The former Milton Aaronsohn checked the ID in the purse that had magically appeared under her desk. "Looks like my name is Millie now."
Millie, Jose thought. What a perfect name for a shy, sexy nerd girl.
The two chatted as they walked the two blocks to Millie's apartment, about what the world would be like, about how various people they knew would react, and whether this was the last change--or, frightening possibility, the world had become the play toy of a capricious god or goddess. Millie, an optimist, thought that the change was designed to make the world a more peaceful, cleaner, happier place without the violence caused by men; Jose wasn't so sure. And how was the human race supposed to reproduce? And things could get weird if all the new women aged between puberty and menopause (Millie seemed to have lost a few years, and presumably others had as well) were on the same menstrual cycle. Millie, who was growing more bubbly by the minute, was confident things would work out. Both of the two were taking little sidelong glances at the other, feeling without acknowledging a growing attraction.
When they got to Millie's apartment Millie discovered that it was cleaner, neater, and more decorated with paintings of flowers and posters of ballerinas on the wall. She went to the refrigerator, and noted with relief that the craft beers Milton had enjoyed still occupied a place of honor, and hadn't been changed to bottles of white wine. Apparently, she was keeping aspects of her personality rather than just being transformed into a generic girly-girl. Jose used the bathroom, discovering, as Millie had earlier, that peeing as a woman felt very natural, as if the body came with its own memories.
The two watched a little TV, sticking to the twenty-four hour coverage on the news channels. The gender wave had just reached the Mediterranean, and it was a contest as to whether the Vatican or Saudi Arabia was more freaked out.
Millie got up and stretched. She had been working up the nerve for this over the last half hour. "I'm going to take a bath and get to know my new body better. Would, would youliketojoinme?"
"What?" responded Jose, startled.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" responded a panicked Millie.
Jose got up and took Millie's hand in her own. "What I meant to say" she said "was that sounds like a wonderful idea."