Copyright 2007
Please, DO NOT read if you are under 18 years old. I welcome any and all constructive feedback and I really appreciate everyone that takes the time to read, comment and vote. Thanks to Penny for suggesting this story. I hope you like it.
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My girlfriend from work, Linda, had just told me about a great new lingerie boutique up on State Street. It was kind of a "concept" store, she said. When I asked her what that was all about, she just said it was really interesting and I should go see for myself. I have to say that my interest was piqued, so I looked at my calendar and decided to go after work on Friday. Maybe I could pick up something nice for "date night" with my husband on Saturday.
Jim and I are in our late thirties with two kids. We are a typical family, first child a boy and then came the girl three years later. Jim owns his own web design firm and I am the office manager for a local animal charity organization. We aren't rich, but we are comfortable and both enjoy our careers, family and friends. We set aside one night a month to have a date night and send the kids to their grandparent's house for the evening. Sometimes we do something special, like the opera, but most dates we have a nice dinner, maybe a movie or museum, and go home and screw our brains out. This weekend, we were planning to see a blues concert in the park and have a late dinner at the BBQ joint around the corner.
I put the store out of my mind until Friday afternoon when Linda asked me if I had been there yet. I told her of my plans to go that evening after work, and she just grinned. "I know you will love it," she said. I got the distinct feeling that there was something that she wasn't telling me, but my phone rang and my attention was diverted. Right before I left work, I called Jim and told him that I would be late for dinner, would he mind feeding the kids?
"I can do better than that," he told me. "Your parents already picked them up. They wanted to go see that new animated flick and it opens tonight. They said that they might as well keep them for the weekend if we didn't mind."
"Hell, no, I don't mind," I laughed. I invited him to come shopping with me, but he said he was already settled in and wanted to get some work done while he had peace and quiet. I didn't blame him. It could be a mad house with the kids and their friends around. "I don't know how long I will be," I said.
"Have a good time and be careful out there," he said. "Love you."
"Love you, too," I answered before hanging up. I tidied my desk, and left in high spirits. Retail therapy always puts me in a good mood. I was leaving a bit late, so traffic wasn't an issue as I made my way downtown. State Street was on the edge of the old shopping district. This neighborhood had gone to seed when the shopping malls came to town, but thanks to the local historical society and some thrifty-minded entrepreneurs and artists, it was slowly making a comeback. There really were some beautiful old buildings in this area, and I was glad to see that they hadn't been taken over completely by the rats and rubble.
The brick faΓ§ade of the Lingerie Lounge had a decorative base stone that read the date 1893. It had tall, arched windows on both floors, the bottom ones filled with tasteful displays of lacy nightgowns and other bedclothes. The heavy glass and oak door had a small plaque with the name and business hours on it, but nothing else. I pushed it open and found myself standing in a room that had been carefully restored. The original pressed tin ceilings had been repaired or replaced and polished to a matte finish. The hardwood floors had been refinished as had the original wood moldings and trim. Someone had also picked out wallpaper reminiscent of the period with a soft rose print pattern. It was beautiful.
A sales lady approached me within minutes. She was also graceful and pretty, about 35, slim, and dressed in a pink, silk button down blouse and gray pencil skirt. Her honey brown hair was in a sleek French twist, and I loved her shoes. I have a thing for shoes. They were black patent leather, pointed toe and had a dainty ankle strap with an old-fashioned button closure The slim 3" heel put her a good five inches taller than me and I thought she was easily the most lovely woman I had ever seen. She smiled at me warmly and asked if I needed help.
"Not really, I am here on the recommendation of my girlfriend. She said I needed to stop by, and check, ah, the store out." I almost said "you" instead of "the store" but I caught myself in time.
"In that case, welcome, and feel free to browse. My name is Emily. We have a special viewing area where you can see models wearing our products. It's in the back to the left, if you are interested." Ah, this must be the gimmick, I thought. I thanked her and wandered from rack to rack. Faded throw rugs were scattered on the floor adding to the charm and I saw some pretty items, but nothing that I could get too excited about. It all seemed sort of stuffy and I was a little disappointed, but thought that I had better at least check out the viewing area before I leave.
I meandered back in the direction that the sales girl had motioned and noticed that it was quite a bit darker than the main part of the store. There was a red carpet runway laid down on the polished floor and the lights seemed to be directed at it. Several chairs were arranged around the carpet, presumably for viewing comfort. A model wearing a lacy white teddy and high heels slid out from behind a curtained doorway at the far end. The teddy was tasteful, but it was something you would wear under a business suit. I watched as several other models came and went at a slow saunter, and I was still not particularly impressed. I was almost ready to get up and leave when I heard a rustle behind me and saw that the original sales girl was approaching me again.
"Would you like to see some of the fashions from our second floor collection?" she asked me. I nodded. I'll admit that I was intrigued. What would they be hiding out of view from the main floor?