Chapter Two

James should have known he was in trouble when Ashley started smiling.

Not her normal smile.

This was the smile she got when she’d already decided something was going to happen and was simply waiting for everyone else to catch up.

James stood in the middle of their apartment living room with his arms folded.

“I still think this is a terrible idea.”

Ashley sat cross-legged on the couch.

“You’ve said that seventeen times.”

“Because it’s a terrible idea.”

“You need a job.”

“I know.”

“And I know somewhere that’s hiring.”

“Waitresses.”

“Yes.”

“I’m not a waitress.”

Ashley shrugged.

“Not technically.”

James stared at her.

“You really aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.”

She stood and disappeared into her bedroom.

James heard drawers opening.

Then another drawer.

Then something fell.

“Ow!”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“That didn’t sound convincing.”

“I’m fine.”

Ashley emerged carrying several hangers.

James immediately took a step backward.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what’s on them.”

“I know enough.”

Ashley held up a pair of women’s jeans.

“These would fit.”

“No.”

She held up a pink blouse.

“Absolutely not.”

A skirt appeared next.

James pointed at it.

“Especially not that.”

Ashley laughed.

“Okay, we’ll start simple.”

She tossed the jeans onto the couch.

James looked at them.

“Ashley.”

“Five minutes.”

“No.”

“Try them on.”

“I don’t wear women’s clothes.”

“You’re not going to know whether you can pull this off until you actually try.”

James sighed.

“Five minutes.”

Ashley grinned.

“That’s my boy.”

⸻

The jeans fit.

That was the first problem.

The second problem was that they looked surprisingly normal.

James stood in front of the mirror wearing the jeans and a simple fitted T-shirt Ashley had given him.

He looked down at himself.

“They’re just jeans.”

“Exactly.”

Ashley stood behind him.

“You look completely normal.”

“I look like me.”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s the point?”

Ashley smiled.

“We’re working our way up.”

James turned toward her.

“I don’t like that sentence.”

“You’ll survive.”

She went back into her room.

This time she returned with a small makeup bag.

James groaned.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Ashley.”

“Your skin is already good. We barely need anything.”

“I don’t want makeup.”

“You don’t need to like it.”

She opened the bag.

“You just need to look convincing.”

James sat reluctantly in the chair.

Ashley stood over him with a makeup sponge.

“Close your eyes.”

“This is humiliating.”

“Stop being dramatic.”

“I am sitting in my sister’s bedroom while she puts makeup on me.”

“Correct.”

“That sounds pretty humiliating.”

Ashley laughed.

“You’re going to be fine.”

The first few minutes felt ridiculous.

Then James opened his eyes.

Ashley had applied only a small amount of makeup—concealer, subtle foundation, blush, mascara, and a little lip gloss.

Nothing dramatic.

Nothing that screamed makeup.

James stared into the mirror.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

He leaned closer.

His face looked softer.

His blue eyes stood out more.

His features had always been delicate, but the makeup seemed to emphasize it.

Ashley watched his expression carefully.

“What do you think?”

James didn’t answer immediately.

“I don’t know.”

“That’s not a no.”

“It’s weird.”

“Different weird or bad weird?”

James considered it.

“Different.”

Ashley smiled.

“That’s progress.”

⸻

The hair was harder.

James had always worn his brunette hair relatively short.

Ashley pulled it back and studied his face.

“We’re going to need extensions eventually.”

“Eventually?”

“If this works.”

James frowned.

“How much do those cost?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m not letting you spend a fortune on this.”

Ashley waved him off.

“First we figure out whether you’re actually going to do it.”

She styled his existing hair as best she could, giving it more volume and sweeping it differently across his forehead.

Then she handed him a small pair of earrings.

James looked at them.

“No.”

“Just studs.”

“No.”

“James.”

He sighed.

“Fine.”

She helped him put them on.

He looked in the mirror again.

The difference wasn’t dramatic.

That was what made it strange.

He didn’t look like somebody wearing a costume.

