RANSVESTIA

Erica blushed again, feeling a tingling all over her body. She nodded. "Yes, please," she said hoarsely.

Barb came up to Dave and put her hand on his shoulder. "Is that O.K., Dave?" Dave had removed the built-up fingernails, restoring them to their normal length. His mouth was cynical. "Why not?" he sighed.

*

Erica didn't often go downtown by herself. Her mother, however, had been most enthused by the offer of Barbara Cooper's models for Erica's "little show," as she now modestly proclaimed it. She was delighted that Erica should want to take her designs downtown to check them out with the charming Peggy Walker.

It hadn't taken Erica long to track down Dave Roth, after obtaining his full name from Barbara Cooper's receptionist. Unknown to her mother, she had been watching Dave-Peggy for quite a while. He lived in an old sandstone building, having an apartment to himself. She had followed him several times to his jobs, and had seen him in action, as gorgeous as when she had first seen him; but, about his apartment,and to and from his job, he remained the uninspiring Dave Roth, much to her chagrin.

Her heart beating wildly, she rang the bell to his apartment. He opened it and frowned at her when he saw who it was. He didn't seem to notice that she had had her hair newly curled and that she was wearing a Barbara Cooper dress, possibly even one that he had worn in the past, she thought. He saw her design book and invited her in, but he was suspicious.

I thought you'd like to see the dresses I want you to wear," said Erica carefully. "Some of them are, I'm afraid, total costumes, and will mean changes in make-up, hair pieces, stockings and shoes."

Dave grunted. "Coffee?" he said.

Erica smiled. She had tried to make up using the same colors and style that he had. "Do you have any gin?" she said in a copy of his musical way of speaking.

Dave's face clouded. Suddenly, like the sun breaking through a

10