This work is fictitious, and any similarities to
any persons, alive or dead, are purely coincidental. Mention is made of persons in public life only for the purposes
of realism, and for that reason alone.
Certain licence is taken in respect of medical procedures, terms and
conditions, and the author does not claim to be the fount of all knowledge.
The author accepts the right of the individual
to hold his/her (or whatever) own political, religious and social views, and
there is no intention to deliberately offend anyone. If you wish to take offence, that is your problem.
This is only a story, and it contains
adult material, which includes sex and intimate descriptive details pertaining
to genitalia. If this is likely to
offend, then don’t read it.
Unfortunately no politicians were injured or
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3.
I had
nothing to get up for the next morning, so I stayed in bed, and dozed,
luxuriating in my silk nightdress. It
had snowed heavily during the night, and the view from my window was like a
Christmas card, but in late February.
I got a
call from Stewart at ten to say there had been a break-in at the shop. Nothing was taken, but it looked like
someone tampered with the hard drive of the main PC. I immediately knew who it was, Global Technics Ltd.
There was
a need for me to attend, as I had to make a statement that I had locked up, but
I was now worried. Would they try to
find me?
I asked
Stewart to meet me in the café round the corner first. Then I set off. I was in jeans and an old sweater, but was still wearing the
breast enhancers in my bra, and was en femme again.
I met him
and he saw that I was wearing a little make up, and my hair was flowing freely.
He also saw my red-varnished nails and earrings. I saw him frown, but he said
nothing.
He was
about my height, and had very short fair hair, in a crew cut. He was very lazy, and having his hair this
short saved at least three minutes each morning. Like me he was slim, but he had more muscle, although more lithe
than chunky. He was quick and quite
strong, and he had a great sense of humour.
“Stewart. Look, you’ve been a mate for a long time. I have to tell you something,” I said.
“Yeah,
like I don’t know what’s coming?”
I looked
at him.
“Look, you
are the most camp bloke I have ever met.
You are gay, aren’t you?”
I shook my
head.
“No, I’m a
transsexual, and I am going for a sex change.
I had the first little operation yesterday. I am called Josie now.”
Stewart
did a wonderful goldfish impression.
“You are
going to be a girl?”
“No
Stewart. I am a girl, I just need some
corrective surgery to finish the job.”
He stared
at me, and slowly nodded.
“You
certainly look the part. I’m amazed I
never noticed before. Are those your
boobs or what?”
“Some is
me, and some is padding. Soon it will
be all me.”
“Wicked!
You look fucking awesome. Man, this is
weird. Do your folks know?”
“I told them
yesterday.”
“Shit! I told the cops that you were a bloke.”
“Okay,
stay here,” I said. The café had only
one unisex loo, so I simply removed all the feminine stuff, and appeared a few
minutes later as Joe again.
We
returned to the shop, and a bored policeman filled out a pre-printed statement
form saying I had locked the premises up, and given no one permission to enter
over night.
I made a
decision. I told him about the strange visitors, and gave him the spare CD that
I was going to give to the solicitor and the business card. I explained about the man who was shot, and
that I was intending to tell the police later in the day. I did not mention
about the other CD. I wasn’t prepared
to hang onto this any longer. If it
would help, then I was happy to let the Police figure it all out.
The police
left after making me do another statement exhibiting the card and the CD. I immediately went into the back and became
Josie again. I hated being Joe so much.
This time
I put on a pair of warm tights and my denim skirt. I had warm knee length boots on, and when I reappeared, Stewart
whistled.
“Shit,
this is so weird. My mate is a babe!”
I smiled
and blew him a kiss.
My mobile
rang; it was Paul.
“Hi babe,”
he said, and I giggled.
“Hi.”
“What’s so
funny?”
“My mate
Stewart has just called me a babe, and now you have too.”
“Well, you
are.”
“Thanks,
Honey,” I said, in an American accent.
“Can I
come over?”
I
explained about the break-in, and that I had given the CD to the police.
“Well
done. It has to be for the best.”
He arrived
half an hour later, and walked straight up and gave me a hug and a kiss. The kiss went on a while, and made my legs
go weak. Stewart’s eyes popped out, and
I started to giggle.
We broke
off for air, and Stewart was looking at me in a weird way.
“Stewart,
this is my friend Paul, Paul, my old mate Stewart.”
“Hi
Stewart. Are you okay?” Paul said. He
pronounced his name as ‘Stoo-art’, and it sounded strange.
“Ah, not
really. This is totally odd. I mean, a couple of days ago, my mate Joe
was a bloke, and now she’s a girl, who has a boyfriend an all. I can’t take this.”
