“I like having breakfast with Sophia,” Josy said as she and Melanie were on their way to class.
Melanie suspected Josy had the photo session in mind, but she had to admit that she liked Sophia. “She’s nice.”
“Glad you agree.”
What exactly had she agreed with, Melanie wondered?
“The pictures turned out nicely,” Josy continued.
Melanie had only seen a few, and out of curiosity she took out her phone to scroll through the rest while they walked. She considered showing Brian one of the pictures, causing a rush of excitement to go through her. She could show him one of the innocent ones, curious for his reaction. Then she might accidentally swipe to the next and he’d catch a glimpse of her naked breast on her phone. It would be too much, wouldn’t it? Wait, is there a picture where her nipple is only just covered? She scrolled through the pictures, and there was one… It showed Josy tugging on the material. Might she dare show that one to Brian?
“Josy?”
“Hmm?”
“What would you think if I showed Brian one of these?” Melanie asked tentatively.
Josy laughed. “If you dare, go for it.” Her eyes sparkled. “You’re serious? Which one? I want to know how he reacts.”
Melanie nodded, and with Josy at her shoulder, they both checked out the picture.
~~~
Outside her first class, Melanie looked for Brian, but he wasn’t there yet. By the time he got there, it was already crowded and she chickened out. She had also kept an eye out for the guy who had been on the bus, but hadn’t seen him yet.
Aside from worrying about drunk bus boy, morning classes were a drag. By the time lunch arrived, she was giving some thought to the idea of holding Brian back a moment.
“Brian?” Melanie tugged on his sleeve as they walked.
“Hmm?”
Melanie pulled him aside and whispered, “Ah, I want to show you something, but promise not to tell anyone.”
That piqued his interest. “Oh, of course. I promise.”
With a spark of excitement, Melanie unlocked her phone and went into the secure folder. Careful to hide her screen, she searched for the image she wanted to show Brian. Having found the picture of her from the waist up – with half her right breast exposed and a hint of areola – both nervousness and excitement were soaring. “What do you think… of this top?” She held up her phone.
His reached out, as if to take her phone for a closer look, but she moved it away from him.
“Just look,” she insisted, moving it back closer.
He stared at the phone. “Uh, it’s good… hot. I mean… Where was this? Is that Josy? Who’s taking the picture?”
Focusing on the only question she wanted to answer, she said, “Breakfast. In the kitchen.”
“You look great. Can you, uh, zoom in a little?” Brian seemed embarrassed to ask.
Loving his reactions so far and admiring his guts for asking, she was tempted to indulge him, so she zoomed in on her face.
“Very nice. I mean…”
She feigned ignorance, raising her eyebrows.
He hesitated, but then asked, “Zoom in on the middle?”
Was that so hard? She grinned, zooming in on her chest.
“Wow,” he said. “You have very nice… ah, a very nice… top.”
Melanie appreciated the compliment, but rolled her eyes at his near slip up. Still, she felt she could forgive him, given that he hadn’t seen her breasts before. She wondered if she had the guts to go through with her idea.
Still holding her phone for him, she zoomed out again, and then subtly swiped the screen, trying to make it appear an accident.
Instead of watching the screen, she studied his expression; the surprise on his face as he stared at the picture – the one with her right breast exposed.
“Holy shit,” he said.
“What?” she feigned ignorance, giving him a few more seconds before pulling her phone back. “Oh, you weren’t supposed to see that!”
“I can’t exactly unsee it.”
“Ah, it’s not your fault,” Melanie said, turning her head away because she couldn’t fully suppress her smile. She enjoyed every reaction he’d given so far, but now that she’d let him see, her embarrassment was growing. “You won’t tell, right? You promised.”
“Of course!” he insisted. “But it’s okay.”
“What is?” She peeked up at him, trying to decode his meaning.
“More than okay.” He grinned. “You look great in that picture. Hot. I mean…” He lost his composure, started stumbling. “Ah… You are amazing,” he said, recovering his confidence.
Melanie blushed, faltering in her attempt to keep eye contact. “You think so?”
“Absolutely.”
She thought of giving him another eyeful. It might make her intentions obvious, but the temptation was strong. She moved next to him, turning her phone’s display along towards him.
Would he ask her to zoom in? She would probably deny that request. Probably.
After holding it up for what felt like he’d had enough time, Melanie locked her phone and put it away before she might be tempted to show him a few of the even more revealing pictures.
She focused on him and they locked eyes. He’d obviously enjoyed seeing the pictures, and she wanted him to say something.
Unfortunately, he was keeping his thoughts to himself, though his eyes went to her chest before he averted his gaze, giving her an inkling of what was on his mind.
“Uh, lunch?” Brian asked.
“Okay.” Melanie started walking and noticed Brian was hanging back a step, shifting his backpack. She glanced back at him just in time to see him adjusting his pants, before quickly turning forwards again. Oh em gee, she thought, blushing.
In silence, they hurried to catch up to Sarah and Cohen.
As it was Friday, Sarah, Brian, Cohen and Melanie discussed their weekend plans. Melanie noticed Brian glancing her way a few times. Was he thinking about the pictures, or about her visit to his room? Was she being unfair to him, putting him through these hard situations?
Sarah suggested that they go swimming at the local pool that Sunday. They all quickly agreed.
