The TBO party

Rescue party

“Hi guys! Anyone home? Oh! Hello madam! Is it just you and me in the flat?” Jenny bent down to make a fuss over Meg, the over-fed and slightly out of breath King Charles that the boys had rescued last summer. Meg was no spring chicken when she arrived in Mike and Connors lives, but she had been spoiled rotten since they adopted her.

With Megs claws clattering along behind her, Jenny made her way into the flat, dropped her bag and jacket on the couch and headed for the kitchen to grab a cold drink. The boy’s flat was just around the corner from Jenny’s office and not the 45 minute commute back to her place in the burbs. It was too hot today, to have to face the sweaty suits and overpowering perfumes of the trams, so she took sanctuary at her friends gorgeous apartment and waited for them to come home.

As she sat in air conditioned splendour, gently massaging Megs arthritic hips, Jenny relaxed and sank into the deep cushions of the sofa. The idyllic scene was shattered as the front door seemed to jump out of the way of Michael as he swept into the flat, followed by Connor clearly trying to appease his partner.

“Look. We will figure something out!” Connor said to Michael’s disappearing back as he slammed the bedroom door.

“Hey” said Jenny. “I can head out if you guys need some space. I was just chillaxing with Meg here”. Meg knew better than to get involved. Instead she stretched and snuggled closer in to Jenny for cover.

“Oh! Hey Jenny. Sorry! No need to move. He’s just in one of his moods because his TBO partner for tomorrow night has gone down with some kind of bug and he was really looking forward to wearing his new frock.” Jenny’s look of slight puzzlement wasn’t lost on Connor.

“Just give me a minute to get out of my work clothes and I’ll join you and explain. Hey, do you want to stay for dinner? We might need to order in to keep him sweet!”

With that, Connor was gone and Jenny returned to the oasis of calm that was a chilled rosé and an ageing spaniel. Jenny wondered what TBO stood for and just how fabulous this dress was that Michael wanted to wear. He did have incredible style and the money to indulge himself.

A few minutes later both men emerged from the bedroom, Michael looking sullen and apologetic.

“I’m so sorry my darling, for being so rude just now. It’s wonderful to see you, as always! Will you join us for dinner this evening? Please say yes for Connors sake. “

Jenny laughed and agreed. “Now then. What’s happened to put you in such a terrible mood?”

“Oh, it’s Sam. She texted me earlier to say she was really sick and there was no way she could make the party tomorrow night. No one else in our circle is available so I can’t go. And now Connor is saying he doesn’t want to go without me, even though his partner is fine, so it’s all become a bit of a mess.”

“I know I’m going to regret asking this, but why can’t you go?”

“Oh, sweetie! It’s a TBO party. Two become one? You’ve not heard of this?”

“No” came the innocent reply from Jenny. She had arrived in the country about 3 years ago and met up with the boys early on. They had become great friends and the boys were always there for Jenny as she stumbled through a few disastrous relationships. The last 18 months had been tough for Jenny, with no one getting even close to dateable, despite all their friends best efforts. But Michael and Connor were her safe haven and did throw great parties, the stuff of legends.

“Oh my, you really have been off the scene for too long, my dear. We started going about a month ago. I’m totally addicted, hence the major strop. So basically you pair up in whatever orientation you fancy, but you have to be “together” to be allowed in. Sam and I teamed up and she has been my regular body for the last 3 times. Connor teamed up with Sally and of course she is just fine. Oh, Sam and Sally are a couple as well.”

Jenny still looked slightly confused, so Michael, got up and went to the bedroom, returning without his clothes, but holding a beautiful royal blue silk dress

“Connor help me out here.” Connor sighed as he rose from the sofa, dropped his shorts, threw off his T-shirt and stepped into the dress as Michael held the shoulders behind him. With Connor inside the dress, Michael stepped in behind him and slid his arms into the long sleeves. “So he’s not exactly Marilyn Monroe, but you get the idea. This dress was made to fit Sam and I. It showed off our curves beautifully, if I do say so myself.”

“Oh wow. Now I get it. I can see why you’re upset. That dress does need to be warn and in all the right places”

Michael couldn’t help but laugh out loud. His mood lightened by Jenny’s perfectly judged reply.

With the atmosphere in the flat now much more like usual, the boys stepped out of the dress and Connor picked up his clothes, dressed and went into the kitchen for a drink. Michael folded the dress over his arm and sighed. Maybe it was his the look on his face or the number of times he’d helped Jenny without hesitation, but she found herself saying;

“Here, give me that and let’s see if I can fill in for Sam”

Michael looked at Jenny for a second, but knew better than to argue with her. He held the dress back and said;

“You’ll need to get out of those work clothes first, sweetie”

Jenny didn’t hesitate and shucked off her white blouse and grey office skirt, letting them drop to the floor. She took the dress from Michael and stepped in. Michael stepped in behind her and called Connor to help zip them up.

With the fastener secure, they turned to the full length mirror and Jenny smiled as her new hands flicked back a lock of her blonde hair before adjusting her dress. Her hands lingered over her breasts and then fell to her side as a voice whispered in her ear: “how does it feel, sweetie?”