Alan was thinking about what to wear as he prepared for tonight’s activities with two new friends. They had invited him to their place after meeting at a mutual friend’s cocktail party. He knew he would not be wearing the clothes very long once he arrived, but he felt the initial presentation was important. Alan was intrigued with these two because at a recent party, they had opened him to the gender identity that finally felt natural.

He finally realized he was pan, and found men and women equally appealing and sexy.

Jamie and Ash were fascinating people and he enjoyed their company in ways that went beyond the sex. He had only recently opened himself up to meeting new friends. He was a bit of a workaholic, he admitted, but also enjoyed socializing. His job was remote, which was a kind way of saying that he stared at a computer screen all day. He had lived in an expat community in Costa Rica for about a year, and in general really enjoyed it.

Alan set his vehicle to auto-drive across Grecia, a small town in the Central Valley of Costa Rica where a concentration of expats lived. He voiced the address Jamie had flicked to him, and the vehicle moved smoothly down the rutted road. A half hour later, the car announced that they were five minutes from their destination. It seemed that Jamie and Ash lived on the other side of the small town of Grecia.

The auto-car arrived at an adorable small home painted in bright colors, and Ash popped out of the door to greet them.

“Hola! It’s so great to see you again Alan!” Ash gave him a big hug and quick kisses on each cheek, French style. Ash took his arm and led him toward the front door. “So Jamie tells me you were wonderful last week after running together. I wish I had been there to watch.”

Alan blushed but nodded. “How have you been Ash? I’m sorry we have not had much of a chance to talk since the party.”

“Oh, we will remedy that this evening,” Ash responded. “Come, come, Jamie and a friend are waiting for us.”

A friend, Alan thought right away. A fourth added to the mix? He felt his body sparkle with the possibilities.

Entering the house, they stepped into the small kitchen. Sitting on two counter stools were Jamie and a woman. Jamie stood and hugged him, and then turned to the woman. “Let me introduce our good friend Sage. Sage, this is Alan. He is joining us this evening.”

Sage stepped toward Alan, briefly held his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips. “So nice to meet you Alan. We will have some fun later, yes?”

Sage was wearing a colorful flowing top over yellow Lycra shorts. Her hair was trimmed short in the typical enby style. But Alan was not sure about her identity just yet. But he felt sure he would find out soon enough.

Ash invited everyone to sit in the living room behind the kitchen. “Sage is our special friend. They often join us for threesome sensual play. They and I are very compatible.” With this Sage stood and wrapped her arms around Ash in a way he had seen enbies do. Full body contact, the arms wrapped around and across breasts, shoulders and down to the bum. Lovely, he thought, genuinely appreciating the embrace.

“Thanks so much. I am happy to be here. Thanks for the invite!” Alan mentioned. “What is on the agenda this evening?”

Jamie responded. “Well, we thought we’d have a light meal and then take a dip in our hot tub. Ash has prepared Tacos Ticos, a genuine street food menu item here in CR. It’s basically a corn tortilla with shredded chicken rolled and deep-fried until crispy. We top them with shredded cabbage, and salsa rosada. But Ash has a way of roasting them, since we don’t have a deep fryer and we both want to cut down on the fat.”

Ash grinned, “It is one of our favorite at-home dishes and I enjoy preparing it.” With that, they and Jamie disappeared into the kitchen.

Alan turned toward Sage. “So how long have you been living in CR?”

“Oh, about three years now. I love it, I’m never going back home,” Sage replied. “And you?”

“A little more than a year now, and yes I agree, I really enjoy living here. I hear you are a translator, is that right?”

Sage waved her hand. “Yes, I am. I translate scientific and technical writing from English to Spanish or vice versa. I enjoy the work.” Sage moved to sit beside Alan. “But let’s not talk about work. How boring. Would you like to kiss?”

Alan was surprised but not uncomfortable. “Yes I would,” is all he could say.

Sage pressed their body against his and kissed him firmly on the lips. Their lips parted and tongues mingled. Then Ash stepped back into the living room. “Oh, starting early are we?” she asked with a wide grin. “Much more to follow after dinner. Come-on you two, come sit down and enjoy.”

They moved back into the kitchen and sat around the tall center island. Jamie placed a steaming platter of Taco Ticos on the table along with a green salad. Each of them served themselves.

“Delicioso!” Alan commented. “These Taco Ticos are amazing. They taste so much better than the fried ones we get in town.”

“Why thank you sir!” Ash responded, grinning. “We think roasting them brings out more of the flavor.”

They ate and chatted. Everyone seemed relaxed and comfortable to Alan, who was observing closely.

After dinner, they all helped with clean-up. And then Jamie took everyone around the back of the house and showed them their four-person hot tub. It was a very secluded area, no other homes in sight, just a tree line. “We come out here naked all the time,” Jamie explained.

The heat was beating down on all four of them, and the water looked wonderful. The women started undressing first, pulling off their shirts and letting their breasts get some sun. Jamie and Alan followed. The women were first to remove the last shred of clothing. Alan examined them. They were both clearly female in form. They stepped into the water, Jamie and Alan followed.

It was a large hot tub and at first the four settled apart from each other. Then as they chatted, the group rearranged itself. Soon enough Jamie was kissing and fondling Sage, and Ash had moved to sit on Alan’s lap and against his throbbing hardness. They snuggled skin-to-skin and began kissing deeply, passionately.

Soon, Alan had Ash perched on the edge of the tub, her legs open and he was licking her. Then they switched, and this caught the attention of Sage who shimmied over and joined Ash in entertaining Alan’s erection. After that, things became jumbled. Alan thought that perhaps four was a party, but hard to follow who was doing what to whom.

Seemingly on cue, the two women stepped out of the pool and arranged themselves on the padded benches Ash and Jamie had on their deck, legs spread invitingly. Alan stepped out and approached Sage, when she said clearly, “Come inside me, Alan dear. We’ve got a surprise for you.”

Alan positioned himself at her entrance, she nodded, and he pressed into her. As soon as he did so, he felt a sucking sensation around his erect organ, kind of rhythmic and very intense. Sage was laughing. “It’s a temporary enhancement I picked-up this afternoon. What do you think?”

“Wow! I can’t think!” Alan answered. Meanwhile Jamie was experiencing the same thing with Ash. Turns out they had gone together to get the temporary implants. Alan felt an orgasm arising just moments later. They all switched positions and techniques several times and experienced several orgasms each. Men with women, the men with each other, the women with each other.

The four continued playing until way after dark, and until everyone was completely sated. Eventually, they moved inside, pulling towels around their naked bodies. Alan knew it was time to go, as the others were preparing for bed.

He stepped around to each partner and hugged and kissed them. Sage was particularly alert and said, “We’ve got to do this again sometime!”

Everyone clapped and cheered. Alan pulled on his clothes and headed for the car. But Sage was following. “Hey Alan,” she whispered, “perhaps we can do this alone sometime. May I flick you my number?”

“Sure Sage, let’s do it,” he replied. “Take care for now.” And Alan instructed the car to return home. He was exhausted but grateful that he had friends like this.

Word Wizard

Enby: shortened form of NB or nonbinary

Pan: pansexual, referring to people attracted to others regardless of gender

Egg: a pre-trans person who has not yet realized or accepted their gender identity

Dull: straight, male/female gender attraction

Photo by Altrendo Images via Shutterstock, licensed

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Alan had spent a long day working and was looking forward to running when work was finished. While he usually ran alone, he decided to reach out to a new friend he had met at a recent cocktail party. Jamie was the kind of guy that was very likely a runner judging by his physique and overall fitness.

“Jamie, how’s it going? Listen, I called to see if you’d like to go running with me this afternoon, or perhaps another day?”

