Chapter 11

“Hey, about your question...” Sid’s voice didn’t register with the feminized man beside him, apparently elsewhere in his thoughts. He reached over and gently tapped him on the back of the hand. Calvin jumped, surprised by the touch, and more fearful of Sydney’s grip than he’d care to admit. “Hey now, I’m not going to hurt ya. You asked about the background story earlier, and we decided you needed to be someone people will ignore. Being pretty will definitely help people underestimate you, and if people think you aren’t a citizen that would be doubly true. Am I making sense?”

Calvin didn’t say a word. He just nodded his head, feeling the weight of the long hair and the pull of the earrings as he turned away from the man. A blush filled his cheeks. He knew how he looked, but actually being told he was pretty felt different. It was good for the disguise, but he was still horrified by the thought of a man finding him attractive, no matter how often his mind touched the subject.

Sid glanced over while Calvin looked away. He was trying to be nice and what did he get in return? Not a, “Hey, thanks for thinking ahead, and making my job easier.” No, Calvin wasn’t the type to ever say such a thing.

Things went smoothly fairly smoothly at the bank. Calvin let Sidney do all the talking. He didn’t understand why he needed a new account. The job paid almost nothing after all. It would have been easier to just keep him off the payroll. He certainly didn’t think he needed a minimum wage paycheck on top of his salary, but out of fight for the moment, he just sat there with his legs crossed and played up the role of a pretty girl.

Why **** himself, convincing some bank employee who he was, when Sidney was willing to do all the talking. Glancing down he saw a scuff on his white heel, and frowned, licking the pad of his thumb and rubbing it off. Calvin always liked to look presentable, that was why the moment he could afford it, he went from cheap hundred dollar suits to something tailor made. It didn’t exactly translate to how he believed girls wanted to look pretty, but there was no reason to leave the mark, no matter how much he hated the footwear.

“Oh, I just love those shoes! Where did you get them?” the employee, Sandy, according to her name tag, asked.

Surprised by the question, Calvin met eyes with her, then once again examined the horrible five-inch **** devices. “I got them just the other day at Happy Heels, I think they only recently opened.” Calvin could see Sidney was amused by him being **** into a conversation about the heels, even if it was a short one. In the end, Calvin stood outside the bank, looking down at yet another piece of plastic that would join the other in his purse. The card was printed with an image of a field of purple tulips, Sidney choosing it for him, explaining to the clerk how it was Clara’s favorite flower.

“Can you tell me why we had to do this?” Calvin was careful to phrase the request as a question rather than a command, as the last time he tried that it didn’t go very well.

Sidney squinted, shaking his head, before answering what he thought was a very obvious question. “So you can get paid. Since we’re sponsoring your work visa, we can’t exactly pay you under the counter. How would it look if Clara Bent’s paychecks were deposited into one of the owners accounts?”

That made sense. Calvin didn’t really consider what that paper trail would look like. To Mega Corp, it might even look like the kind of fraud he was supposed to be putting a stop to. Still holding the little card, Calvin meekly offered a smile to Sydney, and tried to pepper in a little humor, hoping to lighten up the mood.

“Think I could get a credit card? How’s a girl supposed to live off two hundred dollars?” The man was uncomfortable, but that seemed to be a constant. He was still able to get out the gist of a question, while his mind didn’t even bother to process the work visa comment.

Sidney blinked, not sure what to make of the question. “Doubt anyone will give you a credit card without a social security number, Clara, and you’re just going to have to make do with two hundred, or however much you are getting until you get paid. Now, come on, we have one more stop before I can actually start enjoying my day off.

“It was a joke… never mind, where to next?” Calvin slipped the card into his purse. He couldn’t remember if the man always walked so briskly, but trying to keep up in the uncomfortable shoes was becoming a bit of a problem, as was the jiggling from his body as he moved.

“Your new apartment. Moriah picked out a place not too far from the hotel.” Sidney pulled the keys out of his pocket to unlock his vehicle's doors, answering the question without turning around.

“What do you mean apartment? I have a house. It isn’t like I’m going to be inviting anyone over.”

Calvin already knew the answer, but it still seemed ****. Sure, Moriah had said more than once that they couldn’t be seen together, but he found that level of dedication to the ruse a bit much.

