"I'm a man!"

"…..Well, nobody's perfect"

Jerry, or should I say, Daphne, sat on his…her bed. Her mind never stopped playing those few seconds, over and over. It was becoming an obsession. Why hadn't she woken up from this strange dream yet? She sat on the foot of her bed in her bedroom; one of the many rooms in Osgood's vast home. She was still in awe over how big her new bedroom was. Her last apartment, shared with Joe, wasn't even this big.

She moved in with Osgood a week after the grand escape. She had nowhere else to go and his place seemed as good as any. They spent a couple days living on the Yacht, before they got to Osgood's place. Osgood allowed Joe and Sugar to have a room too, until they could find something for themselves. They were married now and moved out into their own flat. Osgood and Daphne were married now too…

Ah yes, the wedding. It went on without a hitch; a warm and sunny afternoon, June 7, 1929. It was a small ceremony, just Daphne, Osgood, Sugar, Joe, the minister, and of course, Mrs. Fielding. Daphne wore the white lace wedding gown that once belonged to Mrs. Fielding. It was tailored to fit her frame, and it fit surprisingly well. Daphne felt awkward but Osgood thought she was gorgeous. The vows were short and sweet and ended with a quick kiss on the cheek. Osgood had aimed for a kiss on the lips but Daphne turned her face as his came closer. The minister looked confused at first but smiled on; he didn't bother to question it, all he cared about was getting paid.

Sugar congratulated them both. She gave Daphne a huge hug and winked at her, knowing full well that she wasn't really a she. Joe gave an awkward smile, kissed Daphne on the cheek and shook Osgood's hand, the minister smiled, unaware of what really was under Daphne's dress and Osgood's mother thought it was a perfect match. She too was blissfully unaware.

The honeymoon hadn't quite happened. It was Monday, June 10th now and Daphne could nearly count all of the times they had seen each other on one hand. They met for breakfast, luncheon and dinner…but that was about it. Daphne didn't really come out of her room. She spent the hours pacing her room, really. Osgood gave Daphne the space he felt she needed. He knew it was a strange arrangement and Daphne still felt she had a lot to work out, mentally…and maybe physically.

Beyond the space and the distance, he gave Daphne everything he thought she might have wanted. Every day for breakfast, luncheon and dinner, a new outfit arrived, boxed perfectly and with matching accessories. Daphne looked at each outfit in astonishment, when it arrived. It clearly cost Osgood a lot of money, but he didn't care. Nothing was too good for his new bride, especially the jewelry. She was given a beautiful diamond ring, as her wedding ring, diamond earrings the next evening, a diamond bracelet, to replace the original, which was now owned by Sugar, and tonight, a lovely drop diamond necklace.

Daphne still felt somewhat uncomfortable, if that's the right word, with everything that transpired, ever since the day of the get away from the hotel. Her face was in her hands as she envisioned that crazy and horrifying day in Florida. Escaping onto the motorboat was a relief, since the mobsters weren't watching the water. SOME of Daphne's worries were over, except the obvious lie she covered up. What Daphne had hoped was the ending to that lie that went way too far, was only the beginning of something new and different. Oddly enough, somehow, Daphne was not completely bothered by the twist that came. She was in shock at first, not sure she could be hearing him right, when he said what he did. A man not caring that he had the hots for a person who turned out to be a man? She felt him smile at her as she stared into the distance, in disbelief. What was a "girl" to do?

Just four months before, Jerry could never have imagined wanting to be in women's clothing, even in private. He and Joe just knew they were desperate to get out of Chicago and away from the mobsters, at any cost. Jerry also could have never imagined having a male as a companion, let alone marrying one! Everything just seemed so different now. Jerry's world was turned upside down and he now even referred to himself….."herself", as Daphne. Daphne was now married, to a MAN, twice her age and with a bank account that could keep their "grandchildren" living comfortably.

Osgood was an eccentric man. He spent his lifetime living it up, with lavish parties that went all night and into the next day. His fortune was abundant and he wasn't afraid to spend it, especially on the several wives he took over his lifetime; all of which ended horrendously and with substantial pay-outs. I don't want to say he was desperate to find a new wife, but he hoped for someone he could share his life with on an emotional level and to keep entertained and he wanted to be entertained in return, and not just in public. He may have been in his late 60's, but every man still has his needs, and he was no different. The difference this time was he willingly married a person who certainly carried a body part that women did not have. I mean, he didn't even flinch when he uttered those words "Well, nobody's perfect" in the yacht when Daphne admitted her "true" sex. There must be some skeletons in the closet somewhere.

Daphne got up from the bed and stood by the window. The house had a great view, out onto a large lake. The way she lived now was FAR different from the life she led in Chicago. Jerry and Joe were constantly strapped for cash. They never knew where their next paycheck was coming from, or when their next meal would be. Now Daphne ate a bountiful meal, three times a day and didn't have to worry about money every again…if she stayed with Osgood. She thought of her changed prospects, sighed and turned away, catching herself in her vanity mirror.

