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JANUARY Natasha Romanova had planned for a long time to take over the abandoned building that sat empty across from the big shopping mall near her home. She’d talked at length with the real estate agent that had the listing and he had assured her that no one had expressed any interest in the property. She was biding her time, saving her money and waiting for the right moment. She would swoop in, buy the property and then set it up as her new home and workspace, all in one building. Offices downstairs, with a large conference room set up for conducting group séances. As a psychic, she wanted to live and work in a building, because much of her clientele would come in at odd hours. Now she worked from a storefront office where she spent nine hours per day, six days each week. Her clients who wanted to see her outside of those hours had to page her and then wait and see if she was able to come in. Usually she could be there in less than an hour, but not always. If she was living on the property, this would no longer be an issue. Only if she was not at home would a client have to wait for her. So when she was on her way home from having a late night dinner with a friend, she was shocked to see a “Sold” sign on the larger “For Sale” sign that was sitting on the side of the building. She pulled over and reached out with her mind to find that real estate agent to see what had happened. Rick Pritchard was sitting home, surfing the web for porn while his wife slept in the next room when he suddenly felt something gripping his head. It felt like someone had taken his skull in both hands and was slowly shaking it, trying to get it to open. The pain increased until it was a searing, burning sensation that suddenly faded. Not wanting to experience that again, he decided he’d go get undressed and get into bed with his wife. Natasha now knew what had happened. Rick had been honest with her. That would save him from being punished. But the five lawyers who had just bought the property, they would suffer. Suffer greatly, although she wasn’t sure just how. The answer would come to her in the next few days. * * * * * Two of those five lawyers were brothers and they shared an apartment on the other side of town. Unaware of what had just transpired, they were sitting together at their dining room table, looking over the plans they had obtained earlier that night from their architect. They were perfect. The building would require some renovations, but basically there were five suites for the five lawyers in the newly forming partnership. Two suites for the two paralegals they would hire, and enough space left over for reception, secretarial space and the machine room where computers and other equipment would be housed out of sight of the public. There would be no law library per se, but there were alternatives available for research purposes. Mike Lincoln was the older of the two. He was 32 years of age and had been working for the same firm since the day after he’d graduated from law school. It was also the firm that had just passed him over for partner a second and final time. Oh he could have stayed and tried one more time, but he saw the handwriting on the wall. Paula Cartwright was a senior partner, and he’d had an affair with her when he was 25 and when he ended the affair, she had sworn revenge. Now she’d gotten it. He hadn’t given notice yet, but it was all written and just needed a signature. His younger brother Rick was an associate at a much bigger firm downtown. He’d been there five years and was on the partner track. He was an outstanding litigator who’d honed his skills for two years in the DA’s office after law school, before taking this job. But he had always wanted to work with Mike and when Mike had said he was forming his own firm, Rick leapt at the chance to go with him. His resignation letter was also written. There were three other lawyers that Mike had brought together, all of whom were working and were ready to become partners in this new firm. Eldon Abrams had chosen to stay with the medium sized firm he’d been with since high school even after being passed over for a partnership, on their senior associate track. He had made decent money, but now that he was in his late 40s, he wanted a shot at a bigger share of the pie, in retirement planning. His having gone through a divorce where he’d been forced to give his ex-wife half of everything including his 401(k) was partly to blame. Patti Turner was the specialist in real estate law with litigation experience that Mike had gone up against while he was on loan to his firm’s real estate department. She had been part of the team that had beaten the partner Mike had been working with and he’d become a fan. Afterwards, he recruited her because real estate was one area of expertise the other four attorneys lacked. Since they wanted to focus on being a business litigation firm, a real estate expert was a good idea. She was coming up on 30 and was willing to give up a shot at a partnership because doing this meant that she and her husband Bernie could have a baby. In order to stay on the partnership track at her firm, they’d have had to wait four more years before she would have made it and could then have a kid. The last member of the team was Randy Wade. He had done something none of the rest had been willing to try. He’d graduated from law school and just hung out a shingle. It had been tough, but he’d managed to get by, doing PI work as well as general litigation. He had a terrific trial record, having won a settlement or a judgment in over 94% of the cases he’d filed in the years since he’d graduated. He and Mike had gone to the same law school and kept in touch in the intervening years. When Mike had mentioned he was forming a firm, Randy had expressed interest and it