saw a few people on their way to the shops, or on their way back, but, thankfully, none of them paid us much attention.

The skirt continued to restrict my stride, but I had managed to get used to the bra, breathing more shallowly now, to stop it holding my ribcage back. The boots, too, were feeling slightly less uncomfortable now, although my toes were being pinched by the pointed front, and I still felt a little unsteady on the heel.

I tried to make sense of what Sylvia had been doing back at the shop. Why had she suddenly started to molest me? All I could think of was that it was some sort of revenge for something some man had done to her in the past. She had mentioned something about rape, I remembered, not that I necessarily believed her.

I looked across at Anita, who was now telling me about her French homework, and not for the first time wondered whether I had done the right thing by agreeing to enter this contest for her. I had dreamed for years of strolling around on a Saturday afternoon with her, but not with her in jeans, and me in a denim mini skirt. I shook my head in disbelief at what I had allowed to happen. It would be a long time before I could get back to normal now, but I suddenly remembered the sleep over promise. Perhaps, if I played my cards right, she would start treating me as a boy then.

"Are you all right Sarah?" she asked, using this name, I assumed, as there was a middle-aged couple on the opposite side of the road, but well within earshot. "You're looking at me a bit oddly."

"I'm sorry," I said vaguely. "I was listening to what you were saying."

"We're nearly there now," she told me, as we turned into another street of red brick houses in the maze. "This is Nikki's road."

We walked purposefully up the street, when suddenly a thought hit me.

"What if her Mum and Dad are in?" I asked in panic.

Anita looked over to me, "What if they are?"

"Well they'll see me for a start, and they'll wonder why I'm trying on one of Nikki's dresses."

Anita smiled knowingly, "They won't think that's odd."

"They will if they realise I'm a boy," I retorted.

She smiled even wider, "I don't think there's much chance of that, do you? They've never thought I was a boy."

"Well you're not," I responded.

"Well don't get your knickers in a twist about it. Her Mum and Dad both work on a Saturday."

I was relieved. I knew that if I was sleeping over with Anita, I would eventually have to face Anita's Mum and Dad, but the thought of an unexpected encounter with Nikki's parents had filled me with dread.

We came to Nikki's house, which was larger than Anita's by some considerable margin. I had realised Nikki's family were quite wealthy, but I was still surprised at the relative grandeur of the place. Grandeur rather than taste; the house was still red brick, with rather garish mock Georgian columns on the doorway, and around the window frames.

The front of the house was a medium sized sweeping lawn, so we walked up the concrete path to the oak styled front door, and Anita rang the bell. There was quite a delay before the door opened heavily, and Nikki greeted us.

"Oh hi," she said, perhaps a little curtly, "Come on in." She swung the door open wider, and we stepped through into a spacious hallway. "You took your time."

"Yes," replied Anita. "Steve had a bit of trouble getting back into his skirt, didn't you?"

I nodded, hoping that this referred to physical difficulty rather than the Sylvia incident. Nikki looked quizzically at me for a moment, and then led us into their living room.

It was large, and dominated by its pale leather furniture. The carpet was thick and deep red, and the on the walls hung a range of pastoral scene prints by famous artists. I looked around with some interest, and suddenly jolted. In one of the chairs sat a girl of about twelve or thirteen. It was Nikki's other sister, Tania.

"Hi," she said, sitting cat like and smiling at me. "You look nice."

"I told you he did," declared Nikki. "He looks good with make-up on doesn't he?"

Tania nodded, her thick fair hair bobbing with her. She had had a crush on me earlier that year, which had become a little awkward. Nikki, Anita and I always travelled home from school together, and often, although two years younger, Tania would join us, and stifle my attempts to get Anita to go out with me by staring longingly at me. She had grown a bit colder over the past couple of months though.

"And he looks good in a skirt," Tania added, looking down at my legs.

This was awful. I had been hung up about Nikki's parents seeing me, but now both her sisters had seen me as a girl. My face obviously betrayed my feelings of glumness.

"Don't look so worried Steve," Nikki told me, "Tania won't be telling anyone you've been wandering around up town dressed in a skirt."

Tania continued smiling, and shook her head. "No," she said, "I've been sworn to secrecy. As long as I get to see you in my bridesmaid's dress that is"

"Your bridesmaid's dress?" I found myself saying. "I thought Nikki had sorted me something out."

"I have," Nikki explained. "Last year the three of us were bridesmaids at our cousin's wedding. I was going to get you to try on my dress, but as you're so," she paused for a moment. "well, dainty, I think you'd be better off with Tania's. You'd be swamped in mine."

Tania nodded at this, without taking her eyes off of me. "It's okay with me."

This was getting worse by the minute. Not only was I going to have to wear another dress, but one belonging to a girl two years younger than me, because I was so small. Tania, like her sisters, was a well-built girl, so in some ways I felt less tiny than I might have done, but something still told me that I should take a larger dress size than a thirteen year old.

Suddenly another thought hit me. "A bridesmaids dress?" I exclaimed. "I thought I was supposed to having something, what did you call it, formal?"

"You are," said Nikki, with patience. "It's all right, it's quite a formal looking dress, even though it was for a wedding. Hang on, I'll go and get it so you can have a look."

"I'm looking forward to seeing you in it Steve," Tania told me, still fixing me with her eyes and smiling. "We all hated wearing them, they were so restrictive when we wanted to party."

