I had just arrived for my lunchtime shift at The Grey Horse, the pub my Uncle Jack owned and managed, as I was taking off my jacket to get ready for work he took me aside.

“Joe, you have been extremely quick to learn the last couple of years that you have worked here, serving the tables and taking drinks orders and since you turned 18 a couple of months ago working behind the bar. I hope that one day you will take over the place from me, however I think it would be useful as part of your career development to spend some time elsewhere. A good friend of mine, Caroline Sharpe runs the River Lodge pub just outside the town, and she is looking for bar staff at the moment. It is a busy pub, often putting on cabaret nights in their big lounge. It is a bit more sophisticated than here and you could learn a lot about cocktail mixing and more expensive and international spirits. If you intend to make a career in hospitality it would be good experience for you. It’s up to you, I am not forcing you to go there.

“Uncle Jack, for various reasons, including periods of ill health, I left school with fairly poor qualifications, finding a decent job with no work experience other than working here it is proving very difficult. I enjoy working in the bar, meeting and chatting to different people and it seems like it could be a long term career for me, particularly if you intend to eventually pass on The Grey Horse to me. I’ll give the River Lodge a try and see how I settle in there, when does she need me to start?”

“There’s no time like the present, I’ll give Caroline a call to tell her that you are coming over to see her.”

It had seemed like a good idea, but as I hadn’t yet passed my driving test, I borrowed my sisters bike that she never used anymore and cycled over to the River Lodge. I hadn’t realised how far out of town it was and I was bit breathless when I arrived. The pub was not yet open to the public but as they knew I was coming the door was unlocked and I just walked straight in seeing an attractive smiling middle-aged woman, who I assumed was Caroline, in deep conversation with a man.

“Sorry to interrupt but I’m Joe York, I’m here to see Caroline Sharpe.”

“That’s me dear, I’ll be with you in a minute, there is something I need to sort out first.”

The man with her stared t me for a while deep in thought. “Caroline ,I have an idea, I think I may have come up with a solution my problem, can I have a quick word with you in private?”

I found a seat where I could watch for them coming back, passing the time looking through the picture window, watching the swans and geese on the river. I could just about hear the murmurings of the long conversation going on between Caroline and the man, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. After a while they came back and sat sat down next to me.

“Thanks for coming in and offering to work here Joe, your uncle tells me you are a very pleasant and sociable young man and have been working for him for a couple of years or so. I’ll give you a trial for a week and we’ll see how we get on. However more urgently, I have a problem which I hope you can help me with, or rather help Tony Merlin here. He does a magic act and is due to perform in the Lounge tonight, but his assistant walked out on him this morning. Would you be prepared to help with his act, otherwise I will have to cancel, which would be a shame as I am expecting a full house tonight?”

“Anything to help, what do I have to do?” I eagerly replied wanting to seem enthusiastic, thinking it sounded like it could be fun.

“ I can run through the act with you, there are not a lot of challenges for you to do, although there are a couple of tricks which will need a bit of practice. The big problem though, and this will sound a bit weird, is that the act is based on my assistant being a woman, do you think you could act the part for a few hours.” Tony took over the conversation.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I know that I am a bit shorter and skinnier than most lads my age, but I look nothing like a girl and there is no way that anyone would accept me as one.”

“Caroline and I have been talking and she thinks she could make you into a presentable girl, and you are about the same size as Louise my former assistant, her stage costume should fit you. Unless you are totally against the idea why not give it a try. Let Caroline do something with your hair, which she reckons she could restyle into a feminine cut and apply a bit of makeup so we can judge how passable you would be?”

“I’m prepared to give it a try, but if I look grotesque, like a man in drag, that’s the end of it.”

“OK , I’ll leave you in Caroline’s capable hands, and go to get my props and the costume for you. See you in a couple of hours.”

“Come on upstairs with me Joe and we’ll have a go at turning you into Josie.”

“Shouldn’t you be getting the place ready to open up?”

“It should be fine, we don’t do food on Mondays, it’s the chef’s day off, so we will not be too busy until about 5 o’clock when people stop off for a drink to unwind on the way home from work. Sarah should be here soon and she should OK to keep the place going until I’m finished with you.”

