Kerry and Michael didn’t have the socks. As soon as they were in the car Kerry rang Kate “Mission successful. Michael got himself a surfer dude and I have an Arabic brunette. Is there any chance I could drop by your place and we borrow the socks?”
Kate replied “I’m still stuck in the office. Tom should be home though. He knows where the socks are. While your there see if you can get an opportunity to be alone with Tom. I planted a seed in his mind about Saturday. I’m more optimistic than I was earlier but he has to think it is his own idea”
Kerry smiled inside. She hadn’t expected Tom to even consider Kate’s idea. She had only that afternoon decided what she would wear to the game. She had thought herself daring to wear her black leather skirt. She wondered if Tom would even consider wearing it.
Kate was right though she needed to speak with Tom alone. It would be unlikely that he would broach the idea in the presence of his brother.
She replied to Kate “I’ll drop Michael home then come around” She knew Michael had only heard one side of the conversation.
………
Kerry dropped Michael home then drove over to Kate & Tom’s house. Tom was surprised to find Kerry at the door.
“Hi Tom. I’ve been speaking to Kate. I came around to borrow your socks. Kate thought it would be alright”
“Um, Come in. I suppose so. Kate didn’t want to use them again until the weekend. She is worried we would become addicted to them”
“We’ll bring them back tomorrow night” Kerry said as she came inside.
“Wait here. I’ll fetch them”
Tom found the socks in Kate's section of the closet. Even though the socks were technically his birthday present, Kate had somehow become in charge of them. He returned to the lounge.
“Here you are. Um… I hear you are looking forward to the footy game?”
Kerry chose her words carefully “Not as much as Michael. He is so excited. To be honest I’m a little envious of you getting to go to a dinner dance. I just so love dancing”
That wasn’t as Kate had led him to believe “It’s a pity we couldn’t swap” Tom tried to gauge Kerry’s reaction.
“I wish….. You know I actually thought about that. I bet you’d love to be going to the footy but from what I hear Kate is pretty insistent that you are there with her”
Kerry’s initial reaction encouraged Tom. “You know we could actually swap, but I dare say you wouldn’t want to pretend to be me for an evening”
Kerry pretended to be taken aback “What do you mean?”
“Well Kate is insistent that her husband accompanies her. But all she wants is a man who looks like me. We could use the socks and if you were prepared to be a man for the evening you could dance as much as you wanted at the dinner dance”
Kerry paused before answering “I’m tempted” She looked Tom in the eye. “But would you be prepared to be me?”
“I already have been. It actually wasn’t hard. If it allows me to go to the footy game……”
Kerry was triumphant. Tom had taken the bait. She pushed a little harder. “I’d only do it if you agreed that I choose what you wear. I couldn’t have you making me look like a slob.
“I suppose” Tom wasn’t sure he knew what he was committing to.
“And Kate would have to agree. She would need to be happy with the knowledge that the man she is dancing with is really her sister-in-law”
“I don’t think she would object. But what about Michael? Would he be happy to attend a game with his brother pretending to be his wife?”
Kerry had a wicked thought and posed the question “Would he need to know?”
As she left with the medallion Tom watched Kerry walking away. She was wearing her receptionist uniform of a green knee length skirt and a white blouse. Tom couldn’t help but watch her skirt sway as she walked. She was so ultra feminine. And to think he had just committed to having that body on Saturday evening.