Chapter 4: Sprucing Up

A day of assignments had passed and reading was piling up, so Lacey was already a little stressed. She threw some books in her backpack and didn’t bother to change out of the sweats she’d been studying in last night. A tank top and a pullover hoodie and sneakers completed the outfit then she was off to bike into town.

Dorsey noted this with veiled consternation as she came in the door. If it had shown for a moment, she’d missed it having been wrapped up in her own world. He’d even put on a smile and gave her leave to read while there weren’t any customers in the store.

“Thanks so much, Mr. Basilton, you’re the best.”

He smiled at her, “But I have to say, you look a bit frazzled, do you need a moment?”

“No, I’m fine, I just—I’m really behind so the reading time will help, thanks.”

“Alright, well, let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

She smiled and began reading. As she did, she felt the knot of anxiety in her stomach. That interview had been a wreck, and she had a lot of work to do. Not any more than usual, but usual was hard enough. Life wasn’t always this hard and stressful. She remembered the merry-go-round she’d been on with her parents as a little girl. It was a nicer time then. Of course, it’s not like she could go back to that now. Especially not now, but the darkness in that thought just gave her a much bigger knot in her stomach. She forced herself to continue reading, and even when a customer came in, Mr. Basilton let her be.

Perhaps a break would be nice, she thought, something to clear her mind. On a whim, she thought maybe browsing around the shop for a few minutes would let her clear her head. So she got up, stretched her back with a crack and a twist, and started wandering. It didn’t take too long before she found herself in front of the clockwork thing-a-majig. It was still put together. She looked back, “Mr. Basilton?”

“Yes, Miss Dupree?”

“How does the clockwork thing work?”

“Why Miss Dupree, I believe it is all in the simple principles of physics and mechanics, and I see you are right by it, hold there a moment, and we’ll look at it together.” He had that ever-present smile in his heart and skip in his step, until he reached her and the contraption, which he approached with a combination of joy and reverence. Within moments he started it up and directed her to it. “Watch carefully as the patterns shift, and focus on the center. You can see here is the source that turns shapes into light and shadows. I shall let you enjoy this for a moment.”

She did, she felt the tension slipping away as she watched it. Curious how this little light show could be so relaxing, yet so ... compelling. Her shoulders slumped and she fell deeper. It was a nice break. A soothing calming break.

Her eyes were closed, but she could see herself. She was frumpy. That wasn’t right. There had been a customer earlier and she was working, be he hadn’t even given her a second glance. That wasn’t right. She was a shop girl and she should be friendly. Friendly and fetching. She should certainly look her best for the customers. She nodded. But she didn’t look friendly and fetching. And she didn’t like that. It does matter what customers think of her. That knot in her stomach of anxiety was coming back, this time in the form of insecurity. She felt so frumpy and gross, she shouldn’t look so ugly in public. It started to grow, but then she heard the voice, and it gave her permission to forget about that for a while.

“Let’s let Lacey worry about that for a little while, but now I want to let her sleep and talk with just you Princess Lace.”

“Oh, yes.” The worry and fear and anxiety was all gone now.

“There you are, and now you feel so wonderful relaxed in a deep hypnotic state.”

“Yes,” she murmured.

“Wonderful, Lacey is worried, she has been worried all day, and you don’t like that. In fact, it worries you because it makes Lacey feel bad, and you don’t like feeling bad.”

She nodded.

“Lacey wants to be a good girl and have a good job. Part of her job is to serve the customers. That means she should look good for the customers. Now she needs your help, Princess. The next time she’s going to come to work, you remind her to wear something pretty.”

“Yes, I like to be pretty.”

“Yes you do,” he smiled. It had been so easy this time, even without the ‘tea’. Just transfer a bit of her anxiety and play up on her desire to be liked. Though he wanted to take those horrible clothes off her right then, he knew he certainly couldn’t while she was just hypnotized. Dressing better was something part of her wanted, if only subconsciously. Doing more would have been risky, at least for now.

Lacey awoke feeling much better as he was shutting down the clockwork. It didn’t even occur to her to check how much time had passed, as she reasoned, she felt so much more relaxed. He even let her leave early to continue her studies. It was really sweet of him, but part of her felt a little guilty. She briefly thought maybe he’d let her leave because he didn’t want any customers to see her all frumpy. ‘No, he isn’t like that,’ she thought, ‘but I guess it would be a little more professional to show up looking nicer next time.’ Indeed, the next time she had a shift at the shop coming up, she decided to make a point of looking the part. A business suit would be too dressy, and a romper would be too party-ish. She settled on a cute skirt with a powder blue 3/4 sleeve button down blouse and a vest with floral patterns to accentuate it. It was cute and put together, but not too business or party. To top it off she grabbed a pastel beige bowler hat. She smiled at herself in the mirror.

“Aww, that’s a cute outfit!” Amanda said as Lacey came out to get breakfast. Amanda had crashed in their apartment a couple times now and was starting to be a fixture. Apparently, she and Artemis with a thing now. “Tell your roomie her outfit is cute!”

Artemis grunted, “Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s cute.”

“See why don’t you wear a vest like that, you could totally pull it off.”

“Nah, too flowery, I’m not a floral girl.”

“Aww, I think something like that’d look good on you.”

“Oh my god stop, ‘manda!” A pillow flew out of Artemis’ room at her girlfriend in a playful arc.