had just come together. * * * * * The five met on Saturday at a quiet coffee shop not far from their future office. Mike passed out agendas for the meeting after they’d all ordered drinks and snacks. They were tucked away in the back room of the place to get their privacy. Rick was dating the sister of the manager, which was how they’d arranged to get a place to meet since their building wasn’t ready yet. Once the agendas were passed out, Mike said “okay, let’s get started. I have deposited everyone’s buy-in check into the firm’s accounts and for the moment, Patti and I will be the signatories on any checks, although as called for in the terms of our agreement, expenditures in excess of $10,000 require approval of three of the five of us and expenditures in excess of $50,000 require unanimous approval. We’ll elect a managing partner on the one year anniversary of our official launch and then the other rules about expenditures will go into effect. I have the contract here for the construction of our building here, and the purchase orders for the equipment we’ll need. Based on our preliminary budget, even if we spend the full amount of the contingency money on construction and equipment, which I don’t see happening, we should still have enough money to hire our staff and operate for ninety days from our first day. That’s hiring everyone in our business plan at the budgeted rates. Questions?” Randy said “it all sounds great, but what if we’re open 90 days and we’re out of money. What do we do then?” Mike looked over at his brother. “Rick?” “I’ve emailed each of you an application to complete. It’s for a line of credit of $500,000 we’re arranging with the bank we’re working with. The loan officer I’ve talked to told me it’s a formality, we’re already pre-approved. If we have to, we’ll use the line of credit. But the expectation is we’ll be generating revenues from day one. Doesn’t everyone have at least one client they will be bringing with them?” Everyone nodded and Patti interrupted. “Look, we’re all good at what we do. We just need to get the doors open and everything will be fine. How long are the renovations going to take?” “We should be up and running on June 1s” Mike said. * * * * * LATE AUGUST It was coming up on the three month anniversary of the firm’s opening and everything was going fine. In theory a law firm can sue an associate who leaves and takes a client with them, but the practical application of that theory didn’t always work out well. Clients are fickle and if one firm tries to muscle them to stay, odds are good they’ll leave in the end anyway. The clothing retailer in the building two doors down from the law office had gone out of business recently and on a Saturday morning, Mike was heading in to catch up on a little work when he noticed someone moving into that building. He walked down to see what was happening. A woman in her late 40s or early 50s was supervising a moving crew taking boxes off of trucks and carrying them into the building. He waited until she had stopped giving directions and then walked up and introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Mike, I’m one of your new neighbors. I work at the law firm right there” he said, pointing at his building. “Hi Mike. I’m Stacy. But I won’t be here all that long. We open on September 1st and we will close down on November 2nd or 3rd.” “What kind of business does that?” “A business that rents Halloween costumes. I’m searching for a permanent location but this one isn’t big enough. I just moved to town and I needed a place to operate for this year. I’ll run my business from here and keep bringing in inventory throughout the two months of my season. Then after we’re finished, I’ll find a permanent location where I can keep my inventory all year and run a scaled down year-round operation.” “Halloween costumes, eh? I’ve never been much for dressing up.” “Well, this year you should give it a try. My costumes are the best there is. Unlike most shops, I rent you almost everything you need. The basics of the outfit, the accessories, the shoes, wigs and so on. Then I also sell the things I can’t rent, like underwear since you can’t legally clean and re-use that kind of thing. When one of my clients leaves, he or she will look exactly how they want to look in my costume. Assuming it isn’t some 328 pound man trying to be a skinny French Maid of course.” “Sounds interesting. I’ll mention it to my colleagues. Nice to meet you.” * * * * * OCTOBER The signs were up on Stacy’s Costume Shop and for some reason they caught Mike’s eye as he entered the office on this morning, about two weeks before Halloween. Business was building and life was good. Perhaps one of the ways to reward everyone would be to have a Halloween contest on that day, which happened to be a Friday. Anyone going to court would not be able to take part, but the odds were good none of them would be in court that day. Five lawyers, five assistants, a receptionist, an office manager, a tech guy and two paralegals. Fifteen people, and 15 costumes would be required. Noticing that the door to Stacy’s was open, Mike headed over in that direction to find her. She was in her office, going over paperwork while her skeleton crew staff that worked in the early mornings tidied up the shelves. “Mike, good to see you. What’s going on?” “I came to ask a question. We’re a new law firm and I want to throw a Halloween party and I don’t want my people to have to put a lot of time and effort into finding costumes. So will you give me a discount pricing structure if I pay for the costumes for all 15 folks that work for me?” “Actually I would. I’d give you a 20% discount. And, I’ll work with each of you to make sure that you get the best possible costumes. Have everyone call me for an appointment. It takes about 30 minutes to measure and select a costume. If