The Dance Of Changes - Part 3 (Patreon)

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My first experience of dancing the woman’s part while wearing a woman’s costume and shoes was not the total disaster that I’d predicted, but neither was it a complete success. We began by dancing to ‘Lara’s theme’ from the film Dr. Zhivago, which is three fourth time and is an ideal tune for demonstrating the Slow Waltz. There were a couple of awkward slips on my part at first as I was unused to wearing heels and starting with my left leg, but once I got used to the new position, I was alright. We were soon able to achieve the graceful rise and fall which characterizes the dance; in fact, there were several times when we seemed to float around the dance floor in a most graceful and elegant way. In a number of respects, the female dancer’s role is more challenging than that of her partner. She often has to take more steps to keep up with her partner and spends a greater proportion of the time going backward. She tends to be the center of attraction for the spectators and so has to give more thought to the costume she is wearing, which will inevitably be more elaborate and cumbersome than her partner’s. Above all, she needs to be able to trust her partner and allow herself to be guided around the dance floor. This was all a new experience for me, but when it was going well, it was also an enjoyable one.

After an hour, we moved on to the Foxtrot, another elegant and sophisticated dance which is similar to the Waltz but in 4/4 time. We danced to ‘Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra. Once again, I had to concentrate hard to ensure that I began by stepping backward with my right foot rather than stepping forward with my left, as I would normally have done. On this occasion, I made only one relatively small blunder, and Rob was able to cover up for me. It was just as well, though, that the two dances that we would be demonstrating on Saturday were fairly sedate and not taxing in terms of technique: it would have been a different matter if we had been due to dance the Quickstep or one of the faster Latin American dances. Thus, by the end of a two-hour session, I realized that I would probably be alright with a little more practice. However, I knew from experience that individual dancers are not always the best judges of their own performance. I wanted to see what others thought before passing a comment.

‘That’s enough for now. Let’s go and get something to eat so we can discuss how you both got on,’ suggested Sarah, who had been sitting at the side-lines, resting her injured leg.

‘Alright, but please, can we have a takeaway meal at your house instead? I don’t feel like going out to a restaurant dressed like this,’ I replied.

Sarah offered to loan me something of hers to change into, but I protested that my feet were aching. Rob stepped in and agreed with my suggestion, so we stopped off for a takeaway and went back to their place, where I was able to change into my own clothes once again.

‘So what did you think of our performance tonight, Sarah?’ Rob asked.

‘Apart from those few slips, you were both pretty good. Of course, you’ve stripped out some of those fancy arc turns and the final spin that Mike had put in for me, but I honestly don’t think any other couple in the group would be better placed to take the lead role in the demonstration.’

‘Yes, I suppose it was a little bit on the dull side, but I guess we were playing safe. What did you think, Mike?’

‘Most of the time, it was alright, but it is supposed to be an exhibition dance, after all. We need to get the series off to a good start on Saturday, and I would still be frightened about letting everyone down.’

‘Perhaps if we could pair Mike up with Alan to take the lead since he’s a better dancer than me and would be better placed to cover up any slips that Mike might make?’ suggested Rob.

Sarah thought for a moment.

‘Yes, that might be a good idea. You could then dance with Sonia, as she’s now much improved,’ said Sarah to her husband, ignoring any reservations I might have had about taking part.

Alan was, without a doubt, the best male dancer in our group but didn’t have a permanent female dance partner. This was probably because he was quite open about being in a gay relationship, and so he wasn’t seen as a particularly ‘good catch’ for any of the unattached young women. Instead, he tended to be paired up with any novice dancers who were showing promise, as he was so good at bringing them on.

‘I’ll speak to him in the morning and explain the situation and see what he thinks. That is if Mike is still willing to go ahead with your plan.’

‘What do you think, Mike?’ asked Sarah.

‘Are you s-s-sure there’s no-one else who could take your place?’

She shook her head.

‘Quite sure; I can think of no-one who would be able to take over at such short notice. But it’ll only be for this one session. Otherwise, we’ll have to cancel the show, and that’ll get the whole series off to a really bad start.’

‘I would like to help on Saturday, but I’m still anxious about tripping over in those heels.’

‘You said that your mother was away until the weekend. Why not stay with us for tonight, and I’ll find something of mine for you to wear into work tomorrow, so you can spend some more time getting used to the shoes,’ she said.

