The Salesperson

THE SALESPERSON

by

The Professor

Chapter One - The Big Sale

I pushed the contract across the desk in front of my customer's face and said, "Just okay this and we can get started."

He hadn't agreed to my contract; at least not in so many words. But I had been selling for my entire adult life, and I knew what to do. I had gotten him to agree to key parts of my presentation. When I sensed any reluctance, I drew back and asked him to clarify his concerns. I quickly cleared up his misconceptions and misgivings and drove my presentation to its logical conclusion, with the contract directly in front of him.

Now the Moment of Truth had arrived. The next person to speak had lost. If my customer managed to say anything at all, he would lose and I would have a sale. If I had to speak first, there would be no sale. It worked every time. But as the seconds ticked off, I wasn't worried. I had studied my customer's needs very well. He needed the services and products my company had to offer. He couldn't say no.

After what seemed to be an eternity, he slowly reached for the contract and signed it. At last, he looked at me. "When will the system be installed?"

"We'll get the hardware in in about a week," I promised him. "As soon as it arrives, I'll be calling you to arrange the installation.

He smiled, handing me the contract. "Great!" was all he said.

I walked out of Matthew Crown's office with a contract for eighty new computers with all the appropriate peripherals. When I added all the software, networking, and training which I had sold with the package, it would be the largest order in our office for the month. Sam, my Sales Manager, would be proud of me. It was only a matter of time before he would push me for promotion to Sales Manager. I had heard that Denver would be available in a few months, and I wanted that assignment badly.

The order would produce a tidy commission for me as well. I wasn't sure how much. I never figure that in advance. If the customer sees a salesman with dollar signs in his eyes, he'll run for the hills faster than any deer faced with a hungry wolf.

As I reached the main lobby, I spotted the competition. American Netstar led our company in almost every market in the West except here in Phoenix. Our company, National Net, had a significant lead over them, mostly due to my efforts, if I do say so. Dan Morath, the Western Sales Manager for American Netstar had tried to hire me twice before. Although the compensation package looked good, I didn't care much for Dan and couldn't see myself working for him. So I turned him down - nicely the first time and not so nicely the second.

Dan had tried over and over to find a rep who could beat me in Phoenix, but after three tries, he had to be getting frustrated, because I beat all three of them to the punch almost all the time. His latest rep in Phoenix was a hotshot about my age (24) who he picked up from one of the computer manufacturers. The guy came on too strong, though, to suit most of Phoenix's laid-back customers, and he was floundering. Now, here he was in the lobby a day (or at least an hour) late and a large number of dollars short. Victory was all the sweeter because I saw he had brought Dan in from LA for the presentation.

"Hey, Dan," I called, completely ignoring the hotshot, "how's it going?"

One look at my face and Dan knew he had already lost. The hotshot was going to take serious crap when they got out of the office. "It's going well, Jack," he lied to me. Then curiosity got the best of him. "What were you here for today?"

"I just came over to see Matthew Crown," I told him. I didn't want to volunteer any more information.

"Any luck?"

"Quite a bit actually. Good seeing you, Dan." One good lie deserved another. I left him with hotshot so they could sort out their Failure of the Day.

I didn't bother to go back to the office. It was already nearly five, and I had had a great day. Hell, I was having a great year. I was our top rep in the West and number two in the nation with a good shot at number one. I headed for home to get out of my suit and hit the pool. God, I loved being a salesman!

I had been selling most of my life when you got right down to it. In high school, I sold ads for the yearbook, and in college, I was Rush Chairman of my fraternity. I guess I always wanted to be in sales. My dad was pretty pissed about that. He was a doctor and wanted me to be a doctor, too. Since I was an only child, he felt as if I had let him down. we never got along after that.

Dad didn't make it to see me graduate and get a great job in high-tech sales. He and Mom died in a car wreck my Senior year at Arizona State. I doubt if he would have been pleased in any case. With him, if I wasn't going to be a doctor, I wasn't going to be anything.

My parents left me enough money to finish college, but most of Dad's estate went into trust for me. I couldn't touch the money until I was thirty. Frankly, there wasn't that much in the estate anyhow. Dad wasn't a high-priced specialist; only a lowly GP, although I guess they call them "Family Doctors" now. And to be honest, I didn't much care. I had a good job, and I was very confident of my abilities. I planned to make my first million; not inherit it.

I spent the evening in my favorite bar, O'Reilly's, in Scottsdale. It was one of those places the high-tech sales crowd always hangs out in. I linked up with a couple of my fraternity brothers who were still around after graduation doing about the same thing I was (although not as well). We tossed down a couple and started looking for girls. I got lucky there, too.

The next morning, I was in the office right at eight with a smile on my face. I had scored twice the previous day. That was once with Matthew Crown and once with a young sweetheart who had just gone to work for IBM. She wanted to see my selling style and I was happy to oblige. I sold her right into a terrific night of sex and debauchery.

Sam was waiting for me in my office. "So, how did you do with Crown?" he asked with no preamble.

"Here." I tossed him the contract.

He looked at it, checking to see if I had sold everything right. Finally he looked up. " You asshole! Why didn't you call me last night and tell me you got the contract. I stayed here until almost six thinking you'd call me with the news."

"I didn't figure I needed to call you," I grinned. "You knew I went out to pick up the contract."

"Sure, but something could have gone wrong."

A small crowd was gathering. The other two reps in the office and the Service Manager had overheard the news and wanted the details.

"What could have gone wrong?" I asked innocently.

"Well," Sam started, "for openers, that clown from American Netstar could have gotten in and wrecked the whole thing."

"No, he couldn't," I told him.

Sam frowned. "How can you be so sure?"

"Because," I told him with a wicked grin, "I had a hot date with Crown's secretary three nights ago, and she told me that American wasn't coming in until after my appointment. All I had to do is make sure Crown signed before they got in."

Sam groaned, "I should have known sex would come into this sale someplace."

"It's part of the salesmanship," I told him.

Mike Mitchell, one of the other reps broke in, "I heard that Dirty Dan fired that new guy over at American."

"Where did you hear that?" we all asked at once.

"Their Service Manager told me last night. He and I go way back. We grew up together. He's dating my sister."

"Great," I muttered. "Now I'll have to scope out their new rep. Maybe they'll hire a girl this time."

"Dirty Dan?" Sam laughed. "I doubt it. I don't think there will ever be any women on his sales team."

Before I could respond, Cindy, our receptionist was on the intercom. "Jack, there's a bluebird in your territory. He's on the phone."

That was the news every salesman wants to hear. A bluebird is an unsolicited caller who wants to buy. This would be the icing on the cake. It was Friday, and I could close out the week with another sale. Amidst the muttering from the other reps of "he has all the luck," I picked up the phone. "Jack Barnes," I answered crisply.

"Mr. Barnes," a pleasant male voice began, "my name is Bradford Mills. I'm with Magnus Corporation. We're a national land developer. Perhaps you've heard of us?"

"Of course," I lied smoothly. I had never heard of Magnus.

"Well, my company is looking for a new computer system. I was just talking with my good friend, Matthew Crown. He tells me you were able to help him. Would you be interested in looking at our needs?"

"I think we can be of help, Mr. Mills," I said with a twinkle in my eye for the benefit of my fellow employees who were still crowded into my office. "How many stations are you looking at?"

"We currently have 200 computers tied to our network around the country," came the reply. "We need to expand that number by at least twenty per cent."

A live one, I thought to myself. This was the perfect ending to a perfect week. I had just signed a big order under the nose of my top competitor, and now I had a brand new prospect. If I did my homework right, I could get this Mills under contract before the end of the month. I'd be the hero of the whole nation and take over the number one slot in the country. The promotion to Denver would be right around the corner.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I had just made a classic salesman's blunder. I had looked ahead to what the sale would mean for me instead of making a cautious, thoughtful approach. Being a good salesman is like being a good predator. In the wild, a predator knows to sneak up on his prey, always staying downwind and looking for signs of trouble. A predator who smacks his lips and leaps with abandon for his prey is apt to go hungry.

Most salesmen who make this blunder lose the sale. As I was soon to discover, I was about to lose a lot more.

Chapter Two - The Trap

I had no trouble making my two o'clock appointment with Mr. Mills. His offices were in a new building I had watched going up in an office park on the edge of my territory. He had explained to me on the phone that his company was operating with a skeleton crew for the moment and needed to get the details of their computer system ironed out quickly before the full staff moved in. This was music to my ears. I had a sales prospect who had an immediate need. A sale like this and I could buy my ticket to Denver.

I was a little surprised to find the building still far from finished. The way Mr. Mills had talked on the phone, the move-in date was imminent. It looked as if some of the floors weren't even completed yet, and the elevator wasn't working yet, so I had to hoof it to his office on the third floor.

Even his office appeared deserted. I tapped lightly on the outer door and was rewarded with a friendly, "Come on in!"

Mr. Mills' office was still bare bones. There was only a desk and chair as well as a visitor's chair in the office. A middle-aged man who looked somehow familiar looked up from his work and said, "You must be Jack Barnes."

"Guilty," I quipped, reaching for his extended hand. I was surprised to feel a slight tingle when our hands touched.

"Pleased to meet you," he grinned. "I'm Bradford Mills. I appreciate your dropping everything to see me."

Dropping everything consisted of giving up an early afternoon at O'Reilly's knocking down a few beers and selecting a conquest for the weekend. "I'm glad I could make it, sir."

"Sit down," He motioned to the visitor's chair. "I'm sorry I can't offer you something, but as you can see, we're still a little bare bones around here. Thank god for cell phones or I wouldn't even be able to operate out of here."

I sat down in the chair. I noted it had an odd seat and didn't feel exactly right on my butt. "That's fine. I don't need anything," I lied. Actually, I could have used a beer from O'Reilly's, I thought, because my voice cracked unexpectedly.

"Now," Mr. Mills began, "we're going to need to have the system we decide upon up and running within thirty days. Is that a problem?"

"I wouldn't think so," I replied, upset that my voice cracked again. Also, I was upset when I felt hair on the back of my neck. I made a mental note to set up a haircut appointment for Saturday. "Now, I'd like to know a little more about what is important to you in this system."

"Well," Mr. Mills began, leaning back in his chair and tapped his fingers together, "the system needs to be fast. Is your system fast?"

I smiled. "Si, es muy rapido." What had possessed me to say that? I hadn't had Spanish since high school, and I certainly wouldn't use it on a sales call.

I opened my notebook, preparing to write "Important: Speed" when I looked at my hand. Something was wrong. It appeared darker than it should and smaller. As I watched, my fingernails began to grow, filing themselves down to a point and changing color to a deep burgundy. "What the hell?" I yelled as my voice not only cracked but also went up a full octave. As I looked at my now slender hand and wrist, two delicate gold bracelets faded into existence around it.

Mr. Mills began to laugh suddenly. Odd, I thought through the panic I was feeling. There was nothing to laugh about. "Feeling a little out of sorts, Jack?" he asked.

Out of sorts wasn't the phrase for it. My entire body seemed to be rippling and changing. I looked down in horror, breathing quickly, and with each breath, mounds of flesh began to inflate on my chest. I could feel their weight suddenly changing the entire balance of my body.

"Not quite yourself today, are you, Jack?" he laughed as I felt my hair growing longer and curling down my back and over my shoulders.

"What are you doing to me?" I demanded. I tried to stand to face him, but I lost my balance and fell back into the chair on what was now a very well padded ass. I looked down to see why I had lost my balance and looked in horror at the three inch heels that were now on my feet. Also, the legs of my blue pinstripe suit pants had fused and formed a skirt, which was inching slowly up my legs, exposing slim, feminine legs encased in dark sheer nylon mesh.

"It should be obvious to you, Jack," he said. "I am changing you into a woman. To be precise, I am changing you into a Hispanic woman. In a few minutes, you will be Maria Delgado, a rather lovely twenty-three year old woman."

"Pero, porque?" I asked in my new, higher voice in a language I barely understood moments before. I winced slightly as my ears felt the weight of two heavy gold hoops, each an inch in diameter.

"Why?" he said, translating into English. "Let me show you why."

I gasped in amazement as the image of Mr. Mills shifted into the familiar image of Dan Morath. Somehow, I realized that unlike what was happening to me, the visage of "Mr. Mills" had been nothing more than an illusion. Morath had set a trap for me with himself as the bait.

"I've gotten tired of constantly losing sales to you, Jack," Morath explained. "Do you have any idea how many sales reps I've had in this territory in the last three years?"

I dared not speak, for I knew that I was starting to think in Spanish. I had to think hard before I could make the words come out in English, so I shook my head instead, feeling the waves of coal black hair tickle my cheeks as I did.

"Three sales reps!" he answered. "I haven't replaced that many in all of Southern California. You have probably cost me a big promotion already, but I have a way for you to make up for it."

I looked down as my tie became a gold necklace and my shirt became a silky blouse with a wide open neck. The blouse pushed out uncomfortably with my new breasts. I felt them surrounded by what I knew was a bra. I licked my lips, surprised to taste lipstick there.

"You see, Jack, or I should say 'Maria,' you're going to be my new sales rep in Phoenix!"

"No!" I cried in my new feminine voice, trying hard to speak in English. "Yo - I can't. I'll be missed at National Net. I work there."

"Wrong, Maria. Jack Barnes is whom Sam will miss. If you walked in the door of his office right now, he'd throw you out. You work for me now."

"Then I'll tell him," I snapped, feeling my new face flush. "I'll get him to believe me somehow."

Morath shook his head. "I doubt that very much. Most people don't believe in magic any more. Do you know there are less than five hundred sorcerers left in the world? In fact, in the entire Southwest, there are only four of us. You'd never get anyone to believe you."

"Es posible," I admitted, "pero - but I'm not going to work for you, you ……" I couldn't think of a proper name to call him in English, and I wasn't about to let him hear me curse him in Spanish. It would have given him too much satisfaction.

