Joe_bates_saga

26 Joe_Bates_Saga________________________________________________________

1. Chapter

Joe stirred as he heard the raucous buzz of the clock radio. Linda reached over and turned it off, leaving the radio playing softly. She had set the alarm. Joe hadn't even bothered, since today, he had no need to be up till nine, and then to go to the hairdresser. He wouldn't have any problem being up in time for that. Linda needed to be up sooner, and she got up almost immediately after the alarm. She left the room, going straight to her own without saying a word, thinking Joe was still asleep.

Another day, Joe thought. What was it now, Thursday? Tomorrow he would be like this a week already. He had long since given up the hope that he might wake up somehow miraculously changed back. If anything, he was still changing; continuing to look and feel a bit softer and even more feminine each day.

Joe raised his arms above his head and stretched. Then he made what was becoming his regular morning inspection, checking for differences, new changes, and anything else that may have occurred as he slept. Joe knew he was still undergoing the strange metamorphosis, but the things happening now were very subtle, nothing really definite. Each day, he felt his body get just a little softer as it proceeded to develop the thin layer of fat under his skin that made female skin feel so different, softer and smoother than a male's. At the same time, Joe's shoulder muscles, chest, and arms continued to reduce slowly in overall mass and strength. He was also just beginning to detect some extra flesh starting to form at his hips and buttocks. Although all this was happening very slowly, Joe could tell. As he lay there, he thought about the few remaining traces of his masculinity slowly slipping away.

Joe tugged at the night shirt borrowed from Linda, raising the bottom hem up to his waist, and then carefully felt between his legs. Every day it seemed, the bump of his pubic bone became a little more pronounced. It was definitely more prominent than before the change, and now that area felt strange to his touch, with his penis, or clitoris actually, seeming to be a bit further down than he remembered it just yesterday. I guess my pelvis is changing too, he decided, hoping that his hips wouldn't get much bigger than they already were. He flexed the muscles in his crotch, the ones used to stop the flow of urine when he peed. As he did, he could sense some of the internal differences too. It was really only then that he could detect the presence of his vaginal sphincter. Usually, except when he bathed, he practically avoided touching himself down there, as if this most female part of his body would simply change back to the way it was if he would just ignore it.

It sure didn't seem to be happening that way, however. It all felt so weird to his touch. His balls were completely gone, and his penis wasn't like it had been either. His cock didn't stick out at all now, and he couldn't even use it to urinate, much less for sex, but at least he could still feel it, sort of. But his testicles just simply weren't there anymore, replaced only by small, sensitive folds of skin. This skin felt much like his scrotum, but it was divided down the center. Normally, the slit-like opening it formed remained fairly closed, mostly hiding what little actually remained of his penis, and it completely concealed his much changed urethral opening as well as the new opening that had formed slightly below that. Joe slowly ran his finger along the soft, delicate folds, and when it felt ready, adequately lubricated by the slippery secretions that always seemed to be there, he gently separated the sensitive tissues and cautiously placed the second finger of his right hand inside this new, somewhat mysterious body cavity.

It was amazing how much the feel of his changed genitalia reminded him of Linda's. God, how can I even dare think I'm still a guy, he wondered. Though he still had some of the sensation of having his penis, it was obvious that he didn't really possess that organ anymore. Nevertheless, it was still difficult to accept the idea of having fully functioning female organs. Joe closed his eyes and clenched his teeth as he explored himself with his finger.

He flexed his crotch muscles again, feeling them gently contract on his finger. It was a most unusual feeling, most of the time, he couldn't even tell there was a vagina down there, but with his finger inside it, there could be absolutely no doubt. But almost all the feeling was on outside, in the skin folds, and around the vaginal opening, which itself seemed to be less than an inch from his anal orifice. He slowly withdrew his finger and then gently rubbed his clitoris with the slippery lubricant. Doing that felt so good, and more familiar, very much like he was rubbing the bottom of his penis near the head, but much more intense. Though it was quite small, his clitoris felt much more exposed, more obvious to his touch, than Linda's. The minor surgical procedure which had relieved him of his foreskin as an infant now served to expose the tissues that had become his clitoris to an almost painful degree. If he was gentle and careful, the sensations he received when he touched there could be almost exquisite.

Joe had to restrain the urge to move his hips as he slowly, gently caressed the tiny bundle of nerves, and soon Joe felt the little folds engorge, creating a sensation somewhat like an erection, but causing his genital folds to open like petals of a flower and secrete even more of their clear slippery fluid, as if they were preparing for the entrance of something, anything. Just as the other night with Jay, Joe was finding the urge for penetration to be nearly irresistible. He had always considered his sex drive to be quite strong, but the feelings he was now experiencing made a simple "hard on" seem almost trivial. Maybe he didn't have his penis anymore, but now the feeling of stimulation involved practically his whole body.

