American Girl Ch. 02

"But you can just... you know. There are places overseas where you can go and get surgery and hormones," Michelle whispered looking carefully around the quiet bar.

"I know that but I promised myself I'd do it this way and have my psychiatrist confirm that the feelings and urge I have to transition are real. I don't want to go to Mexico or Asia and come back a woman and then find I've made a huge mistake," Crystal said sagely.

"That's noble of you. I couldn't wait. I went abroad and had the procedures and came back and had to go through the process of changing my identity. I got a good lawyer and on all of my identity documents except my birth certificate I'm identified as female," Michelle explained.

"Transforming cost me my friends and family. No one from my old life wants anything to do with me and my family have disowned me. My tribe is now with the gays and other transwomen," Michelle said, speaking sadly.

"Now a question for you. Have you fully transitioned? Is that real or that a very good tuck?" Crystal glanced down at Michelle's crotch and grinned.

Michelle laughed raucously, causing some of the clientele to turn their way and admire the two heavily made-up women dressed in dance attire sitting at the corner of the bar.

Michelle reached out and squeezed Crystal's forearm gently.

"It's a tuck honey. That's why I'm working in Vegas as a showgirl. As soon as I've saved enough money I'm going to get vaginoplasty and that's me done," Michelle said with some finality.

"Look you're young. What are you? Early twenties? I'm only twenty-five myself. My tentet is to enjoy life while you can so don't wait too long to transition if you feel it's right for you. Leave the bottom surgery until last and then if it turns out that you were wrong about your identity you can always transition back. I've known a couple of queens who have done it," Michelle said sagely.

"Is the lecture over now? Can we have a real drink?" Crystal took Michelle's hand in hers and kissed the back of it overdramatically and grinned.

Michelle laughed raucously again and nodded.

"Two gin and tonics here please barman," she called out.

"And I'm paying," a middle-aged lothario called out as he weaved his way through the chairs and tables followed by two other men.

"Like moths to a flame," Michelle chuckled.

"That is one advantage of being a woman. You never pay for your drinks," she said and they both laughed.

*****

Las Vegas Nevada, March 1985

Crystal had no real interest in establishing a relationship with Michelle Dupree but when she made her daily report to Steven Boland, always from a public payphone, he advised Crystal to befriend Michelle but of course to keep their relationship perfunctory. It would help Crystal's cause to have a friend of similar leanings and orientation. It was best that she was not seen as a loner which might draw suspicion in a town like Las Vegas where everyone partied.

Costumes were fitted, rehearsals were finalised and photographs were taken of the cast, both individually and as an ensemble. In-house marketing commissioned banners and advertising posters. A billboard was erected outside of the casino and flyers and posters were distributed throughout hotel lobbies, bars and restaurants along The Strip. The show was ready to open for its second season with Crystal Greystone now in the troupe.

More importantly the KGB operative working at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory reported that the Project Excalibur team were making final preparations to relocate to the Nevada test site to observe the Cottage test and Brett Beaumont was heading to Las Vegas to blow off some steam ahead of them.

Indeed Brett Beaumont was driving along the I-15 in his cherry-red Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme two-door convertible with the top down. He was blatantly ignoring the double-nickel speed limit posted on this stretch of the highway and was in flagrant violation of the open container law. He figured if he was arrested or incarcerated he would soon be released and the violation expunged because he was just too important to the nation's national defence program and he was right.

Brett was a frequent transgressor of both the law and the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory code of conduct but he was always given a pass because his brilliance and expertise in X-ray laser technology was unsurpassed. He liked to drink, gamble and fornicate and bend the rules. This was tolerated by the project directors but frowned upon by the military and government agencies involved in the project who considered him a security risk.

Brett Beaumont knew about the security detail that followed him whenever he was working on Project Excalibur outside of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory complex but so long as the contracted security agent remained discreet and did not interfere with Brett's fun he didn't care. In his own head he was a white night or Shakespeare's 'Hal' whose inordinate and low desires and yearning for ale-houses and brothels hid portents of a man destined for greatness on the world's stage.

In other words Brett Beaumont was a brilliant narcissist hell-bent on lechery.