“I’ve
bought you something,” Paul said, and passed me a box.
It
contained realistic silicone breast forms, which even had large nipples and
aureoles. There was a bottle of
fixative, and removal resin.
“They
actually stick to you, and look like the real thing,” he explained.
I rushed
out the back and within a few minutes had a lovely pair of breasts.
They felt
brilliant, so realistic and the shape was perfect. I gave him a huge hug.
“Mind you,
you shouldn’t need them for that long.”
Stewart
was shaking his head and muttering. The
security fitters arrived and repaired the grill. The burglars had only damaged the locks, and they were easily
replaced.
Paul had
to leave, and promised to call later.
We kissed again, which caused Stewart some more distress.
“Look, I
need to hand in my D&T assignment.
Could you come with me, and I’ll get it out the way?” I said to Stewart.
“You are
going to college looking like that?” Stewart squeaked at me.
“Why not?
It is who I am from now on.”
“This I
have to see,” he said, and we set off together.
We arrived
just before the lunch break, and it was quite quiet. But the few people about stared at me a little. I felt very vulnerable and self-conscious,
believing that everyone would see through me instantly.
“They are
looking at me,” I said.
“Only
because you are a very attractive girl.”
We went up
to Mr Cooper’s room, and I knocked.
“Come.”
I entered
and he looked up from his desk.
“Yes?”
“Assignment,
sir.”
“Put it
down there,” he said, pointing to an empty space on a table by the door.
He was
frowning.
“Remind
me, who are you?”
“Jo
Fortune, Design and Technology, upper sixth.”
“Oh, yes,
of course,” he said, still frowning.
I went to
leave and he called me back.
“I don’t
have any girls in upper sixth. I should certainly remember one as pretty as
you.”
“Yes you
do, just me sir.”
He frowned
and I escaped.
We walked
rapidly away, and rounded a corner.
Coming towards us was a group of guys in my IT class.
“Shit!” I
muttered.
“Stay
cool,” said Stewart.
“Hey
Stewie! Wow, who’s your friend?” said Craig, the tallest geek with the silly
woolly hat.
Stewart
gave him one finger.
“She’s
called Josie, and she is spoken for.”
“Not by
you, you little runt?” Craig asked.
“No, not
that it is any business of yours,” said Stewart.
“Hello,
Josie. You aren’t a student here, by
any chance?”
“Hello
Craig, I see your charm is no better,” I said, and the others sniggered.
“Do I know
you?” he asked, frowning.
“Not
intimately, but lets say our paths have crossed. Bye-bye boys!” I said, and we walked off. They stood staring after us.
“Next term
is going to be very interesting,” said Stewart, ruefully.
We went
back to the shop, and I went into the back room and practised doing my makeup
like my sister. She called and told me
she had accepted the job for me, and was flying out early in the morning.
“Right,
you owe me big time now sis.”
“Okay, Sis,
I’ll make it up to you when I get back.
You never know I may be an engaged lady by then.”
It seems
that the rich American was very interested in her, and my dumb sister was
intelligent enough to recognise a good thing when she saw one. She also had the sexual appetite of a
rampant rabbit.
I left
Stewart at the shop, and went home early.
I found Mum alone, and we had a real heart-to-heart chat. She was slowly coming to terms with me, and
the implications of my change in gender.
I told her I was going out, and was staying with Paul for a bit.
She was
concerned for me, and I jokingly told her I was a big girl, and that at least I
couldn’t get in the family way. She
almost smiled, and I felt awful.
I drove
round to Paul’s, and he opened the door.
He kissed
me, and I felt wanted again.
I called Mike
at the club, and told him I was going to be away for a while. He was good about it, and asked whether I
was going for SRS.
“Not this
time, but soon,” I said.
“We’ll
miss you.”
“Maybe,
but there will always be someone else.”
Paul took
me out to the local pub for supper.
“I’ve been
here a couple of times, its quiet, and they seem a decent bunch,” he told me.
We sat at
a small table by a roaring fire, and had a very nice simple meal. No one gave us a second glance, as we were
just a very ordinary couple, enjoying a meal together.
“You have
no idea how good this makes me feel,” he said.
“What,
being normal?” I asked.
“Yes, just
fitting in. All my life I have felt
different, and odd. For the first time,
I feel like I belong, and that you belong with me.”
“Is that a
proposal?” I joked.
“If you
want it to be?” he said, rather too seriously.
“I didn’t
think we could marry,” I said.
“There was
a case at the European Court of Human Rights, which says we can, but if you
think about it, we could. You would be
legally a male, and I would be legally female.
