Chapter 49: Dress Shop

At a little past 6:00p.m., I went looking for Jackie at her temporary desk. She was there diligently working on the document that the program workers would use to set up the control system. She had talked with all the operators. On the first pass, she asked the different operators how they were doing different functions in the plant. She correlated their answers together using her notes to make one coherent operating procedure. She then ran that procedure by all the operators. She fine-tuned the final document by getting all the operators’ agreement of what was the best way to do a particular function. She was on that second pass of finishing up the corrections to her original correlated procedure.

While she was going through her notes one of the younger operators, a black-headed kid, was constantly coming around and touching her shoulders or back. He tried everything to get her attention while she worked. I loved how the many years of being a waitress had taught her how to deal with handsy and insistent men. She could get them to quit and still not be a bitch about it. She let them know that she had other things that needed to be done and they weren’t going to be the center of her attention and her body their touch toy.

When I came into the room the persistent operator made himself scarce. I asked Jackie, “Well, are you ready to go?”

She looked up from her work. I would say she almost looked annoyed at my question and said,” Oh, I guess so,” and she kept typing on the keyboard. I walked over and moved her hands out of the way.

After I hit a few keystrokes to save the document and closed the lid of her laptop. My finger on the lid of the laptop, I indicated, “Now we’re ready to go.”

Jackie fumed a little, “Fine we’ll go.” She stood up heading towards the door.

I had a plan of my own, but very different from her earlier ones. I said, “Give me one minute. I got one last place I got to stop, real quick.”

That annoyed her even more. “You couldn’t have done that before you came and got me?” she asked.

Pushing her buttons again I gave her a one-word answer. “Yes.” I walked into the bathroom after the curt answer. I didn’t actually have to go to the bathroom. I went in so that I could get a long stretch of brown paper towel. I folded it three times getting a second one that I folded over a single time making a blindfold from them.

Jackie’s annoyance with me meant that I could play with her. Teasing her would be even more fun since she was already a bit riled up. I came out Jackie was looking even more perturbed than before I went in. She said, “That took long enough.”

Again, she got a reply designed to infuriate, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Once we were in the car, I turned to her and pulled out the blindfold. With no explanation, I said, “Here put this over your eyes.”

She gave me an inquisitive look. “You know the last time I put one of those on I ended up in Romania. When I was supposed to be in Denver”

I said, “Yeah. And see how well that turned out.”

She got cheeky with her reply, “Uh-huh. And by the way, the judges are still out on that one.”

Not sounding serious but meaning every word, I said, “I thought things were going fine. You’re doing a great job at both your jobs.”

Her rebuttal was still cheeky. “Buttering me up to get me to put that thing on is beneath you.”

“Well maybe,” I said. “But you want to know where I am planning on taking you. And putting the blindfold is the definition of not wanting to let you know until there. And it is the only way we go.”

“Fine,” Jackie growled. “I assume I am to put it on here.”

“Of course,” I replied. “Let me help. Turnaround.” Giving me the stink-eye, she turned slow as molasses in January. I took the makeshift blindfold of paper towel and carefully placed it over her eyes. Putting the long folded paper band around her head, I tied it in the back. I was extra careful making sure not to tear it.

When she was sitting back straight, I said, “Do me a favor...”

She didn’t let me finish my thought before she pointed at her covered eyes, blurting out, “This isn’t a favor?”

“Yes,” I replied. “But I was going to say sit on your hands.” I had to wait a minute before she raised her ass cheeks up one at a time and she put her hands under them. Both hands sat on I said, “Ok, now for eight hundred dollars how many fingers am I holding up?”

She tilted and craned her neck. She turned sideways and lifted her head, trying to look out under the brown towel covering her eyes. She finally said, “Four.”

“Well, I guess you really can’t see anything. So we’ll get going.” It was my way of letting her know she had failed at guessing. Then tauntingly, I informed her, “I didn’t have any fingers up. So zero.”

Turning out of the parking lot, Jackie recognized that I had turned away from the direction of the hotel. “That’s not towards the hotel,” she stated as a conclusive fact. “So where are we going?” she asked again.

I wasn’t going to tell. What she got for an answer was, “That’s part of the surprise. Romania was a pleasant surprise, after all...”

“Again, that’s still out for debate,” she repeated.