"Jamie responded quickly, “Hey, yes, that would be great. How far do you run usually?”

“Oh, three to four miles, three times a week, with some variations as things come up.”

“Sounds great Alan, I’m in. I can meet you at your place. What time?”

The two men worked out the details, and with a good run on the agenda, suddenly Alan knew the workday would go more smoothly. Alan was an American transplant living in Costa Rica. He had traveled there with a female partner, but things had not worked out. After some time spent alone and working out on the back deck of his rented cottage, he decided to rejoin other young people and begin attending some of their events. It was at one of these gatherings where he met Jamie and his enby Ash.

Alan’s job was completely remote, and aside from the occasional late meeting, he worked reliable six hour days, and that was fine with him. He felt that delicious sort of ambiguity with Jamie. He was very easy to talk to, and yet a great lover as well. Last time at the party, Alan and Jamie had spent much of the evening along with Ash making love in a private bedroom. And the three had bonded in a way that the prior generations would have never imagined.

When Jamie arrived at the appointed time, Alan was already in his running gear. The two men started at an easy jog, and soon worked up to a steady running pace. As Alan suspected, his new friend was fit and a runner. When you spend enough time naked together, it is usually easy to read another person’s body.

They chatted as they ran, off and on as the terrain allowed. Jamie had been living in CR for several years, quite a bit longer than Alan, so they shared insights into expat life, work and friends. They agreed that living in an expat community meant that making friends was both easier and more difficult. One had to be more intentional about meeting new people and maintaining friendships.

Alan was pleased to discover that he and Jamie were equally paced, at least approximately so.

“So tell me about Ash,” Alan asked, curious about Jamie’s relationship with the enby.

“Oh we’ve been together for a little under a year, but it is not a commitment. We just enjoy each other’s company. And as you noticed at the party, we are prone to bringing in other people when the urge arises.”

Alan continued, “How does Ash’s nonbinary identity enter into the relationship. I hope you don’t mind my asking. I’m just curious.”

“Oh no, not at all. Actually we get questions like this all the time. Enby’s have a really challenging time with relationships. They often end up with another enby because they understand each other. But while I am pan, Ash and I really hit it off when we met. I am talkative, and she is on the quiet side. But we both enjoy socializing and meeting new people.”

“Okay, this is what I really want to ask,” Alan admitted. “I noticed that Ash appears mysteriously neither male nor female when dressed, but when deliciously naked, their sexuality is female. Correct me if I am misreading something there.”

Jamie nodded, “No, no, it is confusing until you get to know them. Their enby exterior is something I really enjoy about Ash. But in bed, we mostly perform like any cis couple. But that is when we are alone, which is not very often.

“The one thing that makes Ash’s personality so interesting is that they may be quiet when dressed and full-enby, but when they get naked and turned-on, they always take the lead as a sexual partner,” Jamie explained.

“Wow, that’s sounds exciting. Are you cool with the secondary role?” Alan asked.

“Yes, very much. It allows us to speak plainly about our desires and wishes,” Jamie explained. “And by the way, you are invited to join us any time. Ash wanted me to extend that invite.”

“Oh that’s great, thanks so much,” Alan said appreciatively.

The two men chatted for a bit longer, and were soon back at Alan’s place.

“Shower? Did you bring clean clothes?” Alan asked.

“Yes, please. I am a sweaty mess when I run more than a mile,” Jamie admitted.

“Sure thing. The shower is off to the left, and there are fresh towels on the rack. Help yourself. I’ll shower after you.”

As Alan prepared iced tea for both of them, he found himself wondering if Jamie might be able to hang out for a bit more.

Jamie stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Hey Jamie, do you have the time to hang out for a bit, or do you have to go?” Alan asked, as he handed Jamie a tall glass of iced tea.

“Oh, ah, yes, I’d love to hang out. In that case. I’ll keep my towel on.”

After a good hot shower, Alan stepped out of the bathroom with his own towel wrapped around his waist and joined his friend on the deck chairs. These were just simple rattan chairs Alan had picked up at a yard sale.

“Listen Alan, just for the record, I may be pan, but I’m really not into romance at this point in my life.”

Alan thought about that for a moment. “I get it, no problem. I’m not looking for romance either.”

And with that, Alan knelt in front of his friend and slipped a hand under his towel. Jamie nodded. Alan pushed the towel away and began playing with Jamie’s man parts, resulting in a quick erection. Jamie lay back and enjoyed the sensations.

At some point, Jamie urged his friend to stand facing him. James pulled off Alan’s towel and began giving his erection the oral treatment. The two men were casual about this. After a while, each had attained an excellent orgasm, and they both rested on the deck chairs, still naked but relaxed.

Finally, Jamie said that he needed to be going. He gave Alan a big man hug with a French style kiss on the cheek, and went to put some clothes on.

Before taking his leave, Jamie turned to Alan and reminded him about the invite to come play with him and Ash.

“I’d love to my friend. Just name the day and time.”

“Okay good!” Jamie responded. How about Friday evening at 7:00?”

“I’ll be there!” Alan answered, laughing. “Flick me your address.”

Once Jamie left, Alan sat on his deck still sipping his iced tea. He was thinking about describing himself as “pan.” He had never really thought about this, having gone through numerous dull dating relationships with women. But now that he had acted on his sexual impulses, it all felt very natural. Looking back, he realized that he had always found both men and women attractive, whether clothed or naked.

Now that he had become sexually active again, he began thinking about those sexual enhancements for sale in town. Mostly pharmacies sold them, although in the States you needed a prescription. It might be fun. He’ll need to look into those.

Word Wizard

Enby: shortened form of NB or nonbinary

Pan: pansexual, referring to people attracted to others regardless of gender

Dull: straight, male/female gender attraction

Photo by Pavel1964 via Shutterstock, licensed.

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Alan set his vehicle to auto-drive across Grecia, a small town in the Central Valley of Costa Rica where one of the larger expat communities resided. He was dressed in casual tropical attire including bright blue shorts and a mandala sun art print T-shirt with sandals. As he drove, he realized that he was just old enough to recall when people talked about parties as places to meet and possibly pick-up a person of the opposite sex. How old fashioned, he thought.

Alan was an American transplant living in CR. He had traveled there with a female partner, but things did not work out. After some time spent alone and working out on the back deck of his rented cottage, he decided to rejoin other young people and begin attending some of their events. He had made several friends since coming to CR and decided to contact them.

His job was completely remote, and aside from the occasional late meeting, he worked reliable six hour days, and that was fine with him. The first hit was with his friend Carl who promptly invited him to a cocktail party he was hosting the following evening. There was something about CR that had brought back the cocktail party. But these were a little different than the old days, now sometimes labeled cock-tail parties.

Walking into Carl’s home, he was greeted by a small group of lovely people standing near the front door, each wearing slight touches of makeup and none obviously male or female. Then Carl stepped into the room and greeted his new friend. The two men hugged and kissed French style, which was somehow back in style across the West.

“Hey Alan, great to see you! Glad you can make it. Really I think you work too much,” Carl said laughing. Guiding Alan by the arm, Carl walked him to the refreshments table. “What will it be tonight?”

Alan thought his friend was teasing him. “Oh you mean the drinks?”

Carl grinned, “Yes I mean the drinks! You can handle the other aspect on your own.”

“I’ll have a Smooth Peach Light please.” As Carl prepared the fruit smoothie (no chunks), Alan looked over the other options: wine, several varietals, soft drinks and lots of fruit for blending. No hard liquor. People here were generally very health-conscious, he knew.

“Come-on, let me introduce you to my new enby,” Carl mentioned as he led Alan toward the back deck. “Finn, this is my gym friend Alan. We work out together.” Alan greeted Finn and looked them over. Very attractive blend of the feminine and masculine, he thought. “And no, you can’t have them!” Carl laughed and Finn blushed.