Legally we could marry.”
“Cool!” I
said, and grinned.
I saw he
looked serious again.
“Hey,
don’t look so serious. I never said
no.”
He smiled.
“A bit
early, eh?
“A
bit. I’m only two days old.”
He
laughed.
“Happy
birthday,” he said, and we chinked glasses.
I noticed
he frowned slightly. I took his hand.
“What’s
up?” I asked.
“Nothing,”
he said, and smiled.
“Liar,” I
said. And he smiled again.
“Maybe you
are right, and we are going too quick.
I just find things so nice with you.”
“But?” I
added.
“But, I’m
not sure I am the right person for you.”
“Or I’m
the right person for you.”
He nodded.
“So, what
do you say we just see where we get to?”
“That
suits me,” he said, and the frown had gone.
We
returned to his little cottage and snuggled together in bed. I was still tender down below, so he didn’t
try anything, but we both enjoyed just being held.
I woke
early, and had a warm bath, letting Paul sleep. I was amazed at the job the doctor had done, it really look the
thing. I tried to make my breasts look
bigger by squashing the flesh together.
They were definitely bigger, and certainly sensitive, for after I had
played with them a bit, they hurt.
I was just
getting out when Paul came in.
“You
should have woken me,” he said.
“Why? You looked so peaceful,” I said, and he
noticed my crotch.
“Jeez. That looks the part.”
“It does,
doesn’t it? But is for show only,” I
said.
“You look
so lovely. So soft and feminine,” he
said, wrapping his arms around me.
“I could
do with a bit more boob.”
“You’ll
get there.”
He helped
me stick on my breast forms, and we ended up kissing and rolling on the
bed. I made a decision then, and as he
promised not to hurt me, it ended up with him sliding into my lubed up ass,
doggie style, and I adored feeling him inside me. He was sufficiently small for it not to be painful, and big
enough to give me pleasure. Neither of us could really achieve orgasm, but the
visual impact in the mirrors and what we could feel and see, seemed to bring us
very close. For both of us the psychological aspects of ‘being’ the genders we
so wanted to be, was ultimately more important than the achievement of an
orgasm.
He was so
gentle, and didn’t touch the sensitive parts, and I just liked feeling him
slide in and out of me. I watched him
in the mirror, and it made me feel like the woman I looked like. I felt a build up of sensations and a burst
of pleasure that I had never experienced before, and screamed out and ground
myself against him. He grinned and screwed
me faster, and I went wild.
We then
showered again together, and I washed his genitals. I was fascinated, as he had a penis, and two spheroids in a
sac. It felt almost like the real
thing.
“I wish
you could come inside me,” I said.
“I do
too. But it is enough just to be inside
you at all.”
“I never
thought I’d let anyone bugger me.”
“I’m not
buggering you, I’m making love to you.”
“I just
love having you inside me. It would be
so cool to have a baby.”
“Well,
this is one couple destined to be childless.”
“We could
adopt,” I said.
He went
quiet.
“I’d love
to be a Dad,” he said, his voice quietly serious.
“You’d be
so good,” I said.
“Lets see
what happens, we may not be together in a few weeks.”
I smiled
and kissed him. I didn’t care, we were
together now, and that was all that mattered.
We had
breakfast and he kissed me and went and logged on to write his latest
article. I went and did a bit of
shopping for my forthcoming trip. I was
looking forward in one respect, but I didn’t want to leave Paul behind. It was nice having someone, and I didn’t
want to be alone again quite so soon.
The
weekend went quickly, and we spent a lot of the time in bed, and finding out
about each other. I didn’t think of
Paul as anything other than a normal guy and he treated me as a normal
girl. I was the happiest I had even
been.
Monday
came, and I dressed in my Lynx Ski rep gear, the cool looking sweater and tight
pants. I wore my long winter boots,
just to show off. The plan was that I had to meet a group of clients at
Gatwick, and see them through to the plane, and then on to Grenoble. We were then coaching it to various
destinations, and I was heading for Risoul in the French Alps.
I had been
skiing since I was about six. My father
had passed on to all four of his children his one passion. It was also one sport at which I excelled. I
was the best of the four of us children.
Paul had a
silly smile on his face, which annoyed me intensely, as I was leaving him for
five weeks, and he didn’t seem to care.
“You look
very smart, Jessica,” he said, and I smiled at his use of my temporary name.
“I wish
you were coming. It won’t be the same
sleeping alone.”
“You will
have a big blonde ski instructor very soon.”
“Yeah, I
wish,” I said.
