Manhattan Miracle

by Dawning, Dee

  She nodded. "More than I thought. The idea of sucking on a man's sex object had always creeped me out, but once I got into it, I kinda liked it. Maybe, because it was...you know, my own dick."

  I snickered. "I don't think so. It's because you're a woman now. I have the same aversion when it comes to women."

  "Really? I love licking a woman's sex." I frowned. "At least I used to, when I was you. We'll see if you still have that dislike when you get done with my meeting with the big boss this afternoon."

  Chapter Four

  "Hi Carpenter. I came as soon as I could. What seems to be the problem?"

  Her nose scrunched and she sucked a breath through her teeth. "I don't know. I may have f… ah, messed up."

  Soriano raised a solo eyebrow. "Oh. Like how? Tell me more."

  "Well, ma'am, if you remember, we both agreed how Brad and Ginger seemed like they would be happier doing what the other person did."

  "So we're on a first name basis with our assignments now?"

  "No, well, yes, I guess maybe, I've gotten a little too interested in the paradox of their lives, especially Ginger. Earth's not like where we live now, where women's greater sensitivity and common sense have allowed us to elevate to positions of authority."

  "Carpenter, you know our cloud and all the clouds for that matter are genderless."

  "Yes ma'am, I know, but our personalities carry over. We all know what we were before. That's why I call you ma'am instead of sir."

  "I answer to either appellation."

  "I know ma'am. Since so many of the men go to the alternate destination for behavior indoctrination, former women are the majority in the ultimate destination and hence have risen to a position of pre-eminence. I hear even God is a woman."

  "Okay, I'll grant your first premise, but your second is nonsense. There is no sex, in paradise. Only former humans have ever been a certain sex and God was never a human. So what's your point?"

  "Well, there is sex on Earth. Having been a woman Marine, I faced gender inequality on a daily basis, just like Ginger does."

  "Ginger chose and enjoys her profession. She and her colleague live in a Park Avenue apartment, likes what she does and makes a ton of money doing it."

  "In all due respect ma'am, that isn't true. Ginger became a prostitute because she couldn't afford college and later when she earned her degree she still couldn't find a job. She makes a lot of money and lives on Park Avenue because she is fortunate enough to be smart and attractive. She likes having money and aspects of her job, but she does not like being a whore."

  "How do you know that?" Soriano frowned. "How can you be so sure?" Her mouth fell open. "You didn't enter her mind, did you?"

  She set her fists on her hips and stuck out her chin. "So what if I did?"

  "It's…it's…just not done. It's a…no-no."

  Fluttering her wings in obvious irritation, Carpenter demanded, "Says who? Show me where it says that in our manual."

  Soriano shook her head. "It doesn't. It's just obvious. We don't violate the sanctity of a subject's mind."

  Her wings fluttered again. "You've never entered a subject's mind?"

  Suddenly, Soriano felt uncomfortable. "Yes, but only in emergencies and cases of extreme duress."

  "Well, to me, it was an emergency."

  Soriano was becoming annoyed by this upstart novitiate angel. "What? There was no emergency when I left. What could have been so important you needed to enter her mind?"

  "Both minds."

  "You entered his, too?"

  She nodded. "Ah-huh, and it was very revealing."

  ~ * * ~

  After Ginger/Brad and I took a shower and got ready, we left the honeymoon suite at nine and caught a cab to my condo.

  I wanted to pick up my car and a couple other things, since I'd probably spend the night at Brad's Williamsburg townhouse. What I didn't want to do, since I now occupied Brad's body, was run into my roommate. For starters, she'd be angry, for bringing Brad to our apartment, so I texted her.

  It's me. Are you home?

  A few seconds later Amber answered, No today's the day I go to the fitness center. Why.

  Oh, nothing. I wanted to talk to you about something, but it can wait.

  Thank God, she wasn't home. When we arrived, we took the elevator to the 43rd floor and rushed to apartment 4314. Being the woman, Ginger carried my purse so she dug the keys out and unlocked the door and we all stepped in.