“I’ve found it to be a pleasant surprise. And, that’s what you’re going to get, now.” I informed her. “So sit there and be quiet.” I drove us to a part of town we hadn’t been to before. I drove through the streets following the directions I had been given.

My telling her to be quiet had the exact opposite effect. She decided to be an obnoxious ten-year-old. She started asking, “Are we there yet?” She asked it every three seconds for the first minute and every thirty from there on out. It was enough to drive me insane.

I tried to come up with something, I could do that wouldn’t reward her bad behavior. I had to find the one thing that would get the droning on of “Are we there yet,” to stop. In the end, I figured there was nothing I could do that in some ways wouldn’t be rewarding her obnoxiousness. She had reached a level of obnoxiousness I don’t think even Karen ever reached. Smacking her on the leg would probably be met with a pleasurable moan. Telling her to quit over and over would just be giving her the attention she wanted. So, I drove to the dress shop, that had been suggested to me, gritting my teeth.

The shop did not scream high-end, it was kind of nondescript. The single dress in the small window made it someplace you wouldn’t think of going in. If you had to ask somebody what they carried in the way of clothing lines you probably couldn’t afford the clothing lines that were inside.

I pulled in front of the shop and parked. Jackie was still piping up every thirty seconds, “Are we there, yet?”

Opening the car door. I finally was able to answer, “Yes.”

“Finally,” Jackie said when I opened her door and helped her out. Standing outside the car she asked, “Where are we? Now that we’re there.” Since she hadn’t removed the blindfold, I tore it from her head. She said, “Why we were in front of such a dinky little shop with a somewhat boring homely dress in the window?”

“Why do you think?” I asked.

She asked, “Are you taking me shopping? You know they have a boutique with clothes at the hotel. And they have some really nice dresses there.”

I knew what she was talking about. But while they had very nice outfits in the boutique they weren’t what I was looking for. “Yes they do but we are having dinner tomorrow night with the plant manager and his wife, Crina. I thought you might want to be the hills even for me for a change.”

She lit up but said derisively, “Definitely but this place?”

“Yes, this place,” I replied. “How many times have I told you not to judge a book by its cover.”

“Ok, if you say, so.” She was still dubious.

She stayed that way until we went inside. Through the door, she let out a gasp. She walked by the outfits offered and got more awestruck by the minute. She took the silk fabric between her fingers rubbing it together. Afterward, she swung her hand out and around motioning to the shop’s displays. “There’s no way I can afford any of this.”

“Well, it’s a good thing you don’t have to. What I pick out will be a business expense.” I said. It let her know I would be the one to make the final decision on what was purchased. “After all, you need to wear the new outfit tomorrow night for a business function.”

She jumped up and down before grabbing me around the neck and hugging me tight. “Oh my God, you’re the best. Thank you.”

“Ok let’s get to it,” I said in a change of pace. “Sit right there and don’t move or talk.” Jackie gave up being obnoxious after seeing all the dresses and nice outfits that were available.

She jumped into the seat and sat there with her hands in her lap shaking excitedly, “Whatever you want. I mean, you pick out whatever you think will be best for tomorrow night. And I promise I’ll sit here quietly.”

“Fine remember you promised,” It was my way of reminding her to remember how I treat broken promises. “I’ll be back in a few. Then, you’ll need to try on everything I pick out. I’ll make sure it is appropriate for the evening and decide what looks best on you.” Despite how heartless I may have sounded not letting her be part of the decision of what I bought. Jackie was so excited by it all she didn’t seem to care.

Plus, she then had her heart set on showing me the outfits on her. “You mean, I get to give you a fashion show?”

“Sure, if you want to think of it that way,” I answered.

I thought she was going to tear up when she said, “You know you’re the only man I’ve ever done that for. My father wasn’t interested in me giving him fashion shows when I was little. He basically left and never came around. And my ex-boyfriend wasn’t interested unless it led to me fucking him. And you know how that turned out. But you ... You sat there the first time I met you at the fittings for Karen’s wedding. And actually seemed interested in paying attention to all the dresses and how I looked in them. While I gave you a mini-fashion show.”

Jackie was getting a little sappy even for her. I decided to dial it back for her a little. “Yeah and see where it’s gotten you? Plus I was paying for them. I like seeing what I am paying for.” After I said it I realized the other way the statement could be taken. If Jackie took it that way, it didn’t seem to bother her.