Brian watched Melanie with a flicker of amusement. Was he thinking about seeing her in a swimsuit? She grinned back at him and he turned his head, smiling coyly.
“Just us?” Cohen asked. “Or with friends?”
“Not sure,” Sarah said. “My boyfriend might want to come along. What do you all think?”
Brian answered first. “I don’t mind either way.”
“A few more is okay,” Melanie said, “but not a big group?”
“How about one guest each?” Sarah asked, and everyone agreed.
Friday’s study session was only two hours, and Melanie spent the rest of the afternoon in her room.
~~~
After dinner, she got a message from Josy.
‘Hey, I’m not feeling 100% so not going to the gym today. Let’s go next week?’
Ah, Melanie thought. Josy’s idea of going to the gym together had slipped her mind.
‘Sure. Feel better, okay?’ – Should she be worried?
After a quiet evening, Melanie went to sleep in her own bed. She hoped Josy would be feeling better tomorrow, as she was looking forward to going shopping with her. Soon after, she was asleep, hugging her blankets.
~~~
Saturday morning, Melanie slept in a little. Brian had canceled on her because of his injury, and she decided not to go running by herself. Still in bed, she grabbed her phone to send Josy a message.
‘Good morning. Wakey wakey. Ready to go shopping?’
‘Hi Mel, I’m sorry I have to cancel. Didn’t sleep well. Next weekend?’
‘Shall I come over? Anything I can get for you?’
‘No, but thank you <3.’
Although it bummed her out that Josy was not going shopping with her, Melanie still wanted to go. She called Sarah to ask if she had time. She replied enthusiastically. They set a time and place to meet at the mall.
Dragging herself out of bed, Melanie carefully peeked out her door. No one there. Still nude, she went to pee, and then went back to her room to pick up her towel. She was feeling giddy, every time risking one of her roommates catching her. With the towel over her arm, she stepped back in the hallway. Balancing on tippy toes, she glanced towards the other doors. After a moment of caressing her stomach with her free hand, she walked to the shower room.
After her shower, Melanie was drying her hair with her towel, when the bathroom door opened. She quickly turned her head towards the dark haired girl that stepped in.
It was Alani!
Melanie froze. With her hands working her towel on her hair, she was otherwise completely naked. She had again forgotten to lock the door. Seeing Alani’s grin prompted her to turn away, pulling the towel out of her hair. Melanie heard Alani give a hearty laugh, while she tried to get the towel around herself.
“So, does our resident nudist still sleep bottomless or have you progressed to full nude?”
“I… what?” Wasn’t Alani going to apologize for barging in without knocking? Why wasn’t she leaving her alone? In Melanie’s head annoyance and embarrassment were fighting for dominance.
“Hot stuff. Remember?”
Oh. The night she’d been drunk, and Brian had left her room, leaving her door open. She’d fallen asleep on top of her covers, wearing only her ‘HOT STUFF’ shirt. Alani had seen her like that and teased her the next morning.
Annoyed that Alani wasn’t leaving her alone, Melanie made sure her towel was wrapped around her and left, hoping Alani wouldn’t notice that she hadn’t brought any clothes.
“It’s better for your skin,” Alani called after her.
Back in her room, Melanie stared at the clothes she had laid out on her bed. Panties, bra, knee length skirt and blouse on one side, chemise on the other side. She’d been thinking of wearing something lighter to breakfast, as if Josy was pushing her, but Alani had thrown her off. As a result, she knew she’d feel uncomfortable in the chemise.
Picking up her panties, she shook her head. Why was she letting Alani influence her? Shouldn’t she feel free to do what she wanted? Her other hand went to the chemise, wistfully running her fingers over the delicate fabric.
After putting the chemise back in her closet, she dressed.
Elle was at the kitchen table eating breakfast as Melanie walked in, smiling at the brunette. Melanie liked her. They conversed casually until Alani entered the kitchen.
“Hi guys,” Alani chirped.
Elle raised her head. “Morning. What’s better for the skin?”
Alani grinned. “What Melanie does.”
“And what’s that?” Elle asked.
“Sleeping nude.”
Melanie sat there, unsure how to respond. Since Alani couldn’t know how she slept, should she lie and deny it? As precious seconds ticked by, she knew the two were watching, watching as her face cycled through several expressions.
“Hah, see?” Alani teased.
“So, do you practice what you preach?” Elle asked the dark haired girl, unexpectedly coming to Melanie’s aid.
“I… ah…” Alani appeared flustered.
Melanie suppressed a smile and focused on her breakfast.
“Or do you sleep in footie pajamas?” Elle said, delivering another blow and waiting for the response that didn’t come. “Maybe one day you can join us smart girls. Until then, best leave us to it.”
Melanie stared wide eyed at Elle, both surprised and thankful for her words, and how she put Alani in her place after that teasing. During the few weeks of living with her new roommates, Melanie had felt that Elle was someone she could become good friends with, even though they hadn’t spent any time together other than breakfast, dinner and casually hanging out in the common room. Even the time Elle had entered the shower room when Melanie had been showering had felt okay. Elle had just casually talked with her, done her thing and left.
Slightly red in the face, Alani finished making her breakfast and slipped back to her room.
Elle winked at Melanie. “I might feel bad for her, but we both know she can take as good as she gives.”
