In a few weeks’ time
He really didn't want to go. He’d been looking forward to playing one of their new games. For the last few weeks they had been the highlight of his stays with his Aunt. Jane only needed to get out her make-up box and it brought out a Pavlov’s dog response in him, except his moistness wasn’t saliva. It had almost become a ritual: make-up and then dressing-up. But this time Jane had been persuasive. She wanted to meet some new acquaintance named Catherine and to discuss what sounded like a group of nuns. No doubt they were planning some sort of exchange visit with their churches
After much moaning from him, they agreed a deal: afternoon tea at Catherine's, some make-up practice and a cuddle when they got home, and going to see 'The Imitation Game' tomorrow. He didn't think it much of a trade since he thought his Aunt would want to see Benedict Cumberbatch in any case. He'd argued that he needed to see the film because he really wanted to find out more about Enigma machines although he expected Jane knew there might be other reasons.
It had been a long drive to Catherine's. She wasn't quite the matron of the Shires that he'd expected. For a start she was younger and had a brooding, sultry presence that Andy found disconcerting. At least that was how he tried to explain his need to rearrange his clothing at times while they chatted. It wasn't helped by sitting next to his Aunt on the sofa. Why had she chosen to wear one of her shortest leather mini-skirts and tailored biker jackets on a warm summer's day? She knew what it did to him. Catherine seemed to have similar tastes in heels to his Aunt. That didn't help either.
Although he tried to distract himself by gazing round the room and looking at the chintz furnishings, his eyes kept being drawn back to Catherine and, if he looked down, his Aunt's smooth crossed legs and the hem of her tight skirt pressing against her taut thighs. He hoped that neither lady noticed his squirming and the tell-tale signs of his discomfort. After the initial pleasantries, he hadn't been able to engage with any of the conversation though Catherine did say that he might like to meet Cindy later and they could chat in her room. Cindy. A girl: that would be nice. Hopefully someone his own age rather than these grandes dames. But there was no sign of Cindy. Apparently she was preparing tea.
He fidgeted on the sofa and kept glancing at the clocking ticking on the mantelpiece while the ladies talked interminably about what he guessed were ecumenical matters and logistics for the visit. It all seemed very, very boring.
By the time they moved on to discussing the nuns he’d given up listening. He got out his phone to listen to some music. Jane scowled at him as he put in his earbuds. No doubt he’d get chastised by her later, but he really wasn’t interested. Why would he want to know about The Sisterhood when he could be listening to ‘Love me harder’? That was what he needed: ‘Harder, harder, gotta love me harder’. When would it ever happen for him? However, his Aunt seemed to be showing rapt interest in what Catherine was telling her.
Eventually the clock struck three and Catherine said that it was time for tea. Andy removed his earbuds and slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket. Jane and Catherine were still going on about The Sisterhood. “The Sisterhood are very accommodating and take on all sorts of candidates. They are very attentive to details and they are very thorough with novices. Let’s go through to the kitchen and see how Cindy is getting on.” Andy did not notice Catherine hang back. It was his Aunt who guided him towards the kitchen. It was almost as if she wanted him to see something. “Let me introduce you to Cindy,” said Catherine. And there was Cindy. Andy felt his heart jump.
Cindy! Andy couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He just managed to suppress an exclamation of ‘Wow!” A pretty girl was holding a tray with tea things. A very pretty girl. A girl in a black maid’s mini-dress with short puff sleeves, lace trim, crisp layered white petticoats and a little white apron, a black bow on her head, black high-heeled ankle-strap sandals and flawless make-up. So Cindy was Catherine’s maid. He didn’t think he’d ever seen a prettier sight. She looked perfect. And what was more, she looked close to his age, though maybe a year or two older. She was a bit taller but some of that would be her heels. He wondered if Jane had brought him here for a spot of match-making? He hadn’t had a girlfriend for some months. He’d desperately tried to rationalise that: it had to be only because visiting Auntie now took up most of his weekends. But Cindy would be something else. He could already feel her tugging his heart strings: a girlfriend to yearn for. He felt torn. But what about Auntie?