As Carl ran to the front door to greet more arriving guests, Finn chatted with Alan. “So besides working out, what do you enjoy doing on your off-time, Alan?”

“Well, I think Carl may be right. I have been working too much! I thought I’d get out and socialize this evening.”

“Very good, and you came to the right place,” Finn replied. “So, are you into enbies, pans, eggs or dull? If it’s okay to ask.”

“Oh, not sure, but I think enby or possibly egg. I’ve tried the dull, and I can assure it is appropriately named!” Finn laughed at Alan’s answer.

“Ah, no need to have it all figured out right now,” Finn assured him. “Part of the fun these days is discovering the particulars of each personality and each person’s physical traits, if you’re into that sort of thing.

“Hey listen, if you’re interested, we seem to have a sexy gathering going on out by the pool. The one rule is that you leave your clothes on the deck. But be forewarned, these are not your average asexual types. Come look.”

Alan followed Finn to the back deck overlooking the pool area. They stepped around the piles of clothes on the deck. Alan gazed out at a pool full of superbly naked people. It was obvious that this crowd was composed of mainly male and female figures, but a few were ambiguous. Alan felt his body warm suddenly, although in response to which physical type he wasn’t sure.

“Oh yes, I’m in,” he looked at Finn and smiled.

Finn laughed, “Oh, you’re so easy!” And he walked away.

Alan slipped out of his clothes and arranged them in a neat pile, then stepped down to the pool.

The water was warm and most people were playing around rather than swimming, some were in the corners kissing or fondling. He tried to swim a lap or two, and then joined two people sitting on the edge. He noticed a few things about these folks. They were all super friendly, with bright smiles and nods to him as he joined them. A few brushed past him, and he felt a woman’s boobs, and some semi-erect man parts.

“Hi, I’m Jamie and this is Ash. How do you know Carl?” The two people with whom he sat on the edge had rearranged themselves, one on either side of him now.

“Hi, I’m Alan, and Carl and I work out together. He convinced me that I’ve been working too much, and so here I am.

“Well, we don’t want you to work hard tonight,” and as they spoke Jamie reached over and started stroking Alan’s erection. Ash was watching and had dropped one hand down between their legs. But Alan couldn’t be sure if Ash was fully male or female. Ash had very small boobs, and he’d estimate the enby’s age at around the late-twenties if he had to guess.

“Would you like to play with us Alan?” Ash asked. A simple question. No common-on, very little flirting, well except maybe the nudity and Jamie’s stroking.

“Yes, yes I would. Is there a more private spot in the house?” The three stepped to the deck and each pulled a towel on. Ash led them to a bedroom.

“This one Carl keeps made-up for guests,” Ash explained. They closed the door and dropped their towels, and Alan did the same. In the window light, Alan could see that Ash had obvious lady parts while Jamie had man parts and a half erection. They pressed Alan back onto the bed and began enjoying his erection.

His two new friends switched roles several times, all of it oral sex, fingers and kisses. There was no penetration, and that was fine with Alan. He enjoyed their youthful bodies, as they did his. Each took turns kissing, licking and sucking on each other’s intimate parts. Alan enjoyed the openness. No one thought twice about same-sex or different-sex intimate activity. He and Jamie enjoyed mouthing each other, resulting in two fabulous orgasms.

Ash hung back a bit, waiting until the two men had their first rounds of pleasure. Then they moved in, touching both men, but with special interest in Alan. They guided Alan’s fingers to their crotch, and eventually also his mouth and tongue. After a few rounds of this, and several orgasms later, the three lay back on the bed catching their breath.

Alan walked back to the rear deck to gather his clothes, but had to stop and watch two people down on the pool deck openly fucking. This was a fairly new trend. Sex in public was something like a performance, especially among young people. These two were obviously into M/F penetration. Alan watched and slowly put his clothes back on.

Wandering back inside, he found his friend Carl. “So Alan, are you having a good time?”

“Yes, yes, thanks for the invite,” Alan replied.

“I noticed you disappeared for a while with Jamie and Ash, oh, those two are crazy!”

“Yes! Jamie said he’d come by and join me for running,” Alan replied.

“Well, I doubt that’s all he has in mind,” Carl laughed. “But it’s all good. Friends and sex should mix. We only live once, my man!”

Word Wizard

Enby: shortened form of NB or nonbinary

Pan: pansexual, referring to people attracted to others regardless of gender

Egg: a pre-trans person who has not yet realized or accepted their gender identity

Dull: straight, male/female gender attraction

Photo by Viktor Hladchenko via Shutterstock, licensed.

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Welcome to a new series on the future of sexuality, a set of fictional works inspired by discussions of sex and sexbots.

These stories are for adults only. Photo collage by Master1305 via Shutterstock, licensed.

This series was inspired by several related sources. One is an older book that is seeing a resurgence of interest, Norah Vincent’s 2006 “Self Made Man” in which she recounts an 18-month social experiment when she disguised herself as a man and infiltrated male spaces. The other is the current interest in hyper-realistic AI sexbots. Also recommended is Debra Soh’s piece on this topic.

Part One: This is a work of speculative fiction.

Jack remembered when sex was frustrating and complicated. Now it is no more significant than a fashion choice.

Jack walked into one of the many “sex subversion” shops and began perusing the options. He started with the basic physical type, and the face he chose every time. Late twenties, slightly thin with medium boobs and a kind face. Brown eyes, medium cream skin, dark hair or maybe a dirty blonde today, with peach fuzz down there and medium lady bits (yes, there were options).

The shop owner came over. “Yes sir, what’ll it be today? I see you’ve selected a basic physical type. Let me ask a few questions, please.

“Cis, lesbian or bisexual? Full sexual function? Introvert or extrovert? Deep, mid-range or high pitched voice? Please select a face if you have not already chosen one. Or for a bit extra, you can go with a unique face. What shall it be?”

Jack had settled into a certain type, although he wasn’t beyond experimentation. Today it would be simple: sexual function, yes indeed, mid-range voice, bi orientation, extroverted, his favorite face. It would take about an hour to transfer his engram to the synthetic woman’s body.

Meanwhile, the shop owner flicked a waiver document to Jack’s implanted comms device. The document hovered in the air in front of Jack’s face.

It was a long list, but the essence was that it held the shop and manufacturer not liable for any troublesome or legal challenges. He would be responsible for any abuse or damage to the body rental (beyond standard wear), and for any psychotic episodes that may occur while in the body. Jack flicked his signature, and returned the electronic waiver to the shop owner.

Jack was given a light sedative for the last step in the engram transfer.

Waking up in a woman’s body, he always had a strange sensation, almost as if he had travelled to an exotic location. He looked in the mirror and liked what he saw. His new self was naked of course, so he could examine all of his new body. The owner came in, “Wow, you look great! I have assembled some optional clothing sets,” and he walked Jack, or now Jackie, into an adjacent room.

“First is a decent bikini. Every beautiful woman needs a bikini! Then we have silky underwear and a sports bra for comfort. And three sets of summer garments. Please make a selection.”

Jackie examined the clothes. It was obvious that one set was meant to be sexy — cut-off and frayed jean shorts and a brightly colored crop-top with midriff exposed. The second was more modest: medium shorts, dark T-shirt. The third set was so bland and dull, she didn’t even look any closer.

Jackie was feeling sexy, so she chose the first set. She always found it curious that when she was a man, he preferred being cisgender, and in those bodies he was deeply attracted to women. But as a woman, even a bisexual woman, he was sexually attracted to both men and women. It all felt so natural.

“Very good sir, or rather madam. I will step out as you get dressed and I prepare your bill.”

