pay some each week until you pay it out.”
It seemed so easy. She was excited to be able to purchase both outfits. Stacey didn’t press her to get anything else and neither did Jillian. She was grateful they weren’t pushy about it. Stacey even seemed a little less edgy by the time she waved good-bye with the promise to return the next week.
As she walked down the street to the next store, she wondered what had happened to separate Stacey and Steve. They had seemed so happy together when she first arrived in town. She didn’t think it had anything to do with her working for Steve. Stacey hadn’t appeared to be jealous at all, and she had made sure to keep her distance from her boss when it wasn’t necessary for her to talk to him.
She mulled over the subject as she walked into the ladies’ lingerie store. Immediately the beauty of the place pulled her in. Every type of intimate apparel lined the shelves, racks, and mannequins on display throughout the store. A vast array of colors and styles begged for attention. Kelly realized she could easily lose all track of time there.
A pretty blonde drifted from the back with an engaging smile. She wasn’t someone Kelly had ever seen before, but she wore a pretty gold choker that looked similar to some of the day collars Steve had for sale in the shop. She automatically wondered if the woman was someone’s slave or submissive.
“Hello, I’m Patti Nichols. What can I help you with today?”
“I’m Kelly. I’m looking for a couple of bra and panty sets. I’m trying to replace mine. They’re getting a bit threadbare.”
“So tell me a little bit about what you want. Are they for dressing up or work or just for lounging around?”
“Definitely for work, so they have to be comfortable, but I’d like them to be pretty, too.”
“Of course. Feeling good about yourself begins with what you wear under your clothes.” She led Kelly over to a section where she could choose the style first then pick out her favorite colors.
She spent over an hour with Patti going through all of the possible selections. Once she had what she wanted for this trip, she browsed through the gowns and negligees. Many of them were obviously intended for play, while others would have been comfortable for sleeping in. It was obvious that the store catered to all walks of life.
Patti wrapped up her purchases and suggested coming back soon to look over the new line of gowns that would be arriving in a couple of weeks. After promising to return soon, Kelly slipped out the door as a tall man walked in. He nodded at her but didn’t touch her. She hurried down the sidewalk toward the next building.
Although the stranger hadn’t addressed her, other than to nod in her direction, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit uncomfortable. He had the air of someone used to being in charge, a Dom, which was how she viewed all men like that. Perkins City seemed to have an overabundance of the type. Of course the fact that they had a local BDSM club in the area should have been warning of that.
Shaking off the urge to return home, she was determined to finish shopping. She still needed at least two outfits for work to ensure that she would be able to dress warmly when the weather changed.
The next store she entered seemed to be right up her alley. It sported nice clothes with reasonable prices suitable for working at the shop. The outfit she’d bought from Stacey would be a nice one for going somewhere special, but she wouldn’t wear it to work unless they were having something special like an open house of sorts.
She had just finished checking out with three outfits she could mix and match when someone walked up behind her and hugged her. She jerked back and turned around.
“Hey! Have you had lunch yet?” Anna grinned at her. “Steve said he saw you out shopping earlier.”
“Oh! No. I haven’t. I was thinking about heading over to the diner.” Kelly swallowed, trying to calm her racing