"Who else are you going to work for?" he asked innocently. "I can hire you without any trouble. I've already taken care of it. But if anyone else tries to hire you, they'll find out you killed a man in Mexico - a policeman, no less - before your fifteenth birthday. That's why your parents brought you to this country."

"But I didn't!"

"I know that. But the police will believe it was you. They'll send you back to Mexico. Do you have any idea what it will be like for you in that body in a Mexican prison?"

Unfortunately, I did have some idea of what would happen. Still, I thought he was bluffing. How could I work for him if I was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if the police were following me? Still, I had to find a compromise out of this. I picked my words carefully, suppressing the Spanish words which tried to rise to the surface. "Okay, Dan. How about this for a deal? You change me back into my male self and I'll work for you."

He shook his head. "I can't do that. The amount of magic in the world is not infinite. It took me a year to put enough spells together to change you into Maria. It would take at least another year to change you back, even if I wanted to. Which I don't."

"But why?" I asked, fear rising within me. For the first time, I realized I might have to spend the rest of my life like this. "Why did you go to all of the trouble to change me? Why not offer me the job as I was?"

He smiled a dangerous smile at me. "In the first place, you wouldn't have accepted the offer this time just as you've never accepted an offer from me before. The only way you would work for me is if you had no choice. The way you are now, you have no identity except the one I give you, so if you don't work for me, about the only thing left open to you would be prostitution. And secondly, I wanted to give you a little payback. You've caused me more trouble in Phoenix than you can imagine, so I thought this change would humble you a little."

I had to admit he had a point. There is no way in the world that I would have worked for Dirty Dan as my normal self. Good salespeople develop instincts, and my instincts told me that Dan Morath was not a man I would voluntarily work for. He appeared to be the type of manager who planned to be promoted at the expense of his people.

I looked down before answering and immediately found what I was looking for. I figured if I was really a woman now, he would have provided me with a purse. Sure enough, it was on the floor next to my chair - a navy blue purse which perfectly matched my woman's suit. I picked it up and fished through it carefully, trying hard not to rip my newly long fingernails on anything. I found a wallet and pulled it out.

I smiled as I removed the driver's license from the wallet and displayed it. "I thought you said I had no identity!"

Dan shook his head. "No, that isn't what I said. I told you that you had only the identity I had given you."

"Then this is all I should need," I said smugly, rising to my feet. I nearly fell, not being used to the balancing act that my new three inch heels required. "You don't own me, Dan."

With as much dignity as I could muster, I wobbled to the door. My entire center of gravity had changed, and I felt as if I were going to fall any second. I could feel my larger ass wiggling and the downward pull of my breasts jiggling as I staggered toward the door.

"We'll see about that," I heard Dan say as I walked out the door.

My car was still in the parking lot, so I fished through the purse for the key. At last, I wrapped my hand around what seemed to be car keys, but they didn't feel right. I attributed the strange feel to the fact that my hand was now smaller. I was astonished and distressed to find it was the key to a Nissan Altima, not my BMW. Of course. Apparently Maria didn't drive a Beemer. She apparently preferred an Altima. The keys to my BMW had disappeared with the rest of my identity.

Now I had two things to fume about. Dirty Dan had stolen my identity, changed my sex, and now he had taken away my Beemer! I was pissed. I opened the door and struggled to get in the car, nearly losing my balance. Then I recalled how I had seen women in skirts enter cars when I was still a man. Carefully, I sat down sideways on the driver's seat and swung my legs into the car. This was going to be difficult. I would have to learn a new way of moving if I was to avoid making a fool of myself.

I had just started the engine when a police cruiser, lights flashing pulled to a screeching halt directly in front of the car. Two officers got out and approached me. Now what, I thought? I put down the window and said pleasantly, "Is there a problem, Officer?"

Without returning my pleasantries, the larger of the two officers asked, "May I see your license and registration, Miss?"

I rankled at being called "miss." It was embarrassing enough to be stopped by the police for no good reason, but to be a woman made it even worse. I fumbled through my wallet for my new license and through the glove compartment for the registration. I breathed a small sigh of relief when I found it there.

The officer studied my documents without a word. Then, without any preamble he said, "Will you please step out of the car?"

"But…why?"

"Just step out of the car, Miss." There was no mistaking his tone. This was an order; not a request. Confused and not a little frightened, I reversed my recent entry, swinging my legs out and getting to my feet as gracefully as I could.

The other officer continued to watch me from a distance. I was alarmed to notice his hand resting on the butt of his gun. There was no doubt in my mind that he was prepared to draw the gun if necessary. If the situation had not been so potentially explosive, it would have been funny. Even in my old body, I was hardly a threat for two armed officers. Now, in this new weak, feminine body, I was not a match for anyone.

Once I was standing, the officer said, "Now turn around with your hands on the car." I did as I was told, realizing that I was about to be "frisked." I don't know if I was more humiliated or frightened.

As he gently but professionally patted me down, I remembered with horror what Dan had told me about the murder of a policeman in Mexico. That was what this was all about! Dan had made certain that the police would find me. He must have called them right after I stormed out of the office. But maybe - just maybe - I could bluff my way out of this, I thought. I had only Dan's word that the police were really after me. Maybe he had called them with some false charge and I would be free in few hours. I had to play out the hand. It was either that or agree to go to work for Dan. What other choices did I have?

The next few hours are a blur to this day. I was taken to the nearest police station, fingerprinted, booked, and placed in a holding cell with three other women. The process was degrading to say the least. The cell was clean but uncomfortable, with only wooden benches to sit on. And the lights were so bright that it hurt my eyes to look at them. Besides, I felt like a man in drag. I sat dejectedly on one of the benches away from the other three women, hoping they would leave me alone with my thoughts. No such luck.

All three women looked like rough stuff. As a man, I wouldn't have worried much about any of them, but as a woman, I knew I was smaller and weaker then two of the three. Unfortunately, the third one looked to be the roughest of them all. She was dressed in jeans and a halter top, both of which had small spots of blood on them. She was Hispanic and not unattractive, but with her hair cut almost as short as a man's and the La Raza tattoo on her left arm, she looked like one though cookie.

Hola, hermana," she said to me, not unfriendly. It meant "Hello, sister." I understood it, of course. Spanish was the language I thought in now.

"Hola," I managed to reply.

"What's a high class lady like you doing in here with us?" she asked in Spanish. I was actually relieved to be able to speak Spanish. It was easier for me than English.

"It's a mistake," I told her. "They think I'm somebody else." Truer words were never spoken.

"Yeah, sure," she grinned. "We're all here because of mistakes. Only we're the ones who've made them. My mistake is after I knifed my boyfriend, I let him run away instead of killing him. The son of a whore called the cops on me. What can you do?"

I looked down at my nylon covered knees, still unable to completely believe who I was. I had to come to terms with the possibility that I was going to be Maria Delgado for the rest of my life. And if I was to remain this way, how did I want to live my life? I could stand on principles and refuse to work for Dirty Dan, but if I did, I was likely to spend the rest of my life in a Mexican prison. After only a short time in the holding cell, surrounded by prostitutes and would-be murderesses, the thought of a life in prison was no longer theoretical. I could well imagine that life in a Mexican prison would be worse yet, probably made to perform sexually for guards and other prisoners. There was no future for me there.

I sighed and got to my feet, calling out to a guard, "Please, I would like to call my attorney now." I didn't have an attorney, and I didn't plan to call one. What could an attorney do for me? Dan had me where he wanted me, and if I didn't play ball with him, nothing short of Johnny Corcoran could get me out of this mess.

The guard escorted me to a small private room with nothing but a desk and a phone. After dialing the number I gave her (Dan's office), she stepped out of the room.

Dan answered with a flat "Hello."

"Dan, this is Jack Barnes."

"Who?" he asked innocently. Apparently, he was not going to allow me any part of my identity.

"All right," I agreed reluctantly. "This is Maria Delgado. Are you satisfied?"

"And what can I do for you, Miss Delgado?"

"You can get me the fuck out of here!" I hissed.

"Are you ready to accept my offer?"

"Yes," I said quickly. "Oh, yes. I'll go to work for you. Just get me out of here."

An hour later, the door to the holding cell was opened, and I was escorted to a small office. I wasn't surprised to see Dan in the office. With him, behind the desk, was a middle-aged man I hadn't seen before, but he looked like someone in authority. On his desk was my purse.

"Ms Delgado, please have a seat," the man said. I sat as demurely as I could.

"The Department owes you an apology," he began, sliding my purse to me. "It appears that you are not the Maria Delgado we are looking for. Your attorney here has provided us with your credentials, including your naturalization certificate, and it appears that we have made a serious mistake."

I listened as he continued to apologize and said nothing, letting Dan talk for me. Apparently, he had been able to convince the police that he was an attorney. I don't know; maybe he really was an attorney. Many of them end up in sales. The man asked me to sign a waiver absolving the police. I did so gladly. Anything to get out of there. In a few minutes, we were shaking hands and Dan was escorting me to the door.

We said nothing until we were out of the building. Then Dan said under his breath, "Well, Maria, I hope you've learned your lesson."

I didn't reply.

Chapter 3 - Alone At Last

When we were in his car, he began to speak as he drove away. "OK, Maria, let's get a few things straight. I used a simple hypnotic spell to convince the police that you were not the woman they were looking for. Nothing in your police file has actually changed. If they arrest you again, they will find your picture and fingerprints in that file. It will be an open and shut case. This was your one and only chance to screw up. If you cross me again, you'll be on your way to a Mexican jail before you can straighten out your pantyhose. Do you understand?"

What choice did I have. "Yes."

He nodded. "Good. Now, I'm going to take you over to your new apartment. You'll find clothing and other personal items there; enough to start your new life. I want you to spend the weekend getting used to being Maria Delgado. Then, I'll expect you in the office Monday morning. You'll have a week of orientation in the office. After that, you'll go on quota immediately. You'll be expected to make your quota quickly. One quarter below quota, and it's off to jail. Have you got that clear?"

Madre de Dios! I was practically his slave. I didn't dare have a bad quarter, so I would have to work for him as hard as I could. I'll admit that it had crossed my mind that I might skate on him and get him in trouble with my bad sales numbers. No such luck now. I would have to give him my all or my life would become a hell far worse than it was now. Again, I replied, "Yes."

"And, Maria, tonight should be the last night you can discuss your old life with me or anyone else. As far as the world is concerned, Jack Barnes fell off the face of the Earth. So if you have any questions, you'd better ask them tonight."

"One question," I ventured. "How long must I be like this?"

"One answer," he replied. "You can plan on being Maria Delgado for the rest of your life. As I told you before, it took a year's magic just to change you and put all the legal stuff together. There's nothing magic about your apartment. I put all that together myself over the last two weeks."

"How long have you been planning this?" I interrupted.

"For almost eighteen months. I saved every bit of magic, denied myself any number of small pleasures, and cost my reps at least half a dozen sales I could have influenced just to bring you to this moment. So you can see, I'm not going to give up my investment lightly.

"As for your second question, you'll work for me until I get promoted. Then, you'll be on your own. You can continue to work for the company or move on. I know you don't like me, so that will be an additional incentive for you to work hard for me."

"But why a woman?" I asked, fearful that the answer might have something to do with his expectations that I be more to him than just another sales rep. He saw my concern and grinned.

"I know what you're thinking," he said brightly. "I wish I could oblige you, but I'm happily married. Besides, I have other plans for you in that regard. I made you into a woman because it pleased me to pay you back in an embarrassing fashion for all the embarrassment you've caused me. Also, as a man - any man - you might have figured out a way to break my hold over you. But as a woman, you'll be subject to new emotions and new sensations that will keep you off balance for as long as I need you. Besides, I needed a woman and Hispanic rep to meet some EEO quotas for the company. Since you're both a woman and Hispanic, I get two gold stars for you. Ah - we're here."

Dan pulled up in front of a fairly new apartment complex and walked me to my new home. He had already furnished it in a reasonably comfortable fashion. At least I would be able to live relatively well.

"You have everything you need," Dan said, handing me the key. "I've provided you with clothes and all the accessories you'll need for a while. Don't worry about paying me back. You'll find there's a personal loan from your bank that you will have to repay. The proceeds of that loan provided your car and personal items. And by the way, I expect you to dress in a sexy but professional manner. I think you know what I mean."

He started to leave; then turned to add slyly, "Oh, I almost forgot. Your little act of defiance tonight is going to cost you. I saved up just a little bit of magic which I'll share with you now. You might call it a curse."

He made an odd gesture in the air, and I suddenly felt an odd tingling in my breasts and between my legs. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation. In fact, it was the most pleasant sensation I had felt since becoming a woman. My body shuddered and I let out a small sigh.

"Yes, my dear, it feels good, doesn't it?" he said softly.

"Si," I managed to gasp.

"That last little bit of magic has given you an extremely strong sex drive. You'll find you need sex with a man almost as much as you need food, and almost as often."

"No!"

"Yes," he said with a grin. "From now on, you'll feel the need for sex building within you. There are some birth control pills in the medicine cabinet. You'd better get used to using them. By tomorrow night, you'll be ready to be screwed, and every two or three nights after that as well."

"But I'm not -" I started to say that I wasn't gay, but that would have sounded rather stupid given my present sex. It wasn't gay for someone with a body like mine to be attracted to men, but I wasn't. I was still attracted to women, at least from an intellectual standpoint. Did that make me a lesbian? "I'm not attracted to men," I managed to finish.

"No," he said as he left, "but you will be."

As the door closed, I found myself completely alone as a woman for the first time. I realized I had never really seen myself yet. I had been too busy either fencing with Dan or worrying about the police. I went into the bedroom and found it decorated for a woman's taste although not overtly feminine. As I expected, there was a full length mirror behind the door. I had never seen a woman's apartment in my life that didn't have a full length mirror some place, typically the bedroom.

