Scene 6

“So let me get this straight.” Lincoln was pinching the bridge of his nose as his friend, coworker and roommate told him the story of his encounter with Mr. Dunn and then Mary from HR. “Mr. Dunn was going to fire you, then called you into his office to offer you a full time job, that you then negotiated a higher salary for, all because he thinks you are living as a woman?”

Jackson glanced around at the people in the nearby seats as they sat on the patio of a deli, he hated talking in the girly voice his sister had been making him practice. “Yeah and he wouldn’t have…” Lincoln held up his hand to stop Jackson from talking. He closed his eyes for just a second hearing the water and ice cubes click as they shifted positions in his glass. He was trying to process all of this and hearing Jackson talk in that sexy husky voice like that actress Sophia Bush wasn’t making this easier. “If he would offer you the position now it would be discrimination to not keep the offer on the table when you told him the truth right?”

“I… I… I didn’t think of that, but that wouldn’t matter. Dunn said he would have fired me because of the way you made me dress if I wasn’t trans.”

“That also sounds like discrimination, why didn’t you just tell Mary everything instead of signing the employee contract?” It wasn’t anything new that Jackson didn’t think things through long term, but this seemed beyond the pale.

Jackson blew out some air from his lungs, not that they could hold a heck of a lot with the corset bound around him. The two were sitting on the patio of a local deli to talk about everything that had happened. With the corset on, Jackson knew he couldn’t eat much so ordered a cup of potato soup and half a sandwich, while Lincoln only got a coffee. “Linc… I tried, I was even going to tell her how I felt more comfortable dressing like I was before, as I was easing into the transition. Do you know what she told me?”

“That you are an idiot for falling for this prank to begin with?” A sour expression crossed Jackson’s face at that comment.

“No you jackass, she said she wouldn’t hear of it. How I didn’t need to hide who I was and when I said I only owned this one dress she offered me a clothing allowance. A freaking allowance to go buy more work appropriate cute dresses and how no one was going to bat an eye if I bought a few things for outside the office too. That is what she said.” His mouth felt dry from talking and irritation, but the last one only grew seeing the lipstick stain on his glass of water.

“Yeah, yeah I get you, but did you tell her you weren’t trans? You know, cut out any of the misinformation so your life doesn’t turn into some sitcom where everything that goes wrong could have been solved if you just told the truth?”

“I couldn't.” Jackson said through gritted teeth. “It was made clear that if I was just some guy in a dress then I would be fired and black listed.” The two sat there in silence for a short while, only picking back up when the food was delivered.

“Okay, so you can’t tell them the truth. So why not just quit? No black listing, and no wearing heels to work?” Lincoln didn’t see how a situation like this could happen, but was done arguing.

“Simple, can you afford rent on your own while I look for a new job?” Jackson said pointing the spoon for his soup at his friend.

“Not by a long shot.”

“See, that is why and with my new salary things won't be as tight around the apartment, typically it is the girlfriend that is supposed to be the sugar baby, not the other way around though. It won't last though, so don’t get used to it.” Jackson tried bringing a little levativity to the situation. “Now that I have a real title and job I can actually look for work somewhere else and do what I actually enjoy.”

“Yeah, about that… Why do I have to be your boyfriend again? I’m not gay.” Lincoln had to wait for his femininely dressed friend to finish chewing on the bite of his sandwich.

“Because DUNN… grabbed my ass and asked me out to lunch and you have worked at Mega Corp as long as me, you know what happens to girls there. Like what happened to Dunn’s last secretary.”

“Well sleeping with me isn’t going to get you anything, might as well sleep with the old man and get something out of it.”

“Fuck you.” Lincoln smirked hearing Jackson say that in the husky voice.

“No, that is what I’m saying won’t happen. Sorry Jackson, or what was it Jaqueline. You make a beautiful woman, but it isn’t going to happen, and if I’m going to be dating a girl, that needs to be on the table. Not always right away, I’m not a pig but you know what I mean.”

“I’m not going to sleep with you, you ass and I’m not beautiful, don't say things like that. You are just going to be my PRETEND boyfriend to keep creeps away.”

“That is even worse for me, other than you paying more for rent. What exactly am I getting out of this?” Jackson was getting fed up, it was Linc’s fault he was in this mess the least he could do is help cover for him while he looked for another job.

“You are going to do this, and you know why?” Linc put his elbows on the table as he leaned closer. “You tell me why. I want to hear this.”

“Because if you don’t I will tell all the girls in the office how you only pretended to love me and were sleeping around behind my back our entire relationship.”

“Jackson that could affect a lot more than just my chances with the girls at the office, that could affect my chances at a career and promotions.” A small smile started on Jackon’s face that grew with every passing second turning into something much more predatory.

“Then you better start calling me Jacqueline and treating me the way a good boyfriend would.” Jackson’s imagination thought of sending Linc off to the market to buy a box of tampons on his lunch break just to embarrass him so he would have a small idea of what he was having to go through because of him. He could use the man as a shield to keep the creeps away and get his **** at the same time.

“Don’t give me that face, you're not the one wearing high heels and stockings.” Linc tilted his head and moved to look under the table when his hand got slapped. “None of that you perv.”

“You know you don't have to dress like that. Just wear slacks, some girly looking flats and a bra with your makeup and hair done. No one is going to be doing a panty check on you, unless you secretly like wearing panties?” The soft lacy material of his panties were comfortable, much more compared to his tighty whities, but he could not mention that.

“Yeah I guess you're right, that does make me feel better and it means I won't have to spend all day out shopping with my sister again.”

“You sure I can’t be her boyfriend instead of yours?”

Jackson pointed his long nailed finger across the table. “I told you before, stay away from Madison. Besides, I think she would eat you alive.”