He was done with college before spring, graduating a few months earlier than the rest. You'd think he should be able to secure a job before all these other students finished the year, but it was not to be. And he knew why. His heart wasn't in it. Yet. The thought of starting a nine to five job at some office, forty hours a week if not more, just did not appeal. Why could he not have some fun first? See the world or do something weird?

He knew he could stay in his room until summer but then he had to give up on it. He had some money in the bank to pay for the rent and live like a student, but not much more. Definitely not enough to get in a plane and visit Europe. Or Africa. Let alone Japan or China. He looked through a travel magazine with beautiful pictures of all these countries and knew it was not to be. He needed a job that would pay him with boarding included, so he could save his money. He actually considered the Army, or maybe the Navy. But he would lose control over his life for a number of years and he didn't feel like that.

Then his eye fell on an ad in the travel magazine. It was in his face all along. Disney was opening a new park and they were looking for young men and women to fill all kind of positions. Full training included. As was food and a place to stay, at least when you signed up for the whole season, which was from March to November. It was March already.

Nevertheless he called the number, only to find out that most positions were gone already. Just a few odd ones left. But because they needed to fill these odd ones they would consider him still and the pay was good while he would not have any living expenses. I'll take it, he said. But obviously it wasn't that simple. They would have to do a background check. They wanted to know what he studied, why he wasn't looking for something in his field. They wanted to know if he could sing, if he could dance, if he could swim, as there would be multiple performances each day. And most of all they needed to know if he would sign up for the whole season.

By the time he hung up he knew he had a good chance to be hired. But first he had to travel to Orlando for an in-person interview. There he would find out exactly what the job entailed. And if both parties agreed he would sign a contract until the end of the year, with options for both parties to extend it each year. And he would start right away, from the moment he signed, as he had to catch up as quickly as possible. In two days they would know the results of the background check and give him the okay to come for the interview. They would reimburse his travel expenses as long as he traveled by bus. The interview would be as soon as he arrived, so no need to book a hotel or anything.

In essence he had two days to make his decision. It was possible that the job sucked and that's why they couldn't fill all positions. But maybe it was because of the nine months on premises, on the job, essentially without a lot of personal time. But that was what attracted him to the whole thing. No worries about money for the year. And unlike the Army or Navy he would be performing every day, entertaining tourists, so he could be meeting a lot of people. He wasn't worried about performing, in highschool he had been in musicals each year, and once in college as well. He knew he could sing and whatever dance moves he could learn.

So it was simple, his decision was made. He would take the job, whatever it was. He could not find any reason why his background check would come back negative, so he started selling what few pieces he had in the room like his flatscreen and fridge. Plus he ended the rent on his room and he bought a ticket for the Greyhound to Orlando, one way. As expected he got the go ahead and after a quick goodbye party he left the campus to start his new life, with nothing but a suitcase with his clothes, his laptop and his phone.

It would be a 24 hour drive and he called his mom during the long trip. She was a bit surprised that he wouldn't find a "real" job but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn't get in trouble. And he had always said he'd move south to the sun, so she had never expected him to move back home. And Disney sounded like a safe place and maybe she could visit one day and use his "discounts". He had no idea if the job came with any perks, but he would let her know.

He managed to sleep a bit but when he arrived in Orlando he knew he didn't look his best. In the bus station he managed to clean up a bit in the bathroom, at least put a fresh shirt on. When he got outside he saw a Disney van and the driver was holding up a sign with his name on it. An hour later he was dropped off at the offices near the new park. And another fifteen minutes later he was sitting across from a very attractive lady who would decide on his life for the coming year.

Mr. Benson, she started. Joe, he replied, please call me Joe. Very well Joe, I'm Amy. Amy Wraznek. Thanks for making the long trip here. I'll see to it that you get reimbursed for your expenses.

That's okay, Joe answered, I was planning to come south anyway. Amy laughed. Sun? She asked, or ocean? Sun first, he replied, but I don't mind water either. That's good, was her reaction, because the job we have in mind for you will have both. Why don't I show you around in the park and I'll tell you about the job. Then you can decide if it's for you or not. If you decide to take it you will start right away.