He drove
me to Gatwick, and I was very quiet. He
was inordinately cheerful, and I even wondered whether he had lined up another
woman.
He dropped
me off, and I kissed him. I watched as
he drove off, and lugged my huge suitcase on wheels into the concourse. The Lynx supervisor was there, and I
reported to her. She was quite a tall good-looking woman, in her thirties.
“Hi, I’m
Jessica Fortune.”
“Hello
Jessica. I’m Miranda Scott. You are nice and early.”
“Well,
with the M25, it is better to be safe than sorry.”
“Quite. Have you worked with us before?”
“Not on
the Winter Holiday side,” I said, quite truthfully!
She went
through everything that Jezzy had, and I was able to ask the right questions.
“Okay, if
you can gather your Risoul customers together this end, it will save time at
the other end. The first thing is to
make sure everyone has a passport. It
is quite amazing how many forget it.”
She gave
me a list, and several brown envelopes for each individual, family or group.
I checked
in my stuff first, and then I stood there, by the check in, and waited.
I looked
down the list, and saw I had about forty people to deal with. There would be another rep in Risoul to meet
the plane, and probably another one was flying home, which was why I was here.
One by one
the holiday makers arrived and checked in with me. I checked them off the list,
gave the envelopes to them, checked they had passports and tickets, and
directed them to the check in.
“Excuse
me, Miss, is this the line for Risoul?” said a familiar North American twang.
I turned
round. It was Paul, grinning inanely at
me.
There were
several other clients also queuing behind him, so I couldn’t hit him.
“Yes sir.
Do you have your passport?” I said, through clenched teeth. There was so much I wanted to say to him.
He waved
it at me.
“And your
name, this time?” I asked.
“Paul
Gardner. Without the E in the middle.”
I found
his name on the list. P Gardener. That was why I hadn’t twigged.
“You look
so fuckable in that uniform,” he said in my ear. It sent shivers of expectant pleasure down my spine.
“Here is
your envelope, please go and check-in your luggage.”
He took
the envelope, and kissed me on the cheek.
“I love
you, Jessica,” he whispered, and I grinned, I couldn’t stay angry for long.
Eventually
all the passengers were checked in, none missing, and all had passports. I said goodbye to Miranda, and went through
to wait for the plane. I felt I was
walking on air. Paul was sitting by
himself, and I sat next to him.
“So, when
did you arrange this?” I asked.
“As soon
as I found out what you were doing. I
was planning to do a piece on a ski resort in any case, you simply helped out
where and when.”
“You are
an utter bastard. You knew how
miserable I was at leaving you behind.”
“Yeah, but
think how happy you are now. Wasn’t it
worth it?”
I just
smiled. One of my clients, Mr Hoskins,
came over to me.
“Excuse
me, Miss, but can I ask you some questions?”
“Yes Mr
Hoskins, and please call me Jessica.”
He then
went off about ski school, ski passes, coach trips and child minding
facilities. I answered him as best I
could, and he wandered off apparently satisfied.
Just
before the flight was called, my mobile rang.
It was Stewart.
“Josie,
I’ve had the police here. They want to
speak to you.”
“What
about?”
“I don’t
know. It was a detective chief
something, from special branch.”
“Shit! What did you tell them?”
“I didn’t
know where the hell you were.”
“Good,
lets keep it that way!”
“What
happens if they come back?”
“Then you
still don’t know where I am.”
“But I
don’t!”
“All the
better for you,” I said, and switched the phone off.
There was
a full flight, as other tour operators were also heading the same way. I had a chat with the Thomson reps, and
found that all were very similar.
The flight
wasn’t that long, and I managed to get everyone there without losing
anyone. Paul and I couldn’t sit
together, which perhaps was a good thing.
No good getting the tongues wagging this early.
There was
another rep waiting as planned, he was called Miles, and he was a nice boy, but
as gay as they come. We gathered our
coach load together, and boarded our coach.
Once
everyone was in, and the driver had closed the luggage compartments, Miles took
the microphone.
“Ladies
and Gentlemen. Welcome to Grenoble, the
coach trip will take nearly three hours, but there is some wonderful scenery on
the way. My name is Miles, and together
with the delectable Jessica, whom you already know, we will be your reps for
your Lynx holiday.
“Jessica
has already given you your information booklet and details of extra activities,
and I’m sure you will have an opportunity to read them before the welcome
meeting this evening. We will be having
a pit stop in about an hour and a half, so you can stretch your legs and get some
fresh air then. We have a DVD in the
coach, and we hope you enjoy the show.”
I stowed
my Lynx ski jacket in the overhead rack, and sat next to Miles.