we start today we can have everyone in and out without messing up our schedule here in a couple of days. Why don’t we start with you, right now?” “Okay, I’m game. What do you think?” “I think that the best Halloween costumes are those that people would not expect you to wear. You could easily be a football player, or a horror film type but that’s normal for someone like you. I have a better idea. Something unusual that might be a bit of fun.” “What’s that?” “Ever see any of the Harry Potter films?” “Of course. Being a lawyer doesn’t mean you never see modern movies.” “Well, my idea is that you go as Hermoine Granger in her Gryffindor robes. You’d look like a schoolgirl. Dark tights mean not having to shave your legs, and the rest would be easy.” “Stacy, I have a linebacker’s body. Narrow waist, broad shoulders and big thighs. I’d look ridiculous.” “Not at all. My costumes are designed to conceal the physical flaws of the wearer. Some use new technology and others are just very well crafted. I promise, once we get you into tights, a waist cinch, a bra and the rest of the costume, you’ll be shocked at how much like the real Hermoine you look. Got the nerve to try it?” “Why not?” “Come with me.” * * * * * It was a puzzled Mike who was slipping his black tights-covered feet into the Mary Jane flats that Stacy had set on the floor before him. He tried shaking his head, but the wig of hair that was an exact copy of Emma Watson’s own hair from when she’d played the role in the films wouldn’t budge an inch from his head. Stacy had put four pins in place and from that point forward, the wig would not move. The training bra fit perfectly and there were little inserts in the cups that made it appear he had adolescent breasts underneath his sweater. Maybe that should be her sweater, as no sign of a male person was present. Even his arms and legs seemed slimmer than before, thanks to something the skirt, tights, blouse and jacket were doing to him. To her. “Look at yourself in the mirror, Hermoine.” Mike looked. He liked what he saw. His made-up face and hair made the look complete. He looked just like a high school aged girl in a Hogwarts school uniform. “We won’t use the spray because then you’d sound like her for 12 hours, but what do you think?” “I think I’m completely amazed. I think I’m going to look just like Hermoine on Halloween. I also think we can’t afford costumes this good for 15 people.” “Nonsense. $80 bucks each for the rental and another $35 for the items that can’t be returned, which in your case is the bra, the tights and the waist cinch. It’s a great deal.” “It is. We’ll take it.” The other four lawyers were among the staff who went and saw Stacy over the next couple of days, during holes in their schedules. Each had been just as amazed as Mike had when they’d seen themselves in Stacy’s mirror. Randy, who had played football in high school and tried out for the team in college, ended up in a high school girl’s cheerleader uniform. It even had the name “Randi” embroidered on the big letter G that represented the mascot of whatever high school ‘she’ cheered for. Shiny tights made ‘her’ legs look smooth and tanned. Sandy had completed the look with a big floppy hair bow that she fastened into the wig. It looked just like the bows Randy had seen girls wearing in a TV cheerleading competition and he loved it. Rick was next, and after having heard how good the costumes were, he’d almost given in to Stacy’s suggestion that he dress as one of the dancers from the strip club he liked to frequent. But he’d been unwilling to expose that much of his flesh. However, Stacy had managed to convince him to wear the uniform of a cocktail waitress at that establishment. The waitresses there wore tight, short knit dresses and pumps with very high heels and a little platform under the toe. “I’ll have trouble walking in these shoes, Stacy” Rick had complained. “Nonsense, a few hours of practice and you’ll be strutting like any of those girls slinging those way overpriced drinks. In fact, be careful the managers don’t see you in your costume. You might end up being a cocktail server rather than a customer.” Patti was the next one to go over to Stacy’s and Stacy had hemmed and hawed before finally suggesting a costume for her. She put Patti into a man’s business suit with shirt and tie, a pair of Italian loafers on her feet and a short-hair wig covering up her own long tresses. “You’re going as a lawyer, but a male lawyer. The guy in charge. How does it look?” “Looks fine to me.” Eldon was the last one to visit Stacy’s shop and he’d tried to beg off, saying he didn’t want to wear a costume. But she’d managed to convince him to at least try on the one she was suggesting. Eldon would be going to the Halloween party as a Geisha girl, with a perfect black wig that fell to his waist, but would be worn perfectly piled atop his head. The makeup gave him the stark white complexion of the proper Geisha and Stacy promised to re-shape his eyebrows the night before to give him the proper slant-eyed appearance. The staff all had costumes and Halloween promised to be a very fun day. The schedules had worked out so that none of the lawyers would need to go to court, all would be in costume, all day long. There were going to be a few clients to see, but the last would be gone by 1 p.m. and then the booze would come out and the real party would begin. OCTOBER 31ST Mike was sitting on the sofa in his office, his client Ralph Zimmerman sitting in a chair across from him. “I can’t get over you in that costume, Mike, you look so much like that actress it’s almost scary. I think you’re going to have to dress a little differently for our next court appearance though.” “I promise, if I still look like this, I’ll borrow one of Patti’s suits and a pair of pumps, so I’ll look like a lady lawyer. Fair