Wonderland Fantasy

by Anne O’Nonymous

 

Part 7

"I want to thank you all for what you mean, or will mean, to me. I have no wish to be maudlin, besides the food’s getting cold." I did not want to say too much, as I understood how they feel. I walked my mile in their heels.

The shrimp were excellent, the crab cakes had real crab in them, and the fries were perfect: all in all, a wonderful meal.

As I finished, I felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning, I saw the little girl in the party dress and an elderly lady. Smiling, I asked what I could do for them.

"My granddaughter wants to tell you something," she replied. "Go ahead, Susan. Tell her what you said."

"When I grow up, I want to be as pretty as you," she said with a toothy grin.

I got up, knelt down, hugged and then kissed her on her cheek. I said, "Oh, sweetie, I know you’ll be far prettier!" At that, the lady smiled, gathered up the child and returned to her seat. When I knelt there, I felt taller than Mt. Everest.

To finish the meal, I had coffee and a piece of chocolate cake. Maybe I should get a corset. I heard that Victorian men wore them.

"Alice, that’s a nice outfit you’re wearing," Tina said.

"Yeah, you’re really turning heads," was Joanne’s retort.

After returning the compliments, I got up and gave an impromptu fashion show. I had to describe each piece, much to the enjoyment of several males at neighboring tables. I didn’t care about what they thought; I reveled in this experience.

With the meal’s finish, I joined Jan, Joanne and Amy as they went to the ladies. I’m sure you know that ladies facilities are much cleaner than gents. No "for a good time call" stuff. Using a stall, I kept my legs together as I did what I had to do. Finishing up, I wiped, flushed, and carefully washed my hands in the sink. The lipstick repair was next – I was amazed at how easy it had become. Practice makes it easier, if not perfect.

Back at the table, Dani and Tina left to fix their faces. Nikki moved around beside me, and whispered, "Since we will be working together, I was told all about Dave. Also, I was sworn to secrecy. I’ve already informed Dani."

"Are you going to take up Dani’s offer, she does have a nice place," I informed her. Another beautiful woman around – well, it does make life interesting.

"My apartment came furnished. Mostly, all I need to move would be clothes and cosmetics."

"Nikki, think about my offer?" Dani asked, returning to the table.

"I was discussing it with Alice, thinking it would be easier if it became necessary to work on a weekend."

"Heavens no," Dani said laughingly, "No office on a weekend, except if we’re out on business."

"Okay, give me a week to clear things with my landlord."

That was that: a discussion, a deal struck, and a settlement. It kind of makes me wonder if females make better business people because of their good communications skill. After all, it’s really the skill of the secretaries, receptionists, and clerical staff that make most companies work.

With everything finished, all that was left to do was to pay the bill and take our leave. Walking through the aisles between tables I was again aware of the ogling; I didn’t know whether to feel good that they took me for a female, or angry at the constant unwanted attention I was getting. I ignored their leers and salacious language, taking no notice of these so-called gentlemen. After all, I was a lady and should act like one.

At the cashier, the bill (over $150.) was paid via credit card. I almost pleaded to pay my part of the bill, and was informed that the company (Ms. Angelis) authorized the payment. On the parking lot outside, the group engaged in small talk, mostly about how good I looked. Seeing how the rest were dressed, I, too, complimented them on their dress. As it was getting late, we hugged and kissed our good nights and went our respective ways.

On our way home, I must have expressed my "thanks for a wonderful meal" a dozen times. Amy started with a joke, then Jan, and finally it was my turn.

"How many husbands does it take to change a light bulb?" The answers ranged from one to ten (one, and nine to do the wave). Finally, they gave in.

"None! He gets his wife to do it." Groans all around.

Arriving back at the house, Della was there to greet us. She parked the car, and we went in. Entering the front room, I could see April and May sitting, enjoying some popcorn, and watching a TV show on the Discovery Channel. Hearing us enter, I had to recount the night’s events, in detail. I didn’t leave out the observations of the "gentlemen."

