Their first telephone conversation could not have foretold better the honesty and simplicity of the relationship which was to develop. Sophie knew what she wanted. He knew immediately that he could provide what she wanted and that he would enjoy making his contribution. Hers was the fourth of the calls arising from his advertisement
"Is that Christian who advertised about waist training?"
"Yes. Is that what you'd like to do?" He thought to himself; why delay the real questions?
"Well; yes. I want to start as soon as possible and make my waist small -- tiny even. Can you tell me about it? I don't have any money but may be able to pay you back one day."
"I don't want money from you. I want to be the person who helps you to train. Shall we meet soon and see what we think?"
Sophie was cautious for the first time. "I'm not looking for a man, you know. No sex. Do you know that? Your advert says business relationship. That's all I want. You've got to understand that."
"That's fine. It's all I want. I've an interest in waist training and I'll want some pictures and maybe a video but nothing porno. You can believe me." He sounded honest and convincing because that's what he truly believed about himself and about their situation.
They met at a garden centre coffee shop, of all places. There was bustle in the garden centre, children playing on the swings and frames, the chink of cups and saucers, and they sat talking over tea and cake. It was the beginning of September 1984. She was surprised at his appearance. His voice had sounded younger but he was obviously about 40. He was quiet but not threatening. He reminded her of a schoolteacher she had once known: quiet, knowledgeable, confident, and inspiring. Without realising it, she was leaning towards him over the table and listening to every word he was speaking.
He liked her straight away. Sophie said that she was 24 years old and she seemed fit and healthy. His practised eye assessed her figure and he could see that she was dressed to hide a thick waist. Not that Sophie was heavy: he thought that she would be size 12 but with a waist of 30 or 32 inches. She was about 5 foot 4 inches tall. He spoke quietly and straightforwardly about waists and corsets. She seemed to want him to keep his voice down and he was happy to oblige because that was his inclination also.
"Have you an idea of the waist size you want?" he asked.
"Well, I've worn a theatre costume corset that was supposed to be 26 inches - that's maybe 4 inches less than my normal figure. Depending on my weight at any time, you know. Is that good, do you think?"
He could not tell if she had answered his question so he tried again.
"Is 26 inches your target then? I've known some women who've looked for a 15-inch difference to their hips, let's say. Do you have an idea of what you'd like to be?"
She was still cautious. "I'm not sure. I just want to be very small. Don't ask why, please. I just do and I'll do anything to get there. I'm risking a lot talking to you like this so please just go along with me until I've learned some more. Is that OK?"
"Yes. I'm sorry. I don't mean to push or pry. We'll go at your speed. You use my knowledge and I'll enjoy your success. How's that sound?"
And so the bargain was reached. Within a few days, Sophie had visited Christian's apartment and been measured. Her waist turned out to be the odd value of 31 inches; so he assumed it could be taken as 30 inches. There was quite some slackness in her torso muscles and fat around her waist, and he assessed that Sophie could take significant compression if the corset design was correct.
He ordered two corsets with the same reduction of six inches on her waist and another one at eight inches. All would be covered with white satin brocade, with a figured floral design. One was short, almost a waspie, for work and casual wear; another was the proper training corset, long and high for regular wear whenever possible and certainly through the night. The third tighter corset was styled with a distinct waspiness at the waist and to be worn for special occasions and as an "inducement." Throughout the measurement and ordering process, Sophie was excited. She found herself going back to her house each day and reading into her interest, playing to excite herself and wearing her belts tighter than ever. The time spent waiting for the corsets to be delivered was the most tense of her life. She wanted to be on the way to her tiny waist, progressing towards her goal each day and week.
The corsets were delivered together, to Christian's apartment. He laid them out on the table and looked at them carefully to see that they conformed to his order. He measured them and checked the bones and the stitching. That evening he called Sophie. He took the corsets to Sophie's apartment and found her ready showered, talced, and dressed in a camisole under her housecoat. Sophie was excited by the prospect of her first real lacing, and Christian could see the excitement in her eyes and her agitation.