Soon after they walked through the park, which was huge, like all Disney parks. In essence, as Amy explained, the park would give visitors hands on experience in many of the Disney fairytales and stories. They would walk with Elsa in the cold, or fight hyenas together with Simba, or fly on a carpet with Alladin, or play with all the animals like Mowgli in Jungle Book, or swim with the little mermaid to find her prince. There are plenty of Virtual Reality or 3D experiences, many in other Disney parks, she explained, but not like a total immersion into one or multiple scenes. There would also be performances but not where the audience is sitting on the side, no the audience is fully involved in the performance and can even change the outcome of the show. So the performers have to be flexible, adapt to what's going on and still make it look like that's how it always was supposed to be.

Joe could see the problems involved. The audience is a huge unknown factor and a performance could go all wrong if steered in the wrong direction. Amy laughed, saying that some people in the audience were our own and they would try to influence the people around them and guiding the story into one of the many possible paths. But all actors involved need to know all possible directions and be able to improvise. Can you improvise Joe? was her most important question. Joe thought back to one of the musicals in highschool that he was in and the lead actor has frozen up. Didn't know what to say or how to move. Joe had changed the scene then, making it look like it was intended that way. The rest had followed and they got the guy out of his slump. Only people who knew the story had known that something weird was going on. It was his quick thinking that saved the play.

So he said, Yes, I know how to improvise.

They had passed a few areas already where a lot of practicing was going on. They ended up near the lake where there was a huge glass wall so that they could see a whole underwater city with what looked at first glance like very big fish swimming around. But a closer look made him hold his breath. It were mermaids swimming around. And at surface level some of the mermaids were lying on the rocks, near the beautiful beach where for sure the little mermaid would find her prince.

This is one of our more complicated sets, Amy explained. Only a limited group of visitors can swim with the mermaids, visit their city, rest in the sun on a rock or swim to the beach. The rest will be involved in the palace play. The mermaid visitors will pay a premium price for swimming with real mermaids and with each extra mermaid we can collect that premium about four times. If you take the job you will be one of these mermaids.

Joe's first reaction was one of disbelief. You mean I will be a merman, right? A male mermaid. But Amy shook her head. No, there's only one male and that position is already taken. You will look like one of these girls, no one will ever know.

Of course people will know, Joe said, his volume increasing. Look how beautiful they are, I will be the odd one out, the ugly duckling.

Amy laughed. She pushed a button and an underwater buzzer must have sounded as a number of the mermaids looked in their direction. Amy used her finger to motion them closer and about a dozen of them moved gracefully towards them. Amy said, Three of them are male, can you tell which ones?

Joe was stunned, no way was that true. But Amy continued, remember they're actors, playing a role, a female role. One of the mermaids winked at him and he felt a stir in his crotch. She was beautiful. Amy said, he likes you.

He? Joe asked, and she just nodded.

What's it gonna be Joe? She looked him now right in the eyes. The job is yours if you want it. You'll be a mermaid for nine months, there's no break, the costumes are too expensive to take off before the season is over. These people will be your friends, your family. And she waved at all the girls still swimming right behind the glass. They suddenly all grabbed their neighbor's hand and then surged upwards together with a flick of their tails and broke the surface momentarily before they all fell back in the water with a huge splash. It was clear that they had fun.

Joe was impressed, the suits were clearly very high tech. The fish tails were much longer than any of their legs should have been but they looked like they had full control over the movements of the tail. He was starting to picture himself with a tail like that. Then in his mind he added a generous set of breasts to his chest and he shook his head. I could never be a woman, he murmured.

So sorry to hear, said Amy, it's really not that bad you know if I say so myself. But then again, I've been a girl all my life. I thought that you fit the bill, otherwise we wouldn't have invited you. I told you it would be for nine months only right? After that you can stay and live on the property for another three months as a non-paying "back to male" guest. Then you will have to leave or sign up for another year.