‘You want me to go into work tomorrow dressed as a woman?’

‘Things are pretty quiet at the moment, and you could keep out of the public eye. Rob can explain what is happening to Helen and Richard. I’m sure that they would both understand that you were doing this for my sake.’

‘I’m not so sure,’ I replied.

I looked at Rob, but he seemed to wish to avoid becoming involved in this conversation, but I needed an ally.

‘What do you think, Rob?’ I asked.

‘Why not stay the night anyway and think about things and then decide what you want to do tomorrow morning. I promise we won’t attempt to force you to do anything against your will.’

It was now nearly eleven o’clock and too late for me to get a bus home. We’d also shared a bottle of wine with our meal, so I didn’t feel that I could ask Rob to drive me home. I suppose I could have ordered a cab, but a five-mile taxi ride was quite an extravagance for a nineteen-year-old office junior.

‘Alright then, I’ll st-stay.’

‘Good, I’ll find you a toothbrush and a pair of pajamas to wear,’ said Sarah.

The following morning, Sarah limped into the spare bedroom at seven-thirty, carrying a dark grey suit of hers and a pink blouse.

‘Here you are, Mike, she said, laying them on the foot of the bed and then leaving before I could answer.

She returned a minute or so later carrying a pair of black patent leather court shoes with three-inch heels.

‘If you wouldn’t mind wearing the same underclothes and tights that you wore last night, just for today, we can stop off on the way into work and get you some new ones for tomorrow and Saturday.’

Tomorrow and Saturday?’ I thought. ‘Who has said anything about tomorrow and Saturday?’

‘Why you are taking it for granted that I’m going to agree with your plan, Sarah?’

Sarah put down the shoes, then shut the bedroom door and proceeded to hang the clothes on a hook. She’d chosen her moment carefully since Rob, who was normally a restraining influence on her schemes, was occupied in the shower.

‘Come on, Mike, I saw your expression as you were dancing last night. When it was going well, you looked as if you were really enjoying yourself.’

‘Maybe I was; when it was going well, but there were also those two or three slips.’

‘Exactly, they need to be ironed out. That is why you are going to need as much practice wearing high heels as possible before Saturday afternoon. If you put on these clothes for today, I’ll pack my long dress and dance shoes for you to change into so we’ll be able to go straight on to the dance studio after work. It is for the sake of the Society, after all.’

She said it in such a pleading manner, and Rob was unable to take my side at that moment, so I found it difficult to resist, especially as I’d been at least a contributory factor in her accident. On the other hand, I had to admit to myself that she did have a point; it had been good fun to be dancing again. Fortunately, Mum was away, and so I would not have to make any explanations to her.

‘Alright, but either you or Rob will need to explain to the others before I get into work, and you are going to have to help me to get myself ready.’

Sarah gave me such a nice smile.

‘Yes, of course. As soon as Rob is finished, please get yourself showered and dressed, and I’ll fix your wig and makeup for you.’

By the time we came to leave, Sarah had presented me with various makeup items that she had thought I might need during the course of the day, together with a hairbrush, grips, a small packet of tissues, and a spare key to their house. All of these were put into an old but smart-looking handbag which she said I could keep for the duration of my stay. She and I were half an hour late arriving at work as Rob had dropped us off at ‘New Look’ in the Broadwalk to enable her to buy some more underclothes for me to wear. I remained a step or two behind her and let her make the decisions about what I would be wearing, but since she was willing to pay for them, I couldn’t really object. By the time we arrived at work, Rob had already explained to Helen and Richard why I would be coming to work wearing a skirt and jacket, a blouse, and a pair of high-heeled court shoes.

‘Wow, Mike! From what Rob had said, I was half expecting to see a drag queen this morning, but you actually look pretty good dressed as a girl,’ said Helen in a surprised voice as I entered.

‘Thank you,’ I said, blushing a little.

I went over to my desk, smoothed my skirt, and sat down. Richard just looked across at me with an open mouth.

‘So is that agreed then, our colleague will be known as Michelle Williams for the rest of today and tomorrow, just in case any clients should come into the office?’ said Sarah.

‘That’s fine by me,’ said Helen, ‘Welcome to the office, Michelle.’

‘As long as Michelle doesn’t mind,’ said Richard, having found his voice at last.

‘I don’t think I’ve much choice, dressed the way I am,’ I answered.

