Baby, You Can Drive My Car

Near the middle January I was running into a dilemma.

As I mentioned here I had a delay in my name change.

Thus all my credit info was still in my old name.

What is the dilemma?

Well, my car lease was near expiring, not to mention, I was about to cross over my mileage limit.

I knew this was approaching so I tried to deal with it in December. I called the salesman over at the dealership I got the current one from but due to my lease being through a third party(in early 2009 with the financial crisis happening there were not a lot of deals to be found with the US automakers. Seeing as I work indirectly for one I knew it was in my best interest to purchase from that one.) I did not qualify for a number of rebates.

So I had to wait.

Well with the aforementioned lease turn in date getting closer and mileage issue. I kept calling him.

And he kept blowing me off.

I was getting frustrated.

It was about this time I found out one of the other engineers I work with had purchased a new vehicle during our company break over the holidays. I asked if he liked his sales person. He did and later brought in her business card.

After getting blown off a fifth time, I had had enough.

I called her very late on a Monday night. Right near closing time in fact.

Now since I had not changed my name yet(not my fault remember). I did my best to drop my voice, introduce myself as him, and explain the situation regarding the car. I said nothing about me.

Well she stayed on the phone for nearly and hour with me, past the time she would be due to go home. Found a car for me that worked. Had a the payment I wanted (nothing like upgrading your car and paying $85 less a month), she took a credit card to hold it and my info for a credit check. With a promise to call midday on Tuesday, as she had a doctors appointment early, with some final info on numbers.

As promised she did(scary I know, considering my past issues), gave me the final number on what it would take to get the car out the door, told me my credit was approved and I confirmed I would indeed be there around 5pm to pick it up.

There I was, happy to be getting a new car, upgrading features, getting a lower payment and avoiding building up to many miles over my limit.

Just one issue.

Figure it out yet?

That is right I was leaving straight from work to pickup my new car before they closed and I am no longer living as a man.

Yet all the paperwork was in his name.

What to do, indeed.

So what did I do?

Bet you want to know.

I guess I have to tell you don't I?

:D

After I left the office I called her while I was driving to the dealership. I told her I needed to explain something. I went over the whole thing about how I was transsexual and changing from male to female. There there was a delay in my legal name change causing the current issue. That I would look like a girl when I walked in and I would appreciate her referring to me as Kelli.

She seemed ok with it, asked a few quick questions and said she would see me at five.

I had no idea what to expect when I got there.

After pulling in, walking up the receptionist and asking for Teresa, and the receptionist paged her overhead.

This slightly shorter, cheery woman walked up with a quizzical look on her face and asked: "Kelli?"

When I replied yes her eye popped out of her head but she didn't miss a beat. Inviting my over to her desk. Going over some items, getting the final mileage from my old car, to even chatting with me about life and shopping while we waited for the finance guy to free up, so I could get the amount for the check I needed to write to get out the door.

The whole time she referred to me as Kelli or Ms. {Lastname}

Mostly Kelli.

Even the finance guy was superb.

Once we got out to my new car so that she could show me the new features did it really get interesting.

As soon as we were seated inside she blurted this out:

"OMG GIRL!!! I am so glad you told me because I was so confused. Even Monday night when we were on the phone you didn't sound like a guy, yet you were telling me you were one. AND let me just say, this so fits and you look amazing!!! I was stunned when I finally saw you. You are one pretty girl. At that point it all made sense."

I was a little shocked and she continued.

She wanted to know how things where. What was happening, she had some questions about the process, but was great and super happy for me. In fact I was having another surgical procedure at the end of that week (I know I need to tell that story too) which I revealed as we were talking. She told me she would call to check up on me while I was off(which she totally did), and while we were talking shopping she mentioned some great resales stores she knew on her side of town. When I pulled my phone out to take some notes. She waived me off.

"Forget that, when you are up and able again give me a call. We'll go shopping! I take you around and I need some more shopping friends anyway!"

I was shocked. Stunned even. Though since talking to her after that. She has been warm and friendly, along with being near my age(though older) we could relate to a lot of things.

She has been fun to talk to, and I have that shopping trip already coming up in the near future.

My life has been crazy the past few weeks and a total whirlwind at times, but getting reactions like this just make me feel that much better. People are getting it, realizing I am normal and just want to quietly live my life as me. I know there will be some negative, but so far the positive has FAR outweighed the negative.

Did I mention I think I found a new friend and shopping partner?

How cool is that?