"Yes they can be can't they?" agreed Anita. "I was a bridesmaid once, and I hated it too." She sat down on the leather sofa, and picked up a magazine from the coffee table. Nikki had disappeared into the depths of the house.

I felt more than a little uncomfortable standing there, with Tania smiling benignly at me, and, more importantly, Anita seemingly ignoring me. I had been the centre of her attention for a good few hours now, and its sudden withdrawal, as she flipped the pages of the magazine was poignant. I placed my bag down on the arm of one of the chairs, as I had seen Anita do. I was getting too good at this being a girl lark.

Nikki walked back into the room carrying a huge plastic case. Because of its length, she was holding it out in front of her at about head height.

"This is heavy!" she gasped, throwing it onto a second sofa. Tania stood up, and walked languidly over to her sister. Anita put down her magazine, and stood also, gathering around the grey plastic bag, now slouched across the pale leather.

"Well let's see then," Anita said, eagerly.

Nikki lifted the bag again, and undid the zip on its front. Inside was something peach coloured made of satin. I grimaced to myself, imagining what moth of horror would emerge from this chrysalis.

Nikki pulled the dress free. I was, in some ways, relieved. It was relatively plain, with straps coming up from the waist to form the shoulders and cover the bust; it was certainly satin, but not shiny like the one in the shop. Somehow I had in mind something covered in frills and lace; at least I had got away with that.

"Oh it's lovely," cooed Anita, looking at it as Nikki pulled it free. "And such a nice colour too."

"Yes," agreed Nikki. All three girls had gathered around the dress, and were for the time, ignoring me.

"I'd forgotten what it looked like really," Tania put in. "But I suppose it's not as bad as I remembered it."

"Well they're always better to look at than to wear," Anita observed. She touched the skirt of the thing, which I noticed was floor length. "It's lined."

"Yeah," said Nikki. "At least we won't have him making too much fuss about petticoats again."

"No," Anita agreed, remembering how I had tried to not wear the slip I now had on.

"We had them all cleaned after the wedding," Nikki went on, still holding the dress, "We always said they might come in handy for something, so I suppose we were right."

"Yes," agreed Anita, fondling the fabric as it tumbled from its hanger. "The one I had was pink, with all sorts of ruffles around the neckline."

"Oh yuck!" exclaimed Tania. "I hate stuff like that."

"Me too," said Anita. "Still, it might have looked sweet on Sarah."

The girls turned to me and laughed.

"Sarah?" asked Tania.

"Yeah, that's his new name," explained Nikki. "He had to have one for the contest, and he's been insisting we call him it now, so he can get used to it."

"No I haven't!" I gasped.

"You did!" Nikki accused. "You said we had to make sure nobody realised you were a boy when we were out."

"That's right," agreed Anita.

"Oh well I'm sorry if I called you Steve when you came in," Tania told me, grinning broadly. "I'll try and remember that you're now called Sarah."

They tittered for a moment, and then Nikki said in a businesslike manner. "Well we might as well see what he looks like in this."

"Yes," said both Tania and Anita enthusiastically.

"Help him get some of that stuff off will you?" Nikki asked, still holding the dress, "Then I'll help him put this on."

Anita seemed happy enough to comply, and moved across the room towards me, "Come on Steve, I'll help you," she said.

"Steve?" objected Tania, just behind her. "I thought we were calling him Sarah."

"Oh yes," declared Anita. "I'm so sorry Sarah, how thoughtless of me!"

"It's all right when there's no-one else about." I mumbled, but they showed no sign of hearing me.

"Well then Sarah, we'd best get your boots off first," Anita told me.

"I'll do it myself," I said, rather petulantly.

"She's getting very independent isn't she?" Anita retorted, which amused all three of them.

I sat down in one of the chairs in a hurry, and immediately wished I hadn't.

"Oh God look!" exclaimed Tania. "I can see his knickers, and they're girl's ones!" I felt so ashamed. Somehow I had allowed Nikki and Anita to talk me into wearing girl's knickers, and now this thirteen year old who once had fancied me had seen them.

"Of course!" declared Anita, obviously pleased with herself. "He wouldn't be entirely dressed as a girl unless he had girl's knickers on would he?"

"I suppose not," said Tania, thinking about this. "I'm not sure I'd let a boy wear a pair of mine though. It would be a bit odd wearing them yourself afterwards wouldn't it?"

"Oh it's all right. I've finished with those ones anyway, there his now!" Anita exclaimed, smiling. I gave her a puzzled look, but she took no notice.

I managed to shuffle myself around a bit so my knickers were no longer on show, and, being desperately careful to hold my knees together, I undid the zips on the boots and stepped out of them.

"That's the idea," Anita encouraged, "Now for the skirt."

I stood up again, and undid the jeans front of the skirt, then pulled it down and stepped out of it.

"Blimey!" said Tania, with genuine surprise in her voice, "You got him to wear a slip!"

"Yes," Anita replied. "It makes his skirt hang a lot better."

"I bet it does! And he looks really sweet in it," Tania went on, "Especially the little scalloped hem with flowers on. Nice and sweet!"

"We thought so," said Anita, proudly.

"Do you think the other boys in the contest will be wearing girl's underwear as well?" Tania asked.

"Well I hope not," said Anita. "The rules say that all their clothing has to be suitably ladylike and feminine. If any boys wear their own knickers, we're hoping they get thrown out."