Not knowing what to do to relieve the almost overwhelming demand for penetration and release, Joe continued the slow, gentle manipulation, creating a large wet spot on the bedsheets with his juices, until he silently exploded in orgasm. It was one of the most intense he had ever experienced. He was amazed that when it was over he still had the urge to continue, so he bravely put two fingers inside himself, careful to avoid any direct contact with his clitoris, which was now far too sensitive to touch. With his other hand, he felt under the satin night gown and massaged one of his breasts, feeling the nipple harden almost as soon as it was touched. Whatever else may happen, Joe thought, it will all be worth it just to have experienced this.

Another climax followed almost immediately after the first, and then Joe reluctantly stopped masturbating. He placed the palm of his right hand tightly over his wet, sticky vulva and pressed it as hard as he could. Though he desperately yearned to have something inside there, he was afraid to experiment with anything he might have available. A hard penis was exactly what was needed right now, he thought to himself, but there were simply none of those around. Of course, I guess that's the basic problem, isn't it, he mused. He considered Linda, and how could she resign herself to living with him as he was now, like this? Surely all this must feel the same for her, too.

As he lay there, his breathing returning to normal, he thought about the many times he had made love as a male, the last year or so exclusively with Linda. Joe was coming to realize that the methods he had used, the way he went about making love, was so wrong, far too ham-fisted for Linda or any of his other partners to enjoy the full satisfaction of being with him. It was probably too late now, but if he ever did really get his penis back, the things he learned by having his body feminized like this could serve to make him an extraordinary male lover. Slower, gentler, softer, now he knew. But of course, it was probably too late now.

As Joe lay in bed, still recovering from his self stimulation experience, Linda was dressing for work. With only her slip on, she came into Joe's room to see if he was awake.

"I'm going to put some coffee on," she said when she saw his eyes were open. "Would you like some?"

Even though they were both apparently women now, Joe thought, Linda was still instinctively wanting to wait on him. "Thanks," he said, hoping she couldn't tell what he had just done. "If you want to finish dressing, I'll make the coffee."

"Would you?" Linda returned, genuinely surprised. "You dear. But you really don't have to get up for a while do you?"

"I'm not sleepy. I think I'll get up and get ready. I can read until it's time to go to over to Sally's."

Wearing only the nightshirt, Joe started to walk to the kitchen. He would start the coffee, and then brush his teeth and dress while it perked. As he walked down the hall, he felt the jiggle of his breasts as he walked. The stretchy nylon bodice of the little nightgown clung tightly to his curves, but offered no support. His firm new breasts exhibited almost no sag, but without the support of a bra, they did bounce and sway with every movement. It didn't hurt really, except maybe if he attempted to run or jump, and even that didn't actually cause pain, just felt slightly uncomfortable. In any case, it felt very strange having his chest moving around like that. Joe had already become accustomed to the more secure feel wearing a bra provided. He placed his arm across both breasts, preventing them from bouncing as he entered the kitchen.

After putting the coffee on, Joe went back into his room. In the bathroom he examined his face in the mirror. Taking a washcloth and a little of the facial soap that Linda had provided, Joe gently scrubbed the remaining sleep from his eyes. He brushed his teeth, and then, taking a hairbrush, he attempted to brush his own hair into an acceptable shape.

This would be his first time in public without the wig since Karen had given it to him. He was a little apprehensive about doing it, but if he could leave the hot hairpiece at home, it would be worth it. He wondered what Sally would say about his masculine haircut. Linda had already told her that a "friend" in St. Louis had cut it this way, and she (he) didn't like it. He would have to format any story on that premise. Just as well, he thought.

He brushed his hair the best he could, bringing it down a bit lower in front than he ever had when he was male. Maybe it didn't look all that bad, he concluded. It seemed that his hair was getting softer too, at least the bit that had grown out in the last week. He was glad the hair on his head hadn't all come out like that on his chest and elsewhere. Being like this was strange enough; to be completely bald would have really topped it all off.

When he was finished, it was time to dress. He couldn't wait to wear the new dress Linda had bought, but still had to decide what to wear with it. He glanced over at the shower door, seeing the underwear hanging there. He had already worn the little black set yesterday evening after work. He loved the way it made him look and feel. Today, alone around all the women at Sally's, he wanted to feel as good about himself as he possibly could. Just maybe the little black bra and thong bikini would help. He knew it was hard to forget what he was wearing when he had that on. The little undies fit so snugly that they kept him intimately aware of his changed anatomy whenever he moved his legs. At first, he always wanted to reach back and tug at it, since it felt like it was always riding up, but he was now accustomed to that feeling too. With that in mind, he decided to wear it again. Maybe, the next time he was in the mall, he would stop at Victoria' Secret and get another set like it, this time maybe in a different color. Like Linda said, if makes you feel good, wear it.

