Cassie tapped her knuckles on the door. "Are you ready in there?"
"Almoosttt...I just can't..." and then the voice -- Reema's -- trailed off. Moments later, the change room lock snapped open and Reema stepped out.
Cassie clapped her hands. "Ah! You look awesome-tastic."
Reema looked down at her barefoot form. She wore a very snug pair of Marcelo Burlon skinny jeans with slashes exposing her knees and a somewhat looser, ruby red T-shirt with a plunging -- although not
too
plunging -- neckline.
She wiggled her hips to get her range of motion back. It was an amusing display. If Cassie had her way, there was would be a lot more gyrating in Reema's future. "It's really tight, though, isn't it?"
As a 'bridge outfit', Cassie thought this was a good one. It was sexy, but not as blatant as some of the other combinations she could have put together. The sexiness hinged on how the material fitted over Reema's natural curves, mainly her chest. While she waited outside the change room, Cassie had pictured Reema struggling to pull the tight denim over her ample thighs and hips -- and then button it. Those jeans were literally painted onto her body. The T-shirt itself was casual and fun. It bore a colorful print of red cherries, but mostly benefitted the shape of Reema's bosom. Looking down at the brown girl's exposed foot, Cassie pictured a tattoo stretching across its surface. That would have to wait.
"Once you throw it in the wash and wear it a few times, the shirt will stretch out, Reem. Don't worry about it."
Reema shook her head uneasily. "I don't know..."
"Listen, you just need confidence. If you've got confidence, you're all set. I know it will work. You need to think positive, too."
"And the... underwear?" Reema dropped her voice. Cassie had surprised her by recommending a thong, which was much different than her usual style. She shifted her legs uncomfortably as the sheer elastic fabric -- or rather, the lack of it -- wrapped around her waist.
Cassie grinned at the woman's embarrassment. "Trust me, those panties are essential. Totally needed to bring the outfit together."
A pensive Reema turned to look at herself in the multi-angle mirrors. She held onto her long black hair, hair which hung to one side of her body, and twisted around to get a look at her butt. She still had reservations about the skimpy underwear, but guessed they did complement the rest of the outfit.
"OK, let's do it," she conceded.
Her friend smiled. "Great! Take that off and we'll get out of here. I'm craving some fro-yo."
While Cassie went to the cashier, Reema returned to the change room for a final time. With great relief, she undid the skinny jeans and slid them over her body -- a task that seemed much easier than putting them on in the first place! She then lifted the shirt over her head. Reema didn't really have complaints about the top; it was cute and fun.
For a moment, she stood in just her glasses and the thong underwear that Cassie had told her to 'try out'. The undergarment tapered as it reached her inner thighs and ass, framing and exposing nearly their whole surface area. Reema looked at her reflection with uncertainty. It would definitely take some getting used to. Dressing in her original clothes, she returned to the main store area.
Cassie was already at the checkout when Reema put her articles of clothing on the counter. The cashier rang everything up, and Cassie slipped out her credit card. Reema momentarily insisted that she wanted to pay, but her friend overpowered her and finished the transaction. With several new bags in tow, they were off.
The food court was bustling that evening. Nearly every table was packed with groups of young couples, friends, families, and senior citizens' coffee clutches. Their combined chatter made it a noisy environment.
With two frozen yogurts in hand, Cassie and Reema walked between the rows of tables, looking for somewhere to sit. As they passed by a possible space, a group of guys stopped talking and rose up, unexpectedly offering their seats. Smiles were exchanged as the guys glanced towards the bag-toting women. Then Reema and Cassie sat down.
With their shopping loot sprawling onto the seats beside them, as well as the floor, Reema sampled her Key lime yogurt. "This is so good... I could really get used to this."
"Oh, don't worry," Cassie licked her spoon as she grinned, "We're going to the gym tomorrow, so we can work off the extra calories."
"Nooooo..." Reema whined, her short-lived bubble broken. "Do we have tooo?! I suck at the gym."
She and Cassie were already a week into their exercise schedule and the results had not been good. Reema's body was sore, beaten up, and -- worst of all -- she just wasn't getting the hang of it. She had no coordination! When Cassie asked her to do simple knee dips on a bench, Reema couldn't seem to keep her balance. Even when Cassie helped by holding her hand, Reema still tilted her body around unsteadily. She started out with an optimistic attitude, but was ready to abandon the whole gym experiment now.
"Well, if you don't go, how are you supposed to get better? Did you know everything about history before you started studying?" Cassie her asked in a Socratic tone.
"Um, no..."
Cassie lapped more frozen yogurt into her mouth. "The new shorts will help you look and feel a lot better. Plus, everybody sucks when they start," she winked.
Reema grinned as she finally found a chance to expose the otherwise perfect Cassie Blom. "Even you?"
Cassie quipped back. "Well
almost
everyone." Then she let out a sudden, disgusted groan. "Ugh."
"What?"
Cassie shivered. "See that, Reem..." she gestured with her spoon, "...that is what you do
not
want to do."