Tania nodded in response, but looked less than convinced. "Maybe I ought to have a word with Sandra and Kerry. They were thinking of doing up Roger and entering him. Mind you, I can't see him wearing girl's knickers, even if it was in the rules."

"Well I'd rather you didn't tell them," Anita replied. "We want our Sarah to have the advantage!"

Tania looked at me. "Well he'd have that even without knickers," she said, "He's much better looking than Roger is."

I blushed, while Anita joined in Tania's examination of me. "Yes, he does look good," she commented dreamily. "You'll need to take the slip off as well Steve, even though you love it so much!"

"I know," I mumbled, remembering that Sylvia had insisted the same. I tugged the slip free from my waist, pulled it down, and stepped out of it.

"Wow, his legs really are nice," commented Tania. "All the way to the top. My thighs always look too fat."

"Not as fat as mine," came Nikki's voice from over by the sofa, where she was fiddling with the dress, getting it ready for me.

"I'll take this jumper off as well shall I?" I asked.

"Yes," agreed Anita. "Good idea."

I pulled the jumper up, but the arms seemed to get stuck. Anita came across and helped me out of it.

"Nice tits!" commented Tania. I scowled at her. "And a nice bra!"

"Thanks," said Anita.

"I tell you what's really amazing," Tania went on, "He still looks like a girl even like that. You'd think that in just his underwear you'd be able to tell, but you can't really."

"No," agreed Anita. "He is good."

Nikki came over to join us. "That's better," she declared. "Just one more thing though, you can't wear black tights with a peach satin dress."

"No," agreed Anita. "They looked a bit out of place when he wore that dress in the shops."

"That's why I've got him these!" Nikki exclaimed, and produced a small packet with something flesh coloured and nylon in. It was a few moments before I noticed the wording on the top of the packet, which, to my dismay, declared 'sheer stockings.'

I opened my mouth to object, but was too slow.

"And this!" Nikki exclaimed again, even more triumphantly. She produced a thin band of pink frilly nylon, which, to my utter horror, I saw had suspenders attached to it.

"Oh that's lovely!" declared Anita.

"Oh God those are what we had to wear for the wedding," Tania noticed. "They were really uncomfortable."

"Don't tell him that," snapped Nikki. "Come on Steve, let's get these on you shall we?"

I was in a state of shock. The sudden appearance of stockings and suspenders had taken me totally unaware. "I don't want to wear them," I said feebly.

"Oh but you must Steve!" Anita declared. "Black tights are going to look silly with that lovely dress."

"Well then I'll keep my legs bare," I replied, my voice genuinely trembling with fear.

"You can't do that either," Nikki said, joining in. "You wouldn't be properly formally dressed if you did."
"No," agreed Anita, shaking her head.

"Oh God," I gasped. "It wouldn't be so bad if it was another pair of tights. Why does it have to be stockings?"

"Because stockings are sexier, surely you know that, being a man!" Nikki responded.

"Yeah," the other two chorused.

"Come on, I've spent good money on them now. I don't want to see that wasted."

"Yeah," agreed Anita. "Come on Steve, get those tights off, and we'll help you put the stockings on."

I felt trapped, standing, not for the first time that day, in someone's front room just in a bra, tights and knickers. Should I let them make me wear stockings? Was it really any worse than what I had let them do so far? In the end, I gave in.

I tugged at the waistband of the tights, and was quite relieved to liberate my skin from they're clinging caress after all that time. I started to roll them down my thighs, when Anita stopped me.

"Hey, take your knickers off first! Otherwise you'll get them all scrunched up in the tights, and we'll have trouble finding them when you need to put them on again."

I stopped as she had asked, immediately struck by the fact that the relief I was getting from taking some of this girly stuff off was going to be very short lived. Muttering to myself, I pulled the knickers down first, and stepped out of them, before recommencing to free my legs from the tights.

"Oh I like those knickers too!" Tania exclaimed, seeing my white pair for the first time. "They're really sweet. Especially the love heart."

"Yes," agreed Anita. "We tried a few on him, but he liked those best."

"I never said I like them!" I spluttered, stepping out of the tights at last.

"You did," accused Nikki. "Or at least, they were the ones you chose to wear."

"Yeah," agreed Anita.

"Well that was because the other ones were even worse!" I declared.

"Well I believe Anita and Nikki," Tania said, smiling broadly. "I bet you chose them because they were the prettiest." I blushed again, while they laughed.

"They certainly suited him best," Nikki went on. "Anyway, let's get this suspender belt on for you, then you can put on your stockings!"

She moved over towards me, and held out the thin nylon belt. I saw for the first time that it was completely covered in frilly pink nylon. I grimaced at the thought of having to wear it.

Nikki handed it over to me, and stood waiting. I was completely baffled. I had no idea whatsoever how this could possibly be put on.

"Come on," she urged, "Put it on then!"

"I don't know how it goes on," I mumbled.

"Aw, poor Sarah!" Anita interjected. "She's never had the chance to wear a suspender belt before!"

"Well we can show her!" said Tania enthusiastically. "Can't we girls?"

"Yes!" responded Anita, grinning broadly at the thought. "It's easy."

"Well it might be easy for you," I said, looking again at what might as well have been an elastic band covered in frills.