enough?” “Works for me.” They shook hands, the meeting having been completed. Mike walked Ralph out, gave him a drink and then a few minutes later, he departed. That’s when the party got wild. The booze flowed faster and faster. The last thing Mike remembered was dancing with Patti and then it all went black. * * * * * The bright light of Saturday morning’s rising sun shining through the windows caused the five attorneys sitting in the conference room to begin to stir. All were hung over and still in costume. Only now, the costumes looked a little more realistic. Mike was first to wake up and he felt the need to throw up. So he ran to the ladies room and managed to get to a commode where he emptied his stomach in several heaves. After that he washed his face and then realized that his bladder was ready to burst. He pulled down his tights and panties, and lifted up his skirt to pee while standing, but the urine sprayed all over everywhere. He reached down to aim his errant penis and found nothing there to put his hand around. The flow of urine stopped and before daring to touch his skin, he grabbed some toilet paper and wiped the area of his groin dry. Then he probed and found that he was now able to insert his fingers inside of himself. Her fingers inside of herself. He had a vagina. She then tore off the sweater and blouse, struggling to get the bra off. Once it was on the floor next to the rest of her clothes she looked down and saw there were no bra inserts anywhere. Just youthful, budding adolescent breasts. The mirror revealed the face of not Emma Watson, but an ordinary high school girl who’d dressed herself up as the movie star’s seminal character. She did what any red-blooded American man who awakened to find himself now female would do. She screamed. Loudly and for an extended period. The other lawyers got up and ran into the ladies room. They looked at Mike standing there and it was Rick who said it. “Who are you, girl?” The feminine tone of his own voice took him aback. “I’m your brother Mike. At least I was, just as you were my brother until you turned into a bimbo.” “I’m not a bimbo”. “Dudette, you look like any of those waitresses at that strip joint you drag me to when you can get me there. Last night it might have been a costume, but right now you really, really look the part and I bet you’re going to find the same vagina and breasts inside of your costume.” “We’ll just see about that.” She whipped off her skirt and blouse and stripped the bra away from her impressive 38D cup boobs, and then she started crying. “What happened to us?” “I can explain that.” Everyone turned around and saw Stacy, the woman who had helped them with their costumes. “My name isn’t really Stacy. I’m Natasha Romanova and this was going to be my building. My new home where I could run my business and live comfortably. There would have been enough room to house my aging parents, and it was just perfect. The realtor told me no one was interested in it and suddenly before I could buy it, you swooped in and took it away from me. So I have taken something precious from you. But you can have it back. Just sign over the building to me and pay to remodel it as I desire and I will undo the effects of those costumes.” “No way lady. It took most of our working capital to get to this point.” “Fine, ladies and gentleman. Maybe living in your new lives a few days will alter your willingness to comply with my requests. You’ll find that your identity documents match your new appearance, and otherwise your lives are unchanged. Oh, with one little thing I tossed in to make your new lives easier. You’ll find that you have all of the skills and knowledge about your new selves that you would have had had you been born this way. All four of you ladies know how to put on a bra and pantyhose, apply make-up, insert a tampon and so on. But otherwise, you are as you were.” It was Eldon who objected first. “I’m not an Asian.” “Oh, but for the moment you are. And you weren’t the only one whose name I had to arrange to have altered. You’re now Yumiko.” “What about my girlfriend?” “You’re still living together, but as platonic roommates.” “I don’t understand. If you have all this power, why didn’t you just give yourself the building.” “I can’t use my power to directly benefit myself. I can persuade others to do things to benefit me though. I didn’t make up the rules. I just have to live by them. So I can’t force you to do what I want, but I can certainly try to convince you to see things my way. You voluntarily donned the costumes. I didn’t make you. Therefore, you accepted the magic they contained. Now if there’s nothing else…” She waited for a moment and then left. Mike said “let’s go to the conference room and sit down and figure out what we’re going to do.” The five partners went into the conference room and sat down. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Then, finally, it was Randy who proffered an idea. “Look, we don’t have the money to bail out of this building, retrofit it to her specifications and then start over again elsewhere. We cut our ties to our old firms, so there’s no going back in that direction either. So we’re stuck like this. But maybe not forever.” Patti stood up and said “even today is going to be too long to be a man. I didn’t grow up to be a successful woman in spite of it all to end up going over to the dark side.” “We’re not the dark side, Patti” Randy responded. “But here me out. I’m guessing that our clients know and accept us in these altered appearances. Just suppose we put up with it, and go on working for the next couple of weeks, months, whatever. We chase down every piece of business we can and build up our cash as quickly as possible. It might be a few weeks or a few months, but we can replace the capital we came up with to get started. So we start over again. As