[at a Student House in South Leeds]
"Fuck shit and double fuck," exclaimed the attractive young woman as she stormed into the sitting room of her house.
"What's up dude?" asked another of the occupants who was clearly 'high' after consuming his third joint of the day.
"Yeah, why the swearing Luce?" asked the third member of their household who was pouring over a laptop computer.
"I called home to wish my Mother a happy birthday only to find out that my frigging father is throwing a huge party in the summer for his fucking fiftieth birthday. It's going to happen during 'Cowes Week'."
"So? What's the problem? That's months away?" asked Dave as he took his head away from the Laptop screen.
"What's the problem? The problem is that they have demanded my presence. I just know that they are going to line up a whole raft of chinless wonders as possible husbands for ME! That's how my mother was 'chosen' by my father twenty-five years ago. I twigged this because she started to talk about my future and families the last time I was at home. Is it any wonder I'm angry?"
"Cool," remarked Jeff, the pot head of the three.
"No, it is most certainly not fucking cool. The last thing I want is to… to be married off to someone in the City just so that my bastard father's business can profit."
Then Lucy stomped over to the window and sat down on a chair.
"The thing is, on the rebound from that news, I told mum that I was seeing someone."
"Ok Lucy, I'll brush off my suit and be your boyfriend for the weekend," volunteered Dave.
"Sorry Dave, you are going to be out of luck unless you can pass as a woman because I said that I was seeing a 'her'."
"Luce? Since when did you become a lezzie?" asked Dave.
"I'm not. That's my problem. Because of my frigging big mouth and not engaging my brain before speaking I have dug a hole the size of the Malham Tarn and buried myself in it."
Dave couldn't help but have a little snigger at the misfortune of his housemate.
[Two days later, in the pub]
Lucy was still angry at herself and more importantly, with her parents for trying to manipulate her life yet again. She'd thought that was long gone when she'd moved away from home to attend university. Then they'd tried when she graduated but she'd rebutted them firmly by signing up for a Master's Degree.
"Luce, you still aren't your normal 'self' tonight, are you still moping over your impending death?" asked one her fellow drinkers, a fellow MA Student called Steve Wilson.
"Steve, you really don't want to know, you really don't."
"Luce, we are all friends here. Perhaps we can help with whatever is bothering you?" he asked again.
"Steve, you are a sweet guy but this is a problem between me and my folks."
"Lucy here is being 'presented' to some potential hubbies at her father's birthday bash," said Dave.
"She's naturally not that keen on the idea."
There was general agreement that this was not a good thing. This did little to cheer her up.
Dave, who by now had downed several pints added, "Our darling Lucy has complicated matter by telling her Oldies that she's seeing someone."
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Andy Wynn, another of her fellow students.
"Not if, one, she's not seeing someone and two, that someone is supposed to be a woman," chirped in Dave.
Lucy was by now seething.
"So, geniuses, what do you suggest I do then?" Lucy asked the group with more than a little frustration.
There was some mumbling but no one came forward with a solution until, Andy Wynn piped up.
"So, let's get Lucy a lezzie girlfriend."
There was some general hilarity until Dave pointed out,
"Lucy isn't a lezzie as you so eloquently put it."
"I'll put on a dress for you," joked another of the group. This quip came from Bob Travers. Bob had been unsuccessfully trying to get a date with Lucy for the past four years.
There was a lot more laughing and general frivolity amongst the group.
A few minutes later, one of them said,
"There is always Andrea. I'm sure she'd do it for a few quid."
Everyone looked at the speaker. This was the final member of the group Sharron Young. She was the 'Blonde Bombshell' of the MA team. Most of the men on the course fancied her something rotten but the trouble was that she was married to a PHD student.
The person mentioned, Andrea rented the basement flat in the house where Steve Wilson lived. She was also a Transsexual and was trying live quietly while she became a woman. Sadly, trouble seemed to be her second name.
"The last I heard of her was that her Landlord was trying to get her evicted. Says she's a trouble maker," said Dave.
There were more mutterings but soon the conversation switched to something more important to many of them such as the forthcoming Rugby League season and the prospects of the local team, Leeds Rhino's, but a key thought had implanted itself into Lucy's mind.
A few days later, Lucy gave in to her misgivings and went to Andrea's home. This was a cellar flat a few streets away from where Lucy lived. With more than a bit of trepidation, she knocked on the door to Andrea's flat.
After a few seconds, Andrea herself answered. Lucy gave a gasp as she saw Andrea.
"Andrea…" she stuttered.
"Hello Lucy. Is there something I can do for you?" asked Andrea slightly sarcastically.
Lucy couldn't take her eyes off the very visible cuts and bruises on Andrea's face.
"I'm sorry. Are you, all right? You look as if you have been through the wars?"
"Oh this? Just about par for the course I'm afraid. It is just that some people are afraid of us 'T' girls, and our grand plan to take over the world," replied Andrea trying to make light of her obvious wounds.
"A couple of Neanderthals got tanked up on a Friday night wouldn't take no for an answer. This is the end result, still at least two of them got a stiletto in their sensitive parts so perhaps they won't do that again in a hurry. One may well have a broken foot after I stamped on it," she replied trying to make it seem nothing out of the ordinary.
Lucy tried but couldn't suppress a small laugh. She had to admire the bravado that Andrea was putting on to what was certainly more than a few minor injuries.
"Andrea," said Lucy gathering her thoughts.
"I have a little proposition that I'd like to put to you. May I come in?"
Andrea looked at Lucy for a long second before saying,
"Sure, come on in but you will have to take those boots off first though."
Lucy was wearing her normal heavy boots, tatty jeans with the torn knees and a loose smock like top and a short 'Donkey Jacket' coat.
Lucy took off her boots and walked into Andrea's home. She was amazed at the place. It was like stepping back in time to the 1950's. As she looked around, she realised that nothing was out of its proper place. Andrea despite her wounds was immaculately dressed. Lucy was very impressed.
"Can I get you a cup of tea?" asked Andrea, "I was just going to have one myself so the kettle is on."
As if by magic, the whistle on top of the kettle sounded off.
"Yes. Thanks. No sugar please," replied a still startled Lucy.
Andrea carried the tea into the room on a tray. The Tea was in a pot and there were some biscuits on a plate. What struck Lucy was that all the china matched and none of it was chipped, cracked or damaged.
Lucy was quickly revising her opinion of Andrea.
Andrea poured the tea and passed the cup to Lucy. She then started to pour the milk into the cup after saying, "say when".
"When," said Lucy after Andrea had poured a very small amount of milk into the cup. Andrea smiled.
Andrea poured herself a cup of tea omitting the milk and sat down smoothing her skirt behind her as she did. Lucy could see not one male trait in anything that Andrea did. She was even more impressed by her host.
Lucy took a sip of the tea before asking,
"Andrea, I need your help. I'm in a bit of a bind and it could very well be that are the right person to help me out."
"Right to the point as always Lucy," replied Andrea, "carry on, I'm listening."
"Sorry but this is difficult for me. I know that I've been less than complimentary about you in the past but seeing you and your home, has opened my eyes to a different world. Please forgive me."
Andrea didn't say anything but took another sip of tea.
"Andrea as I said, I'm in a bit of a bind. A mess that is totally of my own making I might add. My father is holding a big bash next August to celebrate his 50th birthday. My Mother has virtually ordered me to be there. It is all going to take place during Cowes Week so I know the main reason is business. He does nothing just for pleasure when it involves him spending more than a few quid on the event. I just know that they will try to marry me off to one of a number of eligible men who will bring some benefit to his business. That's how he got married and his father before him. I'm different from them and really want no part of that world."
Lucy stopped.
"I'm not doing this very well am I?"
She swallowed hard as Andrea permitted herself a small smile.
"When my mother told me about it, I reacted by telling her that I was seeing someone, and that someone was a woman."
Lucy swallowed hard before saying, "Andrea, I need you to be my girlfriend for the weekend."
Andrea smiled and sat there for several seconds.
"I can see your problem. So, what's in it for me?"
Lucy was startled by her directness.
"I'll pay all your expenses naturally and… how about a grand?"
Andrea sat back with her tea. Her whole appearance and demeanour was more that of a middle-aged woman rather than someone in her early twenties. Her mind was frantically trying to come to terms with what Lucy had just offered her.
She smiled.
"Just what would be my role?"
"You'd be my partner for the weekend."
"So, we'd be sleeping together or are your parents from the dark ages?" asked Andrea with a little smirk that Lucy missed.
"I think so. The dark ages I mean."
"We'd have to kiss and hold hands and all that stuff in public as well?"
"I suppose so, yes," mumbled Lucy as she saw where things might be going.
"What sort of events and functions would I have to attend?"
"The birthday party and a few receptions as well I suppose. If I know my father he will want us to go riding over the forest."
Andrea almost choked on her tea.
"Riding? That's out for starters. There is no way I'll be seen on a horse with… well, it will be painful."
Lucy saw her point there. She loved riding but not the cavalry charge across the open spaces of the New Forrest, that her Father called riding.
"Ok, no riding then."
"You mentioned Cowes Week. I suppose some sailing and all those terrible 'yachtie types' in a gin palace will be involved?"
"Yes. Daddy has a 75ft cruiser or 'gin' palace as you so accurately put it. He usually takes it over close to the Island for the closing firework displays and has the party there but they always make a weekend of it."
"No sailing," replied Andrea in a matter of fact way, "I get seasick even in a rowing boat on a lake."
"Does this mean you are going to do it?" asked Lucy as her hopes were raised.
Andrea smiled but shook her head at the same time.
"No Lucy, it does not. I need to think on this. You need to think about us as a couple. If I agreed to this, guess who is going to have to change? It is fairly obvious that you need to show that you are all grown up and are perfectly capable of making decisions for yourself and not relying on Mummy and Daddy to organise your life for you."
"I'm not…"
Suddenly, Lucy saw the implications of what Andrea had just said. A chill feeling ran through her body.
"I'll think on it for a few days and let you know."
"Thanks. There's plenty of time before it all takes place."
As Andrea was showing Lucy out when she realised that she had one more question.
"This lie come illusion you have fed your parents. Does it include the small matter of you actually living with your 'partner' whom whoever she may be?"
Luck looked down at the floor before answering.
"Yes, I supposed it does mean exactly that."
Andrea gave a big sigh.
"I'll let you know what I decide in a few days."
"Thanks Andrea, goodnight."
Andrea shut the door to her meagre home with a smile on her face. Mentally, she'd already agreed to do it but for considerably more than what she'd been offered. Lucy was going to pay for some other things but she didn't know quite what they were at that moment.
[To be continued]
Andrea was already sure that Lucy was going to be her ticket away from this flat and some of the problems her neighbours had been giving her in recent weeks. The recent damage to her face was clear evidence of that.
She closed the door with a sigh and looked at her watch. Time was getting on and she'd have to be on her way out in a little while. For the past three and a half months she'd been working the nightshift at the local depot of a National Delivery Company. Decent jobs for someone like her were few and far between so it was unskilled zero hours contracts all the way for the foreseeable future.
At least this was not in one of the many fast-food joints that seem to concentrate close to Universities these days. The pay she received wasn't that great but it allowed her to put some away each week towards the next phase of her transition to Andrea. Despite being on a 'zero' hours contract, Andrea had kept her head down and done her job not only meeting expectations and targets but exceeding them. This was probably why she'd lasted so long in the job.
That night in her meal break, Andrea began compiling a list in her mind. The list contained her demands and the changes that Lucy will have to complete before they headed south and the birthday bash.
Over the next few days, she edited the list several times until she was finally satisfied with its contents.
On her way home from work, she dropped a small note through the letterbox at Lucy's home. It was inviting her to come to Andrea's for lunch the following Saturday.
Andrea spent most of that Saturday morning cleaning the already spotless flat and preparing lunch for the two women. Her domestic credentials were two things that she was particularly proud of. She had her grandmother Elsie to thank for that. The word for it was 'house-proud' and Andrea was certainly that.
She prepared a nice meal for the two of them. She hoped that Lucy would agree to her terms with a nice meal and a glass or two of wine inside her.
Right on schedule, Lucy rang the bell at Andrea's flat.
Andrea opened the door to let her in. Lucy had made a bit of an effort to smarten herself up and was wearing a clean pair of jeans that didn't have the seemingly obligatory holes in the knees, a clean lavender coloured top and a pair of the all too common 'ballet pumps'. She'd even done something with her normally very unruly hair.