"Well first of all you step into it and pull it up to your waist," explained Nikki. "Just like you did with the slip or the skirt."

"Yeah," agreed Anita.

Sullenly I held the belt wide, and stepped into it. It snapped onto my legs as I let go of it, which hurt a little.

"Honestly Steve, it goes right up here!" said Anita, demonstrating on herself where the belt was supposed to go. She seemed to think I should lift it up nearly to my bra. I shrugged and complied, although it was a little difficult getting the damn thing over my hips. As it fell into place, I was aware of the four suspenders dangling down from it. Somehow I had contrived to have two hanging down my stomach, and two down my back.

"Well that's too high for a start," complained Nikki, "and you've got it sideways. Hang on, I'll do it."

She grabbed the suspender belt, and turned it around so that the suspenders hung down the sides. She also pulled it down two or three inches. "There, that's better." She said by way of congratulating herself. "Now you need to get the stockings on."

Rather than trust me to show my ignorance of such matters, she opened the packet herself, and rather carefully removed the two stockings from it. They looked so thin and gossamer-like compared to the tights I had been wearing, and they shimmered in the light.

"Oh they're nice," exclaimed Anita. "I bet they were expensive."

"Well they weren't cheap," agreed Nikki. "So I don't want you messing about and laddering them!" she said to me, with a note of threat. "If you do, you can buy the next pair."

"We probably ought to have a spare pair or two for the contest, just in case." Anita said, considering the issue.

"Good point." Tania said in agreement.

"Well we'll have to club together for that," Nikki responded. She put her hand down one of the stockings till she had found the foot. "Here you go then, put this on." She handed me the stocking, rolled down so that the foot was accessible.

"You'd best sit down. It's easier, remember." Anita advised me.

Freed from a skirt, I sat down with less care than usual. Crossing my legs, I took the stocking and put it on my foot.

"That's not a very ladylike way to sit!" Anita complained.

I looked up at her, and pulled a face. "Well you can see my knickers anyway," I pointed out.

"True," she acknowledged, "but you're supposed to be practising remember."

I rolled the stocking back to my ankle, and then paused, considering what should be done next.

"He's got sweet little feet," Tania added.

"He's a size six like me and you," Nikki told her.

"I suppose that's quite small for a boy," Tania said thoughtfully.

"Yes," Nikki agreed.

None of them seemed inclined to offer me any help or guidance at this point, so, with a fair amount of care, I began to roll the stocking up my leg. It was certainly easier to get on than a pair of tights.

"Be careful not to ladder them," Nikki advised me sternly.

"I am being careful," I retorted. Soon the stocking was up to my knee. I looked down at my calf in amazement. The shimmering I had noticed before had now been transferred to my leg. The material was subtly different from the tights too, and instead of feeling clammy, felt, if anything, a little scratchy against my skin. Despite myself, I found myself almost admiring the look.

"It's not fair!" Tania declared, with a genuine note of hurt in her voice. "He's got such nice legs. Why can't mine be like that?"

"They are good aren't they?" Anita agreed, moving a little closer to see. "He's got such fine hairs, they look as if they're freshly shaven."

"Oh yes!" Tania declared with some surprise, like Anita moving over to look more closely at my legs. "You'd think he'd have thicker ones, with his hair being quite dark."

"Yes," agreed Anita. "Still, it's just as well he hasn't. It gives us a much better chance of winning."

"Yes," Tania went on, "Mind you, nobody is going to see them under the dress are they? It's floor length."

"I know," Anita said, "but it's still going to be important for the school uniform round."

"Oh I agree," Tania responded enthusiastically.

Nikki came up behind them, impatiently. "Come on," she urged, "let's get a move on!" Anita and Tania moved aside. "Right Steve," Nikki went on, "Let's get it right the way up now then."

"You'd best stand up for that," Anita suggested.

Slowly I stood, holding on to the stocking by my knee as I did so.

"Right," said Nikki, "we'd best get your suspenders ready."

I wasn't sure what she meant, so I just looked blankly at her. She stared back. "You have to thread them through your knickers," she declared at length.

This still meant nothing to me. I shook my head at her.

"Oh for God's sake Steve, you have to put them through your knickers, you know, under the waistband and out the leg. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get your knickers off to pee!"

"I didn't know that!" said Anita.

"Haven't you ever worn stockings then?" Nikki asked her.

"Well," she began in a conspiratorial voice. "John bought me some last Christmas." My heart again sank at the mention of her boyfriend, the bane of my life.

"I wore them once or twice, but I didn't really like them."

"I bet he did though!" Tania put in, with wide knowing eyes and a grin. My heart sank further.

"Well let's just say they perked him up a bit!" Anita announced, her eyes darting from Nikki to Tania, "If you know what I mean!"

"I think we do," Nikki responded. "But come on, let's sort Steve out now. I think you'd best do it yourself though Steve, it's a bit personal."

Still feeling glum at the thought of Anita and John together, I got hold of one of the suspenders, and slipped it through the top of the knickers. Blushing a little, I slipped my fingers up the leg to find it, and pull it through.

"That's the idea," said Nikki encouragingly. "Now do the same with the other three, and we'll be ready to go."

As I continued to fumble, it occurred to me to turn my back on the girls.

"Oh he's shy!" Tania exclaimed. "It's not as if we can really see anything."