When I looked in the mirror, I saw a very attractive, if somewhat disheveled woman. She - I - had olive skin which looked Hispanic one moment and Oriental or even Black the next moment. My hair was longer and darker than I had realized, flowing about half way down my back. It was coal black in color, with a slight curl which gave it body. My face was nearly angelic, with perfectly made-up eyes and lips and just a small amount of dark blush on the cheeks.

Checking about to make certain all of the drapes in my apartment were closed, I began to remove my suit. In a few moments, I was nude and could see for the very first time my entire body. If it were not for tactile sensation, I could have viewed my body with detachment and imagined myself still male watching a beautiful woman. But I didn't have the normal male responses any more. Staring at the oversized breasts with their large dark brown nipples, slim waist, rounded hips, and long, sleek brown legs would have caused a pleasurable stirring in my penis if I still had one, but of course, I didn't.

I did find that I had other unfamiliar sensations, though. If it was the cold on my nipples or a sexual stirring, I couldn't say, but my nipples became semi-erect as I watched, and seeing them enlarge, I began to feel a faint stirring throughout my body. Next, I began to feel a twitching sensation between my legs, almost as though the muscles were trying to expand and contract on their own. I felt a slight dampness in my new slit. Then, I remembered what Dan had done to me with his last bit of magic. He had said that I would have a very well developed sex drive. This must be the beginning of it, I realized.

Hurriedly, I turned from the mirror and opened one of the drawers in my chest of drawers searching for something to cover myself with. I thought that if I didn't look further at this new body, the urges would lessen. I was wrong. I found several filmy nighties, but no other bed wear. Desperately, I slipped on the least sexy one I could find, but the feeling of the silky material on my smooth body was too sensual for words. Damn that Dan! He had created an itch which would have to be scratched. I resolved to put it off as long as possible.

I turned off the lights and slid between the soft sheets which covered my bed. In the darkness, I fought vainly for the release of sleep, but as I watched the numbers slowly advancing on my lighted clock, I realized that I had been awake for nearly an hour. What to do?

Then, I had an idea. If cold showers worked (or so I've heard) for men, why not for women? I jumped from the bed and practically threw myself into the shower. The cold water felt good. Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to keep my new long, dark hair from getting wet. After a few moments, letting my body shiver from the cold, I dried off. To my relief, I found that it had worked! I slipped the nightie back on, but didn't slip on the panties. I wanted nothing rubbing on me which might bring sexual stirrings back to the surface. With a sigh, I crawled back into bed and slipped thankfully into sleep.

That was not to be the end of my first night as a woman, though. I had forgotten the power of dreams. A series of dreams came to me, unlike any dreams I had ever had before. I saw snatches of a childhood I had never known. I saw myself as a little girl, cute and dressed for a party in a small pink dress with matching socks and white shoes. I saw myself as a teenager, carefully applying makeup for a big date. And finally, I felt myself in the arms of a handsome young man as he moved his hand slowly, gently up my short skirt and into....

I awoke with a gasp. The feeling I had experienced earlier had returned, only this time, they were magnified many times over. My nipples extended painfully against my nightie, and the feeling between my legs was one of incredible emptiness. Without thinking, I sought to end the emptiness by covering my new opening with my hand, but the longing became even greater. Out of desperation, I pushed two fingers against the opening which greedily twitched in anticipation.

I was no longer capable of rational thought. I pushed my fingers into the opening, exercising only enough care to make sure my newly long nails didn't scratch the walls of my vagina. I began to massage my clitoris slowly, gently until I found it hardening like a tiny penis. The walls of my cavity became slick with an odor I had before smelled only on others. I allowed another finger to join the first two, pumping myself with determination.

Then, it happened. It was a sensation I could never have imagined as a man. It was as if my entire body rippled with pleasure. I let out a throaty gasp and felt warmth everywhere. As a man, I was used to feeling the sudden crescendo of ejaculation, but this was far different and far better. I felt waves of pleasure lapping over me, lessening with each passing minute, but still satisfying. When the feelings stopped at last, I drifted off into an exhausted sleep and dreamed only of flowers and warm summer nights.

Chapter 4 - The First Day of the Rest of My Life?

I awoke the next morning earlier than I usually awaken on a Saturday. I lay awake for a few minutes, reorienting myself to my new body as much as possible. I had awakened slowly and had full memories of my unsettling night. I could still smell the scent of my sex on my hand and on my nightie. I resolved as I lay there to exhibit self control. I was not about to give in again to the sex drive Dan had wished upon me. Finally, I got up and began my morning ablutions.

I was like some sort of robot. I walked to the shower stripping off my nightie, showered and washed my hair with ease, shaved my legs and under my arms, wrapped a towel expertly over my torso and another around my hair, dried my hair quickly and effectively, styled it, and applied a fresh coat of makeup, all without so much as a thought as to how alien this entire process should have been to me. As the last of my fresh lipstick was carefully applied, I stopped short. How did I know what to do? I had never done most of these things before now. How did I know how to wash and dry long hair, let alone style it as I had done? How did I know how to apply makeup? Something had happened to my entire thought process. I slipped on a robe and resolved to solve the mystery over breakfast.

I made coffee and quickly ate juice and cereal, again without thinking. As Jack Barnes, I usually got up on a Saturday and fixed bacon and eggs, but as Maria Delgado, I fixed a simple breakfast of cereal and juice without giving it a thought. What was happening to me? At least as Maria, I still drank black coffee.

I sipped my coffee while trying to solve the puzzle of my new life. Then, I remembered the dreams. In my many dreams, I had acted as Maria Delgado. I had dressed as a girl, ate as a girl, and even made love as a girl. All of those things were now as natural to me as breathing. Unless I exerted conscious control over myself, I would act as if I had always been Maria. I would have to stay on my pretty little toes or Jack Barnes would be lost before I could figure out how to get him back.

My first experiment at conscious control did not go well. I had determined to dress in as unisex a fashion as I could manage, given the constraints of my wardrobe. For underwear, I picked a bra and panties of a neutral beige avoiding the pinks and lavenders which surrounded them. I felt reasonably proud of myself as I had resisted the subliminal message to choose the pink ones.

But my self congratulations were short in duration as I began to struggle with the bra. My ample breasts kept slipping out of the cups as I twisted to fasten the bra from behind. How was I to do this? I obviously needed a bra. The answer came wordlessly but effectively, and I deftly turned the bra around, fastened it, then reversed it again, allowing my breasts to fall gently into the cups. The autonomic systems had taken over again, and my mind coasted as I picked a pretty pink tank top and tight, short jean shorts which left little to the imagination. I slipped on a pair of sandals with a small heel, making a mental note to touch up the polish on my toenails. I selected a nice pair of gold loops for my ears and a darling necklace with a small sapphire in the center. It wasn't until I slipped a dainty gold watch on my left wrist that I realized that I had been under the spell once more.

I thought about taking it all off and starting over. Surely Maria Delgado had a sweat shirt and sweat pants somewhere in that closet. And tennis shoes. There had to be tennis shoes. But instead of changing, I sighed and returned to my coffee. What was the use? I would only go back and change again the minute my resolve slipped.

The next question was what to do with my day. If I were still Jack Barnes, I would have called a couple of friends, maybe played a little basketball in a pickup game at the gym, and looked forward to an evening at one of a number of watering holes where the sweethearts grazed. As Jack, I was between girlfriends, so I would have been looking for opportunities as the evening wore on.

But as Maria, I was a sweetheart, so the rules had changed for me. First, I didn't have any friends. Since Maria Delgado was a brand new person, I didn't know anyone. Next, I wasn't about to show up at the gym. More than one of my old friends would be putting the moves on me in a New York minute. Obviously, hitting the waterholes looking for women was out of the question. If Dirty Dan had his way, I would be looking for men like Diane Keaton in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. I shuddered at the thought. I resolved to keep myself under full control.

I decided to spend my day around the apartment, learning as much as I could about this new person I had become. I spent the morning inspecting closets and drawers, but I was, for the most part, disappointed. Maria Delgado was a very two dimensional person. I found a copy of Cosmo with an address label that indicated that Maria had been a subscriber for only a month. A copy of Vanity Fair indicated the same subscription date. That meant that Dan had set up all of his props fairly recently. I wondered how he had managed to rent the apartment without a physical Maria Delgado at the time.

Other than the magazines, the only other proof of Maria Delgado's existence were the closet full of feminine attire and the dresser filled with lingerie and other feminine items. The last place I checked out was the bathroom. A minimal quantity of items were in the medicine cabinet - aspirin, vitamins, and .... I found a small case unlike anything I had seen before. It had pills each in their own compartment with the days of the week abbreviated over each compartment. Birth control pills, of course. The case was designed to let me know that I had taken my pill each day. Well, I wasn't going to need them.

Then I thought about how I had lost control the night before. If that happened with a man..... I shrugged and downed one of the pills. It was better to be safe than sorry. As a man, I had never believed in abortion. As a woman, that philosophy might prove inconvenient. There was no sense in taking any chances. I took one of the pills out of the case and swallowed it.

For my next trick, I spilled the contents of my purse on the kitchen table. I was most interested in the combination wallet and checkbook I found there. I pulled out my driver's license and looked at it. I had seen it once before when I had challenged Dan, but I hadn't taken the time to really look at it. The picture was a typical bad license picture. How Dan had faked it, I had no idea. My birthday was listed as July 22nd, which was Jack's birthday, but I saw I was now only twenty three - three years younger than Jack.

I looked through the credit cards. They were the same ones I had carried before, but they were now made out to Maria Delgado. A checkbook indicated that I banked with the same bank I had used for years, and the balance was about what I thought it should be. It seemed as if Dan had been able to shift the financial details of Jack's life over to Maria. I was sure that when I found all of my bank and investment records, they would be the same as Jack's. At least Dan wasn't a thief.

And while I was on the subject, Dan didn't appear to be a lecher, either. I mean, he had ample opportunity to get into my pants if he wanted to. All he had to do was magically make me attracted to him, but he didn't do it. Maybe he really was that loyal to his wife. If so, it was the first and only reason I had to respect him.

The rest of the purse contained a few touch up cosmetics, lipstick, Kleenex, some breath mints and... Oh no! A package of condoms. I resolved I wouldn't be needing these, but instead of throwing them away as I planned, I unconsciously placed them back in my purse.

By early afternoon, I had learned about as much as I could from the stuff in the apartment. I made myself a bite of lunch, which turned out to be a pre-made salad with a glass of water. I looked around for something more substantial, but Maria apparently ate healthy. To my surprise, the lunch tasted just right, even with low-cal dressing on the salad and only water to drink. I had looked for some beer, but there was none available.

After lunch, I, I tidied up the place and settled down on the couch to watch a ball game. However, after about two innings, I got bored. I couldn't seem to keep my mind on the game. I flipped to another station where there was a rerun of a Mad About You episode and decided to watch it. I had always had a thing for Helen Hunt, but today, she didn't look so good to me. I found myself looking more at Paul Reiser for some reason.

Then it hit me again. I was drifting into patterns of thought more like Maria Delgado instead of Jack Barnes. It seemed as if I could never let down my guard or I wouldn't be me any more. I thought about how much I would really like a beer. Yeah, a cold dark beer; something from a mico-brewery. And a steak. Right. I needed a steak. No more rabbit food for Jack Barnes, no matter what he looked like on the outside.

I plowed through the refrigerator and the freezer, but the closest I could come to steak was a package of chicken breasts. Sorry, no breasts. I already had two of them. I giggled at the thought, but stopped almost at once. Only girls giggle. I was Jack Barnes. Jack Barnes didn't giggle.

There was only one thing to do. I'd have to go out and get a steak. And a beer. I knew of a great place in Scottsdale that served big, thick, juicy steaks and the coldest beer in the Valley of the Sun. I looked at the clock. It was nearly five. I could beat the crowd and get a steak, get out and be back home in no time. That way, I wouldn't have to appear as a woman in public for long.

I had to change, though. If I was spotted at the Turf dressed in tight jean shorts, I'd have to beat the guys off with a stick. I looked in the closet for something to wear - preferably pants. But there were no pants to be had. Oh well, I decided, I was going to have to get used to wearing skirts some time. It might as well be now. I found a long brown skirt and tried it on, but for some reason, it didn't look right. I pulled out a short tan skirt and was much happier with the look. I found a light sweater top which went with it and put it on. Then I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked cute, but not too sexy. But something was missing.

Instinctively, I took off the skirt and put on a garter belt and dark stockings. I put the tan skirt away and opted for a red one instead with a matching red top. Three inch heels seemed conservative enough. I added appropriated accessories - a slim watch and a small gold pendant on a gold chain. Then I went into the bathroom to fix my makeup.

As I write these words, I think I must have been like a guided missile on a pre- programmed course. I didn't think about what I was doing; I just did it. If I knew on any level of consciousness what I was doing, I wasn't aware of it then. I was, of course, making myself look as sexy as possible, but that wasn't really apparent to me then.

I picked up a matching red purse and emptied the contents of my other purse into it, including the condoms. With an unknowing smile, I set off to get my steak dinner.

Chapter 5 - Night Life

I drove as quickly as I could toward the steak house, trying desperately to close out the Maria Delgado thoughts which were creeping around the corners of my mind. The steak house. I had to get to the steak house. Steak house. Steak house. Steak house. It became my mantra as I glided through the streets of Scottsdale.

At last I saw the sign for the steak house. It was right next to O'Reilly's, my favorite hangout when I was Jack Barnes. My mind suddenly blank, I stopped short of the steak house parking lot and pulled up in front of O'Reilly's. What the hell, a little voice said coyly In the back of my mind, a quick beer at O'Reilly's and then off for a steak - just like the good old days.