Jackie loved the feel of the silky underwear against her skin. She slipped into the frayed shorts and crop-top and stepped out into the shop.

“Yes madam, that will be 675 credits, plus another 200 for storing your original body in a cryo state for seven days.” Jackie paid and left the stop.

As Jackie walked down the street, she could feel the men staring at her body. She sat at a sidewalk cafe and ordered. She sat with her legs modestly crossed, like any young woman. She knew why the men stared. It is like a reflex to them, and a never-ending infatuation.

It took only a few minutes for the waiter to bring her coffee and croissant, but in those few minutes she was approached by no fewer than three men. Jackie flirted openly with the man who had been bold enough to sit at her table. “Alright, flick me your ID number. Maybe I’ll call you later for some fun,” she offered. The man tapped his device and flicked the number to her.

She finished her coffee and headed back to her place. There she quickly got naked, sat in her favorite window chair and watched people down on the street watching her. She played with her new body for a bit, and engaged in some solo stimulation with her fingers to test the orgasm function. Excellent!

She knew she was putting on a show, but really no one cared anymore. Nudity was everywhere. Practically every advert featured naked, or nearly naked women. Some men too, mostly wearing tiny bikini bottoms around their obvious manly parts. She spent most of the afternoon walking around her flat naked. She tried on her bikini, a bright tangerine color, very sexy. She loved how the bottoms were so skimpy. She had to admit to being a bit of an exhibitionist.

Later, she pulled on the bikini and a breezy cover-up, and walked over to the nearby beach. Laying out her towel, she lay in the sun. She adored the tingling sensation of the sun on her delicate skin. She thought it curious that she never appreciated this as a man.

“Hey Jackie, is that you?” The man came over and sat next to her. Jackie thought she recognized something about the voice. “Jackie it’s me, Fran, or at the moment, you can call me Frank,” and he winked at her.

“But how did you recognize me?” Jackie asked curiously.

Frank replied, “Oh, I’ve seen you before with the same face. And you always choose the skinny ones.”

“Oh hey Frank, what’s going on? I didn’t know you were into synthetics. Is this your first time?”

“Oh no, well I tried it a few years ago, and I don’t know, I just felt like being a man for a while. Do you like my choice of bods?” Frank asked.

“Yes, yes I do, very handsome.” Jackie found she was genuinely attracted to her old friend and sometimes “benefits mate.” But, she thought, things are reversed now. This is an intriguing opportunity.

The two chatted for a while. “Listen Jackie, have you been to that new dance place, “6637?”

“Ah, no I haven’t been there. Are you asking me out on a date?” She looked at her friend with mock suspicion.

“Oh no, I would never! Anyway, dates are so old fashioned! I just thought we could have some fun, and then maybe go back to your place for a bit.”

Jackie thought for a moment and nodded, “Yea, yea, you’re a man alright! Okay, let’s do it. I haven’t yet had a chance to, you know, test out the full function of this body.”

So Jackie and Frank went to check out the new dance club. They danced together to the loud thumping music, and with others, total strangers, and Jackie received several proposals for sex from men, women and nonbinary folks. She accepted two men together, and they moved to one of the “hot” rooms in the back.

Jackie enjoyed the physicality of the no-nonsense shagging, and she was turned on by these two beautiful naked men. But it was little more than a sporting event to her, as she was saving the really good stuff for Frank. Later they walked to Jackie’s place. There they got settled, got naked, and shagged experimentally.

Afterwards, now deliciously hot and sweaty, Frank commented, “Wow, you have a great body! My cock felt caressed and massaged. Amazing orgasm!” His body was responding already, up for the next challenge.

Jackie was still dazed, but her reaction was similar. “Uh la la! Yes, truly astounding. My lady bits are still vibrating, still pulsing!”

The two of them engaged in several repeat performances with some variations until they were exhausted and nodded off to sleep.

The next morning, they wandered down to the sidewalk cafe and ordered breakfast. Jackie noticed that when she was with Frank, men would shoot quick glances at her, but nothing more. Not one approached her when she was with a man. She mentioned this to her friend, and he laughed, “Yea, well, men are pigs! Common girl, you know that, right?”

“You were quite the pig last night,” Jackie said with a snarky look on her face. And they both laughed.

Frank replied, “We must do this again my friend. I have this body for another few days. When did you get yours?”

“Just yesterday,” replied Jackie, “So I’ve got six more days to play. Although, I’ve got the bi model, and so I’d be interested in meeting you when you are Fran again.”

Frank jumped at the chance, “Oh yes, let’s do it. I’d love to play some baby dyke games with you.”

As the two finished their coffees, they stared at each other. Jackie turned reflective for a moment. “Do you remember when sex was so complicated?”

“Yes, those were sick times, don’t you think?” Frank replied.

They kissed like any other couple, and went their separate ways.

Next Episode

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Welcome to a new series on the future of sexuality, a set of fictional works inspired by discussions of sex and sexbots.

These stories are for adults only. Photo collage by Master1305 via Shutterstock, licensed.

This series was inspired by several related sources. One is an older book that is seeing a resurgence of interest, Norah Vincent’s 2006 “Self Made Man” in which she recounts an 18-month social experiment when she disguised herself as a man and infiltrated male spaces. The other is the current interest in hyper-realistic AI sexbots. Also recommended is Debra Soh’s piece on this topic.

Part Two: This is a work of speculative fiction.

Jackie was sitting naked in her favorite window chair and daydreaming about her last encounter with her friend Fran, or at the time, Frank. By now, she knew that Frank would have returned his synthetic bod, and returned to her natural female state. Just then, Fran contacted Jackie. Jackie’s implanted comms unit alerted her with a tone in her ear.

“Hey Fran, you’re back! I can tell from your voice,” Jackie enjoyed talking with her old friend.

“Hi Jackie. Still enjoying the synthetic female bod?” Fran asked.

“Oh yes, but no one else has been nearly as good as you, my friend,” Jackie admitted.

“Oh, I bet you say that to all the handsome guys,” Fran was keeping it light. “So listen, if you are not busy later, I thought it is such a lovely day, how about we take a walk in the woods? I know a wonderful spot.”

Jackie knew exactly what this was about. She had casual sex with her old friend when she, Jackie, was a man and he was a woman, meaning in their natural, non-synthetic bodies. It was hot sex, but nothing like the enhanced sensations the synthetics provided.

“Sure, name the place and I’ll meet you there,” Jackie replied.

Two hours later, Jackie waited at the gate to the wooded park. She wore simple white shorts and a yellow T-shirt with no bra. Imprinted on the T-shirt were the words “Fems Rule.” Every guy that walked by stared at her, some dropping lascivious comments under their breath. One approached and smiled. Smiling was always a good start.

“Hey babe, what are you up to?” the man asked.

“I’m waiting for my boyfriend,” Jackie replied, trying her best to keep things simple.

“Well, I bet he ain’t got what I can give you. Want to find out?” the fellow was becoming obnoxious. It doesn’t take much with these guys, she thought.

“Oh thanks, maybe another time,” Jackie spoke softly so as not to make the fellow angry. Just then, Fran came along, and Jackie took this opportunity to give Fran a lengthy kiss on the lips.

“Fuckin’ lezzy cunt,” muttered the stranger as he slouched away.

Fran looked bewildered. “What was that all about? Not that I am complaining about the kiss. This fem bod of yours offers some great lips.”

“Oh it’s nothing, just a jerk passing by,” Jackie explained.

“Aren’t they all!” And then Fran realized what she was implying. “I mean, not you, uh, you know, not when you’re Jack.

Jackie put her arm through Fran’s and they strolled into the park. “It’s okay Fran, don’t worry about it. You know, I must admit that I’ve been looking forward to hearing from you. Frankly, I am astounded by the vivid fantasies that come with this bi fem synthetic body. I’ve had a couple of hot solo evenings!”

