So began the next phase of Jamie's life as she took on the rôle of the regular singer with the house band at the 'Blue Note' club. She was happy no longer having to be intimate with men that she didn't know, and as a bonus, she met some very famous musicians and singers when they visited England on tour and were guest artists at the club. Some made a point of being very complimentary about her singing and even asked her to sing with their bands. It was something she couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams, such as singing with a New Orleans born trumpeter known universally by his nickname.

For the first time, she was able to invite her mother and sister to the place where she worked, so they could see her perform. They were seated at a table near the stage and she could see from the look on their faces that they were impressed with her talent, and also the way she 'glammed up' in a gorgeous gown with a side split (but nothing like the ones she wore at Lewy's Club). As she sang, her mum leaned over to her other daughter, Edna and said: “I can hardly believe what I'm seeing”.

At the end of the bracket, Jamie carefully negotiated the steps down from the stage in her six-inch heels, inevitably showing a shapely stocking-clad leg, and came over to the table to sit with them and sip on some mineral water. Jamie's mum had been warned before she visited the club to say nothing about Jamie's past. Ronnie knew about her of course, but as far as all the other staff and patrons were concerned, she was a genuine 'cis-woman'.

When her mother started to say “I was just saying about you to Edna....” Jamie cut in with an alarmed “Mum!”

Her mum looked at her calmly and said “As I was saying, to Edna, I never thought you would grow up to be such a glamorous young woman. That's alright to say isn't it?”

Jamie relaxed and said with a smile “Yes, that's alright to say, Mum.”

As time passed, so Jamie discovered that the old saying about 'Time heals all wounds' is indeed true. From time to time a vision of Sam came into her mind, especially when she fingered the locket, but she was able to think of him without the hurt of the first few weeks after that horrible moment at Lewy's.

One day she had a phone call from Michaela asking if she could come round to the flat when it was convenient. “I've got something to show you,” she said.

Jamie was intrigued and suggested a time when she would be home in the afternoon before going to work at the jazz club since she knew that Michaela had the occasional rostered day off. At the appointed day, there was a knock on the door and Jamie opened it. Her jaw dropped; standing on the doorstep was a very glamorous woman in a blue silk dress, stockings and high heels, perfectly made up and with an amazing hair styling.

“Michaela! Is that really you?” she gasped.hugging her.

Michaela giggled. “Yes, it really is me. May I come in please?”

Jamie closed her mouth. “Yes of course. I was just a bit stunned for a moment. When you said you had something to show me, I really didn't expect this.”

She ushered Michaela into the lounge room and offered her a drink. They sat together on the couch.

“So what happened?” said Jamie. Every previous time that Michaela had called by, she was dressed, outwardly at least, in male mode, and changed when she arrived at the flat.

“It's simple; I've got my own flat now, and I thought I would treat myself to a makeover,” said Michaela. “I still have to dress as a man to go to work, although I don't suppose many of the other men are wearing panties,” she added with another giggle, “Although you never know!”.

Jamie laughed. “I don't suppose there are, either, but then there's always a chance! Please stand up and let me take another look at you.”

Michaela was happy to oblige. She even gave a twirl which made her silk dress flare out, giving a momentary glimpse of the lace on her slip.

“That dress is fabulous, and you look amazing wearing it,” said Jamie.

“Thank you. I bought it a few days back. I saw it in the shop window and just had to have it. I was in male mode, but suddenly I didn't care. The shop assistant was very nice. I guess men wearing dresses is not as rare as it used to be. It was a perfect fit, apart from in the chest area of course, but I knew that once I was wearing my bra with fillers, it would be fine, and you can see I was right.”

Jamie beamed. “I have to say you look nothing like the person I first met at Lewy's. You're almost too glamorous. I bet you created a stir amongst the men you passed on the way here!”

“Well, there were a couple of wolf whistles when I passed the building site on the corner, but I think that was because there was a gust of wind and they might have seen my lacy stocking-tops.”

Jamie could hardly believe just how feminine Michaela had become. “I don't blame them one bit,” she said. “Are you going to show me what they saw?”

