The Return Of Carolyn Lord Ch 04

It was a month now since Carolyn Lord had left her old job, and things were not working out at all as she had thought they would.

Her new position was very satisfying for her. Being Mrs. Stevens' personal assistant was everything she had hoped it to be. It was challenging, and required her to be ready to handle any sort of crisis at a moment's notice. She was allowed to think for herself, and that she appreciated most of all. Well, that and having her own office.

Mrs. Stevens herself proved to be an excellent employer, demanding yet unfailingly courteous, appreciative and even caring. To Carolyn's vast relief, her earlier, somewhat vague apprehensions about working for the woman proved to be completely unfounded.

Yet, whenever she was around Mrs. Stevens or her friends, things kept happening. Carolyn realized that the situations she found herself in were usually the result of her own embarrassing mistakes. Still, they kept happening and she wondered what else might be causing it. It certainly wasn't Mrs. Stevens herself. She often wasn't even around her when things went bad and Carolyn started to loose her clothes. If fact, it was usually only with her employer's unsolicited but greatly appreciated assistance that she was able to finally go home dressed in something.

No, it was not Mrs. Stevens, of that she was sure.

Nor could it be Tamiko's doing. True, ever since she let the teenager start helping to pick out her clothes for her, she had noticed certain strange trends.

Her new underwear kept getting smaller in size and skimpier in construction, while her older, much more modest things kept disappearing until she hardly had any left at all. Tamiko was at a complete loss at to what was happening. True, she was the one who insisted on doing the laundry and buying her underclothes (well, Carolyn knew she really didn't have time for such things during her busy work week, and Tamiko said she did have so much spare time between classes, it would be an easy thing for her to do).

Her regular clothes were changing too. They too were becoming tighter, and the skirts shorter than she remembered them being. Tamiko thought that she might just be putting on a little weight. Carolyn did notice a remarkable increase in her appetite lately, the same increase which usually happened whenever she was in a major exercise program. Even so, her bathroom scale didn't show any weight increase at all. In fact, it was actually showing she had lost some weight over the past month.

Tamiko said that the scale was probably broken and threw it out.

Besides, Carolyn wondered, how could weight cause her skirts to become shorter? Tamiko, the expert seamstress, told her the effect was probably from something happening to the old material. It would also explain why Carolyn's buttons were becoming undone so easily in the past few weeks. Her unpretentious, yet becoming clothes were just too old. According to her most trusted friend, she should start getting new things now that she could afford to do so, before her old stuff fell apart completely.

So, on weekends, Tamiko would accompany Carolyn on modest shopping expeditions, to ensure that Carolyn would have a proper wardrobe and not have to worry about such disturbing things as buttons popping open in the future. It was very different for Carolyn to rely on someone else on such personal matters as to what her wardrobe should be like, let alone decide what she would be wearing each day, including her most private underthings. Yet Tamiko was one (if not the only) person living whom Carolyn trusted implicitly.

Carolyn found herself relying on the sound advice of the Japanese exchange student in ever greater degrees. While the girl was only 18, and she a supposedly sophisticated 30-year old woman, Carolyn found their roles frequently reversed. It was Tamiko who acted the worldly woman, while Carolyn became the naive young girl relying on her more mature friend to show her the way. It was almost as if she had fallen in love with the beautiful Japanese girl, but Carolyn knew that to be an impossibility. One woman couldn't truly love another, could she? Yet, her own strong feelings of affection and respect for Tamiko could not be denied.

When she was having trouble sleeping, wasn't it Tamiko who finally talked her out of wearing those confining night clothes and sleep in the nude? Plus, wasn't she the one who helped her to understand that those terribly vivid memories of sex that worried her so much were really dreams after all? Tamiko even told her what the dreams really meant, and how to accept them as a vital part of her own nature and not to worry about them whenever they should happen in the future.

The dreams continued to occur, but thankfully Carolyn had now been forewarned and needed to no longer concern herself with them. Fantastic dreams of being loved by person or persons unknown, and in the most amazing of circumstances.

