Z is for Zoë

"Don't worry, Alan. We've spent a bit on your treat but not a lot. Do you trust us?" Marie had asked the night before the actual birthday day.

"Of course I do," was my reply.

"OK. So, you've got tomorrow afternoon and evening off work? No surprise call-outs?"

"No. Everything's covered. Bar a national medical emergency, I shouldn't be beeped. I should finish at two, and be home about half past."

"Right. I'll be round at about three. OK?"

"What about Jeff?" I asked.

"You'll see him later," she replied.

She was teasing me, but I didn't know why.

I arrived home from work after slight traffic problems just after a quarter to three. Marie was there already, she'd let herself in. We're emergency key-holders for each other of course. She was sitting in the lounge, sipping what she liked to call 'a Bloody Mary without the vodka'. She smiled at me strangely, indeed rather wickedly. There were several bags on the dining table behind her.

"What's going on?"

"We decided, Alan. Zoë should share today. I'm going to give you the make-over to end all make-overs!"

"Christ, Marie, you might have warned me."

"We decided not to so you couldn't chicken out. So, Alan, strip. Bathroom. And don't worry, you've seen me naked, in fact we've been way more intimate than just me being naked on that one occasion. I need you to strip so I can do this properly."

"Hell, Marie. What about Jeff?"

"He knows, and he also knows this is in a good cause. So, jump to it. No excuses. You know you want to do this. You said last week you haven't been able to cross-dress for months. Well, tonight's the night. So. Strip."

Marie was right, I had been suffering some sort of 'withdrawal symptoms'. They were the only people who knew of my secret, and I realised it would give them pleasure to do something like that for me. Basically, a very unconventional birthday present in return for a most unusual medical intervention. It sounds odd put like that but it made just a small amount of sense.