As Julian turned her around a placed a kiss on her lips, Diba was left wondering whether she had done the right thing in inviting him over to her house. It had started off well enough as a friend from work coming over to sample some of the exotic cooking that Diba was renowned for. And the evening had gone pleasant enough, with small talk, consumption of food, more small talk and then the expected front door goodbye.
They had stepped out, shaken hands and Diba had turned back to return inside. Julian had unexpectedly done something she did not anticipate. He now had her back up against a doorway pillar with his mouth on her lips. She was confused, and the thought of being in full view of the entire neighborhood, on a fine night, while her husband was out of town, and kissing someone else romantically, kept ringing alarm bells in her mind.
"Julian, stop," Diba pleaded, "I cannot do this." But Julian's mouth closed back over hers, his arms encircled her and the pillar behind pinning her to him, his crotch moved up against her midsection, and the radiation emanating from his groin was obvious.
Her struggling was of no use as she was awkwardly against the pillar and much of her body was pressed back. She wanted to yell out, but the thought of creating a scene that would be difficult to explain later to the neighbors stopped that idea in mid track. Julian's right hand had moved under her shirt and was now cuddling her left breast. "Dammit," she thought, "why did I wear a skirt and shirt top, I should have worn a shalwar kameez instead!"
II
Diba and Majid, her husband, had moved to Detroit a few years earlier, with their toddler son and baby daughter. Majid had been a globe trotter ever since he had set up his engineering consultancy business, and was often gone for extended periods of time managing projects around the world. Professionally this was very well paying and quality of life was certainly good as far as creature comforts were concerned. However, as can be imagined for a young wife, frequently left alone in alien environments, Majid's trips away were often the precipitators of depression, loneliness and general boredom.
Diba and Majid had married in Pakistan, where both hailed from. She had initially welcomed the lifestyle change, as it was enjoyable to visit new places and have the freedom she never received while under the care of her parents, notably in the last few years before getting hitched. Over time, and with kids in tow, the unsettled life had begun to take a toll on her. That she loved her husband deeply was never in question, what was bothering her was the stop start type of married life and romance they had.
Diba had gone to great pains to ensure she had not lost her figure or looks, despite many years of marriage and two children. Going to the gym, eating right and exercising whenever she could by walking or going up stairs, she easily could pass for someone at least a half dozen years younger. The regimen had extended to her ensuring she kept her looks fresh by utilizing traditional well being methods along with trips to the beauty saloon every few weeks. Additionally she had taken to western dress forms without fuss and enjoyed the option of being dressed in outfits ranging from modest Pakistani attire at ethnic events to fashionable skirts at neighborhood parties and even skimpy bikinis at the beach. She knew her husband liked her to look good, both at home and in public, and tired hard not to disappoint him.
Majid had certainly appreciated the fact that his wife was not showing the obvious signs of decay that most of their contemporaries were. In fact, the stares she often got in public from other men, notably when she opted for shorts or skirts and halter tops, that allowed a fair bit of skin to show, boosted his ego. Her Pakistani ethnicity meant that she had a tannish complexion which gave her body a glow whenever her legs or arms were on display. At times he could hear his mind saying, "you can watch and drool all you want guys, I am the one fucking her tonight." At other times, this was a turn on as he wondered how and what she would do if presented a variety of choices as far as other males was concerned.
Majid had secured a project management contract to build a large factory in Argentina. The plans called for him to be away for up to two months at a time, for well over one year. He figured the family could visit him during summer time in Detroit, but the fact that it would be winter down south and that the plant was nowhere near Buenos Aires or any major city, meant that this plan was unlikely to materialize. Sure enough after making one trip in the first two months, Majid's work had increased. Consequently, his stretches away had extended by a few weeks.
Being a stay at home wife and mother had appealed to Diba as long as the kids were very young. Since they had both started school, the long stretches alone were tough to handle. She began to look around for part time opportunities. Although she definitely did not need the money, she looked for work so she could spend time productively.
III
A friend told her about an opportunity at the nearby shopping mall. Zeds was a mid-range fashion retailer, with items for both males and females. With her looks, eagerness and fashion sense, and the fact that she did not quibble over the money on offer, Diba was hired immediately, to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, excluding weekends. This was great as she could work till the kids finished school and then could attend to them full time.
Diba was assigned to the ladies wear section, which was one of the better parts, given that summer was just around the bend. The store would receive a fair bit of traffic between midday and 3 p.m., but was relatively quiet prior to lunch time. This gave her plenty of time to try out many of the outfits. Seeing her try on an outfit one day, and sensing that she could be a live ad for the product, given her obvious beauty; that she could explain the items much better after trying them, given her fashion sense; and that her sales on items she had actually tried were quite good, given her comfort and belief in the product on sale; Fred, the store manager, asked her if she would actually like to model some of the clothes while she worked. Diba was more than willing to have the opportunity to wear new clothes at work on a regular basis.
Her relative youth and good looks meant that she was popular with much of the male staff in the store. Julian, who was at the ladies shoes area, was particularly friendly. This was helped by the fact that for many of the outfits she wore, Julian was able to fit her with matching shoes from his section.
A number of the people had asked her out, figuring she was single, but she quickly explained she was happily married with two kids. Most people would just sigh and leave things alone at that point. But Julian would always kid around that he would be her knight in shining armor when she needed support.
As the weather got warmer, the clothing line began to get lighter and more revealing. While she drew the line at modeling items that were too risqué, such as swimsuits or bikinis, she was okay with halter tops, shorts and cutoffs.
One morning as she went to the changing room to select the day's outfit, she heard a knock. Julian was outside saying, "here try these on today, they will look great on you." With that a bag and a shoe box were passed under the door. The bag held a sleeveless lime yellow skirt, a bit longer than a mini, with slits on each side to waist level and a V front cutting down to about three inches above the navel. Along with this was a light green bikini. The box held yellow sandals with easy to manage short heels. "Don't be ridiculous, I don't model swimsuits," Diba quipped back. "Oh come on, just once for me," Julian begged, "these are made for you." Diba was not convinced, "no way." Julian continued, "tell you what, just try it on and come see in the mirror outside, if you don't like it put another dress on instead."