He simply looked… different.

Ashley stood beside him.

“Okay.”

James looked at her reflection.

“What?”

“Stand naturally.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re posing.”

“I’m not posing.”

“You are absolutely posing.”

She pushed his shoulders down.

“Relax.”

James let his arms fall naturally.

“Now walk.”

He walked across the room.

Ashley watched him.

“Again.”

He turned around.

“Why?”

“Because you’re walking like James.”

“How am I supposed to walk?”

“Normally.”

“I am.”

“You’re stiff.”

Ashley demonstrated.

James watched her.

Then tried again.

His second attempt was better.

“See?”

“I feel stupid.”

“That’s because you’re thinking about every movement.”

Ashley walked toward him.

“You don’t have to imitate every woman you’ve ever seen. Just relax.”

James nodded.

“Okay.”

“Again.”

He walked across the room.

This time Ashley smiled.

“That’s much better.”

James stopped.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

He looked at himself.

For a moment, he almost felt comfortable.

Almost.

⸻

The next lesson was talking.

Ashley sat across from him.

“Say your name.”

James sighed.

“Jessica.”

“Again.”

“Jessica.”

“Less like you’re answering roll call.”

He laughed.

“Jessica.”

“Better.”

Ashley leaned back.

“Now imagine somebody asks where you’re from.”

“Why?”

“Practice.”

James rolled his eyes.

“I’m from Birmingham.”

“Good.”

“Do I get a gold star?”

“Maybe.”

She smiled.

“Now tell me about Auburn.”

James started talking.

At first he was conscious of every word.

Then he forgot about it.

Ashley interrupted him.

“That.”

“What?”

“That’s the voice.”

James frowned.

“What voice?”

“Exactly.”

He stared at her.

She smiled.

“You stopped trying.”

James thought about that.

Maybe she was right.

The more he concentrated on sounding feminine, the more unnatural he sounded.

When he simply talked, his naturally soft voice did most of the work.

Ashley leaned forward.

“One more thing.”

“What?”

“Don’t overdo it.”

“Overdo what?”

“Everything. Don’t suddenly start acting like some cartoon version of a girl.”

James laughed.

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“Good.”

She pointed at him.

“You’re still James. You’re just presenting differently.”

The statement made him pause.

“Right.”

At least, that was what he believed.

For now.

⸻

That evening, Ashley suggested they go somewhere public.

James immediately objected.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“We need to know whether this actually works.”

“We already know.”

“We know it works in our apartment.”

“That’s enough.”

Ashley grabbed her purse.

“It’s not.”

James watched her head toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

“Coffee.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Nope.”

He looked down at himself.

Jeans.

Simple top.

Light makeup.

Styled hair.

Small earrings.

Nothing about the outfit seemed outrageous.

That somehow made it worse.

He was used to being able to tell himself it was obviously a joke.

Now it looked plausible.

Ashley opened the door.

“Come on.”

James grabbed his phone.

“I’m going to regret this.”

“Probably.”

They walked downstairs.

⸻

The café was only a few minutes away.

James kept his head down as they walked in.

“Stop.”

“What?”

“You’re acting nervous.”

“I am nervous.”

“Nobody knows you.”

James looked around.

People were drinking coffee, studying, talking, working on laptops.

Nobody was paying attention.

Ashley nudged him.

“See?”

They approached the counter.

The cashier smiled.

“What can I get for you?”

Ashley ordered first.

Then she looked at James.

James froze for half a second.

“Um…”

The cashier waited patiently.

James swallowed.

“Can I get a vanilla latte?”

“Sure.”

“And your name?”

James hesitated.

Ashley glanced at him.

He knew what she was waiting for.

“Jessica.”

The cashier typed it into the register.

“Great. It’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

James nodded.

“Thanks.”

He walked away with Ashley.

Neither of them spoke until they reached a table.

Then Ashley grinned.

“You did it.”

James whispered, “Shut up.”

“She believed you.”

“I know.”

“Completely.”

