JANICES SUMMER

With summer passing I thought I'd recount what had happened to me this summer. It was a summer of revelation, which was both scary and exhilarating. Firstly let me tell you that I'm 22 and I started with my present employer when I left University last year. I've been dressing when I got the chance for some time, and as I'm only 5'4" and 8 stone I don't think I look too extreme. Now I have a decent job I can afford my own place and am able to spend more time dressed around the house. Anyway I've always tried to be discreet and hoped that nobody would take too much notice. In July we completed a major part of a big contract, despite the timescales being tight (unrealistically so) we worked all hours necessary and got the job done. The project manager was pleased and after the wash up meeting for the stage he said that although there'd be a bonus - we should have a long weekend to make up for some of the extra time. So the team had the Monday & Friday off.   On the Thursday evening I got out the dep cream and soon my body, legs and arms were hairless. Lounging in a satin nightie and then bed followed a long soak in a scented bath. In the morning I lounged about a bit again, painted my nails (fingers and toes) - no hurry and then dressed. I'd chosen a pretty light blue lace bra and pants set with a full and floaty petticoat, lemon coloured (layers of chiffon edged in lace). Over this went a white circular poly-cotton skirt and a white georgette blouse. The outfit was completed with a necklace and a couple of bracelets, a pair of black high heel sandelised shoes and a cardigan. Checking the coast was clear I walked out to the car and drove off for a run. I drove off to a near(ish) beauty spot and was lucky that there was nobody else there. I was glad to stop as the temperature gauge on my old car started to zoom up so it gave the old girl time to cool. Fortunately the area was deserted so I took the chance to get out and have a walk around in the fresh air. It was terrific simply walking, feeling the skirt & petticoats move. I' brought some sandwiches and a flask so I sat on a nearby bench and had a little picnic. However, soon it was time to head back. I got into the car and turned on the engine, almost straight away the temperature went up and there was steam everywhere. I opened the bonnet and water was spraying out of one of the hoses. I was now ready to panic. I wasn't in the RAC/AA and besides well I was in a skirt. Eventually I phoned Lorna. Lorna was friend and also a member of the team so would be off for the day and she had gone on about how she had done a car maintenance course. I briefly explained the problem with the car and asked if she could help.   Fortunately she thought replacing the hose wouldn't be a problem and she'd be straight out. I did suggest that she try not to be too shocked when she saw me, which probably raised her curiosity...

Transgender Life   About twenty minutes later her car arrived. She had brought Sarah. While Lorna was someone I'd call a friend; Sarah was more an acquaintance and had a reputation as the team gossip. Well, both of them, their jaws dropped, they looked at me and then at each other, then they grinned and giggled. Once they'd settled down there were questions, you know - how long had I been doing this, was I gay etc. Then Lorna decided it was time to get the replacement hose and did I want to go with her, not really. The idea of standing in Halfords in my skirt didn't appeal. So off she went leaving me with Sarah. Too pass the time a bit we walked a little way down towards a nearby stream. Sarah stopped for a moment and when I turned Sarah she had taken out of her bag a small camera and took a couple of photos. I wasn't amused and went off in a bit of a huff back to the car. She came after me and we ended up sitting on the bench near the car chatting.   I let her take another picture and then went to stand up. Unfortunately I missed my footing in the heels and promptly fell back over the corner of the bench. As I fell I ended up with the front of my skirt and petticoats up around my waist and my blouse unbuttoned and open. So there I lay, one leg on the bench, one on the ground exposed up to the waist and blouse wide open, displaying my bra and pants set to the world. Sarah laughed and there were a couple of clicks. I struggled to my feet and managed to fasten myself up again. I saw the funny side and soon we were both laughing. Soon Lorna returned with the new hose and a couple of old squash bottles of water. We fitted the hose and filled up the radiator. Lorna said I did realise that there was a price to pay, and that was I had to have a day out with her and Sarah the next day and also on Sunday? Not only was I to join them, I was to be dressed in a skirt or dress. I wasn't too keen but they both laughed and said it would be fun and I'd have some company. Well we drove back to my place and the girls managed to park a couple of houses away, making me walk back to my own house. I was going to run so as not to be exposed to the neighbours for too long, but its not easy in high heels! When we got in I made tea for us and we went to sit in the garden. When I went back in for some biscuits Lorna followed me in and pointed out the state of my skirt and blouse which had now acquired some grubby marks as a consequence of falling over. Somehow she seemed to take charge and had me strip down to my bra and pants and then sent me off to change. So I returned to the garden in a pretty cotton floral summer dress. When they left they reminded me that I was expected around at Lorna's the next day suitably attired.   I felt drained. The day had been full of panic and stress and the next day was going to be the same. I spent not too great a night worrying what lay ahead. In the morning I was up and dressed fairly early. I'd chosen a nice cotton skirt and white blouse. I sat by the back door with a cup of tea trying to relax. Lorna called to check that I hadn't forgot and she said I should try and get around to her place for oneish and have some lunch. So at around half twelve I checked that there wasn't anyone around and made my way out to the car. It didn't take long to get to Lornas' place. Sarah was already there and soon we sat down to some salad and a chat. Somehow it wasn't quite so stressful as I'd imagined. After lunch we had a trip out to the shops, a new experience for me, followed by tea in a cafe. Later it was back to Lornas for a rest. After some sandwiches we went out again this time to the cinema then a curry. It was nearly midnight by the time I eventually got home. On the Sunday the girls called for me just before twelve and we went off to a nice fairly secluded pub for a pub lunch. Despite it being fairly busy nobody seemed to take any notice of me. Presumably we looked just like three girls out for lunch. Anyway that was the main events of the weekend. On the Tuesday it was back to work. There was the usual banter about the weekend, good weekend? Do anything? Did you watch etc. It wasn't until Sarah produced the photos she'd taken over the weekend that my heart sank. There in technicolour me in skirts, me in dresses even a couple showing me in bra and pants (when I fell over and when I got changed at home).   Well what do you say, all I could do was brazen it out, take the jokes etc. Sarah at some stage scanned several of the photos and at lunch time we loaded MS Scenes on my machine, and created a gallery of my pictures to use as a screen saver and as a desktop image. On the Wednesday evening I went out with Lorna, Sarah and Jenny (one of the others) for a meal. Somehow the previous day's revelations were like a weight lifted and it didn't worry me going along in a skirt and top. It was an enjoyable evening. At the end Lorna told me she had a treat for me for Friday and after work she'd pick me up, I should wear something nice but not too constraining - intriguing...

