Joe_bates_saga

8 Joe_Bates_Saga__________________________________________________________

1. Chapter : Home

Joe and Linda drove from the mall to Linda's house, in Joe's RX-7. They had the rest of Saturday afternoon with nothing special to do, and decided to spend some time at Linda's pool.

Linda was in the real estate business, and she did well as a salesperson for commercial and residential property. She worked on commission, and during the last two years had done very well. She had spent some of her earnings investing in her house, which was surprisingly large, and impressive. She did not really need all the room, but she had liked the place as soon as she'd seen it.

The owner, who wanted to sell quickly, accepted her offer immediately, and so she bought the place. It had a large drive in front, with the detached garages in the back. There was a large pool, and a gazebo which housed a Jacuzzi. It was quite a place. Inside, there were five bedrooms, a large family room, a big dining room, and even a hand made room, which now only contained a Schwinn "Air-Dyne." The well equipped kitchen had its own eating area, and there was even an outdoor breakfast area. At least, that's what she called it. The house was really much too large a place for one person, but she considered it an investment, and she loved it. She was still in the process of buying furniture for three of the bedrooms.

Joe drove up the drive, and pulled around back, parking in front of the garage. They got out, and Joe took the packages containing clothes they bought. There were a couple of tops and shorts for him, and some underwear that they had bought on sale at Linda's insistence.

Linda took her key and opened the door. They entered her kitchen.

"Let's take those things to the bedroom," Linda said.

"Okay," Joe said. "Do you have anything cold to drink?"

"Sure, what would you like?" Linda replied. "I've got iced tea, three kinds of beer, and milk for you health nuts."

"Better make it iced tea for me," Joe said. He remembered how the beer he drank last night made him feel. He could hardly keep his eyes open after drinking just one. "I think my metabolism is screwed up, so I better lay off the beer."

"Your metabolism isn't screwed up," Linda kidded him. "You're just not used to being a woman."

"Well, whatever it is, I can't hold it anymore," Joe lamented.

"You shouldn't drink beer anyway if you want to keep that figure," Linda teased. Joe had been teasing her at the mall, about how he had a better figure than she did. It was true, and it bothered her a little.

Joe took the packages into Linda's bedroom. He laid them on the bed. The clothes Linda had on when he first saw her last night were lying on the bed too. She had changed clothes when he picked her up, so that she would not be overdressed compared with his blue jumpsuit. He decided to try on the new clothes they bought at the mall.

He removed the jumpsuit. He liked wearing it because it concealed his body better than the other things he had. It was just too warm, however. He slipped it off his shoulders, and sat on the bed. He could feel the cool breeze of the air conditioning on his shoulders and back as he removed his Reeboks. He stood and pulled his legs out of the jumpsuit. The cool air on his sweaty body felt great. He looked up, and saw someone in the full length mirror on the closet door. He did not recognize her. In his mind's eye, he was still Joe Bates, one-hundred ninety-five pounds, five-eleven, and MALE. The person he saw looking at him in the mirror was about five feet seven, maybe one-hundred-twenty pounds, and FEMALE. "She was kind of cute," Joe thought, "standing there in those little blue panties."

Her small but nicely formed breasts were concealed by a bra with shiny seamless cups. She was wearing white sweat socks, which reminded Joe of a cheerleader he knew from his college days. Her hair was too short for his taste, though. He stared at the mirror. When he raised his hand to scratch his nose, he broke the spell. He was the cute in the mirror. He raised his hand and touched his left breast. He rubbed a finger over the slick fabric, feeling the softness it contained. He could feel a nipple hardening to his touch, both with his fingers, and as a warm twinge which went from his nipple to his crotch, which reacted by contracting in a way that was becoming familiar to him. It was an unusual but pleasant sensation, and he liked it. It was a feeling the one-hundred ninety-five pound, five-eleven Joe Bates never knew, and could never know. He wondered about the old Joe.

He WAS the old Joe, but he was beginning to have trouble remembering what the old Joe felt like. The old Joe was strong. He worked out, and he had well developed biceps. Joe touched his arm. It was not flabby, but it was small, and face it, it was weak. It did not even look like a man's arm, but then, maybe he was not a man anymore. Was he?

He looked in the mirror again. His narrow shoulders did not look like a man's. He looked lower. Those little blue panties covered hips which, though not really wide, sure did not look like they belonged to a man, and his crotch. The gap between his legs, with its tiny bulge, and a little damp spot, right in the center. No, this was not what a man looked like. What was he then? Was he a real woman now? Did he feel like a woman? What did a woman feel like, anyway? No, He was still a man. He knew what a man should feel like. He liked the way a man felt. Of course, he enjoyed the way his body felt now, too, but this was not real. These were not feelings a man should have, but then, it did feel good.

"Good idea, Joe," Linda said, breaking Joe loose from his thoughts. "Get out of that darn hot jumpsuit."

Joe went back over to the bed he opened a bag, and took out two pairs of shorts. One was white, and the other blue. "Which should I wear?" he asked Linda, his fashion advisor.

"Wear the balloon tank top, with the blue shorts," Linda recommended. "It'll look so cute."

"Yeah, cute," Joe said.

