This is a work of fiction. None of the characters are underage or any age. You don't know them, no matter how much you think you do, because they are not real people. I made them up.
What I am really looking for here is feedback. I want to know if it entertained. If it did not, I would like to know why. Was it incongrueties? Was it unrealistic size? Was it that girls would never say that? I just want to know if something popped you out of the story. I'm trying to become a better writer and this kind of feedback is helpful. And please VOTE!
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I don't know what it is about weddings, but they put me in a bad mood. The most likely explanation is my three failed marriages, but I swear, they were not my fault. So, when my son announced his wedding date and that I was to participate in the wedding, I was inwardly displeased. I had hoped that they would decide to elope and make it official without a lot of pomp and circumstance.
Over the next several month, there were many planning sessions and activities that would lead up to the wedding itself. Luckily, I would be spared much of this because I was only the father of the groom. I did plan the rehearsal dinner at a little mom and pop steakhouse in town that my son and I really liked. I marked down the date for the bachelor party as well and went shopping for one of those cup feed coffee machines.
My tux was woefully out of date. The last time I'd worn it was in the 1980s, almost four decades ago. Today, colors were muted or dark to begin with. If you went with lighter colors, you went with light browns or grays. So, my powder blue tuxedo with the frilly shirt was out, which made my first chore finding an outfit. Women will probably laugh at this because their first thought is that an event equals a new dress or two or three. I don't like buying clothes, especially dress clothes. It is not that I am fat, I actually have one of those skinny body types, or out of shape, I work out most every day. It is because nothing ever fits quite right. My ass is too small and the pants are baggy. My legs are too muscular and the thighs are tight. I am too tall and the jacket has to be taken in too far to fit my frame. Or my favorite, my neck is not proportional to the size of shirt I have to wear to fit my chest. To me, this meant that renting a tux was not an option.
At the third place I went looking, I finally felt comfortable with the store and the selection. I picked out a suit, rather than a tux, that was a tan, just a shade or two browner than khaki. I planned to skip the coat and concentrated on the pants, shirt and vest, though I did buy the coat as well. On my first visit, I was helped by a young man who was actually the franchise owner. He helped me pick out colors and explained all about the service. Before I laid my money down, I wanted to shop more and see where my son was doing his shopping. As expected, he hadn't even thought about it yet. So, we made an appointment and went down there the following week together. In the meantime, I did more shopping but found nothing I liked better, nor did I find staff that was as knowledgeable or friendly. So, I knew, that was the store I would use.
The second time we came in was a Thursday, late afternoon. The young man, Jamaal, was busy helping a wedding party that was picking up their suits. Even though we had an appointment, I told him to finish up with them. About fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to close, the wedding party was out the door. The two service staff looked relieved for a minute then saw us waiting. That was the first time I really noticed Chelsie. She was short, around 5'2", with a shapely body, not too thin, not fat, and a very pretty face framed by her light brown hair and set off with pretty blue eyes.
Jamaal took my son off to get ideas and I was paired up with Chelsie. I shook her hand when she offered it. She had a good grip and her skin was smooth and soft. I went over what Jamaal and I had spoken about before and she went to a file box and pulled out a cardstock order sheet with my name on it.
"You already have me on an order sheet?" I said.
"Oh, Jamaal is like that. He doesn't like to forget, so he asks names, remembers details like color, and then writes it all down after the potential customer leaves," she said with a smile. "So, are you ready for me to measure you?"
"Absolutely," I said.
She took my measurements without any shyness at all, even though, well, I had been alone for a while now and the proximity of an attractive woman, even at my 44, was enough to show my colors, so to speak. She crossed through the style of pants and changed it to another number.
"Um, not trying to tell you your business, but we agreed upon a certain pant and you are changing it," I said, "Is there a reason for that?"
"Yes," she said, "I know this is for a wedding," and she pointed out the W written in the corner, "And you got a little... uh, excited... with just plain ole me taking your measurements. At the reception, you may end up dancing. I thought you might like to not show as much if the same happened at the wedding or reception. These new pants have some room in them and, with a tight pair of underwear, your... uh... manliness will be mostly hidden unless you press up against someone."
As she talked, she blushed a bit and my manliness got a bit bigger. She was cute and had just the right amount of innocence, at least in my opinion. I flirted while my son was still talking with Jamaal and touched her arm and shoulder a few times. She seemed responsive and her hand seemed to find its way to my forearm frequently.
"So, I will see you in about ten days," she said as the others finished up their conversation. She opened the door for us, she'd locked it at closing time, and I lightly squeezed her upper arm before walking past.
"I look forward to it," I replied.
I got the call on day eight. My initial fitting would be ready in two days. We found that they didn't have an open appointment that fit with my schedule until three days later since I needed a late afternoon.
I got to the store about five minutes late, someone at work just had to have my opinion on something and it would 'only take a minute' which turned into fifteen. This soured my mood, because, generally, I sour easily. But as I walked into the tux shop, I saw that Chelsie was the only one there.
"I hope you don't mind that it is just me today," she said, "Jamaal went to our sister store to help them with a rush order. He is the bomb of a tailor." She smiled warmly as she said it and I found my sour mood dissipating.
"How could I be upset that it is 'just' you?" I said, "I was actually hoping you would help me today.
She smiled a bit broader and looked at the clock, "I am going to just lock the door now. It is only ten minutes until close and I don't want to be interrupted."
Today, she was again wearing a dress, though this one had a halter top. It was loose below the waist and reached to her knees. She wore flats beneath it and a bit more makeup than the last time I saw her. I thought at the time that she must have a date.
She came out with a hangar full of suit. She took me down the little hall to a changing room and hung the suit. "I'll be right here if you need any help. Let's start with the shirt and the pants, okay?"
"Sure," I replied.