Halloween 2009 ~ Part I

I've written about some recent Halloweens:
2008: I surprised my old boss (the story is here and the next few posts)
2010: The rally in DC (that story starts here and goes on for a month or so)
2011: Tucson, sorta Halloween (with Dorothy)
2009: I owe you this one!

My old manager, N, was a nice woman and a good manager.  She worked with the team members to ensure that we weren't travelling too much, that we had the resources to do out jobs, and that everything was going smoothly.  I enjoyed working for her.

One day we were discussing an upcoming job.  She had already booked her travel but another obligation came up and she couldn't make it.  Since it was to be my project, I was asked to go in her place.  Then she said something that was straight out of chapter one of many TV fiction stories:

"It would be great if you could use my ticket.  It's too bad you're not a girl."

I said, "I could be."  She asked what I meant and I said I could "dress up" and maybe get away with it.  She laughed and asked for proof.  We went on to other issues about the upcoming trip.

I went home and printed "proof."  I found a not-bad picture of Meg and printed it out and brought it to the office a couple of days later.

It was probably a week after that that I finally found N alone in her office.  I asked if she had a minute and I reminded her of our earlier discussion.  She grinned and said "yeah...?" and I pulled out the picture.

She said "no way" and insisted it was my sister.  I told her I have a sister, but that's not her.  She kept looking between the picture and me and finally acknowledged that maybe I was telling the truth.  Then she asked "was this for a costume party, or is it something you do, sometimes?"

At the time, I was pretty deeply in the closet and my first impulse was to take her "costume party" line and run with it.  My brain was screaming "ABORT!  BAIL OUT!" but I also thought she phrased what I do perfectly.  I said "it's something I do, sometimes."

She said I had to come into the office like that.  I suggested Halloween, still a few months off.  She insisted I do so.  We agreed I would come in on Halloween wearing women's clothing.

We had little joking passing discussions about this in the following weeks.  I reminded her I was going to wear women's clothing on Halloween (actually, the day before Halloween ~ Oct 31 was a Saturday).

I, of course, wasn't joking.

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