Joe pulled on the blue shorts, and fastened the button at the waist. He zipped the zipper up and opened the boxes, looking for the balloon top. He found it in the second box. He took it, and easily pulled it over his head. He looked down. Across his breasts, three hot air balloons now flew in formation among some clouds. It was cute all right. He raised his hand and checked the area under his arm. He found he could touch the side of his bra. He could even feel the cup. No matter what Linda said, he still felt like his breasts were showing through the armholes of the little top, but Linda thought it was ok, so maybe he should forget about it. He looked at himself in the mirror. The cute young woman was looking back again, but she was even cuter now. He decided that if the top was all right for a real woman, he would try it.

"Joe, you look great," Linda said. "If you have to be a woman, even against your will, at least be glad that you're so pretty."

"Guess it would be worse if I woke up yesterday, and looked like an ugly woman," Joe said, grinning. "I just can't get used to what I see when I look in the mirror."

"I'll bet there are people who would give an arm to see what you do when THEY look in the mirror," Linda said.

"Is the tea ready yet?" Joe asked. "I'm going to die of thirst if I don't drink something soon."

"Yeah, it's probably about brewed by now," Linda replied. "Go get it, and put some ice in it, will you, please? I'm going to change into something cooler, too."

Joe went into the kitchen. He walked to the counter, and took the tea from the electric brewer. When he stood at a counter now, his waist did not quite reach the top. He did not actually feel shorter, everything else seemed bigger. He searched the cabinets for a pitcher. He found one, and poured the tea in. He then went to the refrigerator. Linda's refrigerator had an ice dispenser in the door. He took a glass, and filled it with cubed ice. Joe poured that into the pitcher, and repeated it until the pitcher looked like it had enough in it. He then filled the glass with the cold tea, and drank it down quickly. He got another tall glass from the cabinet and put a little ice in it, and then filled it with tea. This he carried back to the bedroom.

"Here's some tea, if you want," he told Linda.

"Thanks, Joe," Linda replied. "I was hoping you'd bring me one."

Linda was putting on her swimsuit. It was a sleek fitting black tank suit. She was just stepping into it when Joe came into the room. She pulled the straps over her shoulders and took the glass from Joe.

"I have a couple of suits that you can try," Linda said after taking a sip of tea. "You're a little taller than I am, but I think my two-piece suits would fit you."

"Okay, Linda. I'll give it a try," Joe said. He pulled his top over his head, and removed his shorts.

Linda was searching through the drawers of her dresser. She pulled out a flowered bikini and a sort of fluorescent lime green suit. She arranged them on the bed for Joe to inspect. Joe had never seen Linda in the flowered bikini, but he had seen her in the green suit. The green suit was made by Body Glove, and had a zipper in the top, between the breasts. The top looked like it had more coverage than the flowered suit, which just had little strings which the cups attached to. You had to tie the strings. He picked up the bottom of the lime green suit.

"I was hoping you'd try the little bikini," Linda chided him. "You sure would look good in it."

"Maybe next time, Linda," Joe said with a grin. "It looks a little skimpy to me, and I'm pushing my limits already."

Joe unhooked his bra, and slid his panties down his hips. He took the green bikini bottom, and stepped into it. It felt very snug, as he pulled it up his legs and over his hips. When he felt it was on correctly, he stepped over to the mirror. It fit his bottom like a second skin. He thought he could even see the cleft of his vulva, outlined in green lycra-spandex. He could definitely see his pubic hair hanging out the sides of the very narrow, "V" cut crotch of the bikini. Linda was inspecting him too.

"You're going to have to trim that bikini line, Joe," Linda decided.

"Bikini line?" Joe asked.

"Pull that bottom off, and come into the bathroom," Linda ordered.

Linda went into the bathroom, and Joe removed the tight suit bottom. Naked, he went into the bathroom. Linda had a ladies' electric razor in her hand, and turned it on when Joe entered. It was buzzing away softly.

"Put your leg up on the stool here," She ordered. "I'll show you how to do this."

She pushed his leg apart, exposing the bush of his pubic area. She trimmed the soft hair away from his inner leg, almost to the lips of his genitals. She worked quickly, and Joe was concerned at the speed she moved around this new, sensitive area of his body.

"Be careful, Linda," Joe said. "I don't want to have any less down there than I already have."

"I won't hurt you, Joe," Linda assured him. "Okay, put your other leg up." She repeated the process on his other side. Joe could not really see what she was doing, and craned his neck to look. "If you're that curious, try this," Linda said, and gave him a hand mirror from the sink.

Joe took the mirror, and positioned it so that he could watch what Linda was doing. He was also getting his first real look at his new genitalia. As Linda trimmed his pubic hair, Joe examined himself intently. Where his scrotum used to bulge, he now had soft pink skin, divided down the center by two little darker pink folds of tissue that joined at the top approximately where his penis had been. A bit of tissue, smaller than a pea, protruded slightly from between the folds, near the top. Linda finished, but Joe continued looking at himself.

Using a finger on each side, he carefully spread the folds, exposing a moist pink slit with two openings. The small one, he decided, was probably his urethra. Below that was a much larger orifice, which he recognized as a vaginal opening. The image in the glass was hard evidence for what he had suspected, but hoped was not true, but it was a fact. He was now a woman, inside and out.

"Really looks different, huh?" Linda asked.

"Yeah, really different," Joe repeated. "I can't believe it's me."

"Gee, I didn't take that much off, Joe," Linda said. "Just enough so that you won't have to worry about showing when you wear that suit."