our real selves.” “You’re proposing we just go home, spend the rest of the weekend getting used to this and come in here on Monday morning, ready to work? The four of us in skirts and heels and Patti…excuse me, Patrick, in a suit and tie?” Mike sat there for a moment pondering his own words. “Randy is right. Or is that Randi with an “I” now? In any event she’s correct. That’s what we should do. We work hard, we work smart and as soon as we have enough cash in hand to start over in a new building, we find it, get it ready and then move out of here and into there. As soon as she’s in here, I’m sure she’ll change us back.” There was more discussion but no one had a better alternative to Randy’s plan. Eventually, they agreed that this was the right course of action and they all went home to prepare for Monday. * * * * * Monday morning seemed like a normal morning at the firm of Lincoln, Lincoln, Abrams, Turner and Wade to everyone else who worked there. But for the five partners, arriving at work was very, very different. Rather than four men and one woman arriving, four women and one man showed up for work. Three of the women were wearing skirted suits. Yumiko, Michele and Randi all had on skirts and heels. But Lisa (Rick) had insisted on wearing a pantsuit and flats. It didn’t help much. Even with the tie she’d insisted on adding to her blouse, she still looked very, very female. Patrick’s Brooks Brothers suit and tie were perfect, for a male lawyer. All five had busy days ahead. Patrick and Randi had court appearances. Worse yet, they knew that something was very wrong, but no one in the office said anything or acted any differently. As far as the secretaries, paralegals and the other employees were concerned, they’d always worked for four women and one man. Before the two who had court dates left, they had a quick conference call and agreed to meet in the conference room that night at 8 p.m. It was a tired group of attorneys who filed into the conference room just before 8 that evening. Michelle was last and she was carrying some print-outs. “Here you go girls, and guy. Projections of our firm revenue for the next 30, 90 and 180 days. I had our accountants prepare them. As you can see, it will be at least six months before we can accumulate even half of the revenues we’ll need in order to bail out of this deal. Can you do this for six months? One at a time. Randi?” “If I have to. I didn’t like having to walk around in heels and a skirt all day. But I have to admit something I found surprising. The jury and the judge responded differently to me today. It was easier to connect with some of them, especially the men. I caught them looking at my legs and they smiled. I wouldn’t want to stay this way, but there are going to be some advantages.” “Yumiko?” “I don’t know. It’s bad enough being a girl. But being a tiny little girl and feeling so vulnerable really sucks. I’m living with the woman I am in love with and she treats me like a sister. I don’t even want to think about what she said last night when she was going out to do some shopping.” “What was that?” “She reminded me that it was almost that time of the month and she wanted to know if she should get me some napkins while she was getting some for herself. Apparently women who live together synchronize their periods when enough time passes.” Patrick said “that’s true. My college roommate and I weren’t on the same schedule at first, but eventually we synched up. All four of you are going to meet and learn to live with Auntie Flo. And you aren’t going to like it. That’s the one thing that makes this palatable for me, knowing I won’t have a period for however long it takes to get back to normal.” “Maybe you’d rather stay this way, Patrick?” “I’m a lot tougher than any of you. I could do it if I had to. The minute I got it that we were stuck until we find a way to make that bitch happy was the minute I decided to just do what needs to be done.” “So we’ve heard from Randi, Yumiko, Patrick and me. What about you, Lisa?” “I could shoot myself but that wouldn’t be an answer. I wore a pantsuit today to try to hold on to some shred of my manhood, but it didn’t help. Sylvia complimented me on my perfume. I don’t remember putting any on this morning, but apparently I did. Betty reminded me that I’d better wear a skirt on Thursday because I have a court appearance and Judge Tyler hates women lawyers who wear pants to court.” “Sounds like we’re in for a rough time. Anyone got any bright ideas?” “Yes, actually I do.” Everyone turned and looked over at Yumiko. “Did anyone else have a minute to listen to or read the news today? Bill Carson was indicted today for multiple counts of perjury, voting fraud and other charges. He fired the firm that represented him during the grand jury proceedings. If we could get him as a client, we could ask for a million dollar retainer upfront and that would solve our problem. We’d have the cash to fix this within a week or two, could find a new building and get moving toward getting back to normal.” All eyes turned to Michelle. She was the best they had in this area. “Alright. I’ll try to get an appointment with Carson tomorrow. I know, or at least I used to know one of his legislative assistants. I hope he remembers me. We’ll see what happens.” * * * * * Michelle had dug through what turned out to be a surprisingly large collection of suits with skirts in her closet, before choosing the one she was wearing now. It happened to be the one with the shortest skirt. She’d also chosen a pair of 4.5 inch heels, the tallest pair in her closet that was suitable for a work appointment, although she’d cast a curious eye at a pair of 7 inch platform pumps, wondering if she’d ever find herself wearing those. She’d taken extra time applying her make-up. She’d called her acquaintance the night before and had been ready