The Cold war 27

Saturday night

Ben stood in his room twisting and turning, studying his feminine reflection in the full-length mirror in front of him. He took a deep breath and felt a mixture of equal parts nervousness and excitement.  Part of him had been looking forward to seeing Jake all week but another part of him wanted to call and cancel, worried that the night would turn out the same as their last date.

“Are you sure I look ok”? Ben asked turning to face Irina, who was sat on his bed grinning at him.

“Well now that you ask, perhaps we should start all over again”, she replied, “you look terrible”.

“What”? Ben gasped turning back to the mirror panicked, "really"?

Irina stood up and walked towards him, placing her hands on his shoulders, “I’m kidding, silly, you look amazing, but you can see that yourself, right”?

Ben pouted, “that was so mean, you really had me worried there, I’m still not used to this new look”.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist”, Irina said wrapping her hands around his slim waist and placing her chin on his shoulder, “but seriously, Jake’s eyes are going to pop out of his head when he sees you in that dress”.

Irina felt Ben relax in her arms as she smiled at him, locking eyes through the mirror, “you don’t like your new hair colour"? She asked.

“I’m not really sure”, Ben replied, “It’s still so strange seeing myself with long hair, never mind all the different colours I've had recently".

“That’s part of the fun of being a girl”, Irina announced stepping back, “experimenting with your look and trying new things, besides if you don’t like it, we can always go back in a few days and change it”.

Ben scoffed, “something tells me you’d like that”, he replied turning carefully on his tall heels, hearing them clatter on the wooden floor beneath.

“Of course, I never turn down an opportunity to be pampered”, she replied smiling.

Ben turned back to face the mirror and looked at his long black hair tied up on top of his head in a high ponytail, “I guess the colour’s ok”, he said turning his head from side to side and feeling his large hoop earring gently tapping the side of his neck, “but I’m not really sure I like these nails”, he said lifting up his hands and fanning out his fingers to show Irina, “they’re way too flashy”, he added watching his new coffin-shaped French-style acrylic nails, sparkle in the light, the tips covered in a glittery diamond-like coating.

“They are rather loud, but they match your shoes”, Irina replied, "and tonight we're going for an all glam look".

Jake looked down at his nyloned legs, perched atop the tall black sparkly booties he was wearing, the pedicure he’d had earlier, poking out the open toe front, “I think I should change”, he announced, “this outfit is too much, people are going to stare at me”, he added tugging at the hem of his dress that barely covered his plump backside.

“So let them stare, If they do it'll be because they’re jealous of how gorgeous you look”, Irina said reassuring him, “and you’re going to a fancy restaurant, right? you can't exactly go wearing jeans and a T-shirt, oh, and tell me this, when Jake sees you tonight, what do you want him to think”?

Ben stopped his fussing and thought for a second, “hmm… I don’t know, I guess I’d want him to think I look sexy”, he replied, suddenly feeling embarrassed saying the words out loud and looking down shyly.

“Well, he'll definitely think that”, Irina shot back, “he won’t be able to keep his hands off you”.

“You think”? Ben asked looking up.

“Oh, I know so, girl, by the way, have you thought about what you’re going to do if he wants to do something more than kissing this time”?

Ben’s eyes widened, “I’m still not sure”, he replied softly biting his plump lower lip, “I’m not sure if I’m ready yet”.

“That’s ok, just take your time, Jake will understand”, Irina said smiling.

“I hope so”, Ben said smiling back, “I’ve never experienced things from the girl's side before, it’s a little bit scary if I’m honest, I have no idea what to do”.

Irina stepped forward and gave him a hug, “just relax and don’t put so much pressure on yourself, just tell Jake how you feel and let things happen naturally”.

“Thank you, Reeny”, Jake said his voice full of emotion, “I don’t know what I’d do without you”.

“Well, I am pretty amazing”, Irina replied playfully, “but hey, don’t you go getting teary on me, we’ve just got that makeup of yours looking perfect”.

Ben's smile widened further, as he gripped Irina tightly, thinking about how much things had changed in the last few months as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, perched atop pair of towering designer six-inch heels, stood his femininely decorated room, dressed a body-hugging mini dress with his arms around the stepsister who for years he had fought with, and on top of all that, he was about to be picked up to go a date with his best friend. If the old Ben could see him now, what on earth would he think?

Feeling calmer, Ben tottered to the living room to wait for Jake to arrive. Entering he found Elena sat watching TV. She looked up, “you look very pretty, Bunny, just like beautiful flower”, she announced.

Ben Smiled, “thank you, Mamulya”, he replied, before carefully lowering himself onto a cushioned seat opposite her, smoothing out his short skirt and folding his legs above the knee, all the while making sure not to flash her his panties.

“He come soon”? Elena asked.

Ben nodded, “yes, he should be here any minute”, he answered leaning down to take his phone from the handbag he had placed next to his seat, "actually, he's a little late".

Unlocking the screen, Ben suddenly got an uneasy feeling as he noticed an unread message. It must have come through when he was chatting to Irina earlier.

From her position opposite him, Elena watched as Ben stared down at the screen as his face saddened. Suddenly, the phone fell, from his hands, hit the floor loudly, and bounced away across the living room floor. Ben didn’t react, he just sat there motionless.

“Bunny, what is wrong”? Elena asked concerned, flicking off the television and leaning forward.

Slowly Ben looked up, his bottom lip trembling and with a sadness in his eyes, “he’s not coming, and he... he doesn’t want to see me anymore”, he announced in a shaky voice. He then quickly turned away, only to stare vacantly at the wall, deep in thought.

(See image 3.2)