She awoke mornings now bathed in a pleasing erotic glow, which usually stayed with her throughout the day. She spent her days at work and in her apartment feeling much more content, much more satisfied than ever before.

Yet, there were problems. Her new intense sexuality proved to be terribly distracting to her at times, especially when she was wearing her new outfits and underwear, in spite of the fact that Tamiko kept assuring her that her new clothes couldn't possibly affect how she felt. The slightest inoffensive touch by someone, even some sort of nondescript physical effort, could quite easily send her body spinning to places she didn't really want it to go, especially at work!

Then, when due to her own misguided actions, or through the accidental behavior of others, her body did respond completely, even joyously, at the most inappropriate of times and the most outrageous of circumstances, she knew that she was only acting out in some way her own secret desires and passions. As she had presumed all along, it really was her fault that such things kept happening to her after all.

It all made Carolyn feel very confused and ashamed.

Well, at least tonight she would not have to worry about herself, she thought. In fact, she wouldn't be worrying about anything, because tonight Tamiko and she were going as guests of Mrs. Stevens to the opera.

A New York touring company was giving a performance of La Boheme at a local university this Friday and Mrs. Stevens' department had received four complimentary tickets for the event on Monday.

Carolyn loved operas, but of them all La Boheme was her long-standing favorite. She was thrilled at the chance of seeing it again. Mrs. Stevens, who was going with her friend Miss Perfect, had told her she could bring a date if she liked, and naturally Carolyn had thought of Tamiko.

It was going to be a fantastic evening, she could just feel it, the four of them together at the opera. Just fantastic!

Of course, this opportunity just had to arrive when Carolyn was in the middle of changing out her wardrobe. Tamiko, when she heard where they would be going this week, took one look through Carolyn's now seriously depleted collection of clothes and threw her hands up in despair.

"It's amazing!" she exclaimed to the sheepish Carolyn, who had by now been thoroughly conditioned by Tamiko to be very ashamed of her old clothes. "You have absolutely nothing to wear!"

"I'm sorry," Carolyn whispered, feeling wretched that she had once again embarrassed herself in front of her dearest friend with her shoddy wardrobe.

There was nothing for it, of course, but they had to go out that night and start looking for the proper outfit for Carolyn. That was Monday. They searched and searched, until three days later Tamiko was satisfied they had found the correct dress for such a special occasion. Naturally, there wasn't time for the store to make the alterations, so darling Tamiko had to do them herself. Carolyn marveled again and again, as she watched the teenager laboring over her new dress, on how had she ever gotten along before without her. The young Japanese was an absolute treasure!

Finally, it was 6pm Friday, and Carolyn could hardly contain herself. She had been singing the arias from the famous opera all week, to the amused despair of Mrs. Stevens, and it was time to begin the long drive to the university.

Mrs. Stevens had told her that morning, "I've decided to Hell with driving, we're taking a limo!"

Carolyn had never been in a limo before, except for the occasional funeral, and she was looking forward to the experience.

She checked her watch and decided there was just enough time for one last check before their ride would arrive.

Carolyn looked carefully at her reflection in the full length mirror for any flaws, but surprisingly could find not a one. Of course, it wasn't really her in that mirror at all.

The woman who looked back at her was truly beautiful. The full length black velvet gown glowed in the harsh light of the bathroom. A thin strap around the woman's neck was all that held up the backless gown's low-cut bodice. The woman was showing a great deal of cleavage, and her proud, firm breasts could be seen to tremble slightly with her every move. The bodice wrapped around and joined the skirt low in the back, giving the impression from the front that the woman's back would be fully covered, and not exposed all the way down to her waist. The elegant black patent-leather 2-inch pumps peaking out underneath the full skirt and her small matching handbag completed the woman's exterior.

Underneath, Carolyn sadly acknowledged the fact that the woman in the mirror was practically naked. Tamiko had been most insistent that, because the gown was so thick, that she should be as cool as possible. All she was allowed to have for underwear this night was some short stocking booties for her feet, and the smallest set of panties she had ever seen.