She took me into one of the bedrooms which was fairly cluttered with various bits and pieces, decorated in a definite feminine style and got started on changing my appearance by asking me to strip off my shirt.

“You are generally quite smooth skinned and fresh-faced but you have a bit more fluff on your arms and chest than girls have and I imagine your legs are the same. Luckily I have just got some depilatory cream and spray for my monthly clean-up, you have no idea what us girls have to do to keep ourselves presentable Go in the bathroom , wash and condition your hair, read the instructions for the depilatories and we’ll see how you turn out. There’s a bathrobe behind the door, put it on when you are done and ready for the next bit”

“Thats’ a bit more like it.” She said when I came out from the bathroom with my skin still tingling from the cream, you are almost looking the part already, sit down and I’ll see what I can do with your hair. It’s quite naturally curly, if I straighten it out a bit it should be possible to make it look fuller and longer and more feminine particularly if I then flick out the ends”. She messed about with my hair for about half-an-hour until she was satisfied and gave it a final spray to keep it in place.

Your face is actually quite good, pretty smooth skin without blemishes, there are a couple of places where in needs a touch of concealer but other than that I will just use foundation and blusher as I would on my own skin, or at least as it was 20 years ago. Jack tells me you have an older sister, no doubt over the years she has coaxed you into acting as her model to practice makeup techniques like many young girls do, and you will have some idea of the things I am going to do to you, so just sit back and relax. Right that’s your eyes done too, I am quite pleased with how you have turned out, go and have a look at yourself in the mirror, see what you think.”

I was shocked when I saw what she had done, looking back at me was a quite attractive young woman and I just stared at the reflection until she called me back.

“The length of time you stood there admiring yourself you obviously are happy that you look the part, I’ve dug out some of the clothes my daughter Marie left behind when she went of to university, this is her room.

I was soon dressed in a casual outfit of a blue linen mid-thigh skirt, a lemon scoop-necked half-sleeved cotton top which was quite clingy particularly over the bra and small breast forms she had fitted me with, along with tights, knickers and wedge-heeled sandals.

“There you are all done now Joe, or rather Josie, you are quite passable, and if you can keep up with that breathy voice you had when you first arrived, you sound the part too. Tony should be back soon, we’ll see what he thinks and whether you are happy to go on stage with him.

We were interrupted when there was a call from downstairs. “Caroline can you come and give me a hand we’ve just had a busload turn up?’ I assumed that it was Sarah.

“ Right Josie, while we only have a group of strangers in, it’s too early for the regulars, let’s see how convincing you are and jump straight into the deep end, go and help Sarah in the bar.” She grabbed my hand and almost dragged me downstairs. Where we found a queue waiting to be served.

“Ok Sarah, you take the far end, I’ll take this end, This is Josie, she’ll float between us until she knows where everything is, and help collecting the empty glasses.”

I didn’t really have time to think about what I was doing or how I was dressed, we were so busy for the next hour and a half until the bus crowd left, when the three of us sat down for a very welcome coffee.

“Josie, I have told Sarah all about you, and she didn’t believe me, dealing with the customers you were just so natural and it was hard to find any faults with the way you looked and were behaving You soon found out where everything was, seemed to know what you were doing, got on well with the customers and were a massive help. Thank you for jumping in with both feet like that, if you keep going like that the trial is a forgone conclusion.”

“You were great Josie I’m happy to work alongside you, you’ll have to tell me a bit more about yourself. You just slipped into life as a girl so easily, have you done anything like this before?” asked Sarah.

I had become so used to being called Josie in front of the customers that I didn’t even think about correcting her and Caroline, or reminding them that I was actually Joe and was just dressed up as a girl as a test for the magic show later.

“ Of course I have never done anything like this before Sarah, well not in real-life anyway. Although a few times I did take female parts in plays at my boys-only school. I was always smaller and skinnier than the other boys due to not fully recovering from repeated bouts of pneumonia when in my early teens, so when they were looking for someone to take the girls’ roles I was the obvious choice.”

“How did that go down, boy’s can be quite cruel when they think someone is weaker than they are to is somehow a bit different?”