“Wow, that sounds wonderful. I can’t wait to interfere with your solo activities.” Fran was only half joking.

“Yea, I know babe. But let’s walk for a while, it is such a lovely day,” Jackie responded.

The two kept walking deeper into the woods. There were a lot of people out today. Many gay guys holding hands, and several women making out under trees. No one really noticed this sort of thing anymore. But what they didn’t see were many cishet couples.

Soon Fran pointed to a rough path that led to a small clearing under one of the larger trees. They walked along, Jackie allowing her “date” to lead her. They spread out a small blanket Fran had stuffed in a mini backpack and sat together.

Jackie was curious. “So Fran dear, how many times have you fucked around with another woman?”

Fran looked around as if thinking. Jackie waited. “Okay, never,” Fran finally blurted out. “But I have been thinking about you since we last met.”

Jackie giggled. “It’s okay my friend, I will lead the way.” They moved closer and kissed, at first gently, then with greater urgency. Jackie placed one of Fran’s hands on her breast, and they moved closer together.

Their kissing seemed ever deeper and more curious. The two women were touching each other urgently now, and Jackie guided Fran’s hand through the elastic of her shorts and down to her knickers. Fran obligingly began rubbing her friend’s soft flower. Things were getting hot. Jackie found that she adored this kind of thing, what folks used to call “making out.” But now she wanted more.

She turned to Fran, “Okay sweetie, let’s go back to my place.” And they walked back.

As soon as the two women stepped into Jackie’s place, they began shedding clothes. Fran was down to her knickers as was Jackie. They hugged and kissed, skin-to-skin, and sat on Jackie’s loveseat sofa.

“Okay, so look,” Jackie was encouraging her friend to relax, “You have been a woman all your life. You know your sensitive places, your pleasurable spots. My bod is the same, only maybe a bit more enhanced.”

Fran nodded. They continued kissing. Jackie stood, stepped out of her knickers and straddled her friend’s thighs. “Now you get to caress my flower and finger me, but gently at first, okay?”

Fran accepted the invitation and soon realized that this is a lot like the way she touches herself when she is alone. But Jackie was really wet, so the excitement built rapidly.

Jackie was soon on her knees, pulling off her friend’s knickers, and diving in to lick her lovely flower. Then she introduced fingers for some light penetration.

After a few minutes of this treatment, Jackie smiled and looked into Fran’s face and said, “Okay babe, your turn.”

This was new to Fran, but she was amazed at how delicious Jackie’s synthetic body was, moist and juicy, with the most sensual lips.

Soon the two were playing with fem toys, including a penetrating model for Jackie, and an external vibrator for Fran. Jackie, with her enhancements, managed several outstanding orgasms while Fran realized two. But they were all out of this world.

Later, the two women lay naked on Jackie’s bed, arms around each other. Jackie had brought out two glasses of wine, the real thing, not the new non-alcoholic crap.

“So my sweet, what do you think of making it with another woman?” Jackie asked, curious now.

Fran thought for a moment before answering. “Wow, it’s great. I love it. So precious, skin so smooth. I never really enjoyed the pounding I get from most guys.”

Jackie nodded, “Most men have no idea how to touch a woman’s body.”

Fran smiled. “And what do you think of the synthetic body?”

Jackie responded instantly, “Incredible! I don’t ever want to go back to my boring male bod.”

Fran was sympathetic, “I understand sweetie. But if it’s any consolation, you’re the only man I will ever need.”

Next Episode

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Welcome to a new series on the future of sexuality, a set of fictional works inspired by discussions of sex and sexbots.

These stories are for adults only. Photo collage by Master1305 via Shutterstock, licensed.

This series was inspired by several related sources. One is an older book that is seeing a resurgence of interest, Norah Vincent’s 2006 “Self Made Man” in which she recounts an 18-month social experiment when she disguised herself as a man and infiltrated male spaces. The other is the current interest in hyper-realistic AI sexbots. Also recommended is Debra Soh’s piece on this topic.

Part Three: This is a work of speculative fiction.

Dee Dee was feeling especially lonely. She was a large woman, and whether due to her internalized shame or the way men perceived her, she did not get many interested looks from men. Not that there were very many cishet men left it seemed.

She had just received her annual bonus at work, and to her surprise, it was larger than expected. She was a valuable employee and fortunate to have found a position in which no one harassed her. But sitting here alone in her tiny apartment, her life felt empty. She was a sensual woman and would often daydream about men finding her attractive and taking her to bed. In the evenings she would go solo with her fingers and toys, but it wasn’t the same.

That’s when Dee Dee made her decision. She would splurge on a synthetic bod, and enjoy the pleasures while it lasted. She took the tram to one of the more reputable “sex subversion” shops and began looking over the options. She was looking for a young woman bod, perhaps late twenties, with a shapely figure. She quickly selected a basic type.

The shop owner came over. “Yes madam, what’ll it be today? I see you’ve selected a basic physical type. Will this be your first time with a synthetic body?”

Somehow the fellow knew, she thought, it’s probably obvious. She pushed through a moment of shame. “I want a sexy woman with large eyes, nice hips, but on the thin side.” She looked over the models. They were all naked and very realistic. They even had various types and colors of pubic hair. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she selected one: nice butt, smallish boobs and nicely trimmed tawny pubes.

“A very popular model,” the shopkeeper said, walking over to her. “May I ask a few questions?”

“Why yes, please,” she replied.

“Cis, lesbian or bisexual? Full sexual function? Introvert or extrovert? Deep, mid-range or high pitched voice, skin tone, eye color? Please select a face if you have not already chosen one. Or for a bit extra, you can go with a unique face, and if you please, I’ll even throw in premium sexual performance. What shall it be?”

“Uh, I didn’t know there were so many options. Let me see,” she responded. “I like this one, but perhaps with blue eyes and light chocolate skin, straight tawny hair to match her…you know.” She pointed to the model’s pubic area.

“Yes madam, no problem. Allow me to point out that you have the option of small, medium or large lady bits or labia. Also, regarding the face, you may elect any of the standard faces you see here, or for a bit extra we can design a unique face. What shall it be?”

Dee Dee’s face had turned bright red hearing about the various types of labia available. But she was going for it today, so she pushed through. “Since I am getting the premium sexual performance feature, what kind of bits, or rather labia, do you suggest?”

The shopkeeper was accustomed to first-timers and answered with utter politeness. “Well, some customers select the type of lady bits that appeal to them visually. But if you want the maximum sexual stimulation, let me suggest the large bits,” and stepping to another model, displayed with her legs open, “like this one.”

“Oh I see, yes, that type looks good. As far as the face, I’ll just go with one of the standard models, um, this one here will do nicely. Let’s see, mid-range voice and cis gender, and extroverted please.”

“Yes madam, all good choices. It will take about an hour to transfer your engram to the synthetic woman’s body.”

Dee Dee signed the waiver form and waited. She thought about the labia thing and wondered if it really made any difference. But they looked hot, and this is what mattered to her.

Following brief sedation, she awoke in her new body. The first thing she felt was lightness, not in her head but in her body. She stood and examined herself in the surround mirrors. She was naked of course, and so thin! And yet still had nice hips and shoulders, cute small boobs, and, as she felt down between her legs, the “large” lady bits.

The shop owner came in with a robe. “So, what do you think?”

“Fantastic,” Dee Dee said, still enthralled by this sexy lady standing before her.

The shopkeeper continued, “I have several sets of clothes laid out for you in the next room. Please follow me.”

She selected the silky knickers and matching bra, although she doubted she would need one, a pair of summer shorts, T-shirt and of course the bikini set. She had not worn a bikini since she was a teenager.