“I don’t know what to tell you other than the apartment will be in your name. First and last months are paid up. The rest will be on you, once you sign the lease. Far as your house, I believe the only person on the deed is Miss Abrams.”

Cal reached out for Sidney’s hand, and noticed the feel of his rough calluses, as they both came to a stop. He could see the scars from his boxing career, before meeting eyes with the giant. “Wait, wait. I’m going to have to pay rent… with my own money?”

Sidney peered up to look at the blue sky for a second, just so he didn’t blow his top, and vent his frustration. How had this man successfully run a hotel when he clearly couldn’t think through to the logical end of any scenario.

“Yes, Clara, you will have to pay rent, but it will all be fine because tomorrow is your first day of work.” Pulling his hand free, the large man opened the passenger side door. “Now come on, enough dilly-dallying.”

Rather than arguing, Calvin quietly got in the SUV. He figured it was better to play stupid for now, and he could just quietly move funds from his own account later.

The apartment building itself was a fixer upper, if Cal was being generous. He could imagine it on one of those remodeling shows perhaps. Those programs were always ridiculous, a stay-at-home mother, a father who works as an electrical engineer, and a part-time butterfly breeder having just under a million dollars to find the dream home for them and their three kids. This little studio apartment, at the very least, came fully furnished. There was a twin bed on a white metal frame, waiting for its new owner with fresh sheets, and blankets folded neatly on top. A short, white vanity dresser sat next to it, the furniture making an “L” shape, taking up most of the small room. Affixed to the top was a three-way mirror, with two rows of bright white lights running up and down the sides, perfect for a morning makeup routine. The surface was already covered in a plethora of beauty products, probably totally in cost far more than “Clara” presently had in her new bank account. Calvin wished he wasn’t able to name each and every one of them, but after Moriah’s ruthless crash course he was more familiar with all of the products than a typical teenage beauty queen. Sitting in front of the mirror was a little wooden chair, a few pillows strapped to it, facing a small flat panel tv on the wall, but it looked like whoever used to live here turned the chair to face the dresser when she put her face on.

The place didn’t have a kitchen, so much as a corner where a kitchen should have been if there was enough room. A tiny fridge that looked like it was made in the early nineties was accompanied by a toaster oven, and a hot plate. Cal took a moment to be grateful that at least the dishwasher looked new.

Seeking some kind of comfort, he tried to think of the place like an investor. The floors were solid wood, the electrical was new according to the apartments super, and in the bathroom sat one of those old clawfoot tubs he was sure would sell well on the second hand market. The attached shower head, and circular shower curtains seemed like a later addition, but the bathroom, like the rest of the apartment, wasn’t big enough for much else. He thought it especially odd that the last girl who lived here left her makeup, a hair dryer, and curling iron all out on the dresser.

“I knew you would like it. I can see that you like it. Why else have your friend pay me to hold it before you sign the lease? Come now, pretty lady. Come sign this and you can be home.” The skeezy super who up to this point had been quietly leering at Calvin while he inspected the residence, beckoned him over.

Calvin gave a tight smile to the sweaty, overweight man, hating that he would have to live here, but he hoped he could maybe only come back here, change, stuff his hair up into a baseball cap, and then catch a cab home to spend the evening with the women he loved instead of sitting by himself in this dump. Pen in hand, he hesitated, taking a moment to remember the correct name to sign, happy that at the very least, this all was temporary. How valid could a lease be with a person who didn’t actually exist?. After the signature, and two firm handshakes, Cal’s new landlord followed it up with a very unwelcome lingering hug.

“Welcome to your new home. If you need anything, you come see Aarif in room 1-A.”

When he left, Calvin looked to Sid. “Well, at least he didn’t try to kiss me.”

For the first time that day, Sidney laughed, and gave a genuine smile. “You know, when he went to hug you, I thought he might try. Wouldn’t blame him with how you threw yourself at him after walking in the door.”

Calvin’s face flushed with embarrassment. “I tripped!” he squealed, sounding much more feminine than even the voice would normally.