"Come on in Lucy, you look very nice today," said a smiling Andrea.
Lucy saw Andrea and felt distinctly under-dressed. Nevertheless, she entered the flat and slipped off her shoes. At least these were easier to remove than the boots she normally wore.
Andrea was dressed in a simple Mary Quant Black and White two-piece suit from the late 1960's. This was matched with a simple white turtleneck jumper and topped with a single band necklace made of Jet. She also wore seamed, fully-fashioned stockings and 2in heeled black patent court shoes. Everything apart from the jumper and the stockings had been bought from charity shops. Despite the low price she'd paid, it felt good on her, very good indeed.
"You don't look so bad yourself," commented Lucy.
"Oh this? This is mostly from Charity Shops. I do like to dress nicely when I have someone to dress for," replied Andrea.
Lucy laughed.
"You don't have to go to any trouble for me you know," responded Lucy.
"Oh Lucy, but I do, I really do."
Lucy looked a little surprised by that remark.
Andrea saw this and changed the subject.
"Come, sit down and we can talk as we eat," suggested Andrea.
Lucy saw the food already lay out on the table and did as Andrea suggested.
"This looks good," said Lucy.
"I hope you like it. There is chicken casserole in the large dish and some vegetables and potatoes in the other one so please help yourself;" said Andrea as she sat down and removed the lids on the dishes.
Lucy's stomach gave a small rumble as she savoured the delightful smells emanating from the dishes.
"I didn't expect this," said Lucy as she helped herself.
As she did so, Andrea poured them both a glass of an excellent Chilean Merlot.
Andrea helped herself to some food and then raised her glass.
"Cheers."
Lucy responded.
"Cheers."
They both sipped the wine and then tucked into the food. Lucy smiled, as she tasted the casserole. It was delicious.
"This is very good. Slightly hot but not too hot."
"Thanks Lucy. It is not that often that I get to cook for someone."
They ate some more.
Then Andrea said almost offhandedly,
"I'll be your partner for the weekend."
Lucy almost choked on her food.
"You will?" she gasped.
"Yes, I will, but there are a few conditions though."
Lucy groaned inside. It had seemed far too easy.
As much as Lucy wanted to, she held back from any questions until they'd finished eating. The food was far too good to waste.
As Lucy put her knife and fork together down on an empty plate, she asked,
"What are the conditions?"
Andrea smiled back and said,
"Look around you. What do you see?"
"I'm not sure what you mean?" asked Lucy.
"This is my home, well at least for the moment. Then compare it to yours. What do you see?"
Lucy thought for a while.
"Ok, yours is much neater and sort of retro. Is that what you want me to say?"
Andrea smiled.
"Not really. How neat and tidy is your home? Especially with those two you live with? Do you want to live like that for the rest of your life? Remember I did see your place at your graduation party."
"Ok, I need to tidy up."
"No Lucy, that's not it."
"What is it then? I don't understand?"
Andrea sighed.
"It is you that is going to have to change. I'm most certainly not going to change. I've changed enough to get there I am today. "
"Ok. I get it."
Andrea looked at Lucy.
"I don't think you do, 'get it'."
"Let me try to explain…"
"If you and more importantly we, are to pull this stunt off it has to be totally believable. Not just a veneer but really solid and convincing. It is clear to me that your parents will put the two of us under the microscope the minute we appear on the scene. If you really want to fool them into thinking that you are a Lesbian or appear to be then both of us will have to be word perfect, polished and faultless. Your Mother, if she is like mine, will pick up the slightest imperfection in our story in an instant and once she has calmed down she will pull our story apart at the seams and destroy you in the process."
"Are you with me so far?"
"I think so."
"Comments?"
"Yeah, I think you are right about my Mother."
"Most mothers only want what they think is right for their offspring. Sadly, this vision does not always coincide with the actuality does it?"
Lucy nodded her head in agreement.
"In my honest opinion, the only way we can succeed is that we have to live together from now until the weekend. We become the couple we are supposed to appear to be. We learn everything there is to know about each other so that when we are grilled our stories match perfectly."
"So, I move in here? That's easy."
Andrea sighed.
"It is not as easy as that. Not by a long chalk."
"What do you mean?"
"Do we look like a couple?"
Lucy had to admit that they didn't.
"Ok so I buy a few clothes."
Andrea shook her head again.
"No, once again, it is not that simple."
She continued.
"There is a type of acting called Method Acting. This is where the actor immerses himself or herself totally in the part they are playing so that they create themselves in the thoughts and feelings of their character. They sort of become one with the character. Actors such as Jack Nicholson follow it. Between now and the start of that weekend, every day and everything we do is our rehearsal. We don't have the luxury of press previews. From the instant, we arrive at your parents we are on stage for the extended first night. Are you with me so far?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"Good. Following on with the theme of demonstrating the new improved and grown up you, you are going to clean up your act and live like me. I'm going to move from here into your place and together we are going to transform it into a decent place to live, most certainly not a student house and along with what all that implies. What happens if your parents decide to make a surprise visit to your home and see the state it is in right now. Ok, I've seen a lot worse student houses but if you are to prove to your parents that you have grown up and are making adult decisions then the place has to look… more like this. I know this style if a bit eclectic but compare this to the virtual doss house that your place has become… Which one would say 'A responsible adult lives here'?"
Andrea paused to take a breath.
"I don't know if this will work or drive us insane and hate each other. I know I can do it simple because I've been acting most of my life. Remember I had to play the role of a boy for sixteen years. Yes, that was how long from when I first realised that I should have been a girl to when I came out. If I could to then a few days pretending to be your lover is going to be difficult but not beyond me provided I prepare properly. The problem Lucy is you. How convincing can you be? That is why we need to make it as real as we can."
Andrea looked at Lucy. She sat there with her mouth open in amazement.
"Hopefully this will prove to your parents that you are grown up and can make her own decisions and they can let go of their darling baby. By proving that you are a responsible adult in a steady relationship they, with any luck will not throw a wobbly at the fact that you appear to be a lesbian. While there is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, many people of their age may well find it hard to accept. Therefore, the more that we can do to make their acceptance of us as a couple a easy and painless as possible."
Andrea smiled at Lucy.
"Oh, and by the way, you will get your hair done and I mean done properly and start wearing makeup every day. Then you will start dressing as an adult and not a teenager. Well, you aren't one any more, now are you?"
Lucy continued to sit there with her mouth open. She couldn't believe what Andrea was saying and her demands on her.
"How… How did you know all this? All this needs to be done? It must have taken you hours to think of all that…" stuttered Lucy.
Andrea smiled and stood up offering Lucy her hand.
"Come with me and I'll show you."
Slightly bewildered, she followed Andrea into her bedroom.
"There is the answer," said Andrea pointing to her bookshelf.
The bookcase was completely filled with 'Mills & Boon' romances.
[Continued in part 3]
Lucy let out a startled, "You can't be serious? Do mean to say that you put me through all that for a joke?"
"Lucy, everything I've said today has been deadly serious. Come back into the lounge and think about what I said while dish up dessert. Ok?"
Lucy followed Andrea out of the bedroom and still somewhat in a daze, she sat down at the table.
Andrea disappeared into the kitchen and returned with desert.
"Here you go, Crème Brulee de la Maison," said Andrea as she placed a dish down in front of Lucy.
Lucy didn't start eating but looked at Andrea earnestly.
"You were serious, weren't you? All that stuff about role playing and acting?"
"Yes I was. Perfectly serious about what it is going to take for us to be successful."
"If I go with… all what you are saying, how much is it going to cost me?"
"Does it really matter if you are successful?" Rumour has it that your daddy bought your house for you so that you didn't get involved with University Halls and all that entails. We all know that you are not short of a few quid."
"Get on with it."
Andrea smiled.
"Lets' say all my expenses for clothes and yours naturally, plus the change to your lifestyle…."
"Out with it… what else?"
Andrea smiled.
"A girl can't be expected to go to Cowes Week and not show off her assets now can one?"
"No…. There is no way I'm paying for you to have a boob job."
Andrea grinned.
"I was thinking more of both of us actually."
Lucy was speechless. While she was a little flat in the boob world and yes, she normally wore a padded bra but… this was silly. She wasn't having some man dressed as a woman telling her that she needed a boob job. That was not on. No way, nowhere never in hell.
Then….
Then she realised that Andrea was talking a lot of sense… An awful lot of sense and that scared her. Not for first time that day she wondered who was the psychologist? Andrea seemed to have a better grasp of the world than she had.
"I need to think about it."
"That's fine. I knew that it would be difficult for you to make a decision right now. Take your time", said a smiling Andrea.
They ate the rest of the mean in virtual silence. Andrea tell that Lucy did enjoy the desert.
As Lucy was leaving Andrea said,
"If you think that you are going to have a problem kissing me then back out now. It would be better on both of us if you decide to go ahead, we get all the possible hang-ups out the way right at the beginning."
"I get that," replied Lucy as she put on her shoes.
Then on the spur of the moment, she stepped up to Andrea and kissed her full on the lips.
"That's got that one out the way then!" said Lucy as she left a speechless Andrea standing there in her doorway.
Lucy didn't contact Andrea for several days. In that time, she spent a lot of time thinking about life the universe and everything including her own appearance. Slowly it dawned upon her that Andrea was talking a lot of sense. She needed to grow up. It would not be that long before her student days would be behind her for good.
She spent a good deal of time at home trying to imagine her 'new' and improved self with larger breasts and a different hairstyle and wearing makeup. She realised that she'd let herself go during her years as a student. She remembered her school days and the fun times her and her friends had experimenting with all sorts of different styles of hair and makeup. That was all forgotten when she became a student. Some of the words that Andrea had said about growing up and responsibility started to make some form of sense.
Her mind wasn't on her classes and writing reports was just impossible with all that going on in her mind. In the end, she gave up on University and headed into town. Her destination was the main department store where she had a makeover. This was a new experience for her but she wanted to see what she'd look like if she wore make up in the style of Andrea.
"What sort of thing would you be thinking of?" asked Sara, who was going to do the 'dirty deed' to Lucy.
"Retro, very retro, 1950's glam."
Sara laughed, "We don't get much call for that."
"I want to see how I'd have looked in the 1950's."
"Your hair is all wrong. You need a perm and probably have it dyed a straw blonde."
"Yeah, I know.
"Great. Just sit back and relax and let Sara do her magic on you."
For more than forty minutes, Lucy did just that while Sara cleansed and scrubbed and applied until she heard the words,
"There, I'm done," announced Sara.
Sara turned the chair that Lucy was sitting in to face the mirror.
"Ta-da."
Lucy opened her eyes and gasped.
"Oh my god!"
"You look really good," said Sara, "I had my doubts about it to begin with but really, if you took more care of your skin, say on a daily basis, looking like this would be easy with a bit of practice."
After ignoring the rather pointed question, Lucy just stared at herself in the mirror. She tried to imagine herself with a 50's hair-do. She held her long hair up and realised that she really had let things go as she quickly dropped it down again when she realised that she sported what looked like sideburns.
As Lucy travelled home from the City-centre, she made her decision about Andrea and everything. She hadn't felt this good about anything since her first orgasm and that was a distant memory.
Her only worry was about becoming attached to Andrea. She wasn't sure of how her feelings towards her would be in six months' time. She guessed that she'd either love her or hate the very sight of her. What she did know that this was a time of big changes for her, changes that would dictate what happens to her for a long time to come. This prospect excited her but quite how long this would last, was another thing entirely.
Lucy was determined to keep riding this wave of enthusiasm as long as possible so as soon as she arrived home, she got hold of her two house-mates, Jeff and Dave to give them the bad news.
"Guys', I'm afraid that the time has come for you two dropouts to find somewhere else to live. I'm moving on to different things and… well It has been nice but I'm changing direction in my life and I can't do that with you two misfits here as a reminder of the past."
"Luce, does this have anything to do with that tranny Andrea?" asked Dave, the more lucid of the two males.
"In a way it does. She has made me accept a few home truths about me and my lifestyle and where I go in the future."
"Dude, are you selling out to the man?" asked Jeff who'd just realised that the conversation involved him.
"No Jeff, I'm not. Actually, I'm far more confident about standing up to the 'man' as you put it. Especially if that man is my father," she sighed, "Look guys, it has been fun. Especially for you two, living here rent free these past three and a bit years but all good things have to come to an end. I'd like you to be out of here by the end of the month. That gives you three weeks to find somewhere else to live. Is this ok?"
