Angie thought about Dorinda as Nick. She had never known a transsexual but had read the classic Myra Breckenridge and read other stories. She had no idea how traumatizing this could be to an unsuspecting partner but figured that Dingo would be the most shocked she had ever seen him in the morning. She did some research on marriage laws over the net and found that in the State of New York, same sex marriages were illegal. So, she thought to herself, Michael already has the fallback plan of a non-binding marriage just in case, the whole ceremony had to be done in preparation for the arrival of Angelo Pappas. She shook her head thinking of poor Dingo.

No package had been delivered to the loft in the early evening and she sat alone, frustrated, and looking at her face in the mirror. How could she really be getting married tomorrow, knowing nothing as to the ceremony, dress or people coming? Rollie had told her to trust him, that he had always came through and she smiled, thinking of the mystery of it all and the fact that she loved that the most about him- coming through for her and everyone else.

She ate dinner alone, not worried yet about Rollie. She grew increasingly curious and decided to call Mira but no one answered either at the precinct or at home. She called Dingo’s room at the hotel and there was no answer there as well. She decided she needed to just do some exercise, to just cut loose so she grabbed her bike and took a long spin around the commercial lanes near the loft. She felt so free and fast as she worked herself through her route that she barely noticed a car following her as she started on her approach home. She turned her head over her shoulder, not recognizing it nor was it trying to stay close to her so she figured they were just lost. By the time she reached the loft, she was soaked in perspiration, exuberant, and spent. She grabbed her water bottle, squirting herself over the face and chest, as she drank. It was at that moment that the car that had been following behind her pulled up. Nervously, she opened the loft door and started to pull her bike inside.

"Excuse me, Miss?" a man stepped from the driver’s seat of the car and started toward her. He carried a large box under his arm and was peering beyond her to the loft entrance, "Is this Tyler F/X?"

Angie studied him carefully, and realized that he had been lost and not after her. She had to stop being so paranoid but after Loubar and the other incidents in her life, she felt she could never be too careful.

"Yeah," she replied as he smiled, closing his eyes and opening them up widely, "Great! I was suppose to deliver this earlier but I got so lost. I am looking for a Senorita Angela Ramirez?"

"Ummm, Senorita?" Angie asked, and realized that this package had to be from Tio Guillarmo, "Yes, I am Angie Ramirez."

"Good! Then, this is for you, all the way from Espana," he told her, his accent definitely from somewhere in Spain.

He handed her the box, a large rectangular one with a letter attached to the outside. Angie felt for her pockets and realized that she had her bike pants on but the man waved her away as she tried to find tip money. He walked back to his car and pulled off as she closed the loft door and walked over to the couch, sitting down with the large box in her lap.

Pulling off the envelope, she realized that the handwriting was her uncle’s and that he had sent this by express delivery. She began to read his note, smiling;

‘I am sending you this gift, something old and it is from your mother. Of course, she has no realization now that she has given it to you, but many years ago, mija- she gave this to me for safe keeping and she told me to save it for her Angelita for her wedding day. I realize that you may not find it fashionable in today’s world but then, when she wore it, it was not fashionable then. It has been passed down in her family and now, you may wear it as well, if you wish. I hope that I will be able to arrive in time for your wedding…one can only hope with the short time that your future husband has given me… Tio Guillarmo….’

Angie smiled, taking a deep breath. She opened the box, revealing an inner box, one that had been sealed to preserve the dress inside. She had remembered about wedding dresses being air sealed by dry cleaners and figured that it had been done for the dress. She remembered that her mother was as small as she from the rest villa when they were in Avila two months before, but she wondered- what would it look like and could she fit into it?

Carefully, she broke the seal, felt the box suddenly expand, as the upper lid popped open. She daintily opened the lid the rest of the way and pulled back the plastic cover, holding her breath.

"Oh my!" she whispered to herself. She began pulling out the yards and yards of cream satin brocade that she found. She had to stand as the material of the dress engulfed her and she found the bodice finally, her swift intake of breath suddenly stifled as she closed her mouth. It looked medieval, a tight fitting bodice with high empire waist with a large gathering of satin brocade flowing from the gathers. The front of the dress would probably have just reached the tops of her feet as the back was much longer and trailed. As she looked to the sleeves, she found them fitted but split at the elbows with attached satin ties and then, long tapered sleeves that came to a point with an index finger hook. She noted that around the very low neckline of the bodice, a tiny row of seed pearls was attached. Looking to the back of the dress, she smiled. There was no zipper, just a lattice of crossed lacing ties made of satin cord.

Looking further down into the box, she saw the circle of satin pearl beading and brocade leaves that formed the headdress. It was a simple garland ring of satin leaves with pearls and the first thing she tried on as she looked into the mirror near the kitchen. It rested in her layered, blonde hair as if it had been made for her head. She smiled, not believing it as she gently undid the satin cord ties to the back of the dress. Without any further worry for anyone coming into the loft, she pulled her clothes off and then thought, no- she was sweaty and wet. Quickly, she pulled off the brocade leaf halo and ran upstairs to the shower. It was the fastest shower she had ever taken. Stepping out and drying herself fiercely, she stepped over to the bed where she had carried the dress in its box again. Very gently, she stepped into the dress, the cold satin brocade against her skin as she pulled the bodice up around her shoulders. She wrestled slightly with the front, finding herself very exposed and pressed tightly against the bodice. Since she couldn’t lace herself, she knew that the effect would be even more pronounced once she had been tied up. Very slowly, putting her fingers into the sleeve loops at her fingertips, she looked at herself in the mirror in the bedroom. She placed the brocade garland in her hair and stood, her mouth opened in disbelief. The dress fit like a second skin and she didn’t recognize herself. Her cheeks were flushed as were her lips.