"Sounds like you really had a good time, Alice," April surmised. Her appraisal was right on the money.

"I had a great time, because I was with my best friends. I’m sorry you didn’t get to come along – I really missed the four of you."

"And we missed you too, honey."

God, I was ready to cry again. It is one thing to cry when sad, but another when you feel happy. When I was a male, you couldn’t do either – crying just seemed so unmanly. Now, I realize that this is just an expression of your self. Men bottle up their emotions and, I think, can’t fully express their feelings. It’s no wonder that many men seem to be emotionally distant and stressed.

"Work tomorrow, Alice. Better get a good night’s sleep," Dani said.

Work? Finally! Now I would really be tested. Do I have what it takes to be a model? Since I never had training, exactly what do I do? Another chapter in my life is about to unfold. Maybe I should keep a diary.

It was now almost a routine: remove makeup, use a skin cleanser, shower with a nice scented soap, drying, moisturizer, powdering and the other things a lady does. A lovely, soft nylon knee-length peach nightgown on, and I was ready for bed.

After climbing in and getting under the covers, I wondered who would join me that night. I didn’t have long to wait, as Dani entered and joined me. Since we were both tired, I pulled Dani close and gave her a good night kiss and she reciprocated. She spooned with me. (I kind of like that idea – spooning: two items fitting tightly together.)

At seven thirty an alarm went off. This was to be the first day of the rest of my life. Dani was up washing, so I joined her in the bathroom. It was slippers and robe for both of us as we joined the breakfast bunch.

My morning meal was French toast, sausages, hash browns, OJ, and coffee. The weather forecast for the day was partly cloudy in the morning, sunny in the afternoon with ten percent chance of precipitation. I decided to change the routine a little, taking a quick shower in the morning.

While I was trying to choose my on wearing apparel, Jan stuck her head in the door and said, " ‘Alice’ today, sweetheart. Amy will be here soon to assist." Aw gee, I can dress myself, gosh. Anyway, I got out the blue dress, the white pinafore, pantalets, white knee-highs, Mary Janes, and pink bra-and-panty set. By the time Amy and Jan were here, I was nearly ready for them.

"Well, I’ll be damned," Jan said. "I said you were a fast learner, which really sold Ms. Angelis on you, and you really do look nice."

Amy draped a cape on me, and took care of brushing my hair, while I showed Jan that I could manage my face. The hair band was on just as I was finishing the blusher. Despite the red nails, I opted for a Coral lipstick. The last item was my locket.

Curiously, we went to work in Jan’s car. Dani and I shared the back seat.

"Jan, you know Nikki, don’t you?"

"I met her a few times during my work. Why do you ask?"

"What do you think of her?"

"Workwise – she knows her job, keeps secrets, trustworthy, doesn’t smoke, drinks in moderation – knows her limits. Need more?"

"Sexually, how is she?"

"Straight, although I think she likes to try other things, and she has had problems with some guys, but who hasn’t. She does like Alice though, because she told me so."

I didn’t get into the discussion, as I was too busy watching the scenery. I had never been through this area before, so I watched the houses, cars on the road, cows in pastures, a farm machine repair place, and other views along the road. So we turned left, went ten miles and turned right, and there was a sign, blue with white lettering, "Chantel Frocks – All deliveries, use Comstock Rd. entrance."

After a short drive, we turned right and stopped at the edge of a paved parking area. I could now see the place where Jan worked. Jan gave the tour:

"On the left, the two-story brick structure is design and pattern making which is done mostly on computers. That second-story crossover leads to the main offices, the two-story brick in front. Behind that is a four-story manufacturing facility with shipping and receiving to the rear. There’s a cafeteria and medical office on the first floor that is available to all employees, except the men working in the rear. Same food and medical help available, but separate facilities."

She let up on the brake and we moved down the road to another advantage point. "The manufacturing building is larger than a football field. Wonderland will have some work done here, but mostly it will be the original factory handling most of the labor."