“She just walked in on me in the bathroom,” Melanie blurted.
“Ah. Like I did last week.”
Melanie felt a need to clarify the difference. “No, no, not the same. At least you asked if you could stay.”
“Hmm, we really need to sit you two down for a good chat. I don’t like this… thing between you two.”
Melanie shook her head. She didn’t want to make this more difficult. “Please, no. It’s fine,” she said, deciding not to let Alani influence her clothing choices anymore.
Elle seemed deep in thought for a moment, but then she brightened. “She’s right, though.”
“About what?”
“Sleeping nude is better. Healthier. Like, your body temp during sleep.”
It seemed that Melanie might not be the only one in the apartment who slept in the nude.
Elle grinned. “Plus the intimacy.”
Melanie could only blush in response, and Elle smiled knowingly.
~~~
After breakfast, Melanie took the bus to the mall, meeting up with Sarah at the entrance.
“Hey girl, what’s up?” Sarah’s positive energy brightened Melanie’s mood.
Sarah asked Melanie about dancing with Brian at the party, as well as their so-called week of weirdness, but Melanie avoided answering by changing the subject.
After browsing around for a while, they passed a lingerie store. Melanie glanced inside.
Sarah stopped, tugging on Melanie’s blouse. “Do you want to go in here?”
“Hmm? No, that’s okay.”
“Come on, let’s take a look.”
“So, who do you want to buy something for? Brian?” Sarah asked as they were browsing.
“What? No, of course not. We’re just friends.” Would it be weird to say it’s just for her own enjoyment, rather than someone else’s? Well… Maybe also for Josy, but of course she couldn’t say that!
Sarah stood there, scrutinizing her. “You still haven’t told us what happened between you two.”
“It was just a misunderstanding. Sorry, can we not talk about it?”
“Hmph. I can’t get a read on you two. From one day to the next, you two keep flipping a switch. Like, now you two seem distant. Something’s going on, but you’re not going to tell me, are you?”
Melanie wanted to swear there was nothing going on, but that would be a lie. It just wasn’t what Sarah might be thinking, and she couldn’t exactly talk about her running activities with Brian either.
Sarah frowned but left it alone. “It’s all so expensive. Guys have it easy, you know? Just one type of underwear and they’re done. One type of shirt…”
Though it wasn’t entirely accurate, she knew what Sarah meant. “Yeah, it’s not fair.”
“What do you think?” Sarah was holding up a turquoise lace bra and panty set.
“Cute. Is that for Cohen?” Melanie teased.
“You think he’d wear this for us?” Sarah laughed. Then she checked the price tag and frowned. “See, this is what I mean. A guy can buy 10 pairs of boxers for this price.” She put it back in the rack.
They browsed a while longer. Melanie had found a sleeveless powder blue top with sheer shoulders and V-neck. Though strictly speaking lingerie, she might wear it as a blouse inside or during warmer months. She imagined Josy might have recommended it for her. Though long for a top, it was shorter than the chemises Reese had given her. She wasn’t sure how well it would fit her, so she picked up three sizes. Sarah had grabbed the expensive turquoise set after all, as well as a few other items.
“Maybe I can get my boyfriend to pay for it somehow.” Sarah winked.
Off to the changing rooms they went. There was one cubicle free.
“You first,” Sarah offered.
Melanie started with the middle size top. She took off her blouse and skirt, but kept her bra and panties on. It seemed this was a good fit, though her bra-cups were partly visible due to the deep V-neck. “This one’s nice,” she said, as she felt the hem, which hid her panties with a few inches to spare. She particularly liked the sheer lace shoulders.
“Let me see.”
After a slight hesitation, Melanie pulled open the curtain to let Sarah see.
“It’s good, but it’ll be a bit loose. Especially without the bra.”
“Uhm, I guess I could try a smaller size.”
“I’ll get one for you. What size?”
“No need, I have it already.” Melanie closed the curtain. While she changed, she thought about what Sarah said, and knew she needed to try it without her bra.
When she had it on, she found that it did fit better. Snug, but comfortable. She checked the hemline again and found that the smaller size barely reached an inch below her panties. She’d need to wear panties that didn’t clash with the color, since any sort of movement would likely put them on display, let alone when she’d be sitting down. As she was thinking about that, she had a naughty impulse. She hooked her thumbs into her panties, but managed to hold back from taking them off, shaking her head.
Aware that due to her excitement, her nipples poked at the delicate fabric, Melanie hesitated with the curtain. What would Sarah think?
“Well?” came from the other side.
Tentatively, Melanie opened the curtain again, holding her arms up against her chest as she stared at the ground. It took some effort, but she forced her arms down in a manner she hoped appeared relaxed. It was an odd feeling, shopping with Sarah instead of Josy. In a way, it felt like she was shopping for Josy.
“Perfect mix of sexy and adorable.” Sarah winked at her. “Let me see the back.”
Melanie turned around. “So… Do you think I should get this one or the other?”
“Oh, definitely this one.”
“Okay.” Melanie had already been thinking the same, though simultaneously worried and excited by how short it was. She closed the curtain and inspected herself in the mirror. While standing, it hid her panties in front. Turning around and looking over her shoulder, she saw her partially covered butt peeking out.