"No, that part's fine," Joe said, repositioning the mirror to another angle. "It's just that I've never really seen myself since the change."

"Oh, I didn't think about that," Linda said. "This IS all new to you, isn't it."

"It's strange," Joe went on. "I feel almost like I always have, but when I see myself, it's just difficult to accept that I look like this."

"Remember that about half the people in the world look like you do, so don't think you're so unique," Linda replied.

"Maybe they do," Joe conceded, "but most of you were like this from the day you were born."

Linda put the shaver into the drawer. Joe looked up from the mirror. He saw Linda watching. She was smiling at him, sort of the way a big sister might look at her little one. He smiled back at her, and handed her the mirror.

"Okay, I've seen enough for now, I guess," Joe said, rubbing the new slickness of his pubic area. His bush was now a very narrow triangle, just like Linda's. He had not realized she shaved herself that much.

"If you don't keep it shaved close now, you'll regret it," Linda warned. "It'll itch like crazy. I suggest you get a hot wax like mine. It's a little expensive, but it lasts a long time."

"You keep talking like this is permanent," Joe said. "Let's operate on the idea that I look like this temporarily."

Joe went back into the bedroom. He could feel the difference around his crotch area as he walked. It made him start to analyze again. When he had a male body, his primary sensation of sexual arousal emanated from and around his penis. Now, it seemed, his whole body was a sex organ. It was simply a completely different feeling than his experience as a man. Sometimes, just the act of walking felt mildly erotic.

He went to the bed, and picked up the swimsuit bottom. He was pulling it up his hips when Linda stopped him.

"Maybe you better put some powder on that shaved area," she said, pointing to a little cut glass container on her dresser.

With the suit bottom around his knees, he removed the ornate top and found a little puff inside. He pushed the puff to the side and taking a little body powder on his fingers, spread some on the shaved areas, and for good measure, dusted some on his pubic hair. He then pulled the suit up, and tugged it till it felt right. It fit very snugly, but was comfortable. He felt between his legs, but could feel no trace of hair sticking out. He rubbed his buttocks and stuck his fingers under the leg openings, pulling the bottom down properly. He reached down, and took the suit top and looked at it. He was not sure how to put it on. It had a zipper, but it did not open all the way.

"Just pull it on, over your head," Linda instructed.

Joe put his arms in the arm holes, and stuck his head into the top. As the suit went passed his face, he could smell it. It smelled good. The scent reminded him of Linda. "It must have some of her perfume on it," he thought. That made him consider what he was doing. No matter what he looked like, he still the Old Joe, and he was standing there putting on his girl's, no, his fiance's, clothes, and she was watching. It was exciting, but at the same time embarrassing. He quickly pulled the top over his breasts. He looked down at his chest, and was trying to decide how far up to pull the zipper between his breasts when Linda pulled him over to the mirror.

"Just look at yourself Joe," Linda exclaimed. "You're beautiful."

Joe looked in the mirror. Linda was right. The lime green suit set off the light tan of his skin. He had not been in the sun since the change, so he must have the same skin as before. He always did tan quickly, and did not easily burn. He stood straight, and then turned to get a side view. The green suit looked like it was made for his shape. He was impressed. He could not resist clowning around, striking poses like those he saw in magazines.

"You can have that suit, Joe," Linda lamented. "Now that I've seen you wear it, I never want you to see me in it again."

"I do look pretty good, don't I," Joe said proudly. "Of course, I don't think you'll be breaking any mirrors either."

Linda went to the closet, and brought out two beach towels. Then she went to the bathroom and brought out a tube of sunscreen. She gave them to Joe and, taking her tea glass, she walked to the kitchen. Joe followed her with his hands full. He could not keep his eyes off her butt as she walked in front of him. "She did look good," he thought.

"Do you want some tea to take to the pool?" Linda asked.

"Yeah, sure, that's a good idea," Joe replied.

Linda, with the tea, led Joe, with the towels and sunscreen, to the sliding doors, and out to the pool deck. She stopped at the table, and got her sunglasses from her purse.

"I wish I had mine," Joe said. "Of course, they wouldn't fit anyway."

"I'm sorry, Joe, I had another pair, but I broke them the other day," Linda said.

"No sweat," Joe said.

They went to the lounge chairs, and Joe lay the towels in the cement deck. They moved the chairs to face the sun. Joe gave Linda a towel, and she spread it on her lounge, as he did the same on his. When she lay back on the lounge, Linda pulled the straps of her suit down from her shoulders. Joe saw her do it, and tried to do the same with his. His straps were too wide, and it was not easily possible. He lay back, and felt the sun warm his body. He continued to watch Linda. Due to their positions, she could not see him as well. She was carefully rubbing herself with tanning oil.

"I'll do you, if you'll do me," Joe said suggestively.

"Sounds good to me," Linda replied, handing Joe the tanning oil.

Joe took the oil, and squirted a small amount on his hand. He started smoothing it on Linda's leg. She put her head back and closed her eyes. Joe coated her upper thigh, and went all the way to her feet and toes. He carefully massaged each toe. When he finished, he moved to her arms, softly smoothing them with the oil. He then oiled her shoulders, and then moved to her chest. He carefully avoided getting oil on her suit. She rolled over on the towel and Joe then coated her back. Linda was glistening with the protective oil. When he finished, he took her head in his hand, and kissed her softly on the lips. She answered his kiss by flicking her tongue into his mouth. Joe took a deep breath, relishing even the smell of her hair.

