The intensity of the rain began to increase making Sarah wish that her friend had listened to her when Sarah had suggested that they should have given up their shopping day and just headed to the pub. But Helen had been determined that they should visit this 'very special' place. Sarah just wondered why, if it was so special, they had not ventured to this place at the start of the day rather than slowly work their way across the City and be arriving at this late hour.
Sarah was even more of this belief now that they found themselves in a heavy rain storm. Sarah's raven hair was drenched and she could now feel the rain running down over the end of her nose and her feet were now beginning to feel very damp indeed. Helen continued to scurry along the open walkway with Sarah following a few wet paces behind. She looked down at the designer bags in her hands hoping that the paper handles would not surrender to the elements before Helen got them to their destination, which was hopefully warm and dry, and soon.
Sarah's fringe was matted across her brow and her light jacket was proving no protection as the rain now began to breach her inner clothing layers and onto her skin. She was about to call out to Helen when she suddenly noticed her motion towards a shop entrance before disappearing within. Keen to get out of the rain herself, Sarah hurried after her and gratefully pushed hard against the shop's door and made her way into the dry.
In her rush to get in from the rain Sarah had not checked the frontage of the shop and was surprised to be suddenly surrounded by a vast array of lingerie. As Sarah closed the door behind her she scanned the shop for Helen and noticed that she was stood by the counter beyond several racks of garments. Sarah noticed that Helen was having a friendly and animated conversation with an older woman, slightly shorter than Helen, and who was dressed in a smart lilac business suit.
Sarah walked towards the two women, their voices becoming more audible as she did so.
"Oh my dear," said the older woman, "you are drenched through. You were lucky that Helen knew her way here so quickly." Sarah offered a faint smile which became even fainter as she made direct eye to eye contact with the older woman. Sarah suddenly felt very uneasy and uncertain and quickly averted her eyes.
"So you know each other?" Sarah asked of Helen, hearing a wobble in her voice as she spoke.
"Oh yes. You will too before long." Sarah did not question the statement made by Helen, but was puzzled by her word use. "Miriam, this is Sarah."
"Ah, Sarah. Yes. I've been looking forward to this one. Hello my dear," said the older woman as she moved toward Sarah, "My name is Miriam." Sarah felt herself being scrutinized like a bug under a microscope. Sarah did her best to meet the other woman's gaze with a review of her own.
She placed Miriam as being in her late forties which made her about twenty years older than either her or Helen, yet her attire was hardly matronly. The high hemline of her skirt exposed stunning legs encased in nylon and her full breasts were perfectly presented within the confines of her white silk blouse. Sarah's uneasiness returned as she realised that she was checking out this older woman, and she felt both a thrill and revoltion at what she was doing.
As Miriam approached Sarah became very aware of Miriam's perfume which did nothing to help with Sarah's feeling of uncertainty. Her head began to feel heavy and her mind was beginning to lose reason. Sarah began to panic and started to gain her senses by looking around for the door to the high street.
"I'll just close up the shop. I doubt we'll get many more customers in this weather anyhow." Sarah watched as Miriam sashayed past her. Part of her wanted to follow but Sarah's mind was muddled and she merely shuffled her feet a few paces in no certain direction.
Sarah looked to Helen. "I want to leave."
"Hush now. It's raining. We'll have a warming drink and you'll forget any of your worries." Sarah looked at Helen, her friend. They had become firm friends since Helen had joined Sarah's place of work six months previously and yet Sarah now felt as if she was with not one, but two strangers.
"But I want to go." Sarah could hear her voice sounding almost like a whine.
"Isn't that rude? Miriam is offering us some comfort from the rain. Just give it a chance and you will see things much more differently in a while."
"This was always a planned visit, "Sarah said, a firmness returning to her voice. "You had wanted to come here from the start. And now you won't let me leave. It's almost as if you're kidnapping me." Sarah could feel tears of fear welling in her eyes.
Helen laughed at Sarah's comment which made Sarah even more estranged from her one time friend. "I'm not kidnapping you. We were in the area and the weather presented a wonderful opportunity to make your introduction. I've told Miriam all about you and she was very keen to meet you."
"Why? What's so special about me?"
Helen smiled. "Nothing right now, but Miriam has a way of making women feel very special."
Sarah was mustering the effort to move when she felt a steadying hand on her shoulder. She turned and looked directly into Miriam's face. Once again she felt her willpower ebb slightly. Sarah was instantly aware of Miriam's perfume which once again invaded her senses and clouded her reasoning. "OK, well that's done. Helen, would you show Sarah where the changing areas are. You poor girls must be catching a chill. I'll be along shortly with some robes. Whilst you're in there I'll put the kettle on."
Helen began to head towards a far corner of the shop but Sarah remained rooted to the spot.
Sarah felt a shiver before she felt the hand on her shoulder. She came face to face with Miriam. "Follow here dear, there's a good girl." Sarah made to protest but no wards came from her mouth. She then found herself following Helen through the lingerie and yet she did not know exactly why. Once again, Sarah's mind seemed unusually foggy.
It was not long before Sarah and Helen were in front of curtained changing areas. "Take this one," Helen said, seeming almost distant to Sarah. Sarah dutifully passed through the opening that Helen made by holding the curtain back. The changing area was opulent with pastel coloured walls and expensive looking decor, including an ornate chez lounge that Sarah sat down on. She leant forward slightly holding her head in her hands. Suddenly Sarah felt very tired. Her brain felt full and she could feel continuing waves of uncertainty sweeping through her.
For no real reason that Sarah could rationally fathom she began to undress. She took of her jacket, which felt heavy from the additional weight of the rain, and placed it over the arm of the chez. She next removed her top over her head and then unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the ground before stepping out of it. She felt a slight shiver as the temperature of her body and that of the room competed. Sarah placed the skirt and top beside her jacket and then sat back on the chez lounge before starting to remove her shoes. Her movements were sluggish as she disrobed, but she was unaware of this. Sarah just continued to slowly remove the remainder of her clothing as if following a set routine which was being dictated to her.
As Sarah began to remove her bra the curtains parted and Miriam appeared. Sarah instinctively placed her hands across her still covered breasts. Their eyes met as Miriam entered but Sarah averted hers swiftly and felt herself blush. "You should get out of all of your clothes or you will catch a cold. I've brought you a warm toweling robe. Not something I would normally have in my shop, but I always make sure that I'm prepared for any special guests." Sarah felt Miriam place the robe beside her but kept her head lowered. Miriam knelt before her. Once again Sarah was struck by Miriam's perfume which only thickened the fog within Sarah's mind.
Miriam placed her hands on Sarah's knees. "Oh my dear, you're freezing." Sarah still kept her eyes lowered as Miriam ran her hands from the top of Sarah's knees down onto her shins and onto her calves before running them off the end of her feet at her toes. "I'll soon warm you up." As Miriam said this Sarah could feel warmth across her skin where Miriam's hands had been. For no reason she could fathom Sarah slowly raised her head and looked again into Miriam's eyes. "Now, finish undressing and come and join us."
Sarah looked on as Miriam exited through the curtain and after a nervous pause she continued to remove the rest of her clothing and covered her naked body in the welcoming dry warmth of the robe. She placed her feet into the pair of flats that had been wrapped within the robe and headed back out into the shop. She could hear laughter coming from an area to her right and headed that way.
"Ah here she is," said Helen. "We didn't think that you would come out to play." The women were sat around an occasional table where cups and cookies had been set out on a tray. Sarah made her way to the spare chair which sat to the left of Miriam. Helen poured some coffee into an empty cup and placed it in front of Sarah.