“Very good madam, allow me to step out while you dress and I will prepare your bill,” the polite shopkeeper stepped out of the dressing room.

Once she emerged back into the shop, she stood before the mirror and stared at her new bod one more time. Amazing, she thought, this is going to be fun!

“Yes madam, that will be 675 credits, plus another 200 for storing your original body in a cryo state for seven days. I am including the premium sexual performance at no extra charge. Please enjoy it on us.” Dee Dee paid and left the stop.

She skipped the tram and decided to walk home. She realized she would need a new name to go with her new bod. Nothing old fashion, and nothing like Dee Dee. She selected Dyane, a name she had always found intriguing.

As she walked along, she felt so light, young and beautiful. Men stared, women stared, several on each block flicked unsolicited sex invitations her way. She ignored them. But she sent a message to her old friend Melany to meet her at her place after work. She received an affirmative tone in her ear.

Melany looked like her name, which meant “black” or “darkness.” She was very dark, with stunning nearly-black skin and so beautiful. And an old friend.

“Dee, what! Are you in there?” Melany stepped into Dyane’s flat. “Oh my god! You did it! Babe, you look fantastic I have to say.” The two women hugged.

“Come in Mel, let me show you!” Dyane was so excited to share this moment with her friend. She pulled off her top, bra and shorts. “So, you like?”

“Are you kidding? Like wow, yes I like. So is it a standard model or did you get any extra features?” Melany asked.

Dyane blushed. “Well, the shop threw in the premium sexual performance feature, and suggested the ‘large’ labia. I don’t know if they will make any difference, but I think it looks sexy.”

“Okay, okay babe, drop the knickers and let me have a look,” Melany was smiling. Dyane pulled off her underwear, sat and opened her legs. “Yea, those are big ones alright! I have another friend who has big lips like yours, and she uses a bit of lubricant in the morning to keep the friction down.”

Dyane stood and dressed again. Melany was such an old friend that they had tried all kinds of things together, even went swimming in the nude and one time tried sleeping together. It was nice being naked, but neither one of them felt anything sexual.

Melany was nodding. “Very sexy Dee. So, shall we go man hunting tonight?”

“You can call me Dyane, the new name I chose. But hell yes, let’s hunt down some hard men. I’m all in.” They both laughed.

The nightspot was known for its reasonable and friendly crowd. Dinner, then dancing. The two women danced together and then with lots of other people. Dyane attracted a lot of attention from the men, and from many women as well. One fellow dancing behind her reached around and grabbed her breast. Melany spotted this and snapped around, “Whoa buddy, hands off,” she demanded, and the fellow slinked away.

But there were two guys who had noticed Dyane and Melany coming in together, and began dancing with them, and then whispering polite invitations for a “sexy evening.” Handsome men, both dark skin, medium builds, nothing immediately scary. The two women stepped away from the dance floor and conferred.

“Nice eh? What do you think? We can take them back to your place and have a foursome, or just do singles,” Melany suggested.

Dyane thought for a moment, and for a few fleeting seconds forgot about her lovely new body. “Okay, yes. Let’s go dance close with them and see if they mean it.” Melany nodded.

They each rejoined their new dance partners, and each brushed closer this time, rubbing bodies and collecting names. Why did they do this? It was to show interest but also to test the men’s responses. Would they get easily angered? Would they not like women in control?

Soon, all four were leaving the club and chatting up a storm. So far, the two men were very polite and surprisingly talkative. Back at Dyane’s place, she put on some soft music and poured glasses of wine for everyone. Melany and Derrick were already slow dancing, or rather squeezing their bods together in the middle of the living room.

Dyane and Robert were sitting on the stupidly narrow loveseat sofa, his arm around her, talking and kissing. Soon it was all kissing, then their tops came off, and Dyane got to show off her new small boobs. Robert seemed to appreciate them.

By this time, Melany was naked and on her knees, doing her oral thing with Derrick. Dyane knew her friend loved oral sex, both ways. At this point, Dyane stood, stepped out of her shorts, and whispered to Robert. “I want to show you something.” And slowly she pulled down her knickers and sat on the edge of the bed, legs spread. Robert of course pulled off his pants and briefs to release his considerable organ. But he stared at Dyane’s foof with the large pouting labia. On his knees now, he looked up and asked, “May I?” She nodded.

He licked and gently sucked, and used his fingers for a light touch. Dyane had to admit, he was good, and seemed in no rush. She loved this treatment, realizing now for the first time that her new labia were like play things, encouraging more luxurious attention from a man who knows something about a lady’s body.

Soon, they moved into reverse oral, and then straight shagging. Dyane used her enhanced powers to clasp the fellow’s penis inside her channel in a pulsating fashion. Well, let’s just say he didn’t last long!

A couple of orgasms later, Dyane and Melany switched partners and treated them both to oral pleasure. Dyane learned that her tongue had little barbs on it that greatly enhanced pleasure when she was licking.

Later, all four lay sprawled on the bed exhausted. Melany was the first to wake up. She grabbed a robe, tossed another to Dyane, and announced, “Okay gents, it’s been a pleasure. Please flick us your numbers and have a good night.” Slowly, the guys got dressed and quietly left.

Melany and Dyane dropped the robes and got back in bed for some much needed sleep.

In the morning, Dyane started brewing coffee when Melany joined her at her kitchen counter. Each wore simple white knickers and T-shirts. When the coffee was ready, they clinked mugs and Melany offered, “To a successful man hunt. We’ll need to invite those two over again some time!

“So you’ve got what? Six more days with this body?” Melany asked.

“Yes,” Dyane responded, “and endless orgasms.” They both laughed

Okay, listen. Let me introduce you to this very handsome fellow I know. He’s been very interested in shagging me, but I keep turning him down. How about I invite him out with both of us lovely ladies, and we have a threesome? I promise he’s hot.”

“Yea, okay, would you?” Then Dyane turned serious. “Listen Mel, I’m going to hate going back to my old body. I mean look at you, girl! You are beautiful and natural. I’m just fat.”

“Hey, come-on Dee, don’t be like that. We can make a plan, get you to a doc and maybe get a script for one of those cool weight loss drugs. Yea? Okay?” Dyane nodded.

Melany continued, “But in the meantime, we’re going to have a lot of fun together!”

Dyane wiped away a tear and hugged her old friend. “I love you, Mel.”

Next Episode

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Welcome to a new series on the future of sexuality, a set of fictional works inspired by discussions of sex and sexbots.

These stories are for adults only. Photo collage by Master1305 via Shutterstock, licensed.

This series was inspired by several related sources. One is an older book that is seeing a resurgence of interest, Norah Vincent’s 2006 “Self Made Man” in which she recounts an 18-month social experiment when she disguised herself as a man and infiltrated male spaces. The other is the current interest in hyper-realistic AI sexbots. Also recommended is Debra Soh’s piece on this topic.

Part Four: This is a work of speculative fiction.

Martha was sick of men. Sick of their macho bullshit, their man-child needs, and their stupidly poor performance in bed. She thought to herself, Really, we women are not that complicated. Just be honest and be natural. And dammit, pay attention to our bodies when we invite you to bed! She was pushing thirty and tired of playing games.

Sitting at her window, vibrator toy in hand, knickers tossed to the floor, she imagined what she would be like as a man. Okay, so she thought of her fantasy guy. Fresh-faced, polite, easy-going, no fake come-on’s, sensitive emotionally, smiles easily, and sex positive with women. He would be experienced in the area of women’s pleasures, especially sexual pleasures. He would be hot and kind and lovely to watch, and something of an adventurer. He would adore her nakedness, cherish her curves and creases, and adore her wickedness.

