Rhys Jenner: Signing up
1. Life in Solva
Rhosalyn Jenner worried about her boy. Rhys’s birthday was coming up next week and yet he seemed listless. It was a huge contrast from the Rhys who’d come back from London with Anwen two weeks ago. Then he’d had a spring in his step and chattered endlessly about their visit to Bergman and Knightley. It had even replaced his usual talk about Sabrina Carpenter and Ellis Mee. He said very little about his overnight stay in the Premier Inn with Anwen and blushed when Rhos enquired. Anwen also said little but had a twinkle in her eye whenever London was mentioned.
Both Rhys and Anwen talked about the wondrous range of dresses and outfits at Bergman and Knightley. They made it sound like Aladdin’s Cave to Rhos or a brilliant neon lit palace. They talked about the helpful and pretty counter staff. Anwen also mentioned that there was a competition that Rhys was keen to enter but had been put off because the entry fee was so high. He’d spent his money on a pair of latex knickers and didn’t have enough cash left after paying for the trip and the unexpected London prices for their food and drink.
Rhys had gone back to college and his Saturday morning job at the Library. Rhos could tell he was finding it mundane after the bright lights of London. He’d stopped going out, not even to the Rugby Club for a shandy or two with the lads after their practice. He’d taken to moping in his room, listening to music. A few days ago when collecting laundry from his bedroom, Rhos found a glossy leaflet that he’d brought back with him. Rhos fingered the paper. It was slightly damp and flecked with tears. Its header read: B&K Boys Will Be Girls competition. Rhos read the details. She could see why Rhys was sad that he’d been unable to enter: winning would open up a whole new world for him. She checked the details. Competition held every two years. Entry cost one hundred pounds. She guessed that Rhys was trying to save up. Closing date for entries the first of August. Entries to be submitted in store, presumably, she thought, to weed out the no-hopers.
Now she understood why Rhys was so sad. It was the twenty-second of July. In a week he’d be old enough to enter the competition, but he’d never save up enough in time. Not to pay the entry fee and his train travel to London. Two years would be a long time to wait before he got another chance. A lot could change in two years, not that very much did in Solva.
After putting on the washing, Rhos sat down for a coffee and looked at the leaflet again. £100 was a lot of money, and there would the travel cost on top. Even going to the nearest Bergman and Knightley store in Bath wouldn’t help much. It would help a little but not enough. Rhos cursed that Bergman and Knightley hadn’t yet opened a branch in Wales. Surely Cardiff or Swansea deserved a store. There was one in Edinburgh after all.
Rhos fetched her bank book from the kitchen drawer. She checked the balance and the payments due. Provided the washing machine didn’t break down or the roof start leaking, she reckoned she could make things stretch. And she still hadn’t bought Rhys anything for his birthday. She settled down and started to plan her trip.
2. Bath Time
Rhos kept things quiet. She was dressed and ready to leave before Rhys came down to make his lunchtime sandwich. All she said was that she was going out for the day. She made it sound like another ladies outing. She’d sometimes gone on coach trips with the Solva Guild so Rhys didn’t see anything unusual. Sometimes she’d go shopping with Anwen in Pembroke or even Swansea. Rhys envied those trips. She didn’t tell Rhys that she wouldn’t be back till tomorrow. That could come in a call later.
Rhys wasn’t paying attention. If he had, he’d have noticed that his mother was dressed smartly: too smart for a trip with the Guild ladies. If she was going to Bergman and Knightley for the first time and representing Rhys, Rhos wanted to look her best. She’d put on her blazer, silk blouse and tight denim jeans with her knee high black boots, and dug out her rope of pearls, fake of course, to complete the effect. She wanted to look the part of a sophisticated B&K shopper even if the store was way beyond her price bracket.
She dropped her bag at the cheap hotel she’d selected near Bath station. It was only a short walk from there to the store. Rhos didn’t spend time looking in the window: she’d heard enough from Rhys and Anwen to know what to expect, or so she thought. She was relieved to see near the entrance that a competition poster was still up. She tried to look nonchalant as she walked through the doors. She wandered round the floor, her eyes growing wider with every step. She realised that however much Rhys and Anwen had extolled the beauty of the Bergman and Knightley store in London, being in one in real-life was even better. She’d never been anywhere like it in her life before. She could see why some people became devoted customers …. if they had the money.
Initially she couldn’t find what she was looking for but that didn’t worry her. She had all afternoon and she wanted to make the most of her time here. Simply being in the store was making her feel different. Moistly different as she walked past racks of pants and dresses, brushing her fingers against latex and PVC as she passed. She was looking for a stand advertising the B&K Boys Will Be Girls competition. Instead, what she saw was one saying FACE of Bergman & Knightley. A couple of attractive blonde girls stood beside a desk and placard wearing what she realised was the standard B&K uniform of simple short sleeved white shirt and tight latex below the knee pencil skirt. Rhos quite fancied one of those hobble skirts for herself but dreaded to think what it would cost.
they could see that her eyes being drawn to their promotional poster and little stand. She'd wandered across and even grabbed one of the little folders but didn't linger to talk. She went back to the racks but they could see her surreptitiously reading the flyers inside. She looked interested.