"Oh my God, oh my God," she said, repeatedly. She looked down and, still in the box was a pair of matching brocade slippers. They were a little loose, but she figured that she could fix that with tissue paper- it was still too good to be real.

The door to the loft opened downstairs and her thoughts of wonder were interrupted as she quickly pulled the dress from her shoulders and stepped out of it. She took the slippers off and quickly scurried to place the dress in some half-state of order back into the box. She was bending over, fumbling when she heard Rollie’s voice behind her.

"Now, that’s a sight for sore eyes," he commented, looking at her bending over the box, completely naked as she turned and looked up at him.

"Rollie! You can’t look!"

"And why not? I have seen you in this state before, you know!" he replied, grinning as she back up and sat in front of the box.

"Well, I meant- the dress- my mother’s wedding gown! It came! Oh Rollie!" she blurted out and jumped up, running into his arms as he hugged her nakedness and cupped her rump with a smile on his face.

"Oh! Look at this, flowers in your hair and naked, sorta like that dream you had…" Rollie noted, as he touched the garland of brocade leaves in her hair. She had forgotten to remove it in her haste.

Angie wriggled free of him and grabbed her robe. Suddenly, strangely- she felt ill at ease with him, "So, tell me! You and Tio Guillarmo cooked this up quickly."

"Yeah, he did complain at bit at the time line," Rollie replied as she pushed the lid of the box down to his inquisitive, roaming eyes.

"And, just where am I getting married tomorrow?"

"Bring the dress and all the regalia to St. John the Divine in the morning tomorrow. We can leave from there to our destination."

Angie’s face sank, knowing now that her wedding would not be at the Cathedral. The fake Dingo/Dorinda-Nick wedding to bait the trap for Pappas was occurring in the splendor and famous St. James Chapel. She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed.

"Now, don’t get like that Angela. Our wedding will be great! Oh, here- take a look at the newspaper announcement of my father’s wedding plans."

Angie read the announcement- the enticement for Pappas. She looked up at Rollie, shaking her head, "Do you think this is really going to work? What about Dingo? Have you really thought about what this is going to do to him?"

Rollie looked down at his feet, "Yeah…I looked for a lightning bolt earlier this evening, Ange. I waited for it to strike me but nothing…" Rollie left out the part about his sudden nervous thoughts of marrying her. He felt he had best leave that out as he saw her complexion, all flushed with excitement.

"I think you guys are cruel. Dingo would probably still go through with the act, don’t you think- if you told him beforehand?"

"I think he would be on the first plane out of here to the farthest reaches of the earth to get away from Dorinda, er- Nick."

"Maybe you don’t know your father as well as you think," she replied, playing with her robe’s belt.

"Trust me, Angie- This kind of thing, I know…"

"What if I told you that I had been a male once, had a change done?"

"But I know you didn’t…" he challenged.

"Okay, forget it. Can you tell me at least, are there people coming to this wedding that you’ve cooked up for us?"

"Of course, Angie! What a thought! You’re just trying to get information out of me!" he shot back at her, ready to pounce on her, but she pushed him back, putting her hands out. "What? You’re not really going to be the chaste bride-to-be tonight, are you?" he asked, putting his hands on his hips.

"I must certainly am!" she replied and smiled coyly.

"Women!" he remarked, shaking his head, "they become virgins again when they haven’t had sex in over twenty-four hours."

"Yep," she replied, laughing, "and I haven’t had any in over forty-eight hours."

"But not for my lack of trying," he reminded her of that afternoon in the van.

"Oh, not in the van!" She said, making a face.

"Really? It’s always been a fantasy of mine…" he added, sheepishly as he threw his keys on the bedside table.

"Men!" She said, rolling her eyes and pulling the box off the bed. He tried to catch a look but she pushed it away so that he couldn’t see it.

"So, then- you plan to sleep on the couch, then- I assume to protect your newly found virginity?" Rollie asked, pulling down the covers of the bed.

"No," she answered, "I have my good friend, Rollie Tyler- my best friend in the world to protect me from the male beasts tonight."

"Oh," he replied, frowning, wondering if she was really serious. He had been warned by Michael that women played these kind of games and no matter what you said, you always said or picked the wrong thing.

"Okay, now don’t get mad, Angie but I’m new at this stuff. You really are serious here?"

"Rollie, I am tired. I really just want to sleep, okay? I think we can handle it. I was just getting you worked up, that’s all."

"Good then, I think?" he replied as he quickly removed his pants and shirt and slipped into the bed. Angie got in and immediately turned on her side, away from him.

"night Rollie. I love you…" she said, getting comfortable.

"Night, yourself- I love you too," he said to her back and to the little yellow rose on her hip as he looked at the curve of it, the soft and beautiful fullness of it and he sighed, "are you sure about the sex?"

"Go to sleep, Rollie!" she told him, her voice firm.

"Okay, I’m trying…but just to let you know- this IS how married people act," he told her, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"So, I guess you better get use to it then- like now!" she replied, and pulled all the covers over to her as he laid exposed and cold.

"Great…" he muttered but he was smiling as he shut his eyes.