"Not that you would have been adverse to looking a few weeks ago," Nikki said. Tania gasped, glared at her sister, and stormed over to the sofa to sit down again, folding her arms, and glaring in the opposite direction from us. Anita gently shook her head at Nikki, admonishing her. Nikki just shrugged.

I had just about managed to feed the suspenders through my knickers by this stage. It felt really odd having elastic strands hanging down, and I was beginning to agree with Tania that these were really uncomfortable.

"Right," said Nikki, seeing what I had achieved, "let's get your stocking hooked up then. Do you want me to do it," she turned to the sofa, "or shall I ask Tania?" Tania shuffled herself up even more, and did not look or reply.

"Steady on Nikki," Anita admonished. Even I thought Nikki was being a bit cruel, teasing Tania about fancying me, but I had learnt from observations that sisters weren't always the best of friends.

"Well it looks like it's me then," Nikki announced, and knelt down on the floor in front of me. She took hold of the stocking, and pulled it up firmly, much more firmly than I had dared after all the dire warnings about laddering. Holding it up with one hand, she took the suspender in the other, and proceeded to fasten it. Going around to my side, she did the same with the other suspender, and then stood up.

"How's that look?" she asked.

"Very nice!" Anita responded. "It makes him look dead sexy, I can almost imagine what blokes see in them now!"

"We'd best get the other one on for the full effect though," Nikki went on. She got the other stocking, and as with the first, rolled it down for me, so that the foot was easy to find.

I took it off her, sat down, and put it on my right leg. I stood up again, waiting for her to attach the suspenders as she had done before.

Suddenly the door to the room burst open, and a woman of about forty-five walked in.

"Oh, hello Mum," said Nikki, with false brightness. She was obviously as surprised as me about this sudden intrusion. The woman came into the room, and took off her coat, throwing it untidily onto one of the chairs.

"I've had a terrible day at work," she announced, "still, I'm home now."

"You're early," Nikki managed to say.

"Yes," her mother replied matter-of-factly. Then she saw me. "Oh," she said. "What's going on here?"

"Oh Mum, this is Sarah," Nikki responded. "You know Anita don't you?"

Her mother nodded in reply.

"Sarah's got to go to a posh do, so we thought we'd see whether she looked all right in one of those bridesmaids dresses we had last year." Nikki went on.

I held my breath for the response to this. Here I was, wearing just a pair of knickers, with one stocking done up, and one hanging loose. My bra, although shaped by the socks Anita and Nikki had thrust into it, was hardly likely to be very convincing without a top covering it. Nikki's Mum would realise I was a boy, and be outraged.

"Oh well that's a good idea," Nikki's mother responded at last, smiling. "Hello Sarah, I don't think I've seen you before."

"No, she's new," Nikki went on.

Tania had stood up from the sofa, and was standing by her mother, glaring at Nikki, and with a very sour look on her face.

"Hello Mrs. Simmons," I said weakly, smiling as best I could. I couldn't believe it. I had got away with it. She thought I was a girl, even in my underwear.

"It's not Sarah at all," Tania's voice suddenly rang out to ruin my moment of triumph. "It's a boy. They've made a boy dress up like that!"

Mrs. Simmons looked at Tania, then back at Nikki, then at me. There was an awkward silence.

"It's for the Womanless Beauty contest at school next week," Anita blurted out. "He's going to be our entry."

The woman's eyes moved briefly to Anita, then back to me. They traced me up and down as she scrutinised my outfit.

"Well," she began, "you've done a very good job. I don't think I would have realised if Tania hadn't said." She continued to appraise my appearance. "He doesn't just look like a girl, he looks like a really pretty one. You've done the make-up well."

"Thanks," said Nikki, poking her tongue out at Tania.

"Did you shave his legs?" she asked.

"No," Nikki replied, "They look like that anyway."

Mrs. Simmons raised her eyebrows, and continued to scrutinise me.

"And knickers too," she went on. "I'm surprised he let you put knickers on him."

"He wasn't all that keen," Anita said, "but we think it'll be best because it'll make him seem more feminine."

"You told me it was because of the rules!" said Tania.

"Well there's that as well," Nikki went on. "They say that contestants have to wear clothing that's suitable feminine and ladylike."

Mrs. Simmons turned back to me. "Well, he certainly looks quite feminine and ladylike to me," she said, after a pause. "Well, I have to say well done girls. He looks as if he could probably do well in a regular beauty contest, let alone a Womanless one." She wasn't the first to make this observation, but it still made me flinch. "I'm just going to go and make a cup of coffee. I'll let you get on." She went back to the door, and then turned again, "Oh and don't forget to let me see him in the dress. That should be interesting." With that, she disappeared.

I stood still with shock. Part of me had been expecting some sort of outrage to accompany the revelation that I was a boy. I wasn't sure what I thought she might do, but I had expected at least shock. Another part of me had anticipated some sort of rescue. I had a sort of thought that if Nikki's Mum realised that I was a boy being dressed up like this, she would have stepped in to put an end to the madness; but neither had happened.

"What on earth did you tell her he was a boy for?" Nikki was demanding of Tania.

"Well he is!" Tania responded defiantly.

"But we wanted to see if he could fool people!" Anita went on. "Once you told her, the cat was out of the bag."

Tania folded her arms again. "Well she said that she wouldn't have realised otherwise, so he must be quite realistic."

