THE GREAT SHIFT

The Other Side of the Gender Fence

Two people. Two bodies. Two very different experiences.

By AG 💕

Part One — Anthony: Six Months in the Ladies'

Six months had passed since the Great Shift had put Anthony into the body of Jessica, a beautiful, twenty-one-year-old blonde who worked in the same office as him.

Six months of wearing skirts, fastening bras, applying makeup, learning about feminine hygiene and discovering that being a young woman was considerably more complicated than he'd ever imagined.

He had grown accustomed to many things.

The weight of his breasts, the unfamiliar curves of his hips, the way men looked at him, and the unexpected pleasure of wearing a pretty dress that fitted him perfectly.

He had even started enjoying shopping for clothes.

But one thing still made him terribly uncomfortable.

Using the ladies' toilets at work.

There he sat, hidden inside a cubicle, his skirt hitched up around his waist and his knickers pulled down to his knees.

He was trying desperately to make as little noise as possible.

Outside, two women from accounts stood chatting at the washbasins.

"Did you hear about Susan and her boyfriend?"

"Oh, don't get me started! You wouldn't believe what he's done now!"

Anthony sat perfectly still, wishing they would hurry up and leave.

Please don't notice I'm here. Please don't start talking to me.

It was ridiculous, really.

He'd been using these toilets for six months. He had every right to be there. As far as anyone was concerned, he was simply another young woman attending to a perfectly natural bodily function.

But twenty years of walking into the gents didn't disappear overnight.

Then disaster struck.

His handbag, which he'd balanced rather foolishly on the toilet cistern, slipped off and crashed onto the tiled floor.

The conversation outside stopped.

"Jessica? Is that you in there?"

Anthony closed his eyes.

"Er... yes."

"You all right, love?"

"Fine! Absolutely fine!"

"Well, hurry up! The boss is looking for you!"

He heard the women laugh before the door swung shut behind them.

Anthony breathed a sigh of relief.

A few moments later, he pulled up his knickers, straightened his skirt, flushed the toilet and emerged to wash his hands.

He studied his reflection in the mirror.

Long blonde hair. Pretty face. A smart blouse, a knee-length skirt and a figure that still occasionally made him blush.

"Six months," he muttered. "Six bloody months, and I'm still frightened of going to the loo."

Another woman entered.

"Morning, Jessica! Love your skirt. Where did you get it?"

"Marks and Spencer," Anthony replied automatically.

"Oh, lovely! I'll have to pop in on Saturday!"

And with that, she disappeared into a cubicle.

Anthony shook his head.

To everyone else, he was simply another woman using the ladies.

It was only Anthony who still felt like a man who had wandered through the wrong door.

He picked up his handbag and returned to work.

At least he'd finally stopped instinctively looking for the urinals.

Part Two — Jessica: The Joys of Being One of the Lads

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the office, Jessica was having a completely different experience.

Before the Great Shift, she had been a petite twenty-one-year-old blonde, accustomed to high heels, tight skirts, handbags and the occasional unwelcome attention of men.

Now she occupied Anthony's former body.

A handsome, broad-shouldered, strong young man with muscular arms, a flat stomach and a rather impressive amount of physical strength.

And unlike Anthony, Jessica was absolutely loving it.

She enjoyed being taller.

She enjoyed opening stubborn jars without asking for help.

She enjoyed being able to carry heavy boxes without anyone rushing over to rescue her.

She even enjoyed the way people listened when she spoke at office meetings.

But there was one particular advantage of her new male body that she considered nothing short of miraculous.

Using the gents!

That morning, Jessica strode confidently through the door marked GENTLEMEN.

No hesitation.

No embarrassment.

No worrying about whether someone might hear her.

She walked straight up to an empty urinal, unzipped her trousers and attended to business with the broadest grin on her face.

"God, I love being a bloke!" she whispered.

There was no searching for an empty cubicle.

No awkward balancing over a questionable toilet seat.