He arrived at the Stardust Resort and Casino, dropped his car with the valet and breezed through the VIP check-in and promptly fell asleep on the enormous bed and slept off a twenty-four binge which included drinking a fifth of Jack Daniel's Old No.7 Tennessee Whiskey during the long drive.

Brett woke up ravenous and had a late breakfast in his suite washed down with two Bloody Marys then he went down to the gaming rooms and won, and then he lost, and then he won again. He also won the admiration of the cocktail waitresses and dealers who he tipped very handsomely.

He went back to his room to change for dinner and found that the concierge had left an envelope containing a complementary ticket for the Boys Will Be Girls Spectacular. He inspected the accompanying flyer and thought it would be fun to see the troupe of female impersonators. If the pictures on the flyer did them any justice the female impersonators were unclockable as anything other than beautiful women. This could be very interesting, thought the man whose tastes in bed partners were very eclectic.

Crystal had simply bribed the concierge at the Stardust with cash to have the ticket sent to Brett's room. The concierge had wanted a blowjob too and Crystal promised him one if Brett attended the show.

Brett entered the The Envoy Cabaret at the Ambassador Hotel and was led to his seat at a small intimate table just as the house lights dimmed. He drank champagne, suffering through the support acts and then the Spectacular began. The women were indeed beautiful with their pretty faces, coiffed hair, cinched waists and long legs; there was no way to tell them from the real thing. In fact some of them were uber-feminised, almost too realistic, like mannequins or life-like dolls.

Then Crystal Greystone came out on stage and the spotlight hit her. She stood still, looking down at her feet and then she raised her beautiful face and gazed at the audience. She was tall and her legs were long and shapely and sheathed in sheer flesh-toned nylons, she was wide hipped and slim waisted, her shoulders narrow. In the red satin evening gown, split to the waist, you would never guess that it wasn't a woman under that glitz and glamour.

Crystal began to sing Anyone Who Knows What Love Is and her eyes seemed locked on Brett Beaumont's throughout the performance. He felt as if she was singing the beautiful ballad just for him. She finished the song to raucous applause and blew kisses to the audience which Brett of course believed were all for him.

The other queens were entertaining and he was taken with Michelle Dupree's solo performance, she was the other standout in the ensemble beside Crystal. The closing number had all the girls in a chorus line, singing and dancing and Brett sought out Crystal and found her at the end. His eyes locked on her and she seemed to be smiling directly at him.

The show was completed with an encore and then the MC advised the audience that the girls were getting changed for a meet-and-greet and would be happy to mingle with the audience to have their photographs taken and sign autographs. It was another scam conjured up by Fred Winebrow to milk every penny from the performers. The girls didn't receive any of the profits from the meet-and-greet but it was compulsory, the obligation buried in the fine print of their contracts.

Those queens who moonlighted as hookers saw it as an opportunity to pick up a john but to the others it was a chore and being opening night with the new line-up, a big crowd had remained behind for the meet-and-greet.

Crystal came out in a black mini-skirted cocktail dress with sheer shiny flesh-toned pantyhose and black fuck-me pumps, her makeup heavy, her shag bob styled with burgundy highlights faming her pretty face. As the newest member of the ensemble she drew a lot of attention, posed for a lot of photographs and signed a lot of autographs for men who were very handsy and women who were jealous of her.

Brett Beaumont hung back and bided his time waiting for most of the crowd to disperse. When Crystal was finally alone he made a beeline for her but just before he got to her Crystal was approached by another member of the ensemble, a pretty girl from the review of similar build to Crystal with pixie-cut cherry-red hair with copper highlights and swept bangs. She had a school-girl body shape with narrow shoulders and hips and long shapely legs. Her silver lame mini-dress clung to her leggy frame. Brett recognised her from the performance and she and Crystal were talking animatedly.

He was not perturbed and broke into the conversation and introduced himself.

"Professor Brett Beaumont ladies, may I say that you were both spectacular," Brett said by way of introduction.

Crystal lowered her eyes demurely, smiled and whispered thank you. Michelle just glared at him.