Sidney continued to chuckle, wiping a tear from one of his eyes. “You say tripped, and I saw flirting.” Calvin glowered at the man, clearly thinking the joke was being taken too far. “Hey now, don’t get upset at me, not when I have presents for you.” Sidney said, pulling a folded envelope from inside his jacket pocket.

“In here you will find a bus pass, good for a month, I suggest setting up auto-pay. There’s a schedule there too. I picked a place pretty close, and it’s on the same line too, so you won’t have to deal with any transfers. I also highlighted the route to the closest grocery store. Lastly, ahh...” Sidney fished in one of his other pockets and pulled out a cell phone that looked about a hundred years old Cal thought. “It’s prepaid. You’ll get so many text messages every month…no wait, unlimited text messages, some data and I don’t know. It’s all in the paperwork in there. Just connect it to your bank account so that it doesn’t get turned off. While we were running errands, Moriah bought some second-hand things for you, and she decorated.”

Sidney motioned to a framed poster from the old movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. “All of your things are here, so I guess that’s it. Do you have any questions before I head out?” Before Calvin could say anything, Sid’s face lit up as he suddenly remembered, “Oh, work! I almost forgot. You start tomorrow at seven. I don’t know what your schedule will be like.”

It was a lot of information thrown at Calvin at once, a lot to unpack. He sat down on the edge of the bed, femininely, without having to think about it. “I’m not allowed to drive my car?”

Sidney shook his head. “Clara doesn’t have a driver's license.”

Calvin numbly reached out, and took the envelope and the phone, staring at the reflective surface of the device. “I can’t have my own cell phone?”

Again Sidney shook his head. “Nope, what would happen if someone called you while you were at work? What if you answered Calvin’s phone with the voice you use for Clara? Or vice versa? There are too many ways for things to go wrong. I think Moriah said something about having her boyfriend’s phone routed to an answering service.”

That didn’t fully track. He could at least text from his own phone, and answer work emails. Heaven knows, he had tons of them every single day.

“Besides, from what I hear, Mr. Bennet is going on a vacation. Did you know that man had only taken a vacation once and that was only because his wife at the time wanted to go on a cruise, and still, she had to insist he come with her. So, good on him for finally taking a sabbatical. He needed time away.”

Blinking a few times, Calvin would like to say he was just tired, but there was an entire sea of anger just beneath the surface of his calm demeanor. “Is there anything else about my life that you, or Moriah, have decided without consulting me.”

Sidney slipped his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know. Things have been moving incredibly fast, but this is all so we can get this job done quickly. Even if you do enjoy dressing as a woman, I doubt you want to live like this for long, so you better make sure you do what you can to end this sooner rather than later.” He wasn’t sure if Calvin was the type to want to live as a woman, but he more of meant living in a shitty apartment without access to his wealth.

Putting his heeled feet together underneath him so he wouldn’t stumble, Calvin got to his feet and took a step toward Sidney, wagging one of his long nailed fingers in the air. “See here! I do not enjoy dressing like this! I don’t care what Moriah said to you about me dressing at home!” He was just about to punctuate his sentence by practically stabbing the larger man in the chest when he poked him when his position in the world physically and drastically changed.

Calvin felt himself fly back and land on the bed. The apartment was too small to really call what happened flying back and even with everything looking second hand, the mattress seemed new enough with how much bounce it had.

“Calm down, Clara. Moriah didn’t tell me anything, but here is the thing, no man would ever willingly dress up and look the way you do without wanting to, so don’t be getting all upset. I don’t care if you’re trying to pretend to have some latin temper or whatever.” Sidney put his hand under Calvin’s jaw, gripping his face tightly, and pulling him closer to look the feminized man in the eye. “Lastly, that will be the last time you treat me with disrespect. Calvin Bennent is my boss, but he’s on vacation, and when he gets back, the company will have new owners. You are just Clara Bent, a soon-to-be junior maid, and I swear if you get uppity one more time I will take you over my lap and spank you like a redheaded stepchild. Do. You. Under. Stand?”

Those unfamiliar overwhelming emotions started to flood Cavin’s psyche, and in spite of himself, a few tears started to fill his eyes as he nodded in agreement.