Crossing his arms in front of him, Joe pulled the light blue night shirt over his head. He pulled the black bikini from the shower door and slipped it on. He was unable to resist feeling the slick fabric between his legs. The sleek feeling of his crotch, without the familiar bulge of male genitalia, still felt so strange; just like the first time he touched there that first morning.

As Joe put the matching bra on, he thought it felt a little tighter, the cups a little fuller than just yesterday. "Are these boobs still getting bigger, or did this underwear just shrink a little when I washed it?" he wondered.

After he had the underwear on, he went back out to the bedroom. Joe got the dress from the closet, but before he started to remove it from the hanger he looked at the time. It was two hours before he needed to dress for the hair appointment. He wanted to wear the dress, but he decided to wait to put it on. He found the gray shorts, and the black T-shirt he wore last night, and quickly slipped those on. It would be easier to kill the time wearing this than the dress.

Deciding to remain barefoot, Joe went to the kitchen, where Linda was already preparing a bowl of cold cereal for herself. Joe didn't want any of that, and the coffee wasn't quite finished perking yet.

"Your hair looks OK that way," Linda complimented.

"Do you really think so? It sure is a lot cooler like this. I just wish my own hair was as long as the wig."

"Don't worry, it'll grow out soon enough," Linda consoled him.

They both had resigned themselves that this is how it would be, Joe thought.

Joe watched Linda as she sat eating her cereal. She was looking at some papers, and didn't notice him looking. She was very pretty, he thought. A natural beauty, and he found he was seeing her in a different way, not as a man sees a woman, or even as another woman would, but in another way, a way he couldn't describe if he had to. Maybe it was the female hormones, maybe it was male hormones, or actually the lack of male hormones, that was making him feel this way, to see her this way. He didn't know. But as he sat there, gazing, he felt an admiration for her he had never realized. He didn't know what to think about it.

"You're all right, you know that?" Joe said simply.

Linda looked over at him curiously, and smiled. "Why did you say that?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. I just thought I should tell you. I really do appreciate everything you're doing, everything you've done already. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Linda stopped eating and looked at Joe. She wondered what was on his mind; what had made him say those words. She could tell he was under a lot of stress what with all that had taken place, but she was amazed at how all this had changed Joe. She had always loved him, almost from the first. She loved his intelligence, his somewhat carefree, curious spirit, his zest for life, as well as his handsome good looks. He always seemed to enjoy whatever he was doing, always trying to learn more, to experience fully anything he attempted. But, like a lot of guys his age, maybe most of them, she thought he had always seemed to be of the opinion that women were somehow inferior to men in some ways. Sure, he liked them, maybe he even loved them, but, it had always seemed, to her anyway, they were not really to be considered as equals. She wondered how he felt about women's equality now. Apparently, he seemed to regard what had happened to him with an attitude which ranged from angry irritation, to stoic acceptance, to actual pride. As he did with most everything he ever attempted, Joe had approached it all as a learning experience.

It was really amazing to consider what had occurred. If she could have wished it, it couldn't have been any better introduction for a male to experience what being a woman was like. Unfortunately, this wasn't something she had actually wished on him, rather it was more a bizarre industrial accident, and apparently it had changed the man she loved into someone she was still trying to understand. Although he was obviously quite feminine looking and sounding, almost to a fault, she actually envied his almost perfect shape, he would sometimes talk and act just like before. It was very strange when he did that. This person, this gorgeous woman, talking, moving, and acting just like the man he really was. But sometimes now, especially since he returned from San Diego, he was different. He was more quiet, reserved maybe, sometimes almost cold around her.

When he first came to her, he was afraid, confused, and obviously out of place in what his body had become. Linda had tried her best to help him, to make him comfortable with what had happened to his body. Although she had never been intimate with a woman before, she tried to let on as if nothing had changed, as if she had no problem relating to Joe's new femininity. Strangely, as she did that, she found herself actually enjoying it. She surprised them both with the sexual intensity that she showed. Although the intimacy of the relationship between them was changed, she was found that Joe's timidity caused by the changes in his body required her to become the aggressor, and she loved the experience, and she even liked Joe's new feminine softness too. That confused her. Even before Joe posed the question, she had already begun to wonder about her sexual orientation. She never even considered homosexuality an option before, and even now, she never actually thought about her relationship with Joe that way, but she had to admit, she really liked intimacy with him the way he was now. She liked the feeling of being in charge. The last few days, she found herself starting to wonder what life would have been like had she been born male instead. Joe seemed to adapt to femininity so easily. What might it be like for her to have a male physique, to be able to give him pleasure he had formerly given her? It wasn't that she was unhappy with her femininity, far from it, but if it turned out that Joe would have to stay as he was now, she would consider volunteering for the change. She would never voice such a thought, not yet anyway, but if such an opportunity ever presented itself, it now looked like almost anything might be possible.

