Even Therapists Struggle Ch. 03

Danielle rang us up and entered her number in my phone so I'd have it. "Call me, okay? For anything."

"I will," I responded with a hug and a smile as I turned to let Cameron escort us out of the store. "Thank you," I said as we walked across the parking lot.

"For what? Buying clothes for you?" Cameron waved my thanks away, but I stopped him.

"Thank you for not judging me. For being actively involved in helping me figure out this new chapter in my life." I grabbed him in a surprise hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for treating me to this dream I didn't even know I had."

Now it was his turn to blush. "Well Tristan, I'm just glad to be exploring all this with you. Thank you for trusting me and being open with me and not running away." He didn't let me escape from his hug, staring down into my eyes and letting me get a peek into his soul. I could see his own wounds. Even though I didn't know what they were, I wanted to learn about him, and I wanted to help him heal.

Cameron pulled away from me and started us back in the direction of his car. "Come on. Let's put these in the car and then hit up Rack Room shoes. We just need to get you a couple of pair to really get started, and if you want to go shoe shopping again later, just let me know. I've got you."

"Maybe I will, or maybe I'll call Danielle and see if she wants to go with me." I gave him a sly look. "It may be less stressful on you, plus I'll get to surprise you with what I buy later on."

Cameron cocked his head to the side. "You know, both of those ideas could work. And I do like surprises."

"Then let's go and see if I can find anything that might surprise you at Rack Room shoes." I giggled as I slid into his car while he went around to climb in the driver's side.

We shared some of our embarrassing moments during the short drive to the shoe store, relishing in the shared laughter and the strengthening of our bond. I guess that's why it felt almost natural for Cameron's hand to find its way onto my thigh, and my fingers to wrap themselves around his. The rest of the ride was very comfortable and I loved how small and safe Cameron made me feel. It made me wish I was wearing a skirt or a dress so I could feel his hands on my legs, and it made me wish I was wearing wearing heels to give him something more to look at both in and out of the car.

"What are you thinking?" His question pierced the images that were forming in my head, and I couldn't help but blush because some of those thoughts had been heading in a very intimate direction.

"Oh nothing. Just what you'll think when you get to see me really dressed up." My flirty confidence started to nosedive. "I just, I hope you'll like the finished product. I know I don't really pass and I'm really not all that pretty and--"

Cameron lifted a finger to my lips. "Tristan, if I wasn't driving, I would have come over there and kiss you till you shut up." He held his finger there as he steered his ride into a parking spot near the store. "Matter of fact," he put words into action, (making sure the car was in Park first) leaning over and giving me a deep kiss that had me mewling and reaching for him while things lower down started tightening up. He took my hands in his, preventing them from grabbing for parts of him that were not appropriate given our location. "T, I already like the way you look. No makeup, no wigs, no clothes. Just you. Personally, I think you could leave the house in leggings and a hoodie and no one would give you a second look thinking you were anything but a woman. But I understand," he said quickly before I could protest. "You want to look good and you want to be found attractive. And I DO find you attractive and I can't wait to see even more of you wearing dresses and cute outfits, lingerie, or even nothing but a pair of heels. I just want to spend time with you. Okay?"

"Mmm-hmmm," was all I could manage to say in the face of all of Cameron's admissions. Tentatively, I pursed my lips to kiss his finger as a sign of acceptance and compliance. Cameron smiled at that and took one of my hands in his, kissing it on the back. "Now, let's go in here to get a few things, then go back to Chantelle's store to pick up the things we left there. After that, I think we should get lunch and take it back to your place. I know this has been a lot for you, no matter how much fun you might be having."

We left the truck and headed into the store, noting that it wasn't particularly crowded which allowed me to breathe a little easier. Next time I do this, I'm going to put on my big girl panties and do it en femme. And then I'm going to book that trip to the moon. My thoughts continued to ride their own rollercoaster as Cameron and I wandered up and down the aisles.

Having identified that I wore a size 10 in women's shoes, I tried to find some that were my size and that I thought were cute, and I managed to find a few options. Gathering up the three boxes, I walked over to Cameron and found him looking at a pair of brown, knee high boots with a stacked heel that I immediately thought would look great with one of the green dresses that we'd bought.

"I like them," I said as I approached, a smile on his face as he looked over his shoulder.

He shrugged. "I've always had a thing for boots. Not quite a fetish, but definitely a healthy appreciation." He picked the box up then reached for the ones I was holding. "I saw a couple of other pairs that I thought were really sexy, but since I'm not going to be the one wearing them, I wanted to know what you thought."

Cameron ushered me over to the end of the aisle where he'd laid out a couple of boxes. In one, there was a pair of nude, suede heels that were undeniably sexy. In another was a pair of what could only be described elegant CFM heels. Black, patent leather, with a criss-crossed ankle strap, I could immediately see wearing them to the theater... if we were ever to go to the theater.

"What do you think?" Cameron asked.

I ran my fingers over both pairs of shoes. "They are both really sexy. If I had to choose just one though, I'd probably go with the nude ones. They just feel a bit more versatile."