“So,
Jessica, ever been skiing before?” Miles asked.
“Yes. Quite a bit, actually.”
“Oh, what
standard?”
“Advanced.”
“Really,
ooh, lucky you, there are some real hunky advanced ski instructors.”
“I won’t
need any instruction, thanks.”
“How’s
your French?”
“Almost
fluent, how’s yours?”
“Oh, well,
pardon me for breathing. They said you
were new.”
“New to
Lynx, but not to skiing or France,” I said.
He
grinned.
“Then we
should have fun. Thank God I don’t have
to teach you everything. I was dreading
having a real new-bod on my hands.”
I sat back
and relaxed.
“Miles, I
may need some help, but not much.”
The
scenery was spectacular, and as we climbed into the Alps, the snow was there in
abundance.
“What is
the reps’ accommodation like?” I asked.
“Okay. You are in the apartments by the main tow, I
think. You will be sharing with
Debbie.”
“What’s
she like?”
“You won’t
see much of her, she spends most nights with her boyfriend, Jean-Claude.”
“Oh yes, a
ski instructor?”
“Of
course.”
“How about
you Miles, have you got lucky?”
He
grinned.
“Oh yes,
lets say, there is something for everyone.”
“Is he
nice?”
“Is it
that obvious?” he asked.
“Miles, it
couldn’t be more obvious even if you had a placard around you neck.”
He smiled,
and made an effeminate wrist movement just to prove the point.
We climbed
slowly up into the mountains, the twisty roads sometimes on the edge of sheer
drops. The scenery simply went from
wonderful to superb.
Finally,
we arrived in the small purpose built resort of Risoul. With its circular shape, and the chair lifts
and tows that came right into the centre of the resort. A large car park slap bang in the middle
displayed how it was equally accessible to the day visitor, as much as the
resident guests. All the architecture
was wooden and with the typical Alpine roofs.
I loved the whole atmosphere, and smiled as I looked out on my new home.
The
punters were dropped off at their hotels or apartments. Surprise, surprise, Paul was in the same
block as me. Only he had taken a luxury
apartment, whereas I had to share a basic one.
There was a welcoming meeting for all Lynx clients in a central
restaurant at 8 pm, and as it was 6 pm now, it gave me enough time to find my
apartment and find Paul.
Debbie was
in, stark naked, but in. She waved at
me, and started to get dressed.
“Hi, you
must be Jessica, I’m Debbie. I’m just
out, don’t worry about me, I’ve a friend I stay with.”
“You mean
Jean-Claude?”
“That
bastard Miles. He can be such a bitch,”
she said, and I laughed.
“As it
happens, I may not be here a lot, either,” I said.
“Already? Shit, that was bloody quick!” There was a
hint of admiration in her voice.
I just
smiled.
“Look we
have to be at the bloody meeting at eight.
I may be late, if I am, don’t let Miles fob you off with anything
extra.”
“Okay.”
She was
like a whirlwind, and before my eyes, was dressed, made up and gone in a flash.
I dumped
my case and went looking for Paul.
He
answered his door very quickly.
“Hello
you,.” he said, and kissed me.
“Mm, that
was nice.”
I looked
round his apartment. Compared to mine it was huge.
“Well, are
you moving up?”
Ten
minutes later, my case was in ‘our’ room, and I was hanging my stuff up in the
wardrobe. He watched me with a smile on
his face.
“You are
so much a girl. I mean, look at the
amount of clothes you’ve brought. I
never owned a quarter of what you have, in my life.”
“And what
do you do to girls?” I asked.
He kissed
me and slipped my pants down.
I pushed
him onto the bed and stripped his trousers and boxers off.
I stripped
off, and knelt astride him. We had a fondling session, and I felt him rubbing
some KY up my ass. I grinned.
What do
you want?” I asked.
“You.”
Then I
felt him slip up into my tight little ass.
“Mmm, I
have wanted you inside me all day,” I
said, as his dick hit my G spot, and I was away.
The
meeting was very dull, but it gave me an insight as to what was expected of
me. I had to help with the boots, skis
and passes, and then to assist with ski school allocation. Then I had days when I had to be available
in the Lynx office, and specific times to be in various apartment blocks or
hotels.
For the
more advanced skiers, we had days for ski trips across the pass to the
neighbouring resort. Andy, one of our
better skiers was the ‘Ranger’ for this.
I thought I’d be up to help on that one.