The telephone rang, which Helen answered, and then both Rob and Richard had to go out to see different clients. I turned on my computer, and the normal work of the office began.

I kept my head down at the word processor doing my usual work for most of the morning, letting Helen or Sarah deal with any clients who came through the door. However, at one point, Sarah did ask me to take several packages to the Post Office for her. The prospect of going out on my own, dressed as a girl, was not particularly appealing, but I couldn’t very well refuse as this was part of my normal duties, and she was clearly unable to manage them herself. In the event, the little trip turned out to be less nerve-wracking than I imagined. The people I passed in the street and the woman who served me all appeared to accept me at face value, and so I began to relax a little more and no longer assumed that everyone I passed would be able to see through my disguise.

By the time I got back, Rob had returned to the office.

‘So, Michelle, how did you get on with your little venture outside?’ he asked.

‘Alright, I suppose, I’m gradually getting a little more used to walking in these high-heeled shoes.’

‘Good, that was one of the objects of the exercise,’ commented Sarah. Then, turning to her husband, she asked, ‘Rob, have you spoken to Alan yet?’

‘Yes, he thinks it is a totally crazy idea, and he also complained that he is always expected to dance with novice partners.’

‘So what did you say to him?’

‘That ‘Michelle’ was a competent dancer who already knew the dances, and in any event, it was only for this one occasion.’

‘So has he agreed to co-operate?’

‘Not exactly; he’s reserving judgment but has at least he agreed to meet us all at the Dance Studio at 6.15 this evening.’

‘In that case, young lady, you will have to do your best to impress him this evening,’ said Sarah to me.

I didn’t reply but noticed that Helen had looked up from her work and was smiling at me.

‘I suppose I’ve gone so far with this idiotic plan that I can’t easily back out now,’ I murmured.

‘Of course, you can, if you wish, but I hope you will at least give it a try this evening,’ said Sarah.

I didn’t reply as I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to back out or not.

Somewhat to my surprise, Helen asked me if I wanted to join her for lunch, something she’d never done before during the six months or so that we’d worked together. Presumably, she hadn’t wished to give Mike the wrong idea by appearing too friendly, whereas she didn’t think it would be an issue for her to have lunch with Michelle. I agreed, and we went to a sandwich bar nearby.

‘So how does it feel to have become one of us, Michelle?’ she asked when she was sure that we were out of earshot of anyone else.

‘One of us?’ I asked, being deliberately obtuse.

‘I mean a member of the opposite sex. I think you’ve managed very well so far today.’

‘Thanks. I still find these clothes and the long hair a little strange,’ I replied, ‘but I’m gradually getting used to them.’

‘I don’t think you are in much danger of giving yourself away just by your looks alone, but you’ll need to be careful with your gestures and the way you walk and present yourself. Be aware about what you do with your hands as your fingernails are a little bit short, and make sure you keep your knees together when you are sitting.’

‘There seems to be so much that I need to worry about, but I suppose it is only for the rest of today and perhaps tomorrow. I’m glad that I don’t actually live in Dunstable, and so I’m not likely to bump into anyone who knows me.’

‘By the way, what has happened to your stammer?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I don’t think I’ve heard you stammer once this morning.’

‘Most of the time, I’m hardly aware that I am doing it. Maybe it is because my mind is concentrating on other things.’

‘Aren’t you a little bit worried about this demonstration dance that you’re due to give on Saturday afternoon then?’

‘It’s still not certain that I shall be dancing; it’ll be up to my dance partner to decide, but if we do go ahead, they are two relatively straightforward dances.’

‘How will I know whether you are going to be dancing or not?’ she asked.

‘If I come into work tomorrow dressed as Michelle rather than Mike, then I think you can safely assume that I’ll be dancing on Saturday.’

‘In that case, I hope to see Michelle again tomorrow.’

I smiled, not sure what I felt about the matter.

‘Unfortunately, I’m due to work on Saturday, so I won’t get to see you dance.

‘I expect that someone will take some photographs.’

‘If the demonstration does go ahead, will you have to wear one of those long flowing dresses?’

‘Yes, I shall be borrowing one from Sarah.’

‘I wish I could see you wearing a long dress,’ she said.

‘Rob will be bringing it in for me to change into after work this afternoon, so we can go straight on to the dance studio where I’ll meet my partner.’

‘In that case, I’ll have to stay on for a while after the office has closed.’