It was a complete fail on my part, to dial back or sappiness. She said, “Yes, I see where it has gotten me. Here among all these beautiful clothes with a wonderful man, who pays attention to me and wants me to be my best.” She jumped up out of the chair and threw her arms around my neck. Jackie kissed me on the lips quickly instead of the cheek.

Having failed the first time to dial back her overly affectionate response, I tried again. “Didn’t I say sit in the chair and don’t move? And you promised did you not?”

She gave me another quick peck on the lips and replied, “Yes sir.” She slipped in a third kiss before she sat back down on the padded seat.

I went over and talked with the shop owner for a minute. After a bit of a discussion, I went back to Jackie. As hard as I knew it was for her. Jackie was sitting there as calmly as she could, looking about at all the elegant outfits. She had found a binder with eight by ten photos of random beautiful people posing in the different dresses, skirts, and blouses they offered. Leafing through it was keeping her from crawling out of her skin, after being told to stay put.

I had come over without anything in my hands. She looked concerned I was empty-handed and asked, “We’re not going, are we?”

I shook my head. “No just a bit of a change of plans. We’re going to get the full view of what you will look like tomorrow. Go with this lady.” I was followed by a matron-looking woman in frumpy clothes but with an exquisite makeup job, considering her overall appearance. “She’s going to do your makeup while I pick out the outfits for you to try on.

Jackie’s excitement took another step change higher. “Really? She’s going to do my makeup? So this is going to be like a real fashion show, makeup and all.”

“Yeah. The show has a really nice looking model that they want to look her best for the camera.” I turned and left before she could get sappy with me after my compliment on her appearance. Or ask about the camera comment. Since I had agreed they could take photos of her in the different apparel, in exchange for the makeup and a twenty-five percent discount on whatever I chose in the end. The shop owner told me. She was going to use the photos in their advertising and book of outfits on the table, Jackie had found earlier.

Thirty minutes later we met up at the dressing room and Jackie looked amazing. She had always done a good job with her makeup. But the woman, she had gone with, was truly an artist. The older woman picked out colors that blended well with Jackie’s complexion. The application was just enough makeup to accentuate Jackie’s natural beauty without trying to change it completely. Which I had seen on many women’s faces after a bad makeup job. I found that so very unattractive. Jackie knew it was a well-done job as good or better than anything she had likely done in the past. She jokingly asked, “Can you buy her, too? She can do this for me again tomorrow night.”

“She did do a wonderful job. But I don’t think that she’s in the budget, even as a business experience.” I replied to her unserious request.

“That’s okay. I think I remember what she did and can repeat it tomorrow,” She said putting her face close to the mirror and examining the transitions of shades.

“Good, now let’s see what will be going along with that beautiful face.” Again the compliment of her appearance made Jackie uncharacteristically bashful.

“I guess the show can begin. What do you want me to try on first?” She asked opening the dressing room door.

“Everything is in the dressing room. Just pick out one and come on out and let me see how it looks on you,” I said and she quickly walked into the dressing room.

Crossing into the fairly large room with mirrors for walls, excitedly saying, “This is going to be so much fun. I hope you’re not disappointed. And are you sure you don’t want to come back and help me get dressed? That way you can pick out the order I try them on in.” I was thrilled that she was comfortable with the idea of me helping her dress. Yet, I didn’t take her up on the unexpected offer that was extremely out of character for how our traveling agreement had started. Things had definitely changed significantly over the past few months, together.

When Jackie re-passed through the dressing room door five minutes after entering. Her outfit was what I expected her to try on first. It was a pencil-thin skirt with gold pinstripes. It resembled what Gretchen and Heidi had on the first time we met them. She stood outside the door and said, “How do I look.?

I told her, “Well, turn around and let me get the full view”.

She twirled on her toes like an overly excited kid at the candy store with her arms held out wide. From the looks of it, she had removed her panties. The skirt hugged her round ass tightly and no lines could be seen at all. Jackie said, “Well what do you think?”

I said to her as the camera flashes went off, “I think it looks nice.”

She crinkled up her nose, “Nice this is gorgeous.” Again there were flashes.

Once again, I stroked her ego with a true statement. “I think it’s the person inside it that makes it gorgeous.”

She blushed slightly at the compliment and said, “Ok, I’m going to go try on the next one.” It couldn’t have been any more noticeable, her wanting to get away from me.