“The Sisterhood is particularly good at training maids.” Andy was puzzled: an order of nuns training maids? It seemed most unlikely. Catherine continued: “I am sure you will have no issue with The Sisterhood, Ms Fullerton-Jones. Jeremy was unwilling at first but they assisted me with every step of his feminisation.” Andy couldn't take in any of this. Jeremy? Feminisation?
“Isn’t he beautiful, Andy?” said Jane. “Just think, that will be you in a few weeks’ time.”
“What do you mean, Auntie?” he asked.
“Surely you heard what Catherine and I were discussing? We went through all this.”
“Not really, Auntie. I know you were talking about parish matters and a group of nuns.”
“Nuns?!” queried Jane.
“Yes, nuns. The Sisterhood, you said.”
“Oh Andrew, you can be such a silly boy. You really have got the wrong end of the stick. You shouldn't have put in your headphones. If you’d listened, you’d know that I’m joining The Sisterhood and that I’ve booked you in for three weeks at their residential centre while I’m on my business trip to the States.”
“But Auntie, you’re not a nun. You could never be a nun.” He already knew enough about his Aunt and her preferences to know that.
“Don’t be silly. The Sisterhood is like, shall we say, a society for ladies.” She glanced at Catherine who winked at her.
“But….”
“No, buts. You can see what it’s done for Jeremy.”
“You keep saying ‘Jeremy’. That’s ‘Cindy’.” He pointed at the maid who was now pouring boiling water into the teapot.
“That was Jeremy,” interjected Catherine. “Now, he’s my maid and prefers to be called Cindy. But he’s still Jeremy. The Sisterhood has done you such good, haven’t they darling?” she asked her maid.
Cindy lifted her eyes. “Yeth, Madame Catherine,” she said in soft voice before looking at Andy and smiling.
“And you like being my maid, Cindy, don’t you?”
“Oh yeth, Madame Catherine.” Andy noticed the slight lisp in the maid’s voice. “I love it.”
“See Andrew. We can move beyond playing games. Soon I’ll be able to have my very own maid. Won’t that be nice for both us?”
Andy didn’t know how to respond. He looked up at his Aunt. He didn’t want to offend or annoy her especially in front of Catherine and Cindy. He looked at Cindy who nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Auntie,” he said and smiled back at Cindy. So what if it was Jeremy, he was very pretty.
------------------------------
“What did you think?” asked Jane as they pulled away.
“You might have told me,” replied Andy.
“You might have listened,” rejoined his Aunt. “Well?”
“Well I thought Cindy was lovely.”
“Yes, she was, wasn’t she?” agreed Jane. “It’s a shame you didn’t get time to talk with her. It’s hard to believe that he was Jeremy until a couple of months ago.”
“Yes.”
“And she seems so happy.”
“Yes.” Cindy certainly had an inner glow about her, he thought. “She seemed very content.”
“That’s how I want you to be, darling.”
Andy paused and went pensive. “About this thing with you and The Sisterhood. Do I have to do that?”
“Yes, darling. We can discuss it more when we get home.”
“OK, Auntie,” he said feeling slightly reassured. “And Auntie?”
“Yes, darling?”
“When we get home and you do my make-up ….”
“Yes, darling?”
“…. can I try on the leather jacket and skirt you’re wearing now, please?”
Jane smiled. As soon as he said that she knew she had him. “Yes, darling. Of course you can. You can put on your music for the journey home, if you’d like.”
“Woopie!” He synced his phone and Ariana started to boom from the car’s speakers.
He was such a sucker for short skirts, shiny leather, and high-heels. Once he was wearing her things, he would be like putty in her hands. Soft and firm. Soft and firm. She knew just how to tease him. If The Sisterhood could do that to Catherine’s Jeremy, they would be able to do a lot for her Andy in three weeks. Definitely enough to be ready for their trip to Paris at the end of the summer holiday.
Jane looks devastating in that tight black leather skirt suit.
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