The next stop was twin two-story brick buildings, separated by a covered ground floor walkway. Jan pointed to the place on the left and explained: "All of our company’s graphic designs are done in that building. Second floor is computer typesetting, plate making, ad preparation, etc. First is printing presses and storage. Our building is on the right. Dani, you’d better take over."

Jan parked in front of the building in a place marked "Wonderland Employees Only." We got out, Jan locked up, and Dani produced keys to unlock the plastic front door. Then the tour began, starting with the second floor: "Three offices, lounge, storage area for paper and photographic equipment, rest rooms, and desks for computer people."

We stopped at the door of a large office. It was carpeted wall-to-wall, with a nice maple desk. To the side was a computer with a large screen monitor. The walls were cherry wood paneled, adorned with pictures of handsome women. Against one wall were several bookcases waiting to be filled.

We trooped down for first floor tour: "Reception Area, clothes storage. This will be the place where your gowns, dresses, and so forth will be put before you model them."

The next room was huge. There was a large grouping of various pieces of furniture, several racks for clothes, and other items scattered around the room, positioned for ready use. Overhead were at least three-dozen lights of various sizes and colors. Tripods for cameras were placed against the wall. I could see many elongated objects hiding in the twelve-foot-high ceiling rafters.

"What are those strange things up there," I said, pointing to one of the objects.

"Backdrops. They have painted scenes, like schools, on them to fill the photo background. They and all the lights are remote-controlled by computer. I call up a scene, and motors do the rest. The scene dressing, furniture, I need to move by hand."

"What about cameras," inquired Amy, "Do I need any kind of theatrical makeup?"

"Most of the cameras are digital, and I can control all the lighting, so regular makeup should be okay."

Facing the door we entered, Dani intoned, "From left to right: restroom, kitchen – fully stocked, entrance, Alice’s dressing room, my office and camera storage. Jan, your office is on the second floor – that’s your area of expertise. Amy, your work will be with Alice so you share the dressing room. Alice, you have a private bathroom and a makeup area."

I was surprised when two more workers showed up – Joanne and Nikki.

Dani continued: "Nikki, hi! You’ll be working upstairs, coordinating everything. I’ll depend on you to know what we need to do on a given day, what we need to reschedule, and what we can’t. Joanne, you’ll be operating as store inventory control for now. Since most of the stores are in progress, you’ll get a chance to familiarize yourself with the software."

"Store inventory! What’s that?" I asked. It piqued my curiosity.

"When an item is sold, it will register on the store inventory, and deduct that item. Joanne will be able to access each store’s computer inventory, see what they are low on or need, and order it sent out, before they ask. She will also process special requests, passing them on to the appropriate person. She will control our inventory by requesting less of overstocked items, and more of popular ones. Using inventory, she will also chart sales trends in various territories."

"Alice, in case you’re interested, I will be responsible for every photo taken of you – that includes Wonderland and any branch you get hired out to. I will be doing all computer operations. And, except for you and I, all workers here will switch jobs every four months to prevent boredom."

"How many stores are we talking about, Dani?" asked Joanne.

"Twenty at present: twelve remodels, six builds, and two changeovers. We are looking at six more new ones in malls in the planning process."

"Press is outside," announced Jan suddenly, "A local, a TV news, some Trades and a bureau, it looked like."

Now you may think I would be scared to meet the press, but I wasn’t; I thought that this would come with the territory. We, as a group, went out to meet them.

As we exited, a clamor arose, each reporter trying to get our individual attention. That wouldn’t happen! Dani managed to shush them enough to make a short statement about the inception of "Wonderland and what it was, the officials were introduced, and I was singled out as its central attraction. She said my name was "Alice," at which time I made a graceful curtsey, and I would be in all the ads as Wonderland’s chief model.

"Please, I’ll take your questions one at a time, and I must limit the time to fifteen minutes," Dani forcefully stated.