Five minutes later she came out with an elegant dress. It was cut fairly low in the back which meant that her bra was the next thing that had to be removed. It was the only way the outfit would fit correctly. The dress had more padding over her tits than that which she wore at Karen’s wedding. It wasn’t enough to fully mute her hard excited and extended nipples.

Jackie said, “This is gorgeous, too. God all the outfits are so perfect.”

“Yes, they are. Unfortunately, I’m only going to get to pick one,” I pointed out.

Jackie looked at herself in the mirrors on each side of her. Then she twisted her head and looked over her shoulder. She looked in the mirror at her little behind to see how the dress lay across her ass. She said, “It’s a shame, we can’t buy them all.”

“You’d have to be Olivia for that,” I said,

“Well maybe in my next life. For now, I like this life and the one beautiful dress you’re nice enough to get for me.” She dove back into the dressing room to try on the next outfit, I had put in there. For the next hour and a half, Jackie went in and came out of the dressing room. Each time she came out wearing a new outfit. Each one accentuated her figure in different ways. And each time she posed and hammed it up for the camera.

After the last one, she came out and said, “This is it this is the last one of the group.”

I asked, “Well, did they all fit correctly in your opinion?”

She nodded her head yes, “And all of them were beautiful. I would be happy with any one of them.”

“Good to know. Get changed back into your clothes. Then I guess the show is over we’ll get going.” I said expecting the reaction I got.

Jackie’s eyes bugged out. She asked incredulously, “What? You mean I tried on all those dresses and you’re not going to get one?”

“I’m pretty sure none of those dresses would fit me. So we are not getting one. But we are going to go now.” I kept stressing we. “Tomorrow evening when it comes time for dinner, you’ll find out which one I picked. Now go get back in your clothes or you can go back to the room naked. It is up to you.”

She stomped back into the dressing room. But not before saying, “Oh my God, this is so not nice and cruel.”

I taunted her, “Well you have to be cruel to be kind. But I’m not known as the kind type. So I guess I don’t want to be cruel. I just won’t get any of them.”

Jackie changed her tune, immediately. “Oh no. That’d be great. Buying one and letting me know tomorrow. I love surprises.”

“That’s good because it’s going to be, one,” I smirked.

She stepped into the dressing room not closing the door. She looked at me through the doorway. Undressing she asked, Not even a little hint? Dress? Skirt? Formal wear or that which could be worn at a nice dinner party? Maybe the color? Yeah, please let me know the color. There are lots of them that are the same color.”

“I’ll give you this much of a hint,” I said. Then I closed the door on her blatant attempt to tempt me using her nudity. “It’s something you’ll look beautiful in.”

I heard her chuckle and growled all at the same time. A couple of seconds later she stepped out in her clothes. As the camera went off she said, “But you think I look beautiful in everything.”

“So does the shop evidently, they’re taking your photo even in your work clothes. But I know something the photographer doesn’t.” I tease back. “I know you look beautiful in nothing at all.” The statement made her face turn a nice shade of crimson. I gave her a break and said, “Go get in the car. I will be out in a minute.”

Jackie was reluctant to go. She knew I would be telling the shop owner which outfit, I had chosen for her to wear the following evening. Jackie strolled out slowly but was always headed in the right direction. I couldn’t fault her for the speed. I hadn’t given her a time frame in which to be in the car. Once Jackie was out the door, I informed the shop owner I liked the sixth outfit best. It came down low in the front while hugging her small waist and hips. It was of a reasonable length for a dress with a moderately short length hemline. When she wore it also seem to dissolve into Jackie’s butt. She likely wouldn’t be able to wear a bra at the dinner. But the outfit had some support built in but not anything to hide hard perky nipples.

I put the sale on the company credit card and put the receipt in my wallet. It had left Jackie in the car looking at me anxious to know what I had purchased. She didn’t ask, though. I knew she wanted to. I guess she had the feeling that asking might jinx her from getting the outfit in the first place. We drove back to the hotel not discussing the shopping in terms of shopping. Jackie, instead, prattled on about how much fun she had doing the fashion show for me. How she loved twirling around and showing off all the gorgeous clothes to me. Again, she said how nice it was that I would sit and let her show off the different clothes. Since she thought she knew how little I valued my wardrobe.