I brushed my hair back and applied light makeup. I stood in front of the full length mirror and was surprised at how feminine I looked and, more impor...antly, how feminine I felt. I sat down to wait for my lover.Larry showed up right on time and knocked on the door. I opened it and let him in. Once inside with the door locked he turned around and told me he liked what he saw. I hugged him and he hugged back. We proceeded to stand there with his hands exploring me as our bodies pressed together.. How was school today?" I asked as gently as I could."It was fine." Well are you excited about your party tomorrow, Birthday Girl?" Sheseemed to loosen up as I asked, but she likely knew that her mother hadreminded me."Yeah, I guess. I invited Kylie and Jennifer over. And Brandon."Brandon?" Yeah, he's the guy I'm seeing." Oh, well I can't wait to meet him."The next day I was prepared. I was going to make it up to Claire. I wasgoing to get her the perfect birthday gift. I got dressed and left. " Quit being a coward," Andy said. "You knew someday you'd have to face her. It can be now and you can get it out of the way or it can be tomorrow and spill over to when everyone is here to watch it. It's like a Band-Aid, just tear it off and move on." I seem to remember you crying every time I would rip a bandage off of you," Camille pointed out."But I wasn't crying the next day," Andy countered. "She's here and she's pleasant. I ... I sort of like her." She's a very nice woman," Camille. ‘All yours.’ she mouthed through it before heading for the bed-room. While in the shower I let my mind wander, remembering the thrills I had experienced that afternoon, thanking whatever lucky stars had allowed me to meet such a wonderful woman as Hanna, and then thinking about what joys we would surely be sharing later. And those final thoughts, plus the memory of Hanna’s all to perfectly silky skin, prompted me to have another shave, beard-rash was the last thing I wanted to be guilty of.