Rent or Forfeit 28

Chapter 28: Clean up on Aisle 6

“You’re very quiet today,” Maddison said, dropping a carton of milk into her shopping cart. “Got something - or someone - on your mind?”

“No,” Tommy mumbled, glancing up at her through his thick eyelashes. “I mean… maybe. Ugh, it’s all so confusing.”

Maddison paused, turning to face him with a knowing smile. “What’s confusing?” she teased, noticing how Tommy had stopped a few steps behind her. “It was only a kiss. What’s the big deal?”

Tommy’s stomach tightened as his mind drifted back to the wedding a few days earlier. The memory hit him hard, and he flinched.

After tottering from the room in distress, Tommy didn’t make it far before collapsing at the bottom of the grand staircase. Hugging his knees through the material of his silky gown, he fought back tears, overwhelmed by shame and humiliation. That’s where Cameron found him.

“There you are, Are you okay?” Cameron asked, his voice gentle and caring.

Tommy didn’t respond. His mind was still spinning from everything that had happened. Cameron moved closer, sitting down beside him, and gently rubbed his bare back.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that. That guy’s an arsehole. He thinks he can treat women like animals. But, he won't bother you again, I promise.”

Tommy hesitated before slowly looking up. The sincerity on Cameron’s face caught him off guard. Sniffling, Tommy muttered, “I didn’t think you cared.”

Cameron smiled. “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier. I’ll be honest with you - when I'm around a pretty girl like you, I sometimes get a little shy.”

Tommy scoffed. “You? Shy? That’s hard to believe.” It wasn’t until the words left his mouth that he realised Cameron had just called him pretty.

“Well, I am. Believe it or not,” Cameron chuckled, glancing down. “Everything earlier was just an act. My brother Danny taught me how to act around girls I like. No girl wants to talk to a quiet nerd, but if you act like you don’t care, suddenly she’s interested.”

“That actually works?” Tommy asked surprised.

“Apparently not with you,” Cameron conceded, lowering his gaze.

Tommy shook his head, a small smile tugging at his plump lips. “Thanks for saving me back there.” Before he could stop himself, he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on Cameron’s cheek. The moment it happened, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Cameron’s face also reddened as he glanced back up.

“I guess you are shy,” Tommy teased, smiling for the first time since the incident.

“Well, only when I’m around someone as beautiful as you,” Cameron replied smoothly.

Tommy chuckled, covering his face with his hands. “I'm not beautiful."

"You are," Cameron said, his eyes locking on to Tommy's. “Can I get your number? Perhaps we could hang out sometime. Maybe… go on a date?” He added pulling his phone from his pocket.

Tommy hesitated. “Listen, Cameron, that’s probably not a good idea.”

Cameron’s smile faltered. “Really? Because I think it’s a great idea. What’s the problem?”

Tommy’s throat tightened. “It’s just… I’m not what I seem. I… I’m...”

“You used to be a man,” Cameron interrupted casually. “I know. And I’m cool with it.”

Tommy stared at him in shock. “Wait… what? How did you know?” He glanced down at himself, suddenly feeling exposed.

“Hey, relax. Nothing gave you away,” Cameron said gently, placing a hand on Tommy’s cheek and lifting his face. “Maddy told me earlier - after I told her I fancied the pants off of you.”

“And you still do? Now you know I’m not a real girl?” Tommy asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You look like a real girl to me. The most beautiful one in this whole place,” Cameron purred, leaning in slowly, stopping inches from Tommy’s lips.

Something about those words sent a strange, warm rush through Tommy. Without thinking, he closed the gap and gave Cameron a small, hesitant peck on the lips. When he opened his eyes, Cameron was still there, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Then everything seemed to slow down. Cameron closed his eyes and leaned in again. This time, when their lips met, Tommy froze for a second. His mind screamed that it was wrong - that he shouldn’t be kissing another man. Memories of that horrible night with Dom in the bar flickered through his mind. But Cameron’s kiss was different. It was gentle and patient. Tommy slowly relaxed into it, and, to his surprise, it started to feel… good.

They sat there on the stairs, lost in each other, kissing as the world around them faded. Neither of them noticed how much time passed until the sharp click of high heels echoed nearby. Quickly pulling back, Tommy's face burned with embarrassment as he looked up to see Maddison smirking.

“Oh, sorry! I just came to check if you were okay. I heard about what happened, but… well, I guess you’re fine now,” she teased. “I’ll leave you to it.” Before Tommy could speak, she turned and strutted away, a satisfied grin plastered across her pretty face.

Groaning, Tommy buried his face in Cameron’s shoulder. “Ugh, that was so embarrassing.”

Cameron chuckled, gently running his fingers through Tommy’s hair. “I’ve got nothing to feel embarrassed about. I’m proud to be seen with the most beautiful girl at this wedding.” He said before pausing briefly. “But if you want, we can head back and join the party.”