Curiosity drove Melanie to give in to her earlier impulse and she again hooked her thumbs into her panties. After a brief hesitation, she took them off. Standing straight, she again checked herself. From the front she wasn’t able to tell the difference, but any movement would risk exposure. From the back, it might be noticeable. She wasn’t sure.
Sarah touched the curtain. “Melanie? Are you okay there?”
A brief moment of panic passed through Melanie. She had to think fast. “Ah, just wondering if I want this or not.”
Sarah sighed. “Get out here then. We’ll have another look.”
Oh no. What could she do? She couldn’t think of a good excuse.
Knowing she would have to be very careful, Melanie opened the curtain. Trying but failing not to blush, she stepped out. Thankfully, Sarah’s attention was not on her face.
While Sarah examined her from different angles, Melanie cast worried glances around the store to see if any other customers had noticed them.
“Not sure if it’s meant to be worn with panties,” Sarah mused. “I mean it works, but there may be matching cami shorts.” She moved to Melanie’s side and reached out a hand to touch the hem. “Did you…?”
Melanie reacted by quickly stepping back into the changing room. She noticed Sarah’s curious expression as she closed the curtain. While she changed back, she hoped Sarah hadn’t noticed, and wouldn’t say anything if she had. Finishing up, she wondered if there were matching cami shorts, as Sarah had suggested.
They switched places and Melanie waited for Sarah to change.
After a while, Melanie wondered whether Sarah would show her what she was trying on. “How does it fit?”
“Which one?”
Melanie hadn’t paid that much attention to what Sarah had taken into the changing room. “The one you’re trying now.”
“Ah, it’s a bit much.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Melanie countered. She wondered how much it showed and whether Sarah would let her see.
Sarah pulled the curtain aside, but only for a second. She was giving a side profile view, wearing the turquoise panties and bra set. In the short time Sarah held the curtain, Melanie only just registered that it left a lot of her butt exposed and the material seemed to be sheer with plenty of lace.
“That’s nice. Your boyfriend will love it. What’s his name, anyway? You never told me.”
“Didn’t I? His name’s Manuel.”
“Oh? So when will he be seeing these?”
Sarah giggled. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
After fitting a few more items, they went to the checkout. Melanie bought the powder blue top, while Sarah bought the matching turquoise set she tried on. They both would have loved to buy more, but the prices were an issue.
They decided on a visit to the food court before checking out swimwear, and on their way Melanie got a message from Josie.
‘Still at the mall?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. Be there in 15.’
Josy was coming to the mall? Melanie guessed that meant she was feeling better. She was glad Josy was joining them, but thinking back to fitting earlier with Sarah, a wave of emotions ran through her. What if Josy had been there? What would have happened?
As they entered the food court, Melanie asked, “Do you mind if Josy joins us?”
“Not at all. Does she need a swimsuit too?”
“I’m not sure.”
They sat down with their drinks, facing each other. Sarah had a curious look aimed at Melanie, as if drilling into her with her eyes.
“What?” Melanie asked nervously.
Sarah grinned. “You took them off, didn’t you?”
Even though it was phrased as a question, it felt more like a statement. Melanie blushed.
Sarah laughed. “I wasn’t sure, but that just confirmed it. What made you do it?”
“I… What?”
“You know what I mean. Wearing something sexy like that with nothing underneath.” Sarah paused. “Brian?”
Melanie sputtered. “No, no, I told you there’s nothing going on between us.”
“Then who?”
Blushing furiously and staring down at her lap so Sarah couldn’t see her eyes, she said in a small voice, “no one.”
“Hmm.” Sarah mused and sipped her drink, but she dropped the subject.
Finishing their break in relative quiet, they walked toward the next store. Melanie had let Josy know with a text where they’d be going and by the time they got there, Josy was waiting for them outside the store.
“Are you feeling better?” Melanie asked after they had greeted each other.
Josy nodded. “Buy anything?”
Sarah opened her bag to show her purchase.
“Oh, that’s pretty,” Josy said, and turned to Melanie, prompting her to do the same.
Melanie mumbled her response, making it completely unintelligible.
“What?” Josy asked, and took Melanie’s bag to survey the contents. “Ooh!” she exclaimed. “Shame I wasn’t there when you tried it on. You’ll have to show me later, Mel.”
Melanie’s eyes went wide and quickly gauged Sarah’s reaction, seeing the girl’s raised eyebrows. She feared that Sarah was entirely too quick on the uptake.
Josy laughed, dispelling the tension, and Melanie hoped it helped to assuage Sarah’s suspicions.
“Are you also shopping for a suit?” Sarah asked Josy as they walked into the store.
“I suppose, if I see something nice. Why?”
“Oh, we’re going swimming tomorrow.” Sarah turned to Melanie, perhaps surprised that Josy wasn’t aware of that yet.
Melanie stammered, “Oh, I was going to ask you, but this morning you said… Uhm, do you want to come with us tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Josy chipped, apparently unphased.
They browsed the swimwear section for a while. Josy suggested a few more daring bikinis for Melanie, who pushed back in the presence of Sarah. After they had each found a few options, they went to the changing rooms.
Sarah pointed to an empty spot, nudging Josy – who had picked up four sets – to go first. Shortly after, another opened up and she let Melanie take it.