  This seemed so weird watching myself parade around the apartment. In a way the apartment was both of ours, but Ginger waltzed around like she's never been there. "Wow, it must be nice. And get a load of that view." Staring at me, she stuck out her hip, rested her fist there and posed her winsome smile. "Excuse the cliché, but I'd live here in a New York minute. What's a place like this set you back?"

  "You don't want to know. Let's go to my bedroom." I took my gorgeous former self's hand and led her into my bedroom. "Excuse the mess. You have to realize, I never have visitors." A funny thought brought forth a hysterical sounding half yelp, half laugh. "Of course you're not exactly a stranger."

  I went into the bathroom, saw Brad's image in the mirror and wondered if I'd ever get used to being him.

  My former self followed me. "Ginger, baby, we assumed each other's identities so it's going to get awkward for me to keep calling you Ginger and you to keep calling me Brad, even though that's who we really are."

  "I agree."

  She came up beside me and stared at my reflection. "So would you have a problem if I call you Brad?"

  I shrugged. "Not at all. That's what our friends and cohorts will call us, so we may as well get used to it."

  "And you can call me Ginger." She snickered. "If we had to switch, I think I got the better of the deal. I'm going to enjoy being a beautiful, glamorous, vivacious—"

  "Prostitute!"

  Her beautiful blue eyes doubled in size. "Am I going to have to…"

  I nodded. "Ah-huh. I don't see any way around it if you want to stay in the lifestyle to which I've become accustomed. You told me you said if you were a beautiful woman you'd be a slut. Well you have your ticket to sluts-ville and almost a million a year to boot."

  Now her/his pretty mouth opened wide. "A million a year! I'll do it, but you're going to have to show me the ropes."

  "Like I said, we may as well be joined at the hip. We are going to have to work out a lot of things, like where to live."

  "Are we going to still…you know…have sex."

  "It's fine with me, but you may not be so interested, once you start sleeping with five or six johns a week."

  Ginger shivered and cringed. "What're we here for?"

  I stepped into the closet and stepped out with a good sized suitcase, an overnight case, and a garment bag. "I don't know what to do about Amber, so for the time being it's best if we lay low at your place and get our bearings. Go through my things and pick out the outfits and undergarments you'd like to wear for at least a week including dressing up for the johns. I'll pack your/my make-up and toiletries in the overnight case."

  "You mean I'll have to turn tricks right away?"

  "If you want to make that million you do. In fact I…I mean you…have a date with a councilman tomorrow night."

  She gulped. "I do?"

  "It's what you wanted."

  Ginger nodded. "I know. Where?"

  "His apartment. He's a bachelor."

  She spent thirty minutes going through my closet, meticulously examining every item of clothing, pulling the items she wanted to bring out and laying them on the bed. She smiled at me "This is fun. You have some very nice clothes. Expensive, unless I miss my guess."

  "I snickered, when cost isn't a factor, you buy what you like."

  She really seemed to enjoy herself, picking out dressy and casual outfits. She took the most time selecting shoes, all but one pair of which were three and four inch heels.

  "Are you going to be able to walk in those?"

 
"I hope so. I seem to be doing all right in these." Next Ginger went through lingerie, selecting a mix of practical and sexy. Likewise, with accessories and jewelry.

  When everything was packed, she changed into an outfit she'd set aside—a burgundy sheath with an above knee hem and a low, squared neckline. She cinched it at the waist with a gold linked belt, added warm gray, faux lapis necklace and earrings. She turned to me holding two pairs of shoes, either of which went with her outfit. "Which ones?"

  "I like the gold, Manolo, high heeled sandals."

  She slipped them on and spun around as a model would. "How do I look?"

  I tilted my head and cupped my chin as if studying her. "I'd say you look like a million bucks…every year or so."

  She giggled. "Ooh, you are naughty." She sighed. "That was fun. So far, I like being a woman. What now?"

