Chapter 11

Small beach towns don't have extensive options for clothes shopping, and our best plan was one largish shop that was basically split down the middle. I was dragged into the womenswear section straight away, and told to sit on the chair by the changing rooms and pass judgement.

The twins behaved appallingly. I was delighted and shocked at the same time. Heather was more restrained, and I was trying to figure out if that was because she was in her home town, or was just a little less insane than the other two.

The girls grabbed skirts and tops of various sorts, some of them fairly obviously not intended for working in the restaurant that evening. They just kept trying things on - and off - until Steph wiggled out of the changing room in just a tee-shirt and a tiny new pair of bright red knickers.

"Just to prove," she whispered to me, "that I don't always wear black ones."

The grumpy woman in charge of the department we were in promptly came over and spoke with Steph, who was polite, apologetic, and still standing there in her knickers. She promised to behave, and returned to trying things on. It became apparent that behave actually meant be more subtle. She and her half-sister kept flashing their underwear at me, and more than once accidentally neglected to button shirts which had nothing but teenage breasts underneath them.

In the end, they selected a number of items, including the clothing for work, and Steph said she would pay for it all. "I have some holiday money," she told me by way of explanation. Heather told me quietly to stop worrying. She said that the two of them were loaded, and had spent a lot less money on their visit than they normally would. That was when Vicki sat on my lap and told me she didn't have the knickers on any more.

"The new ones?"

"Those too."

She wiggled off, turned, and kissed me quickly.

I decided I needed to relax. I couldn't, of course. For a start I needed to get to the menswear department without anyone seeing my erection, and then I was going to have to try clothes on as instructed. See that? Relaxed or not, I was at least getting used to them.

I volunteered to carry some of the girls' clothing to the counter. That gave me something to hold in front of my trousers, and a chance to calm down. I managed to get things more or less under control and walked over to the menswear side, looking for some black trousers. A staff member came over to help me, but before he could get a word in, Steph walked up behind me and took over.

I was ordered to go and stand in the changing cubicle, and just try on whatever was handed to me. It was fun in a way. I'd throw something on, and then walk out to show the girls. They would vote, and hand me something else. They ignored my insistence on only being there for black trousers and a shirt, and had me model all sorts of things. The craziness continued until I was trying on some jeans.

I heard Steph's voice. "Hmmm ... Boxers, then?"

I looked up. She must have been standing on some sort of ladder, and her head and shoulders poked over the top of the door. "Steph!"

"That's a yes?"

"No."

"Briefs?"

"I don't need any."

"That's hardly the point. Size?"

"Well, medium, I guess."

"Yeah ... but what about in front?"

"Stop it!"

She turned her head, and called loudly across the shop. "Vicki? Briefs. Medium, he says."

She paused and nodded her head, while I shook mine in amazement.

"Big in the front, though."

"Steph!"

She looked at me and grinned. "What?"

"Stop that now."

"Or?"

"Or I'll make you sorry."

"That'd be a first. Be right back."

Her head disappeared. I started dragging the jeans on.

"Hold it."

She was back. "What?"

"These first. Present from Vicki." A pair of navy briefs sailed down and landed on my head. "My, don't you look sophisticated."

"Go away."

"I will." She swivelled and spoke to someone else, and then turned back. "Apparently ... it's against store policy for me to perv over the door like this. I'm told. Pity."

"Look, I promise to try them on. Just get down."

"It's a deal." She grinned, lifted herself up a little higher, wiggled her chest at me, and climbed down. I could hear her talking to someone out there. She was not apologising.

The three of them were waiting for me when I opened the door. Heather nodded. Vicki smiled. Steph walked behind me, pulled the waistband of the jeans out while pushing my back, and inspected. "Nice ass. Pity about the undies."

I pushed her off and turned, in time for Vicki to repeat the process. I was completely lost until Heather rescued me. She told the other two to leave me alone, handed me a shirt and a pair of black trousers, and pointed me back at the changing room.

I shut the door and tried to concentrate on what I was doing while the girls talked about my ass and laughed some more outside.

That was when a staff member walked over - I was betting it was the old bat from womenswear - and told the girls they had to leave. Steph made a fuss, as you'd expect, but in the end Heather persuaded the other two to do as they were told, and leave. I stood there, unsure of what to do next, when I heard Heather's voice.

"Heads up, Paul. Incoming."

"Huh?"

"Look up."

A wallet came sailing over the door and I caught it. "What's this?"

"Just use the cash for the clothes. Vicki said you have to get the jeans, and Steph doesn't want to see you out here without the briefs. No, hold on, I said that wrong."

"Whose money is this?"

"Steve's, of course."

"Oh. You sure?"

"Just do it. Honestly, it's much easier. Anyway, you look great in those jeans."

"I do?"

"You do. Look, I gotta go, before they cause another riot. See you outside."

"Thanks, Heather. I'll be out soon."