Nikki considered this for a while. "Well I suppose that's true. All right, I'm sorry I was horrible to you earlier."

Tania looked away to the window again.

"I won't do it again. Come on, help us out with his dress."

Tania obviously was thinking about this for a moment, and then relented. "All right. And I'm sorry I told Mum he was a boy."

Nikki smiled at her, "That's all right. She didn't mind."

Nikki knelt down in front of me again, and pulled the stocking up my leg as far as it would go. She then attached the two suspenders on that side, and stood up to admire her work.

"Very nice," she commented.

"Very sexy too!" Anita chimed in, enthusiastically.

"I know what would be good," Tania began, "He could have the matching bra and panties as well! You know, like we had to for the wedding."

I thought of the pink frills on the suspender belt, and immediately felt a sense of horror of any bra and knickers matching that.

"A full matching set, that would be nice!" Anita said, beaming at the thought.

"Trouble is, I don't know where they are." Nikki said, thoughtfully. "I found the suspender belt yesterday, but there were no signs of the bra or the knickers. I think I might have thrown them away."

"I don't think I kept mine either," Tania said, reflecting on this for a moment. "Maxine might have though!" she said, more brightly.

"That's true!" Nikki declared. "We can ask her when she gets back from work. If she has, he can have them for the contest on Thursday."

"Or to practice with during the week!" put in Anita.

"I don't see the point." I mumbled. "No-one's going to see my underwear anyway. Why should I have to have matching stuff?"

Anita looked at me pityingly. "Well it would just be so much more classy!" she declared. Nikki and Tania nodded in agreement. "If you were really going out somewhere formal, it's exactly the sort of underwear you would have."
"That's right," agreed Nikki.

I shuddered at the thought, and hoped, that like her sisters, Maxine would have managed conveniently to loose the bra and knickers that went with this suspender belt.

It hung on to my waist relentlessly, and as I moved, the suspenders pulled tight on the stockings. I felt like a trussed-up chicken, rather than 'sexy' as Anita had suggested.

"Well let's see what the dress looks like on you," Nikki said, going over to the sofa to retrieve it. She lifted it up, and brought it over to me, holding it in front of her. I flinched for a moment.

"Right," she said, turning it around in her arms, "we'll have you in it in a jiffy." The back now faced me, and I saw for the first time that it was not as plain as I had hoped. Covering the bottom part of the zip at the back was a sort of tail made out of the same material as the dress, hanging to the ground, and fastening this to the dress was a single cloth rose in a deep pink colour. I shuddered.

"What's that?" I hissed, pointing at it.

"It's just a bit of detail," Nikki responded. She unfastened the zipper, and let it down, holding the shoulders of the dress apart. "Okay then, let's have you in it!" she declared, with glee in her voice.

I hesitated. If anything this dress filled me with more dismay than the one at the boutique. At least that hadn't had any detail, as Nikki had called it. The only saving grace for this one, in my mind at least, is that it had nothing to do with Sylvia, and her bizarre carryings on.

I moved forward, and felt the suspenders pulling on my stockings as I did so. Gritting my teeth, I lifted one leg up, and into the gap in the waist of the dress. My stocking slipped up and down my leg as I did so.

"That's the idea Steve," said Anita, encouragingly. As I lowered my leg, the dress seemed to go on forever, but eventually my foot found the floor. I stood there, motionless, with one leg in the dress, and one leg still outside.

"Come on then, step right in!" urged Nikki.

Gingerly, I lifted the other leg, and, nearly falling, had to place my hands on Nikki's shoulders for support. I lifted it clear of the waist, and pulled it into the abyss. After what seemed an age, that foot felt the floor as well, and I let go of Nikki.

"Excellent!" she declared, and immediately went around to the back of me to pull the dress up. She lifted the two pieces that formed the bust and the shoulders and put them in place. I was surprised by how stiff they felt. Anita rushed over to give assistance, and fussed with the two pieces until they covered my bra at the front.

"That's better," she declared.

"I'll just do him up then," Nikki announced, and proceeded to do so. As the zipper fastened, the dress tightened across my chest, and I wondered if it was really going to fit. To my dismay it did. Nikki managed to get the zip fully done up, and then started playing with the tail. Anita, at the front of me, pulled the skirt bit of the dress away from me and shook it gently. Tania just stood there, staring at me.

"Oh that looks gorgeous!" she declared. "Come and have a look."

"Just a second," said Nikki, from around about my bum. She stood up and came around to the front. "Oh I like that!" she announced. "It looks better on you than it ever did on us, doesn't it Tania?"

"Yes," she nodded.

Anita stood up to join them. "Oh that looks so elegant!" she gushed. "You really do look like a fairy tale princess in that!" She moved over to me, and pulled the dress at my hips.

"How does it feel?" she asked me.

I had to think about this. The bit across my chest was tighter than on the one in the shop. Together with the restrictions of my bra, this was decidedly uncomfortable. The skirt was so full, however, that I could hardly feel it was on. I felt the breeze it caused when Anita was pulling at it, but not the material itself while I was standing still.

"It's," I struggled for any words. "All right."

I looked down at myself. Although not as shiny as the pink dress in the shop, once I had it on, this one certainly had something of a shimmer to it. I moved a little, and the skirt rubbed against my legs through the stockings. It felt surprisingly heavy.

"I think he likes it!" declared Tania, looking at my face as I tested the outfit.