As Melanie was trying on her second suit, she heard Josy’s voice.
“Sarah, here. Mine’s free.”
“Thanks,” Sarah replied.
“Mel?”
Melanie poked her head out the curtain. “Over here.”
Josy walked over and entered the cubicle.
“That was fast,” Melanie said, surprised that Josy had tried on four bikinis in such a short time.
Josy whispered in her ear, “I only tried one. The others were for you.” She grinned at Melanie’s ‘oh’ face. “Your picks are boring.”
Melanie made a face to indicate hurt feelings, but she knew well enough that her picks were likely boring compared to what Josy had picked for her. However, they were planning to swim with her friends, and she wasn’t eager to show off an outrageous suit for them.
“Just try these.” Josy laid out three sets.
Still wearing the top and bottoms of her own second pick, Melanie inspected Josy’s first, holding up the bottoms. “Nope.” It was just two small triangles and a lot of string. She put it aside, not even bothering with the top.
The next was a little better, an indigo blue set. The bottoms were a thong, which would be a first for her. The front was more than just a little triangle and she would consider it decent. The back would leave almost all of her butt cheeks exposed, but at least it wasn’t just strings. Picking up the top, she thought it would cover her chest pretty well, while teasing the swell of her breasts.
The third was similar to the first and she just cast it aside. What was Josy thinking?
Josy smiled at her. “This one then?” She pointed at the second set. “Try it on.”
Sighing, Melanie waited for Josy to leave. She got back a pout, but Josy went out the curtain anyway. She quickly changed and checked herself in the mirror before waving Josy back in.
The top revealed the inner curves of her b-cups. It was a little daring, especially to wear around her friends, but she wasn’t too worried about that. The thong, however… How would her friends react? What would they think?
Josy was beaming at her. “You have to buy it. Wear it tomorrow.”
Melanie wasn’t sure if she was ready for that, so she countered, “Only if you also wear thong bottoms.”
“Deal,” Josy accepted, to Melanie’s surprise.
Wait, what? So she had to wear this bikini set around her friends tomorrow? With that in mind, Melanie looked in the mirror again, checking how the top and bottoms fit. The indigo contrasted nicely with her skin, which still had a trace of her summer tan. She liked how the top revealed more of her chest than her old bikini. It was fine, she reasoned, and not an unusual sight at a public pool.
The front of the bottoms fit neatly along her v-lines, tapering to narrow strips on her hips. The waist of the suit curved down toward the middle, revealing an enticing amount of her abdomen. If she’d had a landing strip, it might have just been showing.
Turning around and examining the back, her eyes focused on her butt. As expected, her entire butt was on display, with an indigo triangle a few inches high covering just the nape of her butt. Similar to the front, it tapered to thin strips at the sides.
A wave of excitement rolled through her at the idea of wearing this at a public pool, but she still worried about her friends. With a furtive glance towards Josy, Melanie took off the suit to change back to her regular clothes.
Josy picked up Melanie’s shopping bag and whispered, “Are you going to show me what you bought?”
Holding her panties with one hand, Melanie opened the shopping bag wide for Josy, who just shook her head.
“Show me.”
“But Sarah,” Melanie objected, as she pulled her panties up and started with her bra.
“She’s busy. Tell you what, I’ll keep an eye out. Hurry up and signal me when you’ve changed.” With that, Josy went out of the changing room to stand on the other side of the curtain.
After a moment of internal struggle, Melanie decided it was pointless to argue and went about changing into the top. It felt strange to change into an item you already bought, in a different store no less. She decided to keep her bra and panties on, to save time. When she was done, she peeked outside.
Josy smiled as she stepped inside, checking Melanie out. “Very nice. No matching shorts?”
“Sarah thought there might be.”
“But you didn’t look for them? Perhaps you thought you wouldn’t be wearing them.” Josy giggled.
Melanie blushed at her friend’s accurate guess. While Melanie made a turn for Josy, they heard Sarah calling for them. “Melanie? Josy?”
Josy snuck out of the changing room. “We’re in here,” she said, to Melanie’s dismay.
“Oh, is Melanie still trying on her suits?”
Josy giggled and said, “Not exactly.”
Melanie froze, was Josy seriously getting Sarah involved now too? What if someone from the store came to ask what they were up to?
A moment later, Josy pulled open the curtain. Melanie reacted by covering herself as much as possible with her arms.
Sarah laughed. “So that’s what you were doing.”
“Don’t be silly, Mel,” Josy said. “Show us how it looks.”
Melanie wanted to object. After all, Sarah had seen it earlier and Josy had seen it just a moment ago. Knowing Josy, she just sighed, lowered her arms, and turned for them.
Sarah was the first to comment. “See? It’s nice. A bit on the short side, maybe. Then again, it’s just a top.” She paused, alternating her attention between Josy and Melanie, seeming in thought. “Uhm…”
“What?” Josy asked.
At that moment, a couple walked past on their way to another changing room. The guy turned his head to stare at Melanie. He slowed his pace until the girl pulled him along.
Curious, Melanie poked her head out and saw the girl go into a changing room. The guy looked back at Melanie and she quickly stepped back.
Josy smiled knowingly and turned to Sarah. “You were about to say something before we were rudely interrupted.”
