32 -MY SON, THE BRIDESMAID

and freshly manicured nails. This time Trish devoted the time to help her skirted brother with his makeup and comb-out. She still couldn't get over his lush, thick, long hair.

That evening Robin once again donned an attractive floor-length nightgown and submitted to having his hair put up on rollers for the night. He wasn't sure if he could go through with their plan for him to work in the store dressed as a girl, but his sister convinced him that he should have his hair set 'just in case'.

Well, good thing he listened to his sister's advice, because his resistance faded the next morning when he saw the lovely feminine hairdo his sister had created for him along with the perfectly applied day makeup. As he stood there, looking in the full-length mirror, admiring the reflection of a smartly dressed woman with bouncy curls over her ears and forehead, his resistance to the plan collapsed. Before he knew it, he was at work.

It was like that nightmare; the one where you're at school in your underwear, only Robin woke up dressed like a girl in the store. It took several encounters with customers before Robin started to relax at all. Everyone of them dealt with him as the natural miss that he portrayed. However, he was glad that his skirt had a matching jacket, because the dampness from his nervous perspiration was covered politely.

At the end of the day, he was thoroughly exhausted both mentally and physically, but he could not stop talking about the experience. He had survived a day dressed up like a girl!

The second day back in the store was equally uneventful... simply busy with lots and lots of customers. Robin sometimes even forgot that he was in a skirt, that his hair was femininely coiffed, that his ever-lengthening nails were a pretty shell pink, and that his lips were colored to match. At times it almost felt natural to him.

Finally, the 31st of December arrived. Though Robin had dealt face-to-face with many customers in the past few days, he had never gone out of doors. Today he was to visit a women's beauty salon, then attend a gala social function as "Miss Robin". That was the name his mother had used when talking to him in front of customers. Robin hadn't

TV FICTION CLASSICS -33

overheard the many explanations his mother had made to the customers that she had twin 'daughters'.

Trish suggested that Robin wear a skirt and blouse to the hairdresser so that he would not have to pull a dress off over his hairdo when he would change later that day. So, the three 'ladies' set off for their appointments, all in skirts.

Robin's knees were shaking a little as he walked through the door of the beauty salon. It was quite small. In fact, it turned out that Linda was not only the owner, but the sole hairdresser. Her afternoon was reserved for the three Wilkes' ladies' appointments.

"Oh my they're adorable!" Linda exclaimed to Evelyn Wilkes when she saw the two siblings together. "You must be Robin," she spoke as she stepped close to the lad for a closer look. "Well, I wouldn't have believed it. You certainly won't be found out . . . you make a gorgeous girl!"

"Thanks," Robin mumbled in reply.

Linda stood back and assessed Robin, asking, "Is that Trish's skirt and blouse?"

Before Robin could answer, his mother said, "No, they are all his." Robin blushed as his mother told all about his 'sweet' little Christmas gifts: the lingerie, heels and dresses.

"Ohhh," was Linda's reply realizing that this was more than just a 'one-night experiment' for Robin. She felt more comfortable knowing this. She wouldn't have to worry about 'over doing it' with this preciously sweet boy.

Linda started chattering. "You know, I've had a couple of boys in here in the past who were dressing up as girls. One, just this past Halloween. His mother made an appointment for him. She said he was going to a costume party as 'Miss America'. He was certainly pretty when I got through with himbut he wasn't nearly as pretty as Robin will be. And coming dressed in a skirt is a great idea. It will help you get used to the feeling. That boy at Halloween-his mother and he came in on a Saturday morning, my busiest time. He was dressed in just a pair of jeans and a boy's shirt. However, he had hair that reached half-way down his back! Well, the other ladies that were here couldn't believe their eyes when I sham-