RANSVESTIA

in his direction. Kiki winked as she went on. "Did you hear that applause? You'll be heading this bill in a few weeks, for sure."

As quickly as he could, Eddie edged off to his cubicle. He was still shaking as he realized what he had done. But now came an equally dif- ficult part to his role to get the "hold" out of his hair so that he could look reasonably masculine when he left. He saw that Annie had arranged the gowns Frankie had bought with much greater care than Eddie ever showed. He heard a rustle behind him. Kiki was there. She swallowed, her adam's apple bobbing as she saw Eddie eyeing her dress, which she still wore and was in no hurry to change. "You'll be asked to visit the bosses," Kiki said. "You can dim your make-up, but you're expected to be in drag." She looked about furtively, and lowered her voice. "In this club, it just doesn't pay to get on the wrong side of the bosses. Just ask Cissy if you don't believe me." Karen passed by in the background, still looking daggers at Eddie-Roxanne. "This little black dress," said Kiki loudly, "will do for any occasion, and you can keep that jewelry on." She darted away before Eddie could follow

up.

Within five minutes, Annie appeared at Eddie's shoulder with the order for him to join the boss in the club as he removed the excess eyeshadow he had used on stage. Annie's anguished expression at Ed- die's request for time to change, convinced him to leave on the brocade gown. He directed Annie to fetch him a new pair of long evening gloves, repaired his eyes, and then set off after Annie into the dimly-lit club where, "the Fabulous Fiona," not, in his opinion, a patch upon Lola Levine, was treating the audience to an animated version of "I Enjoy Being A Girl."

Beeny Carponi, short, swarthy, a permanent five o'clock shadow about his jaw, was a caracature of a crook. He looked Eddie-Roxanne over and patted the bench beside him. "Sit here, doll," he said, not even removing his cigar stub. Eddie slid in as gracefully as he could, conscious of the excessive rustling of his gown and the appraisal he was undergoing from the other members of the group at the table. "How'd ya like a pair of boobs?" Benny's smirk was followed by a coarse laugh.

"Oh, stop it, Benny," a blonde woman, about thirty, well-dressed in a long, black evening dress, spoke petulantly. "Pay no attention, dear," she said to Eddie. "He likes to shock all our new girls. When

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