"Who said you could only get one?" Cameron asked, almost insulted. "You like it, I buy it."

"But we, or you, have already spent so much on me today." I motioned to the three boxes that I'd brought over. "I was just hoping to get two of these. But now that I see the ones that you liked, I want those too. I don't want to be greedy though."

Cameron shook his head. "When are you going to let yourself just be in the moment? Today was a shopping spree for you, a sugar daddy feel for me, and later, intimate time for us." Cameron's eyes were smoldering and I could literally feel the heat and the challenge of his gaze. He wanted me and he wanted me to step up and be as committed to knowing him as he was to knowing all of me. He knew me well enough to know that I would generally face a challenge, even if I was reserved and cautious at times. But it was the aching desire that I saw underneath the heat that made me nod my head.

"Okay," I said with a nervous breath. "If you're sure this isn't going to put you out."

"Tristan, if this goes the way I hope it does, someday soon I'll be happy to show you my financials." Cameron winked at me as he stacked four of the boxes, opting to leave me with two to carry to the register. I knew he was strong enough to carry all of them and then some. But when he'd started stacking them and it looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the common sense option to let me help won out over his male pride.

We placed the boxes on the counter drawing the cashier's attention away from his phone. "Whoa," he said, taking in the stack. "That's a lot of shoes. What's the occasion?" He started ringing them up, a look of curiosity in his eyes as he looked from the boxes of female shoes to me and Cameron.

I wasn't sure what to say because I wasn't quite ready to identify my feminine desires to anyone I didn't trust. Cameron jumped in to save me by saying "we're having a pranking contest with some friends. The shoes are just part of the costumes some participants will be required to wear."

The cashier gave a nod and looked at the shoe sizes, then looked Cameron and I up and down. "Well big fella," he said towards Cameron. "I'm guessing they aren't for you, but you," he said as he fixed his gaze on me, "I could see them on you. You'd make a nice little sissy." His words towards me were suddenly filled with condescension and predatory undertones.

"What did... I'm not a... a..." I stammered in shock as I tried to regain my mental and emotional equilibrium.

"A sissy?" The cashier said again as he continued to ring up the purchases. "It ain't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, it's not my thing, at least not dressing up as one. But if I saw the right one, I wouldn't turn down the opportunity to let her ride me." A lascivious grin warmed his face while storm clouds started to form in Cameron's eyes at the perceived insult. "Look," the cashier continued. "Do your thing. We've got more than a few guys who come in here looking for shoes for their 'girlfriends.' But come on, how many girls do you know that wear size 12 or 13 shoes?" The cashier laughed at that and something about his demeanor brought down the tension. "Seriously, I'm just messing with you a bit. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used the 'sissy' word. I know not all crossdressers are into the same thing. I mean, just because my boyfriend identifies as a sissy doesn't mean that you do." He winked at me as he finished ringing up the charges.

I looked over at Cameron whose anger seemed to be dissipating. His shoulders visibly relaxed and the three of us started to laugh at the realization that there weren't as many differences between us as we thought. We took a moment to introduce ourselves and just talk for a few. Casper was the cashier's name and his partner's name was Samuel, but went by Samantha when dressed in his sissy attire. And Samantha really, really appreciated that her boyfriend worked in a shoe store and could get them shoes with an employee discount.

The door chimed and a couple of women entered the store, engrossed in conversation and their phones. Their entrance caused us to shift our conversation. "So look," Casper said. "Why don't we plan to get together some time just to hang out and have a boys night?" The wink he gave us let us know that this would be no ordinary boys night out.

"Sounds good brother," Cameron said with a knowing smile. "You've got our number. Hit us up when you get free and we'll set something up." Manly handshakes were shared all around before Cameron and I picked up our packages and hustled out the door.

"What are the odds we'd meet another guy who was in a situation similar to ours?" I wondered aloud as we loaded the latest purchases into the back of Cameron's truck.

He nodded as he opened my door for me then briskly walked around to get in the driver's seat. "I know. I mean, I know there's other crossdressers out there, even crossdressers of color. I just didn't imagine that we'd meet one in such a public place."

"Well, technically we didn't meet the crossdresser," I said as I watched the buildings go by. "We met her boyfriend."

Cameron chuckled. "Okay, okay. That's true. Still, how did you feel about the whole interaction?"

I took a moment to contemplate my feelings about what had happened before answering. "You know, I enjoyed it. Casper's initial reaction had me ready to run and hide, but as he opened up, it felt really comfortable. And I do look forward to meeting Samuel or Samantha, just to have someone else to talk to who really knows what this whole thing means. But that's just me. How did you feel about it?"

"Well," Cameron started as he stroked his goatee. "I was surprised, but Casper seemed really cool. I think it would be great to get together with them for whatever. You know, Casper kind of reminds me of Blaine, just a little less flamboyant."

I nodded in agreement. I started to say something when I saw that we had parked back at Chantelle's store. "We've got a few things to pick up from here, then we can go eat. Sound good?"

My stomach growled and I blushed. "Umm, yeah. I think that would be a really good idea.