Lisa was trying to console, Babe's head pressed against his large breasts. Ace stripped off his long evening dress, the slip and the stage underwear. He looked like a wiry, muscular man, his hair and makeup so strange with his body. Then he went to the drawer and took out a pair of blue, bikini briefs and put them on. He put on pantihose, a padded bra, a silky slip and a dark blue dress with a tight skirt. High heels and a purse completed his outfit. He turned then and looked at the others, moving so slowly and watching him with

care.

"Goodnight, girls," Ace said pleasantly, swishing towards the door, and with a nod to a red- faced Nadine who came pushing in, he went strolling away.

Nadine looked after him, shock and surprise on her face. She turned back and saw Babe and the tissue plugs at his nose, the blood down the front of his dress. "What happened?" she barked out at the room.

Water lapped over Babe's black-painted lids as he looked down desperately at David, Marty and Farrell. David gave him an

almost imperceptible

shake of his head.

"I-I slipped in - into the table,' said Babe, tears now streaking his mascara.

Nadine looked down at the stiff, tense backs of her other 'male' dancers. She tried to grasp what was going on, but Clinton stood up and took out a pair of orange panties for himself from the drawer Ace had left open. He was blushing as he put on an 'up- lift' bra with padded inserts. He had the kind of chest muscles that could be taped across to show 'real' cleavage. He left as

-

soon as he could a cute, little brunette in a black miniskirt, black, knee-high boots, a tight sweater and a shaped leather jacket. The tiny gold crosses at his ears and the dark eye makeup made him far more attractive as a female than he'd ever been as a male.

It was clear to Nadine that whatever had happened was not going to be revealed to her right then. It was also clear that Na- dine was going to wait until she saw them all into 'street' clothes before she left. David exchanged glances with Farrell, who shrug- ged at him. When David had changed to a lacy underwired bra a mini slip and dark pantihose to go with his dark mini-skirt, Na- dine came over had fixed his makeup, giving him extra white eyeshadow on the back of his lids. Smiling, she hugged him, his padded bra in the sequinned blouse being pressed tightly a- gainst him. She smelt of musk perfume just like he did. "Keep those earrings," she said. "They really go with you, David." She frowned, smiled rue- fully and shook her head. "We'll have to do something about that name, won't we?"

―

David picked a wine-colored purse, and stuffed in the money and keys that had been left on his table for him. He pulled on high heels, grabbed the little coat that matched his skirt and went quickly to the door.

"David, wait!" Marty and Far- rell came tripping after him. They were dressed much as he was. Lots of shapely leg showing under little mini-skirts. All had bouncing breasts and long, dang- ling earrings. "Let's go together," said Marty. He gave David Ren- nick a little smile that seemed to

- 15 -

say Now we're all girls to- gether, and isn't it nice?

They had to argue with an a- ghast Cindy Brenner at the stage door but Rosalie and Sally had seemed to expect them as they were, passing compliments to the men on their makeup, hair and clothes. A bunch of stage hands also wanted to take them all out for a drink. That moved Cindy and she agreed to go with all the 'girls' to a local bar.

It wasn't as crowded as might have been expected, but it was late at night and soon they had a booth to themselves.

"How do you feel?" asked Cindy at last. David had taken her hand and now their hands lay together, each with long, pointed nails, David's red and Cindy's clear. Each had large dress rings on their fingers and bracelets at their wrists.

"You mean in a skirt, sitting here?" asked David quietly.

"And with all the lingerie," added Cindy. "You are wearing panties, aren't you?"

"Of course," he said. He had to think. How did he really feel? Strange. Yes, there was that. But it was nice, too, to feel the ny- lons on his legs. He knew he had shapely legs and it was good when Rosalie told him what he knew to be true. The slip stretch- ed across his thighs was soft and different. He did feel very fem- inine, from the constriction of the bra and the tight sweater. He wasn't upset about it. In fact, he was rather looking forward to making love to Cindy later and he could sense that much of his pleasure came from his clothes and from the perfumes he wore, as well as the fact that she was no longer as certain of him as she'd always been. It was going