"I love you, Joe Bates," was all she said.

Linda finished eating, and put her bowl in the dishwasher. Joe had poured the coffee when it was ready, and they both sat there, slowly sipping at their coffee. Linda finished first, and went to her room for a final check of her appearance and came out carrying her leather briefcase. She went to were Joe was sitting and kissed him on the forehead.

"Good luck at the hairdresser," she said, as she walked to the door.

"Thanks. Have a good day."

When Linda left, Joe went back to his room. Almost two hours before I need to get ready for Sally's, he thought. He made the bed, then lay on top of the spread, taking the book he had been reading last night and started to read. In a few minutes, he was again engrossed in the subject matter.

It seemed like hardly any time had passed when Joe looked at the clock and saw it was time to dress for the hair appointment. He felt the strange nervousness start to overtake him again. It was scary to go alone to Sally's. It seemed to Joe that a beauty shop would be one of women's private places. And he'd be there all by himself.

He got up from the bed, and pulled the T-shirt off. He unbuttoned and unzipped the shorts and pulled them off. He went to the closet and retrieved the hanger holding the new dress. He liked the way it looked, and couldn't wait to wear it. He took it out and laid it on the bed while he got a slip from the dresser. As he was pulling the full slip over his head, he remembered his pantyhose. He found some he thought would look right with the olive colored dress, and reluctantly slipped them on. Although he actually enjoyed wearing most of these new feminine things, he really hated pantyhose. From the way Linda talked about them, he figured she did too. There was a lot not to like. Although his legs looked and felt great in them, pantyhose were hot, and sometimes, when he walked, the darn things would droop down making the crotch a few inches lower than it should be. If I'll have to wear stuff like this forever, he thought, I'll have to check out other alternatives.

With the pantyhose and slip on, he carefully removed the dress from the hanger, and pulled it over his head, placing his thin arms in the short sleeves. He buttoned up the few open buttons in front and went to the dresser mirror to admire himself. The dress fit well, flattering his still developing form. Using his hand, he brushed his hair around, trying to look as feminine as he could. No problem, he thought. My hair might be a little short, but I sure don't look like a guy anymore.

He found his black pumps, and was slipping them on when he remembered his little purse was in his flight bag. He got it out. He knew he'd have to carry it to Sally's. Any "regular" woman would have one with her.

With that, he was ready. He had a few minutes, but he decided to drive over now, rather than wait till the last minute. He walked out to his car, feeling good about himself, knowing he was well dressed and quite passable. When he got in the car, he had a bit of difficulty working the clutch wearing heels, just like he did that morning. Although he had become fairly adept at walking in heels, it was still easier to drive barefoot.

It was only a short trip to Sally's, and as he pulled into the drive, he thought it might be possible his heart was making more noise than the engine in his car. He stopped the engine, slipped the seat belt off, and then slipped his little heels back on. Taking a deep breath, he bravely walked inside.

There were four women customers in the shop, along with two beauticians besides Sally. Joe sat on one of the cushioned chairs in the waiting area. Sally saw him enter and, as soon she could, came over to where he was seated.

"Might you be Joel?" she asked, pronouncing his name Jo-ell, perhaps thinking it was more feminine that way.

"Yes," Joe said, smiling at her, and hoping she didn't recognize him. He had been here once, before all this happened, to pick up Linda.

If she recognized him, she certainly didn't let on. And Linda had told her that Joel was Joe's sister, so some resemblance would be understandable.

"I'll be able to get to you real soon," Sally said. "Make yourself comfortable. There's coffee over there, and some reading material." She pointed to the stack of magazines on the low table.

Joe smiled at her, and went to the stack of magazines. They were all women's interest magazines, and some were about hair styling. Joe took the one on top, which was Cosmopolitan. He had already reached the conclusion that Cosmo was roughly the female equivalent of Playboy. Strangely, it always seemed to have a woman in a low cut dress on the cover. It had always caught his eye, even before this had happened. He looked at this month's cover. Yep, as usual, there was a young woman wearing a skin tight blue Spandex number with her cleavage prominently displayed. Joe grinned as he looked at it. The sexy picture just didn't hold the same pizzazz anymore. He realized he was just as interested in the dress as what was in it.