"Rather rude of you Mister Beaumont, my friend and I were having a private conversation," Michelle gave him a sardonic grin, deliberately using the title 'Mister' rather than 'Professor'.

"You're Crystal Greystone and you're Michelle Dupree, at least according to this advertising flyer," Brett waved the flyer like it was a fan.

"As I said, we are having a private conversation," Michelle glared at Brett's impertinence.

"I paid extra for the meet-and-greet so therefore I expect to meet and greet you missy," Brett snapped back.

Crystal was pissed at Michelle; this was not how her first meeting with Brett Beaumont was supposed to play out but she didn't show any emotion.

"Excuse me Michelle. Follow me over here Professor Beaumont and you can have your meet-and-greet and autograph and I'll have the photographer take a picture of us together should you so desire," Crystal took Brett's hand and led him to a quiet corner leaving Michelle fuming at being snubbed.

"Professor Beaumont is my father, please call me Brett," Brett smiled at Crystal and openly gawped at her from head to toe.

"Are sure you're not a girl," he smiled at Crystal like schoolboy would smile at a girl he fancied in homeroom.

"I'm whatever you want me to be Brett. The term transgender woman is becoming popular, some call me a transsexual, others call me names I'd rather not repeat," Crystal smiled at him wryly.

"Michelle and I live full-time as women, the other girls only dress like women to perform," Crystal further explained.

"But you called them girls?" Brett looked a little confused.

"When they are in drag, presenting enfemme, they call each other girls. It's confusing to outsiders but not to us," Crystal took Brett's flyer from him and scribbled a practiced signature on it that was nothing like her real signature.

A handwriting analyst would have a hard time matching the signature to Kyle Gordon's handwriting. Crystal would have to play a delicate game. If things worked out as she hoped, it would be impossible for her not leave evidence of her interaction with Brett Beaumont, but she intended to leave as little as possible.

"Why don't we blow this scene honey? You wanna go and get a drink?" Brett smiled at Crystal, focussing his charm on her.

Crystal looked around and saw that most of the other performers had left, some of them in the company of male patrons. Fred Winebrow stood off to one side dressed in a threadbare tux looking like a caricature of Batman's The Penguin nursing a drink and taking in every nuance. He'd know which of the girls had picked up johns out of the crowd.

"I'm just going to be up front about this Brett just so your expectations are managed. I don't moonlight as a hooker," Crystal looked him in the eyes.

Brett gave her what her hoped was his best killer grin.

"I'm just asking you to join me for drink Crystal. We can take it from there, play it by ear so to speak," his eyes sparkled.

There was no doubt that Brett Beaumont was handsome, confident and used to getting his way. It was also evident that he had money, his suit was expensive and meticulously tailored, his fingernails were manicured and his hair cut and styled perfectly. His gold cufflinks and tiepin were embellished with emeralds and his shoes were designer. A lot of women would have found all that glitz attractive and many a girl had undoubtedly succumbed to his charm and his killer smile.

"Sure; we can go for a drink," Crystal picked up her handbag and he guided her though the thinning crowd to the door and into the lobby.

The casino staff hailed Brett a town car and be tipped the valet generously and held the door for Crystal and appreciated the acres of leg she displayed getting into the back seat. They chatted pleasantly about the show as the car made its way to the Stardust Resort and Casino where Crystal knew that Brett was staying but he had failed to mention to her. They were just going for a drink but the venue just happened to be at Brett's hotel. Crystal smiled to herself, Brett was hedging his bets.

They drank champagne in the Starlight Lounge, Brett sipping not gulping because he was hoping to score and wanted make sure he could perform. Crystal let Brett lead the conversation which moved on from the show and focussed on her and she provided him with a backstory that would stand up to investigation. Crystal had spotted the tail at the The Envoy Cabaret and he had followed them and was sitting far enough away from them not to attract attention but close enough to keep them under surveillance.

Crystal assumed that the tail was Secret Service, US Marshal Service or possibly a private contractor. In any event he wasn't trying too hard to be inconspicuous. It was most likely the case that the assigned security service wanted foreign operatives to know that Beaumont had security assigned to him to warn them away.