In answering their interrogation, she managed to keep my last name private, let drop the company was still developing, and get a few product plugs in for Chantel Frocks. Soon, Dani called the interview to a halt, as we had work to do. I was actually sorry to see them go. This was a real high for me.

Work was having a bank of lights highlighting me as I went through a series of poses while Dani or Jan took measurements with a light meter. As I moved through several positions, lights were changed and more measurements taken. Backdrops went up and down, lights were on and off, until it was time for lunch. The kitchen was especially nice; completely modern. Nikki made coffee, Joanne made egg salads, and I set the table. We sat, ate, enjoying each other’s company.

"I really love my office, but I don’t think I’ll be spending much time there."

"Jan, it’s a place to put your feet up," Dani said, "I think we made good progress today, though. Amy, the lighting checks out rather well. I am of the opinion that very little makeup changes will be necessary."

"Do you want to try some changes after lunch?"

"That sounds good! We’ll try some of the reflectors. Oh, by the way, Alice, was it too hot out there for you?"

I thought about it, then answered, "No, it seemed okay."

"The building is air-conditioned throughout. If you ever feel too hot or too cold, let me know, immediately."

Now this seemed strange. I was wearing more than I would as a male, and yet it seemed lighter. I guess the fact that female clothes are open in their weave makes them lighter and cooler, or so it seems to me.

After washing and putting away the dishes used, I was back under the lights. This time, reflectors were added. More posing and more light readings. I think I covered almost the entire floor. Dani had me rest, while she started feeding numbers into a computer. There was a column for each light, and at least a dozen rows of numbers.

Dani had me strip to my underwear and put on a white hooded cloak, closing it in the front. We went back to the reflectors, and I, following Dani’s directions, went through my paces again. Now more measurements were taken. Soon we were finished, and I dressed.

"Thanks a lot, that’s a big help," Dani enthused. "Now, most of the work will be done by the computer. Let’s try some poses."

She pretended that she had a camera and almost danced around me, instructing: "Look off to my left and big smile, now off to the right, fold your hands and look demure – a little shy smile, and, now, hands in back and turn head to your right – look off in the distance, as if your lover is coming. Pretend that you’re carrying your schoolbooks home. That’s excellent."

When she said demure, I tried holding my head slightly down and my eyes up, with a slight smile. I hoped it worked! Schoolbooks? Well, that’s a different story. I know girls carry them in front, so I had to imagine holding a bunch of invisible books in front of me, and how I would position my arms. It took a couple of tries before I thought I got it right.

Jan entered the room, along with Amy. "Okay, Dani. Quarter to, and we’re done. All closed upstairs."

Dani turned, asking, "Is it that late? Wow, where did the time go. We had a really good day."

All the lights were shut off, air-conditioner turned off, doors to offices closed and locked, and alarms set. We paired up (I got Nikki!) and checked the building a second time. Soon, the front was locked up and we headed for home. I felt remarkably satisfied with my first day, as I felt I was finally contributing something.

As Jan entered the main road, she asked, "Dani, did you call Gina to let her know we’re on our way?"

"Already done. I called when I was checking my office."

Riding along, I am of the opinion that this person, a "boy" in a "girl’s" dress, is more happier, more satisfied with himself than he was as a "boy." A question arises: If I wear a dress and try to hide the fact that I’m really a boy, am I suppressing some male qualities in me? And if I am and it makes me a better person, then doesn’t that make those qualities something we should suppress or get rid of altogether? As for me, I found wonderful company, with wonderful, LOVING girls (Yes, they are a little old to be called girls.), and if it takes wearing a dress to please them, then, by the Goddess, I’ll wear dresses, bras, panties, petticoats -- even corsets -- till I’m buried in one!

 

The end – maybe for the story, but my dream life goes on. Perhaps it is only in our dreams that life can be perfect, what we want it to be. It is on waking up that we experience the real nightmares!

Annie O

 

 

 

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© 2002 by Ann O'Nonymous. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, compilation design) may printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without express written consent of the copyright holder.