for the call at 8 in the morning, informing her that Bill Carson would see her at 10 in his downtown office. She’d made sure to be early and had been waiting in reception for 20 minutes before the assistant finally came to collect her. “Ms Lincoln, Mr. Carson will see you now.” She was led through an inner office suite and down a hallway to the end office. The sign on the door read “Bill Carson – Member of the Assembly”. The assistant knocked on the door and opened it without entering. “Go right in.” Michelle walked in and Bill Carson came from around his desk. “So you’re Michelle Lincoln. I’ve heard great things about you from Roger Morgan. How do you know him?” Michelle certainly couldn’t mention that she’d originally gotten to know Roger when they were dating the same girl in college. “We met in school through someone we both knew and we got to be close. He’s a great guy. When I heard about your little problem, I thought my firm might be in a position to help.” “Just how do you think you can help? You’re a five lawyer firm that’s less than six months old. I just fired the biggest law firm in town. Are you here to recommend some other big firm?” “No. I’m here to try to get you to let me take your case. My partners are all topflight attorneys and I’ve worked on cases like yours before. Both voting fraud and perjury case and all of the clients I’ve been involved in representing were acquitted, or the charges were dropped. I’m very good, Mr. Carson and you know it or I wouldn’t be here.” “True. I checked you out. You would have made partner if you hadn’t gotten involved with a senior partner. But what can you do that any other big firm can’t do?” “I can commit 100% of my time and resources to your case. I have a clear calendar at the moment, or I will if you hire me and my firm to represent you. I’ll farm my three other current cases out to my partners and focus on you full-time. From the moment you sign a representation agreement until the moment you’re a free, exonerated man.” “I’m going to be honest with you, Michelle. I can call you Michelle, can’t I?” “Of course, Mister Carson.” “Please, call me Bill. The truth is, I don’t know if I can win this case or not. The evidence against me is strong. I’m not going to ask you to do anything unethical or wrong to help me. And I won’t involve you in anything that might or might not go on in the background to help me avoid a conviction. But I don’t expect to win this case on the merits in court. The evidence against me is strong.” “So you’re going to hire me?” “I am. But I’m not going to give you any $1 million retainer as you mentioned to Roger. I’ll give you $250,000. When I’ve exhausted that in billable hours, which shouldn’t be soon, let me know and I’ll give you another quarter-million. That’s the deal, take it or leave it.” “Five hundred thousand. Up front. Otherwise, I won’t waste anymore of your time.” “Spunky. I like spunky when it’s a cute girl in a short skirt. Agreed. Send me a representation agreement and I’ll sign it and get you a check by end of the day. As you know, the money isn’t the issue. I’m loaded.” “I happen to have that representation agreement with me. And being as loaded as you are, you should have no trouble giving me the signed agreement and check before I leave.” “On one condition.” “What’s that?” “You have a drink with me tonight after office hours. To discuss business strategy. And get out of the work clothes, wear a nice dress. I’ll send a limo to your place to pick you up.” * * * * * “We’re halfway home” Michelle told her partners in the conference room that afternoon as they all nibbled on Chinese food that they’d ordered in. No one had court today as the trials Randi and Patrick were in had the day off. “Only half-way?” “It’s enough. We can tap the line of credit for the rest. I’ve called a realtor and Lisa and Yumiko can go out and look at locations this afternoon and evening. We need to find a new place as quickly as possible and get it ready for our move. Once we’re moved, we find out how the bitch wants this place redone, get it done and presto-chango, we’re back to normal.” It was a few hours later that Michelle got the call that let her know that the limousine would be picking her up at her place at six. Realizing that it was already four, she rushed home and jumped into the shower. She noticed that the old-style nozzle shower head had been replaced by one that could be removed and used on any part of the body. Michelle decided she’d shave her legs and after she was finished with that task, she took the head off of its mount to rinse those legs. As she pointed it down and moved around to get all of the soapy water off of her, she accidentally pointed the showerhead at her groin. And it felt good. Very good. She found herself twisting the showerhead to make the stream of water turn into two firmly pulsating jet blasts. The pulsating water made her pleasure meter soar higher and higher, before she finally erupted in her very first female orgasm. Orgasms. One after another as she refused to pull the pulsating water jets away from her crotch. Only the knowledge that she had to get dressed for her drink with Bill Carson finally got her to put the shower head back where it belonged. After she’d finished drying off and re-applied her makeup, Michelle took the dress she’d laid out on the bed and pulled it on. It was a tight, clingy knit dress that had a low neckline, no sleeves and a skirt that came barely to mid-thigh. She pulled on the same heels from the work day and after adding some jewels, headed to the living room. She’d heard the beeping horn of the limosine. The driver got out and came around to open the door for her. She sat down sideways, legs out and then slid her legs into the limousine, as though she’d been getting in and out of cars in short skirts her whole life. For an instant