After a short while, as they just sat close and looked at each other, Linda sat up in the lounge chair.

"Okay, Joe, lie down," Linda ordered. "It's your turn."

Joe went to his lounge and lay on his back. Linda took the suntan oil and started rubbing it on his legs as he had done for her. She worked carefully around his suit, so that no oil touched it. He spread his legs slightly, and she rubbed some oil on his inner thighs.

"You dog!" Linda exclaimed. "Do you realize your body has absolutely NO cellulite?"

"What are you talking about?" Joe questioned.

"Look at this," she replied, pinching about an inch of Joe's outer thigh. It was perfectly slick and smooth. She then pinched the same amount of flesh on the same area of her leg. The pinched tissue was slightly dimpled between her fingers. Not a lot, but not smooth either.

"This is what I'm talking about," Linda continued. "You have almost no fat on your thighs. It just isn't fair."

She then continued her application of sunscreen. She moved down, and caressed his feet, as he had done for her. Joe had not realized how good it felt, to get his feet massaged like this. It was almost erotic.

When Linda finished with his feet, she asked Joe to lie on his belly so she could oil his back. He complied, and put his face in his arms. In this position, it seemed he could detect Linda's scent again. He wasn't sure if it came from the suit he was wearing, from the suntan oil, or if he was smelling her directly. He seemed to have a much more sensitive sense of smell since the change, and he was aware of odors more now.

Linda was softly rubbing Joe's back, and Joe closed his eyes, and enjoyed the sensations. He suddenly felt his right breast get pinched between him and the lounge chair. The slight, but unexpected pain made him jerk up quickly.

"What's the problem?" Linda asked.

"Oh, nothing," Joe replied, rubbing his soft boob through the suit, and feeling embarrassed. "I just got pinched, that's all."

"Welcome to the club," Linda said, patting him on the back as he carefully lay back down. "I could think of a few guys whom I wish could get the opportunity to experience what you are."

"Well, I wouldn't wish it on any guy," Joe replied, trying to find a position that kept his breasts out of the way.

Linda finished, and Joe rolled over. They both just sprawled on the lounges soaking up the warmth of the sun. A while went by, and suddenly they were jolted awake by the ringing of the telephone.

"It never stops, does it," Linda lamented. She grabbed the cordless phone that lay near her lounge chair.

"Hello," she answered. "Oh, hi, Jay. Yeah, he's here. Just a minute."

"It's Jay," she said, handing the phone to Joe.

Joe took the phone.

"Hi, Jay. What's up?" Joe spoke into the phone.

"How you doing, Joe?" Jay said. "I just called to find out what you thought about Dan."

"I don't know, Jay," Joe said. "I think he is understanding, and he acted like he really wanted to help."

"He does, Joe," Jay said. "He's good, too. I've known him for some time, and I can assure you, he knows his job. If there's any way to prove who you are, he will know what it is, and find it. I think he's the best."

"That's great, Jay," Joe said. "I have good feelings about him too."

"What are you doing this afternoon?" Jay asked.

"Well, right now, I'm lying at the pool at Linda's house," Joe answered.

"Gee, I thought I called your house," Jay said, a little confused.

"Maybe you did," Joe replied. "I used call forwarding to transfer my calls over here in case you or Dan wanted to find me."

"You damn engineers and your toys," Jay chided him, "but seriously, I was wondering if you had some time, later on."

"What you got going, Jay?" Joe wondered.

"I finally got that ROM chip for the Bosche injection on my car," Jay answered.

Like Joe, Jay was into sports cars, and owned a Red Porche 944. He found it a source of irritation that Joe's RX-7, which cost less, but was equipped with a high performance wankel rotary engine, could run away from his pride and joy. In their informal road races, Joe's "Rotary Rocket" could always take the four cylinder engine that powered Jay's Porche. Jay was always looking for ways to reverse the situation.

A friendly rivalry was the result, but Jay was actually at the mercy of Joe, and his engineering background, to help improve the performance of his complex engine. In both cars, all fuel metering functions were performed by electronic fuel injection, which in turn was controlled by a digital computer. An electronics engineer was actually more at home with a machine like this than a mechanic would be as long as the basic engine was healthy. Joe, who had experience with avionics, including electronic fuel controls on jet engines, was not above using those skills to improve the performance of his sophisticated auto engine. Jay was in the process of improving his engine, too, but he went the costly route of buying a performance chip from the after-market sellers. It was expensive, but then, everything was expensive on a Porche. He wanted Joe to help him install the chip in the computer.

"Okay, Jay, when do you want to put it in, as if it will do any good anyway," Joe said.

"When can you do it?" Jay asked, sounding like a kid at Christmas.

"What do you have planned for this afternoon?" Joe responded.

"I don't have anything going till later, when I was planning to get Barb, and we would go out," Jay said.

"How about coming over here later?" Joe suggested.

"What time?" Jay asked.

"Just a minute," Joe said, and called to Linda. "What did you want to do later?" he asked Linda. "Jay's going to take Barb out, but wants me to work on his car a few minutes first, if I have the time."