Lacey smiled to herself and ate breakfast. She was glad her roommate seemed to be happy, if occasionally playfully tormented. Actually, that was a cute bonus.

At the shop, Lacey was a little surprised to notice that neither of the clockworks were anywhere in sight. She’d rather enjoyed both of them, but she supposed someone must have bought them. Basil was excited about a batch of new inventory he was able to acquire.

The door opened up and in walked a shape quite different from the regular customers. He didn’t move with the hunched waddle of old women that Lacey had grown accustomed to. The shape walking in was a man, head held high, and tall. He also wasn’t wrinkled or grey like some other visitors. He was young and clean cut, with bright eyes that had a light of life in them. ‘Kinda cute,’ she thought to herself. She glanced back noticing that Basil was preoccupied with some of the new inventory, so she got up.

“Hi, welcome to Ole Time Curious, can I help you find something? Are you shopping for someone special?” She chided herself, silently hoping it didn’t sound as forward to him as it did in her ears.

“Uh, yeah, I am looking for a gift for my sister.”

“Aw, that’s sweet, is it for a birthday? Graduation?”

“Birthday, she’s sixteen this year.”

“Well, mister, you’re at the perfect place!”

He was quite sweet as she continued chatting with him, and maybe flirting with him, but only a touch. He seemed really happy to find the gift she suggested for him. It was a silver sunflower pin that—with a twist—doubled as a hair pin. His name was Craig and his sister Julie was nine years younger, which made him old enough to be sexy but not too old to be creepy. While it didn’t hurt that he seemed to get a little tongue tied at some of her more witty banter and fetching smiles, mostly it made her happy that Craig seemed to be pleased with her customer service and her. She felt a little pride as she rung him up.

“Well done, Lacey, you make a mighty fine shop girl.”

“Thanks,” she said with a smile as she turned back to Dorsey.

That evening, she decided to stay late to help him with inventory. He’d let her go early a few times, and so when he offered her some tea, she graciously accepted.

After the second cup they’d finished up discussions of inventory and Basil instead noted, “So, you had quite the day today, I say.”

“You know I really did, what can I say, I made some sales.”

“I think it’s in part due to your outfit.”

“Really?” she asked.

“Of course, you seem much more confident today, and with an easy smile, take me for instance, I always wear a suit or sportcoat of some kind. They say clothes make the man, and in a manner of speaking they really do.”

“Oh yeah, that makes sense.”

“The hat is very cute too, so much better than that dreadful hoodie you’d had on.”

She bit her lip, “Oh yeah, that.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, I know how some modern girls can be abrasive, I’m just glad you had the good sense to dress up nice, like a good girl.”

Lacey felt a weird twist in her. His compliment made he feel really happy, but at the same time, she could picture some of her friends back at the college taking specific umbrage at the phrase, ‘good girl’. The rush of it left her a bit conflicted, “Well, I wouldn’t say...”

“It is important to look the part even down to the accessories, you know that reminds me, I have something for you, an accessory, that I think would go well with your eyes.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crystal on a chain and dangled it aloft. “See, it’s a crystal formed with perfect symmetry of shaped and perfect balance, with multi colored flecks inside.” He smiled watching her eyes try to follow it.

She’d almost gone under earlier when he was talking about inventory, but now with the ‘tea’ having time to work on her, her head was swirling in no time. He wondered if she’d even need an induction to fall under his power this time. Her lips parted, her breath drained out of her and her eyes went glassy and unfocussed. A few more swings followed, “There we go, focus on the stone, nice and easy. Now you’re deeply under the spell of hypnosis, Princess Lace. Stand up now.”

She rose, swaying slightly.

“Turn to the right,” she did and stood in front of a mirror. Dorsey came up from behind and held the stone in front of her eyes, “There we go, focus on the stone and let your mind sink further and further, deeper and deeper into the depths of the colors. Soon it will be too hard to even focus on the stone and when that happens, I want you to relax and look into your own eyes in the mirror. Getting deeper now ... harder to focus ... deeper ... there. Princess Lace I want you to gaze into Lacey’s eyes and watch her sink deeper and deeper into hypnosis.”

Princess Lace took a deep breath as she watched Lacey sink further and further under.

Dorsey smiled at the slim beauty before him. He took off her hat, smiling as the flaxen locks spilled down around her shoulders. He reached in front of her and unbuttoned the three buttons of her floral vest and slipped it off her slim shoulders. Next came the second button of her blouse, that done, the nape of her neck came into view. It was a smooth expanse of skin he’d seen before when she’d been in a tank top, but now he was much closer. The next few buttons gave way and her blouse opened to show the smooth creamy skin they’d been hiding. He marveled at the beauty of her perfect little breasts. He’d never been a man for plastic surgery and balloon breasts that come with it. Now before him was a powder blue bra covering the shapely curves of a perfect pair of unmolested breasts.

He pushed her shirt down off her shoulders and it fall to join her vest on the floor revealing her toned midsection. Princess Lace watched hands caress Lacey’s torso, and felt the warmth of them. Hands across her tummy and running up her sides. She felt his breath on her neck as he whispered words to her. She watched as Lacey’s bra came undone, hanging loose over her breasts.

Dorsey drank in the sight as his fingertips roamed from her cheek, down her long slim neck, and by the mole right in the divot by her collarbone. They traced down absently pushing her bra away as they caressed her mound up to the peak of her nipple and began to circle it.