"I wouldn't say that," I retorted.

"Well you seemed to be admiring yourself!" Tania said, accusingly.

"Have a walk around in it," Anita suggested. "Then we can see what it looks like even better."

With almost funereal slowness, I moved forward, careful not to step on the hem.

"It's a bit long," Anita observed.
"It'll be all right once he's got some shoes on with it," Nikki responded.

I walked across to the sofa, slowly turned, and walked back again.

"You're right!" Anita observed gleefully. "He does look really elegant and sophisticated!"

"I know!" agreed Tania.

The dress swished around with me, as I slowly walked back towards them.

"It looks good," declared Nikki.

"Yes," agreed Anita. "But what we have to decide is whether he ought to have this one, or the one from the shop."

"Yes," Nikki agreed.

"He looks drop-dead gorgeous in them both," Anita said, considering the matter. "But if anything, I'd say the shop one had an edge over this."

My mind panicked. There was no way I wanted to get involved with Sylvia and the shop again.

"But at least this one's free. There's hire charges to pay on the other one," Nikki pointed out. I decided for a moment that I liked Nikki.

"Yes, but Sylvia said she'd take them in kind, as long as Steve worked for her for a few weekends. It wouldn't cost us any cash." Anita pointed out unhelpfully. A vision of me being, or rather Sarah being, Sylvia's shop assistant for three Saturday's flashed through my mind; having to wear some stupid outfit like Sue had been wearing, a black pencil skirt, and crisp white blouse, and worst of all, the antics Sylvia might try and get up to with me in the changing rooms. There was no doubt about it; I would have to make it so I wore this dress.

"We need to think which dress is more likely to make him win," Anita was saying.

"Well I like this one better," I blurted out.

They all turned to look at me in surprise. I had not really given my opinion on any of the clothes I'd had to wear so far.

"Why?" asked Anita.

I was stumped for anything to say. "I don't know," I began. "It just feels, better."

"You mean it's more comfortable?" Anita asked, obviously puzzled by my sudden enthusiasm.

"Yes," I responded, and with a flash of insight added, "And more feminine."

She looked even more shocked by this. "But the other one was quite feminine as well," she pointed out.

"Yes," I gasped, hurriedly, "But not so feminine as this one."

A confused look came over Anita's face.

"I'm inclined to agree with him," Nikki said. "He looks a bit more elegant in this one. It's sophisticated, where the other one was a bit, I don't know, flirty."

"Well maybe he needs to be a bit flirty to win," Anita went on. "It's all very well going with what makes him feel more feminine, but what we're all about is making sure he wins the contest."

I couldn't believe what was happening. Here I was, extolling the virtues of a dress I had been made to wear, simply because I didn't want to return to Sylvia's boutique.

"That's true," Nikki said, considering Anita's point. "He does look a bit untouchable doesn't he?"

"Yes," agreed Anita. "More of a goddess than a girl."

Nikki smiled. "Yes, I know what you mean. Do you think it would put the judges off?"

"It might do," Anita mused.

I silently cursed. Nikki was being won around by Anita's preference for the shop dress. I looked at Tania for support.

"What do you think Tania?" I asked, swaying the dress from side to side with my hips, in what I hoped was a winning manner.

"Well it's no good asking me," she responded. "I didn't see the other one. All I know is that you look pretty good in that. But you'd probably look pretty good in anything, so I can't really say."

A silence fell on the four of us. I looked from one to the other, trying to think of a way to rubbish the shop dress.

"Do you think Sylvia would let him try it on again if we went back up there?" suggested Anita.

"No!" I shouted, before thinking. "No, she wouldn't," I said more calmly. "She told me so."

Anita looked bewildered. "Are you sure? I thought she said we could think about it and go back."

"No," I responded. "She didn't.

Anita raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well that's not how I remember it."

Silence ruled again for at least a minute.

"Please let me have this one!" I begged at last. "I really like it! It's lovely!"

Anita now looked utterly confused.

"Well if he likes it that much, perhaps we ought to go with it," Nikki said, obviously thinking carefully. "If it makes him feel more feminine, then that's good for a start."

"Oh it does," I put in. "I feel much more feminine in this."

Anita looked at me curiously. "Well that might just be the stockings and suspenders. You could have those with the other dress as well."

"Well for my money, if he wants that dress, he should have it," put in Nikki. I nodded enthusiastically in response, and looked pleadingly at Anita.

Her brows knotted, and she thought for a while. "Well I'm still not convinced," she said, "But like you say, if he really wants to wear that, then I suppose he should."

"Oh thanks!" I responded, breathing a sigh of relief that I had been spared from Sylvia's clutches.

"But I tell you what," Anita went on, "If you loose because you don't look flirty enough, I'll," she hesitated, obviously trying to think of a suitable forfeit, "make you wear stockings and suspenders to school all next year! Then you'll know about feeling feminine." She was trying to look stern, but melted when she saw the relief on my face.

"I tell you what," said Nikki, "go and get Mum Tania. She wanted to see him didn't she?"

"Yes," Tania agreed, and went off into the hallway.

Anita was still looking at me perturbed. "You seem very enthusiastic about that dress," she said. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

I blushed. This was doing my chances of impressing Anita no good at all. "No," I responded. "I just thought it was nicer than the one in the shop."

Anita didn't look at all convinced, but said nothing more, as Nikki's Mum came back into the room with Tania.