Michaela smiled and lifted up her dress. The stocking welts were wonderfully lacy and the suspenders had little bows on them. It had probably been years since the workmen had seen anything so feminine.

“It's a wonder you didn't give them all heart attacks,” laughed Jamie.

They sat down on the couch again and enjoyed their drinks. Michaela suddenly looked serious.

“Jamie, I don't know if I should even mention this, but I heard what happened. Are you alright now?”

Jamie's smile left her face. “I'm not totally there but I'm getting better. It was all my fault. Sam knew I wasn't a born female but he could have coped with that I'm sure. It was just that he saw how I earned my living at the club, and that was too much for him to take. I don't blame him one bit; I deceived him and I paid the price.”

“But you're still wearing the locket he gave you,” blurted out Michaela.

“I returned it to him of course, but he sent it back. That's the sort of person he is. My mistake was I fell in love with him. I'm never going to do that again as long as I live.”

Michaela's face fell.. “No, of course not,” she replied, quietly.

“But that doesn't mean that I can't have friends, even great friends like you,” said Jamie, and she impulsively leaned over and gave Michaela a brief kiss on the lips. When she moved back, she looked at Michaela intently, and then she started to kiss her again, and this time it wasn't a friendly kiss, but far more than that. Their mouths were open and glued together as their arms went around each other.

“Oh Jamie,” moaned Michaela. Without a word being said, they stood up and holding hands, walked into Jamie's bedroom. They helped each other take off their dresses. They were both wearing silk slips over their other lingerie, and when they lay on the bed together, the feeling of their two silken bodies moving against each other was incredibly erotic. Neither was wearing a gaff and it became quickly obvious that they were both incredibly aroused. Soon the tongues which had been curling around each other were otherwise occupied and their moans of pleasure were muffled as they set about driving each other wild with pleasure to the point where they simultaneously orgasmed and swallowed the sweet nectar each one produced.

As they lay together on the bed afterwards, Jamie said quietly. “Thank you, Michaela, I really needed that. You are a wonderful lover.”

“So are you,” whispered Michaela, and she wondered if Jamie's resolve never to fall in love again could possibly be broken because she had absolutely no doubts about her own feelings towards the gorgeous creature she was currently embracing.

Before Michaela left, she invited Jamie to come and see her own apartment soon, and Jamie was only too happy to accept the invitation. In return, Jamie invited Michaela to come to the jazz club to hear her sing.

“I'm nothing like the great women jazz singers, but I do my best,” she said.

“I'm sure your best is very good indeed,” said Michaela, giving Jamie a kiss on the cheek before she left the flat.

A couple of weeks later, Michaela did come to the jazz club. Once more she was dressed to impress and caused quite a stir when she arrived. Jamie had arranged for her to have a seat at a table near the stage. The house band started to play their first tune to warm up the crowd just after she arrived and after the number finished, the trumpet player, who happened to be the club owner Ronnie Irish, approached the microphone and said “Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our star vocalist, the one, the only, Miss Sweet Jamie Brown!”

Jamie walked onto the stage in her glamorous gown and the drummer began the introduction to her signature tune 'Sweet Georgia Brown' in the arrangement as sung by Anita O'Day at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival.* At the conclusion, the audience erupted into loud and sustained applause, Michaela amongst them. She had no idea Jamie was such a good jazz singer.

After Jamie finished her bracket of sings, she came down from the stage and sat at the table with Michaela.

“I'm speechless,” began Michaela.” You are totally amazing, I had no idea.”

Jamie smiled. “Thank you, Michaela, but if you put me up against someone like Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, even Anita, you'd see just how far I am behind them.”

“Well, Ronnie Irish thinks you are good enough to sing with his band, so that's good enough for me,” replied Michaela. Jamie reached across and squeezed her hand. “Thanks, darling,” she said.

To be continued

Next time: Mostly about Eve and Michaela.

* You can hear Anito O'day at Newport on Youtube at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMmVGrzpy8 and if you want to see the whole film of 'Jazz on a Summer's Day' featuring such jazz giants as Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, Thelonius Monk, Gerry Mulligan, etc, etc, you can find it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCUk8kZ2FiU