Tommy looked up at him, batting his lashes playfully. “Maybe in a minute, okay?” he whispered before leaning back in for another kiss.

“Things have gone too far, Maddy,” Tommy groaned as he leaned against the tall heel of his boot, his voice low but tense. “I need to put a stop to this before it's too late. I can’t keep living like this. I need to go back to my old life as Tommy. As a man!”

Looking over at her glamorous friend, Maddison slowly scanned him from head to toe before she crossed her arms, her expression hardening.

“I thought we were past all this,” she said, her tone caught between frustration and disappointment. “It’s okay to be different. It’s okay to be Tammy.”

Tommy’s jaw tightened. “But that’s just it, Maddy. I don’t want to be different. I don’t want to be Tammy.”

Maddison let out a sharp scoff. “Oh, really?” she snapped, her eyes narrowing. “Have you looked in the mirror lately? Because you could’ve fooled me.”

Tommy instinctively glanced down at himself. His feminised figure was wrapped in soft pink and purple layers. Beneath his long winter coat, he wore a snug turtleneck sweater paired with a pleated miniskirt. His legs, encased in sheer black tights, led down to towering six-inch platform knee boots.

“You could’ve thrown on some sweatpants to go shopping today,” Maddison continued, her voice cutting. “But no - you’re out here dressed to impress and strutting around on your stilts. Hair done, makeup flawless. That doesn’t exactly scream ‘I’m a man’ to me.”

Tommy’s cheeks flushed. “I… I didn’t really think about it,” he stammered. “It’s just how I’ve been dressing lately, I guess. And if anyone recognised me as a guy, it’d be like... really embarrassing.”

Maddison shook her head slowly. “You’re lying to yourself, Tammy.” Her voice softened, but the edge remained. “You dress like this because you like the attention. I’ve seen how you smile to yourself when someone checks you out. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Tommy opened his mouth to counter, but the words caught in his throat. Heat rushed to his face, and he quickly looked away.

“I… well...maybe a little,” he admitted quietly, thrusting his long-nailed hands into the pockets of his coat. “But that doesn’t mean anything!”

Maddison raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t it?”

Tommy looked over and pouted. “No! It doesn't. And Why are you being so mean all of a sudden?”

(See image 28)

“I’m not being mean,” Maddison replied, her voice softening. “I’m trying to help you be honest with yourself. I accept you as Tammy. And so does Cameron.”

Tommy’s expression hardened. “I don’t want Cameron!” he snapped, the words spilling out faster than he intended. His stomach twisted as he heard how defensive he sounded. “I want…”

Maddison tilted her head, a sly smirk curling at the corner of her lips. "You want me, is that it?” she pressed, her eyes narrowing.

Tommy froze, the colour draining from his face before it flared into a deep blush. His glossy lips parted as a small squeak escaped.

“You… you know?” he stuttered, barely above a whisper.

Maddison chuckled, shaking her head. “Please. You weren’t exactly subtle back in school. I caught you staring more times than I can count.”

Tommy’s gaze dropped to the floor, shame creeping over him, but Maddison wasn’t about to let it go.

“But I think your confused,” she said, her voice steady but pointed. “You don't fancy me. you want to be me!”

Tommy’s head snapped up, eyes wide in disbelief. “What?!” he gasped, the word catching in his throat.

“Think about it,” Maddison pressed, stepping closer. “At the hairdressers, what style did you choose? One just like mine. And at the wedding, when you were getting your makeup done, you told the artist to do it just like mine.”

“No!” Tommy shook his head, his voice rising with panic. “No, that… that can't be true.”

“Oh, really?” Maddison shot back, stepping in front of him. Slowly, deliberately, she took his hand and placed it on her left breast. “Does that excite you?” she asked, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “More than when Cameron had his big, strong arms wrapped around you?”

Tommy’s breath hitched. His hand jerked away as though burned. “Stop! Please,” he whimpered, his voice small and trembling. “Why are you saying all this?”

“Because I want you to be honest with yourself,” Maddison said, her tone softening as she let his hand fall. “I want you to be happy, Tam. And you won't be until you get things straightened out in your mind.”

She then stepped back, studying her crossdressed friend for a moment, her eyes lighting up as if struck by an idea. “Tell you what. Let’s settle it. This week, you’ll go on two dates - one with me, and one with Cameron. After that, if you still want to go back to being Tommy, I’ll support you. I’ll help you. No judgment. What do you say?”

Tommy stared at her, his mind spinning, tangled in confusion and doubt. He didn’t trust his voice, so he simply nodded, slow and hesitant.

“Perfect!” Maddison beamed, spinning back toward the shopping cart. Her mood flipped in an instant, back to her usual bubbly self. “Now, we just need a few more things, then we can head home and set things up with Cameron.” She glanced down at the shopping list, tapping it thoughtfully. “Wait… did we already pass the bread, or is it in the back corner?”