  I smiled. The new Ginger had done a good job of selecting a wardrobe. She would make an excellent Ginger Allen. "I'll take the suitcase and the garment bag, if you can grab the overnight bag and your satchel.

  "You got a deal."

  Before we left, I wrote a note for Amber.

  Dear Amber,

  A problem has cropped up, which I have to work out. I won't be home for the next few days or so. Don't worry, I'm fine, and I'll stay in touch.

  Love, Gin

  From there we headed to the garage to pick up Ginger's car. "This is your car?" Ginger exclaimed, "A Jaguar convertible. My God, it's flat out gorgeous."

  I laughed. "You're going to have to learn how speak like a woman and I need to start talking like a guy. Like I told you, when cost isn't a factor you buy what you like. Since we're going to your townhouse, why don't you drive?"

  We didn't speak much on the drive through Manhattan and across the Williamsburg Bridge to my townhouse. Instead, I gazed out the window, watching the crush of New Yorkers and the skyscrapers ease by. I didn't know if I'd ever get over going to sleep a woman and waking up a man, but there was nothing I could do about it. It's not like I could get a lawyer and sue for my original body back and what a body it was. I did miss it and yet, I didn't. The playing field had been leveled and I had a six-figure job waiting for me with a corner office. I could now do what I was meant to do and for once my co-workers would really be my peers in all ways, including gender.

  The fact was, I was ambivalent about my new condition. I wasn't drop dead gorgeous, like Ginger, but I remember, when I was her, I thought Brad was sexy looking. So Brad, now being me came out a little ahead in the looks department after the transition, but I'm taller, sixty pounds heavier, stronger and I have…a cock. I smiled. Can you believe it? The original Ginger Allen now wields a cock! And the new Ginger gave me a blow job. I glanced over and my… What is she? Partner? Girlfriend? Lover? All of the above, I hoped.

  I reflected on my sudden, unexpected attraction to the former me. I always knew I was easy on the eyes, but watching and feeling her luscious lips and hands doing fantastic things to me, did something—something I didn't quite understand. This woman—me—beguiled me. Perhaps it was the testosterone that lurked in Brad's body, but I found myself captivated by…myself! I felt like…Narcissus.

  ~ * * ~

  After driving for twenty minutes, Ginger pulled next to what had to be Brad's, I guess now, my Hummer. As we grabbed the clothes from the car, Ginger spoke, "While you get ready, I'll fix brunch, and then after we eat, I'll go over what you need to know and do for this meeting."

  Perplexed, I swung the garage/house door open "Okay, but I don't know any of your co-workers." Allowing her to enter before me, I realized I'd conducted my first gentlemanly act as a man.

  She turned around as I followed her into the kitchen. "That won't matter for now. Grimes' office is among the executive offices on the 40th floor. You work on the 32nd floor."

  "But what about Monday, when I go to work with all your co-workers. I may look like you, but I don't know any of them from Adam."

  She shrugged. "I guess we'll have to go over everything this weekend."

  "Tell me, when we first met, you told me you could get me a job as your secretary. Do you think I could get you in as my secretary? It would be a huge help."

  Her head lifted as she got visibly excited and then sagged. "Yeah, it would, but even if you could, there's a problem."

  I sighed. "What?"

  "Last night at Libation Station, four of the guys I work with, three actually, since one left, were there and saw you—I mean me—this is so fucking confusing."

  "I know. Go on."

  Ginger started to move her hands around as she explained, "They saw me in all my dazzling beauty and they know I left with you."

  I tilted my head and cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, so? We hit it off."

  She opened the refrigerator door. "Well they had to know, I was a…"

  "Courtesan?" I prompted

  As she removed a package of lunchmeat, she nodded. "Yeah."

  "Why? Did you tell them?"

  Ginger shook her head. "God, no! I didn't even know myself until just before we left."

  I frowned. "What's the problem, then?"

  She set two plates with sandwiches and chips on the snack counter. "They had to know. You were so stunning and I'm…was, so average. Hurry up and eat, you have to get ready."