“You’re right unfortunately, all my time at senior school my nickname was Josie and several times when I was in costume wearing girls’ clothes I was asked sarcastically whether I would fit in better at the girls’ school a couple of miles away, but I just laughed it off and ignored it, it would have been pointless to have a go back at them.”

“If you don’t mind me saying, they might have been right I can just picture you in a grey pleated skirt and a Peter Pan collar blouse with your hair in bunches.”

Our coffee time chat was interrupted by the return of Tony Merlin.

“Hello again Caroline, and to you girls. Have you got Joe looking half-decent yet, I can’t wait to see how he has turned out, but to be honest I’m not expecting this to work.”

“We’re just finishing our coffees Tony, I’ll go and get one for you then we’ll talk about Joe, just chat with the girls for a few minutes.” Caroline offered, leaving with a big smile and a wink to Sarah and me.”

After a bit of general chat with us, his eye l t up and he looked a lot happier. “I have an idea my dear.” he said turning to me. “I take it that you know about my visit earlier and that Caroline was going to try to turn young Joe into a passable substitute for my ex-assistant Louise. If Joe turns out to not be believable I think that you could very easily be a suitable replacement.”

“That could be possible Tony, I have appeared on the stage before when I was younger is school plays so I’m not too worried about facing an audience, but let’s hear what Caroline has to say when she comes back.”

“Well Caroline, when are you going to bring out Joe for me to see. If he’s not presentable I think this young lady here might be a better choice.”

“That young lady that you have been chatting with is Josie, she just started today, you might remember seeing her earlier, when she was presenting as Joe.” she quickly replied causing us all to burst into giggles and Tony almost choking on his coffee with shock. “I take it that you find her acceptable. Why don’t you take her off to run through your act and show her what you expect her to do, Sarah and I will get ready for the late afternoon rush. When you are finished with her and have set things up sent her back to us, we need her behind the bar.”

Tony and I went off to prepare but he couldn’t really concentrate on what he was doing, he kept looking over at me not believing the transformation that Caroline had done.

“Tony, we don’t have much time, we need to run through the act, do you want me to stay dressed like this or would it help if I put on Louise’s stage dress, it might make it easier for you to relate to me?”

He handed me the dress and I went behind a curtain in the dressing room for a bit of privacy. The sequinned belted mini dress fitted well, obviously selected to distract the audience from his sleight of hand tricks. When I went back to him he gasped. “Wow you’ll do for me Josie, but just in case I forget when we are on stage let’s call you Louise, it’s part of my usual patter. That dress fits you well but Louise was a lot bigger up top but I can fix that so it sits better, take it off again and I will make some adjustments.” He quickly reached into my bra and removed the small breast forms and replaced them with much larger ones, which felt strange pulling on the skin of my chest. “I Used to do a drag act when I was younger, and I knew that if I kept those they would come in useful sometime, put on the dress again. That’s much better and they even give you a bit of a cleavage. They’ll stay in place throughout the show and I can unstick them later.”

When we had perfected what was expected of me during the act, I changed back into my skirt and top and went out to help behind the bar. Telling Sarah and Caroline that Tony seemed really shocked at how I looked and was acting and we had a good giggle about how he had reacted when he was first told who I was. I noticed them looking at my chest a few times, obviously wondering how I had jumped from a barely noticeable A cup to a full B cup and developed a cleavage, but they were too polite to ask. As Caroline had said the late afternoon/early evening trade was quite busy we didn’t have a chance to talk before I had to go and get dressed for the show. Two more of the staff Rod and Jenny came in for the evening shift to work the bar, while Caroline and Sarah moved into the lounge where the show was to take place, with me joining them after the performance.

I was touching up my makeup that Caroline had put in a small bag for me when Tony came and sat opposite me.

