End - Dee and Me

Korri relaxed. Ms. Newid watched her carefully and noted, “I guess you know as much as I suspected.”

Brushing down the back portion of her hair, Korri shrugged. “I dunno what I know. Just enough to be confused, I guess.”

Ms. Newid slid her drawer open again and pulled out an item that looked like a bent, small walnut. She gestured to her ear. “Dee wears something like this all the time. It’s hidden in the ear. It’s actually keyed to a device like that illusion product I found you with.”

Korri stared at it and noted, “So, Dee has nanites on him all the time?”

She set the item on her desk. “After a fashion. This is actually very passive and precise, much like your uniform. But it tends to lock up if it mingles with other types of nanites. Nothing serious…but enough to be a headache. That’s why I don’t sell it.”

Korri moistened her lips. “Would you be willing to loan one?” Korri bit on her words as soon as they came out.

Ms. Newid’s eyes widened. “Oh?...oh…hmm. That would depend on the circumstances.”

Korri lowered her head. “Forget it. It’s a stupid idea. I’m not thinking clearly…”

A cough cleared Ms. Newid’s throat and brushed aside Korri’s voice. Resolutely, Ms. Newid inquired, “All I’m asking is…will this make Dee happy if I loan it to you?”

With her arms folded low, Korri said only, “That’s not for me to say. But I’d appreciate it.”

Ms. Newid replaced her fingers against her cheek and marveled at Korri. “To think how much you’ve changed in such a short time. And you still make me wonder. You may borrow this spare for as long as you see fit.” She passed the small device to Korri, followed by a larger unit with a small screen. Along with that, she gave her a booklet with directions.

She rose from her seat and Korri rose as well. She seized Korri’s hand before she could offer it. With a wry smile, she told Korri, “I hope you put it to good use. Good luck to you. Do take care of my niece. If you don’t, I’ll know.”

With that, Korri left and made her way back to the front of the store. She couldn’t see customers anymore and the lights were low. She approached the employee lockers.

Doors were marked for men, women, and those who’d been transformed to either gender. She knew to take the door with a little male stick figure with an arrow towards a female stick figure. But first, she had to get her street clothes from the men’s locker room.

She knew it wasn’t a big deal but it made her fidget. Taking a deep breath, Korri rounded the corner. Once inside, her knees seized up. She kept her eyes down and envisioned her locker in the room. It had to be three rows back on the top.

She turned and ran right into a half-naked man. She looked up at Max’s brown eyes and thick, black hair. Relief washed over Korri but she still curled her hands close.

She could see Max’s dense, firm musculature without his shirt on. He tapped Korri gently on the shoulder and asked softly, “Ma’am, you alright?”

Korri, trying a faint smile, nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Transformation.”

Max nodded immediately, released her, and said, “Don’t mind me then.”

Fortunately for Korri, Max was the only other person present. Korri went right to her locker but it wasn’t her locker. It had a pink lock on it. She stepped back and counted the rows. Max moved over to her and cleared his throat.

Her head turned. He held out the booklet and said, “You dropped this.”

She checked what she was carrying. She was only holding the earpiece and controller. Korri accepted it with a “Thanks” before going back to the lockers.

Max lingered and asked, “Doug Rivers?”

Korri gave a confused look. “Umm…huh?”

“Sorry, I was just guessing…Korri.”

It took a moment for her to recall that her name showed all the time on her chest. She corrected him, “Actually, it’s Jeff.”

Max made a little sound before saying, “Ooo…yeah. I heard something. You got reassigned. Is everything okay?”

Korri glanced out of the corner of her eye. Her locker was right there in front of her. Automatically, she turned the lock and opened it. Looking inside, she answered Max’s question, “I dunno. But I think it’ll be okay.”

Max gave a little puff of relief. “I hope so. Sounds like you had a rough one. It was quiet for me except for when my friend Norry called asking for something. I swear…that ‘girl’.” He finished with a little chuckle and slipped his shirt on.

Korri reached into the locker and fished out her possessions. It was a lot to carry but she managed without anyone’s help, despite Max’s offer.

Once in the vacant transformation locker room, Korri settled on a bench and set her items down. Slowly, she unbuttoned the blazer, revealing her pale undershirt. The curve of her chest showed clearly.

Pausing just a moment, Korri pulled her undershirt off from the bottom and over her head. Standing there in her bra, Korri felt suddenly nervous. Not nervous about her breasts below in a pale blue bra. Instead, she felt nervous about the moment the last article of clothing would slip from her body.

After undoing her ponytail, she hiked the pants down her hips. A tingling memory from her dream touched her anew. She clutched her soft stomach and reached around to undo the bra clasp. Without much trouble, she had it off and in a pile with the rest of her uniform.

Korri gulped, shut her eyes, and slipped off the last of her underwear. As soon as it passed her feet, she could feel a shiver and hear a faint sizzling in the air. Before she could take another breath, everything had changed.

As simple as changing a costume, Korri was Jeff again. He gave his hand a stretch and brushed his thin goatee but he didn’t dwell on his body. He just slipped on his clothes and made sure he didn’t leave anything behind. Then, he put the uniform in one of the lockers, knowing it would be taken care of by tomorrow.

Once outside, he made sure the controller, earpiece, and manual were all with him. He walked quickly. Turning down an aisle and slipping past a few employees, Jeff just gave a glance at the hallway to the Returns and Complaints Department. It appeared darkened. Dee had probably already left.

