Heiress: (Feminization, Crossdressing) Read online

  That took me by surprise. “Oh?”

  “Ian and Frank are old-school Femnosi. They won’t put their egos aside to do what obviously needs to happen. Even if Arthur goes along…” The boy threw up his hands. His fingernails were incredibly clean.

  “Kaput, you mean.”

  “Nice Latin,” he replied with a cocky smirk.

  “I’ll have to work on them myself, then.”

  The kid bunched his hands on his thighs. “How long are you staying in Femnos?”

  “Another week. Maybe two. Why?”

  “Just wondering!”

  I could see interest in the kid’s eyes and didn’t know why he cared.

  Chapter 13

  CHRIS

  Arthur came out of the board room on unusually light feet. His big grin looked nothing like my own smile when Harrow made me laugh. No real warmth there. Just self-satisfied pleasure.

  “I think that went quite well, Mr. Tanning,” said Arthur, jutting his hand out. Harrow took it after a moment’s pause. “Quite well.”

  “So we’re settled on a buyout?”

  “Oh! No, not quite. We’ll reconvene in a week to put it to a vote.”

  “I’d like a decision today. I left the contract on your desk.”

  “And I’d like a seat on the Queen’s Council, Mr. Tanning, but we can’t quite get everything we want.”

  Harrow’s lower lip worked in thought. He said he’d planned on being here for another week or two. That was when I realized he was here for a vacation. Get this done quick and enjoy his time. Not a bad plan. Lots to see in Femnos.

  “One week from today?” Harrow asked.

  “Of course.”

  “What do you think?” I started momentarily when Harrow turned to me. Arthur set his beady eyes on my surprised face.

  “It’s… standard Femnosi business culture,” I said quietly.

  “Alright then,” Harrow replied.

  “To meet on Friday, I mean.” I cleared my throat. “Having the weight of such a large deal over one’s head, into the weekend, is considered uncouth.”

  I tried my best to hold back a devious smirk while Arthur kept his fists from wrapping around my neck. In a negotiation like this one time was essential. Harrow would be kept at bay all weekend while the Board Members plotted and schemed to get a better deal. Femnosi custom dictated that, whenever possible, plans discussed on Monday should be concluded by Friday.

  Harrow didn’t know that. I did. And I just helped him out. Why?

  Maybe it was worth the look on Arthur’s face.

  Maybe it was nice knowing that the board would be calling for my head, knowing they couldn’t touch a hair on it.

  Maybe I just liked being a rich brat.

  Anyway, you’re welcome, Harrow.

  “Sounds like I should expect a decision on Friday,” said Harrow casually. “Wouldn’t want to break with Femnosi custom, Artie.”

  Oooh, do NOT call him Artie, Harrow, I thought to myself. But also you totally should.

  To my surprise, my uncle didn’t argue or shout or even show off that eyebrow twitch which made him a poor poker player (and businessman). In fact, he looked positively at peace.

  “Friday will be fine,” he said with an eerie calm. “Friday evening, of course, but thank you, Christopher, for the reminder.”

  Harrow’s eyes darted down to my face when Andrew said my name. The first syllable of my name, at least.

  “The heir is right,” said Arthur, putting his hand on Harrow’s shoulder. “We have a great many customs here. Do you know our most sacred vow, Harrow Tanning?”

  “Probably not.”

  “It goes back generations, summed up in a phrase: When you do business with Inverness, we work all hours to see your satisfaction through.”

  The sales pitch was cliche and utterly boring, but I could tell Arthur was going somewhere with this. I got the odd feeling that I should have stopped him or intervened or maybe even just left the room, but I couldn’t. Everything was innocuous. So far.

  “Do you know latin?” Asked Arthur.

  “A bit.”

  What?

  “Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase carpe diem.”

  Oh no.

  “Seize the day,” replied Harrow.

  “Quite right! Well, at Inverness, we don’t just work all day. When it comes to major deals like yours, we’re willing to work all night as well.”

  No no no no.

  “Which is why we say… Ah, Christopher, perhaps you’d like to tell our American guest our first slogan?”

  I cleared my throat.

  “C-Carpe Noctem.”

  Chapter 14

  HARROW

  I stared hard into Christopher/Christina’s eyes.

