Chapter 6

The next morning Dan got up and dressed before Maria arrived. He had chosen a smart if fairly conservative dark blouse and knee length black skirt. He'd had to change his first choice of blouse, a white plain one, after he noticed that the black bra he was wearing was clearly visible through it.

He experimented with some red nail varnish on his long fingernails. He still found his fingernails getting in the way and reminded himself to get them cut shorter at some point. After what seemed an age the nail varnish dried and he put on some more red lipstick. It still felt very alien to do this, but he was going to be a woman for the rest of his life and to a certain extent he was going to have to get used to it. But never to the point of having sex with a man again.

Dan found some smaller earrings to wear, shaped like gold shells. He found himself liking the strange weight hanging on his ears. Then he rummaged through the jewellery box until he came across a simple gold crucifix on a chain. It might not do any good, but it couldn't hurt.

He went through Alison's drawers until he came across a diary. Checking the entry for that day, Dan saw he was supposed to be meeting someone called Kate for an aerobics session at Simon's fitness centre. Dan racked Alison's memory for information about Kate, she was a childhood friend of Alison's and they were very close. Dan decided it was worth going. He could keep an eye on Simon while he was at it and see how convincing he was as Alison to her best friend. A further search brought up a leotard, which was a lurid pink, and green tights. He stuffed them into a shoulder bag went to check on Simon.

Downstairs he was still fast asleep in the hall. If Dan's plan was to succeed Simon had better not wake up until he was late for work. Dan went into the kitchen and made himself a light snack. This body seemed to need far less than his old one. Anyway, he didn't want to get fat and had always burned off the energy with exercise. His new body obviously didn't do weight training, but it was in such good shape Alison must have done Aerobics regularly.

Dan met Maria as she came into the house and put a finger in front of his lips. Maria got the hint, grinned and made her way silently round Simon. "He needs his beauty sleep," explained Dan.

It was half past eight before Dan woke Simon up. He was still dead to the world and Dan was thinking of slapping him awake just before he came round. "Good morning, dear." Dan said sweetly. "Have a good time last night did you?"

"Uhhh... What time is it?" Muttered Simon as he struggled awake.

"Half past eight. I tried to wake you earlier but you didn't want to know."

"Eight thirty!" Simon struggled to his feet and noticed he was in the hall not the bedroom. He wasn't overly surprised, at least he made it inside the house this time. More than once he had woken up in his car or in the driveway. "I'll be late for work." He muttered and staggered to the front door.

"Why don't you take today off. Have a rest?" said Dan hoping Simon wouldn't agree.

"No, I've got work to do. Where are my keys?"

"You left them in the car. Anyway you're not fit to drive, I've got my aerobics class today so I'll drive you in."

"Well, okay. But we're going in your car. I don't want you denting mine." He said grumpily and went out in the morning sunlight.

I am going to kill him, seethed Dan. I could handle his car with no problems. Does he think I can't drive just cause I'm female? Probably, he realised. Dan had always thought women were inherently poorer drivers than men. He picked up his bag and followed Simon to the garage.

All the way to the center Simon was quiet, except for groans when Dan went over bumps in the road too fast. Alison hadn't woken him up until he was late on purpose, he decided. She didn't look too happy and was obviously in a foul mood over the way he had thrown her out of the bar yesterday. He hated having to face the day in yesterdays clothes. They stank of alcohol and felt uncomfortable. He'd get his secretary to get him a tracksuit or something when he got to work.

Dan pulled into the center and parked in Simon's usual spot. "I'll pick you up at five."

"Alright. Seeya later, Darling." He leant over and kissed Dan on the cheek. Dan had been expecting it and managed to avoid flinching, but his mind drifted over his royal fucking by Joe. He still couldn't get over how good it had felt.

Simon got out and was gone before Dan could finish locking the car. Dan went in the front entrance and checked in with the receptionist. He still had twenty minutes before the next lesson started.

"Allie! Over here!" A tall African-American woman waved from across the reception hall. Allie had to be a nickname for Alison.

Dan smiled and waved back, this was the acid test. If he could convince Kate he was Alison, he'd have no trouble with that sonofabitch Simon.

"I didn't hear from you yesterday, Allie. What happened to you?" Kate said when she had walked over.

"Ah... I had a little trouble."

Kate frowned. "Simon again? I don't know why you stick with him. Ever since he was left the centers in his father's will he's been getting worse. You should chuck him, I know a good divorce lawyer who could easily overturn that prenuptial agreement." Dan could tell this was an argument Kate and Alison had had many time before.

"He's not that bad. He just needs to be brought back under control a bit."

Kate looked at Dan quizzically. "You're up to something, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes."

Dan grinned. "Come on, I don't want to be late for our session."

"Oh, come on! Tell me what you're up to."

"I will, it's a good one."

Simon climbed the stairs up to his office. He'd be glad to have a quiet rest without having to worry about his frosty wife. His secretary was already in sorting the mail. "Morning, Linda."

She smiled coyly back at him. "Good Morning, Simon. Rough night?"

"What?" He looked down at his dishevelled clothes, "oh, yeah. Have you got a tracksuit I could wear."

"I'll dig one out for you. You go get those dirty clothes off and I'll go get some your size." She got off her chair and wiggled down to the locker room. Simon watched her ass rolling in her tight skirt, she was something special. And she knew exactly what she had to do to land and keep her job.