"It's fine by me," said Dave, "I have a friend on the other side of town who has a spare room I can crash in."
Lucy looked at Jeff.
"What about you Jeff? Can you find somewhere to live?"
"No problem with that man but what about my plants?"
"Plants? What plants?"
"The ones in the garden. Good weed man!"
Lucy wanted to kill him there and then.
"No plants Jeff. I'll get rid of them. Understand?"
"Whatever man," he replied as he rolled another joint.
The next day, Lucy discovered more than a dozen 'weed' plants in the back garden. She bagged them up and got rid of them in a nearby skip with a huge feeling of relief. She made a mental note to try to get a gardener in to look after it in the future. She had to admit that the garden, was a bit of a mess.
Then she gave a shudder. Was this a sign that she was growing up? She wasn't sure if she liked it or not even wanted it but she shrugged her shoulders and put her best foot forward and decided that whatever it was, fate was going to take a big part in her future.
Two days later Lucy and Andrea met to discuss how to proceed.
"I've told my two housemates to find somewhere else to live," explained Lucy.
"Do I sense a change in your outlook?" asked Andrea.
Lucy smiled back,
"I think so. Part of me is a bit scared and part of me says go do it."
"Which bit is winning?" asked Andrea hoping that it was the latter.
"Which do you think?" replied Lucy with a huge grin on her face.
"So what happens next?" asked Lucy.
"I'll give notice to my landlord. He won't be sad to see the back of me. According to him, I'm nothing but trouble. I'll move at the end of the month if that's ok with you?"
"That's fine," replied Lucy.
"You don't sound convinced?"
"It's not that… I was wondering if I should drop out for the rest of the year and retake the whole thing next year that's all."
Lucy didn't answer immediately.
"What's your gut feel say?"
"Carry on. It says carry on."
"Well then there is your answer. I thought about this as well. There is plenty of time to do this and still get your Masters."
"I know but all the rethinking of what I'm going to do after Uni that I've done in the past few days frankly scares me shitless."
"What do you want to do?"
"That's the problem. Up to know, it has been 'A' Levels, Uni for my Batchelor's and now Uni for my Masters. I've never given any thought to what is beyond that."
"I'm sorry for bringing it up."
"No Andrea, I ought to be thanking you. I have been putting off thinking about my future for far too long."
Lucy sat back in her chair and looked at Andrea.
"Andrea, how do you come to have such a grown-up outlook on the world?"
"By necessity I suppose. I left school at sixteen and went out to work. I only got a few decent grades at GCSE. Then with me being a 'T' girl, you have to grow up pretty quickly when you are thrown out of your family home the day after you come out to your parents. That was when I was nineteen. That meant that it was a case of survive or die. Luckily I met a priest who was helping the homeless in Manchester and he put me on the right track. Eventually, I had enough money to get my place and get job. I've been there three years now and despite a few setbacks with some Neanderthals, I'm surviving ok. Yes, I graduated but from the school of hard knocks but even so, it is hard enough for normal people to find jobs let alone someone like me."
Lucy looked at Andrea in a new light. She'd obviously had it hard at times in the past and had to grow up pretty quickly. That was totally the opposite to her and her quite privileged background.
A few days later, Lucy had a huge shock when she looked at the state of her finances. Until now, there had not been a problem with cash in the bank as her grandmother's legacy had pretty well paid for everything. Until now that was. Her funds were nearly exhausted. She sat looking at the computer screen for several minutes in disbelief. Where had all the money gone? At that point in time, she hadn't a clue. Money had never been a problem in the past. That is par for the course when you have rich or pretty well-off parents. The reality of the situation hit home when her session timed out. She was more or less broke and it was not a nice feeling at all.
Then she thought of Andrea. Then she panicked.
"Oh shit…" she said as she hurriedly dialled Andrea's phone.
"Hi Andrea."
"Yeah. I'm not too bad."
"Andrea…"
She paused. There was nothing to do but tell her.
"Look Andrea. I've got a little problem. It's a problem with our agreement. Look, I can't do this on the phone. Can I come around to see you?"
"Yes. Right now, if that is possible."
"Ok. I'll be there in ten minutes."
For Andrea, the next ten minutes were the longest of her life. All sorts of gloom and doom thoughts went through her mind at a million miles an hour.
As soon as the door rang, she literally ran to the door and heaved it open. She smiled at Lucy and said,
"Please come on in."
"Thanks," replied Lucy as she came inside.
Both were slightly nervous as Andrea took Lucy's coat and hung it up.
They sat down in her sitting room both looking a bit uncomfortable.
Lucy broke the uneasy silence.
"I have some bad news. I'm not going to be able to pay for either of us to…", said Lucy as she cupped her breasts.
Andrea saw the funny side of things.
"Is that all?"
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't you… well unhappy with me?"
Andrea shrugged her shoulders.
"If I let something as little as that get me down, I'd probably be pushing up the daisies by now."
Lucy breathed a big sigh of relief.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am, it was a nice idea while it lasted. Why the change of mind?"
"Money. I'm just about broke. I'm useless with money and I thought I had more than enough but I have just found out that I don't. I'm sorry."
Andrea got up and moved to sit next to Lucy. Then she put her arm around Lucy.
She held Lucy for more than a minute.
"I thought you'd be angry?" whispered Lucy.
"How can I be? What I've never had, I'll never miss," she replied in a matter of fact way.
"You are quite unlike anyone I've ever met," replied Lucy.
"You seem to have a calm view of the world and events just unlike anyone I know."
"I'm afraid that if I didn't I would be in a far worse place that this. Life is not easy for someone like me. What little I have I've worked hard for. I get fired from my job on a regular basis just because of who I am. Straight people seem to feel a bit on edge around people like me because they don't know what side of the fence I am on. Do I like men or do I like women? Am I going to come on to them?"
Andrea sighed.
"People are afraid of things they don't understand. Then I make a mistake with you. I thought that you understood. Well, maybe you did and maybe you didn't but I was willing to go along with it… well for reasons you know. I've given notice for my flat so I'm homeless unless I can stay with you until I get somewhere else to live? Don't get me wrong, I'll pay rent for my room."
Lucy was shocked by what she'd just heard.
"Andrea… I'm sorry. I still need you to help me out in the summer, it's just that we don't have any money to do it in style. You can stay at my place as long as you like and help me."
"What do you mean help you?"
Lucy looked down at her feet for several seconds before replying.
"What you said the other day about changing me. It hurt at the time but after a while I realised that what you said was perfectly correct. I have just been through the education tread-mill. Public School, Undergrad Degree, and now a Masters. But what then? What are the employment opportunities for a Sociologist? Apart from a research institute or a 'Think Tank' it looks like I'm up shit creek without a paddle."
"So?"
"As I said before, their plan would be for me to meet some chinless wonder who can help my bastard father in his empire building and get married, have kids and generally never do a day of employed work in my life. That's what my mother did and to hers before her. I'm not going to be the 3rd generation of my family to get hitched that way. If I went that way, then I would probably never have to work other than at being a Mother in my life. I don't want that."
Andrea could see a steely determination in her voice.
"I'm not going to let the financial mess I'm in, make me give up and do what my parents want, well, my father at any rate. I want to make something of my life and not have it organised for me."
Andrea thought for a while.
"What made you change? You know decide to rebel like this?"
"Several things but my Mother sowed the seeds of the rebellion. We were talking over Christmas and she told me how she never regretted not having a career of her own and that being a Mother was the most important job in the world. I never believed her and besides, she was half cut at the time."
There was a silence between them that lasted quite a while.
"Well then you will have to get a job."
Lucy nodded slowly.
"I'm was afraid of that. I've only ever worked at my Uncles Stables. I did a bit of mucking out in return for free use of a horse."
"There aren't a lot of stables around here. You'd have to go out of the city to find any and from what I know none are not going to pay very much? They'd prefer keen young horsey girls to do the mucking out for free."
"You might be right."
"So what then?"
"I don't know, I really don't know."
A few days later Lucy persuaded a friend to help them move Andrea's things into the newly vacated bedrooms at Lucy's. Her two old housemates had moved out to pastures anew.
"I'll take this room," said Andrea as they inspected the empty rooms.
"Is it all right for me to decorate it? I'll make some curtains."
"Won't that cost a lot of money we don't have to get someone in to do it?"
Andrea laughed.
"I'll do it all myself. I did my old place. I have all the tools and things I need for the job. All I'll need to buy will be some paint and some material for the curtains."
Lucy looked as Andrea aghast.
"How did you learn to do that, you know, painting and all that?"
Andrea laughed.
"One of my many jobs I've had was working for a Painter and Decorator. It was a good job and the money was good while it lasted."
"It didn't last?"
"It did for about 6 months, until some stuck up rich bitch took offence to my rejecting the advances of her son who was a real creep."
Lucy's admiration of Andrea went up considerably every time she got to know a little more about this normally very private person she was with now.
Once Andrea was settled in, they headed for the DIY store and bought the paint and other items that Lucy would need to decorate her bedroom.
As they walked around the store, Lucy made a decision.
"Why don't we do my room as well?"
"What do you mean?"
"Let's decorate my room at the same time we are doing yours?"
"When did you decide to help me?"
Lucy smiled back, "just now. It is obvious that you know what you are doing. Perhaps you can teach me a little while I help you?"
Andrea thought for a few seconds and then asked, "is this some delaying tactic so that you don't have to get a job?"
Lucy didn't answer.
"I guessed as much."
Then she smiled, "Oh very well but only until you get a job."
Without thinking, Lucy hugged Andrea, right there and then, in the middle of the DIY store.
Andrea showed Lucy how to rub down the paintwork so that it could be re-painted. Lucy's enthusiasm for the decorating didn't last very long and she soon found an excuse to 'go job hunting' leaving Andrea alone to get on with the work uninterrupted.
Lucy was true to her promise and found a part time job in a Dry-Cleaners a couple of days later. She almost ran home to tell Andrea the good news.
"Andrea!" she called out as she came through the front door.
There was no answer.
She listened for any sounds coming from inside the house. There was nothing.
Lucy felt so deflated that she just dumped her coat on the floor like she used to 'BA', Before Andrea, got her to hang it up properly. Then she ran upstairs and looked for Andrea. She wasn't there.
Lucy was now acting like the spoilt child that she really was and stomped downstairs in a huff.
She burst into the kitchen only to find Andrea sitting at the kitchen table crying.
"Andrea… What's wrong?"
Andrea just pointed upwards before saying in a croaky voice,
"In my room."
"What's in your room?" asked Lucy.
Andrea didn't answer but just pointed up again.
Lucy tried and tried to get her to say something else but Andrea just was not talking.
In the end, Lucy decided to go upstairs and look for herself.
She went into the room that was being decorated and looked around. At first, all she saw was all the paint and decorating tools. Then she saw that the floorboards dear the window had been removed. Being an inquisitive sort, she walked over towards it to examine the hole in the floor.
What she saw shocked her rigid.
The hole was filled with what was clearly a number of bundles of money wrapped in plastic.
She stood stock still for quite a while. Now she knew why Andrea was in a state of shock.
When she'd recovered her senses enough to start to understand what was sitting staring at her she realised that this money was the solution to all her problems.
Lucy grabbed as many plastic bags as she could carry and literally ran downstairs.
"Andrea, this is wonderful," she cried as she dumped them all onto the kitchen table.
Andrea was still sobbing and shaking her head.
"What's the matter? Why aren't you happy for us?"
"We can't… can't take it. It isn't yours. It isn't mine. It all belongs to someone else. What if that someone comes back and wants it? What if it is drug money? Or worse, it is all forged?"
Lucy sat down and tried to understand what Andrea was saying.
Without thinking, she reached over and took hold of Andrea's hands.
"Please stop crying. I've lived here for nearly four years. Don't you think that if someone was going to come back for it, they'd have done so by now?"
Andrea didn't say anything for a while.
"It is still not ours. It has to belong to someone and that someone is not you or me it is?"
Lucy could tell that Andrea was showing get stubborn side.
"Let's count it all so we know how much there is here?"
Reluctantly Andrea agreed to her request.
"You start counting this lot while I go and get the rest of it?"
"Ok. I'll put the kettle on first though."
Lucy smiled back before heading back upstairs to get the rest of the money. She smiled because of Andrea's habit of not doing anything important without the kettle on first.
"How much is there?" asked Andrea about half an hour later.
"Just a moment," replied Lucy as she totted up the figures.
"That's it," she said a few seconds later.