“You seemed fine working the bar and were kept really busy. But I know that the last ten minutes before going on stage can be nerve-wracking and Louise and I had a calming routine we used to go through to help us both relax. Open your eyes wide and think pleasant thoughts, but keep staring into my eyes, that’s my girl.Your eyes are getting heavy, you may close them the now and fall into a light sleep, but keep listening to me. You are Josie, you have always been Josie, that is why you look like a woman, move like a woman, talk like a woman, think like a woman and feel emotions like a woman. You will keep all your lifetime memories but will remember them as if you were born and raised as girl. You will go out do the act and perform like a natural born woman. You will not remember this conversation, you will come back to me, feel relaxed and ready to perform NOW.”

“Oh, I don’t know how that worked Tony but I am raring to go, thank you for offering me this chance to join your act, I won’t let you down.”

I opened the act by announcing the imminent appearance of Tony Merlin and walked across the podium to a large cabin, opened the door to show that it was empty, closed the door and swung it round in a full circle, opened the door again and Tony walked out, savouring the applause before going into his routine of tricks. Throughout his routine my role was to provocatively sashay across the stage distracting people from watching Tony too closely. The finale was the opposite of the introduction where I went into the cabinet and somehow disappeared, before reappearing from the wings to take the applause.

I had a quick change before returning to the bar to help with the rush for drinks. Caroline and Sarah were really complimentary about how I had performed, and how convincing I had been as the eye candy.

“I should think so too I’ve had years of practice, us girls learn to manipulate our fathers and other men from an early age. It’s in our genes..” They both looked me quizzically, shrugged their shoulders and returned to dealing with the thirsty customers. After a short whileTony came over, had a conversation with Caroline and then left in a hurry.

“What was all that about? He didn’t even have the decency to thank me for helping him out, typical man, they’re all the same.” I asked disappointed at how he had just ignored me.

“He had a call a few minutes ago, his mother has just had a serious heart attack and may not survive, his father is distraught and he is rushing up to Scotland to be with them. He hopes to come back soon to collect all his things, meanwhile can you gather all his props and put them in the storeroom.”

“Oh, the poor soul, I feel really sorry for him, especially as I was thinking that he was just another rude and patronising man like many that I came across as I was growing up. Sometimes I think that their rudeness is just a mask to hide their weaknesses, thankfully we girls do not have to hide our emotions like they have to do.”

“Are you feeling alright Josie, you seem to be a bit confused?”

“I’m fine we had better get back to work, there is another one of those rude impatient men at the end of the bar waiting to be served, I’ll deal with him he looks the type that will calm down when served by a pretty young girl.”

“I pulled down the hem of my top so that it clung a bit more tightly to my breasts and walked over to him smiling sweetly, “Sorry to keep you waiting sir, we were just talking about the stock levels on the shelves, we don’t like to run out and keep people waiting while we go down to the cellar.”

“Sorry for tapping on the bar with my empty glass, I thought that you were just having girly chat.”

“That’s fine, we girls do like a girly chat as you call it, but there is a time and place for it, a busy night behind the bar is not one of those times.”

“You dealt with him really well Josie.” Sarah complimented me as she came over to support me.

“It’s easy, we girls learn how to twist the men round our little fingers from an early age, and as we grow older the wide-eyes, fluttering our lashes,. and swaying our hips really calms them down, it’s a lot better than arguing with them.”

After closing time Rod, Jenny and Sarah left for home leaving Caroline and me to finish clearing up.

“That has been a busy first day for you Joe, but you’d better get cleaned up and changed, get yourself off back home.”

“Do you mind calling me Josie, I have never really liked being called Jo, it always sounds a bit boyish to me. Actually I’m a bit worried about getting home, can you call me a taxi, we’re out in the country here and the way home is down narrow country lanes, a girl on her own is always worried late at night, feeling vulnerable.”

“Are you sure that you are alright Josie, you sound a bit confused, have you ever been attacked before.”

“Not physically but a few times I have been followed by groups of boys, making rude comments about my boobs and bum, it’s hard to run when wearing heels, luckily I have always managed to got home without being sexually assaulted or even raped, I always feel safer walking home with a group of other girls.”

“Josie, why don’t you stay here tonight, you know where Marie’s room us, have a rummage through the drawers and find something to sleep in then come to my room and we can have a hot chocolate while we clean off our makeup.”

I soon found my way to her room returning wearing a cotton sleeveless nightie with a deep v-neckline. which caused Caroline to stare at me.