Sarah grinned, and continued, “The top. It’s not how… you should see it without… uh…”
Josy seemed surprised. “Oh?” She turned back to Melanie, who was still facing them in the changing room. Josy closed the curtain and said, “Well, Melanie, show us how you showed Sarah.”
Melanie was taken aback. Was it her imagination, or did she hear venom in those words? Did Sarah do this on purpose, or was it just a slip of the tongue? Weighing her options, Melanie didn’t think she could get out of this without making a scene. She just hoped Josy would not go too far with Sarah here with them.
Resigning herself to her fate, she once again removed her bra and panties, managing to remove them without taking off the top. She checked the hem to make sure she was decent and felt quite embarrassed in the knowledge that both girls on the other side of the curtain were in the know of what she wasn’t wearing. On top of that, her delinquent nipples were poking through the material again. Feeling the heat rise to her face, she slowly pulled the curtain aside.
Melanie saw that Josy was all smiles, which came as a relief.
Sarah on the other hand appeared surprised that Melanie had done it. As Sarah’s gaze went back and forth between Melanie and Josy, some form of understanding seemed to dawn on her face. Melanie wasn’t happy about that at all.
“It nicely accentuates your boobs,” Josy said, making a turning motion with her finger.
Melanie obliged, and started turning. She just hoped she could get through this quickly and change back into her normal clothes before they were found out by the staff.
“Wait, stay like that,” Josy said as Melanie was facing away from them. “Need to check if this is practical. Raise your arms?”
Melanie heard a gasp from Sarah. Though phrased as a question, it didn’t feel like one she could decline. Slowly, she raised her arms and felt the hemline rising up her butt, triggering another gasp from Sarah. She blushed, knowing they had a clear view of her naked behind. Her only relief was that they wouldn’t be able to see between her legs, since they were all standing.
“Ah, just as I thought. You can’t wear it like this, Mel.” Josy laughed. “Or can she?”
Instead of answering, Sarah giggled.
Melanie lowered her arms, but since the hemline did not drop by itself, she had to pull it back down. She looked over her shoulder, moving to close the curtain, but froze as she saw the glint in Josy’s eye.
“Finish the turn.” Josy winked.
She wouldn’t! Melanie silently pleaded with Josy, but it was in vain. Nervously pulling on the hem, she continued her turn until she faced them again, her heart racing.
“Same test?” Josy asked.
Melanie shut her eyes, her face on fire, as she began raising her arms again.
“You guys, I think it’s time to go.” Sarah seemed amused, but turned her head towards the entrance of the changing room area.
Apparently agreeing, Josy winked at Melanie, before stepping away and closing the curtain for her. “I’ll wait here for Mel to get changed,” Josy said.
With her arms still half raised, Melanie turned towards the mirror and saw the result. Though only partially, she saw her bare lips peeking out.
Had Sarah turned to the side before she became exposed? She didn’t know.
Why had she done as Josy had asked? Why not just refuse? Lowering her arms, she felt ashamed that Sarah had seen her like that. Her right hand went to her pussy; just a brief touch. Wetness, of course. She had to force her finger away before she’d start rubbing herself. How was she going to face Sarah? She sighed and began pulling off the top to get dressed.
The curtain opened while she had the hem lifted up around her belly button. She quickly pulled it down.
Josy just stood there just outside the changing room, holding the curtain open, and staring her up and down.
“Close it!” Melanie whispered urgently.
Josy grinned, but said in a soft and innocent sounding voice, “But you haven’t checked yourself in the mirror yet.”
“I have. There’s a mirror right here.” Melanie suspected what Josy was trying to do, but was having none of it. As exciting as it would be to step outside the changing room like this, her nerves had gotten to her, and she was shaking a little.
“It’s too small. You need to see the full picture to fully appreciate that top.”
Melanie shook her head. “There’s no time, Sarah will come back for us.” As she whispered these words, she realized her main concern was Sarah, and not other customers, or even the staff.
“There’s a big line. She’ll be a while. Come on, Mel, do it for me.”
An idea popped into Melanie’s head. “What will I get in return?” She wasn’t seriously considering it, but was curious what Josy might offer.
“I…” Josy paused in thought.
All the while, Melanie had been standing there in the open changing room, barely decent, in full view of anyone who might walk past. Someone did walk past, though the woman in question barely glanced her way.
“You can wear a single item the next time you go pee at my place.”
Melanie almost laughed out loud. “You’ll have to do better than that.”
“What do you want me to do then?”
Melanie knew what to ask. Josy wouldn’t agree to it, but even if she did, it would feel like a win. “Sleep in the nude next time I’m at your place.”
Josy’s eyes went wide, but continued to bargain, “Just a top then.”
“Ugh, fine, but my choice.” Despite the compromise, Melanie felt excited at the prospect of choosing Josy’s clothes for once. She thought she saw a look of worry pass briefly over Josy’s face.
Josy nodded, apparently agreeing to the deal, as she took Melanie’s arm and pulled her out of the changing room.
While Josy pulled her along to the big mirror a few curtains over, Melanie checked the hem of her only piece of clothing, and tried to think of what she would make Josy wear. She felt naked out there in the corridor, despite the top covering the important parts.
While she stood in front of the mirror, next to a widely grinning Josy, Melanie turned her head left and right. To her embarrassment, the guy further down was looking her way, but she felt Josy’s hand on her chin, gently pushing her view back towards the mirror. Was he still staring?