"Here he is," Tania exclaimed with glee. "What do you think?"

Mrs. Simmons looked me up and down. "He looks delightful," she declared. "Yes, he looks good in that. Well done." She moved closer for a better view. "You really would never tell that he was a boy," she said, looking down at my full skirt, surrounding the bottom half of my body. "I hate to say it, but he looks better in that dress than you lot did."

"I know," Nikki responded enthusiastically. "And he likes it too!"

Nikki's Mum raised her eyebrows at me. "Do you?" she asked, with a note of surprise.

"Well," I mumbled, "I think it's better than the one I tried on down the shop."

This was obviously news to her. "You tried on one at the shops?" she asked, incredulously.

I nodded nervously in response.

"Well, that was very brave. You must be confident to do that," she responded. She looked me up and down again. "Well I think you make a lovely girl," she smiled. "And I'm sure you'll do well in the contest."

"We think he might win!" Anita put in with enthusiasm.

"Yes, he very well might," Mrs. Simmons replied. "Still, this won't do. I've got to get dinner ready. Thank you for letting me see him, I enjoyed it."

"That's fine." Nikki responded.

Mrs. Simmons went back out into the hall, and off to the kitchen.

"Well now that's sorted, we'd best think about getting ready for the sleepover," said Anita.

"Oh yes," agreed Nikki. "I'm afraid I won't be able to come though. I asked my Mum, but we've got to go out tomorrow morning apparently."

"Oh that's a shame," said Anita. "So it's just you and me then Sarah!"

"If my Mum lets me," I mumbled.

"Oh yes! We were going to call her weren't we?" Anita said, suddenly remembering. "And you were going to fill in for my Mum Nikki. Is that still all right?"

"Sure," said Nikki. "Shall we do it now? That would save me having to go around to your place just to make a phone call."

"Good thinking," responded Anita. "Oh, and I have to ring John as well don't I? To make sure he doesn't come around tonight." I jumped at the mention of the dreaded John, but there was definitely something good about the thought that he was being put off for my sake; even if it was for a girly sleepover.

The phone was brought over, and I found myself explaining to my Mum that I had met this girl who I knew who wanted me to stay over. She was generally all right about my girlfriends, so agreed without too much difficulty. She did mention that I had no clothes with me, and asked what I would wear the next day. Bluffing, I told her I had picked up a T-shirt in town, and that I could go down and get a pair of socks and pants later. Little did she know that her son was speaking to her wearing a long bridesmaid's dress, with stockings and suspenders, and a bra. Just as I thought things were going well, she asked if she could talk to Anita's mother. I had some doubts about this subterfuge, but handed the phone over to Nikki.

I have to say Nikki played her part well. She chatted away like a woman twice her age, and agreed that it was nice that Anita and I were now friends. I blushed as she said this, and she smiled, and winked at me. My Mum obviously asked her what time I was going to be back on the next day.

"Hang on, I'll ask them," Nikki said to the phone receiver. "What time will he get back tomorrow?" she asked.

I was about to say midday, when Anita chimed in with, "Say about nine tomorrow night."

Nikki repeated this to the phone, said goodbye, and hung up.

"Anita!" I said, complaining, "That means I've got to stay dressed as a girl until tomorrow evening!"

"I know!" she said, obviously delighted with the prospect. "Still, since you liked how feminine that dress made you feel, it won't be a problem will it?" She smiled at me, and I scowled back at her.

"Well, now that's sorted, we might as well get you ready for going back to my place. Come on, we'll help you out of that, and back into your other stuff." Anita said, breezily.

Nikki and Anita helped me out of the dress, but I insisted on taking the stockings and suspender belt off myself. Nikki carefully packaged them all away back in the huge plastic bag.

"You'll need some practice wearing it before Thursday," she commented. "But we can sort that out later."

I gathered up my tights, flowery knickers and skirt, and put them on. I was surprised at how good I was getting at it, although the tights had stretched with me having them on all day, so were easier to fit on. Anita found my top, and helped me on with it, making sure it didn't mess up my wig too much, or misshape my boobs.

Once this was done, we were ready to go.

"Okay then Nikki. Thanks for all your help today," Anita said.

"That's fine," Nikki replied, kissing her on the cheek.

"You ought to say thanks too," Anita admonished me.

"Oh yes. Thanks," I said, without too much enthusiasm.

"You're welcome," Nikki told me, and kissed me on the cheek too. Somehow this wasn't as exciting as when Anita did it.

"You'd best say goodbye to my Mum as well," she went on. She called her, and Mrs. Simmons came into the hall.

"Oh!" she said, obviously shocked when she saw me.

"What's the matter?" Nikki asked.

"Well, when Tania said he was getting changed out of the dress, I sort of assumed that he'd be dressed as a boy."

Nikki grinned. "No, he's not going to be dressed as a boy for a while yet. This is all part of his practice."

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Simmons said, looking at me dubiously. "Well it was nice to meet you," she hesitated. "Sarah. Sorry, I don't know your other name."

"It doesn't matter," said Nikki. "Just think of him as Sarah. That would be good."

"Yes," the woman said. "Well, hope to see you again soon. Either as a boy or a girl."

"Thank you," I responded dully.

Anita and I walked up the path, with my skirt thwapping against my legs again, and heard the door shut behind us. We were alone together at last.

  

  

  

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