5. A Model Sales Rep
It was one of those all-too-rare, genuinely hot summer days in England. The blinding midday sun blazed down on the small market town from a cloudless, azure blue sky. Claire felt the heat bearing down on her oppressively as she strode across the top floor of the multi-storey car park, her thin white shirt clinging to her damp skin and the dusty air swirling around her bare legs as waves of warm air rose from the hot grey concrete. She slipped her jacket off, hanging it in the back of her car then eased slowly into the front seat, whimpering a little as she felt the fierce heat of the dark leather though her thin green skirt.
She started the engine of her company car and turned the air conditioning on full blast, sitting quietly for a few minutes before getting out her notepad and jotting down some thoughts regarding her meeting with the client. It was fair to say it hadn't been a complete success. The shop owner had listened to her presentation patiently, and had said one or two encouraging things about her company's new lingerie range but ultimately had politely explained that she simply didn't think the range was a good fit for her boutique. "K. said the new range was a bit too racy, tastes a little more conservative in this quiet, commuter-belt suburb. However, did express interest in the new bridal wear range; need to follow-up and make appointment to come back when that's available."
Claire closed her eyes as she combed curls of honey-blonde hair from her damp forehead and plucked at her white shirt, tugging the thin cotton away from her moist skin as she waited for the air conditioning to kick in and cool the inside the car. Glancing in the rear view mirror, she noted that her hair had grown long, falling in soft waves over her shoulders and she pondered getting it cut shorter for the summer. Perhaps a neater, boyish cut would suit her slim figure. Her mobile bleeped as she tried to gather her thoughts for the next meeting, it was a text from her girlfriend Cassie: "Pls can u get some milk on the way home, luv u, xxx"
She and Cassie had been together for over a year now, and had recently moved into a tiny but expensive flat, a move made possible by them both getting better-paid jobs. Cassie was a nurse who'd recently changed to a more unsociable but better paid nightshift, and Claire had got this job as a saleswoman for Wild Orchid Lingerie.
Part of her salary was commission, so it was a shame that both of her meetings this morning hadn't gone that well. In fact, she was struggling a bit. Colleagues kept telling her that it would take time to build relationships with the shop owners but it had been three months and she was still finding it difficult. Still, she thought as she consulted her list, things could only get better, right?
She ran her finger down the page, and found the details for her last appointment of today, then set up her sat-nav for Honeysuckle Lingerie in Victoria Street, back in the city.
--
Casey yawned, as she leant heavily on the desk and stared out of the shop windows towards the busy street outside, where people hurried to and fro in the bright sunshine. A couple of young women in short, summery dresses strolled past, takeaway coffees in hand, laughing and joking, and she glanced at her watch again, willing the minute hand to move faster. They closed early on Wednesdays and she couldn't wait for four o'clock to roll around so she could join the throngs of people spilling out of the bars and cafes.
She covered her mouth as she yawned again. It had been a friend's birthday last night and she'd been out partying, ending up at a lesbian club nearby called Lipstick. For some reason, she hadn't been in the mood to dance, and had spent the evening sipping her martini at the bar, watching her friends bump and grind with the rest of the clubbers on the packed dance floor. She'd amused herself by categorising the young crowd: tattooed biker chicks in rock t-shirts, middle-aged bi-curious spectators, ultra-feminine innocents in the big city, trendy students drunk on pitchers of cheap margarita looking for action.
Despite a couple of lingering looks and promising smiles in her direction, she hadn't hit it off with anyone and had gone home to her empty flat at about one. It was one of her favourite hunting grounds, and she'd often gone home with someone and so had left with a vaguely dissatisfied feeling of anticlimax, her body primed for something that had never materialised.
Despite her late night, she'd made it down to the store to open the doors at nine o'clock. Her sister, Stacy, was a stickler for opening the shop on time, as if there'd be hordes of women banging on the doors at 8:59 on a Wednesday morning, desperate to buy armfuls of exotic lingerie.
To be fair, it had been quite a busy morning but as the office girls finished their lunch breaks, and three o'clock rolled around, the customers had thinned out, heading for the parks and bars to enjoy the unusually hot weather. She would have made an excuse and left early except Stacy had insisted she stay and keep an eye out for a sales rep. She sighed, perching her bottom on a waist-height stool as she recalled the last time she saw a sales rep. She had fond memories of the gorgeous Pippa and how she struggled in those handcuffs as Casey's wicked hands had first undressed and then pleasured her, coaxing reluctant yet intense orgasms from her hot, young body. She closed her eyes momentarily, fantasizing that Pippa was here now; her hands tied behind her back, trapped between Casey's long legs under the desk, licking her way up her wantonly spread thighs. The people rushing past outside glancing at her through the shop window, wondering what was causing her dreamy smile and the glazed look in her eyes.
Such a hot fantasy! She was pondering whether to dash off to the Ladies and ease some of the sexual tension gathering between her warm thighs, when she saw the young woman struggling with the door. She was carrying two large display cases, and Casey skipped over and held the door open for her as she squeezed inside.
"Thanks, I'm Claire from Wild Orchid Lingerie," the young woman said, depositing the cases near the desk and offering her hand.
She was a petite, pretty young woman with large chocolate-brown eyes, her fair hair framing a pretty girl-next-door face. Casey couldn't help noticing the way her white shirt and olive green skirt clung to her slim, boyish figure.
"I'm Casey, the joint owner. Welcome to Honeysuckle Lingerie," she said, squeezing the young woman's slender fingers.
"Thanks, nice to meet you, I'm here to show you some of our samples," Claire said, looking around the store.
"Great, well if you'll follow me, I'll take you up to the office," Casey said, taking one of the cases and heading towards the stairs.
"Thanks," Claire said as she followed Casey up the stairs and into a large office.
"This is my sister, she's also the joint owner here," Casey said, indicating a slightly taller and older blonde lady sitting behind a large mahogany desk as she tapped away at her laptop.
"Hi, I'm Stacy, I'm the
majority
owner here," the woman said, extending her hand, with a brief glance towards her sister.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Claire from Wild Orchid Lingerie," she said, shaking hands, and noting how firmly Stacy's supple fingers confidently squeezed hers. She was a tall, handsome woman her shapely body and long legs emphasized by a smart, fitting dove grey pants suit worn over a pink blouse, the sun highlighting her platinum blonde hair.
"Let's go and sit over there, it's a little more comfortable," Stacy said, indicating a little seating area, a tan leather sofa and armchair arranged around a sleek chrome and glass coffee table.
"It's nearly four, I may as well go down and close up," Casey said, disappearing briefly. When she returned, Stacy was perched on the sofa, a pen and pad balanced on her knee. Claire had placed the sample cases on the coffee table and was arranging some of her samples on a portable silver rail, a number of lacy teddies, silky slips and sheer bodysuits dangling from the hangers.
"She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" Casey whispered as she sat down next to her sister.
"Behave yourself," Stacy hissed.
--
Claire took a deep breath, smiled warmly at her audience of two then launched into her pitch:
"At Wild Orchid Lingerie, we believe that women should feel special when they wear our underwear. They should feel confident, cherished, beautiful, sexy, that's what our brand is all about. Our summer collection is designed to let women explore their sensual side and whether they fancy being an English rose or a femme fatale, there's something for everyone. We only use the very best silk, lace and cotton in our exquisitely crafted lingerie. I'm going to start with our robes, now this kimono is one of our best sellers."