Actually, they looked more like some abbreviated bikini bottoms she had seen. The front was a very small black silk triangle which barely covered her pubic mound. It was fastened around the waist by white knotted strings which rode on her hip bones. There was no back to it, just a thin strip running deeply between her jutting buttocks.

"Oh, God," Carolyn thought, "please make it so I will not have to take this dress off tonight." She knew that if she was run over or something and they had to take her to the emergency room, she would just die of embarrassment!

To help with any perspiration problems she might have, Tamiko gave her some "extra-strength" baby powder she herself always used on such occasions. Carolyn liberally coated it on what there was of the interior of the panties, then put some under her arms as well. "A girl just can't be too careful," she thought.

As she was leaving the room, a flash of gold caught her eye. Although not one to wear jewelry, Tamiko had given her something for tonight so elegant she just couldn't say no. It was a thin band of multi-linked hammered gold, and it fitted around her neck like a choker. The flashing gold set off her clean olive complexion to perfection. She and Tamiko went downstairs to the front of the building as the long limo was just pulling up to the entrance. The driver got out and opened the passenger door for the pair.

Carolyn was about to get in when she stopped in shock for a moment. Inside the dark, plush interior, Carolyn saw three people. On either side of the back seat were her employer Abigail Stevens and her good friend the Principle Marilyn Perfect. Seated in the center of the seat facing them was Miss Perfect's ward, the mischievous if compellingly beautiful Beth Armstrong!

"Hi," said Mrs. Stevens. "I thought we might as well all travel together."

"Oh, of course," said a dubious Carolyn as she entered the limo. Not wanting to sit between the two friends, Carolyn reluctantly sat on Beth's right. Carolyn noticed with irritation that Tamiko meanwhile had cheerfully sat herself in the empty space between Mrs. Stevens and Miss Perfect.

Carolyn introduced Tamiko to everyone and settled in for the long ride.

Mrs. Stevens passed around filled glasses from an already opened bottle of champagne.

"To a fun evening!" she toasted, and they all drank. She immediately refilled their glasses, then said, "To La Boheme!"

"Oh, my God!" thought Carolyn. "It's not going to turn into one of those nights, is it?" She hated it whenever she was with a group of intelligent women who insisted on getting drunk and then making fools of themselves. It was such an obvious loss of control!

But she had to toast her favorite opera, she just had to. She drank with the rest, and allowed her glass to be refilled along with all the others. Fortunately, the toasting seemed to have ended for the moment, and Carolyn resolved to nurse this drink for the rest of the 45- minute ride.

Trying to make the best of it, she turned to Beth and said, "What a pleasant surprise it is to see you here, Miss Armstrong. I didn't know there were any extra tickets."

"The school got a few and Marilyn snagged one for me. Sweet, huh? Really, my guardian likes to take me along everywhere. She doesn't really trust me when I'm alone," Beth explained, her green eyes sparkling in the dark interior.

"Now, Beth. You know that's not true," said Miss Perfect, patiently.

The seemingly inexhaustible supply of champagne flowed freely, until everyone was in a very good humor except Carolyn. The evening was turning out exactly as she feared it would. Even her beloved Tamiko was looking a little worse for the champagne. Yet there was nothing she could do about it.

Even with being careful, Carolyn knew that, just to be polite, she herself had enough of the unaccustomed champagne to feel a bit detached from everything. But her high moral standards remained as demanding as ever, for herself and for others.

Carolyn hated it when other people's behavior did not match her own exacting standards of conduct. Here they were, on their way in a luxurious limousine to probably the best opera ever written, dressed in their glittering best, and drunk as sailors on liberty. It was disgusting.

Now they were all positively howling at the dirtiest jokes and stories she had ever heard. Her delicate sensibilities offended, Carolyn would have left the room, if there had been any other place she could have gone to. As if that wasn't bad enough, Carolyn noticed that even in the air-conditioned limo, it was getting positively hot under her heavy velvet dress. She could feel herself really start to sweat. She could feel it forming along her hairline on her forehead, and running between her half-exposed breasts. Even her bare back wasn't immune.