As Joe thumbed through the pages, he read the ads with interest. Tampons, mini-pads, maxi-pads, hygiene products, women were bombarded with accessories for the female body and genitals. As he read an ad about a special soap, made just for the "outer vaginal area," it made him wonder if he might have a problem in that area. Then he remembered, as a guy he actually liked the smell of a normal, healthy woman. It was an unbelievable turn-on. Why should a woman want to mask that with some artificial flowery scent? Probably because they don't know that guy's aren't offended by their natural scent, and then become especially self-conscious when they read stuff like this.

He read an article about a sponge used for birth control. It was apparently placed inside the vagina, and it contained a spermicide which killed the little buggers before they could get to where they could do the job. This sponge thing wasn't prescription either. He wondered what it felt like, if it could be felt at all. He thought maybe, if he got to a drug store, wherever they sell stuff like this, he'd get some. He didn't know when the opportunity would present itself to bring the subject of contraception up to Dr. Krell, but if the possibility of intercourse ever occurred again, he wanted to be prepared.

Joe was just finishing the magazine when Sally came over to him. "Are you ready?" she asked, offering a friendly smile.

"Yes, I guess I am."

"Follow me, please," Sally said, turning and walking away.

They walked to the back of the shop, where there were chairs placed in front of small sinks, placed to allow easy shampooing the head.

"That's sure a lovely dress," Sally said. "It's just your color."

"Thank you. It's new."

Sally placed a towel around Joe's shoulders, and then had him sit back, with his head over the sink. She sprayed his hair with warm water. It felt great. As she massaged the shampoo into his hair, she began to speak.

"Linda tells me a friend cut your hair like this?"

"Yes, yes she did." Joe lied. "I was wanting to try something different, but guess I don't like it like this."

"How did you have it before?" Sally asked.

Joe wondered how to answer. He looked around, there were pictures of different styles on the walls. He finally found a picture of a dark blond woman, who looked a little like he did now, and whose hair style he liked.

"It was sort of like that," he said, pointing to the picture. "A little shorter in front, though."

"And you didn't like that?" Sally exclaimed. "Girl, it'll be a year before I can get your hair like that again."

"I don't need it to look like that. Just make it look as good as you can."

"Do you have any idea as to what you would like?" Sally continued.

"Any suggestions?" Joe countered, having no idea what to say.

Sally went to a large book, thumbed through it, and then presented a page for his comment.

"I think you have about enough length to try this. It might be a little short, but I think it would work."

"Let's try it." Joe had no desire to drag it out, and he did kind of like the sort of page-boy cut she offered. Besides, the length of his hair probably offered few other possibilities.

When his hair was washed, Sally led him over to a chair somewhat like a barber chair, but apparently not as adjustable. Sally placed a silky drape over him and fastened it around his neck. Then she brushed his hair. She walked around Joe and then took scissors and snipped a few hairs, then she took out a spray can of stuff. She sprayed a little of whatever it was, and combed his hair some more.

"This won't take long," Sally said. "You have very easy to work hair, and this style is very simple."

She was finished in an amazingly short time, and then swung the chair around so that Joe could get a good look. He had already been watching in the mirror on the other wall, so he knew that is hair wasn't changed much, but that it was made to look quite feminine. There would certainly be no need to wear the wig anymore.

"I like it," Joe complimented. "You did a fine job."

"Well, it's a little too short to do much with," Sally apologized. "You come back in a month, and then I can make it a little better."

Joe smiled. "Thanks a lot. Thanks for the quick service."

"You tell Linda hello for me." Sally said, as she took Joe's credit card.

"I will."

"Linda says you're from St. Louis?"

"Yes. I'm staying with Linda. I think I like the Phoenix area."

"Well, welcome to the desert, we're glad to have you."

"Thanks." Joe said again. "Thanks for everything."

"Oh, by the way," Sally said. "Do you have any of this styling spray?"

Joe didn't, of course. He took the plastic spray bottle from her hand and looked at it. NEXUS MAXXISTYLER. He probably better take some. "No, I don't think I have any of that," he admitted truthfully.

"Do you want me to add it onto your card?"

"Yeah, I think that would be best." Joe didn't have any idea what this stuff would cost, and he figured he only had about twenty-five dollars in the little handbag.

"I'll tear up the old ticket, and re-figure it."

When she was done, Joe signed the ticket, retrieved his card, and, saying his goodbyes, went out the door. He touched his new hairdo. It was quite stiff, not at all soft like he thought it would be. He liked softer styles, not the heavily moussed styles which were the current fashion. He'd have to be careful not to mess this up.

As he started his engine, he glanced at the clock in the dash. It was only ten thirty. The whole hair thing had taken less than an hour. He always thought that women spent the afternoon in places like that. Of course, he thought, most of them don't have hair like this either.

