20-TIT FOR TAT ** 1990 SANDY THOMAS

started to say something, then looked down as his eyes got glassy again.

Donna added to his humiliation by telling, "We even went out to dinner as two girls."

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Victor stayed red as Donna was bubbling about the change in Victor's attitude. She continued, ". . .then they insisted they drive us home." Victor looked at me with an embarrassed smile as Donna told of meeting a couple of men at dinner. "Naturally Victor was afraid but as we walked to the car he was humming 'I enjoy being a girl', and swinging his hips. It was a quick drive home and after exchanging phone numbers, there was little opportunity for anything but a goodnight kiss."

Victor blushed as he remembered what he'd done. He looked down as Donna continued telling Tana about their encounter, "I was surprised when I saw Victor girlishly kiss his date back as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Bob even asked Victor out again.'

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Tana laughed seeing Victor's embarrassment, "Don't blush dear, it's only natural that men would find you attractive now. I wish Jerry would relax so we could have fun like that, too."

It was my turn to blush. The wives were having a great time comparing their effeminate husband's adventures...at our expense,

I was surprised that Victor didn't seem aware of the strange change in his personality. Wasn't he still worried about becoming too feminine? Or had they brainwashed him to such an extent that he thought he was now a girl. Or maybe this was a prank to get us to abandon the wager, thus letting them win?.

The next week, Tana and I walked to Victor's. There was a woman doing electrolysis on Victor's eyebrows. Donna introduced me to their friend, Sheila, who was earning her electrolysis certificate.

Watching the needle enter his eyebrows, I commented, "That looks like it would hurt."

"Aw, it's not bad," Tana said, "Sheila, maybe you could practice on Jerry. I hate his beard."

"Sure, I need 300 hours of practice to get my license," Sheila said as she felt my light beard, "I'd love to do his

TV FICTION CLASSICS -21

beard. There isn't much there. I can make your face a hairless as your wife's. Donna wants me to do Victor's."

I asked, "But isn't this permanent?"

"Yes, quite permanent but you'll never have to shave again."

Tana convinced me to let Sheila practice electrolysis on my beard. After about five minutes of the pain, I wanted to quit but Tana whispered, "I make up for the pain later.” I KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT...

As the weeks went by, I got used to the pain and the hissing of the air desensitizer. Slowly but surely my beard was becoming history. Hour after hour, Sheila's fingers coursed back and forth along my beardline, drawing the skin taut, inserting the probe and destroying follicle after follicle.

It was nice not shaving. The lack of a beard shadow also made me look younger. This softness was accented when I was around men with beards.

As the denuding me of my beard continued, Tana seemed to change her attitude towards me.

Without a beard, I seemed to have lost a shred of maleness. The milky smooth skin of my cheeks glowed now that I lacked the dark shadow of maleness. It made my lips look rosy almost like I had on rosebud lipstick.

It seemed to happen suddenly. Other people noticed a new softness of my face. I was in a restaurant the waitress asked, "Miss, would you like some more coffee?" I'd been growing my hair for the party but I looked up a little surprised at her mistake.

As more and more of my beard disappeared, the mistake was made more often. My wife didn't seem to care and I loved not shaving. Tana even told Sheila to do the few hairs on my chest and cleaned up my eyebrows. Did I say cleaned up!

I shut my eyes one day prepared for the stinging on my cheeks. Instead, I felt the needle at my brow. "What are you doing," I asked.

up.

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"Oh, just a few strays," Sheila said, "I'll just neaten them

For two hours she worked on them. I asked many times, "Isn't that enough?"

"I've got to make them even, just relax," she said, "I'm having trouble getting them even. They are so bushy." She