  “Carpe noctem!” Repeated Arthur chipperly, clueless to what he’d just shown me. “Rest assured, Harrow,” he said, gripping my shoulder tightly, trying to tear my eyes away from the sissy heir, “we will be up all night making sure this goes through. You have my personal guarantee.”

  “Great. Can I take a look at your viewing platform before I go?”

  Arthur’s hand slowly loosened from my shoulder. He didn’t know what to make of my request. The viewing platform, an open-air rooftop on the 85th floor, was a fantastic spot to look over Femnos. Yet today was fairly cloudy, and with a nationwide holiday there wouldn’t be much to see on the streets.

  I wasn’t interested in the view, however.

  “Of course,” he said. “Would you like a guide?”

  “Yes. The Heir would be happy to show me up there.”

  “Oh?”

  I kept my eyes locked on Christopher. Arthur could think whatever he wanted about the way I was looking at this sneaky rich kid. He would never have predicted the actual truth.

  “Okay,” said Christopher quietly. “I have the key.”

  Andrew shrugged. “Alright then. We’ll be in touch.”

  I shook hands with the interim president briefly, then all but stormed out of the doors. When I got to the staircase I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Christopher was following behind.

  I could see Christina now. The short-stepped walk, the shoulder-stride, the way he lifted his hand to brush back a lock of hair that wasn’t there. The awkward behavior and lilting style of speech from earlier weren’t nerves at being in a room with rich men; they were shock and confusion at having seen me.

  Or was he confused? Was this all part of a greater ploy to undo me?

  I’d find out.

  “Come on,” I growled, grabbing him by the wrist.

  “Okay! Gawd!” Christopher reached into his back pocket, running a hand down that tight bubble butt. I hadn’t even thought to look earlier. Now, standing so close by him I could still smell last-night’s faint perfume, all I could see was the jiggle of his ass when he pulled out the key.

  “See? Told you I had it.”

  “How’s it feel to be honest for once?”

  Christopher pouted at me. For a moment I felt guilty. Maybe that was all part of his plan.

  “I’ll lead the way,” he huffed, starting up the steps after undoing the lock on the gate. I followed behind, tactfully avoiding staring at his ass all the way up.

  The observation deck had to be the only floor in the building without that standard copiers-and-coffee office scent. Up this high you could actually taste the minty flavor of the fresh air and smell the pine needles from off the nearby mountain slopes. I’d come up here often if I were an Inverness employee.

  My boss would probably tell me to get back downstairs, citing tradition. Then he’d go out in girl’s clothes to dance at a trendy night club.

  As far as I could tell, that’s what people did around here.

  “So, this is it,” said Christopher, slapping his hand against his hip. “Go back down now?”

  I gawked at the heir. “You’re serious right now?”

  He shrugged. “What?”

  I took a few slow steps toward Christopher. W
ith the mid-day sun rising behind him, I could almost see Christina. His brown hair was a shimmering blonde in the sun’s rays. The fine features of his immaculate heart-shaped face needed the slightest hint of makeup to bring out the sultry charm. And his body… Even without the padded bra, he still looked downright girly. I kind of wanted to tear up that slim-fit suit.

  Or better yet, put him in something more befitting of his frame.

  Business, Harrow. Not pleasure. I stood face to face with the heir, towering over him by several inches.

  “You’re really going to pretend like you don’t know why we’re here?”

  “Pretend? I really don’t.”

  He lied so easily.

  “Guess.”

  He sighed. “You want to ask me to lean on the Board and get them to agree?”

  That would help. “No.”

  Christopher stared at me, wondering if we were done. When I didn’t move, he sighed.

  “I don’t know… You want info on Inverness and our long history? Stuff you couldn’t find on Wikipedia?”

  “I did more than run a Wiki search before I…. No.”

  “You think I’m cute?” Christopher batted his long eyelashes at me.

  “Goddammit,” I growled.

  “Well I’m all out of guesses, so if you don’t mind…”

  Christopher turned on his heel and began to strut out to the door, thinking he’d won.

  He hadn’t.

  “CHRISTINA!”

  The boy turned to me.

  Then I knew I had her.

  Chapter 15

  CHRIS

  My name had never been Christina.