And not just that. A strange burning sensation was starting to intensify between her legs and under her arms. It was all she could due not to start holding herself to try and lessen the effect. She kept crossing and recrossing her legs, and pressing them tightly together but even that didn't really help. "Damn that champagne," she thought. She knew she shouldn't have had any. It was obviously affecting her, just as it had with all the others. Except, instead of making her silly, it was making her feel very uncomfortable underneath her new expensive, elegant clothes.

Desperately, Carolyn wondered how far there was to go. She had to find someplace private to cool off and relieve this weird burning sensation or she would go surely mad. It seemed they had been driving for hours now. She remembered Mrs. Stevens mentioning something about the limo even having a phone link back here with the driver up front. She looked around for anything resembling an intercom, but could only find a discrete button marked by a raised "MR" on its surface.

Carolyn pushed it, and was surprised to see the heavily-tinted glass moon roof slide completely open.

"That's it!" she said and, heedless of the cries of surprise surrounding her, went to the empty center of the rear passenger compartment and stood up.

Facing forward, with her head and shoulders out of the car, Carolyn found it was exhilarating! After countless minutes of stuffy discomfort, the rush of wind moving swiftly around the speeding vehicle was like a cool shower. Feeling a bit dizzy from the wine, Carolyn found that by increasing the width of her stance and bracing herself with her hands on the car's roof, she could easily maintain her balance against the limo's movements.

Carolyn felt hands all over her hips and legs, yet did not mind. She knew they were just trying to keep her from falling. Even the naughty hand she could feel occasionally cupping her crotch through her dress was there for her own safety. If only it wouldn't make her feel so...so melted inside every time she was touched there.

In her joy, she knew they were all such good friends (even the sexually precocious Beth just wanted to help). Carolyn had never had friends like these before. They were so selfless and considerate, always thinking of her welfare over their own. She was so lucky to know them.

Through the roar of the wind, Carolyn realized that someone was trying to talk to her, but she couldn't hear a thing that was being said.

She turned and ducked her head briefly back into the car to say, "I'm fine! You don't need to hold me. I'm fine!" then quickly straightened again. But the driver quickly had to swerve sharply to avoid hitting a slow-moving car and the movement threw Carolyn momentarily off balance and against the back edge of the window opening.

The thin bodice support around her neck caught on a small metal fitting. Carolyn tried to stand but was impeded by her caught strap. She only succeeded in tripping the manual control for the roof. She looked in shock as, with just her head outside of the car, the moon roof had started to slide inexorably towards her. Panicked, she jumped up, the sudden pressure snapping the thin strap around her neck. The distracted Carolyn, using her hands and arms in a futile effort to stop the closing window, was unaware that her bodice had fallen to her waist and that she was naked from the waist up.

With great relief, Carolyn saw the moon roof stop closing half-way across the opening. "My God! That was close!" she said to herself.

Carolyn spent a little time collecting herself, ignoring the many horns that were starting to sound all around the limousine. One car, filled with the obvious members of a high school football team, pulled up directly alongside of where Carolyn was standing and went absolute crazy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Carolyn could see that they were desperately trying to attract her attention, what with the constant honking of the car's horn and all of their wild gestures and shouting, but their words were lost in the wind. She never even looked in their direction, because she knew far better than to do anything to give them the slightest encouragement. They were only children after all, and tended to take wrong even the most innocent of gestures. Still, it amused her that they found her so attractive.

It was getting far to noisy for her now, so she decided that she was finally calm enough to thankfully rejoin the group. They were good people down there after all, and she was angry and disappointed in herself because of the negative way she had felt about them this evening, as if they were not living up to her own precious high ideals. Besides, she acknowledged that it was certainly safer in the limo than hanging out of it like somebody's laundry in a strong wind, and a cold wind at that.

The setting sun was just on the horizon and there was a sharp sting to the air. That pleasant, refreshing breeze she had really enjoyed blowing through her hair had become a little too cool. Carolyn could feel the goose-pimples forming all over her. Odd, even her nipples had gotten painfully hard again.