she thought she heard a giggle nearby, but after looking around she realized she was alone with the limo driver. * * * * * The lounge where she ended up was at a very quiet hotel on the edge of town. Bill was there, sitting in a back booth with a scotch in front of him, talking on his cell. He hung up when Michelle walked in. “May I join you?” “By all means. That’s why we’re here.” “Why are we here? This is strictly a business deal.” “Is it? Roger told me you like men. You’re a hot number. You stick with me and you could really go places.” “Like upstairs?” “That’s the general idea.” “I’ll send your money back to you tomorrow.” “Whoa, whoa girl. Wait a minute. You don’t have to sleep with me to get or keep the job. You checked out as a really good lawyer. But Roger told me you liked guys. So I figured I’d take a shot.” “After you cleared it with your wife, no doubt.” “She and I have an understanding.” “You screw around and she acts all understanding?” “No. She sleeps with the men she wants to sleep with and I sleep with the women I want to sleep with. If she feels like a woman instead of a man, she does it. We don’t sleep with each other any longer, so there’s no risk of disease. Now have a drink and relax.” The problem with having one drink is that it’s never just one. One leads to two. Two leads to three. And so on and so on. Worse yet, when you’ve grown up in the body of a big guy and now you’re living in the body of a smaller, lighter woman, you don’t have a good grasp on how much alcohol your body can handle. Michelle thought a few drinks wouldn’t be a problem, especially since she was going to be riding home in a limousine. But she lost control after the fifth drink and before she knew it, she was accompanying Bill Carson in the elevator up to the room he’d arranged. * * * * * The limo did take Michelle home. The following morning. Michelle had that expression that some would describe as “freshly f***ed”. She was tired, hung-over and worse yet she had to shower and dress for the office. Yumiko didn’t show up for work that morning. Calls to her cell and home phone went un-returned. Patrick was in court, as was Randi. Lisa was at a meeting. So Michelle was all alone in her office when Natasha showed up, all of the other partners nowhere to be found. “Hello Michelle.” “What can I do for you, Natasha? My partners have been looking for another building we can move to, and as soon as we find it, we’ll be renovating it and moving. Then we’ll fix this place up and you’ll have what you want.” “I know. I’ve been watching you. I can watch you, all of you, as long as you are under the influence of my magic. Wherever, whenever, I get to see what you’re doing. I was the one giggling that you heard last night when you were getting into the limo.” “So where is Yumiko?” “I’ll tell you after we’re fininshed. I wanted to ask you something. How did it feel to have a man inside of you? Be honest with me and I might help you get back to normal sooner.” “Truth? It felt good. Just like it felt good when I played with myself in the shower. Why does that matter? I’m not staying female when this is over.” “You can if you want to. Think about it. Those multiple orgasms anytime you want, the way you felt in that dress, when that driver was undressing you with his eyes. All that can be yours forever if you want it.” “No thanks. I’m going back to being Mike Lincoln.” “Alright. Yumiko felt an overwhelming compulsion this morning to go shopping for clothes and to get her nails done. I may add things like that to the rest of you from time to time, so you don’t get comfortable in your new lives. The added pressure may help you give me my building more quickly. * * * * * The long red nails adorning Yumiko’s hands were wrapped around a pair of platform wedges that were on sale and that she just had to have. The last pair of size 5s, her new foot size were in her hands as she kicked off her pumps and tried them on. They were perfect. Two inch platforms underneath her toes rising up to a six inch heel at the back. It made her five four three inch body look almost five foot nine. She had two full bags of clothes and shoes already to which she added these platforms before heading to her car. She was putting her bags into the trunk when the man grabbed her from behind. She tried to scream, but he already had his hand over her mouth. She tried to bite him but he was experienced at this, and was cupping her mouth in his hand. Suddenly the arms and hands that were holding her sagged away and as she turned, the man slumped to the ground, unconscious. Standing behind him was a man holding a club. “I hope I didn’t hurt him too bad, but I was afraid if I used my Taser, you’d be shocked too. So I just knocked him out.” Yumiko bent down and discovered that her assailant was still breathing. “He looks okay. Thank God you were there.” “Well, you need to be more careful. Guys love to attack little women like you.” * * * * * FIVE MONTHS LATER The new building was finished and the law firm had moved in. The renovations that Natasha Romanova had demanded were also finished. The five partners had paid extra to get the work done in only sixty days, which was how long it had been since they’d moved into their new digs. The Bill Carson case was proceeding apace, with a preliminary hearing having been delayed at the request of the prosecution, which Michelle had decided not to oppose. She had been tempted to demand the hearing take place within the statutory period, but figured that the prosecution would just drop the charges and re-file later when they were more prepared. It meant that the case might well take 18 months to two years to reach trial, but it didn’t matter. The retainer had been paid, the money used to get them out of that building and today was the day they would meet with Natasha in the conference room of