Blindsided 19

Mightily relieved that the bank card in his possession had gone through when he tapped it against the contactless scanner at the supermarket register, Robbie had stumbled out of the store to make his bus with seconds to spare. Stepping on with his arms full of bags, the bus driver hadn’t even asked for payment! But that act of kindness was a rare moment in an otherwise miserable day.

Back in what was supposedly now his house, Robbie looked at his reflection in the full-length mirror and groaned. He was trying to find an outfit to wear out that night. But having tried almost every acceptable combination Ruby owned (and not liking any of them), it was decision time.

The instructions from Agatha had been vague, which only added to his anxiety. He was to make his way to a bar downtown to meet a man called Jimmy. And What he had to do when he got there was anyone’s guess. All he knew was that this Jimmy man was going to rate him on how sexy he looked. A five out of five rating meant he would be receiving a full vial of liquid that night. Four out of five meant eighty percent of his usual dose. And so on. It seemed a cruel twist to an already twisted game he was being forced to play. But as much as he wanted to throw on a pair of jeans and some trainers, given how bad he felt, shakes, cramps, stabbing pains, he needed a high score!

To make matters worse, there were conditions he needed to meet. Full makeup, at least two items of clothing that matched the colour of his new nails, and shoes with a four-inch heel or higher. Knowing that points would be deducted for each missed, Robbie scanned his reflection from head to toe. “Fuck it,” he said aloud, sick of trying on some stranger's clothes. “This will do.”

Grabbing a pair of flat shoes, he sat down on the bed to change out of the ridiculously tall but sexy boots he was wearing. He’d have to put the stiletto heeled footwear back on when he arrived at the bar, but for now, at least, he planned to be comfortable. Well, as comfortable as a straight man can be while wearing a little red bustier top and a tight miniskirt. At least he had Ruby’s car at his disposal. He had found the keys in a bowl by the front door earlier, and with Agatha not giving him specific instructions on how he was supposed to travel to the meeting place, he planned to take full advantage of what he considered to be, a stroke of genius on his behalf.

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Having found a parking space, Robbie slipped his aching feet back into the ankle-breaking boots from earlier. Feeling his calf muscles painfully stretch, he now regretted choosing the knee-length red boots but also knew he'd have to live with his decision.

Retrieving a lipstick from his purse, he awkwardly managed to unscrew the cap despite his long nails getting in the way. He then looked into the rear-view mirror as he puckered up to apply a generous coat to his inflated lips. Suddenly he paused! In a moment of clarity (after living most of the day on autopilot), he felt disgusted at what he saw before him. Shaking his head at the sissy in the mirror, he angrily closed the lipstick and tossed it back into his purse before clambering out of the car.

Thankfully, it was a short walk to the bar, and upon entering, he was relieved to find the place almost empty. With no idea what the man he was meeting looked like, Robbie trotted over to the bar, where he took up a stool. When approached by the barman, he ordered a straight whisky, knocked it back and ordered another before settling in for what he hoped wouldn’t be a long wait.

“Ruby?” A man announced. Upon hearing his new name being called out in a deep voice, Robbie turned.

“Jimmy?” He nervously replied as he looked the muscular man up and down.

“Yeah. That's me,” the smiling man replied. “I’ve got us a table in the corner. we can talk there in private. It’s over here,” he added as he pointed to the far side of the room.

Hesitantly, Robbie got to his high-heeled feet. “So, do you like my outfit?” he said, feeling ridiculous for asking.

“Yeah, you look great,” Jimmy replied as he looked the feminised man up and down.

(See image 28)

“Like five out of five, great?” Robbie asked as he wiggled his upper body to try and ease the pain in his shoulders and abdomen.

“Uhm… yeah, as I said, babe, you look great. But let’s talk at the table, yeah?” Jimmy replied, extending his arm for Robbie to take.

“Sure,” Robbie said, grabbing his drink from the bar before tottering past the larger man.

Arriving at the table in question, Robbie sat down. After wriggling around for a few seconds and failing to find a comfortable position, given the tightness of his skirt, he gave up and looked over at Jimmy through his thick extended lashes.

There was a few moments of uncomfortable silence before a frustrated Robbie spoke. “So… why are we here?” he asked, leaning back on his chair to create as much distance as possible between him and the hulking man opposite.

“Oh, yeah, I have a message to give you,” Jimmy said while nodding his head.

“Ok,” Robbie slowly replied, elongating the words while twirling his long-nailed fingers in the circular motion, gesturing for him to hurry up. “What is it?”

“Oh, sorry,” the muscular man said, “I’m a little nervous. I’m not used to doing stuff like this.”

“What stuff?” Robbie asked, pushing his thighs together and shuddering as the weird feeling of nylon on nylon sent a shiver down his spine.

“Going into costume shops and salons. Secret meetings like this one,” Jimmy said while extending his arms with his palms facing upwards.

“You did all that?” Robbie bellowed out as he angrily leaned forward over the table. “So, you’re in on it. You’re working with her?”

“Calm down, babe,” Jimmy replied as he leaned back. “You’ve got it all wrong. I had no choice.”

“No choice?” Robbie screamed as he slammed his fist onto the table. “Explain yourself?”

Taking a deep breath, Jimmy looked away glumly. “Well, It all started a few days back when I got a message saying my dog had been kidnapped. Of course, the first thing I did was run out back to check. And to my horror, I found a note stuck to Rover’s kennel, and he was gone.”

“Rover?” Robbie announced in a sceptical voice. “Not a very original name for a dog.”

“Really?” Jimmy shot back. “I tell you my best friend was taken, and you respond by critiquing my choice of name. Pretty heartless of you that Ruby.”

“Ok, sorry,” Robbie said in a softer voice after another moment of silence. “Please, continue your story.”

“Ok, apology accepted,” Jimmy said, leaning forward again. “As I was saying. I found a note saying if I ever wanted to see my Rover again, I’d have to follow the instructions given to me.”

“So, you’re not working with Agatha, then?” Robbie shot back, testing the man.

“Agatha, who’s Agatha?” Jimmy replied while pulling a confused face.

“The woman giving you the instructions. Her name is Agatha!” Robbie said, pulling a confused face himself.

“She told me her name was Jane,” Jimmy said while scratching his head. “But to answer your question. No! I’m not working with anyone. I’m just trying to get my Rover back.”

“Ok, I’m sorry,” Robbie said, shaking his head. “As you can see, I’m not acting or feeling like myself right now.”

“What do you mean?” Jimmy asked, again looking confused as he stared over at the tarted-up man across the table.

Robbie sighed. “Oh, never mind. But you know? Perhaps we can help each other out.”

Jimmy’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah! How so?” he asked with a smile.

“Well, first off, when this Jane woman you spoke of asks you how sexy I looked tonight, give me top marks, ok?” Robbie replied, feeling ashamed and silly as he spoke the words. “Then, if we swap numbers keep each other in the loop. Perhaps we can help each other out of this situation.”

As his smile broadened, jimmy took a piece of folded paper from his pocket. “Deal," He announced. "But first, I need you to listen carefully. I still have to give you the information about your new job. I’ve got it all written down here.”

“My new job!” Robbie exclaimed in shock. “What do you mean new job?”