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Jeff continued to the front of the store, around the cash wrap area, and through a quick, stray nanite cleansing on his way out. A fellow employee gave him a wave, which he returned automatically.

The parking lot was full of cars worming their way past each other and people walking in all different directions. Jeff made his way against the current and over to his car, a small blue coupe with a sticker quoting Macbeth on the bumper. He reminded himself, again, to read Macbeth someday.

He leaned against the bumper and inspected what Ms. Newid had given him. The text of the booklet was too small to read by the glow of light poles and store signs. Newid’s Wares wasn’t the anchor of the shopping area but it did have a cozy corner at one end beside a glasses repair shop, a yogurt place, and a sushi restaurant.

Jeff stretched his back and thought back over his day. He thought back over what he’d said and done. He didn’t feel any more or less sure of any of it.

He carefully cradled his items and scanned the lot for familiar faces. All of it was a blur.

Time passed.

The current of cars and walkers slowed. Ease settled across the lot. The blue of the Newid’s Wares sign dimmed. Jeff stretched and checked around. He used the instructions as a soft container to secure the other items and leaned against his car again.

Slowly, he shut his eyes. In the darkness, a little shadow of himself imagined hours passing till his was the only car left in the lot. But before he could indulge this thought, a finger poked his shoulder and an unfamiliar voice said, “Hi, Cindi.”

Jeff opened his eyes and looked down at a girl in a navy windbreaker and black, denim jeans. She had Dee’s nose and a little of the curve of his lips. Her gaze was sharp with green eyes, just like Dee's. Her arms were smaller than he expected and her chest showed lightly through her loose windbreaker. She shifted on her feet, clapped her sneakers on the pavement, and brushed back a bit of hair. Her hair was the same length but it felt longer.

With relief, Jeff leaned forward from his car and asked, “Is that you?”

The girl shrugged one shoulder. “I’m Dee.”

They sat down together on the nearby curb. Jeff mentioned his experience with Ms. Newid. Dee sighed and said, “I really discount the idea she meant anything nefarious. She’s the kind of person who would open a store like this and just make it work any way she can.” She gestured towards the building for emphasis.

Jeff watched Dee and nodded back. “And, aside from all that, she gave me this thing here.” He passed the roll of directions, earpiece, and controller.

Shadows thick across her face, Dee accepted the items and smiled. “Yeah. I usually just leave it in all the time.” She turned around and moved her hair away. Faintly, Jeff could see a sliver of something showing. From a pocket, she pulled out a similar controller. She noted, “Typically, I just keep this in a drawer.”

Jeff clutched his hands and told her, “Even without those clothes, I still mean everything I said.”

Dee set the items in her lap. “I know. So do I.”

Dropping his hands to his lap, Jeff added, “But I still don’t know what that means.”

Dee leaned her head and laid out a hand. “Naturally, it means whatever we choose it to mean. Here.” She touched the controller in a few places and passed the earpiece to Jeff. “Just put this in your ear. I’ll show you.”

He took it from Dee and slipped it into his ear. It slid in easily. Once inside, it almost seemed to vanish. Dee scooted over and shared the screen. “It has a lot of customization. I’m making Korri, only with a more merciful chest.”

Jeff looked at the screen. It seemed like gibberish to him but he took Dee’s word.

She paused and asked, “You mind?”

Jeff shook his head. “I’ve been her for hours already. I don’t mind.”

With a press by Dee, Korri was sitting there on the curb. Her jeans were a closer cut than before and her top as well but everything felt familiar.

With another press by Dee, male Dee returned with a larger windbreaker. He looked over at her and she looked over at him.

Before Korri could comprehend her actions, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Dee. Before Dee could say another word, he kissed her on the lips. A warm rush full of fear and joy flowed through Korri. Dee calmly accepted her lips till they gently parted.

Her heart racing, Korri looked at Dee’s face, not knowing what to expect. With a smirk, Dee pressed Korri’s controller and kissed back.

The kiss had the roughness of his goatee against Dee’s boyish skin but the same warmth flowed again. A tickling nervousness filled Jeff at first, but the feeling of Dee’s embrace calmed his concerns.

When their lips parted, Dee pressed his controller again. With their third kiss, Jeff advanced. The softness of Dee’s lips against his felt instantly familiar but still unique after their first two kisses.

For their fourth kiss, Dee pressed Jeff’s controller once more. Dee’s touch was easy, slow, and embracing. For Korri and Dee, each kiss was different but each kiss was the same, shared between them.

[https://i.imgur.com/OSuLFPF.png]

Korri’s heart still raced after the fourth kiss, as Dee moved and put her slim arm across Korri’s soft shoulder and squeezed.

Korri lowered her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know if that was the right thing to do.”

Dee gently leaned against Korri and said, “It was our decision and I liked it. Did you like it?”

Korri nodded. “I liked it. But I dunno…”

Dee rubbed Korri’s shoulder. “I must admit…me neither.”

Korri sighed and asked, “What now?”

After a searching glance, Dee gestured with her head and asked, “Would you like to get some yogurt before they close? We can eat and talk.”

A slow, whispering wind traced along Korri’s hair. She reached over and touched Dee’s hand on her shoulder. With a quiet nod, Korri answered, “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Together, they walked across the parking lot to the yogurt place.

[https://i.imgur.com/1pAvywU.jpg]