Running into people less prepared than I thought was
After three months of working at Torrid and wearing only women's clothing while working, you'd think I'd have a better response when running into someone I know at the ready. The store was just a few minutes from my house, so the chances were good I'd see someone I knew.
Yesterday my wife, her sister and I went to a Ren Faire. We all wearing nice Ren Faire type dresses and ran into an friend and her family. We knew she would probably be there as she had asked my wife earlier in the week about us going. I didn't really think much of it, we haven't seen her in over 2 years not just because of COVID, and it wouldn't be a big deal for her. That last part was the mistake. It seemed to be a big deal to her that I was in a dress. I've gotten a way better response at the gun range, not that I wear a dress, but I have dressed like any other woman there.
She found us at the Joust and started with pointing out that I was in a dress to everyone around us, loudly asking her 20 something daughter if she saw me, and then point out what I was wearing. Asking loudly why I was wearing a dress, to which I only had, Why are you wearing a dress, as a response. She noticed my boobs and made that clear to all around too. She then sat next to my wife, and asked a few times or brought it up, and asked what a good friend of mine thought about me wearing a dress. After the Joust was over, when my wife's sister and I went into a boot vendor, she asked my wife if I was looking for Men's or Women's boots. I didn't know these a couple other little jabs till we were home.
I then had a stranger encounter after we parted with the friend, I went to use the facilities (port-a-johns) and walking out was stopped by a lady. She said Honey, can you hold my cup, it was a horn and couldn't be rested on anything. Caught me off guard and I said sure. When she returned a few minutes later I handed it back and at that moment, I think she realized I wasn't a tall women. She was a little drunk, so I'd chalk it up to that, but it did make things a little better that a lady might have thought that I was one too for a sec.
I guess I need to decide what I am going to say when I run into friends again. Or how to play it off or just roll with it and act like it's normal and let the chips land where they may. As I get more comfortable, it's leaning towards the chips landing way.