She sat down at her vanity and looked at her "new" reflection, as she often did. Even in her own room, she would wear makeup, a little around the eyes, lipstick and some powder on her cheeks. She knew she didn't have to impress Osgood anymore, but part of her WANTED to look…beautiful. She fixed her hair, where the waves had lost their shape. She stopped wearing the wigs about a month ago. She had let her jet black hair grow longer and it now curled around her ears and half way down her neck.

Was she happy? Frankly, she felt she was and had every reason to be. She was secured financially, she had a comfortable place to live and was bonded with someone who actually cared about her, definitely something Jerry was looking for but had yet to find. She turned her head from side to side, making sure her makeup was even, managed a small smile at her reflection and reached up to wipe away a smudge of eyeliner from under her eye.

Just then, the bell sounded for dinner. Her heart skipped a beat and she swallowed hard. She didn't necessarily dread the bell; but the first night alone in the house, with Osgood, she did. Tonight, however, she felt different. Osgood had been such a gentleman to her and she felt she was repaying him horribly, especially since they did not consummate their marriage. Could Daphne ever bring herself to become romantically involved with a man? How do two men even make love….no wait, scratch that.

Daphne slipped on her new carmine red dress, lined with delicate lace that completely covered the front. It was one of Osgood's gifts to her, earlier in the day. The sleeves were loose and came down to her elbows. To cover the rest of her arms, she slid on black silk evening gloves. On her legs, she slid on black stockings that went up to her thigh, which she secured with garters. She was still amazed that she could find heals in her size, but slipped on simple black ones. She checked her makeup in the mirror again, making sure nothing was out of place. She added some rouge to her cheeks…which made it easier to hide her blushes from Osgood. She certainly went out of her way to look good for her husband. He made her feel like such a big softy but she wasn't sure she liked it.

She looked…pretty? She had to wonder what Osgood even saw in her, as she felt like a mess. She took a deep breath, gave her face another glance in the mirror and walked out of the room. She went down the long hallway, to get to the staircase and stopped to look out the large window there. Lights reflected along the lake, from the many other homes and their large nightly parties. It was dusk and daylight was still easily visible, but the moon was out, and full. It reflected on the water and seemed to light up the world below her. She had to admit, it certainly looked beautiful and it was, romantic. She wouldn't mind sharing the view with her husband…then her eyes went wide at the thought and she mentally slapped herself.

She shook her head and continued to round the corner, down another long hallway. She felt like she had walked for miles before she came to the staircase. As she descended, she heard her heart pound in her chest with each step she took and suddenly there seemed to be twice the amount of stairs as usual, like she was descending the Eiffel Tower. She took her last step down, and made her way to the dining room.

She slowly entered the doorway to the dining room and noticed the room appeared to be on fire, from the glow of all of the candles. The chandelier was dimmed and the large French doors were opened, letting the warm evening air blow through. The glow from the moon made its way in and beside her chair stood Osgood, face glowing, waiting to be a gentleman and help her into her chair. She blushed and walked to her seat. He looked so handsome in his tails….did she just admit that to herself?!

"You look absolutely gorgeous tonight, Daphne" he said softly, with that ridiculously big smile. He held out his hand, to take hers, and she let him kiss her hand.

"Thank you Osgood. You look nice yourself" Daphne said, voice small and cracking at the end

Osgood pushed in her chair as she sat and he maneuvered over to his seat, across from her. At each of their places was a cocktail glass, filled to the top with the makings for a Manhattan. Daphne thought of Sugar right away and wondered how she and Joe were getting on. They were married now after all. She smiled but shook the idea out of her head.

They each took a few sips before either one of them spoke. Osgood was the first to speak, after the moment of silence, "What did you do today, my lovely?"

Daphne admired his sincerity and she swallowed her drink "Oh…a little of this and a little of that", she said with smile, though she really spent the day away, daydreaming and trying to figure out where her life was going. "…And how about you, Osgood?" She said after another long sip of her drink.

"Ohh, I got a few chores done around the house, wrote some letters, called mother…she wants to know why we haven't left on our honeymoon yet. I told her we haven't decided on a location." He chuckled and took another sip from his drink. Daphne just gave a slight smile and looked back down at her plate.

"Is there anything you need? Clothes, jewelry, books, records…anything? I'd be happy to place an order in the catalog or run into town for you" Osgood asked, sweetly.

Suddenly, Daphne was truly beginning to notice Osgood's eyes, right at that exact moment. Maybe it was the alcohol going to her head…maybe. His eyes were a gorgeous shade of blue and really seemed to shine tonight. She was taken aback by this realization and couldn't take her eyes off of them. She had seen his lips move but his words were silent as she watched his eyes, intently.

"Daphne?" Osgood asked, wondering why she was suddenly and oddly, distant? "Daphne!" He said again, louder this time.

She shook out of it and was momentarily confused "Wha….what?"

He asked again, looking a little more serious this time "Is there anything I can order for you? Clothing, books, records….anything at all?"

"Oh, yea, sure…that would be fine. I'll make a list later…" She blushed and took a big sip from her cocktail.

Osgood nodded and motioned for the first course. Daphne had a feeling it was going to be a long night.