playing Devil's advocate. A smile had spread all across Erik's face inspite of the physical re- sults of too little sleep.

Brady, however, was not in a smiling mood. Desparation was more like his mood, for he was hearing the person with the power to sink his dream threaten ing to say "no" and take him down for the third time...He had really opened his mouth and in- serted his foot by committing his partner too quickly. Now he had to do a selling job, the selling job of his life, or be in real trouble. Loss of good relations with a big and powerful house like Vogue would really be a financial blow. Being the finan- cial half of the partnership, while Erik was the artistic side, made Brady all the more aware of the necessity of surviving. To survive meant doing this Vogue spread, even if it had to be with decep- tion.

Quietly, in almost a whisper, with a definite pleading quality in his voice, Brady spoke after some moments: "Aw, Erik, no- body but us will ever know. Heavens, I know you ain't gay or anything like that. Gee, ole bud- dy, I shot off my big mouth and now it is really up to you to pull the fat outta the fire for us... Ya just gotta do it. Why, "he contin- ued pleading now", if it'll make you feel any better, I'll even let the gang make me up like a wo- man so some pictures of me can be shot, ya know, just for safety sake for you...if that'll make you feel better about doin' it!”

Brady was deadly serious, Erik knew, for him to offer such a thing. Macho was a totally in- adequate word to describe Brady and for him to put all that on the line, it had to really be serious.

Erik had not really known the agency was in dollar trouble, but it must be somthing of that sort for Brady to offer to do this. by Anyway, in this situation, Erik was just waiting to be persuaded.

Speaking softly, almost purri- ing, Erik now rapidly becoming Erika cooed into the telephone: "Brady, we'll do it." After a brief pause just for impact, Erika con- tinued: "Don't you think it would be keen to have you dress- ed in some of Vogue's things in the background of some of the shots? You could wear some of their nicer half sizes, and we'd really be putting one over on 'em It could be done with shallow depth of field so you'd be out of focus,... yes, I think that would be great, don' you?"

...

At almost the speed of light, plans were made and turned into reality. The fashions were pack- aged and sent over from Vogue. They had protested a little more than mildly, insisting that their people be there with the clothes, but Brady had won them over. But the day was set, now it had come and gone Erika, now more than ever the evident per- sonality in the firm's junior partner, was excited about the project. She had gone into it fully, in the artistic sense. The clothes, fitted and prepared had been perfectly dreamy. Being open and seen by others, a shock at first, had been thrilling. The project, in total was a dream

come true.

Now some two years later, Brady smoked much less. The strong smelly cigars were gone. In their place were long slim cylinders of tobacco and mint. Both Erika, in the foreground and Brenda in the background, had been hits with Vogue. The

fashions had sold richly. Now living nearly full time as Erika, working as Erika the artistic side of the business the agency of Brady and Erikson flourished. Even Brenda came out of hiding occasionally, working in the office with the door sign that read "Brady". On those days there was no smoke at all. After all, one wanted to be lady like... Only perfume and the agency continued to thrive.

All because of a pair of well turned ankles and near photo- graphically perfect feet, Erika, Brenda and their Advertising Agency thrived. What, then can be said for fantasy? What can then be said for the poser of fantasy to set us free to be our- selves? How many, one wonders, pairs of well turned ankles etc. are there hidden and unable to come to life because fantasy is suppressed? One really wonders?

Rita from Germany

- 30-