by Marci Wilcox
This time, he was the one who kissed her. They went into the bedroom and explored each other's bodies. When he entered her, it was as if a dam broke inside her and emotions she'd kept locked away were set free. She cried when she came. Afterwards, they knew that a bond had formed between them. They were together now. They talked and talked until dawn. Exhausted, they slept in each other's arms. Heather couldn't remember the last time she had felt this safe.
Chapter Eighteen
Candi woke to the sound of a doorbell ringing. And ringing. She sat up and looked around. There was sunlight streaming through the blinds of a window. She was naked. She was in a strange bedroom. There was a naked man in the bed next to her. She stank of stale sex. She had no memory of how she got in this predicament.
She furrowed her brow and tried to remember. Vague details came to her. The most important detail hit like a kick in the head. Bimbo Candi had taken over her brain last night. What had that mindless sex kitten gotten her into?
The doorbell kept ringing. The man next to her stirred and looked up at her with bleary eyes.
"You going to answer the door?" Candi said.
He squinted at her tits and then squinted at the clock. His eyes widened.
"Oh shit!" he said. "I completely forgot."
He stumbled out of bed and struggled into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.
"Wait here," he said. "I'll be right back."
Fuck that, Candi thought. She was getting the hell out of here. She got out of bed and searched for her clothes. But what had she worn last night? It didn't take her long to figure it out. Bimbo Candi had thoughtfully left her clothes piled neatly in a chair. Her purse was in the chair as well. Candi put on the pink panties and the pink mini dress. She slipped on her sandals.
She could hear the man talking to a woman. Candi recognized the woman's voice. It was Tracy. All the pieces fell into place at once.
Bimbo Candi had seduced Jim Beers as a test to see if he was worthy of taking David's place in Tracy's life. If Jim really loved Tracy, then he wouldn't have screwed Bimbo Candi. But he did. Many times. Candi's sore pussy was proof of that.
What really amazed Candi was the realization that Bimbo Candi wasn't a mindless bimbo at all. She was a very clever girl.
Candi eased into the hallway and peered around the corner. Jim was at the front door with his back to her. She could see Tracy standing outside.
"I'm really sorry, Trace," Jim said. "I must have eaten something gnarly last night because I think I'm going to hurl any second now. There's no way I could handle the waves today."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Jim," Tracy said. "Alex was really looking forward to going out on your boat today."
"We can go next week. I'm sure I'll be over whatever this is by then."
"Can I get you anything? Do you need company?"
Tracy stepped closer to the door and Jim quickly blocked her from coming in.
"No!" Jim said. "I mean, I'd rather just hunker down on my own and ride this out."
Tracy peered inside and then looked at the driveway.
"Sure, no problem," Tracy said. "By the way, who owns that Subaru in your driveway?"
Jim looked outside.
"How long has that been there?" he said.
"You tell me," Tracy said.
"I don't know who it belongs to. If somebody doesn't come for it soon, I'm going to call the cops and have them tow it away."
"Yeah. You do that. Talk to you later, Jim."
"Okay. Bye."
Jim closed the door and leaned against it.
"Whew!" he said. "That was close."
Candi came around the corner.
"Was that your girlfriend?" she asked. "She's cute."
Jim went into the kitchen. He took a carton of orange juice out of the refrigerator and drank directly from the carton. He offered the carton to Candi, but she wrinkled her nose and declined. He leaned against the kitchen counter and scratched his belly.
"Naw," he said. "She's not my girlfriend. She might think she is, but she's not."
Candi rested her elbows on the kitchen counter so that Jim got a good view of her cleavage.
"So, she's just a fuck buddy?" Candi said.
Jim put the orange juice back in the refrigerator.
"I wish," he said. "I've done everything I can to get in her pants, but she still won't put out. I've even picked up her kid up after school when she couldn't get there on time. If that don't earn a man some trim, then I don't know what this world is coming to."
"Wow. What's her problem?"
"Her fucking husband."
Candi stood up straight and pursed her lips.
"She's married? And you're still trying to score with her? Jimmy. With all the single pussy in Seattle why would you go after a married woman?"
Jim wandered into the living room and plopped down on the sofa. Candi hesitated before sitting next to him. The memory of Bimbo Candi and Jim humping on this sofa flashed in her mind.
"The husband ran off," Jim said. "I figured that made her fair game. But she still believes he's coming back some day. The most I've been able to get out of her is a kiss and occasionally I cop a feel and she doesn't say nothing about it. You're a woman. Let me ask you. When a guy does as much nice shit for a woman that I've done, doesn't she owe him some pussy?"
"Depends on the woman," Candi said. "Back up. What about this husband? He ran off?"
Jim scratched his balls.
"He's been gone for years now. According to Tracy he's some kind of reporter. Covered some dangerous shit. Written some important stories. I wouldn't know about that. I'm not much of a reader. I met the guy. He was a stuck-up asshole."
"Why does Tracy think he's coming back?"
Jim squinted at Candi.
"Why do you care? You don't know these people."
Candi shrugged.
"I'm curious about people. I'm a people person."
"With the best pair of tits I've ever seen."