"Three hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Pounds give or take a few fivers," announced Lucy slightly triumphantly.
They both sat in silence for a while.
"That's an awful lot of money for someone to have misplaced," remarked Lucy candidly.
[to be continued in Part 4]
The discovery of the money gave Lucy another problem, Andrea. She'd promised that she'd live with her until the Cowes week event. Now, she had enough money to do as she pleased with her life without her parents trying to tell her what to do ever again.
It was then that she realised that was exactly the reason why Andrea was crying. Andrea must have realised that Lucy didn't need her anymore. The visible change in Lucy over the past weeks thanks to Andrea had been there for everyone to see apart from Lucy herself.
Slowly it began to dawn upon her that Andrea had made her take stock of her life. She didn't know what she wanted to do with it but it, whatever it was, was on her mind now instead of being pushed back into the darkest recesses and filed under 'tomorrow'.
Had Andrea and her no-nonsense approach to life had made her grow up at least a little bit?
That and a thousand other questions raced through her mind. It was only when Andrea touched her arm lightly and said,
"Earth to planet Lucy, come in please?"
That she stopped starring into space.
"Sorry, I was miles away."
Andrea nodded.
"In another galaxy if you ask me."
They both laughed.
It was Andrea who spoke first.
"I guess that this means that you don't need me anymore? I'll finish decorating the rooms and then start looking for somewhere else to live."
Lucy looked at Andrea. The spark that had been in her for the past few weeks had been completely snuffed out. Not only was the adventure over for her but she was thinking that she was about to be made homeless as well.
Lucy had to do something. Without Andrea, the money would have never been found. She owed her something. At that moment in time, she has absolutely no idea what she could do to sort out the problem.
"You will do no such thing. I owe you big time for finding the money."
Then for some reason her mouth became disengaged from her brain and she added,
"Besides, we had a deal."
"But… but with all that money you can give two fingers to your parents."
"I could but for starters, we have no idea if that money is real or not. What if it is fake? Then we'd be back to square one in a flash."
"But who'd stash that amount of fake money? Isn't the whole idea of forged money, to get it into circulation ASAP?"
"Then there is part of me saying that we should take it to the Police. That amount of money will put both of us under the spotlight which neither of us want at the moment. You with your parents and me for obvious reasons."
Lucy smiled back at Andrea. That girl had a sharp mind. She should be the one studying for her masters not her.
"Why don't we carry on as if it didn't exist while we find out if it is real and… well how we can use it without attracting attention to ourselves. I'll get the deeds to this place from the solicitors and see if I can shed any light on the people who owned it before me. Dad got someone to buy it for him at an Auction. It was bit of a 'doss' house before that. Dad had to spend a few grand, making it habitable again. I'm surprised that the builders who did that work didn't find the money and leg it there and then."
There as a silence between the two that lasted for some time. Eventually, Lucy stood up saying,
"I'll bag up this lot and keep it safe until I go to the bank tomorrow."
"What? You can't just turn up and try to pay that lot in. All sorts of alarm bells will begin ringing from here to London and beyond."
"I know that. That's why I'm going to see if they have any safe deposit boxes. Isn't that where lots of potentially dodgy things are stored? Or if they are not dodgy, the owners want to keep them away from prying eyes."
"But…"
"Don't worry, I'm not going to scarper with it. If I went walkabout my Dad would have almost every P.I. in the country looking for me. He keeps tabs on me even here you know."
"Eh?" asked Andrea.
"Every few months I am followed by a guy. It turns out that he is a P.I. I don't need a degree to realise that he is being paid by my Father."
"But what if he is being paid by the people who left that money here?" retorted Andrea.
Lucy shook her head.
"Nah! The last time I was at home and he was out playing golf or something, I went rummaging through his papers. It didn't take long for me to find a series of payments to a P.I. company in Bradford. Now that I think about it, with the bombshell I dropped on Mum about having a woman as a partner, you staying here is actually the best thing all round."
Andrea sat there open mouthed for several seconds.
"But we will still have to go through all the being a couple stuff. Are you sure that you can go through with it?"
Lucy looked at her companion.
"You know what, I think it will be fun. I kinda like you and I'd like to get to know you a lot better. You really have your head screwed on and well… I'm the opposite."
Andrea's tears started to flow again.
"You are just saying that. You don't mean it."
Once again, Andrea's mind took a hike as she came around the table and sat on Andrea's lap. Then she took hold of her face in both hands and kissed Andrea very long, very hard and very, very passionately.
When they came up for air, both were rather breathless.
"Do you think I mean it now?" breathed Lucy.
"That was nice," replied Andrea.
"Good. Then let's keep going. Isn't there some painting that needs doing?"
Andrea shook her head.
"You do the cooking and I'll do the painting."
"But I'm hopeless at cooking,"
"And even worse at painting."
Andrea grinned.
"I think I'm going to enjoy being your housewife."
Lucy just stared at Andrea open mouthed. Andrea just grinned back.
"Now I know you are joking," came her eventual reply.
"Really?" teased Andrea.
Lucy found a bank the next day that had a safe deposit section and rented a box large enough to hold most of the money. They'd agreed to keep around four thousand back to use for the project.
Then Lucy deposited a thousand of it into her bank. To her immense surprise the cashier didn't bat an eyelid as she accepted the notes. The other half, she gave to Andrea.
"What's this for?" asked Andrea in astonishment when she was handed the money.
"Expenses. I've put the same amount into my bank."
Then Lucy grinned.
"With the rest, we should open a joint account. This place needs furnishing and I need a complete new wardrobe as do you for the week in Cowes. It won't last long but it will do for a start."
"I was fired today. They said my mind wasn't on the job. More like that I was coming to the end of my trial period and they'd have to put me on a higher wage once it had expired. Some employers do this all the time just to keep costs down."
"You don't seem that disappointed?"
"The place was a shit hole. Still it will give me more time to finish fixing this place up won't it?"
"Then what's the good news?"
Andrea grinned.
"I booked you into a decent salon so that you can get your hair done. A week on Wednesday at two."
"You…." Replied Lucy angrily. Then she realised that Andrea was playing her part as a couple and she'd agreed to do it.
"I'll go but I have total control over the style and colour ok?"
"Tommy will have some suggestions," replied Andrea grinning.
"Tommy?"
"You know the hairdresser on the main road by the traffic lights? He does my hair when I can afford it."
Lucy looked at Andrea's style. Today she was wearing it up in a style very reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. They'd watched it together the previous weekend.
"I don't know how to look after a style like yours."
Andrea grinned.
"I know and made that clear to Tommy when I made the appointment."
"No surprises. I don't think I could handle pink hair."
Andrea sniggered.
"How about Platinum Blonde?"
"You haven't? Have you?"
"No, I haven't but I want to get you thinking about your own style and appearance. You can't just copy me. Your mother if she is as savvy as you have described her would see through it in an instant."
"I think I get it."
Then she sighed.
"You are right. Another part of having to think about life beyond that of a student."
"Good for you."
"How much is this costing?" she remarked one evening.
"Not much. Just a couple of hundred so far. The next bit will be more expensive though."
"Oh, and what's that?"
"New floors. I can't do that myself so we will have to get someone in to lay them. When they are down, I can finish painting in all the rooms."
"Eh? They look pretty complete to me."
"Not quite," replied Andrea with a smug grin on her face.
"The skirting boards are only primed. The floorer will need to undercut them to make the new wood floor fit nicely. When they are done, I can touch them up and paint them with gloss paint."
Lucy sat back and looked at Andrea.
"You are enjoying yourself, doing all this; aren't you?" asked Lucy as she pointed at the new décor.
"What's not to enjoy. This is the first time I've been able to do a proper job'."
"Why don't you do this full time? You seem to know Interior design and decoration? You seem pretty good at it if you don't mind me saying so."
This seemed to shock Andrea.
"I never thought about doing this stuff full time. I do enjoy it though."
"Well, why don't you give it some thought? I'm sure that you could make a decent career out of it."
Andrea thought for a moment before replying.
"Well, you are a great customer. Not all are like that. How about doing it together?"
"Eh?"
"Well, you have no clue about what you want to do when you get your masters. Well, what about this?"
"I'm hopeless. You have seen how bad I am for yourself."
"You can learn. I did. Sure, I made mistakes but I had a great teacher who was very patient with me."
"I don't know."
"Well, think about it. At least there is an answer to one inevitable question that you will get asked in the summer."
"Eh? What's that?"
"Oh silly, the 'what are you going to do next' question. It seems to me that if you say 'I don't know' then that leaves you open to manipulation by your parents. If you say, 'I'm an interior designer and decorator', you have made a definitive statement. That blocks them from trying to make you into a clone of your Mother."
Lucy sat silently for almost a minute. Then she replied grinning,
"Are you sure that you shouldn't be doing the Masters and not me?"
"Pah! I have the experience of life. I would not be sitting here if I had said 'I don't know'. I knew what I had to do with my life from about 6 years old. I only regret that my parents would not hear of me going to see a specialist about getting gender treatment. I had to leave home and do things for myself. That meant that I had to grow up pretty quickly. It was either that or go under."
Lucy reached over and took Andrea's hand. She squeezed it gently.
"You are just too nice to me."
"Bollocks," retorted Andrea.
The pair of them collapsed laughing.
The fact that Andrea wasn't a real girl hardly crossed Lucy's mind anymore. She'd just accepted that Andrea was a woman and becoming very dear to her.
With some trepidation, Lucy entered the Hairdressing Salon. She needn't have been worried because Andrea was there waiting for her.
"W… What are you doing here?" asked a very surprised Lucy.
"Oh, just to give you a bit of moral support, and to get my roots done."
As far as Lucy was concerned, Andrea's roots didn't need doing but what did she know as she'd never had her hair coloured before.
"Well hello my darling. I've heard so much about you. I'm Tommy and I'll be doing your hair today."
Lucy took a step back as she saw the owner of the voice. Tommy was at least 6ft 6in tall, as black as the ace of spades with a Mohican mane dyed a vivid blue for a hairstyle.
"Welcome to my emporium and my capable hands," said Tommy in a smooth seductive voice.
"He… Hello, I'm Lucy."
"Well, Lucy my dear, April will take care of you and wash your hair. Have you given any thought to a style and colour for the new you?"
"I… I don't know. Andrea suggested Platinum Blonde and a Marilyn Wave but I know that she was joking mind you, I think it would suit you.
What do you think April?"
The assistant April was ginger, very ginger.
"I think fire engine Red," she replied grinning.
"Now April don't be silly. Not everyone can be a red-top."
All the time, Tommy was feeling Lucy's hair.
"You have lovely hair my dear. So, what if you haven't had it properly cut for a long time, you do take pretty good care of your hair. That fact alone will save me a lot of work. So, my dear how about I just lighten this mane up a bit and then style it? Nothing too drastic first time out.
What do you say?"
Lucy looked at Andrea who was tittering in the background.
Then she said defiantly,
"No. I want a Blonde Bob with a blue streak down each side and another band down the back. How does that sound?"
Tommy laughed.
"Your wish is my command. April, to the wash basin if you please."
April took Lucy away while Tommy tutted at Andrea.
"Less of the mischief young lady. Roots time I see?"
"Yes, please Tommy," replied Andrea grinning.
"Let's get busy then."
Two hours later a beaming Lucy emerged from the dryer.
"How do I look?" she asked with a beaming smile of her face.
The blue streaks framed her brilliant green eyes very well.
"Wonderful," exclaimed Andrea.
"A masterpiece if I don't mind saying so myself," said Tommy modestly.
There was a definite spring in her step as Lucy walked home and in hand with Andrea. Andrea just smiled at her partner.
That night Andrea said,
"You know that's just the start of what we have to do to prepare for you know what."
"I know but it is a big step, isn't it?"
"That remains to be seen. A step yes. Now for your next one."
Lucy let out a groan.
"What's next Mrs Slave-driver?"
"Well… As you have started at the top let's work downwards. Guess what is next?"
"Makeup? Please no."
"Yes, and properly looking after your skin. Let's make tomorrow the last day that you don't look after your skin and not wear any makeup. I don't mean that it is plastered all over your face like so many women. Just enough to enhance your already very pretty face."
"No rest for the wicked then?"
Andrea just smiled back.
Lucy hated the routine that wearing makeup on a daily basis demanded but she gradually warmed to the look that she was able to achieve with Andrea's help. The biggest difference was that Andrea made sure that she looked after her skin. The never-ending round of spots and blemishes that she'd lived with for years, seemed to disappear almost overnight. That in turn meant that she could follow Andrea's 'Less is More' mantra more easily.