O'Reilly's was already crowding up for Saturday night, I saw several familiar faces, both male and female, but of course, I was an unfamiliar face. Several people turned to inspect me as I took an empty stool at the bar, but I ignored them. After all, I was only going to have one beer, and then it was off to the steak house.

"Yes, Miss," the bartender said, "what will it be?"

I almost ordered my beer, but at the last second, something else sounded better. "White wine," I said. Now why had I ordered that? I seldom drank wine, and certainly not in O'Reilly's!

When the bartender delivered my wine, I reached in my purse to pay for it when a male voice said, "Put that wine on my tab, Steve." My God, I realized, someone was trying to pick me up. I turned to tell him coldly that I would pay for my own wine when I suddenly realized that my would-be benefactor was Randy Wilmont, an old fraternity brother of mine. Randy was a good looking guy; just over six feet tall with wavy brown hair the girls always seemed to want to run their fingers through. Our eyes met and I froze, unable to say a word.

"Randy Wilmont," he said with a smile.

I found myself smiling back. I was on auto pilot again. "Maria Delgado," I said much easier than I thought I would be able to do.

We made small talk for about an hour while I polished off two more white wines. To make a long story short, he took me to dinner at the steak house where I ordered a petite filet and still left half of it. We talked some more over coffee and brandy. I found it easier to talk to Randy in my new body than I would have thought possible. It was easy to talk about subjects which interested Randy since I had really known him for years. The problem was that I wasn't talking to him like an old fraternity brother. Instead, I was talking to him like a young woman about to decide if she should spend the night with him. Did I find that odd? Yes, in small snatches, I did, but whether it was the wine or the curse or both, I continued to act like a normal young woman.

The evening almost had a G rated ending. Randy walked me to my car and held the door open for me. As I looked at him again, the full force of Dan's spell hit me. Without another thought, I reached up and pulled Randy's face to mine in a long and passionate kiss. As our lips parted, I gave him my address and told him to follow me home. I didn't have to ask him twice.

As I drove back to my apartment, the part of me that was still Jack Barnes was crying out in terror, "What do you think you're doing?" It was a question I couldn't answer. My mind might not want or need Randy, but my body most certainly wanted him and needed him. I could feel a dampness between my legs and experienced a feeling of emptiness there which had to be filled if I was to keep my sanity. I knew what was going to happen when we arrived at my apartment, but there was no way I could stop it. I was a prisoner to my own physical desires, and as perverted as they seemed to the male side of my mind, there was nothing I could do to stop them.

We entered my apartment together without a word. The time for words was over. I lead Randy into my bedroom as if in a dream. The male part of my mind was screaming to wake up, but my new female flesh longed for Randy to make love to me. There was a pressure building within me that I couldn't understand, and the pressure had to be released.

In moments, Randy had pulled off all of my clothes, except the garter belt, stockings and shoes. I had done the same for him, falling to my knees to pull down his shorts. Suddenly, I was facing his erect penis. I involuntarily licked my lips and inched closer to it. I knew what I had to do and Jack Barnes be damned.

It was a night of incredible passion, and one I would like to forget. I had no control of my actions, and my mind screamed for it to stop even as my new body screamed for more. Did I enjoy it? Of course I did - physically at least. I had never known such physical pleasure. We made love in ways I had never imagined before, and it was nearly dawn before we fell into exhausted sleep in each other's arms.

There was no morning. We slept until nearly one when I awakened to the uncomfortable realization that I was in the arms of an old friend. The feelings of passion which had claimed me the night before had been spent, and I was left with a feeling of chagrin and shame. I quietly pulled myself from Randy's arms, rewarded with a sleepy snort, and pulled myself from the bed. I felt unclean with the realization that I had received his sperm in both my new vagina and, worse yet, my mouth.

I slipped on a filmy robe and went to the kitchen and made a pot of strong coffee as if to get the taste of Randy out of my mouth. What had happened to me? I still had the mind of a man but a woman's body. Had the body taken over the mind already? I didn't feel like a woman, but I obviously didn't feel like a man. It was as if two people were living inside my body, I thought as I took the first sip of coffee. It tasted bitter and hot, but I eagerly took more. Just as I had eagerly taken Randy last night. I felt a tear forming in my eye.

"What's wrong?"

I jumped at hearing Randy's voice. I hadn't heard him come in.

"Nothing," I lied. "It's just that the coffee is a little hot."

He put his arm around my shoulders. "So are you, babe."

I thought about running away, screaming. I didn't want this, but I could already feel myself getting wet between my legs. What had Dan done to me? I couldn't resist. I put down my coffee cup and turned to him. He was still nude. I squeezed against him, letting my filmy robe fall open. The hairs of his chest tickled my erect nipples. I had to stop this, but I couldn't. Then his lips found mine and I was lost again.

Our lovemaking was as intense as it had been the night before. I lost count of my orgasms, but I knew that I had gotten Randy off three times - twice between my legs and once more in my mouth. Again exhausted, we fell asleep for a while.

It was nearly three when I woke up again. Randy wasn't beside me. I heard the shower running and shook the sleep from my head. At least I was finally satisfied. My new body had decided to let my mind take over again. I was actually less upset than I had been earlier. I had finally realized that I had no choice in what had happened to me. I didn't desire men, or at least I didn't think I did at the deepest level of my soul. What I had done with Randy was just another one of Dan's little tricks. I resolved to hold on to my true self no matter what.

Still, I wondered, why was Dan putting me through all of this? He had turned me into an attractive young woman, and yet he had kept his hands to himself. Did he fear a sexual harassment suit? Surely he didn't. With his little Mexican scenario, I would end up in a jail across the border before I could even say "sexual harassment." Whatever his reasons, I resolved to stay strong. I wasn't going to let this destroy me.

The water in the shower stopped, and moments later, Randy came out fully clothed. I was suddenly aware that I was still naked. He bent over and kissed me lightly on the lips. "Gotta go, babe."

I managed an insincere smile. "So soon?"

"Sorry. I've got to catch a plane tonight for a meeting in Dallas tomorrow. You gonna be here when I get back next Thursday?"

"I'll try," I said enigmatically.

"Great!" he said as he went out the door as if I had just said yes. Was I this easy to fool when I was a man?

I sighed. It was after three and I had accomplished nothing. I hadn't even eaten (except for swallowing something I would rather not think about).

Swallowing something?

Oh my God, I thought, I had forgotten to take my birth control pill. I rushed to the medicine cabinet and pulled out the dispenser. The only directions on the bottle said "Take One Daily." I quickly swallowed one , chasing it with a full glass of water to hurry it on its way.

A little relieved that I had the pill churning through my system, I threw on a robe and went into the kitchen to fix something to eat and read the Sunday paper. I spent the rest of the day reading and watching television and trying by these normal Sunday pursuits to forget that I was now Maria Delgado, part time horny slut. I felt a wave of depression over what I had done with Randy. Apparently, once Maria's needs had been met, my nominally male mind took over again, disgusted by what I had done I was a man, or at least, I should be.

I moped around for the rest of the day. By ten I was ready for bed. I wasn't looking forward to my first day at work with Dirty Dan, so I decided the best defense would be a full night's sleep. In spite of the time I had spent in bed over the last twenty- four hours, I fell asleep quickly, happy to be in bed alone.

Chapter 6 - The New Job

The shrill scream of the alarm brought me out of a deep dreamless sleep, and for a moment, I was Jack Barnes once more in my mind. Then the tickle of long hair and the bloated feeling of large breasts and wide hips came into focus. I felt the morning urge to pee, but not the swollen penis that usually came with it. I was about to face another day as Maria Delgado, I realized with a sigh.

I forced myself out of bed, stripping off the nightie I had donned the night before. It struck me suddenly that I had put on the nightie without a thought of how odd it felt. Whatever Dan had done to my body had also had an effect on my mind, it would seem. Unless I consciously thought about it, I would act as if I had always been Maria Delgado. It was comforting to know that I would not pull some major gaffe which would expose me as a fraudulent woman, but on the other hand, it was disturbing to think of how little control I had over my situation.

To make matters worse, I would have to go to a new office and play my new role to the hilt in front of Dirty Dan and his minions. I wasn't looking forward to that morning, but I had little choice. It was that or another visit to the police.

I was actually happy to be on auto pilot as I prepared for work. I still wasn't comfortable with the morning routine of a woman, so I just relaxed and let my body go through the motions of doing my hair and applying my makeup. I did reassert control when it came to picking an outfit, but I had little control there as well, since Dan had chosen a wardrobe of uniformly professional but highly sexy clothing. I went for one of the least provocative outfits - a blue pinstripe suit with a navy silk blouse. The outfit tended to accentuate my new breasts while the skirt felt as if it ended at my crotch. I had chosen tan hose and a pair of shiny black pumps with a three inch heel to complete the outfit.

I drove to work with my stomach doing flip flops. Nothing I had done yet as a woman was as frightening to me as going to work. I was about to meet the staff at American Netstar for the first time. It felt as if I were a spy in an enemy camp. I couldn't overcome the feeling that someone would point at me and yell, "That's Jack Barnes from National Net! Quick, stop him ... er, her!"

Still, I had no choice. Dan had me where he wanted me. My only chance to regain my old life would be to be the best sales rep I could for him and try to convince him to change me back. I knew he had said I was going to be a woman for the rest of my life, but I could hope.

When I walked into American Netstar's offices, I couldn't help but notice that they looked very much like National Net's offices. Instead of the green and white colors of National Net, red white and blue predominated and the furniture was a little plusher than the furniture at National Net, but beyond that, it looked about the same. I actually felt a little better. This was familiar territory even if it was the enemy camp.

"Hi,' the perky young redhead at the receptionist's desk said with a smile. "Can I help you?"

Maybe it was my imagination, but I noticed that she greeted me differently than the way I was used to be greeted by receptionists. The greeting was a little less formal and off putting. For all she knew, I was there to sell them something, so usually a receptionist would be more formal and less open. It was a nice change.

"Yes," I said, "I'm Maria Delgado." I practically choked on the words but the receptionist didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, hi, Maria. I'm Sharon Mitchell. You're our new salesperson."

Salesperson, eh? Well, I had been called worse. "Hi, Sharon. That's right. Is Dan here?"

"He's been waiting for you." Right, I was sure he had been. He had probably gloated all the way over on his flight back from LA. "Just follow me."

In a previous existence, I would have followed Sharon to the ends of the earth, but as Maria, I could only watch her and wonder if my butt was swinging as much as hers was. I suspected it was. My perspective had certainly changed. Sharon was cute, I realized, but I felt no sexual urges watching her. I did, however, notice two young men as they walked down the hallway, and I felt an odd stirring in my body. Dan had been right. I was becoming attracted to men whether I wanted to or not.

Dan smiled warmly and shook my hand gently. "Ah, Maria, welcome to American Netstar. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, please. Just black," I responded, actually returning his smile as I sat.

We looked at each other in silence until Sharon returned with two cups of coffee. She left, closing the door behind her. Dan smiled again and said, "Well, Maria, how was your weekend?"

"Different," I said grimly.

"I'm sure it was."

"Look, Dan," I began, "let's make a deal. What would it take for you to change me back?"

"I won't make a deal on that," Dan said seriously. "I told you how long it took me to save up enough magic to do this to you. There's nothing you can say or do which would induce me to change you back. I also told you I didn't want to talk about it again. Get used to it, Maria."

"Please, Dan," I begged. "I don't want to go through another day like the weekend. At least take away this sex drive. I'll do whatever you say."

"Yes, you will. But I want to be fair. I'll tell you what I'll do. Every month that your at a hundred percent of quota or better, I'll cut the urges in half. You'll only need sex about once a week. How does that sound?"

"You bastard," I managed to mutter.

"I think that's a fair offer."

I wasn't going to get anything else out of him yet, I realized. "All right, it's a deal."

"Good."

"But if you won't change me back, I'll find someone who will. You must not be the only person in Phoenix who can perform magic," I taunted him.

He refused to rise to the bait. "No, I'm not," he admitted, "but there's only one other person who can, so I doubt if you'll find him. Magic practitioners are a small fraternity. As I've already told you, there are only four of us in the entire Southwest and less than fifty of us in the country, and less than five hundred sorcerers in the entire world. No, Maria, you'd better get used to makeup and high heels, because you're going to be wearing them for the rest of your life."

I could think of nothing to say.

"All right," Dan said. "Now that we have that out of the way, here are the rules. This is the last word you and I will have on this subject. If you do your job and sell at or above quota, not only will you make a lot of money, but you'll find the sexual urges a little easier to take and fewer in frequency. But if you let me down, there's always a Mexican jail waiting for you. Now, let's go meet the staff."

The staff proved to be the same down-to-earth type of people I had worked with at National Net. Most of their names I missed the first time around, but I knew I would learn them over the next few days. The two young men I had noticed earlier turned out to be our two software engineers, Tony and Brad. I felt a small electric thrill as I shook hands with them and realized with a sudden shock that I found them both very attractive. Damn those female hormones anyway!

I spent the rest of the day getting oriented. Sharon had all my employment papers, including a copy of my employment application which I had never actually filled out. The make-believe story of my life was there for me to read. From the application, I was able to piece together some of the details of my imaginary life. I was born in Monterey, Mexico, twenty three years ago, and I had graduated from high school in San Diego and had a degree in Marketing from San Diego State. My parents were dead, and I had no siblings. This was Dan's way, I realized, to make sure I was all alone in the world.

Still, I supposed, it wasn't going to be all bad. American Netstar paid well, and I would be making about twenty percent more in salary. Also, the benefits, particularly the medical plan and dental plan, were better than I had enjoyed at National Net. My quota would be about the same, although commissions were a little lower than I had enjoyed before, but all in all, it wasn't a bad package. If I were still Jack Barnes, I might have been happy, but as Maria Delgado, I knew I was in for a life of entrapment in an alien body which seemed to be highly attracted to men. I had no choice, though, and decided to make the best of it.

