Lauren Janz said, “I like that you’re young, hopefully we’ll have years: with you as my financial manager. I’m hoping you will earn my trust and in time become an invaluable friend.”

While Mr. Hannon, her previous account manager, was despicable, he was shrewd in his dealings and made numerous moves in covering his tracks. If he had gotten help in covering his tracks, he might have actually gotten away with it. Poor Mr. Hannon, if he wasn’t so easily distracted by a woman in a skirt he might have gotten away with what he did.

Elle with Bonnie’s help took time not only tracking what he had done but also how he operated. Bonnie and I posed as two women seeking help to hide accounts we were trying to take away from a fictional wealthy lady. The FBI at Aunt Jennifer’s request helped us to set up a dummy account operation. They had expected Martin Hannon of illegal transactions and had others they were investigating were using similar systems. If we could crack how he was doing it, they could probably bring a few others down with him.

Helping Lauren to regain a major portion of what should have coming back to her and soon having it back under her control proved most gratifying. Though at times it was frustrating and tedious going through the legal system. The FBI was finally restrained by law from doing some things in trying to catch him and accomplice Marguerite Upson. Bonnie faked going behind my back trying to make a deal with them leaving me as their scapegoat. Supposedly I had left them for a must luncheon and would be back in two hours. The deal involved ten million American stocks and money going to offshore accounts.

They had to move their transactions quickly in a one and a half hour window. While they got word I was back in the building and coming up the elevator. They didn’t know the FBI had entered the building over half an hour before. The FBI stationed to receive anyone coming out the front or leaving through a private elevator or stairway. We had a portfolio of a bogus offering of legitimate stocks and treasury notes. Bonnie and Hannon were to leave out the back and Mrs. Upson was to send me on a wild goose chase to a cargo ship. Tracking one investment I informed the FBI that Hannon, Upson, and Associates had just made an illegal transaction and that the devices making and recording their actions were not with them but in their seventh-floor Brooklyn office.

The FBI couldn’t be party to what we had done, but they had the contacts and power to get the authority to confiscate Hannon and Upson’s business property. The FBI had done of what we could not. They had shut-down the power to Hannon’s offices and used their own devices to block the destructions of records.

Hannon was small fish to the FBI; they had room to work with them if their operation led to others. It took months but it led to charges against three larger operations each responsible for hundreds of millions.

While the idea of playing cops and robbers was amusing; it was also frightening when I heard about two of the groups they came down on. Several people ended up dead or missing.

Ninety percent of Lauren’s investments had been recovered two months before the bigger indictments came down. Hannon and Upson were rightfully scared and under protection but not out from under all charges.

Bonnie and I were back into New York City for Thanksgiving, guests of Lauren’s. We got to go with Lauren to a fundraiser for her international projects. I was soon to make my first information and fun trip with Lauren to Africa.

I was amazed by how this young beautiful woman could do her international trade work as well as run her benevolent international programs. While she was not bound to any religious group in the United States, Europe or elsewhere. She did make use of ministry groups that she worked with those compassionately serving people in need.

Once in Africa Lauren had me in long skirts, long sleeves and hats or scarfs where she deemed appropriate. Otherwise, she had me dress down in shorts, hiking boots, and open tops when possible. Other times dressed up as we met and partied with national or global dignitaries.

Many of the people we worked with were nationals of that country, and they spoke well and for the most part, educated. It was the people they were working to help; the sick, poor, orphaned and widowed in some of the poorest of the poor countries of the African continent that received the bulk of Lauren’s attention.

I was seldom hassled or inconveniently held up going through customs, but it was awkward and uncomfortable when it happened. Lauren, being a woman in charge riled some and others had strong beliefs; Lauren’s record in helping people and the benefit of our being someplace won out all but once.

Lauren could not help but laugh at times when we would encounter wild animals. She commented, once when a lioness was sniffing me. Its head shook and she turned in bewilderment and then returned curiously needing to be satisfied I was safe. “Elle you have her bewildered because in every way except part of your smell presents you as a woman.” Once the lioness befriended me, we were friends the nudge of her head knocked me close to her two cubs. Usually, my being close to her cubs would be seen as dangerous, but now down on the ground, the cubs came to me playfully.

Two different nights when I shared a suite with Lauren, she unashamedly became cozy with me. Lauren said, “Elle, I want you to relax and get in touch with who you are. I have my own love that is not my interest. It’s the girl in you, she’s already you, but you’re too afraid. You feel a small part of who you are. You are like the tip of an iceberg, I’m going to help you experience what’s deeper down.”

There it was the feelings of a young woman’s body coming to life as Lauren played the strings like I’m a tightly strung violin. My breast forms were off and the bliss had begun. My inhibitions were down and Lauren took her time in bringing me to a full orgasm. It was more than anything Elliot had ever experienced. Elle tried to kiss Lauren to love her back. Lauren’s joy. however was bringing Elle forward to enjoy her own life. It was a journey on a river of color, feelings and, lights.

The next day we traveled through one of the poorer communities; this time their delight became a point of love welling up inside of us. It was a love that defied my traditional definitions. It was not that of Elle feeling the wellspring of sensual love, but Elle/Elliot tapping their caring nature, a love for others and gave it a voice to a joy deep inside. Moans of compassion and caring feelings often going beyond regular expressions.

Lauren didn’t lavish the people with things, but she had brought some people back to their people. Two women were teachers, who would teach with others in the community. Two were medically trained for minor surgeries and to treat the many medical ailments the people encountered. Two others were nurses, one was trained also as a medical technician. With medicine and medical supplies from their national health ministry as well as what Lauren had sent to them. They would establish a medical clinic that would serve people in a thirty-kilometer diameter of it. Doctors without Borders would send medical teams once or twice a year to help the clinic to get well established.

