RANSVESTIA

I was so fascinated by what I was seeing that I had no time to look at what the makeup expert was doing with my face. It was not long until my makeup was complete. The hairdresser came and adjusted a long curly blonde wig on my head. She covered it with a veil. She asked me to stand up and she helped me with my white lace gloves and she gave me a small bouquet of white flowers showing me how to hold it gra- ciously.

Slowly, the wedding procession started to form. The models all had on their bridesmaids gowns and were ready to enter on stage. The or- chestra was playing an interlude piece while we were assembling. There was first: a little girl and a little boy and then, the bridesmaids, accompanied by young men wearing formal suits. I was told to stand behind all of them and a young man came and took my arm. He told me not to be afraid, that he was an experienced model and that all I had to do was to let him lead me on stage.

The orchestra started to play the wedding march and the proces- sion started to move. I remembered the advice of my companion and let him lead me. He was holding my arm very tightly, thus helping me to walk on my heels. We followed the group of charming models wear- ing light colored gowns and large picture hats with flowers. All I could hear was my companion say to me: "Smile" when I entered the stage. The lights struck me and I closed my eyes under their brightness. When I could open them, I could see the audience was in a dark place and I could see only the ladies sitting in the two front rows, smiling and applauding the wedding group. We walked slowly around the stage and then back to the dressing room. The whole thing must have lasted two minutes, but it seemed like a century to me as I was so afraid that the audience might notice I was not a girl and laugh at me, and spoil the whole show. The boys went away to their quarters and I remained alone with the girls. They soon got rid of their gowns, took their places at their dressers and removed their stage makeup. They had their street dresses on and left one after the other, leaving to their assistants the care of putting in good order the clothes they had modeled. After five minutes, the place was empty with the exception of the lady in charge and me.

She helped me take off my gown and I took off the other garments, alone, behind the screen. I put my street clothes back on and she told me to sit at the dressing table where she began to remove my makeup. She said I had been a great help to her and the store by agreeing to

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