I was studying a product manual when a man's voice suddenly came from behind me at the entrance to my cubicle. "Uh, Maria.."

I turned to see Tony. "Hi, Tony."

"Hi. Uh, say, some of us wondered if you'd like to have a drink with us."

I thought about it for a moment. It was a good opportunity for me to meet my coworkers in an informal setting. "Sure," I told him. "When are we going?'

"Now."

"Now?" I looked at my watch. It was five o'clock! I had become so lost in the manual preparing for my job that I had lost track of time. That was a good sign. Maybe I could re-channel this body's strong desire for sex into my work. "Who all is going?"

"Oh, Sharon, Brad, you, me, and Dan."

"Oh. Okay." I was a little disappointed to find Dan was going, but what could I do. The five of us walked to a popular bar just down the street from the office and found a table. The men all ordered beer while Sharon joined me in ordering a white wine. Again, I wanted to order a beer, but when it came my turn to order, "White wine, please," was all that came out of my mouth. At least as Jack Barnes, I had actually liked white wine, although I had seldom ordered it except with a meal.

We talked pleasantly for almost an hour over two more rounds of drinks. I found myself having a good time since this was reminiscent of some of our little social sessions at National Net. Mostly, I remained quiet, listening to the others talk about office gossip or rumored new products. Even Dan seemed relaxed and pleasant. Occasionally the conversation would turn in my direction and someone would ask a question about my past, and I would answer by parroting something from my make-believe resume. Then the conversation would move on.

I found myself getting a little fuzzy after three glasses of wine, and decided to pass on the fourth round. Otherwise, my growing sex drives would land me in bed with Tony or Brad and I would have the reputation of "office slut." In fact, I had decided to excuse myself before I had a repeat performance of Saturday night when Brad said, "Hey, I hear Jack Barnes left National Net."

This seemed to be a bombshell to everyone except Dan and me.

"You've got to be kidding," Tony said. "Where did he go?"

"Nobody knows," Brad replied. I knew, of course, but who would believe me? "It seems he left with no notice. This is great news for you, Maria."

"Huh?" I managed.

"Jack Barnes is - was National Net's leading salesman here," Sharon explained. "He's the reason we only have one sales territory in Phoenix while they have three. National Net has been eating us alive."

"I think that's going to change with Maria on board," Dan offered with a knowing smile at me. I hadn't thought of how elegant his move had been. Not only had he gotten my services as a salesperson, but he had eliminated a competitor as well. Sharon was right. I was the reason American Netstar only had one sales position in Phoenix. Now, without me, Sam would be up the creek. He had two salesmen left who between them only had three years of high-tech selling experience. I would eat them for breakfast no matter what my sex was.

The party broke up and we walked back to our cars. I was a little unsteady from the three glasses of wine and walking in high heels for only the third time. I nearly fell trying to get my car door open.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Sure, I'll be fine."

"Look, Maria, I think I'd better drive you home."

I could imagine what that would lead to. Tony was looking better and better to me. I knew this body wanted him. Well, it wasn't going to get it! I was determined to resist the sexual urges no matter what. I had been caught off guard on Saturday, but there would be no repeat performance tonight. But I had to drive home myself. I knew what would happen if I let Tony take me home. "Thanks, Tony, but I'm fine. I'll drive carefully."

"Well..." Tony drawled. "Okay, but be careful."

I smiled my best smile at him and got into my car. I was perspiring, and it wasn't just because the car was hot. I need Tony, or someone like him. I watched until Tony and all the others were out of sight, allowing my face to be cooled by the maximum cool of the car's air conditioner while I thought of what to do. I'd go back to the bar and... No! I wouldn't. I couldn't.

With all the resolve I could muster, I drove back to my apartment and fell into bed with my clothes still on.

Chapter 7 - Fighting the Urge

I woke up at about eight thirty, ravenous and with a slight headache from the wine. I stumbled out of bed, stripped off my clothes and threw on a robe. The soft, silky feel of the robe was nearly erotic to me, and I felt my nipples stiffen and my crotch become damp. It wasn't working. I would have to do something to satisfy this craving.

I though perhaps food would help. I pulled a Healthy Choice dinner out of the freezer and tossed it in the microwave, watching the digital clock count down the minutes and seconds until it was done. Food had to be the answer. I opened Diet Coke and gulped it greedily, hoping the caffeine would counter the wine. Thank god I hadn't joined them in a fourth round. If I had, I would probably be in bed with Tony.

Tony... Tony Tony Tony. Why did I have to think of Tony? It only made matters worse. But I wasn't going to give in to these impulses. I knew my body was just responding to Dan's magic. With a deep sigh, I pulled the dinner out of the microwave and ate it as quickly as I could.

After I had cleaned up, I turned on the TV to take my mind off what was a growing problem. I was to be, I realized, a woman for the rest of my life. I could find a way to live with that. I had a good job, even if it wasn't with the company I preferred. I was capable of making very good money selling, and women in high-tech companies were usually treated very well. I was fortunate enough to be bilingual. In fact, I had noticed that although I understood Spanish well, I was able to think clearly in English. In the Southwest, the ability to speak Spanish well was an asset. All in all, I supposed I could live with the idea of being a woman for the rest of my life,

The problem was I didn't want to be like a dog in heat. I was starting to find men attractive. The combination of the spell Dan had put on me and the natural female hormones which were coursing though my new body had determined that my orientation would be that of a healthy heterosexual woman. I could probably even learn to live with that since I didn't seem to find it exactly unpleasant. But the thought of having sex every other night or so was frightening. It was only going to be a matter of time before I found the wrong partner and ended up either pregnant or with something like AIDS. I had to resist.

The TV wasn't helping, though. How could I have known that the TV, which as Jack Barnes I thought was brim full of attractive women would as Maria Delgado include a bevy of handsome men. I couldn't stand it. My crotch was very wet and my body tingled with the thought of being in bed with one or more of them.

I thought about masturbation. I wasn't quite sure how to do it as a woman, but I was a quick study, so I thought I would have no trouble learning. But, no, I was afraid that masturbating would only make it worse. I turned off the TV and fled to my bedroom. In moments, I was ready for bed, so I threw myself under the covers and tried to sleep.

Sleeping was a fitful experience for me. I found myself waking in a cold sweat three or four times each hour. My new vagina was practically pulsing with desire. I had to do something. Carefully, about three in the morning, I explored myself out of desperation. It didn't take me long to discover the secrets of female masturbation, and the activity seemed to lessen the desire at least a little. I managed after that to get a few hours of almost restful sleep, but I knew as I dozed off that I couldn't last another night.

The next morning, I dragged myself into the office and reported to Dan. He was going to take me out and introduce me to several of my new customers before catching an afternoon flight to LA.

"Sit down, Maria," he said solicitously. "You look tired this morning. Not getting enough sleep?"

I knew what he was driving at. He thought that I had been in bed with a man and had made love late into the night. I had to dissuade him of that notion. "I slept well," I lied. "I went to bed about ten and slept straight through."

Dan looked very annoyed, but refused to break the rule he had set. We would not discuss the condition he had forced upon me.

We made sales calls for the rest of the morning. Although I wasn't at top form, I think Dan was still impressed with my abilities. He treated me as he probably treated all of his sales reps which was, I must admit, very professionally. I dropped him off at the airport at noon and started to head back to the office when I suddenly realized I was hungry.

I found a little restaurant that I had tried a couple of times before. Even with my new reduced appetite, the thought of one of their burgers and fantastic fries was enough to get my gastric juices flowing. I hadn't even thought about sex for a while. only a burger and fries were on my mind now. The restaurant was about half way between the airport and my new office, so it was right on my way.

My new female stomach filled quickly, and I was washing down only about a third of the meal with a Diet Coke when a male voice behind me said, "Linda?"

I turned and saw a very attractive Hispanic man staring at me. His look of joy turned quickly to embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you were Linda Martinez, an old friend of mine."

It has happened to all of us at one time or another, so I smiled to put him at ease. "It's okay. I'm sorry I'm not your friend." What had ever possessed me to say that?

"I'm not," he said with a relieved grin, sliding into the booth across from me. "Linda Martinez is married." He nodded at my bare left hand. "I'm Charles Hernandez."

I put my small brown hand in his large browner one. "J- Maria Delgado," I managed to recover. His hand was warm and dry, and I began to feel the tingle again as I looked into his deep brown eyes.

"I haven't seen you in here before," he remarked.

"No," I replied. "I'm just taking a little break on my way back to the office. Do you work around here?"

He smiled. "No. I've just always liked the burgers here."

"Me, too."

"I just decided to play hooky from the office this afternoon. It's such a nice day, and I thought I'd walk around before the hot days start." He was right about that. Fall, winter and spring in Phoenix are great, with warm days and cool nights the order of business, but by mid April, it starts to get beastly hot. Most people try to get in their outdoor time before the summer starts. "Say, why don't you play hooky, too?"

Why not, I thought.

"Great," he said with a wide grin. I hadn't realized I had said it out loud.

Charles and I strolled through a nearby park, hand in hand. He was a charming man, and I found my body responding to his advances.

"Habla Español?" he asked as he put his hand around my waist.

"Si," I replied confidently. "Hablo Español."

We continued to walk together through the park conversing fluently in Spanish. Although I knew I was able to think in Spanish, it was my first opportunity to carry on a conversation in that language. I spoke it as well as I could speak English. That was the first plus I could think of since being changed into a woman. I was truly bilingual.

We talked about many things. He asked me about my life and I told him glibly a series of half-truths and out and out fabrications from the few things Dan had told me or I had learned from my employment application. Charles owned a small construction company and was currently between projects. He was divorced and five years older than me, or rather five years older than Maria. He was four years older than Jack had been. I found myself liking him very much.

I later realized it was a condition of Dan's curse that I would lose myself in the character of Maria he had created. As hard as my rational mind would try to avoid it, Maria actually sought out sexual liaisons when the sexual urges arose. Again, as I had been Saturday night, I was only along for the ride.

We went back to his house just as the sun was setting and almost without conversation began to pull off each other's clothing. I stayed with Charles until midnight, gladly doing whatever he asked of me. At midnight, I woke up and quietly dressed myself and fled to my car.

As I drove home, the same wave of depression I had felt Sunday washed over me. Was this to be the way it would always be? Was I to constantly be driven by sexual needs I couldn't begin to understand followed by feelings of guilt and depression? If this was to be my fate, I had little to look forward to. Dan must be laughing, I thought.

Chapter 8 - My Hopes Arise

Days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. I began to find my existence as Maria if not enjoyable, then at least tolerable. I would get up each morning, religiously take my birth control pill, go off to work, and come home each night, except for about every tenth night when I would require a man. Yes, every tenth night. I was over one hundred percent of quota, so Dan's curse lessened to a one a week need. Also, I found as I became more accustomed to my new body, I could exert greater control. I learned over the days and weeks how to give pleasure to myself, abating for a few hours or even days the need for sex with a man. During my period, the need would disappear altogether. I began to almost look forward to it. Almost, but not quite.

I made certain that I would become attached to no one man. I wasn't ready for that type of relationship. Besides, my need for sex was physical, not psychological. It was something artificially forced upon me like an itch which needed periodic scratching. Still, I feared where this promiscuity might lead, so although I kept my partners at a mental distance, I limited them to a three men. They were the sort of men who wanted no permanent attachments themselves. In addition to Randy and Charles, I formed a liaison with a traveling businessmen. He was from LA and came to Phoenix on a semi-regular basis. I suspected he was married, but I wasn't sure.

In my spare time, I read books about being female. These were the kind of books every little girl gets from her mother to tell her what it means when her nipples begin to get sensitive and when her periods begin. Since my mother had let my dad tell me all of that stuff from the male perspective, I was unprepared for even the simplest things women know about their own bodies.

As I read, I began to form an understanding that men and women really are different in ways beyond the physical. I began to realize that as estrogen and other female compounds flowed through my system, I was beginning to think and feel very differently. Yes, I was becoming somewhat more emotional. I began to spend more time wondering how people felt rather than what they thought. I found my taste in books, TV and movies changing. I still liked a good football game, but I tended to watch less action films and more movies which touched at my emotions. I found it easier to cry, but oddly enough, I found it easier to smile as well.

Perhaps the most positive result of my forced sex change was my job performance. Jack Barnes had been a good sales rep, but Maria Delgado was an outstanding sales rep. I was exceeding my quota every month, and soon led Dan's sales team in revenues. The net of it was that I was earning almost fifty percent more than I had as Jack Barnes. At first, I thought this was because I was an attractive woman. I thought my male customers bought from me because they saw me as a possible lay, but I came to realize that they bought from me because I was very sensitive to their business needs. As Jack, I saw myself as a "problem solving" salesman, but as Maria, I went beyond just solving the problem. I instilled confidence in my customers.

Even Dan wasn't too bad. I was surprised that he didn't try to get into my panties, but he never did. Nor did he seem to be the type of sales manager who looked for a quick lay on the road (like two of my boyfriends). He would make sales calls with either me or one of the service reps and then retire to his hotel to do paperwork. Except for that first working day of my new life, he didn't even join us for a drink after work.

I had become more or less resigned to my fate as a woman, but I still had hopes of abating my desire for sex. If I had been given a choice, I would return to my old existence, a better sales rep and a better man. I had not completely given up hope of that, but I knew Dan wouldn't agree to that, at least not yet. Instead, I hoped for a boon.

I approached Dan one late summer afternoon. He was just going over a big contract I had recently signed with Motorola, a large area employer. He was in a good mood, and well he should have been. My Motorola contract meant that his sales team had achieved one hundred percent of its annual quota in nine months. Dan was a hero with the company. I knew I was a big part of his success. Not only was I leading the sales team, but my efforts meant Dan could spend less time with our sales people in LA and San Diego, thus increasing their sales as well.

