Doing strange things
Penelope was worried. She was doing things she would not normally do. Not one bit of it. Things she was doing seemed so out of character and, indeed, involuntary. Things she would just not do and did not know why.
She pulled her hand from her brassiere. She had simply slipped her fingers into it, inside her blouse, to relieve an itch. Everyone scratched to relieve an itch, but discreetly. Perhaps you would not think twice about scratching an arm or hand, might be a little more conscious of relieving an itch to the back or knee but you simply would not scratch an inner thigh or a breast with anyone looking - would you? Let alone actually put your hand inside your brassiere and scratch an itchy nipple with your colleague, particularly a male colleague, watching - now would you?
Penelope reddened as she caught Steve Knowles eye. He smiled but he had seen her hand. She knew it and knew he would very much liked to have scratched that itch for her, right inside her brassiere. It was not that she did not think most men would have liked to have done that - she was not stupid - but Steve Knowles was the sort of guy who seemed to be mentally undressing you most of the time. Her impression was he had been undressing her in his mind ever since she had found herself working next to him. It would have been an exaggeration to say he had mentally undressed her more times than she had done herself for real in all of her 23 years but she could imagine he had done worse when alone. She was sure he had imagined her doing all sorts of things and him doing all sorts of things with her whilst wanking. She felt, much as she disliked him, he was the sort of guy who thought things but would not dream of doing anything about them.
In any case, why had she worn that quite low cut blouse anyway - and why had she bought it in the first place? She had seen Kirstie's eyes narrow when she had first walked in wearing it to the office the week before. Newly washed and ironed she had worn it again that very day. It was very comfortable, being entirely cotton, but it was rather revealing and had necessitated buying a new brassiere with rather lower set cups. She shifted in her seat and opened her lunch box.
It was whilst finishing her lunch that she looked up again and saw Steve watching her. She reddened again. What had she been doing with that banana?
What indeed? She recalled peeling it very slowly and then sucking on the firm flesh. It was one of those just about ripe bananas which are a bit tasteless, before the banana flavour really comes in. She knew she had been thinking about banana flavour and how she had liked banana flavoured lolly-pops when young and how she liked to suck them. She bit into the banana and saw Steve across from her wince. Why had he done that? Surely she had not been sucking on the banana rather like a...
She knew she had and she went bright red and Steve Knowles just smiled and went back to his work. What was happening to her? Why was she doing these odd things? She had indeed been sucking the banana like a hard penis. She realised that was exactly what she had been thinking of - a banana flavoured penis.
Penelope, or Penny as people called her, felt somewhat happier the next day with 'that blouse' in the wash and a much more conservative shirt on with blue stripes and a rounded 'Peter Pan' collar. The same brassiere, though. It was not really needed because of the conservative cut of the shirt, but that was the one she had picked up. She was in the lift on the way up to her floor, looking at herself in the mirror when she frowned. She knew which brassiere but suddenly could not remember which pants she had put on. It mattered not at all under her neat cream linen skirt but it was a sudden puzzle. Too minor a detail of a morning even to recall but there was the sudden thought - had she actually put any on at all?
It mattered not if they were a conservative pair or one of her more decorative and lacy items or even perhaps a 'raggy' pair from the back of her knicker drawer but - had she actually put any on? Penelope was alone in the lift and her hand went to her thighs. She could not actually feel anything underneath. Her usual visit to the 'Ladies' on her way from lift to office confirmed her fear. It was not as if she was in any danger of an inappropriate exposure - she was not exactly dressed in a mini-skirt but... but it was not like her. She could not recall every having forgotten panties before.
Penelope felt as if Steve knew she had no knickers, it was just the way he looked at her as she sat down. His eyes flicked down to her skirt but with her knees together and her longish skirt he could not possibly see anything, still less know anything about the lack of panties.
"I've got nothing to wear on holiday."
Debbie had nodded, "Me too. I need a whole new summer wardrobe."
Across from the two of them Penelope saw Steve Knowles smirk and she knew he was thinking of her wearing nothing on holiday. It was not what she had meant at all. He was probably thinking of them both together on holiday - Debbie and she both naked. She ignored him.
The girls talked away and at lunchtime even went out to the shops together.
"Been shopping?" Asked Steve.
The two large bags in her hands made the question redundant.
"Mmmm, clothes for the summer." She tucked them in beside her chair and settled to work. She had taken longer than usual over lunch. She had been shopping. Her firm was flexible over hours but now she had time to make up and would need to work late.
Steve seemed to be of a similar mind and as 6 o'clock wore on to 7 o'clock the office emptied until there were just two people tapping away - she and Steve.
"So, what did you buy?"
It was annoying. Being disturbed from her work and by Steve Knowles to boot.
"Oh, some summer shorts, a couple of tops, a bikini. You know, beach and pool things. Nick and I are going to Cyprus, half board, nice hotel for a beach holiday."
"Yeah, I've been to Cyprus. Hot, very hot - Paphos?"
Steve made the usual sort of helpful suggestions though Penelope was not sure she would bother with the Museum of Cyprus thinking the beach was rather more an attractive idea than Roman antiquities and statues, even if of Aphrodite, apparently.
"Do you want to see what I've got."
Penelope was surprised at herself for making the offer. It just came out of her mouth. Lesley or Angie would have been interested: it was unlikely a male colleague would be, still less Steve Knowles. And why had she extended the conversation anyway? It was not something she did - with him. She was even more surprised at herself when she picked up the bags and brought out the items. "What do you think, do you think they'll suit me?
"Very nice. Yes, very nice indeed. I'm sure they will look just the job."
Right answer. She gave him that.
"You sure? Difficult not seeing them on."
"I can imagine."
"You can't. Look I'll show you, There's no one else here."
Steve had shrugged his shoulders, "OK."
Penelope was suddenly excited at showing off her new purchases. It was only later she realised how strange that reaction had been for her. Suggesting to Steve Knowles, of all people, that he might like to see her new summer wardrobe. It was just so out of character for her.