"Tell Jay to bring Barbara over," Linda suggested. "We can put some steaks on, and have a little patio party. I haven't seen Barb in a few weeks."

"Jay, Linda says you should bring Barb over, now if possible," Joe relayed. "We can put some steaks on and after that, I'll work on your car."

"Okay, that sounds good," Jay replied. "I'll call Barb, I know she can be ready."

"Tell her to bring a swimsuit," Joe said. "Bring yours too. The pool looks pretty inviting."

"Ok, Joe, I'll see you in about an hour or so," Jay said.

Joe handed the phone back to Linda. She put it beside her seat and lay back into the sun again. Joe took a long draw of his tea glass. He thought of the irony of the situation. He would be working on his buddy's car, maybe wearing this suit. "I might be one of the best looking fuel injection specialists around," he thought to himself, grinning like an idiot.

He lay back on the lounge and closed his eyes. In a little while, he turned, presenting his other side to the rays. In what seemed like no time at all, he heard the powerful rumble of Jay's 944 come up the drive. Linda got up when she heard the car. She walked to the driveway gate.

"Hi, Jay," she called. "Barb, I'm glad you came."

"When you said food, Jay couldn't resist," Barb teased.

Barb was in her mid-twenties, and very attractive. A little shorter than Linda, with red hair, and a great figure. She was wearing a cover-up, and obviously had her swimsuit on under it. Jay was wearing a loud Hawaiian type shirt and shorts. They both carried bags which had a change of clothes inside. They walked through the patio gate, where Joe stood, feeling self conscious again. Jay saw him first, and his eyes widened when he recognized him.

"Joe!" Jay exclaimed. "How you doing? God, you're looking good. Real good." Jay could not take his eyes from his friend.

"Hi, Joe," Barb said, looking him over, obviously curious.

"Hi, Barb, good to see you," Joe said, smiling. He was embarrassed standing there in the close fitting swimsuit.

"Jay told me about your... err... situation," Barb said, trying to help Joe feel more at ease. "I must admit, I've ever heard of anything like it before. You certainly look, err... a... Well, healthy."

"Yeah, I guess healthy is a good word for it," Joe said, amused at Barb's description of him. "If I get any healthier I can run for Miss America."

Joe saw that Jay hardly took his eyes off him. He went over to his pal. "So you think that chip will give that four-banger of yours enough guts to take the rotary, huh?" he joked.

"I hope so," Jay replied, "At least until you pull another rabbit out of your hat with that damn Japanese clone car."

"You can call it a clone when you get an engine as good as the wankel," Joe returned. He felt better talking with Jay. It seemed more like normal.

"Right now I'm going to cool down," Jay said, sticking his foot in the pool. When he decided it was all right, he dived in and swam to the other side.

"It's great!" he said. "Come on in."

Linda and Barb were already sitting in the lounge chairs, talking about who knows what. Joe did not know about getting in the water with Jay. "What the hell," he thought. "I don't really want to sit through girl talk." He walked to the edge, and, without stopping, dived in as gracefully as he could. He surfaced in the middle, and noticed that he could stay afloat much easier than he ever did before.

"This is weird, Jay," Joe said as Jay swam over to him. "I'm floating so easy, much easier than before."

"You got those natural life preservers now," Jay teased him.

"Maybe that's it," Joe considered, grinning. He was smaller and lighter. He probably did have a higher fat to bone and muscle ratio.

"Come on ladies, get your butts in here," Jay yelled. "You can talk later."

Linda and Barb looked at Jay. He waved them over to the pool. Joe hoped they would come in too. He wanted company. The girls came over and sat at the edge of the pool. Joe swam over to Linda. He went the last few feet under water, and grabbed her foot. He tried to pull her in, but he just did not have to strength to overpower her when she resisted. She realized that he could not force her in, so she let herself be pulled in. Joe could tell that she did it. When they bobbed to the surface together, he looked at her.

"I couldn't pull you in," he said, knowing she already knew it. "I didn't have the strength to pull you in," he repeated.

"Don't worry about it, Joe," Linda tried to reassure him. "That's not important at all."

"It is to me," Joe said.

Barb had a beach ball, and threw it at both of them.

"Let's toss the ball around," she called. "Pick your sides. How about boys against girls?"

"Come on Barb, that's low," Joe said grinning. It hurt, but he knew she was trying to keep his spirits up, but did not know what to do. It was an awkward situation for everyone.

"Aww, Joe, she was only teasing," Linda came to her defense. "You're going to have to get used to it, and you're among friends here."

"I'm sorry, Joe," Barb said. "I guess it seemed like a dig, but I really meant I wanted you on my side."

"Okay, then," Joe said. "Let's all take him on." He swam to the end of the pool. Linda and Barb followed him.

Jay went to the other end. He had the ball, and when they were ready, he tossed it to the other end, aiming at Barb. She hit the ball, but it went straight up. Linda was under it and slapped it back to Jay when it came to her. Jay swatted it back, and Joe got it that time, easily returning it to Jay. They played fast and hard for about ten minutes. They were all getting exhausted, Jay the most, since it was three to one, and they kept him moving in the deep water.

"I'm getting hungry," Jay lied. "Let's stop and get those steaks on the grill."

"Yeah, good idea," Linda said. "I've been out here a few hours already, and I'm going to be burned alive if I don't get out of this suit."

"I'm ready to quit too," Barb said. "Let's get out."