“Jesus…you are about to cry. Just say, “yes, sir” so I can leave, I never know what to do when a girl is crying.” Despite Sid’s brief moment of guilt, the grip on Calvin’s jaw didn’t relent.

Cal didn’t want to say those words. He didn’t know why he was being so emotional, but he was positive Sidney would do what he threatened. The man seemed to be relishing the new power dynamic between them. The only comfort he could find was that he just knew he’d win in the long run. Sidney Larson would find himself unemployed when this was all over, blacklisted, and unable to find work in the hospitality industry again. That was all to come, but for now, Calvin had to suck it up, and do it, just like when he went through hazing back at his fraternity. “Yes, sir, Mr. Larson.”

Finally alone, Calvin explored his apartment once again, though he quickly found a spot to sit on the bed, before peeling off his tight torturous footwear. It was sexy to hear a woman's heels click-clack across a hardwood, but not to the same extent when he was the woman, and those shoes were strapped to his feet. As disgusting as the floor was, he’d still have to slide them on to go to the bathroom.

The room was on the fifth floor with no one living below, just a storage room. It was once another apartment, but was currently unsuitable for habitation. It being a corner unit meant he only had shared a wall with one other resident, and considering it was a dump, he hoped it was empty, but with his luck lately, it was probably a **** dealer, or worse yet, teenagers.

There wasn’t much to see in the space, save the new possessions he only just learned were his own. Cal wanted to talk with Moriah about getting a few more things from the house, like maybe a couple pairs of pants. Only the supremely girly clothing she’d purchased filled the closet, but there was no reason why he couldn’t wear pants when he was alone.

At least Moriah was nice enough to take care of a little shopping, and she’d stocked the fridge with a few necessities. Calvin would have to be satisfied with eggs, zucchini, romaine lettuce, two tomatoes, celery, light italian dressing, greek yogurt and some diet breakfast shakes, at least until he could find his way to the store to purchase a big juicy steak. A cursory look into the freezer revealed three lean cuisine meals, not his first choice, but much preferred over anything else he could find. Pushing the freezer door closed, Calvin made his way all twelve paces or so to the bed and started to look through the information.

Too exhausted to eat, the curvy man laid face up on the bed, and switched on the new phone. Scrolling through the device, he only found a few numbers saved in the contacts. ‘Ahuva Bahyeet Front Desk, Ahuva Bahyeet Sick Line, Beautiful You Salon, Rim Beauty Salon, City Bus Service Line, State Department (Work Visa), Dr. Highland (OBGYN), Mr. Larson.’

“OBGYN!.. Funny…real funny… Work visa? You’re such a dick, Sidney.”

Calvin leaned on the pile of sheets as he searched through the contacts again. “Fuck… Moriah’s number isn’t in here.” He sat up, and tossed the phone on the bed in frustration. Just plain uncomfortable, he ran his hands over his sides, feeling the tight compression garment. “Yeah, fuck this too.” he said, unbuttoning the blouse and reaching for his back. He could barely touch the laces, but even with the help of a mirror, trying to get them loose with the unfamiliar manicure was impossible. With great aggravation, he picked up the new phone and called the last person he wanted to.

“Miss me already?” Sidney asked smugly, after answering.

Calvin wanted to throw the phone through the wall, but he needed the man. “No, but I need you to come back to help me out of this stupid corset…please.” He hesitated to add the show of manners, but felt he had to after hearing Sid’s last threat.

“Oh, umm, yeah that. I was told to loosen the laces for you a little before I left, and then put it back in the morning. Shit, I’m sorry, Clara, I forgot. Look, I can’t make it back tonight, but I’ll make it up to you.

Calvin pulled the phone away from his ear and glared at the screen, like he could kill the man on the other side. “Yeah, how are you going to make it up to me?”

The two sat in a pregnant pause before Sidney finally spoke up. “I was thinking, with you being starved and all, you might be interested in me coming by after work tomorrow with an angus burger for you.”

The very mention of red meat had Calvin salivating. It would be a welcome change from the rabbit food Moriah left him. While he could get something as simple as that himself, if Sidney felt like he owned him, all the better. “Yes, I think that would be a good start, but it has to be from Ford’s. I love their burgers.”