Jim reached over and squeezed Candi's left breast. Candi giggled in what she hoped was a convincing Bimbo Candi giggle.
"Tracy wouldn't talk about what David was working on. The husband's name is David. I'm sure he told her it was really dangerous and shit. And then one day he didn't come home. Tracy thinks he might be dead, but she hasn't given up hope that he's still alive and coming back someday. Is that some bullshit or what?"
"Why is it bullshit? Maybe he's trapped and he's trying to find a way to escape?"
"You watch too much TV. Either he's dead or he's run off. If he was alive and truly loved Tracy, he would have found a way to send her a message by now. David left his wife and son because he's a stuck-up asshole. But he laid such a convincing story on her that he was some kind of crusading reporter that she's willing to let cobwebs grow in her pussy when my perfectly good dick is right next door."
Candi giggled.
"Yes, it is a good dick," she said.
"Speaking of which," Jim said while gazing at Candi. "What do you say we pick up where we left off last night? You did say I had you for the entire weekend. Give me a chance to drain the lizard and down a power shake and I'll be ready to go."
Candi stood and swung her purse over her shoulder.
"About that," she said. "While you were talking to that Tracy woman, I got a call from my boss at the agency. Boy, was he pissed. Seems whoever paid for me to come here used a stolen credit card. The agency didn't figure it out until today. I think somebody pulled a prank on you."
Jim scratched the stubble on his face.
"Who the hell?" he said. "Oh man, I bet it was one of the guys from work. They're always doing crap like this to me."
"I told my boss that you had no idea I was coming over and that you didn't owe the agency five thousand dollars."
"Five thousand dollars!"
Candi put her hands on her hips.
"You don't think I'm worth five thousand dollars?"
"Yeah, sure you are. But I can't afford t
o pay that."
"My boss wanted to send some guys over here to get the money and if you didn't pay, they were going to break your legs. I convinced him that it was all just a big mistake."
"Thank God!"
"But if I don't leave soon, he says that he's going to start charging you for my time."
Jim bolted off the sofa and grabbed Candi's arm.
"Then why the hell did you waste time talking about my neighbor? You got to get the fuck out of here," Jim said as he dragged her to the front door.
He opened the door and pushed her out. She turned to say goodbye but he had already slammed the door shut.
Candi giggled and got in her car. She backed out of the driveway and drove down the street. She slowed to a stop in front of Tracy's house. Also known as David's house. Also known as her house. Jim's words came back to her.
If he was alive and truly loved Tracy, he would have found a way to send her a message by now.
Despite all the changes Candi had been through, one thing had never changed. She still truly loved Tracy.
Candi pulled into Tracy's driveway.
Chapter Nineteen
Candi's hand shook as she rang the doorbell. She shifted from foot to foot as she waited. She could hear footsteps approaching and she felt a moment of nausea. The door opened and Tracy stared at her and then looked past her at the Subaru in the driveway.
"Can I help you?" Tracy said.
"I...have some information about your husband," Candi said.
Tracy crossed her arms over her chest.
"Jim Beers is not my husband."
"I know. I'm talking about David Alcott."
"And just who the hell are you?"
"I'm Candi. Can I please come in?"
Tracy narrowed her eyes at Candi. She moved aside and motioned for Candi to enter. Candi stepped inside. She had imagined this moment so many times, but never knew it would ache so much to be back home, to see the familiar furniture and smell the familiar smells.
They went into the living room. Alex was sitting on the floor watching TV. He looked up at Candi and waved. Candi waved back. He turned his attention back to the TV, but then he stood and stared at Candi.
"Alex," Tracy said. "Go to your room."
"I want to stay here," Alex said.
"Go to your room. I want to talk to this woman in private."
"No."
"Alex! Do as I say."
Alex pointed at Candi. Candi's eyes widened with fear.
"It's Dad," Alex said. "Can't you see it's Dad."
"What are you talking about, Alex. This isn't your father."
"He may be a girl, but he's still my dad. Look, Mom. Same hair. Same eyes. It's Dad."
Candi's shoulders slumped as if she were closing in on herself. She put her hand over her eyes and began to weep. Tracy took a step back.
"David?" Tracy said.
Candi nodded.
"You remember the story David was working on," Candi said. "Tile Genomics, Inc. has a machine that can change your gender."
"Sure, I remember," Tracy said. "He said that people who couldn't afford the transformation were turned into mindless sex slaves. But he didn't have proof."
Candi took a tissue out of her purse and wiped her eyes.
"Well, I do now. It happened to me."
Tracy's mouth dropped open.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"It's me, Tracy," Candi said. "Tracy is your middle name. Your first name is Eunice, but you hate that name. On our honeymoon, we got drunk, stole a golf cart, and wrecked it. The last time you saw me cry was when Alex was born."
"These people changed you. Can they change you back?"
"No. You can only change once." Candi put her hands on her chest. "This is permanent. That's why I didn't tell you until now."
Tracy tilted her head to the side.
"What do you mean, until now? How long have you been back?"
"About two months. Me and some others are working in secret to expose TGI for what they've done to people like me."
"I remember seeing Dad at school," Alex said. "So, Dad, you have boobies now?"