With the decorating almost done Andrea turned her attention to furnishing their home. Her eclectic style was not to everyone's preference but it seemed to work. Despite having money in the bank, Andrea still bought a lot of the furniture from second-hand shops and did a lot of repair and repainting down in the cellar. She also turned one of the bedrooms into a workroom where she made curtains and other soft furnishings. Lucy could only look on in bewilderment as her partner transformed and created their home in front of her eyes. Andrea to her credit discussed everything with Lucy before actually doing anything.
By the time Easter came around, Lucy was competent with her makeup apart from her eye-liner which still gave her trouble if she wasn't concentrating.
The pair had settled down into some form of domestic bliss. Lucy was well ahead with her work for University so they planned a day trip to the countryside for Easter Sunday but one phone call was about to ruin the whole thing.
"Hello Mother," said Lucy as she took one of the fairly infrequent calls from home.
"What can I do for you?"
"I've been busy with my University work. I do have deadlines to meet you know. I'm only half way through my dissertation," she replied lying through her teeth.
"You are!"
Her whole demeanour changed.
"When?"
"Oh. We were going to the Dales for the day."
"Yes we. Andrea and me. We live together. If you remember, I did tell you that I was in a relationship with a woman."
"Where will you be staying?"
"I see. When will you be arriving here?"
"Yes, you are welcome at our home. How about my Father? Is he coming too?"
"Oh, I see."
"Well, let me know when you get to your Hotel. I know how bad the traffic can be on a Friday."
"Yes, Mother I will. Bye".
Lucy sat motionless for several minutes wondering how she could tell Andrea about the impending visit of her Mother over the Easter Weekend.
In the end, she realised that there was nothing for it but to tell her directly.
Andrea was down in the Cellar putting some varnish on piece of furniture when Lucy wandered down to see her.
"I'll be done in a moment," said Andrea from the floor.
"What are you doing down there?"
"I'm Putting varnish on the legs. Easier to lie on the floor than to struggle on my knees."
"Sorry I asked," replied Lucy none the wiser.
A couple of minutes later, Andrea stood up with a smile on her face.
"There all done. Let me put this bush in the cleaner and I'm all yours," said Andrea with a smile on her face.
With that done, she turned her attention to Lucy.
"Now what brings you down here right now?"
Lucy swallowed hard.
"I just had a phone call from my Mother."
"And she's coming to visit?"
"What? How did you know?"
"Your face gave the game away. Mention of your Mother along with a face like death can only mean one thing."
"You know me too well."
"So?"
"Easter Friday to Monday."
"Oh well. Bang goes our visit to Malham Tarn then."
"I suppose so."
"She'll want to come here and meet me then?"
Lucy just nodded.
"And she'll go snooping?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"I would if I was her."
"What do we do then?"
"Well, the first thing would be for me to move into your room. And, I mean properly move in."
Lucy just nodded.
Andrea wiped her hands on a fairly clean rag and took Lucy's hands in hers.
"Don't worry, we'll get through you this."
"But we will have to pretend that we are a couple."
"Really? I thought we were apart from sleeping together."
Then Andrea kissed Lucy properly for the first time. Lucy didn't object once she'd got over the smell of varnish that was on Andrea.
[to be continued in part 5]
With the news of the impending visit from Lucy's Mother the pair sprang into action. Not only did they have to prepare their home but themselves as well. As ever, Andrea was the more organised of the two. She prepared a seemingly endless list of things to do before the evening of Good Friday. Lucy both applauded and cursed her partner in the project. Applauded for the way Andrea just didn't panic and got on with it without much fuss. Cursed because Lucy had a lot to do just when she should be working on her dissertation.
Nevertheless, Andrea stepped up and did many of the tasks that were originally assigned to Lucy but there came a point when they had to do things together.
"Come on girl. We have to get to the shops before they close."
"I know. I'm just putting my shoes on."
Twenty minutes later the pair were scouring the second-hand shop for clothes. Not just any clothes by good quality ones suitable for impressing Lucy's Mother, Katherine.
Luck was with the girls and it didn't take long before Lucy had some really nice clothes by designers that would impress her mother. Andrea on the other hand only managed to purchase a Paul Smith suit. It wouldn't do for the weekend but would be great if she ever actually went into business as a decorator/designer.
Thursday night came all too soon for them. Lucy took a long bath and went to sleep almost immediately. For Andrea, it was a different proposition. Sleep just wouldn't come to her. Around 1am, she gave up and went downstairs and began to do the only jobs that would make her sleep namely cleaning, dusting and ironing.
Lucy awoke just after dawn with the sun shining in her eyes. In an instant, she realised that she was alone. She leaped out of bed and went in search of her partner.
Lucy found Andrea slumped in a chair in their sitting room fast asleep. All the ironing had been done and she could see that Andrea had been cleaning literally everything in sight.
It was right then that Lucy realised that she really cared for Andrea. She dashed into the kitchen and sat down with her hands shaking. She'd never felt like that before in her life. This worried her. She'd embarked on this 'project' purely to make a statement to her parents and now… Was she in love with Andrea? That hadn't been the plan at all yet… here she was shaking like a leaf and caring about someone who really cared about her.
She began to weep silently.
Lucy was still sitting there when Andrea woke up and came into the kitchen.
"Good morning Lucy. Have you been up long?"
"Oh… Sorry. I was miles away. Yes. No. Not long."
Andrea saw Lucy's puffy eyes.
"Have you been crying?"
"Crying no. What gives you that idea?"
"Your eyes. They are red and puffy. They only get like that when you cry."
"Nonsense. Just difficulty sleeping that's all."
"Really? You were snoring like a train when I came down here."
"Oh, and what time was that?"
"Around one."
"Hmmpph"
"Breakfast?" asked Andrea trying to sound cheerful.
"You did all the ironing?"
"Yes. I also cleaned the silver and dusted everywhere."
"Why?"
"I couldn't sleep so I did some cleaning. That helps me clear my head. Then I can sleep."
"Why didn't you come to bed?"
"It was after four and I didn't want to wake you."
"I was worried when I woke up and found you gone," replied Lucy.
Andrea took hold of Lucy's hand and squeezed it.
"That is one of the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me. Thank you."
Then Andrea leaned forward and kissed Lucy lightly on her lips.
Over breakfast Andrea broached how they should approach the meeting with her mother.
"I've been trying to get my head around that as well."
"Do we glam up tonight? Do you know where are we going?"
Lucy sighed.
"That's the problem. I don't know. All I know is that she's coming up today. I assumed that she'd drive but now I not so sure. If she doesn't then it is either a plane or the train."
"Why not call her?"
Lucy shook her head.
"She won't appreciate it. It will be seen as a sign of weakness. I should have sorted it all out when she told me that she was coming."
Andrea though carefully before replying,
"I take it that you were never very close to her then?"
"That is a bit of an understatement. I got packed off to prep-school aged 5. Then to boarding school. One year, I only saw them for three days and that was over Easter."
"That's crazy."
"Now in all likelihood, they want to marry me off to someone I don't know. Then it will be 'project Lucy' all done and dusted."
Andrea smiled. She was used to Lucy's fairly sanguine opinion of her parents.
"What deviousness are you cooking up?"
"Or my 'grand plan'?"
"Whatever it is, I'm sure that I won't like it."
"Don't be so hasty."
"Ok smartarse out with it?"
"Why don't we make it obvious to her that you are taken once and for all?"
"And how will we do that?"
"We wear engagement rings."
Lucy sat back in amazement.
"I didn't see that one coming."
"No, I'm serious. Marry me for real," said Andrea.
"Now you are joking."
The smile disappeared from Andrea's face.
"I wasn't joking. We are good together."
Then she hesitated a second.
"Of shit. I love you. There I've said it. Lucy, I love you and want to be with you for the rest of my life."
"Yes," said Lucy in a voice hardly above a whisper.
"Eh?"
"Yes. I realised that I wanted to be with you forever today. That's why I was crying when I you weren't in bed when I woke up."
"This wasn't the in the grand cunning plan, was it?"
Lucy shook her head.
"No, it wasn't. I didn't even consider that living and working with you would make me fall in love with you."
Andrea squeezed Lucy's hand again.
"I come with a lot of complications you know."
"I do but for now, I don't want to think about them. We have a bigger problem about to arrive."
"I know," replied Andrea.
"Time hit the shops then?"
"What will we do for money?"
Andrea smiled back.
"Do you remember that set of six chairs I bought last month for a fiver a piece?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I stripped them, re-varnished and re-covered them. I sold them yesterday for just over two hundred. A clear profit of well over a hundred quid."
"You…. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well," said Andrea grinning,
"I was going to buy you a ring. But it looks like we will now need two."
Lucy grinned back at her partner. She gave Andrea a kiss before running upstairs.
"Bags first for the shower!"
An hour later the two were browsing the second-hand shops as well as the pawn brokers looking for two identical rings. Sadly, their quest was fruitless.
Over lunch, Lucy said,
"It looks like I'll have to put them on my Credit Card. I can pay it off with you know what."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. We'll need the cash you have for tonight."
"Won't your Mother pay?"
Lucy laughed.
"Mother has what I call her 'Queen' habit. She always seems to leave her purse behind. That means we will have to pay."
Andrea laughed.
"Mine was like that as well. One year she took the money that my gran gave me for my birthday to pay for a lunch for all of us. I was 'not amused'."
Lucy smiled back.
"Families… who needs them eh?"
"Indeed."
With two rings purchased the two girls headed home to get dressed for the evening. However, by seven there had been no word from Lucy's Mother.
"Give her a call," suggested Andrea for the umpteenth time.
Lucy just glared at her partner but in the end and with the clock showing 20:05, she picked up her phone and called her Mother.
"Hello Mother."
"Eh? We are at home waiting to hear from you?"
"You are? Well that's news to us. When did you tell us where we were supposed to meet you?"
"No, we didn't get your letter. Why didn't you call me? And where are you exactly?"
"No, we can't be there now. Your hotel is right on the other side of the city from us. It will take us at least forty minutes to get there."
"Fine. We'll see you tomorrow. When and where?"
"Yes, I know it. We'll see you at one."
"Goodbye Mother," said Lucy with a hint of distain in her voice.
"That went well didn't it?" remarked Angela who had been listening from the next room.
"She claims that she sent me a letter telling me where she would be staying and where we should meet tonight."
"But we never got it…. Enough said."
"Then we were commanded to be in her presence that instant."
"Which we couldn't."
"Exactly."
"So, where and when tomorrow?"
"Harvey Nicks at one."
"Sounds expensive."
"Yes. I think I had better get a little cash from our stash. What do you think?"
"Well, we are going to have to look a million dollars and …"
Then Andrea grinned.
"And why don't I carry the money. You don't carry anything that could contain any money. That way it would be obvious that you mean for your dear mother to pay."
"What about you? Your Handbag could contain the titanic, it's so big."
They both laughed.
"I'll keep it tucked into my stockings."
"You???????? You can't be serious?"
"I am perfectly. I've been waiting for the opportunity to get really glammed up. Which includes some nice fully fashioned seamed stockings I bought for a quid a pair when Jenkinson's closed down last month."
Lucy glared at Andrea.
"When where you going to tell me?"
"I wanted it to be a surprise for you next week. Friday to be exact."
"Next week?"
"On your birthday silly. Had you forgotten?"
Lucy looked at Andrea and wondered why she deserved someone like her in her life.
"Sort of. With everything in such a tizwas with my Mother's visit it slipped right out of my mind."
"Will your Mother mention your birthday?"
"I don't know. Somehow, I doubt it. She was never very good on that front."
Andrea was saddened at Lucy's evaluation of her Mother.
The girls arrived at Harvey Nicks in plenty of time. Andrea was glammed up as she put it and very proud of her outfit. Lucy was not bad either. Their regular searches in the second-hand and Charity shops had turned up some real gems.
Andrea was dressed in a simple black dress, knee length and very much in the style of 'Breakfast at Tiffanies' even though this was a much more modern garment. A short bolero style jacket also in black was accompanied by elbow length opera gloves and a small hat complete with a light veil that just covered her eyes. The seamed stockings and 4in black court shoes with a golden heel completed the outfit. The whole thing had cost her less than £100 from four different charity shops.