“I know.”

Ashley laughed.

James looked toward the counter.

Nobody was staring.

Nobody was whispering.

Nobody seemed to care.

He had walked into the café as Jessica.

He had ordered as Jessica.

And nobody had questioned it.

Ashley leaned forward.

“How does it feel?”

James looked down at his hands.

“Strange.”

“Anything else?”

He thought for a moment.

“Not as bad as I expected.”

Ashley smiled.

“That’s what I thought.”

James shook his head.

“Don’t get carried away.”

“Oh, I’m already carried away.”

She took a sip of her coffee.

“And I’m still calling you bitch.”

James laughed.

“You’re never going to stop, are you?”

“Absolutely not.”

He shook his head.

“You’re such a bitch.”

Ashley grinned.

“Look at that. You’re already learning.”

James laughed harder.

And for the first time that day, the whole thing stopped feeling like a disguise.

It felt like an experiment.

A strange one.

A ridiculous one.

But an experiment that, somehow, seemed to be working.

Chapter Three

James woke up Saturday morning with one thought running through his head.

I actually have to do this.

The coffee-shop experiment had seemed harmless.

The clothes.

The makeup.

The hair.

Even introducing himself as Jessica.

That had all been practice.

Today wasn’t practice.

Today he had an interview at Hooters.

He stared at the ceiling for several seconds before reaching for his phone.

A text from Ashley was already waiting.

Ashley: Good morning, bitch. Get up.

James groaned.

He typed back.

James: I hate you.

Three dots appeared.

Ashley: Love you too. Shower. We’re leaving in an hour.

James tossed his phone onto the bed.

“Jesus Christ.”

He got up.

⸻

Ashley had apparently decided that the interview was a military operation.

She had clothes laid out on the bed before James even finished showering.

A simple feminine blouse.

Fitted jeans.

Small earrings.

Flats.

Nothing overly dramatic.

James stared at the outfit.

“That’s what I’m wearing?”

“For the interview.”

“Not the uniform?”

“Obviously not.”

“Good.”

Ashley looked at him.

“You want to get hired, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you need to look like someone who would actually work here.”

James nodded.

Ashley picked up the blouse.

“And we’re keeping everything natural.”

“Thank God.”

“Light makeup.”

“Okay.”

“Hair down.”

James hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

She looked at his hair.

“It’s long enough now that we can style it convincingly.”

James ran his fingers through it.

It had grown considerably since the beginning of the experiment.

He still wasn’t completely used to seeing himself with longer hair.

Ashley caught him looking at it.

“You know…”

“What?”

“You actually like your hair long.”

“I do not.”

“You keep touching it.”

“I’m fixing it.”

“Sure, bitch.”

James rolled his eyes.

“Can you stop calling me that?”

“No.”

⸻

An hour later, James stood in front of the mirror.

Ashley had done his makeup carefully.

Nothing heavy.

His skin looked natural. His blue eyes were emphasized with subtle mascara and eyeliner. A little blush gave his face warmth, and a neutral gloss completed the look.

His hair fell over his shoulders in soft waves.

The jeans and blouse made the transformation feel less like a costume than the clothes from the previous night had.

James stared at himself.

“I don’t look like James.”

Ashley stood behind him.

“Not really.”

He turned toward her.

“Is that bad?”

Ashley shook her head.

“No.”

She smiled.

“You look like Jessica.”

James looked back at the mirror.

Jessica.

The name still felt strange.

But increasingly, it didn’t feel wrong.

⸻

The drive to the restaurant was mostly quiet.

Ashley drove.

James sat in the passenger seat, nervously playing with his phone.

“You nervous?” Ashley asked.

“Yes.”

“Don’t be.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“They already know me.”

“That’s exactly why I’m nervous.”

Ashley glanced at him.

“You’ve got this.”

“What if they can tell?”

“Tell what?”

James didn’t answer.

Ashley understood.

“James, listen to me.”

He looked over.

“You aren’t going into that restaurant trying to convince everyone of some elaborate story. You’re applying for a job.”