She dropped the toy, tossed her head back, and tried to slow her breathing. Yea, solo was okay in a pinch. But what she wanted was a real man. Then she thought about her friend Adrienne who the other day asked her what kind of man she would be? And for a few minutes, she fantasized about being a man, and what that would be like. Would she still have a woman’s sensibilities?

Just then, Adrienne called, the tone from her implant ringing in her ears. She flicked her eyes and took the call. “Adrienne! I was just thinking about you.”

“Uh oh, I hope that’s good,” Adrienne responded, laughing as she said it. “Listen babe, what are you doing right now?”

“Ah, I just finished. I mean, I just finished some cleaning around the place. What’s up girlfriend?”

“Good, I’ll pick you up in ten minutes. Oh, and put some clothes on!” Adrienne giggled and ended the call.

Damn, Martha thought, she knows me too well! So she got dressed, a mini sundress, fresh knickers, no bra. It had been very warm the last few days and she disliked feeling sweaty. She rushed around her flat, cleaning up a bit, thinking that her friend might just believe her cleaning-up story.

A different tone rang in her ear, this one for her door. She opened it and there was Adrienne. She loved her best friend. She was loyal, cute, with short shiny hair, lovely face, nice boobs, and funny too. If she were a man, she would definitely want to shag Adrienne.

“Hi luv! Finished with your little solo playtime?” Adrienne asked as she walked in.

Martha blushed. Sometimes her friend was a little too straight forward.

“Okay babe, give me a hug because I’m going to make your day!” The two women hugged warmly.

“No bra today, eh?” Adrienne commented. “Yea, me too. It is so freakin’ hot out there. I’m just trying to stay cool.

“So, are you ready to go?” Adrienne asked.

“Go? Go where? Why are you being so mysterious?” Martha was a bit shrill.

“Okay look. I came into some money. Some old auntie passed and left me some cash. And well, I’m going to treat us to some serious fun.” Adrienne explained. She looked insistent.

“Okay, yea, I’m ready. And yes I put some clothes on, thank you very much!” Martha responded, laughing.

They took the tram to the business district and walked to one of the “sex subversion” shops. Just outside the door, Martha pulled her friend to a stop. “Wait, what are we doing here? Are you thinking of trying a new bod for a while?”

Adrienne smiled. “Nope. You are.” And she pulled Martha into the shop.

“You’re joking, right? I mean, I’ve got a perfectly good and sweet and sexy body. Why would I want a different one?” Martha was dumbfounded.

“Not like this,” Adrienne laughed.

Adrienne whispered to the shopkeeper, and he directed them to a secondary showroom in the back and to the left.

The two women strolled into the “Men” department. Adrienne was grinning like a fool, and Martha was very confused. “Wait,” she turned to confront her friend. “You want me to try a man’s bod? Are you serious?” Martha glanced around at all the naked synthetic bodies, all with realistic man parts. She felt like she was in one of those cock-tail rooms where ladies go to make porn films.

“Okay, listen babe. We only get to live once. And I thought, well, you’ve talked about being a man often enough. So let’s do it. We’ll still be besties, and who knows, maybe a little more?” Adrienne’s voice had a lilt at the end that made it a bit more like a question.

Martha stared at her friend aghast. But then her face softened. “You really think this is a good idea?”

“Yes!” Adrienne replied. “Come on now, let’s pick one. This one is sweet looking and a nice package as well.”

“Adrienne!” Martha was surprised, but then, glancing around, she realized they would need to pick one of the models and his package.

The shopkeeper stepped in and began pointing out the various features. “Is this for one of you ladies?” he asked politely.

“Yes, it’s for me,” Martha blurted out. “We were looking at this fellow.”

“Good choice. So you will notice that the face is important, and you may choose any face on any body. And please note the different types of shoulders, arms and hands, and how tall they are. Oh, and allow me to suggest a demonstration of the model’s erection before you choose. Take your time ladies.”

Martha and Adrienne glanced at each other, erection? “Well of course, silly. We will see what they do, or ah, what their erections look like.” And the two friends burst out laughing.

Soon, Martha settled on one she liked: modest build, slightly thin like herself, kind face, medium complexion and very nice hands. For a moment she imagined what those hands could do for her. Snapping herself back from the daydream, she turned and called for the shopkeeper.

“Yes madam, very good. Let me demonstrate this model’s erection. We try to make the demonstration as realistic as possible.” He stepped behind the figure, and before their very eyes, the penis rose into a totally natural erection.

The women gasped at the realism and grasped each other’s hands. They stepped closer and around the sides of the figure, eyes glued to the synth’s erect penis. It was a little fuller than the ones either of them had seen in real life and a tad longer. Martha liked how it pointed up when erect, the perfect angle, she thought. And she felt herself squirm.

“Okay, we’ll take it,” Martha announced, surprising her friend with her sudden assertiveness.

“Yes madam, very good choice. A few questions if I may? Is the skin tone acceptable? What color hair, eyes and, um, pubic hair? Cis, lesbian or bisexual? Full sexual function? Introvert or extrovert?”

Martha and Adrienne looked at each other. “That’s a lot of choices. So let’s see. The complexion perhaps a shade darker, hair dark brown and straight, pubic hair the same, but only a touch of it. Definitely cis gender, and full sexual function, yes. And a bit extroverted I think.”

“Yes madam, all good choices. It will take about an hour to prepare the synth and transfer your engram to his body. Please look over our waiver and return it with your signature.”

The shop owner flicked a waiver document to Martha’s implanted comms device. The document hovered in the air in front of her face. She signed it electronically and returned the form.

The women stepped out for a spot of tea and sat silently as they drank. Then a big grin started to form on Adrienne’s face, and she whispered, “You’re doing this babe.” Then louder, “You’re really doing it!”

“Hush, yes I know. You talked me into it,” Martha replied. “I think I’ll call myself Marty. What do you think?”

Returning to the shop, they found the synth ready for the engram transfer. Martha received a short acting sedative, and then, like an instant later, woke up. She felt weird, like something was off.

The shopkeeper was ready. “Please note that when transferring across genders, there is a slight disorientation at first. It should pass in a few minutes. When ready, please try walking around the shop, and I will prepare your bill.”

Martha stood and looked into the surrounding mirrors. She was naked and she was in a man’s body. Adrienne, who had never left her side, eyes wide open now, glancing up and down at her friend’s new body.

“Wow!” was all Adrienne could say. Martha touched herself, or rather himself, feeling the arms and hands, flat stomach and lower down, a man’s penis and balls, like just hanging there.

The shopkeeper stepped in, handed Martha a robe, and offered several sets of clothes he had arranged on a shop table. He ushered Adrienne and Marty to an outer room. “When ready, please examine the clothing options. I will step out as you dress.”

Martha selected a reasonable set of T-shirt and casual shorts, with some extra T’s. But the underwear selections ranged from boring white cotton briefs to silky bikini bottoms. She chose the latter, and a simple black Lycra swimsuit. Adrienne nodded her approval. As Marty dressed, Adrienne paid the bill and they left the shop.

As they often did, Marty and Adrienne walked arm-in-arm, but now it felt different. Adrienne could feel the muscles in Marty’s arm, and he seemed to have a different stride, well, like a man. “What did that cost?” asked Marty.

“It came to 750 credits for the bod and another 200 for the shop to keep your natural body in cryo for a week. But don’t worry about that, I got you babe.” Babe? The two cracked up laughing, letting go of a whole lot of anxiety.

They decided to go shopping, since Marty would need more clothes. And in the men’s dressing room, Adrienne leaned in and stole a kiss. Marty looked quizzically at his friend. “Yea? Are you sure you’re ready for this babe?” Marty asked.