Lauren and Elle use much of those days to learn from watching, listening and working alongside the people. The last three days in this area became more special with each passing day. The people there were treating me with much of the same joyful spirit with which they engulfed Lauren. The people were not backward people in these smaller communities. Education had long been denied women, but they had not remained ignorant. When education and health care became possible because of Lauren. It was warmly received. It was an extension of the yearning these people had to be better.

Lauren all the while loved seeing me blossom. My senses were on overload I would often end the day giving massages and comfort to Lauren. More than once Lauren turned things around. Lauren liked keeping me in touch with the feelings and sensations that were coming to life inside of me. She even helped me as Elle to understand it was not gendered exclusive. She knew Elliot was growing as there was no disconnect between the two personas.

Once we landed back in New York, Bonnie called me. “Lauren says the soul of Elle has taken flight.” Bonnie said, “We’re both happy for you. She wanted to fly me to meet you. But I was enjoying my students with teaching responsibilities here. I am anxious to have time alone with you when you’re here.”

I had been missing Bonnie and was now uncomfortable having waited to solidify our relationship. I had made large leaps in maturing as a woman, a person. My nipples were beyond budding. There was the soft tissue growing around them beginning to form my breasts.

Over a bottle of cheese and wine Bonnie told about a time when the tingling she felt as a young teen had begun. “If you’re like me you want to shout how glorious it is. The women around me then talked to me saying, ‘It’s no big deal.’ I thought they must have become senile if they forgot how special it was.” She says, “I remember and if you want I’m willing to help those little girls cause you to sing.”

The year before we had delayed our wedding, waiting for the right time. I now knew it was time to get married. Which meant we needed to look for a dress. Bonnie’s would be the traditional wedding gown of silk, lace, and tooling that she wanted. Now she yearned for her gown to be even better than already planned. We hired a seamstress to make a new gown to Bonnie’s liking. I loved what she was wanting and knew it would be far more beautiful on her than the original bridal gown. Neither of us was used to the money I had begun to make. We didn’t want to wildly spend it, but we did decide to use it to enhance our wedding bliss.

Bonnie insisted since I was living more time as Elle that I should be Elle for the wedding. There was no argument from me. We found a long slender gown with a delicate lacy vest. The gown would have a long slit up the left side that could be buttoned down for a formal look during the wedding ceremony. It would be open to just below the knee for our wedding. During the wedding reception, especially for dancing, it would be open half way up my thigh.

Where the Groom usually walks out on this own, I was now asking my mother if she would escort me down the aisle at the beginning of the professional. My father had left us when I was about ten. While he recently had come back into our lives; there was no way he would be at my wedding.

Jonathan Harvey my closest male friend would be my Best Man. Mark Stille and Brad Humphrey from high school were to be my groomsmen. My sister Lindsey wanted to sit with our mother, so Bonnie chose my niece Lexi Shurber to be in her bridal party from my side of the family.

Since Bonnie was having her sister as her Maid of Honor and three bridesmaids. She wanted me to have another groomsman. I, however, wanted a woman who could be in with me as I got ready for the wedding. Ultimately when Sophia Lourdes offered her help to Bonnie, she became my other groom person. She proved to be very helpful as the men and I were not comfortable dressing together. There had been at least six times Sophia and I had been to their health spa. We by now were very comfortable around each other.

I had Heather student a former Bonnie’s who would be my ring bearing flower girl. Bonnie already agreed for two other students Stephanie and Rose, to be her flower girls.

It was now spring and our wedding was to be the last Saturday of June. Stephanie, Rose, and Heather. The Parish of St. Brigid was chosen for our wedding. It was somewhat of an embarrassment to the diocese, named for a strong Irish woman and saint in the early church. The Priests of St. Brigid Parish were not directly answerable to the Bishop, but their community based back in Ireland.

Elle’s acceptance there was not a problem there though it would be at many churches. The Priest also welcomed the participation of Pastor Constance and my presenting myself as Elle.

Now having nine clients of my own along with my regular work as a Lioness Associate; it was not a good time to take two weeks off. I was indeed very busy and Jennifer was saying I was needed. However, she approved my two weeks for the wedding and honeymoon as well as the week before.

Aunt Jennifer had sat me down for a good face to face time together. “The next part of your life will be very important. It will direct how you handle balancing work and family life. You have been steaming ahead like a man. When you’re back after your honeymoon; I hope you think more like a Lioness Associate. You see the others busy at work. We have a great professional team. But they have learned how to balance their lives.”

“Your mother and sister can help you as well. I know they have tried talking to you, they’re family and they love you. You are using more emotions and energy than you’ve been used to. Who you takes a lot of good emotional and mental energy, please learn how to live within yourself.”

I asked, “Aunt Jennifer did you expect me to become a woman when you promoted me as an Associate?”

She said, “No. I did expect you to find some way to succeed with the Lourdes. I also saw a possibility of you becoming so frustrated that you might have decided to quit and move on with your life.”

“It was only after I talked with Marjorie Lourdes that I began to see there was more to you than I knew. The possibility of you seeing yourself as a woman had escaped me. I am glad you made it over a year as an Associate, still being Elliot. You are now a treasured part of the Lioness family.”

Come the rehearsal dinner Sofia Lourdes gave a toast, “To the Best Man and the Groomsmen: May the estrogen that fills the room move each of you to get in touch with your feminine side. And may all of us be willing after the wedding to help you! …Now to the wedding couple: May you be blessed with a beautiful wedding tomorrow. We, your friends, wish you all the best.”

Little Heather asked her mother, “What did she mean by an estrogen filled room? Is there a gas we’re breathing?”

Her mother who had giggled before said, “No, she was just being funny for the adults. Maybe when you’re ready to get married I can explain it to you.”

To be continued…