“But—”

“And you’re going in as Jessica. That’s it.”

James nodded.

Ashley smiled.

“And remember what I taught you.”

“What?”

“Relax.”

⸻

The restaurant was quieter than James expected.

It was late morning, before the lunch rush.

Ashley walked through the entrance with him.

Several employees greeted her.

“Hey, Ashley!”

“Hey!”

“Who’s this?”

Ashley smiled.

“This is my little sister, Jessica.”

James smiled.

“Hi.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The woman smiled and continued toward the kitchen.

James exhaled.

Ashley whispered, “See?”

He nodded.

They walked toward the host stand.

A man in a black polo approached them.

James recognized him from the interview arrangements.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” Ashley said.

She gestured toward James.

“This is Jessica.”

The manager smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Jessica.”

James extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

His voice sounded surprisingly natural.

The manager nodded.

“Ashley says you’re looking for some part-time work.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ashley gave him a look.

James immediately realized what he’d said.

The manager didn’t seem to notice.

“Great. Why don’t we sit down and talk?”

⸻

The interview was surprisingly ordinary.

That was what made it so nerve-racking.

The manager asked about James’s—or Jessica’s—availability.

“Are you a student?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Auburn.”

“What are you studying?”

James paused for half a second.

“Engineering.”

The manager smiled.

“That’s a demanding major.”

“It is.”

“And you’re looking for part-time hours?”

“Yes.”

“Any restaurant experience?”

“No.”

James expected that answer to hurt his chances.

Instead, the manager nodded.

“That’s okay. We’ll train you.”

James relaxed slightly.

Then came the question he’d been dreading.

“Why do you want to work here?”

James glanced briefly toward Ashley.

She gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

He looked back at the manager.

“I need a part-time job that works around my class schedule. And my sister likes working here.”

The manager laughed.

“That’s fair.”

James smiled.

“I think I’d like the people here.”

“That’s important.”

The manager made a few notes.

James watched the pen move across the application.

His heart was pounding.

Then the manager looked up.

“When can you start?”

James blinked.

“Start?”

“If we offer you the position.”

“Oh.”

He tried not to smile too obviously.

“I’m available most afternoons and evenings.”

The manager nodded.

“Good.”

He closed the folder.

“I think we can work with that.”

James felt his stomach flip.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

The manager smiled.

“I’d like to offer you the job.”

For a moment, James didn’t respond.

Ashley grinned beside him.

James finally smiled.

“Thank you.”

“Welcome aboard, Jessica.”

Jessica.

The name landed differently this time.

Not like an experiment.

Not like a joke.

Like a person.

⸻

They walked out of the restaurant several minutes later.

James stopped beside Ashley’s car.

“I got the job.”

Ashley looked at him.

“You got the job.”

He laughed.

“I fucking got the job.”

Ashley threw her arms around him.

“I knew you could do it!”

James hugged her back.

Then she pulled away and looked him up and down.

“So, Jessica Carter…”

James laughed.

“Don’t.”

“You officially have a job.”

“I know.”

“And it’s at Hooters.”

“I know.”

“And you’re going to be a waitress.”

James shook his head.

“This is insane.”

Ashley smiled.

“Maybe.”

She opened the driver’s door.

“But you know what?”

“What?”

She looked at him.

“You looked really comfortable in there.”

James paused.

The smile faded slightly.

He thought about the interview.

He had been nervous.

Terrified, actually.

But once he’d sat down, he’d stopped thinking about how he looked.

He had simply answered questions.

He had talked.

He had laughed.

He had been Jessica.

“I guess I was.”

Ashley smiled.

“Come on, bitch.”

James climbed into the car.

“You’re never letting that nickname go, are you?”

“Nope.”

He shook his head, laughing.

As they drove home, James looked out the window.

He had gone to Hooters expecting to perform a role.

Instead, he’d gotten a job.

And on Monday, Jessica Carter would walk through those doors for her first shift.