Without the anxiety that came from the scrutinizing eyes of others, Cal didn’t realize how he’d been sitting. If anyone walked into the room, they would have found a young woman, on her unmade bed, her skirt riding up, showing a lot more than just a little leg. Her blouse now hung from the single chair, exposing her full bra, and corseted waist, all while she twirled some of her long dark hair around her finger while she chatted on the phone. He didn’t think much of anything about playing with his now long hair, Calvin often fidgeted with something when he wasn’t kept busy.

The feminized man pumped his fist in victory. It was the first time he’d felt like that in a while, let alone that day. “I hate this thing, but I really do love a good burger.” he said out loud to himself, after hanging up.

There wasn’t much to do. The TV didn't even have cable. Left with little else to occupy his thoughts, Calvin went about making his bed. Upon closer inspection, the mattress looked like the only furnishing, other than the wardrobe, that was new. When he finished, Calvin laid down and started to browse on his new phone, deciding to do a little shopping online.

A cappuccino machine could really lighten the burden of staying there. If he was going to be stuck there for more than a few days, a decent source of caffeine was paramount. After that, he bought a nice rug to help spruce up this horrid little dwelling. The tiny bank balance dwindled down to less than twenty dollars, so he tried to log into his actual account to transfer some money, making a mental note to get his wallet from Moriah so he could have his own debit and credit cards, but first he’d need to get her phone number from Sid. When he was growing up he memorized every number he needed, but now it seemed part of his very brain lived in his phone, a phone he no longer was in possession of.

“The hell?!” Calvin said, after being told he entered the wrong password. “Stupid nails.”

He could only try again a few more times, but to no avail, he was locked out after one too many failed attempts. It was a small inconvenience, one he could remedy the next day, but yet another thing to add to his growing to-do list, after he got his laptop. It wasn’t late, but he was exhausted all the same, and stuck in the corset, he couldn’t even take a nice, relaxing shower. Calvin figured he might as well wipe himself down with some of the baby wipes in his makeup kit, and try to get to bed early, though no doubt he wouldn’t be getting much sleep because of it either.

When Calvin opened his eyes the next morning, he was already annoyed, not in a “something went wrong” kind of way, but because he knew this would be his everyday routine if he didn’t find the missing money, and the culprit, with alacrity. A hairband kept his hair from his face, as he went through his beauty routine. His thickened lips were going to look painted for a while, after the semi-permanent makeup from the salon, so all he had to do for them was apply a little gloss. His eyelashes didn’t really need any mascara either so he just ran a small brush through them to fan them out. The only bit of gratitude he could find was when he remembered how long it would take Moriah, or any other woman he’d dated for that matter, to get ready while he sat impatiently waiting. The unwilling beauty wondered why they just didn’t say long lasting. The word permanent felt very permanent.

After getting dressed, he wore a pair of fifty denier, stay-up stockings, a matching black bra and panty set, and then a deep blue wrap dress. Slipping his feet into the accursed escort’s shoes, he moved onto jewelry. Finished, all that was left was a quick self-appraisal to make sure nothing was forgotten.

A look at the cute little thing in the mirror left Calvin confused, ashamed, and a little turned on. She looked like she was ready to go on a date, not to work, but he didn’t have a lot of choice in the matter. Clara’s wardrobe was quite limited after all. Moriah said he looked good in winter colors, whatever that meant.

Slipping his new phone, the bus pass, and the schedule into his purse, he left his apartment for his first day of work as a maid. The thought was unsettling enough he tried to reframe it in his mind. ‘Today I pretend to be a maid as I start my real job as detective… no, a spy.’ Anyone looking would see a pretty girl with a smile on her lips, not knowing it was truly a Sherlock Holmes or James Bond.

Navigating public transportation wasn’t too difficult. Stand at the stop because the bench looked disgusting, ignore the ogling men, and then get on the right bus. Cal found it so simple a toddler could probably do it. The one fear he did not have was those men laying eyes on him, and realizing what was underneath all the hair, and cosmetics. Being as hot as he was was both a blessing and a curse.