their new office. Yumiko had been forced to fly back for this meeting. She’d taken a leave of absence three weeks earlier, saying she had to deal with a family crisis. She was the first to arrive, still wearing the jeans and sweater she’d worn on the plane, although as usual she was wearing very high heels. She’d grown accustomed to this and it helped her to feel taller and therefore less vulnerable. She’d also insisted on taking self-defense courses since that attack in the garage. Patrick was next. He was in a good mood, having just gotten a client a win in court. His dark grey business suit contrasted with the bright blue tie he was wearing. He’d taken to wearing more brightly colored ties and the women he interacted with had been complimenting him on his taste. He was also finding time to get to the gym and lift weight and as a result was slowly bulking up his physique. Lisa came tottering in on her pumps, wearing a dark green suit with a knee-length skirt. She’d been in a meeting with a potential client and was hoping the client would call back the next day with good news. She was hoping the meeting would be short. She had a date with a male lawyer she’d met at a mixer. He was tall, good-looking and she had enjoyed their first two dates immensely. Randi was right behind her, also in a skirted suit although hers was actually a bit longer than Lisa’s, falling below her knees. She was also wearing sensible-height heels and looked like she’d been taken from doing something she was focused on. She’d been working on a case and would have preferred to skip the meeting. Michelle was the last one to enter. She had on a bright red evening gown and six inch heels. There was a long slit up the side of the floor length gown, showing off her long leg. “Sorry I’m late, I had to change, as I have something going right after this.” “So do I, sister, but I didn’t stop to change. I wanted to get here in case Natasha came early.” “I’m here now” came the voice from just inside the door. Natasha closed the door behind her and continued “sit, ladies and gentleman. I won’t take too much of your time. I know that you all have things to do. I’ve toured my new building and signed the papers. It’s just the way I wanted it and I’m pleased. So pleased in fact, I’ve change my mind about something.” “What is that?” “I was going to leave all five of you this way. After all, I’ve got what I wanted. You’re all doing well, very well in your new identities. Why should I expend the energy needed to return things to normal? But, because you’ve worked so hard to earn the right to go back, I’ve reconsidered that decision. For some of you. For others, I’m thinking you might not want to go back. Let’s go around the room. Yumiko, you first.” “My father and mother are in trouble and my sister has convinced me to move home to help take care of them. I’m a better caretaker this way, so I’d like to remain this way.” “For the rest of your life?” Perhaps if she hadn’t been so thoroughly inculcated into the Asian ethos of honoring and obeying one’s mother and father in her altered memories, Yumiko might have been able to resist the compulsion to be a dutiful daughter. But in this mindset, with months having passed for those memories to take hold, she couldn’t possibly do anything her parents didn’t want her to do. They wanted her living near them, taking care of them and with her law degree, she could easily get a job there. “Yes. Forever.” “Very well. Done. Randi?” “I want to go back. This has been interesting and educational, but I’m not cut out for a life as a woman.” “Very well. Done. Patrick?” “I’m staying this way. I was a great woman but I’m an even greater man. I like women now and I like how they make me feel.” “Very well. Done. Lisa?” “I’m staying this way. I had no idea what sex was like as a woman. I’ll trade multiple orgasms for my manhood any day of the week and three or four times on Sunday.” “Very well. Done. Finally, Michelle?” “I want to go back.” “Interesting. Why are you dressed like that, as if I didn’t know?” “Because I’m going to an event with Bill Carson. He wants me to be there to meet some people.” “People who might be involved in his future, and his trial?” “Yes.” “Sorry darling, you’re not going back. Not yet anyway.” “Why not?” “Because you promised to defend Bill Carson in his trial. And so you will keep that promise.” “I will. As Mike Lincoln.” “No darling. Michelle Lincoln made that promise and Michelle Lincoln will be keeping it. After the trial, find me and if you still want to go back you can.” “But that might be two or three years from now.” “You’ve got three law partners to help you with the case, and who will offer you a shoulder to cry on when you have bad moments as a girl. Be glad I’m giving you an out after the trial. You were the one who forced me to miss six months in my building, you were the one I was most convinced should stay this way.” ONE YEAR LATER The wedding was one of the biggest weddings in town. Lisa Lincoln, successful lawyer was marrying Wesley Hardman, a name partner in a downtown firm. She had three bridesmaids, Yumiko who had to fly in for the ceremony, and two of the women who worked in the office. Michelle was the maid of honor. Patrick and Randy were ushers for the groom. At the reception, the single women lined up to catch the bouquet. Tradition says that the woman who catches it is the next to be married. Michelle tried to avoid it, but it went into her hands like it had been aimed in that direction. There was an almost inaudible giggle from the corner of the room. Natasha Romanova smiled to herself, since now that Michelle had caught the bouquet, she would have to get married to keep tradition alive. Married to a man, as a woman. Any possibility of her going back to her old life was now gone.

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