They all went to the side and struggled out. They went to the chairs and took towels and dried off.

"I'm going to get out of this suit and get the steaks ready," Linda said.

"I'll help," Barb said. "You two start the grill," she said to Joe and Jay.

"It's a gas grill, so all we need to do is turn it on and put the steaks on. I'll start it anyway, and let it heat up," Joe said.

They went indoors. Jay and Barb retrieved their bags.

"Jay, you can use the hall bath to shower and change," Linda said. "Barb, you can use my bathroom if you like."

Jay walked to the bathroom with his bag, and shut the door. Barb followed Linda into her room. Joe did not know what to do, and stood in the hall. Linda noticed him standing there when she turned to close the bedroom door.

"Get in here. Joe," Linda ordered. "You don't mind if Joe changes with us, do you Barb?"

"Joe? No, of course not," Barb said. "Not unless it bothers him."

"No, you guys don't bother me," Joe said, blushing, "and I suppose I'm on your team now."

Joe entered the room, and Linda closed the door. Linda went to the bed, and pulled the straps of her suit down. She pulled the suit down, and removed it. She took the suit, and her towel with her into the bathroom. Joe heard her start the shower running.

Barb looked at Joe, and smiled. She was embarrassed, and tried to break the ice with conversation.

"Gosh, Joe, what's it like to have a different body?" she said. "I can't imagine what it would feel like."

"It's hard to describe," Joe said honestly. "It's different, and yet it's the same in a lot of ways. I really don't have a different body. It seems that I just changed... a lot."

"I'm curious, are you a real woman now?" she asked innocently.

"I don't know, Barb. What's a REAL woman?" Joe returned.

"Well, you know... boobs, and... well... you know," Barb stammered.

"See for yourself," Joe answered, unzipping the top of his suit, and pulling it over his head.

Joe then pulled his suit bottom off, and wrapped the damp items in his beach towel. Then he stood up, and put his arms out and turned around slowly, allowing Barb to inspect him.

"My god, Joe, You ARE a woman, aren't you," Barb exclaimed. "You really did change into a woman."

"I may LOOK like a woman," Joe corrected, "but I don't want to concede that I am one, until I have medical proof. I still feel like I'm a man."

"Really?" Barb asked. "You feel like a man? How can you? It's obvious that you don't have the necessary parts." She was genuinely interested.

"Whatever parts I have now, they feel pretty much the same," Joe said, "but every nerve in my body seems more sensitive now, and of course, there are the obvious physical differences."

"There sure are, Joe," Barb said. "You really look good."

Barb removed her swimsuit top. She eyed Joe, who tried to look away. She then took her bottom off, and Joe was surprised to see that her pubic area was completely shaved. It made her look very erotic, and Joe could not pull his eyes away. Barb saw him staring, and she smiled. "It itches like crazy sometimes, but Jay likes it," she explained, smiling. "I think you know what I mean," she said pointing at his closely trimmed bush.

"Yeah, I guess I do," Joe said, scratching his pubic area. "Linda showed me how to do this, so I wouldn't stick out of that suit."

The shower stopped, and they heard the shower door slide open. Linda came back into the room, wrapped in a towel. She saw Joe and Barb standing on each side of the bed, naked. She stopped, but just looked at Joe, then she smiled at him. "I see you two have got to know each other better," she teased. "What do you think of Barb's trim job?"

"Well, as a guy, I think it's sexy as hell," he answered carefully, "but as a woman, I... uh... I still think it's sexy as hell."

"Maybe we should take Joe in the shower, and shave him bare," Linda told Barb.

"No, absolutely not," Joe insisted. "I already have more taken off that area than I should. I suspect I'll already be getting some looks when I see the doctor."

"You look fine, Joe," Barb assured him.

"Don't forget, I'm really a man," Joe said.

"Well, mister, get your butt in there and take a shower," Linda teased.

Joe took his suit and towel, and went into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stepped inside. The cool water felt good, and he rinsed the chlorine off his body and out of his hair. He finished, turned off the water, slid open the door, and stepped out of the shower. He was drying off, when Barb came in the bathroom. She walked passed Joe, her full breasts swaying seductively, and went into the shower. It was like a dream come true. Beautiful women, naked, all over the place. He looked into the mirror behind the sink. It was not a perfect dream. There was one too many naked woman here.

Joe went into the bedroom. Linda was dressed, and was drying her hair. Joe found his underwear, pulled on his panties, and took his bra. As he was putting his arms through the straps, he felt a slight sting. He looked at his shoulders, and saw the outline of the swimsuit on his chest. He had a slight tan from before, but he still received a very slight burn. His breasts were outlined in lighter skin. It sure looked sexy, but it did not feel very good.

Linda saw his problem, and went to her dressing table, and grabbed a little bottle with a pump. She spread some white lotion from her hand, to the pink areas around Joe's shoulders and breasts. It felt cool, and soothing.

Joe took his bra and carefully put it on. Once it was on, it felt ok. He actually liked the secure feeling it gave his breasts. He got the tank top from a hanger on the closet door knob, and pulled it over his head. The three balloons resumed formation on his chest. He found the blue shorts lying on the bed, and when he attempted to put them on, he could feel that his legs had received a little too much sun also. He got the pump of lotion, sat on the bed, and rubbed some on his legs. He smelled strongly of Linda's lotion. He put his shorts on, and checked himself in the mirror. His short hair was mussed up, so he went into the bathroom to use a brush to smooth his hair.