Lucy was in turquoise blue. Her dress was actually pretty short for Lucy. Black tights and shoes with a matching blue coat slung over one arm completed her look apart from the makeup. Andrea had insisted that Lucy wore False Eyelashes on both top and bottom. She kept complaining about the weight on her eyes.
Andrea just smiled and said, 'get used to it'. Lucy had no idea what Andrea really meant but the glint in Andrea's eyes told a very different story.
Lucy was wearing shoes with a very small heel. She complained about anything over 2in. Andrea had plans for Lucy in this area. She thought that Lucy had great legs and it was a shame to hide them. Nevertheless, the pair turned more than a few heads as they strolled nonchalantly through Harvey Nicks on their way to meet Lucy's Mother.
Lucy's Mother was to Lucy's surprise waiting for them as they emerged from the lift on the 4th floor.
"Hello Darling," said her mother as she gave Lucy two fake kisses on the cheek. Andrea felt relieved that they'd really dressed for the occasion.
"Hello Mother. Nice to see you again. Mother, this is my partner Andrea."
Andrea got a thrill to hear Lucy describe her as 'my partner'.
"Hello Mrs Parker. I'm so pleased to meet you," said Andrea as she gave a tiny curtsey.
Lucy's mother just glared at Andrea.
"Come on, before they give away our table to someone else," said the mother ignoring Andrea.
Lunch was very enjoyable for Lucy's Mother. For the girls, it was agony. In the end, Lucy had had enough. Despite Lucy's best efforts her mother refused to recognise that Andrea was even in her presence.
"Mother, are you going to talk to Andrea or not? She is the person that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with so you'd better get used to her. If you aren't going to include her then we are out of here."
As Lucy said that she took hold of Andrea's gloved hand. Their matching rings were there for all to see.
There was a stony silence for some 10 seconds.
"Come on darling," said Lucy
"I can't stand this any longer. Goodbye Mother and don't forget to pay the bill when you leave."
Then Lucy literally dragged Andrea from the Restaurant and into the lift. The last image that she of her mother was her sitting at the table open mouthed and a lot of other diners looking at her. Lucy knew that someone was in for it in a big way. When her mother lost it, people and things suffered damage.
"We are better out of there," said Lucy as the lift descended.
"That was hard work."
"But worth it. The look on my mother's face was worth it."
Then Lucy gave Andrea a kiss on the cheek.
Out in the street, they hailed a Taxi to take them home and hang the expense. At least they had not had to pay for lunch.
When they got home, Lucy took Andrea to bed and made love to her partner for the first time. For both of them it was the right time and the right place to take their relationship onto the next step.
[to be continued in part 6]
[Authors Note]
I'm posting today as I'm going away for the weekend. Norfolk (Minsmere for a spot of Birding) and then over to the Severn Valley Railway for their Gala.
Part 7 will be posted next Friday.
Later that day, the two girls were sitting in the kitchen when Lucy said,
"Sorry for my Mother."
"That's all right. I'm kind of used to being ignored. In my last year at home, I don't think I said a word to anyone at School. Well apart from pleading with the bullies to stop kicking the shit out of me for apparently being a closet gay. Then some of the girls thought I was undressing them with my eyes as I looked at them. Well, I sort of was doing just that, but not for the reasons that they imagined."
Lucy looked into Andrea's eyes and then wrapped her arms around her partner.
"I don't deserve someone like you. You are so considerate of my feelings. You don't take me for granted."
"And I can wrap you around my little finger."
"I know and I like it."
"Really?"
"Well no but doesn't this say how good we are together?"
Andrea didn't respond with words but with a long passionate kiss.
The next afternoon the girls were in the kitchen. Lucy was getting a cooking lesson from Andrea. Well, a lot of mess was being made and not much kneading of bread. They didn't mind. The lunch episode from the previous day was being pushed to the back of their minds. A bottle of wine was helping things along nicely. Neither of them noticed the first ring of the doorbell.
It was Lucy who heard the second and longer ring.
"That's the doorbell," she said in a slightly tipsy voice.
"It is indeed. I think I'd better go answer it don't you?" said Andrea looking at the floury hands of her lover.
Andrea opened the door with a smile on her face. It disappeared in an instant when she saw who it was.
"Hello," she said in a matter of fact voice.
The visitor was Lucy's mother.
"Can I see my daughter?"
Andrea thought for a moment about saying no. Sense prevailed.
"Please come in. We are in the Kitchen. Please excuse the mess."
Lucy's mother came inside their home. Her eyes were giving it the once over as Andrea took her coat.
"Interesting décor," were her only words.
"Thank you. We did it all ourselves," replied Andrea not knowing if the comment was a compliment or a 'put me in my place' remark.
"Please go through the door right ahead," said Andrea once the coat was hanging up to her satisfaction.
The pair went into the kitchen. Lucy was sitting at the table with a large glass of Red wine in her hand.
"Hello Mother. Come to apologise to Andrea? It was really impolite to ignore her at lunch yesterday like that."
"Lucy. When did you become a Lesbian? Why didn't you tell me you fancied women?"
Despite being a tad tipsy, Lucy was sober enough to answer.
"Mother, how many times have I told both you and father that my personal life is just that mine and nothing to do with you. You had me shipped off to prep-school as soon as you could. I was always an embarrassment to you. How many Christmases did I spend with you while I was growing up? Why couldn't I come to Barbados or wherever you and your clique spent the holidays?"
"Then Andrea came into my life and for the first time I was being treated as a real person. Someone who cared about me as a person. I've grown to love her dearly. You ignoring her at lunch was an insult especially as we'd gone to so much trouble to dress appropriately."
Then she emptied the glass in one go and said,
"If you will excuse me, nature calls. Why don't the two of you get to know each other."
Before anyone could react, she'd dashed out the door.
"Well, Mrs Fowler, can I get you a drink? We have some bread about to come out of the oven. It is wonderful hot with some butter."
Angela's question was ignored. Instead, she received a question in return.
"What do you want with my Daughter? She has no money and after today, I will make sure that she never gets any. What have you done to subvert my plans for my daughter? It won't do, I tell you, it just won't do."
"Well, Mrs Fowler, I've done nothing to subvert your daughter. We grew to like each other and well, that turned into a deep love for each other. As for money, I have none. Never have and probably never will."
"You can't fool me. That frankly outrageous outfit you wore earlier was very expensive. Those shoes alone would cost a small fortune."
Angela smiled.
"Then, I'm sorry to say, you were fooled. That whole ensemble cost me just under a hundred pounds thanks to charity and second-hand shops. Those shoes you so admired cost me nothing. I painted a bedroom for a neighbour last year. They belonged to his wife who'd done a runner with his brother but left them behind. Make do and mend."
The Mother's mouth dropped open in incredulity.
Andrea took the opportunity to push home her possibly temporary advantage.
"I made those curtains just last week. In fact, in all the rooms we have done over, I've made all the curtains and most of the soft furnishings."
"Don't you have some work to go to?"
"Not at the moment. I could say that I'm between jobs but we've been redecorating this place but then we are done, I'm starting my own interior design business. I already have work lined up to take me through to the end of the year."
Andrea's lies had the desired effect.
"But what about Children?"
Andrea smiled.
"We will cross those bridges when we come to them."
She smiled again.
"Look Mrs Fowler, I'm not some sort of ogre. I'm a human being who happens to be in love with your daughter and hopefully when the time comes for us to get married that you and Mr Fowler will be there for her. I know and despite her bluster that she loves the both of you but to be honest, neither of you are very good parents. Shipping her off to boarding school like that. That really hurt her. However, it made Lucy a really tough nut. She won't be pushed around by you, me or anyone for that matter. She is her own woman and that has to be down to her parents. That is probably the only thing she has to thank you for."
At that moment, Lucy decided to make her re-entry into the kitchen. Right on queue the timer on the oven went off.
Andrea stood up and walked towards the oven saying,
"Right, who's for some fresh baked soda bread with butter?"
The thought of having butter made Lucy's Mother's face go white.
"No, I must be going."
"Must you Mother? We would like you to stay for tea."
Mrs Fowler looked at the kitchen clock for an instant. Then she said,
"It is that late, I must be going."
"Mum, please stay. If not, come for lunch tomorrow."
"I can't…. I have to be home before your father gets back from Portugal."
"So, he's off golfing with his cronies? Will he notice if you aren't there to put his slippers on? I don't think so," said an indignant Lucy.
"I… I promised," said Mrs Fowler as she almost ran towards the front door.
Andrea kept in the background as Lucy tried to reason with her mother. It was fruitless as was evidenced by the rapid disappearance of her mother.
Lucy was fuming when she returned and slammed the front door.
"That woman!" shrieked Lucy.
"I'm sorry," said Andrea.
"Sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for. I heard everything you said. You tried really hard to get through to her."
"No, my darling. I am sorry because I let her get to me."
Lucy came up to Andrea and gave her a hug.
"Welcome to club."
That night in bed Lucy asked,
"Did you mean what you said about children? Don't you want to get it cut off?"
"Welcome to my world darling. To be honest, I don't know. I've met other transgendered people who couldn't wait to get rid if every vestige of maleness as soon as they could. I'm not one of them that's for sure. I've always known that I wanted to live as and be accepted as a woman. You know some of the issues I've had mostly with other people who can't or won't accept me. Things are different now though."
"Eh? How?"
"You my darling, you. You are part of my life. Before I could make decisions just for me. Now I can't."
"Are you sad that you can't?"
"Oh, I was at first. Then I found that it didn't matter. Now that it is us I can't be thinking just about me. That was hard. Don't you remember when I first moved in here and I locked my bedroom door all the time. That was my space, my sanctuary. How long did that last? A week and that was all down to you. You let me into your life. No one had ever done that before. I felt that I had to let you into mine."
"Let me stop rambling before I bore you to sleep and say that I promise not to do anything rash with my bits downstairs but one day I want to wear a skimpy wimpy polka dot bikini."
"Oh you!" replied Lucy as she started tickling Andrea.
[to be continued in part 7]
Life soon returned to something approaching normality after the episode with Lucy's Mother. Lucy was working hard to complete her dissertation along with the spectre of her final exams looming ever closer.
Andrea spent a lot of time in her cellar workshop tarting up odd bits of furniture that she'd then sell for a bit of profit to the local second-hand shop. She also kept Lucy fed and watered while she finished off her dissertation. At the weekend, they usually headed off out of the city into the Pennines for a bit of exercise and relaxation.
Gradually the events of Easter Weekend faded into the background.
Lucy returned home on the second Wednesday of June in a jubilant mood.
"That's it, I'm done. It's all done, printed off, bound and submitted."
Andrea gave her a big hug and said,
"Well then to celebrate we are going out."
Lucy looked sad.
"Have you booked anywhere? I'm bushed and I just want to sleep for at least a week."
"That's ok. I haven't booked anywhere. I just wanted you to know that all your hard work has been appreciated by me at least."
Lucy gave Andrea a big kiss.
"Thank you but a lot of hard work for what? Degrees in Psychology and Advanced Psychology are good for what? The one thing I don't want to do is be an analyst listening to other peoples' problems every day. Only two of the course have what I call decent jobs to go to. I'm basically unemployable."
"Just like me then. No qualifications. What a great pair we are."
"Yeah right. Look at what you have done to this place. I'm sure you could get a job doing that full time."
"I did do that once remember and that's not the first time you have suggested that."
"So?"
"Why don't you see the bloke you worked for before?"
Andrea shook her head.
"I'd rather work for myself. That's why have been doing those bits of restoration for 'Old Man Higgins'. I'm getting better at it and making a bit of money as well."
"How many times have you said to me 'think outside the box'?"
"Ok. Ok."
"I think you can do a lot better than little odd jobs for the odd fiver."
"Tenner's really but I know what you mean."
"Good. Now I'm going for a long bath and then to bed. A glass or two of the nice bottle of Red that you have been hiding at the back of the larder would do nicely. And a toastie if there is any strong cheese left. Don't forget the Worcester Sauce and plenty of it."
"Your wish is my command my dear."
Lucy gave Andrea a much longer kiss this time.
"Thank you for being you."
Lucy's words did strike home with Andrea. She'd been putting off taking the next step in trying to develop her career using the excuse of 'Lucy's exams' as a way of delaying the inevitable.
While Lucy was relaxing in the bath, Andrea got busy on the computer making an advert for the local free press, online bazars and for putting up in newsagents and other places. She wasn't sure if they would work but it wouldn't do any harm trying.
A few days later, Lucy returned from a slightly mysterious trip into the city with a big bunch of flowers.