  I slipped onto the stool next to her and took a bite. After swallowing, I reassured Brad. "You underestimate your looks. I was pleased with your looks and now that they're my looks, I still am, so there's every reason for your companions to suspect you dazzled me with your looks and charm. And we went and celebrated your promotion." I slipped off stool. "Besides, maybe I was looking to get hired as your secretary."

  "That's true."

  "Now, I better get ready. Do you want to show me where your, I mean my, bedroom is and what you would've worn to this meeting if you were actually going instead of me?"

  Ginger took my hand and led me to the master bedroom. From there she led me into the bath. "Here we are." We eased up to the vanity where she handed me a toothbrush and a razor. "You need to brush your teeth and shave for your big meeting."

  She was right. I bushed my teeth then stared at her blankly.

  "Wha-a-a-a?"

  "The only thing I've ever shaved is my legs, underarms and in emergencies, genitals. What do I do?"

  She laughed. "And I've never fixed my hair or applied make-up. Since we're in a hurry, because of this meeting, I'll do the man things on you and you can do the woman things on me."

  "It's a deal. And keep doing, for as long as it takes for me to get the hang of things."

  Chapter Five

  "Darn, I wished you hadn't done that. We can't change them back until the next solstice."

  Carpenter hitched her head forward and lifted her hands out to the side. "Why change them back at all?"

  I flared my nostrils at the audacity of her question. "It's just not done. Besides I'm sure they're rattled to the core."

  "They were/are, but seem to be adjusting nicely, so why would you want to rattle them to the core again in four and a half months?"

  "Because he's a man and she's a woman and that's the way they should stay."

  Carpenter stomped her foot and growled.

  These marines are a feisty bunch.

  She sneered at me. "How archaic—once a woman always a woman. What about the humans who get sex changes? Are you going to change them back?"

  I folded my arms at the absurdity of her question. "Of course not. It's what those poor misguided people wanted."

  "And how do you know Brad and Ginger didn't want it?"

  "Do they?"

  "Well, by all appearances they're not as upset as you might expect. To find out, I'd have to enter their minds again."

  I shook my head adamantly. "No. Since there's nothing that can be done for several months, we'll just keep an eye on them and when we get close to the solstice, I will visit their minds and determine what our unusual couple really wants.

  ~ * * ~
>
  Thirty minutes later, the new Ginger and I were on our way to my big meeting, with Mr. Grimes. I would either be promoted to an account executive with a coveted corner office and a beautiful new secretary—Ginger—or I would be unemployed. Should I fail, our only source of income would be Ginger's continuance as a courtesan. With the new owner of my former body being Brad Fairchild—a man with no experience with sex as a woman, that would be problematic, to say the least. Not only did she seem to be unenthused about escort work, her/his only training was a short stint of fellatio on me and absolutely no experience with penetration or pleasing a man.

  I wasn't the only one who would need training. This might prove to be a very interesting weekend.

  Milton Grimes looked to be about fifty. He stood five-ten and had a trim body, but was not particularly impressive looking. Though his hairline was receding, he combed his brown hair back giving him a brainy, but seedy look. In addition his slightly oversized features on a narrow face presented an odd look. Though he wasn't ugly, he was far from handsome.

  The meeting with the CEO and company president, Mr. Grimes lasted only eight minutes. If he had any suspicions about my identity it didn't show. After we'd talked for a short while, he shuffled some papers around as if our meeting had ended and addressed me, "Sorry to be so abrupt, but I have another meeting." He sighed. "Sometimes it seems like my workday is one big, long meeting."

  After I gave him a courtesy laugh, he continued, "The head of the clerical pool will call you on Monday, about selecting a secretary." He winked. "A pretty secretary to bring your coffee first thing in the morning can start your day off right."

  "I'm glad you mentioned that. Is it required that I take a secretary from the pool?"

  Mr. Grimes slid around in his seat and furrowed his brow. "I don't know. Everyone always does, but it's not a requirement. Why?"

  "I know an excellent secretary who just became available. And Mr. Grimes." I winked back. "She's quite fetching."