Barb was out of the shower, and was drying her hair at the mirror. She was naked, and her breasts, which were larger than Joe's, or Linda's, jiggled and shook as she brushed her hair. Joe needed to get into a drawer, but she was in the way. He stood there, watching her as she moved. She saw him watching, and stopped.

"Uh, sorry, I need to get a brush out of that drawer," Joe stammered.

"Oh, okay. I thought you maybe just wanted to watch me," Barb said, smiling at him.

"Oh, no," Joe stammered. "I wasn't... I didn't... I mean... You do look good, but I... uh..." Joe did not know what to say. It was obvious he was watching her.

"Don't worry about it Joe," Barb laughed. "If I suddenly had to be a man, I would be much worse than you."

Joe got the brush, quickly brushed his short hair into position, and left the bathroom. Linda was finished drying her hair, and they both left the bedroom. Joe went into the living area, where Jay was sitting looking at his auto parts. He grinned when he saw Joe, wearing the cute tank top.

"Hey, nice balloons," Jay teased.

"Linda made me buy it," Joe protested. "I told her it was too cute."

"You really do look good in it Joe," Jay said.

"I think it's a little too feminine," Joe complained.

"Well, if you've got it, flaunt it," Jay said. He said that a lot.

"I've got it, I guess, but I'm not ready to flaunt it," Joe said, grinning at his buddy. "Let's see that stuff."

Jay gave him the box of parts. Actually, it was one small part, and a little manual describing what the chip did, and how to install it. "This will only take a few minutes to put in," Joe said.

Linda came into the room, and when she saw them looking at the parts, she shook her head. "Barb and I will do the steaks, if you two want to work on that darn car," she said.

"Joe says it will only take a few minutes," Jay said. "We'll be finished before you have the steaks on the grill."

"Get going, then," Linda said.

"I hope you brought some tools," Joe said. "I don't have any here."

"I have the small tool kit that I always carry in the car," Jay said.

"As long as it has a phillips screwdriver, I think it will work," Joe returned.

They walked out to Jay's car. Jay opened the hood, and gave Joe a little canvas bag, his tool kit. Joe opened the bag, and searched until he found a screwdriver. He bent over the fender, and unscrewed the lid of the small black box which contained the fuel injection computer. The position was awkward, and Joe, who was smaller now, found it difficult to reach the box without difficulty. He had to stretch to reach the assembly. He got the lid off, and started removing the old ROM.

"Get me a flat blade screwdriver, would you please?" Joe asked.

Jay was standing there, bending over, and watching, but he did not move. Joe looked up from the fuel controller, at Jay. He saw that Jay was watching him. He looked down, and saw what was holding Jay's interest so completely. From Jay's position, he had a perfect view down the neck opening of Joe's tank top. The large and loose opening allowed Jay an unobstructed view of Joe's breasts. Jay's face turned red when he saw Joe caught him. Joe just grinned at him, and stood up beside the car.

"They're pretty nice, aren't they?" Joe teased.

"Well, yeah... I mean... I... Damn it, Joe. I'm sorry, but I just couldn't resist looking," Jay stammered an apology.

"I understand, Jay," Joe said "I feel the same way sometimes, and it's my own body."

"What's it like?" Jay asked. "What does it feel like... to have a woman's body? You know... breasts and everything?"

Joe went to Jay's side of the car. He looked around. There was nobody else around. Linda and Barb were inside the patio wall. He and Jay were alone. Joe pulled his top up, exposing his bra covered breasts. Jay's eyes became as big as saucers, as he watched his buddy. Joe reached down and unhooked the catch between his breasts, and pulled the shiny bra cups apart, baring his chest. His full nipples quickly became erect and hardened to little points as they were exposed to the slight breeze. Joe was as amazed as Jay at how they reacted.

"What do you think?" Joe asked his confused buddy, as he held the bra open so that Jay could get a good look.

"Ah... err... I don't know," Jay stammered.

Joe interrupted him. "That's what I thought," he said, "and I feel the same way when I look in the mirror. Remember, in my mind at least, I'm still a guy, and I think the same thoughts you do."

"But... what's it like? Does it feel good?" Jay continued. "Is it better than before?"

"It's hard to describe exactly," Joe said, fighting to find the right words. "Yeah, I guess it does feel pretty good, maybe even better than before." Joe considered carefully what he was saying. "I'm still getting used to it, but generally, I have more sensation all over now, not just in my cock, which is gone, of course, but sometimes even it feels like it's still there. Especially when I'm turned on."

"What turns you on... now?" Jay asked, genuinely curious.

"Same thing that turns you on old buddy," Joe said, as he fastened his bra, and pulled his top down. "I'm just now getting over a boner nobody can see, but that I sure can feel, that I got when I saw Barb's bare beaver." He winked at Jay.

"Barb showed you that?" Jay said, amazed.

"She didn't SHOW it to me. I saw it when we changed clothes," Joe told his buddy, who was beginning to show signs of envy, as well as an erection powerful enough to rip his pants!

"I'm amazed she undressed in front of you," Jay went on.

"She was nervous around me at first, but when she saw how I looked in MY birthday suit, I guess she accepted me as a girl," Joe said, grinning at Jay's embarrassment.