"These are for you my darling. For putting up with me while I was studying."
"Oh Lucy. Do you know that you are the first person ever to buy me flowers?"
Lucy grinned and offered her cheek to Andrea.
"Kiss me there please?"
Andrea naturally obliged.
Over some tea, Lucy said,
"The real reason I went into town was to get some money. I think it is time for us to get some enhancements here."
Then she cupped her breasts.
Andrea looked crestfallen.
"Why the sad face?"
"We were doing so well as we were."
"Were? You are talking as if we are done, finished?"
"No. No. That not what I meant. We are getting on so well as we are."
"We are but didn't you want some? You know when I … Oh shit, didn't you say that you wanted some breasts when we first discussed my plan to thwart my father's plans."
"Yes, yes I did but that was before… before I fell in love with you. Back then, it was a purely business deal. Now things are different."
Lucy took hold of Andrea's hands and gently squeezed them.
"Yes, they are different and you were right then about my deficiency in the boob department. I thought it would be nice to get them done together. After all, we are a couple, aren't we?"
"I'd like to do it very much. Thank you. I'm sorry for just now. I think I just pushed the whole thing into the background. Probably because of the money. We don't have much you know?"
"Aren't you forgetting what we found upstairs? We could do an awful lot with that you know."
"But it isn't really ours is it?"
"We did take a bit at Easter, didn't we?"
"That was just a bit. What you are proposing would make a serious dent in it."
Andrea thought hard for a while. All the time, she looked at Lucy wondering how things had changed in the last six months.
"So, we get ourselves some enhancements. What then? A nose job, a … well what then?"
Lucy squeezed Andrea's hand tightly.
"What do you propose then?"
"A plan. A plan for us. You know that I've talked about doing the decorating and interior design thing. Well, I made up some flyers the other day but I didn't send them out."
"What? Why?"
"I want you to be part of it. Well, if you want to that is. I think we make a great team but could we stand being with each other all day, every day?"
"But I'm useless at all that stuff."
"You could learn. I did?"
"You have an eye for it. I don't."
"Yes, you do. Who was it who chose the material for the curtains? It was an inspired choice."
"A pure fluke if you ask me."
"Rubbish. But seriously, I think you would be great talking with the clients. With all that Psychology stuff you know I bet that you would be able to sweet talk them into anything."
"Yeah right. Talking about stuff I know SFA about anyway."
Andrea laughed.
"Just like any salesman then?"
They both laughed.
"You are serious about this, aren't you?" asked Lucy when they'd calmed down.
"Perfectly."
Lucy looked at Andrea at first with a straight face and then she smiled.
"Where are these flyers then? Don't you think an equal partner should have a say in them then?"
Lucy redesigned the flyers and Andrea had to admit that it was a great improvement over her original attempt.
"The problem is…" said Andrea grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Aren't they good enough?"
"They are fantastic but if they get us loads… well some work how will we schedule time off to do… you know what?"
"Oh! Sorry."
"Yes, you are right. So, what do we do next then?"
"Look for a clinic that can do you know what," replied Andrea.
"What if they can't fit us in for weeks?"
Andrea grinned.
"Well, there is Mrs Castle on Preston Parade. She wants her front room decorated."
"When?"
"When what?"
"When did you promise her to do it and when were you going to tell your 'equal' partner?"
"Hold on. I made no commitments. I only talked about it the other day when I was at the Post Office. All I said was that I'd go around to her place and talk it over with her."
"That's it?"
"Yes. Honest. Cross my heart and hope to die."
In the end, the pair did decorate Mrs Castle's front room, her back room and both bedrooms before they went to a clinic in London for their operations. By the time they'd done the second bedroom, Lucy was getting quite adept at painting skirting boards and doors. She did hate all the preparation work that was needed in such an old property especially stripping off 100 years worth of paint, but she turned out to be a willing pupil.
The first time she managed to paint a door without getting streaks or runs was a cause for much celebration between the two girls.
Down in London, the couple stopped outside the Clinic and looked at each other.
"Ready for this? I know that this is a big step for you," said Lucy.
"Yes. Yes, I am. I've been dreaming about this day for years. I would have had proper ones if… Well never mind. What's past is past. Shall we go?"
"Nervous?"
"Lots. You?"
"Yes."
Two days later the sore but happy couple returned home.
After taking it easy for a few days, Lucy and Andrea set out to spread the flyers promoting their business. They didn't have a name for it yet but that would come later when they got busy and needed to setup a real company.
After three weeks, they'd had no takers and their initial optimism began to fade away.
Lucy received one bit of good news and that was she'd passed her exams and was top of the class to boot. After a brief celebration, things returned to normality.
Andrea kept a little money coming in by repairing and restoring chairs and other small bits of furniture. Lucy helped out but her mind seemed to be on other things.
One evening Andrea asked her outright.
"Out with it. Something has been on your mind for days. What is it? A problem shared and a problem halved."
Andrea took hold of Lucy's hands and looked lovingly into her eyes.
"It isn't working is it?"
"What? Our business? Give it time my dear. I'm sure that we will get there and be a success. Rome wasn't built in a day you know."
"I know but neither of us has the qualifications to do Electrical stuff let alone Gas. Can you lay bricks?"
Andrea smiled back at Lucy
"Are you saying that we should go back to school?"
"Maybe I am? There is a college that teaches all those sort of things and lets you take the certification exams."
"Eh?"
"Let me show you."
Lucy fired up her laptop and quickly navigated to the site she had in mind.
"Here. This place is on the A58 going out of the City."
"I see. These courses must cost a packet though?"
"Well, we have the money, don't we?"
"Are you sure about this?"
"Yes I am. At least one of us needs the right bits of paper before we can even quote for a lot of work."
Lucy looked pensive.
"There is something else isn't there?"
"Yes, yes there is. Please don't take this the wrong way."
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
"You remember my original plan about my father's 50th birthday bash?"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."
"Well, I thought that we could do something slightly different that weekend."
"Go on."
"Why don't we get married. Make what we have got… well official like."
Andrea started to smile. This burst into a grin.
"Are you sure about this? All the implications and stuff?"
"Yes."
"I've never been more certain about anything in my life. No matter what happens with our business I want to be with you for the rest of my life."
Then Lucy took a deep breath.
"Look darling, so far in my life I've had most of the big decisions made for me by my parents. I only came here to University in order to get away from them. Psychology was just about the only course I was vaguely interested in that had vacancies. This place was provided by my father. Again, a decision that I didn't take."
"Now I'm taking what is possibly the biggest one in my life. Marry me and to hell with my family. You mean more to me than they ever have or could be."
Andrea looked into Lucy's eyes. She could see that Lucy was close to tears.
"Yes! Yes! Yes!"
The two embraced passionately for a long time.
Just as Andrea had said it would, business began to come in. A good few small jobs that didn't give them much profit but word began to spread in their community which in turn led to them quoting on some bigger jobs.
One of the small jobs was for a Mr Khan. The Khan's lived almost directly across the street from the girls. Mr Khan was an Iman at the local Mosque. His day job as a postman and the teaching he did at the Mosque after work, meant that there was not much time to decorate his home. That's where the girls came in.
One Saturday morning, there was a knock on the door at the girls home. It was Lucy who answered it.
"Mr Khan. This is a surprise. Why don't you come in?"
"Thank you, Miss Lucy."
In the kitchen, their visitor explained the reason for his visit.
"My wife's Mother is coming to visit from Pakistan. I need to get a bedroom decorated before she arrives."
"When is she coming?"
"The end of next week. She's staying until October," Replied Mr Khan with a definite resignation in his voice.
Andrea had said nothing so far. Lucy noticed this.
"Andrea? Have you got anything to say?"
She looked at Lucy and then at Mr Khan.
"Mr Khan, thank you for your offer of work. Are you aware of our relationship?"
Andrea took hold of Lucy's hand.
"Some people of your faith think that two women having a relationship is as bad as a pact with the devil."
Mr Khan nodded.
"That is true. I am not one of them. I was born here and have seen this society evolve. There are indeed passages in several Holy Books condemning same sex relationships. However, in this case, I don't see one here."
Andrea opened her mouth in surprise.
"Miss Andrea, if you recall, I was your postman when you lived on Park Street. I heard people talking about, if you will excuse me quoting from a neighbour of yours at the time, 'Andrea the tranny'. I see two people very much in love. If one of them chooses to live as a woman then so what? In Gods eyes and he knows that you are a man and a woman. My wife would not take that view. Thankfully, she is going to Pakistan tomorrow to bring her mother back. Can you do the job in the timeframe?"
Andrea looked both horrified and relieved. Since moving in with Lucy the incidents of her being 'read' and worse taunted about her sexuality had decreased dramatically.
It was Lucy who came to Andrea's rescue.
"Thank you for being honest with us Mr Khan. I think we can do the work if it is just a simple re-paint."
"Thank you, Miss Lucy. Yes. I only need the room painted with White Emulsion. How much would that cost me?"
Then Andrea interrupted.
"Mr Khan, I need to talk to Lucy about this before we can give you an answer."
"I understand," said Mr Khan as he stood up.
"We will let you know tomorrow."
"Thank you. I will be back from the Mosque around Midday."
"Perfect. We will see you then," said Lucy as she closed the door behind him.
"Well?" asked Lucy as she returned to the Kitchen.
"I don't know," replied a rather morose Andrea.
Lucy took her lovers hands.
"Upset of being read?"
"Sort of. I vaguely remember him as my postman. I didn't know people were gossiping about me."
"Does it matter anymore?"
"I don't know. I think I have gotten a bit blasé with you around."
"But does it matter? You are a far more confident and assertive person now."
"I suppose so."
"So? Do we do it then?"
"I suppose so."
"How much are we going to charge him?"
"Two hundred. Two to three days of work."
"Great," said Lucy.
"Now cheer the hell up."
The work for Mr Khan didn't take a full three days but he pronounced himself very satisfied with the work and paid the girls the agreed amount on the spot. The girls left him feeling satisfied with their two days of work.
The memory of the incident with Mr Khan soon faded into the background as they got on with other jobs and planning for their wedding. Here, luck was on their side in that there was an empty slot at the Registry Office for the Saturday of Cowes Week. The downside was that it was for 09:30. The upside was that it did mean that they could go away on Honeymoon all that sooner.
Three days before their big day, the girls had just finished a late lunch after finishing the last of their outstanding jobs. They had no "work-work" lined up to do until after their honeymoon.
There was an unexpected knock at their front door.
Andrea was in the middle of washing up so Lucy went to answer it.
Her surprise when she saw who was there was palpable.
"Father what are you doing here?"
"Hello Lucy, may we come in?"
It was then Lucy noticed that he was not alone. Standing behind him were three other people.
Her anger at her father had to be suppressed for the time being.
"Pl… please come in," she stuttered.
"Are you in the kitchen?" asked her father.
"Yes. Andrea is doing the washing up."
As the others followed her father into the house Lucy had a chance to look at his companions. Leading the way was an older woman that Lucy was sure she'd met before. The other two were about her age, a rather effeminate man and a woman. Then she noticed that they were holding hands.
Andrea's father had already introduced himself to Andrea by the time that Lucy had caught them up.
"Would you like some tea or coffee?" asked Andrea.
Lucy glared at her partner but Andrea just ignored her.
"We have some cake that I baked yesterday if you like some," added Andrea not fully understanding what was going on.
"Oh, and please sit down. We don't stand on ceremonies here."
A slightly miffed Lucy went to get another two chairs from the front room while the others made themselves at home.
When they were all seated, Lucy asked,
"Why have you come here and importantly now eh Father? Aren't you supposed to be on you Gin-Palace at Cowes?"
"Well yes. Normally, I would be but that was before," came his reply as he glanced before the older woman.
Lucy noticed this.
"You haven't left Mother, have you?"
He nodded.
Then the older woman put a hand on Lucy's father's arm.
"Patrick, perhaps it would be easier for me to explain?"
Lucy just glared at the woman.
"Lucy, my name is Bergit Johannson. I've known your father, Patrick since before you were born. You might remember me because we have met several times before at events put on by his company. I've been running the Scandinavian part of his business for the past… well ever since it was created just before you were born."
"So?" remarked Lucy.
"To put it simple, Patrick and I had an affair when you were two. This is our daughter Lisi. She's your half sister and her partner Henrik. Anyway, to cut a long story short, Patrick made me a promise the day that Lisi was born. That promise was to stick with your mother and you until you finished your education or got married. Then he'd divorce your mother and live with me. Your father is keeping that promise. He wants to see you married."