"Dan, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, Maria," he smiled. He was in a good mood.

"I've been here now nearly five months," I began, sitting demurely across from him. I had made it a point to wear my most professional outfit and look every bit the professional woman. "I'd like to know what you think of my performance."

Dan settled back in his chair and looked me straight in the eye. "You're doing a great job, Maria," he told me. "Your performance is even better than I had hoped for. And I know you're making more than you were making over at National Net, so you must be pleased, too."

"Well," I said slowly, "I admit that I am pleased about the money. This has been a good job." I leaned forward, feeling my breasts shift forward and continued in a pleading tone, "But please, Dan. Could you let up a little on the sex? I could probably sell even better if I wasn't trying to get... to get laid every week."

Dan smiled. "That's not so bad, is it? As a man, you would have loved to get laid every week."

I said nothing. I suppose he was right, though. Jack Barnes would have loved getting laid as often as I was.

"The answer is no, Maria."

I sat up straight. "But why not?" I asked. "I've done everything you've asked of me. Is it so much to ask? At least cut it back to, say, once every two weeks."

Dan shook his head. "No, Maria. I have no intention of cutting it back any more than I already have. This is my way of reminding you who is in charge. Without those urges, you'd have too much time to think about ways to get around the rest of my spell. But I'll tell you, I've spent enough magic on you already. I don'' intend to change you back to matter what you say or do, and I'm not going to change your sexual urges no matter what. In fact, I-"

Suddenly Sharon popped her head in the door. "Dan, Tony has the city on the line in the conference room. They're pissed about something and he needs your help right now."

Dan frowned. The City of Phoenix was a big account - one that was a house account and not my responsibility. Any problem coming from the city required immediate response. "I'll be right there," he told Sharon, rising to his feet. "Maria and I were just finished anyway."

I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach as Dan left the room. I was stuck as a woman - an incredibly horny woman - for the rest of my life with no chance of things ever getting better. It wasn't so bad just being a woman. That I could get used to, but the constant sexual urges were getting on my nerves.

Then suddenly, I had another thought. What had Dan said? He said something about if he abated the spell, I would have more time to figure out ways around the spell. What ways? What was it he didn't want me to know?

It was then that I realized Dan had left his briefcase open. He carried it with him everywhere. As a traveling sales manager, he probably kept more important information in his briefcase than in his office back in LA. I breathed a sigh of relief that in spite of out high-tech products, Dan chose not to carry a laptop. If he had, the information I was seeking would probably be in a locked file.

Once I was sure Dan was gone, I quickly flipped through the papers in his case. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. It was loaded with customer files, home office memos, and a couple of product technical brochures. I was about to give up, fearful that he might return at any minute, when I spotted something interesting: a small address book tucked in the top folders of the briefcase.

I opened the book and leafed through the pages. There were no names in it which looked familiar. It contained only a list of names and phone numbers. Most of the numbers bore a prefix of "1" which I recognized as an international code. But about half way through the book, I saw a number with a 602 Area Code - Phoenix - and a name: "Patrick O'Leary." Dan had said there were only a few sorcerers in the entire country. Could this book be a listing of them all? It certainly wasn't a company directory, and Dan had never impressed me as the sort of person who would have hundreds of friends all over the world. There was one way to find out. I quickly copied the number, replaced the book in Dan's briefcase and rushed back to my cubicle.

Dan was still tied up, and I could hear from the heated conversation on the speaker phone blaring out of the conference room that he would probably be tied up for some time. As if to confirm this, Dan rushed back to the office he used in Phoenix. I heard the clasps of his briefcase click shut and realized he had no idea I had just rifled the case. He rushed back out, stopping for a moment at my cubicle. "I'm sorry I won't be able to make any sales calls with you this trip, Maria, but I have to go to the city offices with Tony. He'll take me on to the airport from there." And with that, he and Tony rushed out the door. I hoped for Tony's sake that the problem was smaller than it looked; but I was thankful that it took Dan out of the office.

I looked at the phone number and decided the only way to know who Patrick O'Leary was would be to call it. I realized as I dialed, looking at my polished red nails, that this call might be my last opportunity to alleviate my situation in any way. Dan was obstinate, so I knew I had no chance of mercy from him. But another sorcerer might be able to help me. I was making plenty of money, and I could pay him well.

"Porter, Miles and O'Leary," a voice said suddenly. Was it a law firm? Accountants? Architects? What?

"Uh... Patrick O'Leary, please."

"Who shall I say is calling?"

Suddenly, all my doubts flew. I was back in my element again. I was a salesman - excuse me - salesperson trying to make an appointment with a new prospect. Only if things went right, this would be the most important call I had ever made.

"Maria Delgado," I said, and shut up. Most sales people like to babble at this point. They spill everything they want to say in one sentence and allow the receptionist to screen them out from the decision maker. I was a pro, male or female, and I wasn't about to lose this contest.

"Yes, Ms Delgado," she said with a slight hesitation. I had made her wonder if I knew Patrick O'Leary. Maybe I was someone he wanted to talk to. She might be in trouble for screening me out. She had to be sure. "Can I tell Mr. O'Leary what this is in regard to?"

If you think about it, that phrase is awkward, and her high school English teachers would probably tell her so, but all receptionists say it.

"Yes, I was referred to Mr. O'Leary."

Aha, the receptionist must have been thinking. She called him Mr. O'Leary. That means she isn't his long-lost sister, or his mistress, but who is she? I have to ask her another question.

"And who were you referred by, Ms Delgado?" She was still probing for information, but she was still being polite. And a receptionist can only ask a maximum of three questions without being rude. This answer had to be a good one, and then I would get through. I had to take a chance.

"Tell him that I was referred to him by Dan Morath," I said with more confidence than I felt. If Patrick O'Leary had never heard of Dan Morath, my goose was cooked.

"Just a moment, please."

As I listened to the innocuous background music (classical, in fact - a little upscale), I had a chance to think of what could still go wrong before I managed to make the appointment. It could be that O'Leary was just Dan's lawyer, although I couldn't imagine why he would have a lawyer in Phoenix instead of LA. There were a dozen reasons why Dan might have that number in his book, and only one of those reasons would do me any good.

"This is Pat," a warm, cultured voice said suddenly.

I sat at attention. I had only a few seconds to get my point across and get the appointment. "Yes, Mr. O'Leary - Pat (I was already stumbling). I would like to make an appointment with you as soon as possible about an urgent matter."

"Something to do with Dan Morath?"

My heart jumped. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. It's most important that I see you."

"I should warn you, Ms Delgado, that Dan Morath and I aren't on the best of terms."

That was music to my ears. "That makes two of us."

Chapter 9 - The Sorcerer's League

Pat O'Leary agreed to see me the very next morning. He told me he would have to squeeze me in between his nine o'clock appointment and his eleven o'clock meeting and I agreed. One good thing about a sales job is that no one tracks your time very well. It was easy for me to slip away and make the meeting.

I had debated about what to wear. What kind of impression did I want to make on him? I decided to use the vulnerable look with a shiny satin blouse in a warm cream color, a tan skirt which came just above the knee, a low one inch heel, and very dainty jewelry, including small pearl earrings. For makeup, I worked especially hard on my eyelashes to give them a fluttery look. As I admired by handiwork, I was suddenly startled to realize how natural my entire thought process had been in determining what to wear and how to look. Jack Barnes wouldn't have worried about such things. Did this mean that after several months immersed in a female body, I was actually beginning to think like a woman? I was afraid that was exactly what it meant.

Pat O'Leary was, indeed, a lawyer. I had confirmed this in the phone book, as well as verifying his address. Porter, Miles and O'Leary had offices in one of the most prestigious office buildings in Phoenix. To make matters even more impressive, I saw in the building directory that their offices were on one of the upper floors. They appeared to be the only tenant on the floor. This was confirmed when I stepped out of the elevator and directly into a very impressive lobby, complete with marble floors and expensive wood panels.

He didn't keep me waiting long. As I thumbed through an old copy of Vogue (another sign of my thinking like a woman; I had passed up the Sports Illustrated), I head a pleasant voice call, "Ms Delgado?"

I put down the magazine and stood up gracefully to face a man who appeared to be in his late forties. He was tall and handsome, distinguished by a touch of gray at the temples, and groomed immaculately in what I recognized with Jack's fading eyes to be a thousand dollar suit. That much of him looked every inch the successful attorney. The thing that distinguished him from most of the stuffy, pompous attorneys I had known in my life was the friendly twinkle in his eye and the trace of an Irish smile. I was also gratified to see that he looked me straight in the eye as we shook hands rather than at my breasts as I had noticed most men do.

"Pat O'Leary," he said. He was as American as I was, or at least had been, but I thought I noticed a very faint trace of an Irish accent in his voice.

"Maria Delgado," I said, doing my best to match his warm smile.

He showed me into his office which said "successful attorney" in every way, from its plush leather chairs to the impressively framed diplomas on the wall. I could see that the law degree was from Yale, and I was impressed.

"Sit down," he offered, motioning to one of the large leather chairs. The salesperson in me noted that he had motioned me to sit in a chair to the side of his desk rather than across from him. To sales professionals, this was a sign of an informal, friendly individual. Of course, my new woman's mind suggested that he might just want a better view of my legs. "Now, what can I help you with, Ms Delgado?"

"Maria, please."

"Only if you call me Pat."

"Thank you, Pat," I said. I was beginning to like him. "As I told you on the phone, I'm here because of Dan Morath."

"I hardly think Dan would refer me for any reason," Pat said, leaning back in his chair.

I shook my head, feeling the long dark hair about my ears. "No, he didn't refer you, but he's the reason I'm here. You see, Dan cast a spell on me."

Pat looked thoughtful, as if unsure what his next response should be. "I don't understand," he began. "Are you trying to say you are attracted to Dan?"

"No," I replied, "it isn't that kind of spell. You see, until a few months ago, I was a man."

Pat stared at me, unable to speak.

"I'm sorry, I know how that must sound. I'm not some sort of transvestite or transsexual. I mean I was until a few months ago a man, and Dan changed me physically by magic into a woman." There. I had said it.

"And what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Pat asked slowly.

"I need another sorcerer to change me back into a man. I believe you are a sorcerer." In my mind, I imagined him pressing a little button under his desk summoning two large thugs who would carry me kicking and screaming to the nearest loony bin.

"Ms Delgado - Maria - I don't know what to say."

I leaned forward. "Say you'll help me."

"How did you get my name?" he asked.

"It was in a little book in Dan's briefcase," I explained. "Dan told me there are very few sorcerers in the world. I think he said there were only four or so in the entire Southwest. Your name was in a book that I believe contained the names of at least some of those sorcerers."

Pat folded his hands together. "Assuming for a minute that you were correct in your assumption, why do you need a sorcerer?"

I motioned to my body. "Look at me! I didn't ask to be like this. I was happy being a man. I have no wish to be a woman. Dan did this to me because... well, I guess to get even with me."

"Maybe you'd better tell me everything," Pat said quietly.

It took me nearly half an hour to tell the entire story to Pat. He listened attentively, asking only occasional questions. In spite of the nightmare that I was relating, my spirits began to rise as I watched his face. He believed every word I was saying! I knew I had found my sorcerer. I felt I was a step closer to becoming Jack Barnes again.

As I neared the end of my story, Pat stopped me again. "But just because my name was in Jack's book does not necessarily make me a sorcerer."

I nodded my head. "Si - yes, I understand that, but please, tell me the truth: are you a sorcerer?"

Pat looked at me long and hard. I felt as if I were closing a sale, so I returned his stare. The first person to talk would lo-

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, Maria," he said with a sigh, leaning back in his chair once more. "Yes, I am a sorcerer."

""Fantastico!" I exclaimed, lapsing into Spanish once more in my excitement. "Then you can change me back into Jack Barnes. I can pay you whatever you ask."

My world collapsed with his reply. "I'm sorry, Maria. I can't help you with that."

"But why not?" I demanded. "I said I was willing to pay."

He shook his head. "It isn't as simple as that. I believe you are a good person, no matter if you are Jack Barnes or Maria Delgado, and I would be glad to help you if I could, but you see, I can't."

"Can't or won't?" I cried.

"Can't, Maria." Pat punched the intercom key on his phone and said, "Amy, if you would, please tell Howard I'll be a little late for the eleven o'clock meeting."

"Yes, sir."

"Alright now, Maria, I listened to your story. Now, I have one for you."

I almost said something, but thought better of it, shut up and listened.

"Many years ago," he began, sounding I thought like the opening voice-over in The Guns of Navarone, "there was a group of men who studied the arcane arts. This was in the period we now call the 'Dark Ages.' They determined by a series of quite sophisticated experiments that there was, in fact, magic in the world. The problem was that it took a certain type of person to wield this magic. They determined empirically what that type of person was and began to seek them out.

"Although they could not practice magic themselves, they created a society they called the League of the Gifted, which served many kings and princes throughout the period. The problem, though, is that there are serious limits to the amount of magic available."

"You've lost me already," I said. "Why is that such a problem?"

"Well, by the time our little league had reached nearly five hundred trained members, we began to understand what magic was all about. We began to theorize that magic is part of the natural order of things after the creation of the universe." He grinned suddenly. "You might call it 'interstellar afterbirth.' It is most plentiful when the world is young and there are few if any users. But as the universe grows older, the amount of magic begins to escape from the world, rather like atmosphere drifts away from a planet which has a weak gravitational field.

"Since there is really very little magic and we had about five hundred practitioners, the ability to perform great magic feats begins to go away. This meant that a king whose court wizard had managed to make significant contributions to the kingdom, such as a Merlin, will be remembered fondly. His grandson, though, will have significantly less power to wield, so the king's grandson will see him as ineffective or even consider him a traitor. As a result, all sorcerers went underground, so to speak, to practice magic as best they could without trying to satisfy the expectations of the people of their day."