Fifteen minutes later, Calvin stepped off at the stop across the street from the hotel, and made his way inside. The familiar “click, clack, click, clack” could be heard throughout the lobby as he minced across the tile floor. He tried not to look anyone in the face, hoping to draw as little attention to himself as possible, as he moved toward the women' s locker room. He was about to reach for the handle of the door when he was suddenly startled by a presence behind him.

“Can I help you, Miss?”

Cal recognized the voice, and only just then did it occur to him he’d be working under that person. Bethany Long, the head of operations, was a tall, fifty-year-old blonde woman. For fifty he actually found her quite attractive, the way she fashioned her golden locks to sweep over the eye, but Calvin had never dared make a move on her. Really, the only girls at the hotel he ever seduced were the maids. A woman with the same kind of confidence, and competence as Bethany he could find rather intimidating, but he’d never admit that. He got along well enough with her though, and he liked how strict she was. Her management style was very similar to his own, but it would be vastly different working under her. “Ahh… Hi, I’m Clara. Today is my first day.” he said, offering a handshake.

“So you are our new hire, Clara Bent. Not off to a great start, dearie. You’re ten minutes late.” she said, tapping her watch, ignoring the outstretched hand.

“Well, you see the bus…”

Bethany shook her head, and continued talking right over him. “I don’t accept excuses. If the bus you took to get here can arrive late, you will just have to take an earlier one. Here, when you are corrected, you simply say “yes ma’am” and do your best not to make the same mistake again.”

The older woman scanned him up, and down with a critical eye. It made Calvin feel uncomfortable, the way she judged him, obviously disapproving of how he was dressed.

“Well then, let’s start you out on the right foot. My name is Bethany Long. I go by Beth, but you may call me Mrs. Long when you’re on the clock. I run a tight ship, and just because Mr. Larson pulled some strings to get you this job without going through an interview, does not mean you can go crying to him if you get in trouble. If you need something, you come to me, or if I’m not here, one of my proxies. If a guest asks you to do something, assisting them is the first priority if it won’t interfere with any urgent assigned duties. If it does, simply let them know you’ll have someone get right on that. You’re a pretty little thing, so I doubt anyone will give you trouble if you say it with a smile.”

“I don’t want to frighten you away, not that you’ll have to worry about it right now, but one of the owners, Mr. Bennent, tends to give the maids some extra attention if you know what I mean. I have no doubt that when he returns from vacation you’ll catch his eye, so do be careful, and if you don’t wish for his advances, come directly to me, and I will handle it. Now, we can get you fitted for a uniform, and then I’ll show you around briefly before I have you shadow one of the girls.”

Calvin couldn’t remember Bethany ever once coming to him to discuss a situation with one of her girls, and he wondered what she meant by “take care of it”. Familiar with the hotel, he didn’t really need the tour, but it wouldn’t make sense for Clara to know her way around, so he kept his mouth shut.

What he really needed was a look around some of the offices, not the guest rooms. If he was lucky, he could get into one while everyone was at lunch. That way he could search one of the computers with the administrator password he got from one of the nerds in IT a few months back.

“Actually, I was going to start with the offices. You know, help tidy up for the other employees. I’d really like to make a good impression on my coworkers after all. I want to show everyone I’m a… ahh… team player”

Bethany gave the eager girl a warm smile, happy she seemed like a go-getter, and not another layabout there appeared to be no shortage of nowadays. I appreciate that you are ready to start right away, but those areas are kept a little more secure. You’ll work your way up to that task once you have properly demonstrated to me and your fellow maids that you are a “team player” as you phrased it.”

Her words were friendly and upbeat, but to Calvin, they felt like pure defeat. He hadn’t been asking her, more of telling her what he was going to do, and just put a pretty face on it. What he wasn’t expecting was for her to reject him. Saying he would have to prove himself before he was even allowed into the space he so desperately needed access to, had him briefly wondering how long that would take. He tried to adjust his plan, knowing he would have to go over Bethany’s head, and she definitely wouldn’t be happy about it, but he had to do what he had to do. For now he just had to keep his mouth shut, and go along. Hopefully, before the end of the day, he would get the access he needed. All he could do for now was follow along to the dressing area, so he could change into his new uniform, and then Calvin would be ready to finally start his undercover job as a junior maid.