RANSVESTIA

cloud, he smiled. "Sure," he said. "Why not?" At last he had it. The young girl was making a play for him! He wondered if she was the kind who was going to save him from himself, or, if it was the sight of him in a dress that would arouse her. Well, he'd find out by showing her some of the lifestyle of a man in a dress; then he could judge.

I'm supposed to be going out with some friends," he said, as he mixed her a drink. "If you'd like to leave your sketches, I'll look over them and give you my comments later."

The disappointment was quite obvious in her round face. She suddenly looked very young and defenseless. Dave could have kicked himself, but, after all, he thought, he was doing this for her own good. "You could come with us, if you like," he said thoughtfully. Her face lit up like a beacon. “Good. If you'll just wait here, I have to go and change."

While Dave was changing, Erica got up and examined the pic- tures and trophies on the wall. She was surprised to find a bronze plaque, labelled the President's Award, from the State School of Dress Design, for Peggy Walker. The portrait set back on the en trance wall, she realized, was also a portrait of Peggy, in a white, off-the-shoulder evening dress, and painted in a gauzy, impression- istic manner in which the black eyes stood forth like coals.

A rustling noise behind her caused Erica to turn quickly. She was quite unprepared for what she saw. The young woman had dark black hair, waved and set in thick, stiff waves about the nape of her neck and backcombed into a high, fluffy center. Tassel earrings bobbed as she bent and extinguished her red-tipped cigarette. "Ready," she said, smiling brightly. She wore a violet dress, pleated from the waist to a length just below the knee. She picked up a silver evening bag from a shelf, checked its contents, and then moved towards the door. She slipped on a three-quarter-length fur, likely sable, the sight of which made Erica's mouth water. "I'm late al- ready," said the girl, a familiar catch in her voice. "We'll have to get going."

A bright, glittering, noisy party was in full swing when they ar- rived at the Club Royale. Peggy as Erica had decided to call the brunette held onto Erica's hand as she guided her through the jostling throng to the noisiest table of all. "Peggy!" a platinum blonde shrieked. "I didn't think you could make it!"

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