It was a little off the subject, but I had to know and asked, "Then there really was a Merlin?"

"Oh, yes," Pat replied proudly. "he was one of our most illustrious sorcerers, although all the legends about him are substantially incorrect. But he was one of the last of the great sorcerers. No one since has managed even a significant fraction of his strength."

"I'd say Dan has done pretty well," I commented dryly.

He nodded. "From your perspective, that is certainly so, but relatively speaking, Dan would probably last about five minutes in a duel of magic with the likes of Merlin. But that brings us to present times.

"Today, we call ourselves the Sorcerer's League, although we usually do it with a wan smile. Mostly, our powers are limited to very minor things, such as predicting the stock market or restoring someone's health. Some of the so-called miracle recoveries are sorcerers at work.

"We realize now that our powers are essentially the result of a quirk in our genetic makeup which is passed down to our first-born sons., but not until our deaths. Why this is so, we don't know, and we have two geneticists among our number."

"Then how do you explain what Dan did to me?" I wanted to know. "By your standards, this was a very major display of magic."

"Indeed it was," he agreed. "I'm rather surprised Dan had it in him. You said he remarked to you something about it taking him a year to build up this much magic?"

"That's what he said," I agreed. "I thought at first he wanted to change me into a woman for sexual reasons, but he has never tried to touch me."

Pat grinned a very Irish grin. "I know why."

"If he wasn't married, I would suspect him of being gay."

"Oh, he's not gay," Pat explained. "And you're right; he is married. In fact, it is because of his wife that he cannot be sexually interested in you or any other woman. When he was in college, his father died, passing his magic on to Dan. At the time, he was dating the girl who was to become his wife. Inexperienced in the ways of magic, he swore undying love to her in such a way that he accidentally trapped himself. He can't have sex with anyone but his wife for the rest of his life."

"Then I'm confused," I admitted. "Why did he change me into a woman?"

Pat shrugged and said, "Who knows exactly what went through his head, but I can make a guess. I think he was being honest with you. As you told me, by changing you into an Hispanic woman, he satisfied his managers by hiring both a female and a minority. Also, he eliminated a strong competitor and he found a way to keep you off balance."

"Off balance?"

"Sure. Let's say he had turned you into a different male and tried to get you to sell for him. Would you have done it?"

I thought about that for a moment. Pat was right on target. If Dan had left me male, he would have left me with enough natural confidence that I would have defied him from the start. By changing me into a woman, he had taken away my confidence. I hadn't known how to act as a woman then. When I did make an attempt to defy him, he was able to counter my attempt quickly with the trumped up murder charges. I explained this to Pat, adding, "And the sex drive was just a trick to keep me further off balance."

"Exactly. He said he gave you the heightened sex drive because you defied him, but I think he had it in mind all along. Otherwise, he wouldn't have kept enough magic in reserve to boost your sex drive."

It all made sense to me now. I had been manipulated in ways I had not understood. Dan had it all. He had managed to take out his revenge on me while furthering his own career goals. He must have found it all very funny. But now, it was time for me to ask the big question. "Pat, why can't you change me back into Jack Barnes?"

"Because one sorcerer cannot change the spells of another sorcerer. If I were to try, I would expend considerable magic and get nowhere."

Then I was doomed to remain a woman forever. I felt a wetness in my eyes and a tear trickle down my cheek. Pat looked at me in horror, reached out and patted my hand. "I'm sorry, my dear, but there's nothing that can be done. Besides, is it so terrible being a woman?"

"Huh?" I managed, choking back a sob. "But I'm - I was a man."

"'Was,' yes, Maria, but I've been watching you. The way you move and the way you speak are completely feminine."

"No!"

"Yes," he continued. "You can't live in a woman's body with a woman's hormones and not become a woman. Jack Barnes is gone forever, so learn to enjoy being Maria Delgado."

"I think maybe... maybe I could learn to enjoy it, but the curse he laid on me to need sex almost all the time makes this body unbearable. Can't you at least change that?" I pleaded.

He considered it for a moment before replying, "No, I'm sorry. Again, I can't change another sorcerer's magic. But there is one thing I can do for you." With that, he made a complex gesture with his hand, causing me to feel a tingle throughout my body. "Don't worry, the spell won't hurt you. I just put a small spell on you which will prevent other sorcerers from working magic on you again. Dan can do no further mischief."

I sighed. "Thank you at least for that. What do I owe you?" I asked, opening my purse.

He shook his head. "Nothing at all, Maria."

"But you said magic is so scarce. You must have expended a great deal to help me."

"Not really," he replied with another smile. "I use magic rarely. Most of us do. It only took about a week's worth to help you. My payment is frustrating Dan. Frankly, none of us in the league care much for him. We consider him a pompous ass."

I rose, trying to match his smile. "Well, thank you for that." Then, before I could stop myself, I leaned against his cheek and gave him a shy kiss."

"Call me any time you need to," he offered, rising, as I rushed out the door.

Chapter 10 - Frank

I went directly home after leaving Pat's office, stopping only long enough to call Sharon at the office and tell her I wasn't feeling well. I made it sound as if my period had started early, just to give her a reason that another woman would understand. Actually, it wasn't due to begin for another ten days, so I would have to grin and bear it when it came whenever I was around the office so Sharon wouldn't be suspicious.

I did it because I needed time for a little introspection. What Pat had told me had shaken me badly. It meant that I had no chance to ever be a man again no matter what I said or did. Dan would never agree to the change even if he ever saved up enough magic again, and no other sorcerer could change me back into Jack Barnes. Jack was now effectively dead. I was actually glad I had no close family still alive who would grieve over my apparent death. My estate I was sure would pass to a couple of cousins I barely knew.

Of more importance to me than the disposition of the estate of Jack Barnes was what was going to happen to Maria Delgado. I now realized that the only change I would ever be able to make was from being a young Hispanic woman to an older Hispanic woman with the passage of time. Dan's spell had given me a few fundamentals. I had been able to apply makeup from the beginning without looking like a clown, and the instinctive knowledge to keep my knees together while sitting in a short skirt was as ingrained in me as my knowledge of Spanish.

But did I really know what it meant to be a woman? I had never gone through all of the experiences that little girls go through to become women. It was as if I were an actor - or rather, an actress playing a role in a long-running stage play. I knew what I was supposed to say and when I was supposed to say it, but was it really me or just a character I was playing? I had sex often as my curse required, but that was just part of my role in a play. Did it feel good? Yes, for the most part, it did. I would be a liar if I said otherwise. But beyond the physical pleasure, what was there? Was I really attracted to men? I wasn't sure.

In all, my morning with Pat had added to my problems rather than taking them away. But there was one positive that had come from it: I had made a friend. At last, there was someone who cared what happened to me, no matter if I was Jack Barnes or Maria Delgado.

Buoyed by Pat's support, I actually managed to make it twelve days without looking for sex, but the twelfth day was Friday, and after a couple of drinks with the office staff, I felt the pressure rising. I begged off dinner with Sharon and drove to O'Reilly's. I could always find a man there, and so far, I had found reasonably decent partners among the bar's clientele.

I had set my sights on a youngish looking lawyer who I overheard was celebrating a large settlement for one of his clients. I figured he would be in a good mood and would give me what I was looking for. I was about to make my move when he walked in.

He was just a little over six feet tall with brown eyes and medium brown hair. He was casually dressed in a blue knit shirt and khaki slacks. He wasn't particularly striking in appearance. I mean, he was good looking, but not the sort women swooned over. What caught my notice was his demeanor. He carried himself with a confidence I had seen in few men. At the risk of sounding like one of the corny romantic movies I was starting to enjoy: and then our eyes met.

I smiled and turned my seat at the bar until I was facing him. He smiled back and walked purposefully in my direction. I could actually feel my heart beating.

"Hi," he said, taking the seat next to me. "do I know you?"

Oh. So that was it. He was only attracted to me because I gave him an "I know you" look. "I don't think so. I'm Maria Delgado." I demurely offered my hand.

He took it in his firm, masculine hand. "Frank Romano."

"I haven't seen you here before," I said truthfully. Then I almost kicked myself. What a stupid thing to say. Did I want him to think that I hung out in bars all the time. Why was I acting like such a.. like such a schoolgirl?

"Is it a good place?' he asked casually.

"Not bad," I told him. "The steaks are pretty good."

"Well, then I'll have to try one," he said slipping off the bar stool. I nearly panicked. That was all we were going to say to each other. Then, suddenly he turned. "If you're not waiting for anyone, would you like to join me for dinner?"

Dinner was the most marvelous time I had had since my transformation. Before that evening, men were either customers, co-workers, or, well, sex partners. I had been uncomfortable around members of my former sex. First, they reminded me of what I had lost, and second, they reminded me of Dan's curse. But Frank was different. We talked easily about a number of subjects. Everything from politics to sports was on the table. No other man of my female acquaintance had spent the time to sit and listen to what I had to say. Usually, they either ignored me to glance at my breasts or they tried to impress me with "big me, little you" talk. Not Frank, though. We actually conversed. I hadn't felt this good since I had been transformed.

Frank enjoyed a large T-bone while my new physiology required something lighter. I only made it half way through a dinner salad and a petite filet. We shared a bottle of red wine, but I could only drink a glass and a half. I was happy to see Frank only had two glasses himself, content to leave the excess rather than drink too much. I was sorry to see dinner end.

"Would you like some coffee?" he asked.

I knew what I had to do. "I'd love some, but why don't we go back to my place for it? I have some great selections."

"Well," he said, "if it's no trouble."

I smiled, feeling a warm glow. "It's no trouble at all."

Chapter 11 - I, Maria

Yes, we made love. I emphasize that we did not just have sex, but rather, we made love. Frank was reluctant at first, and I found that attractive in him. It was as if he didn't want to take advantage of me. It made me feel as if I was important to him. Still, the curse was the curse, and I did my best to coax him into bed with me. It wasn't that difficult to do.

I was surprised to find him so sensitive to my needs. The other men I had slept with were - well, they were like I was as a man, come to think of it. They expected me to please them instead of trying to achieve mutual pleasure. As a former man, I had known from my first moment in bed with a man what a man (at least, a man like I had been) wanted from a woman, and to satisfy the needs of the curse, I was anxious to comply. Frank, however, didn't rush me. He moved his hands all over my body, stopping at just the right spots until I felt as if I had to have him. When he finally did enter me, I was as ready for him as he was for me. We climaxed together, rested for a while, and started all over again. In those moments of gentle lovemaking with Frank, I at last came to terms with who I was and who I would always be.

I was Maria.

Chapter 12 - Breaking Away

The next few weeks were both ecstasy and misery for me. I was falling in love with Frank. Of that, there could be no doubt. We saw each other every single day, and yet Frank never asked about who I was or where I came from. To keep him from doing so, I never asked him, either. I knew he was an attorney and that he was twenty-eight, but little else except for a few inconsequential items he would mention from time to time. It was as if we had both begun our existence when we saw each other, but I knew that it couldn't last. Eventually, I had to tell him, but I didn't know how. There was only one person I could turn to. I called Pat.

"It's good to hear your voice," he told me sincerely.

"Pat," I said quickly so I could tell him while I still had the nerve, "I've found the most wonderful man. I'm in love!"

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Maria, I'm happy for you both."

"But, Pat," I said with my voice catching, "what can I tell him about who I am? I mean, who I was?"

"Why do you feel you have to?"

"Because he's a wonderful man, and he deserves a real woman."

"Maria, I think he has a real woman."

I was crying as I received his blessing. "Oh, thank you, Pat."

It was the week before Thanksgiving that Frank presented me with a ring.

Sharon nearly screamed when I showed her the ring. It brought everyone out of their offices, including Dan.

"When are you getting married?" Sharon wanted to know.

"Christmas Eve," I beamed. My smile began to fade, however, when I saw the scowl on Dan's face. My happiness came crashing down in that moment. Something was wrong.

"Maria, I need to see you," Dan said with irritation in his voice.

I stepped into his office as he closed the door behind us. "Maria," he began, "what is this nonsense about you getting married?"

"It's not nonsense," I replied irritably. "Frank and I are in love."

"I knew you were seeing someone, so I checked him out. Maria, do you have any idea who he is?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. The hollow hurt in my stomach was rising again for the first time in weeks.

"Maria, Frank Romano is an attorney-"

"I know that!"

"-with the District Attorney's office."

My mouth flew open, but nothing came out.

"And let me tell you, my dear," Dan continued, "if he were to find out that you are wanted for murder in Mexico, he would be obligated to turn you in. Otherwise, his career would be ruined."

"But he doesn't need to know!" I protested. The days and weeks of sunshine with Frank were becoming covered with dark clouds. Without Frank, I was lost.

"But he will know," Dan countered, "because I will turn you in to the police."

"Why, Dan? Why do you want to deny me this happiness?"

Dan slammed the sheaf of papers he had been carrying on the desk and practically yelled, "Why, Maria? Because I didn't change you into Maria to make you happy. I changed you to sell for me. I have no intention of letting you marry anyone. You are going to sell for me, not run off and quit and get married."

"I didn't plan to quit," I protested. "Don't you think women want decent careers, too?"

If Dan had given me his blessing or even just have done nothing, I would have gladly stayed there selling for him. But at last, I realized that he planned to keep me in virtual slavery with only the cardboard life he had created for me. I knew I couldn't let him win now or I would never have a decent life of my own. "I'm leaving, Dan," I said with a calmness I didn't feel. "You can't stop me."

"Yes I can," he said with conviction. He made a small gesture with his left hand and continued, "You will do as I tell you."

I felt a tingling sensation and realized Dan had thrown another spell at me, but I felt no different. Then I remembered what Pat had done for me. He had said that he couldn't undo Dan's magic, but he would make it so he couldn't cast further spells on me. "Whatever you just did didn't work, Dan," I told him. I left him stunned and silent as I turned on my heel and left.