There were
six reps in the resort, and we managed to spread the load evenly. Apart from Debbie and Miles, there was Andy,
the randy Scotsman, who fancied himself rotten, and always ended up bedding
sixteen year olds. And finally, there
was Cathy and Sue, whom I was almost positive were lesbians. They did everything together, even their
duty time. They didn’t ski, and as I
came to know them, I realised my early assessment was entirely correct.
The next
morning, I was up early, and dressed in my very sexy ski suit, with the Lynx
logo.
Paul and I
had breakfast together, and then I went off to sort out the idiots.
By ten
they were all sorted, my French was a little rusty, but after a while it came
flooding back, and I was almost fluent again.
Miles looked rather jealous at me, and I was free for the rest of the
day. As a new-bod, I was to observe for
the first week, and just shadow the others, Miles in particular, as he was my
buddy, and the guy I would work with.
I met Paul
at the bottom of the chair lift.
“Hi, you
look very professional,” I said.
He
grinned.
“Look is
all. I have been skiing once before,
and that was years ago, in my previous life.”
“Why not
join a ski school?”
“I’d
rather ski with you?”
“You are
hopeless. Come on, let’s try you on the
nursery slopes first.”
We spent a
hilarious morning, with him on his bum more than upright.
He got
steadily better, and so after a quick lunch, we headed up the first tow.
By the end
of the day, he managed to slip and snowplough his way down a blue run. It was fun, as I didn’t want to leap
straight into the red and black runs on my first day anyway.
As the
days progressed, I got fitter, and more tanned, and Paul got better at
skiing. Nearly all the ski instructors,
and a lot of the single blokes, made passes at me, and I smiled as I turned
them all down. I discovered that Paul was booked in for the duration, and after
the first week, it became well known that we were a couple.
In the
end, I forced him to join a ski school, so he could write about it in his
piece, if nothing else. I took the
opportunity to join the ski tour, and took up the rear as our party made its
way across the Alps.
I was able
to ski at my pace, and at a level I felt was challenging me. As I swished down a red run to the small
café in the middle section, Andy was waiting at the bottom. The punters had all gone for a break.
“You
really ski well,” he said, perfect white teeth flashing.
“Thanks,
you manage pretty good yourself,” I said, as I kicked myself out of the
bindings.
“This guy
you are seeing. How serious is it?” he
asked.
Now, don’t
get me wrong, Andy was very good looking, a dream skier and probably wonderful
in bed, and to cap it all I was flattered that he was interested in me. However, he wasn’t my type. I wasn’t sure what was, as Paul and I were a
couple of misfits who got together because of loneliness and
circumstances. I think deep down we
cared deeply about each other, and all Andy was after was a quick fuck.
“Put it
this way, we have discussed children,” I said, quite truthfully.
“Oh, so no
chance of a quick, je ne sais quoi?”
“Absolument
pas. You over-sexed Scotsman you,” I said, and he grinned good naturedly.
“Ah well,
one can but ask,” he said, and bought me a mulled wine instead.
Life was
really good. I enjoyed the job, and was
pretty good at it. My personality as
Josie, or in this place, Jessica, was totally different to what I had been like
as Joe.
I found I
had time for people, and patience with their problems. Miles was okay, but he had no time for
people. In the end I was given more
work, as people would deliberately wait for my duty time to come with their
problems.
Occasionally
we six would have little meetings to discuss tactics, and as each week ended,
we would take it in turns to take the 3 hour coach trip to the airport, to
bring the new lot back, on the 3 hour coach trip.
Debbie definitely
did not pull her weight, and Miles was very frustrated with her. Miles was supposed to be the supervisor, but
he was pretty useless. He was too weak,
and everyone walked all over him. He
tried pushing me about, and I found him too easy to bully. I took him aside and had a long talk with
him.
As with
lots of travel companies, the staff were not well trained, and we all were
dumped into the deep end and allowed to struggle on. I offered my help to Miles, so that we would get organised a bit
better. I devised proper paper
schedules, which were given to everyone so they knew what was expected of them
in advance. If they wanted to swap,
that was up to them. Debbie tried to
buck the system, and failed, as everyone was fed up with her doing bugger all.
After
three weeks, Debbie and Miles were due to fly home, and that left Cathy, Sue,
Andy and me left. I went with the
coach, along with Debbie and Miles, who were not even speaking at this stage.
It was a
gruesome journey, as it started snowing as soon as we left, and Miles was in a
hump as he was leaving his new boyfriend.
We arrived
at Grenoble to find the incoming plane was delayed by fog at Gatwick, and was
going to be two hours late. That meant
that I would not be back for supper. I
called Paul and told him the good news.
As I sat
and waited, trying to calm the passengers down, I reflected on my life to date.