Then her father came back in.
"A lot of those trips I made supposedly to play golf were actually to visit my other family."
"But we went with you to the airport? You had your Clubs and everything with you."
"Yes, you did. I often travelled to Portugal or Spain or wherever with my friends and the left them and flew to Copenhagen to be with Bergit and Lisi."
"You lied to us. All those stories you told me as a girl!" said Lucy almost shouting.
"I did and for that I'm sorry," replied Patrick
"But think of what it would have done to you and especially your mother if I'd have upped and left you then?"
Patrick looked at Bergit with soft eyes.
"Your mother is very neurotic. From what I understand, you saw that at Easter for yourselves. Don't worry Lucy, I will make sure that she gets looked after. She will get the house and my gin palace as you call it as well as a decent settlement. But it is time for me to move on with my life just as you are doing with Andrea."
Then Bergit said what proved to be the pivotal words.
"When Patrick told me about you and Andrea, we couldn't have been happier."
A silence fell on the room.
In the end, Andrea could not take it any longer.
"Well, Bergit, Lisi and Henrik, you are all very welcome to our home. Sorry for the mess but we've just finished a job and we are getting married in a couple of days but I expect you know that," said Andrea trying to keep a lid on things.
"That's why we are here," said Lisi.
"We'd like to attend your wedding with Lisi as your bridesmaid," she replied looking lovingly at Helga.
"What!" exclaimed Lucy.
"Calm down darling. I think it is a wonderful idea. At least it solves the problem with the witnesses."
Lucy glared at Andrea.
"Lucy, we are not a threat to you," said Bergit.
"Patrick and the three of us won't be in your life unless you want us too. If you ask us to leave now, then we will go. But we would like to be part of your life only if it is a small part. I've seen you grow up into a lovely confident woman and now that I've met Andrea then I think you will make a wonderful couple. Well, it looks like you already are."
Then she looked at Andrea.
"You can have a family if you want one. You aren't alone any more if you don't want to be that is."
Then Lucy's brain seemed to get into gear again.
"How did you know about us, getting married and all that? I've known for a long time that you had a P.I keep a periodic eye on me but we have tried to keep our wedding very quiet."
Lucy's father looked sad.
"I'd better come clean so that we can start with a clean slate so to speak."
Lucy glared at her Father.
"You are right in that I have kept an eye on you these past years. I did engage an Investigator who would send me a report on you every couple of months. It was only by accident that he found about the wedding. He was in the registry office on another job, not for me I hasten to say, when he saw your names on the list of forthcoming marriages."
As he took a deep breath Lucy opened her mouth to speak but Bergit put a hand on hers.
"I really didn't like those two you had living here especially when Cannabis started growing in the garden. I was overjoyed when Andrea came to live. My PI produced a report on her and it took me only one glance to approve of her. I never ever wanted you to marry some chinless wonder as you aptly put it more than once. That was all your mother's idea. She wanted you to be a replica of her. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy. Seeing you here now it is evident that you are very happy. My darling Lucy, you have every right to be as angry as hell with me but I'd really like to give you away. There, I've said all I wanted to say."
Andrea looked at her lover and said,
"Darling, it seems to me that your Father wanted to make sure that you were safe and he approves of me which is a lot more than can be said for your Mother. Having met both of them, I sort of agree with him about your mother. You said that she wanted to make impressions at the Yacht Club. From the evidence today, and I'm not saying he is right but the very presence of his other family here today tells me that he wants to build a relationship with us. I'm prepared to give him a chance if you are?"
Then she added,
"Besides, he's a lot dishier than mine…"
"I…. I don't know. What if he does a runner again? I don't think that I could handle that."
It was Lisi who spoke next.
"Lucy, Henrik and I are starting a research project at the University in York next month. We'd very much like to be friends with you. After all we don't know anyone here and having a big sister just down the road would be nice."
Lucy sat there for quite a while.
"It looks l have been outvoted then…"
Then she turned to her Father.
"I'm not sure that I can forgive you for everything in the past at the moment."
"But… I'm willing to give it a try if you are?"
Lucy's Father went and hugged his daughter.
"Thank you. I won't let you down."
Then Andrea piped up.
"You had better not. That's my wife to be you are hugging. You mess up and you will have me to answer to."
Her tone and glare told everyone in the room that she meant it.
Three days later, everyone assembled at the Registry Office. Lucy was really nervous. She kept looking around nervously.
"What is the matter darling," asked Andrea.
"I keep thinking that my Mother will appear and spoil things for all of us."
Andrea gripped her lovers hand a bit tighter.
"Didn't your Father say that she was down south?"
Lucy didn't say anything but carried on looking for her mother. Andrea kept her arm around Lucy.
A few minutes after the scheduled time, the party were called into the room for the ceremony proper.
The Registrar, a Mrs Goode did a double take when the two brides appeared. They were wearing identical dresses.
"Is this the Faraday wedding?"
The couple had decided that Lucy would take Andrea's surname.
"Yes," the couple answered in unison.
"I have it down here as a man and a woman? Not two women?"
"I'm the man," said Andrea.
The registrar looked at her. Both of their dresses showed an almost indecent amount of cleavage.
"If you want, I can prove it?" suggested Andrea.
Mrs Goode almost went apoplectic.
"No…. No I don't think that will be needed. Shall we begin?"
The ceremony was performed as fast as Mrs Goode could do it. This did not go unnoticed by the happy couple. When it came time for them to kiss, they made it last and last and last.
When the group was outside they kissed again while Lucy's Father took the obligatory pictures.
"Well, Girls, I have arranged a little trip along the river from York. We will have a small reception on the boat," said Lucy's father once all the photos had been taken.
Before he could add any information, his phone rang.
As he looked at the caller ID, he groaned.
"It is your Mother. This won't be nice."
"Hello?"
"Yes, I know what day it is"
"No, I won't be coming."
"I'm in Leeds."
"Yes, Leeds where I have just given away our daughter. She's now a happily married woman."
He held the phone away from his face. Everyone could hear the tirade of abuse coming out of it. When it subsided, he said,
"I'm not coming home ever. You are the most neurotic possessive bitch in the world. Now if you don't mind, I have a wedding reception to attend."
He hung up the phone and switched it off before any more calls could come in.
"Ladies, shall we go?" he said as if nothing had happened.
Married life seemed to agree with both of them. Their business began to grow and they got to know a number of reliable tradespeople who would do the jobs that they couldn't do very well especially plastering.
They hadn't been home for more an hour from their current job in Horsforth, when there was an urgent knocking at their front door.
Lucy opened it to find Mr Khan standing there with his daughter Umi.
"Mr Khan. Umi, please come in,"
"Andrea is in the back room. Please go through."
"Are you sure Miss Lucy? We don't want to put you out?" asked the ever polite, Mr Khan.
"No. We were just going to watch some TV. We have not been home long and have just finished eating."
The trio went into the back room where Andrea was frantically fluffing up the already fluffed up cushions.
"Please sit down. Can I get some tea?" asked Andrea
"No thank you Miss Andrea. This is not exactly a social call," said Mr Khan.
The visitors sat down but an air of uncertainty fell over the room.
"I know this visit is unexpected but… the situation at home demanded some action," said Mr Khan.
"As you know, my Wife's Mother is visiting from Pakistan. Well and as I feared, it turns out she is here to size up my daughter Umi as a prospective bride for her nephew. He happens to be thirty years older than her and does not speak any English. His first wife died two years ago from Cholera and wants Umi to go and live with them and bring up his five children. His home has no electricity or sanitation and … Well, I don't want that for my daughter. She deserves better."
"What's this got to do with us?"
"We wondered if it would be possible for Umi to stay here. I'll pay rent for a room. To be honest, we do not have room at home. Umi is having to share with her brothers and sisters while her Grandmother is here. If Umi came to live here, then she would be close by but not with men."
Andrea almost choked. Mr Khan smiled back at her.
It was Lucy that came to her rescue.
"Umi? What have you to say for yourself?"
Umi looked at her Father hopefully.
"Please, let me leave you girls to talk. I need to go to the Mosque. I will be back in two hours. Is that all right with you?"
"I think so," said Lucy.
Once her father was out of the way, Lucy asked,
"Ok Umi, what is the real story?"
"The part about getting married is true and my Grandmother is a real pain. She is very traditional. She demands that I am totally covered at all times when I am out. She is complaining that my Mother should cover up as well. She had to when she went to Pakistan but here she shows a lot of hair which my grandmother does not like. I'm sixteen now and want to make my own decisions in life. I had a long talk with my Father when my Mother was away. He is quite liberal for a teacher of our faith. He does not want me to have an arranged marriage. He even will even accept my decision if I decide to stop wearing a Hijab. If I were to stay here, then he could watch over me and I'd be close by. He was always talking about how nice you two were and that you did such a good job decorating what was my bedroom."
There was a silence in the room.
Angela studied Umi's expression.
"What aren't you telling us?"
Umi looked at the floor.
"I don't like men."
Those simple words transformed the atmosphere.
"Does your Father know?"
Umi nodded.
"I think so. I told him that I was not interested in having dates with men until I had finished my education."
"But that would be expected if he was serious about you having an education," remarked Lucy.
"Yes, it is but I then said the word 'ever'. He looked at me long and hard. At first, I thought that he was going to hit me. Then he said, 'are you like Mohammad Hassan? I told him that I was. Mohammad came out as being gay a few years ago. He was forced out of his home and eventually he had to leave Leeds. The last anyone heard from him, he was in Glasgow."
"Isn't it hard for women like you to come out and remain in the faith?" asked Andrea.
Umi nodded.
"Yes. If I come out, then I will lose my family apart from my Father. As an Imam, he has friends who are priests in other Religions. He is also widely read and understands that people are different from what was once regarded as the norm. He would have to be discrete about meeting me though but always told me to be my own person. I want to do that but I can't do it living at home."
"Then we would be here to support you if you want us to?" asked Lucy.
"Please." Replied Umi very quietly.
Andrea and Lucy took hold of Umi's hands.
Andrea looked at Lucy. There were tears in Andrea's eyes.
"Then Umi, welcome to your new home. Here you can be your true self. You are welcome to stay here until you finish your education or want to move on."
Umi's Father returned a few hours later. Umi had removed her hijab. He knew what her decision without needing to ask what it was.
"Umi, I will be here for you should you need me," he said.
Then he smiled at Andrea and Lucy.
"I am happy to leave my daughter with the two of you. I know that she will be safe. On Saturdays, we finish work early and some of us usually go to the Café near Roundhay Park for Tea. This is normally about midday. If any of you need to see me or speak to me that is where I will be and your mother will never need to know."
Then he looked serious.
"I will try to give you what I can for my Daughters Food and Lodging."
Lucy laughed.
"We would not hear of it Mr Khan. Besides, won't your wife notice any significant amount of money going missing?"
He nodded his head.
"She would notice it in a flash," he admitted.
"Well then. It is settled. Umi can stay here with us and you can keep a watchful eye on her from a distance. Perhaps after a while, your wife will get used to Umi not being there but not that far away? After all, it is not as if there are any men living here," said Lucy.
Mr Khan smiled.
"I think you might be correct. As long as Umi goes to school and is happy, I will be happy."
Umi looked lovingly at her father.
"I will do my best Father," said Umi.
"We will do our best as well," said Lucy.
"Thank you, thank you," said Mr Khan.
He embraced his daughter who seemed a bit taken aback by it. Then he left them alone with the understanding that Umi would return home later and move to their house the following day.
Lucy closed the front door and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I think we deserve a cup of tea and a slice of the fruit cake I made yesterday," exclaimed Andrea.
Umi smiled and followed Andrea and Lucy into the kitchen.
And then there were three.
[the end]
Mr Khan, the Imam is actually based upon an Imam that I know. He is a very world wise and liberal man especially as he comes from the tribal areas of Pakistan and his marriage to an English born woman was arranged some twenty five years ago. His approach to life embodies what I view as the true meaning of Islam. He is good friends with the local Roman Catholic Priest and at least one Rabbi. I have spent many an hour talking over current affairs with him. He is adamant that none of his children will have arranged marriages.
It is ironic that both Lucy and Umi while from different faiths were threatened by the spectre of an "arranged" marriage. I did not plan for this story to end up that way it just sort of happened.
The title of the piece was taken from a British TV series of the same name. "And then there were three" is the title of a Genesis Album.