RANSVESTIA

"Kiki told me not to get on anyone's wrong side. What happened to you?" Eddie's voice was as soft as could be. Cissy however, dis- solved into tears. She rubbed at her eye, streaking her mascara. "Here, sit down," said Eddie anxiously, but they were quite alone.

When Cissy slowed a little, she looked up at Eddie, her eyes show- ing no other emotion but helplessness. "Look at me," she said. "What do you see?"

Eddie hesitated. "You look like a woman," he began, thinking that would be some kind of compliment. Tears squeezed out of Cissy's

eyes.

"Look like," she said wanly. "I don't just look like. I am a woman."

"But..." Eddie began.

"I was a real man till I got here, just like you, Roxanne, I hear you still dress normally off the job. Well," she dabbed her eyelashes, mak- ing the black mess worse, "I was a transvestite. I liked dressing up, but I always went out with women. I was even married twice. Allison fancied me when I came here," tears flowed freely, streaking her cheeks. "When she began fighting with Benny, she asked me to report on the guys he was contacting in the bar. I did." She was drying up at last, becoming resigned. "Benny did this to me. He had me operated on. He even arranges dates for me. I've got two permanent boy friends, so I never get peace even in my own apartment." She stood and saw the mess of her face, and began quick repairs. "I'd take the easy way out if I could, but they check me all the time. This is the longest I can remember being alone in a month." As if in response to her statement, the door opened, and Karen came in, her boots incongruous with her white panties and black bra. She looked suspiciously at Cissy and Eddie-Roxanne. Eddie's stomach was in knots after Cissy's tale, but he faced Karen as calmly as he could.

"What're you doing?" asked Karen. "Don't you know Allison's looking everywher for you, Roxanne? Kiki told her you'd left."

"Yes," said Eddie, his voice unusually high even to his ears, "I am just going. See you guys." He didn't wait to see the curl on Karen's lip or the quiver on Cissy's.

He stepped outside the club in his denim jeans and jacket, breathing deeply the fresh air after the oppressive perfumed, heated atmosphere of the club. The door of a black limousine opened directly ahead of him.