Here I
was, for the first time ever, totally at ease with who I was. I was in loving relationship with a lovely
man, and we gave each other what we both needed at the moment. Whether this was to last, time would tell,
but I wasn’t really bothered.
The
passengers were all checked in, and I said goodbye to Miles and Debbie, and was
by myself again. I went out into the
town and found a little café. I sat in
the warmth and ordered a hot chocolate.
It was
snowing quite hard, and I prayed the plane could land.
“Excuse
me, is this seat taken?” someone asked in French
I looked
up, and found myself looking at a very dishy French bloke, nearer my age.
I waved
vaguely at the seat he wanted, and he smiled and sat down.
“You are
English?” he asked, in English.
“Oui, je
suis anglaise.”
“You speak
good French.”
“You speak
good English.”
“My name
is Thierry.”
“Jessica.”
We shook
hands, very Gallic.
“You work
for the ski company, yes?”
I smiled,
as I was in the uniform.
“Funny you
should guess that,” I said and he laughed.
“So, you
always do this?”
“I’m a
student, but need some cash.”
“Same as
me. I am studying architecture.”
“Cool, I’m
doing IT, design and technology.”
“That is
unusual for a pretty girl.”
“I am an
unusual girl,” I said.
“You have
a boyfriend?”
“Yes, do
you?”
He laughed
at this.
“No, and I
have no girl friend at the moment. Is
your boy in England?”
I smiled,
boy, was he transparent or what?
“No, he is
in France with me.”
“In
Grenoble?”
“No, in
Risoul.”
“So, you
are alone for the moment.”
“For the
moment.”
He smiled.
“I buy you
another chocolate?”
“If you
insist.”
He waved
at the waitress, and she came over with another chocolate and a coffee for him.
“Do you
live in Grenoble?” I asked.
“Yes. It is nice. Yes?”
“I don’t
know, I’ve only seen the airport and this café.”
“You wait
for more tourists?”
“Yes, but
the plane is late. It won’t land for
another two hours.”
“Then I
show you my town.”
I
shrugged, as it was the best offer I had had so far.
“Okay.”
Thierry
was a nice lad, and he took me straight home to show me off to his younger
sister and brother. His mother was a
wan creature, who looked tired, and seemed vaguely pleased to see me. I wondered how many stray English girls he
had brought home.
We walked
through the old town, and it was very pretty.
He bought
me some pastries at a little shop, and we threw snowballs at each other in a
small square.
Eventually,
the two hours gone he returned me to the airport as the plane landed.
He shook
my hand very solemnly.
“Thank you
for a nice day. You are very nice, it
is a pity you have a boyfriend,” he said, and I had to laugh.
I kissed
his cheek.
“Bye
Thierry, thanks for showing me your home town.”
“De rien.”
I walked
into airport, and he was just standing there.
I was actually very pleased that I managed that all by myself. It was
funny how little everyday things gave me such a buzz.
I met the
off loading passengers, all looking weary and fed up. I tried to be cheerful, but was secretly worried that the roads
would be impassable.
Suddenly
there was Miranda Scott, our direct boss.
“Jessica,
how are you getting along?”
“Fine
thanks,” I said.
“I’ve just
had a word with Miles, he was full of your praises. It seems you are a natural.”
“That was
nice of him.”
Further
discussion was hampered by the arrival of passengers and their luggage.
Another
girl, Kelly, appeared, and Miranda introduced us.
“Kelly has
just started with us, so look after her.”
I gathered
all the folk onto the coach, and gave them my welcome spiel.
I was keen
to get started as soon as possible.
Georges,
the driver, was as worried as me, and he really raced along the clear roads on
the flat. As we started climbing, it
was apparent that the snowploughs had been out, and the roads were not too bad,
but it was getting late, and we were not yet half way.
As it
happened, it was the last half-mile which was the worst, but we managed it,
just. It was after 9 pm, and everyone was tired and fed up.
We dropped
everyone off, and postponed the welcome talk to 08:00 the following
morning. I went home and found Paul had
bought some lovely pizzas, and had some red wine open and ready for me. With Debbie gone, Kelly was supposed to be
sharing with me, so she found herself in an apartment on her own. I invited her round to share the pizza, and
wine. Paul was fine, as he had ordered
too much as usual.
With
Miranda here for two weeks, all slack practices went by the board, and we
worked properly for a change. I for one
appreciated it, and actually liked working in a team that worked well together.
Miranda
noticed that I did not stay in my apartment, and drew me aside. When she realised that my boyfriend was a
travel journalist doing a piece on the ski business, she got a shrewd look in
her eyes.