Transgender Life   When Friday came I was ready at five in a cotton print dress with a fluffy chiffon & lace petticoat. We drove down to the local shopping area, not the town centre. It was hardly worth the drive as it was only about half a mile away. Lorna led me into the hairdressers (sorry salon). She introduced me to the hairdresser Sylvia (or should that be stylist), hardly necessary as she lived at the end of my street. She sat me down and tried to put the cover around me and decided that the neckline of my dress was in the way so could I nip behind the screen and remove my dress. I was given a nylon robe, which came down to mid thigh. So there I say in the chair with petticoats on display while Sylvia started messing with my hair. She wetted it, cut it and covered it with various lotions and potions while her trainee gave me a manicure and pedicure. It wa,s I must admit, great to be so pampered. I asked what she was doing with my hair and she said that Lorna had asked her to style it a little, lighten the colour a little and put in a few highlights. While I was resting, recovering from this she told me to look to the left and when I did so - ouch, my ear!. Then she pierced the left one. By the time I was ready to leave I'd had a manicure, pedicure ears pierced and eyebrows shaped and dyed. I put on my dress again and was at long last allowed to see what she'd done. My brown hair was now a lot lighter with blonde streaks and shaped in a sort of bob style coming in in a big curl at the bottom with a prominent fringe. The bobbed hair hung away from my ears, which allowed the black studs to be easily visible. My eyebrows were a lot darker and thinner, arched like a girl and my fingers and toes now had vibrant red polish. Lorna was pleased with the results and, if I have to admit it, I wasn't too upset either. She had me make another appointment for a couple of weeks. We went out for a meal and I felt really confident.   The hair was a bit embarrassing on Monday but they'd already seen the photos and my screensaver (and Sarah's) so this wasn't as awful as it could have been. At the start of the following week Lorna told me that Sylvia had had to cancel the Friday booking and moved it to Thursday evening. So on the Thursday I made my way to the salon to have my hair done again. By the time I left qmy hair was almost blonde and had curls around the bottom helping it have extra body. I had another manicure and pedicure plus my legs waxed (ouch!). Lorna called for me first thing on Friday. Being an early riser I was sitting in a skirt and blouse wondering what to do with my hair for work. I enjoyed getting up early, particularly in the summer, when I could sit in a dress or skirt for a while before getting changed and going to work. It was Lorna who organised me. Previously I'd bought a three-piece suit from a catalogue, jacket skirt and trousers; she brought out the jacket and trousers. So I ended up sitting in my ladies trousers (back zip) with a white teashirt on over a white lace bra and pants set (no falsies though), stockings and suspenders. She brushed my hair for me, attacked it with spray and finished off with a black hair band. I put on my jacket, a pair of flattish shoes and a pair of earrings and we were off. When we got to the office she gave me a quick spray of perfume and escorted me in.   Well that's it. I haven't actually gone to work in a skirt or dress but it's not far off it. As some of the others say I might as well be wearing a dress. It was a bit touchy at times, but things seem to be settling down. Relationships may have changed, but we still seem to be working as a team. 

Janice