No tights to pull down, skirts to hold up or handbag to hang somewhere clean.

Just unzip, go, zip up, wash her hands and leave.

It was wonderful!

Another man from the office approached the neighbouring urinal.

"Morning, Anthony."

"Morning, Dave!"

"Good weekend?"

"Brilliant, mate! Went down the pub, watched the football, had a few pints."

"Sounds good!"

Jessica grinned.

Six months ago, she'd have been mortified to find herself standing beside a man while he relieved himself.

Now she was doing exactly the same thing without the slightest concern.

It amazed her how quickly she'd adapted.

She finished, zipped up, washed her hands and caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Short hair. Strong jaw. Broad shoulders. Smart shirt and trousers.

She gave her reflection a wink.

"Not bad, handsome!"

And off she went, whistling cheerfully.

Part Three — Two Sides of the Same Coin

Ten minutes later, Anthony and Jessica encountered each other beside the office coffee machine.

Jessica was leaning against the counter, enjoying a mug of coffee.

Anthony arrived carrying his handbag over one shoulder.

"Morning, gorgeous!" Jessica greeted him with a mischievous grin.

"Don't start," Anthony grumbled.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

"Come on. I know that face. It used to be mine, remember?"

Anthony sighed.

"I've just been to the ladies."

Jessica burst out laughing.

"Not again! You're still embarrassed about that?"

"It's all right for you!"

"Of course it is!" Jessica replied. "I love the gents. Best invention ever!"

Anthony stared at her.

"You actually enjoy using the urinals?"

"Absolutely! Walk in, unzip, do what you've got to do, wash your hands and walk out. Marvellous!"

"Well, some of us don't have that luxury anymore!"

Jessica looked down at Anthony's smart skirt and elegant shoes.

"Yes, but you do get to wear all those lovely clothes."

Anthony gave her a suspicious look.

"You're not missing them, are you?"

"Not one bit!"

"Not even your high heels?"

"Especially not those bloody things!"

They both laughed.

Then Jessica noticed Anthony looking rather thoughtful.

"What's up?"

"It's funny, isn't it?" he said. "Six months ago, I was walking into the gents without giving it a second thought. Now I feel like I'm trespassing every time I go into the ladies."

Jessica nodded.

"And six months ago, I'd have died of embarrassment walking into the gents. Now I don't even think about it."

Anthony shook his head.

"You've taken to being a man like a duck to water."

"And you've taken to being a woman better than you think."

"Have I?"

Jessica smiled.

"Anthony, you've got your own makeup bag, you know more about bras than I ever did, and yesterday you spent twenty minutes telling me how much you loved your new dress."

Anthony blushed.

"Well, it was a lovely dress."

"Exactly!"

She gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"You've changed more than you realise."

Anthony glanced down at his skirt and smiled reluctantly.

"Perhaps I have."

Jessica finished her coffee.

"Anyway, better get back to work. See you at lunch, Jess!"

"Don't call me Jess!"

"Then stop calling me Anthony!"

They both laughed again.

As Jessica walked away in Anthony's old body, hands casually tucked into her trouser pockets, Anthony watched her go.

There she was, living his former life with an ease and confidence he couldn't help envying.

And here he was, living hers.

Still learning.

Still adjusting.

Still getting embarrassed by the smallest things.

Yet, somewhere along the way, he'd begun to appreciate parts of his new life that he would never have understood before.

He looked down at his polished shoes, smoothed his skirt and picked up his handbag.

"Well," he murmured, "at least I look better in a skirt than she ever did."

From across the office, Jessica called back.

"I HEARD THAT!"

Anthony burst out laughing.

THE END

The Great Shift had put them on opposite sides of the gender fence. Jessica had leapt over it without a backward glance, while Anthony was still carefully finding his footing.

But perhaps that was the greatest lesson of all.

Changing bodies could happen in a moment. Getting used to the life that came with one was an entirely different matter.