Adrienne just looked into his eyes, longingly. “Okay, okay, I got you,” Marty answered his own question. “Let’s go get something to eat and then we can go back to my place for playtime, yes?” Adrienne nodded eagerly.

Like any other cis couple, they chose a nice restaurant. The waiter addressed Marty as “sir,” which still seemed bizarre. Marty looked at her bestie, “So, are we a couple now?”

Adrienne thought for a moment. “I would like us to be. How about we try out this new bod tonight, and then in the morning, you get to choose what happens next?”

“Sounds fair, sweetie. It’s just all a bit confusing, you know?” Marty spoke softly, holding his friend’s hand. But he noticed that in his eyes he still loved Adrienne, although it had never been a romantic thing. That was about to change.

Back at Marty’s flat, they stepped inside and almost immediately started kissing. Marty pulled off Adrienne’s clothes, and she undressed him. They stood naked, and Adrienne reached out tentatively to stroke Marty’s very realistic erection. Marty looked down smiling, “I guess it works.”

Adrienne dropped to her knees and just had to taste her friend’s new manhood. They traded places after a while, and he gave her such oral pleasure like no one but another woman could possibly achieve. Adrienne had two orgasms even before they got to the bed. Laying on their backs, Adrienne could not stop herself from mouthing Marty’s erect cock to climax. She kissed her friend on the lips, and Marty certainly tasted a man’s release.

They rested a bit, but in only minutes, Marty was ready for more. He thoroughly shagged his friend until she was screaming through not one but two more orgasms. Unbelievable. “Is this the enhanced model or are you just happy to see me naked?” Adrienne joked.

The next morning, Marty fixed breakfast while Adrienne, wearing her usual knickers and white T-shirt, made some coffee. Marty could not help but stare at his friend’s nipples poking through the T and at her bikini knickers. Adrienne found this hilarious. “You’re staring at my tits!” she accused him.

“Yes I am,” Marty replied. “It’s like I remember everything from before, but I have a man’s sexuality now. I can’t help but stare at your half-naked body!”

“Well mister, I’ve had enough fun for now. I’ll go put some clothes on.”

“Will I see you tonight?” Marty asked, his tone natural and relaxed.

“So, we’re getting chummy, are we?” Adrienne commented. “Of course, silly, I’m coming back for more later.” She kissed him and vanished into the bathroom.

After breakfast, Marty decided to try on the bathing suit and walk down to the beach. The sun was blazing and it was becoming a hot day. He pulled a pair of shorts over his swimsuit, grabbed a T-shirt and was out the door.

As he walked along, he could not help but glance at many of the women on the same route. Well, maybe not just glance, but measure them up: boobs, hair, legs, butt, short skirt, mini-shorts. Beach attire? He knew he did this as a woman, but not with the same active imagination. Did men just walk around all day thinking about sex? He wondered.

At the beach, he laid out a towel and sat facing the ocean. He loved the waves moving across the sand. But then, walking through his line of sight were two beautiful women in brightly colored bikini swimsuits, and he stared wide-eyed. One of the women seemed to sense his stare, and shot him a nasty glance. Bugger off you wanker, is what she seemed to be saying.

He broke his stare. Okay, now that was a lesson. If you’re going to look at the ladies, don’t make it so obvious. He jumped into the water and had a nice half hour of swimming. He felt strong, powerful and confident, all strange feelings he assumed were related to his new bod. As a woman, he was always questioning his confidence. And had he ever felt powerful? No, he could not recall a time.

Back at his place, he pulled off his clothes and the damp swimsuit and sat in his favorite window chair, curtains pulled open, people on the street occasionally looking up. He was still curious about his new bod, especially the man parts. He began stroking and soon had a super erection. It’s funny, he knew in general how a man’s body works, but he was still astonished to climax and ejaculate all across his stomach. Messy, he thought, but sexy all the same.

While taking his shower, he wondered how to wash his new parts. He did so carefully as if they might break, but soon realized this body was quite durable. It was still just midday, and so after his shower, he wandered over to a favorite bookstore.

Looking over the new books, he found the most odd sensation of being watched, but covertly. Not staring exactly, more like subtle glancing. All from the women in the store. Not one man eyed him. Oh yea, he realized, as a woman this is how she checked out the guys.

Experimentally, he decided to talk to one of the female customers, a young woman in the history section. “So what do you usually read?” A stupid question, he thought to himself.

She glanced at him, and he knew in that critical moment, she made a decision. “Oh hey. Well, I like history mostly, but I read a lot so I’m also a browser. And you?”

“Oh, uh, I like mysteries and memoirs. You know, reading about peoples’ lives, that sort of thing.” He was talking too much!

“Wow, I don’t meet many men who enjoy mysteries, that’s really cool. Are you a teacher?” she asked.

“No, but I work for a publishing house. At least I get to hobnob with the authors.” Keep it short and sweet, he thought.

They went on talking for a bit, and the woman whose name was Jan looked genuinely interested. Meanwhile he was already undressing her in his pitiful mind. She was wearing a short skirt, no hose, a flowered T-shirt and a bright sun hat.

“Hey Jan, would you like to get a spot of tea?” Oh my god, he was inviting a woman he had just met out for tea!

“Yes, I’d love to,” she responded quickly, as if expecting this invitation.

They sat at one of the nearby sidewalk cafes. He knew a few things a man should avoid in this situation. Don’t ask where she lives, don’t stare at her boobs, instead look into her eyes, pay attention. But inside, he felt like a wild animal stalking prey.

It turns out they enjoyed some of the same literary stories, whether expressed as mystery or actual history. Or was that a stretch? he wondered. When they finished their tea and conversation, she flicked him her ID number. Then turning, she said, “You know, I have the afternoon off and nothing on my calendar.”

Uh oh, he thought, Now what? He decided to go for it, a snap decision just like choosing the bod. “Well, I haven’t had a decent meal yet today. Would you like to come by my place, and I’ll prepare some sarnies for us?”

She looked around shyly, and agreed. “Okay sure, but I can’t stay long,” she finally said.

They walked to his flat, and as they walked, they continued talking about food, especially the particular ingredients of a decent sarnie or sandwich. She sat on the sofa and watched as Marty prepared two turkey and bacon sarnies. She found the small flat comfortable, nice and airy.

Marty looked at her, “Wine? He asked, holding up an empty glass.

“Sure, why not?” she responded eagerly.

They sat at his kitchen island facing each other and ate their sarnies. But still talking. Marty recalled that so many of the men she had dated did not have anything interesting to say.

Finishing the wine, Jan looked him in the eyes and said, “That was the best sarnie I’ve had in a while. Have you always been this confident in the kitchen?” she asked. Marty thought he could see a sparkle in her eyes.

“It’s like a hobby, I like cooking,” Marty answered simply.

“Well thank you, I should be going,” Jan looked nervous.

Marty knew now or never, or at least this is what his bod was telling him. “Oh, don’t go yet. I feel like I am just getting to know you.” This was honest, and of course a not-so-subtle invitation.

“Well, okay. You know, you are very different from most of the guys I meet,” Jan was saying. And as we might have guessed, these two started kissing, removing their clothes and ended up in bed where Jan received the best orgasms of her life. The second was so powerful, it left her gasping for breath.

Afterward, as Jan was fixing her clothes preparing to leave, she said, “You’re really not like other guys, thank you. So listen, you have my number. Call me if you’d like to meet up again.”

She gave him a quick kiss and was out the door. “Bye luv.”

Marty considered that in his first couple of days in his man bod, he had bedded two women. But who’s counting?

Vic Caldarola is the founder and lead facilitator for the Shine a Light Men’s Project, a mindfulness-based men’s discussion group. Most of his non-fiction essays and fictional short stories are about men’s issues, gender debates or meditation.

Subscribe now