  Even when I was out in my girl’s clothes, Ella and Andrew and anyone else just called me Chris. It worked for both genders. Somewhere along last night Harrow had assumed Chris was short for Christina and I’d allowed him to roll with that. I’d allowed him to do a lot of things, thinking we were together only for one night.

  Now the night had turned into a fresh day, and here we were. Still together, him shouting my new name at me across and open sky.

  There was no hiding the fact that I responded to the name. Hearing him say it, it felt like mine. That was the name he gave me. The one he teased me with. The one he moaned when I had my mouth wrapped around his cock.

  “What,” I spat in a breathless voice.

  Harrow strode over to me in a few long steps. He put his hand on my hip. I tilted my head back, eyes shut, lips parted, and felt something emerge from my pants.

  Harrow held my phone in his hand.

  “I’m calling you tonight,” he said, dialing in his number. His phone began to buzz. Then he handed my phone back to me, putting it in my hands rather than back in my pocket. “I want to see Christina at O’Dello’s tonight at 7 p.m. sharp.”

  “O’Dellos?!” The Michelin-starred luxury restaurant in the heart of downtown? Nobody got into O’Dellos. The waiting list was a month long for citizens - much longer for foreigners. “You can’t be -”

  “I am,” said Harrow roughly. “O’Dellos. 7 pm. Remember the dress code.”

  “It’s the same dress code as everywhere else,” I snapped. “Suit and tie for men.”

  Harrow just stared at me.

  “Oh.” The women’s dress code was… fairly different.

  “What makes you think she’s available tonight?” I asked, toying with the cocky American. I crossed my arms, glad to have the jacket covering my smooth forearms.

  “She’ll have to be. A business deal depends on her presence.”

  With that, Harrow brushed past me, heading down the stairs. I heard the elevator ding. ‘First floor,’ said a mechanical voice.

  He was leaving. Not for good and not even for the rest of the day.

  He wanted me tonight at the most expensive restaurant in town.

  Which meant I had a choice to make.

  ——

  “Two nights in a row?!” Shouted Ella. “And O’Dellos? Chris, are you trying to get caught?”

  I rolled my eyes at the irony of that one, glad Ella couldn’t see me on speakerphone.

  “Are you busy?”

  “Well, I have a torts quiz tomorrow…”

  “Please, Ella?”

  She sighed. “Alright, fine. Bring me back some calamari balls, okay?”

  “Deal. I’ll send a car over. My treat.” Arden the butler took his cue to enter my bedroom. “Oh, Arden? Can you send a car for Ella, please?”

  “Certainly. In the meantime, your requested items. And may I say I love what you’ve done with the place.”

  I cast a withering look on the elderly liveried butler while he kept his carriage erect and his visage properly forward. His white-gloved hands held a silver tray with my secret makeup kit and pink nail polish at the ready.

  His comment was directed at my room. I’d done my best to pick an outfit without Ella’s help, but all I’d accomplished was covering my bed, table, nightstand, and floor with women’s clothes. This was the first time I’d taken all the outfits out of the closet to really look at them.

  No wonder Harrow’s female coworkers didn’t believe my ‘college student’ story. In the light, this stuff was clearly high-quality material. Silks and rayons and designer labels, glimmering sequins and rich, deep colors.

  Which one for tonight? Which one was good enough for O’Dellos?

  “Arden,” I murmured.

  “Miss.”

  “…Nevermind.”

  He nodded and laid the tray on the only open surface by the door.

  Arden had seen me in girl’s clothes before, but it still felt like a private ritual. I slipped out of my coarse, confining suit and found a pair of white-laced panties along with a tan bra. The rest of my outfit would have to wait until Ella arrived. For now, it was time to put on my makeup.

  A mishmash of Youtube videos, Ella’s advice, and good old-fashioned trial and error had given me a good bit of skill in applying my makeup. While not a professional by any means, I noticed that men tended to look to two places when they spotted a woman they liked, and since my ‘tits’ were rather small, male eyes tended to drift up to my face. A smoky eyeshadow with some discreet liner could be coupled with a subtle strawberry-red lip stick to create a feminine look. Of course I used foundation and contouring to give my face that extra sex appeal. I had to look genuine, after all.