“You can see much better here,” Josy whispered. “Now raise your arms a little.”
“That wasn’t part of the deal,” Melanie urged. If she raised her arms, the guy would see everything.
“Well, at least make a turn then.”
Melanie obliged, making the turn, though a little faster than when she was in the changing room. Near the end of the turn, she saw that the guy was still staring at her. At that moment, the curtain in front of him opened and he didn’t even notice. The girl he was with looked out of her cubicle and saw Josy and Melanie. As his reward, the guy got slapped on the arm several times.
Feeling nervous again, Melanie pleaded with Josy, “Can we go now?”
Josy whispered, “…raise your arms a little.”
Melanie shook her head and felt Josy’s hand on her lower back, tugging on the material. It started to pull the hem up her butt, and to her shock she saw her front come into view in the mirror. Melanie quickly pushed Josy’s hand away, while trying to undo what Josy had done.
Josy pouted. “Oh fine, you can change. I’ll go check on Sarah.”
While Josy left the changing area, Melanie hurried back to her cubicle. Had anyone seen her?
After changing, Melanie went to pay for the thong bikini set and then joined Sarah and Josy outside the store. Apparently the other two had completed their purchases already.
Sarah seemed amused. “Josy explained it’s a game you two play.”
Melanie nodded. Maybe that’s the best explanation she could hope for.
“To each their own, of course,” Sarah continued. “Still…” She studied the other two, who kept quiet.
If Melanie didn’t know any better, she thought Josy was embarrassed, or even apologetic. Melanie sighed. This got out of hand very quickly, and she had Sarah to thank for putting a stop to it.
“I’m not one to judge.” Sarah seemed to scan their faces. “I guess I’m beginning to understand. You know, Brian.” She looked pointedly at Melanie.
Melanie didn’t know how to respond. What did Sarah mean by that? Was she talking about what happened in the changing room, or did she suspect something more was going on with Josy?
Seeming to let it go, Sarah’s demeanor changed. “Hey, cheer up you two! Nothing happened! Anyway, unless you two have other ideas, I think it’s time to go home.”
Melanie turned away, pretending to be busy with her bag. Josy was conspicuously quiet.
Now it was Sarah’s turn to sigh. “You two…”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoy this story, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Or, if you would rather reach out by email, you can find me at cavethewriter@gmail.com
Yay! … a new Melanie chapter to read.
What a wonderful Christmas present!
Yes, Christmas present for my readers and the board 🙂
Amazing writing as usual. Gold standard. I truly hope this story goes on forever. All the best for 2022 everyone!!
Thank you, all the best to you as well!
Love how the story is going
I’ll try to stay true to the essence of the story, which means it’ll continue to flow in ever (slowly) changing directions. Thank you for reading, and best wishes!
This was a very odd chapter. The writing is not nearly as smooth as usual. What gives? Alani got put in her place quite thoroughly by Elle. Also is Josy getting jealous of Sarah for some reason? Melanie is slowly working to break down Josy’s walls. That’s good. Merry Christmas Cave. Have a good one this year. Cheers
Sounds like Mort was hoping for more focus on Josy and Mel.
I guess those two little mini sections broke up the flow a little. ~~~ One where they are arranging the shopping. ~~~ Another where they are arranging the swimming. Not sure how a writer could avoid something like that, but good to know.
I also like Melanie slowly working on breaking down Josy’s walls. Merry Christmas Mort!
Merry Christmas ReaderMan
Hi Mort and ReaderMan,
Thank you for the comments and the well wishes.
What is it that makes it an odd chapter, the jealousy, the interrupted flow, or is it something else? If you could let me know, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Season’s greetings, Cave
I prefer the different sections personally, I think it adds to the realism. I don’t think every chapter should just be Melanie and Josy, because that’s what life is like, you can’t always be together. I personally enjoy the build up and wait.
merry Christmas everyone!!
I like this kind of lively opening – Josy mentioning that she likes having breakfast with Sophia. I’m glad that Melanie also likes Sophia. It makes sense, the roommate is now privy to some of their antics and it was Josy that initiated that photo shoot. But what did she agree to? lol…
I’m glad that Josy approved of the idea of teasing Brian with the images. Not just because it’s a fun idea, but also because I’m liking how things are developing with Mel and Josy currently.
Melanie is loving this, and so am I.
This is a great scene, and I’m glad that Brian is still a friend and that they can still be playful like this. Although I can imagine it can be hard for him sometimes. Frankly, I’m jealous of Brian. Why don’t I have any friends like this?!
ReaderMan also quickly agrees!
I like that Alani (and others) are gently teasing and pushing Melanie in a direction that Melanie herself (and Josy), for the most part, likes. Likewise, I also think it’s good that when they are a bit too much, someone steps in to help keep things civil. It’s a sexy pushing environment, but also very supportive. This makes for a realistic balance that I simply love. I’m glad that Elle and Melanie are getting closer, it’s a good sign as Elle is a lot of fun and not afraid of much, plus Elle seems to have more experience being a submissive to another girl.
Sarah, on the other hand, definitely leans towards being a dominant type of personality. I like it that there seems to be a nice mix of girls who lean one way or the other. Sarah is a perceptive one. It was funny when she asked about Brain, and if Mel wanted to buy lingerie for him.