He had been planning to go to work after lunch. They had said there wouldn't be much going on in the morning, and probably there would be nothing at all for him to do. What could he do to kill a few hours, he wondered?

He remembered the ad in the magazine, the one for the contraceptive sponge. Maybe he could look for some of those. He knew if he ever found himself alone with a guy, Jay, or maybe even somebody else, he wanted to have something to use. He didn't want to trust the guy to have a condom, and he didn't want to carry some of those himself. With Jay, he could explain it, but with a stranger, he didn't want to think about it. He wondered if he, or the other guy could tell when it was in there. He grinned, what did he mean, the other guy? He was thinking about getting something to stick in a vagina, HIS vagina. And yet he was still thinking about himself as one of the guys. Old habits were sure hard to break.

As he drove along, he came to the large food and drug supermarket where he usually shopped. He figured that the personal products aisle had those sponges. He had bought condoms there before, and remembered seeing the display for them when they first came on the market. Who would have thought that now he would be thinking about some of them for his own use?

Joe parked his car the way he always did when he went to a large parking area, he parked about mid-lot, away from the other cars, the owners of which all seemed to love bashing their doors into his thin-skinned RX-7. The difference now was that it was much more work walking the distance in these heels than the relatively comfortable men's shoes he had always worn.

He went into the store and went straight for the personal hygiene shelves. There, among tampons, maxi-pads, and of course condoms, he found just what he was after.

The package in his hand said Today's Sponge. There were only three in the box, and it cost four dollars and seventy-five cents. Wow! He hadn't really thought much about price, he just figured they would cost about as much as a rubber. All this sex stuff is expensive for a woman, he thought.

He looked at the box a moment, and read what little there was on the back. It mainly said the directions were inside. Then he decided to buy them. He looked around at the other things on display, mostly feminine hygiene products, and wondered if he should get something else, too. He decided that he would try to get Linda to help him with that. Early on, he had impulsively purchased a box of panty-liners. He still had them, so if anything did "sneak up" on him, he was covered. Having a female body was significantly more complex than being male, he was starting to realize.

He carried the box up to the counter, and when he saw that there were only two checkouts working, and that both were staffed by young men, boys actually, he almost decided to put it back on the shelf and leave. Then, as he thought a little more, he screwed up his courage, and went toward the counter. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, was there? It was no different now than buying condoms before. He remembered his first time for doing that, and just how nerve wracking it was, and was hard put to suppress a grin as he walked to the young man behind the counter.

The checkout boy eyed Joe with a combination of male curiosity and teenage lust. Though it was Joe's first time to be the object of teenage male hormones, he knew immediately that the young man on the other side of the counter had already undressed him with his mind. Joe, rather than look embarrassed to be the object such an obvious inspection, decided to play it to the hilt. He looked down at the collar of his dress, and when he saw that it was open slightly, he decided to pay for the purchase with a credit card.

When the young man saw what this very attractive, sophisticated, older woman of maybe twenty-five with a fantastic bod was buying, it really made his hormones go into turbo mode. Joe could see that the young fellow had trouble keeping those curious eyes off his chest, and that it even took the lad two passes to enter the box of contraceptives into the pricing scanner. He hadn't realized how easy it was, how obvious, to tell when a male was out of his mind with desire. Of course, when you're seventeen, it doesn't really take that much, he remembered. The young man tore the sales slip from the register, and gave it and the card back to Joe for him to write his name and phone number.

Joe casually bent over to sign the ticket, being careful that the top of his dress was open and in view of the sales boy. There must be some law against this, he thought, keeping his face down to prevent the young man from seeing the grin on his face. He could see that he was giving him a good view of cleavage, and even a good view of his black bra. It was evident the kid was in voyeur heaven. The bulge in the crotch of his jeans appeared to be in danger of ripping out. Joe found his own heart begin to beat a little faster as he realized he, too, was enjoying the little flirting session. It was so amazing. Men, especially young men, were so easy. They seemed to be almost totally visually oriented, and apparently, he now had the ability to make most of them act like this. He was amazed at the extent of his new power.

He slowly finished signing, did his best to put on a straight face, and then stood erect, pushing his chest out and smiling as he looked the young man straight in the eye. The young man didn't make eye contact however, as he was still eyeing Joe's boobs. Joe had noticed that now even Jay sometimes seemed to stare at his chest when they spoke. Joe wondered if that happened to most women, and guessed that it probably did. He knew he was probably guilty of doing it too, at least sometimes. Although he found it somewhat embarrassing, he realized that it was actually sort of an unspoken compliment.

"Thank you for shopping Medex," the young man blurted, having said it so often that luckily, he could say it without thinking.