"No rush."

The clothes for the restaurant fitted fine, so I dressed in my old clothes again and took the items I'd been instructed to buy to the counter. The young guy there took everything from me, and folded the clothes, taking note of the prices. He totalled it up and told me what I owed him. It felt strange taking money from Steph's wallet, but it appeared that Heather was right. She was loaded.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

"Huh?" I was distracted with my thoughts.

"Here's your receipt, Sir, and your purchases." He handed me a bag. "May I say, Sir," and he leaned forward until his face was inches from mine. "You gotta be the luckiest son of a bitch."

"Oh, that right?"

"Sure seems that way from here."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am."

"So ... which one is yours?"

"Oh, none of them."

"No?"

"Uh uh. We're all just friends."

"So you're not ... with Heather?"

"Nope."

"You might be lucky, but I'm not sure you're smart."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, no offense ... but she's gorgeous."

"She ... Yeah, she is."

"Well."

"Yeah, alright, thanks." I walked off, not thinking clearly. As soon as I cleared the main door, I was attacked, and completely forgot about what he was saying. For a while.

Steph took one arm, and Vicki took the other. Steph looked up. "Well, all set?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. Listen, about the money..."

"I won't discuss it."

"No?"

"Uh uh. Look, I can afford it, and in any case Vicki's paying half."

"I am?"

"You are."

"Damn. I better get a kiss then."

"I stopped walking, turned to Vicki, and kissed her. Properly. Steph cleared her throat, and I turned to her and repeated the effort. Then I looked at Heather.

"Like hell. In the street? No thanks. Anyway, I didn't buy you anything."

"You rescued me. Numerous times."

"Keep your distance."

"That a threat?"

"I'll scream."

I grinned at her. "Later, then?"

"Maybe."

"Good enough." I turned to Steph. "Well, what now?"

"Easy. Pick up the dirty photos..."

"Steph!" That was Heather.

"Sorry. The landscapes."

"Better."

"Then, give me back my wallet..."

"Oh, shit, sorry. Here you go."

"Thanks. And then, I have a request..."

"Oh oh."

"Yeah." She reached into the bag of stuff they'd bought, and pulled on a narrow black string. Attached to it was a small but very bright rainbow-striped bikini top.

"Oh, I see."

"Not yet, you don't. Listen, we don't have to be anywhere until tonight, right? So how about we take the photos, and the camera, grab some food, and head back to the beach? Paul can buy lunch so he feels better about the money."

Heather was the first to respond. "You just want to tease the boys in that thing."

"Not all the boys."

"Well, it's certainly not your worst idea ever, and it's getting hot, so why not?"

I followed. Who wouldn't?

I hopped across the hot sand with a camera bag and some cold drinks, trailing after three gorgeous girls in bikinis. I sat with the girls, and shared out the drinks. The four of us looked around to make sure no one was close enough to see too clearly, and then Heather took out the bundle of prints we'd picked up, and handed them to me. We went through them, one by one, and the girls giggled and said they loved them. I looked at them more critically, but was stunned by how well the landscapes had worked, given the distractions. I was sure I had something there that Sally might like.

Heather reminded me that, given the presence of her naked body on the same strip of negatives as some of the landscapes, we'd best let Sally choose from the prints, and then we could get Heather's tight-lipped friend to produce the enlargement for us. I promised to do my best not to show Sally any naked girl pics. When we had gone through them all a couple of times, I went to put them away in my camera bag, and Heather asked if she could have another look at the images of the cliffs down near the river. I thought she wanted to take another peek at her nude shots, but it really was the landscapes.

"Paul, so are there rules about this stuff? You know, where to put things in the photo, and things? I mean I've been swimming at the river a million times, and I've walked all around there, but I've never seen it look like this."

"I don't think there are rules, so much. There are some guidelines, but the rest is up to the photographer."

"Hmm ... I'd like to go for a walk with you, if we get some time. To see how you do it."

"I'm no sort of expert, Heather."

"No," Vicki interrupted. "But you're cute. So put those away now, and get with the slavery."

"What slavery?"

Steph, on the other side of Vicki, handed me the sunblock. "This slavery."

Heather agreed. "Can't argue with the logic there. Here, put these in your bag. We can look at them later."

The three girls lay on their stomachs and watched the people moving around on the beach. I massaged the sunblock into Vicki's back first, and then Steph's. No funny business this time. I looked at Heather, and she looked back. I raised my eyebrows. She smiled, undid her bikini top, and relaxed on the towel in invitation. I knelt over her, just as I had the other two, and rubbed the lotion into her pale back, marvelling silently at the freckles, and the feel of her skin. I wasn't sure how to deal with the area near the bikini bottom, but Heather fixed it by reaching down and pulling the green cloth down off the top of her ass. I just rubbed the lotion in, then slapped her ass as a random sort of a thank you. She jumped and grinned.