"Have you been spying on us?" Tracy said.
Candi hung her head.
"Yes."
Tracy slapped Candi's face as hard as she could. Candi fell to the floor. Tracy stood over Candi and beat her with her fists. Candi cowered as the blows rained on her.
"You were alive and you didn't tell me!" Tracy said. "All this time I've been worried sick about you! How dare you! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Look at me!" Candi said. "Can't you see? David is dead. They killed him."
"No, he's not," Alex said. "You're alive, Dad. You might be a girl but you're still Dad."
Tracy stopped hitting Candi. She pointed at Alex.
"He's right," Tracy said. "You're not getting out of this one, David. Or whatever you're calling yourself now. I've read in the paper about people who went to Tile Genomics. Just because you changed gender, our marriage is still legal. Maybe you're a girl on the outside, but on the inside, you're still David. When you changed gender, did you stop loving us?"
Candi lowered her arms and peered at Tracy and Alex.
"Not for a second," she said. "A day hasn't gone by when I haven't thought of you two."
Tracy sat on the floor next to Candi. Alex sat on the other side of Candi. Tracy took Candi's hand.
"I married a person, not a penis," Tracy said. "You're still my spouse. We'll get through this."
Tears welled up in Candi's eyes. She cursed herself for crying so easily. She was such a girl now.
"Really?" Candi said. "You don't want me to go away?"
"Hell no," Tracy said. "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to take a shower and get that stink off of you. I don't even want to think about how you got to be smelling so bad. I don't want you putting on those slutty clothes back on. It looks like we're both about the same size so you can borrow something of mine. Now where have you been living all this time?"
"I have an apartment downtown."
"Do you have any money?"
"Actually, I have a lot of money right. But not from what you think. My cover story is that I work for a large insurance company and I get paid a good salary. Better than what I made as a reporter."
"Good. You can take us out to lunch. I get the feeling it's your fault that Alex didn't go out on a boat today so this will make up for it."
"I don't care about going out on Jim's stupid boat," Alex said. "Getting Maddy back is much better."
"Maddy?" Candi said.
"I can't call you Dad and I can't call you both Mom. There's a girl in class with two moms. She calls one of them maddy because it's daddy with an M."
"Maddy it is."
"Okay, Maddy," Tracy said. "After lunch, the three of us will go to your apartment."
Candi furrowed her brow.
"Why are we going to my apartment?"
"To pack your things. Not all of them. Just enough for the time being. We can get the rest of it later."
"Does this mean what I think it means?"
"You're coming home," Tracy said. "Where you belong."
Candi felt the now familiar welling of tears in her eyes.
Chapter Twenty
It was after midnight on a Wednesday night when two men and a woman arrived at Tile Genomics, Inc. The security guard was alerted beforehand that they were coming and unlocked the door for them.
"Thanks, Sam," Chuck said. "I wanted to give these potential clients a personal tour."
"No problem, Dr. Rosewood," Sam said.
"Is there anybody else in the building?"
"No, sir. You have the place to yourself."
Heather and Samir followed Chuck through the door marked Authorized Personal Only. They took an elevator to the floor below. From there, they entered a large room with metal walls. A large machine dominated the room. In the center of the machine was an oblong tube with a clear unbreakable gla
ss cover that could be lifted and lowered. The inside of the tube was padded.
Heather walked around the machine, trailing her hand along the side. She hadn't seen her invention in years. It was like reuniting with a lost child.
"You should see your smile right now," Chuck said. "You missed her, didn't you?"
"I did," Heather admitted.
"It's not as scary as I thought it would be," Samir said.
"You know, Prince Samir," Chuck said. "We didn't have to sneak in here in the middle of the night for you to get the procedure. We could have done this during regular business hours."
"Oh, but we did," Samir said. "I wanted to Heather to be the one operating the machine. She is the only one I trust. Until we put Jarod away, she can't officially do the procedure."
"Thanks to Chuck," Heather said, "we should be able to get him sooner than I had planned."
Heather walked over to Chuck and kissed him.
"We keep the patient gowns in the changing rooms over there," Chuck said, pointing to a door. "Strip off all your clothes and jewelry. There's a bin you can put them in. I see you brought clothes to change into after the procedure. Some people like to keep their old clothes. I've heard of some patients burning their old clothes as a goodbye ritual. You can decide that later. By the time you've undressed and put on the gown, Heather and I should be ready for you."
Heather hurried over to Samir before he could enter the changing rooms.
"Are you sure you don't want to use your penis one more time before it's gone forever?" Heather said. "We could have a quickie in the changing room."
Samir laughed.
"No. I've already said my goodbyes. I'm sorry Candi couldn't be here."
"She's spending as much time as she can with her family. I'm so glad she finally told Tracy the truth."
"What I'm about to do will bring shame to my family. They will most likely disown me. I won't be a prince anymore. I will just be Samira. Which is wonderful because that's all I've ever wanted to be."
"You'll still be a princess to me."
They hugged.
"I love you, Heather."
"I love you, Samir. I'm so glad we're finally doing this. I'm so fucking tired of Dane coming to my office asking me how he can get in touch with Samira without Samir finding out."