The bar was only half full by this time. Janet and Zoe had a break whilst I cleared the tables and wiped to table tops. With not so many people standing in the bar and interrupting the lines of sight, I get to see my reflection in the many mirrors that fill the alcoves. I can’t get over how long and slender my legs look, and it’s hard to believe that the pretty face my sister had painted over mine is actually my face… and I’m really liking the little sparkly glints from my dangly earrings. I deliver a tray full of empties to Rebecca behind the bar. “What?” I ask of her beaming grin.
“Nothing.” she grinned.
“Go on.” I prompted.
I could feel myself blushing when she said that she’s been watching me glancing at my reflection at every opportunity. “You fancy yourself don’t you.” she said.
“Erm… well… I look pretty hot!” I bashfully replied. “Does that make me sound vane?”
“Not under the circumstances.” she said. “Janet’s done an excellent job on you.”
“She has.” I agreed. I described how my sister got me dressed then began working on my hair and make-up. Janet wouldn’t let me see myself for ages and when she did let me in front of her mirror, I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. “All I could see was a girl and behind all her make-up I could just about see me.”
“I get the feeling this isn’t going to be the last time you dress up as a girl.”
“Oh I dunno.” I honestly replied.
“What’s that?” my sister asked as she appeared behind the bar.
“Errr…. Rebecca thinks this isn’t the last time I’m going to dress as a girl.”
“I certainly hope not!” my sister grinned. “This has opened the door for a whole new brother/sister relationship between us.” she said.
“Now I’m getting worried.” I grimaced. “And I can’t see Mum and Dad being too happy if you start giving me regular make-overs.”
“What you on about Peter?… Dad’s been cross-dressing for years!”
“You’re kidding!”
“Surely you knew?” she asked. “He always has echoes of eye-liner on a Sunday!”
“Does he?”
“Derr… yeah…!”
I gulped. Surely not, I thought. Rebecca suggested that me being a boy, I probably wouldn’t notice the left over traces of make-up like a girl would. Janet said she was probably right. “Does Dad know that you know?” I asked.
“I think so… but we haven’t talked about it.” Janet replied. “Mum knows I know and I expect she’s told him…” she added. “…so you’ve no worries about Mum and Dad.” she claimed.
“I’m still not sure if I want to dress up again.” I glumly said.
“Peter… of course you do… otherwise you wouldn’t have let me pierce your ears.” my sister stated. “In fact you wouldn’t have done any of this.”
“I think Janet’s right Peter.” Rebecca said. “There’s a girl in you that’s desperate to get out.”
I gulped. My head was full of so many thoughts. I can’t deny that the prospect of dressing as a girl didn’t engage me, and the reality of my make-over wasn’t exciting. Dancing on the podium in front of dozens of onlookers and photographers was really scary yet strangely thrilling and the reality of being a scantily clad girl in a bar filled with boisterous blokes was enlightening as much as it was intimidating. “Oh I dunno.” I said. “Can I just get through today before I start thinking about tomorrow?”
“Course.” my sister smiled. “Come on we’d best get back to work.” she said. We cleared the tables together and chatted. “You do realise Mum and Dad will be in when we get back?” Janet asked. “and we don’t have a change of clothes.” she reminded me.
I bit my lip. First I thought about them seeing me dressed like this. Then I wondered if my dad might be dressed up too… that would be weird. “You don’t think Dad’ll be dressed up do you?”
“Nah… he hides it pretty well.” my sister claimed. “I think that goes on when he goes to bed early… and when they have their weekends away.” she said.
“When we used to stay at grannies?” I asked. Janet nodded. I still can’t believe any of this but a lot of things seem to be slotting into place. “Blimey.” I said.
“I honestly though you’d noticed.”
“Nah.” I replied. “I’m going with Rebecca’s theory… I’m just a boy and therefore not programmed to detect invisible traces of make-up.”
“You’re more than just a boy Peter.” Janet said. “You can be anything you want to be; boy, girl, tom-boy.”
“Lady boy.” I sarcastically added.
Janet smirked. I grinned. “We could have a house full of women.” she suggested.
I gulped and wiped the table as I considered the prospect of a family of trannies. “Even if your right about dad…” I said. “…I’m still dreading facing him like this.”
“It’ll be fine… and it’s all my doing remember.” Janet assured me.
“Yeah I guess.” I said. “I’m tempted to send a text to warn them.”
“I’m tempted to send a photo!” Janet suggested.
“No please! No photographs.” I insisted.
“Why not?” Janet quizzed. “We’ll be in the paper on Wednesday.” she said. “Mike managed to blag a double page spread, which is why that photographer was here.”
“Blimey I’d clean forgotten about that!” I sighed.
Janet smiled. In fact she didn’t stop smiling.