"Thanks a lot," Joe said smiling, speaking softly and demurely while picking up the package. He knew his voice (which though still changing, still held just a trace of male huskiness) now sounded rather sexy whenever he spoke softly. At least that's what Jay had told him the other night. He thought it might be just the thing to top off this little display. It all made him feel absolutely wicked as hell. Being ogled could be as much fun as being the ogler, he decided. I didn't ask to look like this, he thought, but I don't see why I can't have a little fun with it.

Leaving the store, Joe drove the short distance back to Linda's and took the package to his room. Curious about how to use the sponge, he couldn't resist opening the package to read the instructions. He looked at one still inside the wrapper. It was round, sort of like a little pillow, and it had a little loop on it, probably there to pull it back out. It seemed pretty large, but he knew that there was more room in there than it seemed. He was surprised to find that the instructions recommended that a condom still be used with the sponge. He had been hoping that with the sponge, he could experience what intercourse felt like without the guy's penis sheathed inside a condom. He wasn't sure why he felt that way exactly, but he knew the screwing with a rubber felt much different for the guy, and he thought it might feel different now too. Would finding out be worth the slightly increased risk of pregnancy? That was hard to say. The whole idea of getting pregnant was still so foreign that he couldn't even imagine it.

He took a couple of the sponges and placed them in his shaving kit, the place he used to keep a couple of condoms. That seemed a little ironic when he considered it. The last one he left in the box, which he placed in the cabinet under the sink in his bathroom. He didn't know what he might need it for, but it wouldn't hurt anything there, and he doubted Linda would find it.

After one last check in the mirror, admiring his new hair, he gathered up his little handbag and went to his car.

It was almost lunch time and he decided to stop and catch a bite to eat before reporting for work. One quick burger at Wendy's was enough, and he finished it quickly, having to continually remind himself that people would notice now if he ate his food as quickly as he usually did.

When he finished his lunch he drove to Honeybone. He parked his car, and, as he walked to the security checkpoint, he saw the gate guard was watching him approach. Joe wondered if the man recognized him, or if he watched all the women that closely. Damn likely he did, Joe figured.

When he presented his badge to the guard, the man cleared him through with only a wide grin and a friendly wave. Yeah, the man had recognized him, Joe figured. Probably they all did. He was glad that everyone had been so understanding about what had happened. He thought it would be much different. So far though, everyone at work was very nice to him and the others. He couldn't vouch for the others, but up to now he couldn't say he had experienced any teasing or persecution. He was glad of that. As difficult as it was to get accustomed to looking so female, it would have been much harder if they also had to endure all the other guys teasing and discrimination. Of course, it was all still new, and the whole idea was just so outlandish, so unbelievable, that there was more curiosity than anything else.

Joe walked the maze of halls to his desk in the Certification Department, his mid-heeled pumps clicking on the polished terrazzo in the main hallways. He passed other employees, some of whom he recognized, but none that he knew well. They didn't seem to recognize him. When he reached his work area, there was no one else around. He wondered where they might be, and decided that it was likely they were in the lab. He went back down the hall and entered the double doors of the lab.

Inside the lab he recognized his boss, Jim Matheney, Dr. Krell, Dr. Roberts, and Karen. There were three or four others also, but he didn't recognize any of them. Dave, Mike, or Tim were not there.

"Good afternoon, Joe," Jim called across the room to him as soon as he saw who he was.

"Hi," Joe responded, waving to them, they had all turned when Jim spoke.

"Your hair looks pretty good," Karen said as she came over to him.

"Yeah. Linda suggested I try it. I went to someone she suggested. It sure feels cooler than the wig," Joe said, grinning.

"You're looking good, Joe," Jim said, habitually shaking his hand when he reached him.

"Thanks, Jim." Joe said. "Where are the others?" He had expected Dave and Mike to be there.

"Well, Dave was here this morning," Jim answered, "but he left after about an hour. I don't think things are going as fast as he would like. These folks are pretty methodical, and they don't ever get rushed."

"Do you know where Dave went?" Joe wondered.

"No, unless he went back home," Jim continued. "If you have anything else you need to do, feel free to come and go as you please. They don't seem to need much help from us, and I'll give 'em anything they might need."

"Thanks," Joe said, "but I think I'll stay a while anyway. What's going on?"

"Right now they're just setting up the cages and getting the computers working," Karen answered. She pointed at the row of cages designed to hold small animals across one wall.

At a desk nearby, two men were working on a personal computer, hooking up the monitor and printer. It was probably used for record keeping, and perhaps for typing reports. It was plain these people were in it for the long haul.

Joe walked over to where the men were working. One looked up at him, smiled, and said hello. He obviously had no idea who Joe was.

