TO BE OR NOT TO BE – PART 3

Shari piped in, "Come on, Sunny. I've seen you as a girl and I couldn't believe it. On stage with the make-up, the lighting, and the audience at a distance, no one would be able to tell."
"You really think so?" I asked.
"She's right, Sunny, and remember if this doesn't work, all the work we have done for the last couple of months will have been for nothing. So, remember, it's not just about you," Mel chimed in.
She had a point, I hadn't thought about how it would affect the others, so I gave in. "Okay, what the hell, the show must go on, right."
"All right." They both said, each grabbing an arm and leading me to the dressing room.
***
I could hear the buzz but not see the audience as I stood on the stage with the curtains drawn. Suddenly, I heard Luke shout, "Okay Mel, we're all here, let's see what you got."
Shari and Mel had done my make-up with such care that when I put on the auburn wig and Robin's costume, you would have to look closely to determine who was who.
Mel walked on to the stage and asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes," came the response from the group and she signaled Shari to open the curtain and hit the spotlight.
I was standing center stage and when the spotlight hit me there was an audible hush that fell over the group. Everyone just sat there staring at me, not saying a word. I started to feel really embarrassed and was about to run off the stage, when Mark said, "My God, he's beautiful."
Like a dam burst, everyone came running up to me saying they couldn't believe it, or what a pretty girl I was, and other accolades. Not being one who seeks the spotlight it was all too much. I'm not saying that I wasn't enjoying the attention, but it was not something I was accustom to.
As the group around me thinned out, Luke approached and looked me over. This was it. It was now or never. I tried my best to smile. He shook his head, sort of gave a half chuckle, and said, "Well, you do clean up." He paused and looked me in the eye, "If you think you can do it, I'm willing to give you a chance."
I looked over at Mel and Shari, they were all smiles and giving me a thumbs up. I had gone this far, opened up my secret life for all the world to see and was almost shaking from the anxiety I was feeling.