The Perfect House

Chapter 3: Irene

Irene was Harold's elder sister by about twenty months. She was still living at home and working in the office of the family business - a large services company. She was amused by the boys' scheme and was willing to help.

Mrs Castell had responded to Harold's proposal for the change in personnel by saying that she would consult the owners and get back to him. They all went around to Harold's place (Irene was home) thinking that they should get started on Flor's change a.s.a.p.

Irene knew Florian, of course, but she still walked around him giving him a critical examination.

"Yeah, I can make you look great, Flor. You've got an attractive face so it's going to be pretty easy to make you look feminine. Now come on, stop looking so glum," she added with a laugh, "we're going to have some fun."

"You guys stay here, Flor and I are ascending to the conversion chamber, my bedroom."

"You've got nice long hair," Irene remarked as she sat him down on her dressing table stool and undid the band holding his hair at the base of his neck.

"Short hair makes me look too young."

She began to brush it into different styles. "You'll probably find it easiest to just use a ponytail, but in that case, you should get your ears pieced."

"What?"

"It will help, Flor, and it's quite common for boys to have earrings these days, why even Preston has a stud in one ear."

"I suppose."

"Okay, let's try some make-up."

"Oh, Gawd."

"You don't have to shave much do you?"

"Unfortunately, hardly at all."

"No, because your hair is fair and fine. Lucky you."

"I'm not so sure."

"Let's try lipstick first. This is how you put it on. Pucker up."

Florian looked at himself in the mirror. Even with just a change of hairstyle and some lipstick, he looked quite different, he looked more like a girl.

He shook his head, "Irene, we are probably just wasting our time. I doubt the owners of the house will agree . . ."

There was a knock on the door.

Harold called out through the door, "Great news, the owners have said okay. Mrs Castell wants to see us all beforehand; I've arranged for us to call into her office next Wednesday."

"Oh, shit," Florian expelled a despairing sigh.

He looked up appealingly at Irene, "I'm trapped, aren't I?"

She smiled grimly and nodded.

"I'll look a real dickhead if I don't go through with it now. Oh lord . . . (big breath). All right Irene, do what you will with me."