Joe's mind was racing now. He had told himself that he could handle any job they would throw at him. He had burned his bridges but he did have some money still which he could use to find a job, a "real" job, like his mom had said. Damn, he wasn't ready for a real job yet. This would have been perfect, if only...

Did I mention that at the end of the year you will have fifty thousand dollar in your bank account? Taxes and healthcare paid for already. You have no living expenses while you're here on the property. We'll even pay your cellphone bill.

Joe looked at her, stunned again. That was more than he had expected. After just one year he could travel the world, see a few countries before he'd settle down. Or add another year and he would have a hundred grand, maybe start his own business.

He had always been good at acting, never thought he could make money with it though. But here was his chance...

I'll do it, he said. Amy smiled, she hadn't expected anything else. Come with me, she said and she pointed at a building nearby, we can sign the contract over there and by tomorrow you'll be swimming right here.

When Joe saw the contract he got second thoughts again. It was thick, how could he ever read all that? Amy guessed his thoughts. Don't worry, she said, it's all legal mumbo jumbo, but I can guide you through the most important issues. Since we have to make some body modifications Disney wants to make sure both parties are clear about what's to happen.

Plus Disney has a lot of money to lose in a lawsuit, Joe mumbled between his teeth.

And then there's that, Amy confirmed.

But let's concentrate on the most important issues, she continued. First, there's the tail. Your legs will be stuck in it for about nine months. And although you will get a lot of exercise you'll be using different muscles. Chances are that when we'll take the tail off you will need physical therapy to get used to walking again. We will give you a chance to keep the tail on and take you to a nice tropical area for the last three months. Then you come back for another year and that includes a bonus by the way since we save a lot of costs on getting you ready for the next season. But at the end of that season you will not have walked for almost two years. The contract protects us for liability if you're unable to walk but we won't continue to offer you the chance to stay for another year, as your swimming may get affected as well.

A similar thing with your breasts. You will undergo a surgery to give you the right size breasts, even some of the real girls needed that. After the season ends we will revert the procedure but some scarring may remain. And again, if you keep them for more than one season we can't guarantee that we get it back to normal as your body may adapt to having breasts. There's one page in here were you can choose to keep them and we are relieved of all responsibility. All girls signed that by the way.

Not me, Joe replied. I'm not planning to remain a girl. What else should I know?

We will raise the tone of your voice. We developed a fairly small procedure and it's reversible but we can't guarantee you get your exact voice back. You have to agree on that, as we can't have mermaids with a low male voice.

Joe nodded, he didn't seem to worry about that.

Amy continued. We will reduce your waistline to give you proper curves. We will not attempt to restore that but of course, depending on what you eat you can quickly ruin a perfect waistline.

What else? Oh right, hair. We will implant beautiful water resistant hair extensions, you saw all the girls, so you get an idea of the length. After the season it's up to you what to do with it. A simple haircut will get you back to a guys cut although the color is most likely not your own so you decide to change it.

Same with makeup. We will get you semi permanent makeup that stays on in water for about four months. But every three months we will update it. So after the season it will fade away and you won't look like a girl anymore.

And finally there will be a tattoo on the back of your shoulder. This is not negotiable as it will allow the visitors to identify you all. It will be a letter, the first of your name and believe me, it will be beautiful. But it's yours to keep, we won't attempt to remove it, you have a story to go with it. So having said that, there are still a few letters available but the J is gone already to JoAnne. We could name you Rochelle, the R is available.

What kind of name is that? Joe asked. Why not simply Rachel. Much stronger. Or Marilyn. I'm a Monroe lover and that's a good girl name if I need one.

Amy's face lighted up. M is available, you can be Marilyn. And with the hair we can stay with the theme, people will love it! I love it, I'm a Monroe lover too.

And just like that Joe, who had reluctantly been listening to Amy's explanations, started getting enthusiastic. If he had to look like a girl then why not Marilyn Monroe? With a fishtail he thought with a smile. And he asked Amy, where do I sign?