“Is it OK to borrow this, I didn’t feel it’s right to wear any of the fancier ones, Was I glad to take my bra off, it has been nipping a little bit, I hope you don’t mind.”

“ No you’re fine Josie, we’re all glad to take them off at the end of the day and just let our breasts breathe and be natural. Do you usually wear nighties like that?”

“In summer I find them a lot more comfortable that pyjamas, which I keep for colder winter nights, besides I always think that nighties make me feel more feminine.”

“Before it gets too late do you need to let anyone know that you’re staying here tonight, we don’t want people worrying about you?”

“ No it’ll be OK, mum and Dad are away at the moment on a three-month cruise to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary My sister Laura will probably be staying over with her boyfriend, lucky thing, she’s always telling me that I ought to get out more and meet someone. If she does make it home she’ll go straight to bed and won’t notice that I am not there.”

“Right, get yourself to bed and try to have a good nights sleep , we’ll see how things are in the morning.”

When I awoke it was a warm morning so after rummaging through Marie’s clothes I put on a light summer dress and went downstairs to find Caroline working in the kitchen.

I’m just making up some bread rolls for the lunchtime snacks, if you give me a hand kneading some of the dough it’ll get done a lot quicker and we can then have some breakfast while the rolls are proving. There should be a spare apron over there for you, you don’t want to get that nice dress all covered in flour. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes thanks, I’ve been thinking that it might be easier if I am going to have late shifts, if I just stayed here for a few days while I get settled in, are you happy with that. I can’t find my handbag and I don’t like to keep using your make up and stuff, do you mind if I go off for an hour or so later to pick up some bits and pieces from the shops.. I won’t bother going home, a lot of my stuff I have had a while and it needs replacing anyway, May I borrow a bag?”

“Of course, there should be some in Marie’s wardrobe. Are you ok on your bike or do you need a lift?”

“It’s only five minutes to the stores, It should be no bother, and you have a lot to do. I’ll go after we’ve finished the bread and have had our breakfast, I shouldn’t take too long at the shops then I can help you prepare for the lunchtime customers.”

Mid-morning I wandered around the shops and returned back to the Rover Lodge with some clean undies, a make up palette, blusher, a couple of lipsticks, mascara, foundation, a big tub of moisturiser, two nail polishes and had treated myself to a new shoulder bag, a pack of tights and a comfortable pair of shoes for working behind the bar, all of which I thought would keep me going for a few days, along with all the clothes Marie had left in her room.

Caroline was in deep discussion with Sarah and they both looked over at me with worried frowns as I went upstairs to put my things away.

“Sarah, I’ve just been on the phone to Tony, he tells me that to make Joe appear more natural as Josie he hypnotised him into believing that he really is, and always has been Josie. Mentally Josie believes that she is a girl and is programmed to think and act like a girl, even changing all her memories of growing up to remember whatever happened as if she has always been a girl. Remember last night she made a few comments as if she was a girl and was thinking things as a girl would, It got even stranger later wither sitting there in her nightie with her breasts wobbling about since she had taken off her bra, as she said she usually did as soon as she got home.”

“What do you means ‘her breasts wobbling about, I thought that you had just slipped some enhancers into her bra? You’ve got me at it now, for the moment we are dealing with Josie and shall call her she and her, as we don’t know what will happen if we tell her it’s all a fantasy.”

“ Tony thought that the enhancers were not enough to fill the dress properly, so he has glued breast forms to her chest that he had from when he was doing a drag act. She is stuck with them, literally, until we can get some of the solvent. I must admit they did appear quite realistic the way they moved under her nightie. Tony said that his mother had died and he would not be able to get back anytime soon to get Josie’s mind back to Joe. It looks like that Josie will be with us for a few weeks so it’s just as well that she now effectively has breasts. We’ll just have to treat her as another one of the girls, she seems to have slipped into the role quite well and seems to think nothing is out of the ordinary, in her mind she is Josie. We are the only ones that know different, let’s keep it that way. We’’ll just have to make sure that we never use the wrong name or pronouns.”