Dr. Krell came over to where Joe was standing. He greeted Joe with his usual friendly warmth.

"What do you think?" the little man asked smiling. "Will this do it?"

"I hope so," Joe answered. "What are you planning to put in the cages?"

"We have been able to obtain five Rhesus Monkeys," Dr. Krell answered. "I think we should try some experiments with primates first, don't you?"

"You're the doctor."

"Why, that's right, isn't it," Dr. Krell answered, as if he just realized it. The man obviously had a sense of humor.

Joe looked around at everything. It was obvious that it would probably be another day at least before they were ready to try anything. Somehow, he had thought that they would just be ready immediately, but when he considered what they were actually trying to do, the scientific approach was absolutely required here. It was his first experience with biological testing.

Just then, there was a page over the intercom for Jim Matheney. Jim went to a nearby phone, and punched in a number. He listened and spoke for a minute, looking over at Joe now and then. He hung up, and came over to Joe.

"That was Mr. Peterson," Jim said. "He found out about what happened, and he wants to know all about it."

Mr. "Pete" Peterson was the President of Honeybone. His office was in Minneapolis. Joe had met the man only once, and was surprised at how much interest he had shown in the many facets of the big corporation he headed.

"Is he coming here?" Joe asked. He wondered if the man would want to meet him.

"Well, actually, he wants you to come there," Jim answered. "Do you have any problem with that?"

"Problem? Why should I?" Joe didn't relish the idea of being the subject of discussion and being put on display, but considering what had happened, it was probably inevitable.

"Well then, how about taking the Cessna up to Minneapolis tomorrow?" Jim asked. "I don't think you'll have to be gone more than two days."

"All of us?" Joe asked.

"Well, he only asked for one, but I guess it wouldn't hurt for all of you to go. Well, no, maybe just you. Perhaps we better keep Dave and Mike here in case they might need one of you for something."

Yeah, Joe thought. Heaven only knows what they might need any of them for. But he shook his head in agreement. "Ok. If Mr. Peterson wants to see me, I'll go. Can I take someone with me?"

"I suppose so. Just who did you have in mind?"

"Well, I don't know if he'll be able to get away," Joe responded. "But I'd like my friend Jay to come along. He's an attorney, and since I don't know what Mr. Peterson really wants, I'd like Jay to be there to help me answer any questions."

"So you feel you need legal representation?" Jim asked, obviously concerned.

"Don't worry." Joe said, a grin forming on his face. "I don't plan on any legal action, or anything like that. As long as the Company continues to help us with this mess."

"Don't you worry about that. They only want to help you guys back. I honestly believe they have no plans to exploit any of you."

"Well, I hope you're right. I really do. But I'll feel better if Jay goes along anyway. Besides, he's my instrument student, and I can help him get some multi time."

"Well I guess it'll be OK, Joe. Just don't mess everything up by coming across as too threatening."

"Have I been any trouble so far?" Joe asked. "I'm the one who's lost my balls. Remember?"

"Ok. Ok. You're probably right." Jim laid his hand on and squeezed Joe's shoulder. "If it happened to me, I'd probably want legal representation present when I talked to the Man."

Jim called the hanger, and scheduled the plane for tomorrow morning. He told the scheduler to plan for an 0600 takeoff. Joe calculated in his head, and figured he could get the 421 into Minneapolis before noon.

When Jim hung up, Joe looked at his boss. He had just thought of another problem. "If you really don't care, I think I'll leave now. If I have to go into cold country, I'll have to get some warm clothes that fit."

"Sure. No problem. And don't forget to turn in your expense reports. Everything you need will be covered. Get some nice stuff."

"Don't worry, I will," Joe said, smiling as he gathered up his stuff to leave.

He thought he'd call Jay at work from Linda's, and then go on another shopping spree. Although the early spring in Phoenix was quite warm, it was still cool in Minnesota, and he hoped he could find some clothes like he needed. He wondered if he could get Linda to help him pick out some clothes. She made it all seem so easy, almost fun. He never cared much about buying clothes when he was getting men's things, but it was different now. So many options, textures, colors, and styles. He had to admit, he actually looked forward to shopping for clothes now.

As he walked out to his car, he felt the afternoon sun in his face, and felt another one of those good feelings rush through his body. He didn't know what caused them, maybe the new hormones or something, he just knew that he had only felt them within the last week, never before. It was an unusual feeling, and it made him wonder if "real" women felt it. If they did, they probably didn't even recognize it, he considered. Just like he had never really noticed the sexual tension he had as a male, until it disappeared along with his testicles.

Joe drove into the drive at Linda's and went in to make some phone calls. He had plenty left to do today to get ready for tomorrow.