“He has
promised to give us a terrific plug,” I said, cashing in on my advantage.
“Okay, but
keep this as discrete as possible,” she had said, and that was the end of the
matter.
Cathy and
Sue, however, came in for a really hard time after she caught them snogging in
a hotel reception area. It was only
that we were short handed anyway that prevented her from sacking them on the
spot. But they were left in no doubt as
to what was expected of them in the future.
Miranda
took two days to find a slightly more mature member of the ski patrol called
Robert, and Paul and I ended up going out with them as two couples for most
evenings. Paul’s French was very good,
with his Canadian accent, everyone thought he was French Canadian, which he
found even slightly less insulting than being thought of as an American.
As my time
in Risoul was drawing to a close, I felt really sad, and Miranda tried to
persuade me to stay on as supervisor.
She wrote some glowing reports about me, that I was acutely
embarrassed. In fact as she went on and
on about how wonderful I was, I had a word with Paul, and he told me to be open
and honest with her.
On our
last evening, we four returned to Paul’s apartment for nightcaps, and I took
Miranda aside.
“Look,
Miranda, I have to be honest with you.
I’m not Jessica Fortune. She is
my twin sister. I’m Josie. But she really needed to be somewhere else,
and she asked me to fill in for her. I
didn’t want her to lose out, but equally, you need to know the truth. And I am not prepared to be dishonest about
what I’ve done.”
I waited
for the explosion, but it never came.
I frowned,
and saw she was smiling at me.
“I knew
you weren’t Jessica. I have worked with
her once in Greece, and she is a nice girl.
In fact, you are so like her, that when you first came up to me I
thought you were she, but when you didn’t recognise me, I knew you were pulling
a flanker, but couldn’t work out what. I was determined to leave it to see how
you got on, and I have to be honest, you are ten times better at this than your
sister, even though she is good.
“So, I
waited, and if you managed to get back to Britain without saying anything, I
would instigate an investigation, but as you have been honest, I will be honest
with you. I like you, Josie, is
it? I think you have everything it
takes to get on in this business. And I
would love it if you came to work with me full time.”
I was
stunned. It is not often I am ever lost
for words, but this time I was.
“What can
I say?” was all I could manage.
“Say yes,
and stay on. I’d like you to think
about it seriously, as I think you’d make a very good supervisor.”
“I can’t. I have commitments. I have studies and a business I am involved
in.”
“You are a
complicated girl. If I recall, your
sister is rather more basic.”
“Jezzy is
your average dumb blonde,” I said, and we both grinned.
“And you
are not?”
“Most
definitely not,” I said.
“Look, I
understand, and I admire loyalty. I
also admire honesty and you have bags of both.
Finish your studies, wind up you business and then call me. I really want you as one of my
supervisors. You speak good French, you
handle people wonderfully, and you ski like a dream. Please Josie, I really mean this.”
“I’d like
to. Really I would, as I have so
enjoyed my time here. Can I call you in
the summer?”
“Please
do. I will wait twelve months. Think about it, you could take a year out
before university, and work for me for as much of it as you like. Then, if you decide against further
education, stay on. I can promise you a
fun career.”
“Thanks,
and I am so sorry about not being my sister.”
“Listen,
you have made a real impact on the clients, I have so many letters about you,
you wouldn’t believe it.”
“Will
Jessica get into trouble?”
“She and I
will have a little talk. But no, she
won’t. In her way she is as good, but
not so dynamic as her sister.”
Later I
told Paul about our conversation, and he chuckled.
“Just as
well you weren’t completely honest.”
I frowned.
“What
about?”
“About
being a boy, and all the rest.”
For a very
short time, I had genuinely forgotten, and it all came back in a rush.
“Bloody
hell. I’d got so into role, I had almost completely forgotten.” I said.
“Are you
serious?” he asked, aghast.
“Mmm.
Seriously, I had forgotten. Isn’t that
weird?”
“So, what
happens when you get back?” he asked.
“I don’t
know. One thing at a time.”
“What
about us?”
“What
about us?”
“Now you
have stretched your wings, have we a future?”
I looked
at this kind and gentle man, without whom I would still be stuck in a very
uncertain rut.
“You have
to ask?” I asked.
“I need to
ask. I have watched a butterfly appear,
and I feel very uncertain which way she may fly.”
I stroked
his head. I had grown to love him, in a
real way. He was my rock, and I
couldn’t imagine how my life up to now would have been without him.
“Paul, I
love you, and you’ve made all the difference for me so far. Does that answer your question?”
To
my surprise he started to cry, and we simply held each other all night.