“Hi Josie, are you ready to start work?” Sarah greeted me when I came back down to the bar. “I see you’ve changed, that summer dress was really pretty but your skirt and top are more appropriate for work. C’mon girl let’s get the show on the road, I’ll keep eye the bar, you go and help Caroline in the kitchen, I’ll give you call if we get busy.” The bread rolls had been taken out of the oven and were now cooling, so I started slicing up some ham and cheese, making a bowl of tuna mayonnaise, and washed some lettuce leaving it in a colander to dry off, we didn’t want wet lettuce making the bread soggy. Caroline had said that she preferred making up the sandwiches to order as it kept everything fresher rather than being wrapped for hours fouler clingfilm

“Did you get everything you needed at the shops Josie?”
.
“Most of my makeup at home is on its last legs so I just splashed out and replaced it all, I bought this pair of shoes too, what do think?”

“You’ve got good taste Josie they are quite stylish but look comfortable for working in all day. Anyway it sounds like there are customers coming in, go back out and help Sarah on the bar.”

“ I’m glad you’ve come back out, those two lads at the end of the bar have been waiting patiently, you take them and I’ll deal with the older couple.” Sarah took charge.

“Josie you were with those lads for a while were they causing a nuisance for you?”

“”Far from it, they were chatting me up a bit and I was being a bit flirty with them, you have to admit that they are a bit fit.”

“This isn’t a dating agency, keep your mind on the job and don’t neglect the other customers for them, they looked like a couple of chancers to me, just be careful.”

Another week went by and Tony Merlin still hadn’t returned to collect his props so when Caroline asked me to act as compere and butt of his jokes for the comedy act at our next cabaret night, I took the opportunity to dig out Louise’s dress again and hung it behind the bathroom door to freshen up and drop out any creases. Towards the and of the session I noticed Uncle Jack at the bar talking with Caroline and that he kept looking over at me before going into the other snug bar with her. When we were finished I went in there after them, hurried up to them and threw my arms around him. “Hi Uncle Jack lovely to see you. I’m so glad you got me the job here, I’m really enjoying myself , Caroline and Sarah are really looking after me, like a daughter to younger sister.”

“Josie, please sit down for a moment. I have some bad news.” He warned me as he unwrapped himself from my hug. “Your sister has been rushed to hospital and is in intensive care following a bad dose of Ketamine she seems to have taken at a party with her boyfriend. I am going in now to see her, do you want to come with me?”

Give me a couple of minutes to get out of this dress and into something more suitable, grab my bag, and we can go straight away, is that OK with you Caroline?”

“Of course, get yourself off to see her and I hope she recovers quickly, maybe she is not so lucky with her boyfriend as you thought, and you’re better off being a home-bird.”

When we arrived Laura was off the ventilator but was still unconscious, the doctors were hopeful that when the drug had worked its way-out of her system, she would make a full recovery but would probably be confused and hallucinatory at first, there was nothing we could do except hold her hand and talk to her. Eventually Uncle Jack left to go home promising to come back in the morning, but I needed to stay and be there for her when she regained consciousness.

I must have dozed off but woke up in the morning to find Uncle Jack talking to a rather confused Laura who was staring at me.

“Are you alright Laura, I was worried about you, As your little sister I’ve always looked up to you and tried to follow in your footsteps but why oh why have you done this stupid thing to yourself.”

“Hi Sis, Uncle Jack has told me about your new job and how you have been living at the River Lodge, I’m so glad for you. You’re right it was a stupid thing to do, Simon really encouraged me to give it a try, but that’s the last time I’ll listen to him, we are finished. I should be out of here tomorrow but will need to have check-ups and counselling to make sure there is so lasting damage, physically or mentally. They also said that it would be better if there was someone at home living with me, can I ask you to move back?”

“Of course Laura, we were getting on so well while Mum and Dad have been away, but you have to behave yourself, give up all the partying and all-night sleepovers. Get some rest and I’ll go home and get a change of clothes for you and will be back later.” I gave her a big hug before leaving with Uncle Jack, as he had to get back to The Grey Horse to deal with a brewery delivery.

