32 TV FICTION CLASSICS "Karen, I like his drive. He's got a very interesting idea that may get me through a pinch."

Then she turned to Alan and with a kind of patronizing look added, "But just fitting your mother's uniform is not quite enough. You'd have to literally pretend to be a female while at work. I mean, there is a lot of effort that you men don't realize we women go through to look nice. I doubt that you'd be willing to put up with that just to get a job for a few weeks." Alan could almost feel that first pay check in his hands.

"I've been sleeping on rollers for over a week, I'm sure that my mother can help me get through whatever it takes,” he replied with a growing air of confidence in his voice.

"Really. Well, I don't know...Karen, you're my new assistant. You know this job candidate better than anyone. Do you think that Alan would REALLY go through with this?" Mrs. Richardson said with an exaggerated emphasis on the word REALLY.

She made it appear that Alan wouldn't really be up to such a challenge. Alan looked at his mother who appeared a little flustered at the situation she was in. Finally, she asked her boss, "Excuse me, Mrs. Richardson, but may I have a few words with our 'candidate' in private before I give you my decision?"

"Why certainly Karen! I'll just help myself to a slice of that delicious honeycake I saw in the kitchen." Amanda left the room and mother came closer to me so that she could whisper.

"Alan, are you crazy? Do you think you can just one day become a girl to get a job?"

"Mom??" He pleaded like a kid trying to talk his parents into buying some expensive new gimmicky toy. "I need a job! I want to be able to take Cindy out and I won't keep mooching money off you. I can do this for a while until she finds someone else suitable and in the meantime I'll have some cash."

"But Alan, Amanda wants a female housekeeper. That means if you take this job you will have to make yourself look like a female! Is any amount of money worth that? Especially $750.00 a week?" His mother was reeling her son in, hook, line and sinker.

He had no idea that his mother made that much! He was arguing to get a job he had anticipated would pay about $250 a week. Now $750 he was frantic!

"For $750 a week you can start calling me Alice!" Alan replied. "You would have to wear female clothes, make-up, hairdo, even nail polish while working. She is a perfectionist when it comes to such things; mark my words. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?" Karen Taylor continued as she made sure that her son understood all the terms of this deal.

"Whatever she and you says, I'll do," Alan replied smugly. "Okay. . .I guess you've made your decision," his mother said with a fait accompli shrug of her shoulders. She called Amanda back into the living room.

HAIR TODAY, GOWN TOMORROW -33 "Alice," Mother said using the feminine version of his name, ..will work out.

""

"Oh, that's wonderful! I've managed to solve two problems in one visit," Amanda said happily.

"However I've thought that I need to add an incentive bonus so that we aren't stuck recruiting a new housekeeper prematurely. I propose that if Alan, or should I now say Alice, works out perfectly as my female housekeeper he will receive a $2000 bonus at the end of three months, or when we find a replacement, whichever occurs first. By perfectly', I mean that he does everything necessary to present himself as an attractive female while on duty, wherever or whenever that may be."

Alan was nearly floored, $2000!! What he could do with $2000 you could not start to imagine! As he reveled in spending fantasy Mrs. Richardson said, "Alan, do you accept these terms?"

He didn't need to think long and blurted, "Absolutely!" "Fine, it's nice to have a second Taylor WOMAN aboard. I'll have my attorney draw up a contract for you to sign on Monday morning when you report to work. I assume that your mother will make sure that you travel to and from work properly attired so that no snoops will get the wrong idea about who the young man is who arrives and leaves my hotel every day.'

"I'll see to that Mrs. Richardson. Thank you very much. You're so generous," Alan's mother said as their employer headed for the door.

"Don't mention it. You have both made my day. Now I can enjoy the party at the Fletcher's tonight. Taa Taa!”

With that she was gone and mother and son had the quiet of the house to absorb what he had just gotten himself into. When Mrs. Richardson and Karen had put together their little plan, it included the surprise visit to see the 'living doll', but that was about it.

Amanda Richardson had joked that "If he's as cute as you described, maybe I'll hire him as a maid."

And Karen had joked back, "Oh great, I'll be put out of work by my own son.

Karen had never dreamed that Amanda was serious! But the job offer she was given was one that Karen had dreamed about ever since Marguerite had left. Getting her son interested in comparable hobbies as the boss's son was paying off.

Now she had the best job in the hotel! Having her son replace her, quite literally as the female housekeeper, was causing surprisingly mixed feelings. It didn't seem right, and yet the thought of the new job and Alan having a job was thrilling. She was still concerned about Alan's ability to carry this off.

"You're taking on quite a challenge you know," she said. "She really does expect perfection. You can't just pull some uniform on and expect that to do. She regularly inspects her staff for flaws in dress or deportment."