Chapter 13 - On the Run

I drove home as fast as I could without getting arrested for speeding. It would have been ironic if I did something to bring myself to the attention of the police before Dan could. I knew I had only a few minutes before Dan had the police knocking on my door. I was frightened, of course, but I also felt free for the first time since my transformation. I didn't know where I would go or what I would do, but Dan would no longer rule my life.

As I entered my apartment, my phone was ringing. I threw my purse down on the couch and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Maria!" Sharon responded. I could feel the tension in her voice. "I don't know what you did, but Dan is pissed! He just told everyone he had fired you."

I wasn't surprised. "Did he say why?"

"Some bull about lying on you employment application, whatever that means. He's got a police officer in with him now. Look, you're my friend. I'll try to find out what's going on, but you need to get out of there now. I think Dan is turning you in to the police. Call me at home tonight."

There was a click and Sharon was gone. I knew we had become friends over the last few months, but I hadn't realized how much Sharon's friendship meant to me until that moment. But there was no time to reflect on that. I hurriedly threw some clothes in a suitcase and called Dan's apartment. It was odd that I had never gotten his work number, but for some reason, I had been afraid to ask. Now I found myself in love with the very man who might have to send me to Mexico for a murder I didn't commit."

I was actually surprised to find him at home. I had been expecting to leave a message on his voice mail, but now, I had to say my good-byes directly to him. "Frank," I began, "I'm sorry, but I've got to leave Phoenix."

"Darling, what's wrong?"

"I can't tell you now," I said through the tears. "Just believe me when I tell you that you're going to hear some terrible things about me shortly, but none of it is true. I... I love you."

I heard his voice crying, "Wait, Maria!" as I hung up the phone. I grabbed my purse and suitcase and started for the door, but before I could open it, there was a knock. My shoulders slumped. I knew I had moved too slowly. It had to be the police.

"Ms Delgado?" a voice called.

I opened the door. There were two officers there, one in plain clothes and the other in uniform. Their expressions were serious. The one in plain clothes asked politely, "Ms Maria Delgado?"

"Yes?" I responded softly.

"I'm sorry, Ms Delgado, but I have a warrant for your arrest."

I found myself back in the same holding cell I had been in the previous spring. There were some differences, though, but the differences were in me. I was dressed, ironically, in the same suit I had worn here before, the one which had transformed with me. But now, rather than the feeling I had had before of being a man in drag, I wore my skirt and heels proudly as if they were part of a uniform. Also, I thought with chagrin, during my captivity in the spring, I had never once longed for my purse so I could touch up my lipstick. Much had changed in me, but it appeared that it was all going to be for nothing. Dan had won. Soon, I would be shipped off to Mexico to a fate I tried not to think about.

And Frank. I would be without Frank. To make matters worse, what would his superiors say when they found out he had been engaged to a fugitive from justice? I only prayed that this incident wouldn't ruin his career. How could I ever explain this to him? Who but a sorcerer or a victim of a sorcerer's magic could ever believe such a story?

My thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the cell door. A woman bailiff called out, "Maria Delgado?"

I stood up with as much dignity as I could muster. "Yes?"

"Come with me."

I followed her down a long brightly lit passageway. She opened the door to a room near the end of the hall and motioned for me to enter the dimly lit room. The contrast of the bright lights and the dim room caused me momentary disorientation, but when I could see clearly again, I could see two men in the room. One was seated at a bare table and the other was standing at the head of the table. As my eyes adjusted to the change in light, I realized the standing man was Frank, but before I could say anything, Frank said sharply, "Please sit down, Maria."

I sat down in the nearest seat and realized with alarm that the man sitting next to me was Dan. His face was easy for me as an experienced salesperson to read. He had the smug look of a man who had just won. That made me the loser. I looked up at Frank, but his face was a mask. I realized with a heavy heart that he knew the entire fabric of lies Dan had told him about me. I began to wish that I had been more open with Frank. If I had told him my entire story before this, he might not have believed it, or he might have believed I was crazy, but at least I would have had a chance. What was Frank masking? Hate? Disappointment? Disgust? I couldn't tell for sure.

"Frank..." I began.

"Not now, Maria," he said sternly. "Don't say anything until your attorney is present."

I had tried to contact Pat as soon as I could, but had only reached his service. I was heartened to realize that he must have received my message and been on his way to meet me. I tried to look calm, but couldn't stop self-consciously rubbing my finger where my engagement ring had been until an hour earlier when the police had taken all of my valuables.

"She's the one, Mr. Romano," Dan said suddenly.

"I advise you to remain silent as well, Mr. Morath," Frank said, "until your legal counsel arrives."

Dan smiled a smug smile. "I don't need legal counsel ."

Frank raised an eyebrow. "I would recommend that you have counsel present."

"I'm not accused of anything, am I?" Dan asked.

"No, you're not," Frank answered, the deadpan expression still on his face, but I detected his keen mind leading up to something. "Am I to understand then, Mr. Morath, that you are waiving your right to legal counsel at this proceeding?"

"That is correct," said Dan formally.

"So noted," Frank replied. Did I detect a note of satisfaction in his voice? Or was I just hoping that it was going to be all right with Frank and me. I wouldn't know until this "proceeding" ended. I only hoped that it would end soon.

Chapter 14 - The Proceeding

It only took another fifteen minutes for Pat to arrive, but I honestly believe they were the longest fifteen minutes of my life. It was like a bizarre parody of the Moment of Truth in a sales call where all three of us had read the book and knew that the next person to speak would probably lose. I read somewhere that the psychological profile for successful attorneys and successful salespeople is almost identical. If that is so, then all three of us really had read the book.

I don't know what Dan and Frank thought of during that fifteen minutes, but I do know what I was thinking of. I was thinking about how strange this all was, and how I had changed in ways I could have never dreamed of since my transformation. I had begun as a man trapped in the body of a woman, but now, the man was only a memory. Oh, I had all of Jack's experience at my fingertips, and his memories would always be mine, but I no longer thought of myself as Jack Barnes. He was now just a very good friend who had related that experience and those memories to his very good friend and successor, Maria Delgado. No matter what happened, I was comfortable with being Maria Delgado, and if there was some way I could still have Frank, I would be deliriously happy to be Maria Delgado.

The door flew open suddenly. "Sorry I'm late," I heard Pat say matter-of-factly. You would have thought he was late for a lunch appointment rather than for a proceeding which would affect the rest of my life. Dan looked startled for a moment. He obviously knew who Pat was, but I could see the smug look return. He must have thought that either I had found Pat by chance and didn't know he was a sorcerer, or that it didn't matter.

As Pat took his seat, Frank began, "All right, then. Mr. Morath, you have accused Ms Delgado of being a wanted fugitive. Would you mind telling me how you came by that information?"

"Certainly," Dan said. "I suspected that some of Ms Delgado's employment application had been falsified."

"In what way?"

Dan spread his hands. "Well, her work references were suspect. I began to investigate and learned that her entire application was full of falsehoods. When I confronted her with my suspicions earlier today, she said she'd get me just like she'd gotten another man who got in her way."

"That's a pack of lies!" I yelled.

"Please," Frank said calmly as Pat put a gently restraining hand on mine. "Continue, Mr. Morath."

"Well, she fled from my office, and I was afraid she was going to get a gun or something. So I called the police and found out that a Maria Delgado had killed a police officer in Mexico and was considered dangerous. The rest you know."

"Thank you," Frank said. Then, into an intercom, he asked, "Sergeant Witherspoon, would you please bring that file in here?"

A uniformed officer appeared moments later, respectfully handed a file folder to Frank, and silently left. Frank studied the folder for a few moments before saying, "Well, Mr. Morath, you are correct. A Maria Delgado did kill a police officer in Mexico a few years ago."

"Just as I said," Dan affirmed.

"However," Frank continued, "our Maria Delgado here and the one in this file do not appear to be the same person."

"What?" Dan yelled, jumping from his seat. Frank spread the file out for all of us to see. There was a picture of an Hispanic woman in the file, but she looked nothing like me. I was sure the fingerprints weren't a match, either.

"Mr. Morath," Pat began, "you have made some very serious allegations about my client. I am prepared to bring suit against you and your company for wrongful termination and-"

"It's you that did this!" Dan screamed, pointing at Pat. "You used your... your powers to change this file." Then, he intoned formally, "By the oath of the League of the Gifted, I require you to answer this charge."

Pat gave his most innocent look. "I did nothing to change that file, Dan."

Dan's mouth hung open. He was clearly shaken. Frank got on the intercom once more. "Sergeant Witherspoon, would you please come back in here and escort Mr. Morath back to my office?"

As the officer entered the room, Frank looked sternly at Dan and said, "Mr. Morath, please wait in my office until I have sorted all this out. Again, I advise you to seek legal counsel as there may now be charges filed against you."

After the officer had left the room with Dan, Pat and Frank looked at each other and allowed themselves a small chuckle. Then Frank came over and sat beside me. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked in exasperation.

"Do you want to tell her or should I?" Frank asked.

Pat shrugged. "I should probably start. Right after you left my office, Maria, I called Frank and asked him to investigate you."

"Investigate me?" I exploded. "You didn't believe my story?"

"I believed part of it," Pat said. "My powers told me you had actually be transformed, and your story made sense since it sounded like the sort of thing Dan would do. But Dan is, you could say, an unsavory character in our league. He has never been liked or trusted, but you have to admire him for a truly devious mind. I wanted to be certain that you weren't some sort of trap set by him to discredit me. As for why I picked Frank, I knew I could trust him."

"And just how did you know that?" I demanded.

"I'm his son," Frank said. When he saw the confused look in my eyes, he continued. "I know. We don't have the same last name. My parents are divorced and my mother took back her maiden name and changed my name legally while she was at it. I wanted to change it back after she died, but dad said no."

"I thought it would be safer for him," Pat explained. "Quite a few in our league try to keep their families out of harm's way with aliases."

"Anyhow," Frank began, picking up the story, "dad asked me to check you out, so I took a couple of days off and followed you. As I did so, I began to feel as if I knew you even before we met. You appeared strong and vulnerable all at the same time. I should have stayed in the shadows, but I finally decided I had to meet you to find out what you were really like."

"Uh, Frank," I began uncertainly, "did your father tell you who I was before?"

"You mean did he tell me you were once a man? Yes, he told me, but as I followed you, I found that hard to believe. As I said, I had to find out what you were really like. What I found was a woman - a woman with whom I was falling quickly in love. It doesn't matter what you were. All that mattered to me was what you had become."

I thought I was going to cry again. Damned hormones!

"Anyhow, I talked to dad and we decided to set a trap for Dan."

"So you, Pat, magically altered my police file to prove I was innocent," I surmised.

Pat shook his head. "No, Maria, we didn't dare use magic. Dan might have sensed it. Frank has access to the police files. He altered them himself without the aid of magic. The alteration he made came from a reconstruction of a Mexican police record. The reason Dan chose the name 'Maria Delgado' for you is that there really was a woman by that name who committed the murder of a police officer."

"So Frank changed the record to show the real killer," I said.

"That's right, Maria," Frank agreed.

"Well, that about wraps everything up," Pat offered.

"Not quite," Frank said, reaching in his pocket. "I got this out of your personal effects, Maria. I want you to have it back."

I looked at what he was holding in his hand. It was my engagement ring. For the second time in two days, I held out my left hand and let him slip it on my finger.

Epilogue

Sharon pushed the contract across the desk in front of her customer's face and said, "Just okay this and we can get started." I smiled as I watched her start the close on what would be her biggest sale of the year. It was going to be a great year. In fact, every year for the last five and a half years had been great years.

After our confrontation with Dan, he managed to get away from Sergeant Witherspoon and was never seen again. American Netstar fired him when Pat threatened a wrongful termination suit. They even insisted on giving me a year's pay "for services rendered" when I resigned the day after they rehired me. Of course, I had to sign a waiver, absolving them from all responsibility, but I was glad to do it.

The real reason I resigned was to get back my old job at National Net. Sam called me right after the word got out that Dan had fired me. He admitted my sales had hurt his sales, especially since his number one rep had mysteriously disappeared. I found working for Sam as a woman was every bit as much fun as working for him as a man. He didn't care what sex or race someone was as long as they could sell. I even convinced him to hire Sharon as a sales rep. Dan was too prejudiced against women to see her potential, but I did and so did Sam. I was the number one rep in the company for the next two years, and Sharon was in the top ten in the nation.

I never did make it to Denver, though. After Frank and I got married, he left the District Attorney's office and went to work for his father's firm. I've always had a sneaky suspicion that Pat used a little of his own magic to get Frank and I to fall for each other so quickly. Call it "woman's intuition." Not that I care, mind you, because I couldn't imagine life without Frank. Anyhow, it would have been hard to leave Phoenix with his private practice just getting off the ground. Besides, as it turned out, I didn't need to go to Denver. Sharon and I did such a good job for Sam that he became Western Vice President of Sales, and I moved in to his position as Sales Manager in Phoenix.

I smiled as my number one sales rep sat quietly as the customer managed to say "Okay, fine," as he signed the contract. Back out in the car, I congratulated Sharon for a job well done. she beamed with pleasure and asked, "Do you want to go get a drink to celebrate?"

I shook my head. "Let's do it tomorrow night. Tonight is little Pat's birthday." My son was three years old, and this would be the very first birthday he would have to celebrate with his six month old sister, Lisa.

"That's right, I forgot. Tell him Happy Birthday from Aunt Sharon."

"I will," I promised. I didn't tell her that by coincidence, it was also the birthday of Maria Delgado Romano. - not the one which appeared on my driver's license, but the date of my transformation. I had as much to celebrate as little Pat. I was a woman, a wife, and a mother.

And a damned good salesperson.

END

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