"You lucky dog," Jay said. "You're living a voyeur's dream."

"It may sound neat, but I can assure you, it's not that great," Joe explained. "I look like this all the time, and I have to learn to relate to everybody in a different way. Even you." Joe pointed at the bulge at Jay's crotch. "I'm just beginning to realize I may never get back to normal."

"Does that scare you?" Jay asked, as he arranged his pants.

"How would you feel, if you woke up one morning, and found your cock missing, replaced with a beaver and boobs, and it seemed unlikely you would ever be a complete man again?" Joe answered with the question that was now haunting him almost constantly.

"I think I understand Joe, and I promise to help as much as I can," Jay assured him.

"Well, okay then, let's work on your car," Joe said. "Look if you want, but try to keep your mind on the task at hand." He hit Jay on the shoulder with his fist.

Joe put the ROM chip into its socket. He put the cover back on the computer, and screwed the lid back on. It was time to test the installation. "Okay, get in and start it up" he said. "If it runs, we'll give it a drive."

Jay got in, and cranked the engine. It fired immediately. He blipped the throttle, and motioned for Joe to get in. "Let's try it on the road," he said, eager to drive it.

"Okay, but be careful," Joe warned. "I don't want to get stopped, or brought in for questioning just because I'm with you while you terrorize the neighborhood."

"Don't worry about that," Jay said, as Joe got in, and clicked his seat belt about him.

Jay quickly turned around and went down Linda's driveway. When he reached the road, he turned right, and his tires chirped, as he went through the lower gears.

"Can you tell any difference?" Joe asked.

"I think it has a little more low end, but I'm not sure," Jay replied. "We'll have to run each other on canyon road"

"Like hell we will!" Joe exclaimed. "Maybe when I match my drivers license again, but not before."

"Let's go back," Joe said. He did not like the attention they were receiving, driving crisply around the neighborhood in a red Porche.

Jay drove back to Linda's. Joe was glad to be back. The bumpy ride in the Porche, which was fitted with competition suspension, alerted Joe that he had to pee again. No matter what he was doing, things were different now.

Joe and Jay went back to the patio, where Linda and Barb were putting the steaks on the grill. Linda looked at Joe, who had some dirt on his hands. Jay kept his car immaculate, but it was not possible to work on it without getting a little dirty. Joe grinned sheepishly.

"No matter what happens, it seems you can't keep a guy from getting his hands dirty," Linda said.

Joe went inside and washed his hands in the bathroom. He pulled his shorts down, sat, and urinated. The sensation again made him aware if his new genitalia, and when he finished, he stood up, and rather than pull up his underwear and shorts, he went to the mirror, and looked at himself. His pubic area again looked completely different. Linda had trimmed the soft hair so close that now he could easily see his genital cleft. The sight of it in the mirror again made him interested in his new body.

As he looked, he could feel the first signs of arousal. He began to sense what felt like an erection, but he knew that was impossible. He touched his pubic hair, and then spread apart the sensitive folds. He could see what was probably his clitoris. He touched the small bit of tissue, and was amazed to find that it felt exactly as if he had touched his penis.

"No wonder I can feel an erection," he thought. "I still have the same nerves. I still have my penis. It's just that now it's just a quarter inch long."

Again, he considered his situation. Looking at himself, he wondered what it would be like if the doctors were to make him look like a man again. Would it feel like before? That seemed unlikely, since he figured that there would have to be some big changes, and nerves, which he was still using now, were what made him feel the necessary sensations. They would probably have to be cut or modified. He knew enough about biology to realize that it was difficult to perform surgery without destroying sensation. Did he want to lose the feelings he now experienced, to get back only a mock up of what he once was? He pulled up his panties and shorts, and after touching a breast lightly with his hand, he checked his short hair in the mirror, and decided he was ready to go back out.

Joe walked back out to the patio. Linda and Barb had put the steaks on the grill, and Jay was standing by it watching them cook. He motioned for Joe to come over.

"How do you want your steak?" Jay asked.

"Medium rare," Joe replied.

"Okay, I didn't know your taste buds changed too," Jay said, and winked at his pal.

"You'll be one of the first to know if they have," Joe said.

Linda was bringing out some vegetables and a bowl of macaroni salad. Barb had a table cloth for the table by the pool. Joe went over, and helped her put it on the table. Linda put the things she carried on the table.

"Joe, would you help bring out some forks, and steak knives?" Linda asked. "Barb and I will set the table."

Joe went inside and found the forks, and brought out four steak knives. He took them out and arranged them with the plates that Linda put on the table.

Soon the steaks were done, and they all sat at the table eating, and joking with each other about the pool, and the quality of the Jay's cooking.

Before long, it was evening. They all moved inside, to sit and talk and listen to music. At about ten, Jay and Barb said they had to go, and they said their goodbyes. Joe and Linda were alone again.

"I don't know about you, but I'm beat," Linda said.

"Yeah. I'm tired too," Joe said, "and I can still feel that sunburn, too."

They went into Linda's bedroom, and undressed. Linda pulled the sheet back, and lay down. Joe lay next to her, and looked into her eyes. "What will become of us?" he asked her.

"I wish I knew, Joe," Linda said. "It will all work out though."

He held out his arms, and she wrapped hers around his shoulders. They went to sleep in each other's arms.