RANSVESTIA

The following Friday I took some time off and left my job early so that preparations for my debut in a dress shop would not be hurried. I had an early supper and a short nap before showering, shaving, manicuring fingernails, and making up. After that I was an hour and a half ahead of schedule. It was typically overanxiousness I suppose. The dress shop was due to close at nine o'clock and I was to be there no earlier than ten minutes of the hour. At eight o'clock I was ready to walk out the front door. Unable to cope with four walls any longer I went for a drive around the city at five after eight.

To go dress shopping in, I had selected a navy blue coat dress which was very easy to get on and off. Underneath I wore a chemise length bra-slip combo, my padded girdle and panty hose. I accessoriz- ed this with a silk scarf at the neckline, high-heeled corfam pumps, purse, shortie kid leather gloves, and the usual jewelery. From the several hairpieces I own I decided on a short, close to the head style that would not be difficult to manage when pulling clothes over my head.

I decided on an early arrival and went through the front door precisely at 8:45 p.m., a full fifteen minutes early. There were customers still in the store and the sales ladies were busy with them in the rear of the establishment. I stayed to the front looking at a rack of sportswear. There was no sign of Miss Bell. A husband was seated in the back waiting for his spouse to emerge from the try-on cubicles. As the couple left, carrying their parcels, the sales lady approached and politely said, "We'll be closing in a few minutes. Is there anything I can show you?"

"I have an appointment with Miss Bell at nine," I replied in a voice as feminine as I can manage with the infrequent opportunities I get to practice.

"Oh, oh, we've been expecting you," she said with a very warm smile and eyebrows raised in mild surprise. She gave me a quick once- over and nodded her approval. "Listen," she went on in a confidential whisper, "there is one customer still in the store so why don't you go on looking at things here and I will slip back and tell Miss Bell you've arrived:" As she finished saying this she reached out and very tenderly touched my hand as if to say, "Don't worry, dear - everything is fine." If I was nervous, the feeling departed with that. I felt most welcome.

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