They resisted approaching her. This was not the time for the hard sell. That might come later. She was obviously a lady of style in her tailored blazer, tight jeans and knee length boots. Her boots had a comfortable heel height but with a nice buckle trim. A substitute for a spur they wondered. The biggest giveaway was her pearls. Nothing spoke understated opulence like multiple ropes of pearls. Nothing signalled a lady of refined tastes than a pearl necklace. A thick pearl necklace. Ladies of her quality deserved a pearl necklace. Ladies of her quality loved a thick pearl necklace adorning them. The hard sell might come when they wanted her out of those jeans and into some nice PVC pants.
They waited.
Rhos was still staring at the poster. The girls smiled at her. Softly, softly.....
She came across. She spoke. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Madam."
"I was wondering about this competition of yours?"
"Yes, Madam?"
Other customers came and asked for details. Most took a flyer but were put off: the entry requirements were high and the competition challenging.
"It's about the age range?"
"Yes, Madam. It's all on the forms."
"I know. But my Rhys is only sixteen at the moment."
Rhys. The girls felt reassured. At least this wasn't another mother or aunt trying to nominate a daughter or niece. B&K had standards and traditions to uphold. "That may not be an issue, madam. It's about age on the closing date for the competition. How old will Rhys be on the first of August?”
“He'll have just turned seventeen. His birthday is on the thirtieth.”
Both girls were enchanted by Rhos’ soft Welsh accent. “Oh, that would be fine then. Do you think he’d want to enter? He’s just got time. By the way, my name’s Francesca and this is Simone,” said the girl with the ponytail.
“Thank you Francesca, I know he would but I see it says you need to apply in person. Rhys won’t be able to get a B&K store in the next days. Do you think I could apply on his behalf?”
“Oh, that would be fine,” said Simone. “A lot of mothers submit applications on behalf of their sons or nephews.”
“Well, we do prefer in person applications,” interjected Francesca, but if you have a photograph of Rhys that you can show us , I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“Yes, sure,” said Rhos pulling out her phone. She clicked the power button to bring up her screen saver
“That’s absolutely fine, Madam,” said Simone. “My isn’t he pretty. Would you like a form?”
“Yes, please,” said Rhos, “I found you don’t include it in the folder. And a pen, please,” She added. “Thank you.”
Rhos turned to the first page of the form and started writing. She paused after a while in slight shock. “It’s asking about his Virginity. I really don’t know.” “You can write ‘Don’t Know’ if you want but do you think he’s been with anyone?” “I’m not sure. I think he may have with my friend Anwen when they went to London together.” “It sounds like that’s a Yes,” said Simone. “Ok. And what does it mean: ‘Orientation Preference’?” “I know this may be a bit awkward for you, but do you think he made love to Anwen or vice versa.” Rhos laughed. “Rhys and Anwen! There’s only one way that would have gone. Anwen has been fancying Rhys for quite a while.” “Sounds like you know your friend almost as well as your son.” Rhos shuffled awkwardly. “Yes, for a while. So I guess that means I need to circle ‘Bottom’.” “And if you think they got up to any hanky- panky that would have taken his Virginity, you probably need to circle ‘Receive’ too,” added Simone as Francesca gave her a knowing look. “Look, I’m really not sure,” said Rhos, though the more she thought about the glowing faces of Rhys and Anwen when they got back to Solva and the shy glances they now exchanged, she felt sure she knew the answer.
Both Simone and Francesca looked disappointed. “Does your son have any past experience of femininity, Mrs Jenner?” asked Francesca. “None at all, apart from letting me dress him as Snow White for a party once. He was so cute.” “I bet he looked wonderful,” said Simone. “Bergman and Knightley do our own Snow White dress. You may have seen it on one of Boy Mannequins when you were browsing. Of course ours is in latex.” Rhos paused from circling ‘Occasionally’ and writing some explanatory text. There was simply too much to process in what Simone had just said. “When you say ‘Boy Mannequins’, do you mean they’re done in the B&K Boy style, or that there’s an actual Boy inside each mannequin?” “The latter. It’s all part of the appeal of Bergman and Knightley to our experienced customers. They know that there’s a coated Boy inside every mannequin. Simone could Rhys Jenner Signing Up full v1.docx 10 of 7 see that Rhos was shocked. “Don’t worry, it’s all part of the training programme. I spent twelve weeks on the floor as a mannequin when I was an apprentice. I did latex dresses and then lingerie. I loved it. You really get to understand the store and the customers.”
the pop star and rugby posters adorning his bedroom walls and it came to her what her boy would like. She realised what he really wanted. What he’d always wanted. She began to write.