Warming Up to Deception

The morning sun glinted off the water as Walter, now perfectly disguised as 18-year-old Alison, stepped onto the pool deck with the true Alison's gym bag slung over one shoulder.

The tight one-piece swimsuit hugged his borrowed body in ways that still felt surreal—every curve, every subtle shift of weight reminding him that he was no longer the 51-year-old man who’d invented the iBod. He’d practiced her walk, her laugh, even the way she absentmindedly twirled a strand of her long blonde hair. So far, no one had given him a second glance.

Coach Ramirez blew her whistle sharply. “Alison! You’re late on deck again. Get your butt in the water—warm-up laps, now!”

Walter winced internally at the word “butt” but flashed Alison’s brightest smile. “Sorry, Coach! Won’t happen again.” His voice came out exactly like hers—light, a little breathy, with that slight Texas drawl she’d picked up from her mom.

Walter-son dove in cleanly, the cool water shocking his new, smoother skin. For the first few laps everything felt normal. His strokes were a little off at first (he had to consciously remember to keep his elbows high the way Alison did), but he was managing.

"Hopefully this gives the real Alison a mental break." He thought to himself, or herself, themselves?