Crystal deliberately stayed away from questioning Brett as to what he was doing in Las Vegas and what he did for a living; she let him assume that she assumed that he was just another business professional in town for good time. She knew that someone with Brett's ego wouldn't be able to wait too long without talking about himself.

"You haven't asked me any personal questions Crystal, all we have spoken about is you. Aren't you interested?" Brett finally went there.

"Let me guess," Crystal smiled at him a little cheekily and seductively, her eyes sparkled and she took a generous sip of champagne.

"Businessman, but nothing tawdry, probably a banker or an investment or securities broker, possibly a high-end stockbroker or something corporate? Am I even close?" Crystal grinned.

"Nowhere near it," Brett chuckled.

"I'm a scientist. A very special kind of scientist," Brett said soberly.

"Never!" Crystal looked appropriately impressed.

"Wait! Are you an inventor? Did you invent something that made a lot of money?" Crystal played the dumb showgirl.

Brett made a show of looking around to see if anyone was listening.

"Nowhere near it again. I'm a nuclear scientist who specialises in X-ray lasers. I'm in town to blow off a little steam before I head out into the desert to oversee some tests," Brett said very self-importantly.

"But that's all I can tell you. The rest is classified," he said smugly waiving at a waitress to bring them another bottle of champagne.

Crystal could see why the Government considered Brett Beaumont a security risk. He was using his position to big note himself to a pretty young showgirl whom he had only just met. Crystal went goo-goo eyed and behaved like she was suitably impressed.

"Should we take this second bottle up to my room?" Brett asked, putting his hand on Crystal's knee.

He wasn't much of a seducer. He was blunt and over-confident but that suited Crystal's purpose.

"I have rehearsals at nine tomorrow and it's already late but I suppose I can come up for one drink," Crystal gave him her best killer smile and Brett grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Brett tipped the waitress and asked her to have the champagne sent up to his room and accompanied Crystal to the elevators. Crystal watched Brett's security detail look over at them and then look at his watch. The man would have seen Brett pick up Crystal at the meet-and-greet and made the assessment that Crystal was like a hundred other showgirls and hookers that Brett had bedded whenever he went gallivanting and as soon as he sure that Brett was tucked up in his room he would call it night.

In the elevator Brett closed in on Crystal and took her in his arms and kissed her. Crystal allowed him to do so and returned the kiss but not too passionately, just enough to let Brett know that she was interested.

Brett was excited. He'd never been with a transwoman before and this was going to be a little daunting but also exhilarating. This girl looked like a woman, she felt like a woman, she smelled like a woman but he knew that underneath that cocktail dress she was unique.

The champagne arrived just after he led Crystal into his suite and Crystal made the appropriate platitudes regarding how impressive his VIP suite was and settled herself on a white leather divan while Brett poured drinks. He'd taken off his tie, jacket and shoes and was relaxed, looking forward to a pleasant evening.

Crystal kicked off her heels and folded her feet under her and reposed, all the time checking the hotel room layout against the plans she had memorised. Everything was pretty much as per the floor plan, importantly she had caught a glimpse of the room safe under the writing desk and confirmed that it was the type that locked with a four-digit code. A quick scan around the room revealed that Brett might be loose with his tongue but he adhered to physical security protocols. There were no classified documents left lying around.

"So tell me, what's a nice girl like you doing a place like this?" Brett said cheesily as he sat down beside her.

"I'm being seduced by a mad scientist," Crystal grinned at him.

"How do you know my intent is to seduce you?" Brett leaned in close and Crystal kissed him.

The kiss lingered and soon tongue was introduced and they lay down on the chaise lounge and cuddled and canoodled. Crystal lay on her back and Brett straddled her, kissing her, stroking her cheek and then he moved his hand down her torso to her breasts.

"There's nothing there for you honey. They're fake," Crystal chuckled.

"They feel real," Brett smiled at her.

"The best silicon breastforms that money can buy; give me a sec," Crystal disengaged for a minute and carefully removed her breastforms.

"Now you see the real flat-chested me," Crystal laughed.

"You look like flapper but that's ok I'm a leg man anyway," Brett put his hand on Crystal's calf and stroked it.