Chapter 5: Bailey Goes Shopping

I breezed through class Monday excited for the chance to spend my weekend gains. It wasn’t much, maybe one nice blouse or a pair of jeans, more if I went to the clearance rack, but it was better than I had before. I didn’t want to waste the whole afternoon on a bus, though. When I got back home, Mr. Gadsten wasn’t back yet so I went for my now usual run. When I got back I saw the garage open, so I walked up and saw him there polishing something, “Hey boss.”

“Oh, hey there Bailey. What are you up to?”

“Oh, you know, just finished a run.”

“I meant to ask you yesterday, how does it feel to be a working girl?”

I smiled, “Pretty good. It’d feel even better if I could get to the mall though.”

“Heh, already got plans to spend it,” he turned to look at me.

I smiled, “Yeah, I really need an outfit for running, but the bus takes so long,” I drew out the so and flopped my arms dramatically. Maybe I was laying it on thick.

“It burns a hole in your pocket.”

I ignored that, “Hey, Mister Gadsten, my dad is gone, would you mind going shopping with me to get a running outfit?”

He stopped and looked me in the eye, appearing to process what I was saying, “So you’re asking me for a ride.”

“You don’t have to wait in the car like a chauffeur or anything.”

“See, now I figured you would be embarrassed to be seen out with your boss. Wouldn’t you rather go with your friends.”

I shook my head, “No, first, they don’t have a car so we’d be stuck on the bus, and second, it’s nice being around you. They’re kind of frivolous, you know?”

“Frivolous, huh?”

“Besides, I think you’re cool. Come on, take me shopping, please? Pretty pretty please?” I batted my eyelashes. The way he groaned, I knew I had him. I pumped my fists and wiggled my hips to do my dance of joy, “Yeay! I’ll be right back.”

“Wait wait, where are you going?”

I looked back over my shoulder, “To take a shower and get changed.”

“I don’t have time to wait around for a girl to get ready, either we are going now or you can find another sucker.”

I didn’t see the harm in it, so I shrugged and said, “Okay, but I gotta get my purse.” He shooed me away, and I bounced off to get my things.

We hopped into the van and headed out, I sat riding high and feeling happy. I must have looked awful wearing a ratty smelly t-shirt and old black shorts with a lime green purse slung over my shoulder, but I didn’t care. He saw me sitting on the catbird seat and arched an eyebrow at me. I stuck out my tongue at him and he chuckled.

He drove me to Ross in the strip mall, and I dragged him into the store. I felt giddy inside at the prospect of shopping with my own money. I’m sure to anyone else there we would have seemed totally normal, just a daddy and daughter going shopping. Except, of course, he wasn’t my Daddy. Just the neighbor who worked the yard next door most of my life, and now my boss.

Searching through a bunch of items I found a few I wanted to try. First there was a sports bra that was made from really breathable material. It looked high quality, black with a Clemson orange streak up the sides. Next was a green crossback tank top, very strappy and it looked like it’d be well fitted. Finally, a pair of Under Armor stretch shorts to finish the ensemble. I grabbed a couple of different tank tops too, but the green crossback was definitely my first choice if it fit. Mr. Gadsten had been shy at first, but I asked him what he thought of every one and put them in front of me to show. He seemed to relax after a while.

“You find what you needed?”

“Yup, now I have to try them on,” I said, dragging him to the fitting rooms. The attendant was busy with his phone so I dragged him back with me. “And stay with me, you have to guard the door,” I instructed him meaningfully.

I pulled off my t-shirt and hung it on the door that way he’d know I was in here topless. I smiled, ‘Oh he’s going to get teased now.’ I pulled down my shorts too and hung them up there too. He had a few moments to contemplate my nakedness while I checked myself out in the mirror. The green crossback was a winner for sure, and the shorts fit awesome. I turned around and looked at my own butt and grinned. I was not much to look at in my old ratty stuff, but now, I felt positively glamorous.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open. Mr Gadsten was at the side, and I realized it was possible he could be peeking in. I wasn’t sure if he had, but the thought of it gave me a sudden thrill. “Well, What do you think?”

He nodded appreciatively, “It looked very pretty.”

“You think?” I turned around, showing off my bottom and the strappy back, “What do you think of the back? I really like the straps, they’re so sophisticated.” His eyes drank me in, he couldn’t help himself now, I pulled the tank top tighter and arched my back to showcase my flat little tush. Maybe I didn’t have a badonkadonk like those girls on music videos and stuff, but what I had was good enough to get a little blush out of Mr. Gadsten.

I knew I couldn’t spend a lot more time back here, and I knew I couldn’t afford all those other tank tops, so I decided to be practical. I closed the door and took off the tank top, putting it into my little “Yes” pile. I twisted at the waist pretending to stretch to get a glimpse of the door corner. I had to know if he was looking, but I couldn’t let him know I knew. With such a brief glimpse I couldn’t tell for sure, but I think he was. If he was going to be bold, I decided to reward him. I raised my arms to my chest and the flat old swim top I had been using. I turned my back to the door so that not only could he only see my back, I wouldn’t even cast a reflection that he could see from that angle. Off came the top and I was standing there with my bare back towards him. With my thick straight hair up in a struggling ponytail, it was up off my shoulders and the air felt cool. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could feel his eyes on my neck and down my back to the little dimples I had in my lower back. He was definitely watching me, I could hear that he’d stopped breathing. I couldn’t stand like this forever, he’d wonder what I was doing, but I hesitated a moment. This was going to be the first time a man had seen me topless. With a light rush buzzing my head I bent over and turned to pick up the sports bra. My puffy nipples and modest breasts came into view. Being pinned up in the old swimsuit all that time, I looked weird. My skin under them had ripples from the elastic band and I had red marks running up my shoulders where it was pinching me. I really had outgrown it in size, if not in cup size. I took my time figuring out how it clipped on in the back and pinched my arms to my sides to try to push them up a bit. God, what I wouldn’t give to have boobs like Addy. Finally, I slid the bra up my arms and pulled it over my head.

It was actually really comfortable. Wow, I hadn’t realized how much of a difference it made, I felt like I could breathe as freely as I did without it on. It did still look very well made, but I realized the front was a little thin. I turned towards the mirror and stepped so he could see the reflection if he was still looking. There was no way he wasn’t. I frowned and put my hands on my hips. His breathing returned with a deep inhale, I heard him move, and his silhouette disappeared from the door crack. He must have decided the best of the show was over.

I could tell that this top was going to get attention. Even without pinching my nips and making them hard, you could see a little outline of them. I took it off and looked with disgust at my ratty old swim top. I couldn’t bear to put that thing back on, so I skipped it. I practically didn’t need a bra anyway, and I put on the old t-shirt. Picking up my things, I pulled open the door and went out to find Mr. Gadsten sitting patiently with a mask of boredom. I beamed at him and did a little foot pumping jig of excitement.

“Ready to go?”

“So ready, and now I’m going to go and pay.”