I returned later quite angry with her. “Here’s some things for you they should be alright, I’ve seen you wearing them recently. What have you done with all my stuff? My clothes seem to have been taken from my room and replaced with Simon’s stuff, he has obviously moved in with you.”

She looked at me, deep in thought before replying. “Sorry about that Josie, he cleared all your clothes out to make room for his stuff, I don’t know what he has done with it and I’m not speaking to him again. When I get out of here we’ll go shopping and fill your wardrobe again. Are you OK for a couple of days with what you have at River Lodge?”

“I’ll collect my things from there when I go up later for my shift behind the bar. I’ll tell Caroline that I won’t be in for a few days while we settle you back in at home. I’ll have a word with the doctor first to make sure that they will be discharging you tomorrow.”

“Thanks Jo, it’ll be good to have you back home with me.”

When I arrived at the River Lodge, Caroline was most concerned about Laura and told me not to worry about missing some shifts and that it would be OK for me to borrow a few things from Marie’s wardrobe to keep me going until I could replace my lost clothes. “ By the way, Tony should be back from Scotland next week and would like to have a word with you, if you are happy to meet him after way he left you without even a thank you and goodbye. If you pick out what you want to take with you, I’ll run you home in the car and you can get settled in and have the house ready for Laura’s return.”

When I got home, I cleared out all of Simon’s clothes and bits and pieces and put away Marie’s borrowed stuff and the few things I had bought. The next day uncle Jack drove Laura and I back home and tried to get her back to normality. We had an enjoyable few days, going shopping, walks in the park and out for a meal, it was the most time we had spent together for ages, reminiscing about our family times together and our schooldays and she was soon back to normal. But it was then time for both her and I to get back to work.

On the way to River Lodge on the bike a car came flying around a bend too fast, just missed hitting me, causing me to swerve, fall over and bang my head. I sat dazed for a few minutes until my head was clear, dusted myself down and continued my journey.

Caroline was delighted to see me back again. “We’ve managed the last few days, it hasn’t been too busy, but many of the regulars were asking where your were, the said they missed your happy smiling face and pleasant manner and hoped that you would be back. Tony will be in later if we can spare you for a few minutes while he has chat with you. Right girls, she said to Sarah and me, put on your happy faces open the door and let the customers in.”

It was good to get back to work again, the banter with the customers, the chats and gossip with Sarah and Caroline. Late afternoon Tony arrived, took me through to the snug which was empty and sat down opposite me.

“Josie, look into my eyes and keep staring while I talk to you. Your eyelids are becoming heavy and you are feeling sleepy.”

“There’s no need for that nonsense Tony, I had a fall and bang on the head on the way here today, I clearly remember everything that has happened recently, what you did to me and how I have been living.”

“I’ terribly sorry about that, I thought that putting you in a trance would help you relate better to your role in the act. When I heard about my mother I was in a panic and hurried off without thinking of bringing you out from the trance, I can’t apologise enough.I suppose next time I come here that will be seeing Joe not Josie.?”

“Not necessarily The last few weeks have been some of the happiest times I can remember, I have made really good and caring friends in Caroline and Sarah, and my relationship with my sister is better than ever, I think that she would actually rather have a sister than a brother. Unless anyone has a problem with it I will continue as Josie for a while. Thank you for letting me experience a different life which I intend to keep.”

One at a time I called in Caroline and Sarah telling them that they didn’t have to pretend with me anymore, that I wanted them to continue to treat me and talk to me as they had been doing for the last few weeks, and that I still wanted to be considered as just another one of the girls.

Back at home Laura was delighted that I had got my memory back, even more so when I told her that Josie was here to stay.

“You had me upset and confused when I came out of my stupor and Uncle Jack told me what had happened to you and that I had to pretend that you had always been Josie, When you came in and I saw you, I was worried that I was still hallucinating. Over the last few days I have got used to you being my sister, and I think that I prefer you like this, I’ve always wanted a sister to confide in and we have a lot to catch up on. What we are going to say to Mum and Dad when they get back for holiday I don’t know. We need to let Uncle Jack know, he has been really understanding and kind the last few days, together we’’ll have to work out how to tell them without giving them heart attacks.

The end

Photo credit to freepik.com, transition to female by FaceApp.