The situation with Melanie is deliciously complicated. And makes for fun situations.
Shopping scenes. Cave is the master. So much realism and subtly, and a nice slow buildups.
Melanie is so much fun in these situations.
It doesn’t matter that Sarah has a boyfriend. Everyone enjoys to shop with Melanie. You can’t really blame them. And it’s funny that these ‘pushers’ also tend to be on the shy side.
I love the subtle conflict of others trying to guess what’s up with Melanie and her trying to keep things under wraps.
That was a close call. This felt dangerously close to a snub to Josy. Plus Mel had been shopping with another girl. It’s also great to see Josy here, shopping with them. We just know that it’s bound to be interesting, and Josy never disappoints. Like getting Mel to agree to a smaller swimsuit than she had planned.
Nice to see Melanie do a little negotiation and pushing Josy a bit, this is great.
Now this is what I call a great description. And it’s only part of the description for Melanie’s hot new bikini that she reluctantly agreed to wear in public.
Gotta love those furtive glances.
Double the fun! I’m totally glad Josy showed up to join them.
This looked like a brief flash of jealously. But I can’t blame Josy. I might have felt the same if you add it all together. I mean, it was nothing really that Josy wasn’t invited swimming yet, or that Mel was shopping with Sarah. But with Mel showing Josy in underwear and not doing that with Sarah… well… it warranted a brief flash of jealousy. Which, in my mind is good. It means Josy is not overly casual with Melanie. Besides it was all fine a moment later.
After this Josy pushed Melanie a little hard (in a hot way), considering what happened I couldn’t help but to wonder if part of that was Josy showing that Melanie was hers, but in a subtle, perhaps subconscious way. It was interesting that Mel felt on thin ice and so was compelled to follow, but I also like that Mel started pushing back and asking for a concession. And what a concession that was asked! I love how things are developing between these two, but now I think Sarah is starting to figure things out. So many things going on and the trajectory is awesome.
Thank you for this Christmas chapter Cave!
Hi ReaderMan,
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Making a lively opener is one of the most difficult things, I’ve found. What makes it lively is not always available within the story, so I appreciate this kind of help and feedback.
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Sophia being privy (I like this word) to the antics is likely to benefit both Josy and Melanie. Especially, since she seems to enjoy being a participant in these antics.
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Josy approving is good, but what felt most important to me, is the fact that Melanie asks for that approval. She didn’t have to ask. It could’ve been her and Brian’s secret.
Shopping is always fun, or should be made fun and enjoyable.
Thank you 🙂
Sarah is just being helpful, like a good friend.
Looking forward to the swimming pool visit? And Josy in a thong as well, that’ll be interesting. How will the boys react?
Yes, Josy was pushing quite a lot there…
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Thank you for the delightful and helpful comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the chapter.
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Happy new year everyone!
thanks liked it very much!
It makes me happy to know you liked the chapter!
Merry Christmas to us all!
And a happy New Year
When Melanie decided to show Brian some of the pictures, especially the riskier one which she “accidentally” showed him, it was a situation where she was more in control than usually. Very often she is pushed by others, but here she decided herself how much to reveal. I know, in other situations she was never forced, she could have stopped it any time, but here she was in control. Whereas I like her submissive side very much, I also like that she is not the submissive all the time.
Similarly, when Melanie was shopping with Josy, she wanted Josy to also wear a thong in exchange for her doing the same. Or later when she asked Josy for something in return if she agrees to go to the big mirror outside the changing room.
I just like the dynamics of their relationship. It is more complex, or beginning to get even more complex than just Melanie submitting to things Josy wants her to do. And I like that Josy is beginning to open up. But there was also a little hint at a potential conflict, when Melanie went shopping with Sarah and didn’t mention to Josy that they want to go swimming. But it seemed to be alright for Josy. Or is it? Because later it sounded that Josy was jealous that Melanie showed Sarah something which she didn’t show to Josy in the first place.
But oh dear, girls shopping for clothes is really complicated 😉. Guys buying boxers is not just cheaper, but much simpler. To be honest, some terms I had to google, like “cami shorts”.“
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Delinquent nipples”? I have never heard this – great – phrase before. I wonder what these nipples did. Apparently guilty of exhibitionism. LOL
Hi Art,
Interesting, isn’t it, how her dynamic with Brian is very different?
I’m glad you picked up on these details in the story. Means I’m doing something right 🙂
It’s a phrase coined by ReaderMan in his comment to chapter 12, and I blatantly stole it to use in the next chapter. Thankfully, he hasn’t noticed, so I figured I could use it again.
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Thank you for the comment and happy New Year!
Oh, you are right, those delinquent nipples appeared before. I blame it on my bad memory ☹. On the plus side, this way I can be (pleasantly) surprised by the same things more often…
I think it’s always possible. Or at the least, we should set the scene a little. Where, who, what they are feeling, etc. Not necessarily all those things, but a few will certainly help. At the beginning of a chapter the reader isn’t always in our writers mindset. And when all else fails we can zoom in on something arbitrary or have a thought. Or we could stuff in a feeling about a description. Maybe not all openers don’t have to be specifically – lively, but they must try to draw us in. It’s a paragraph that we should always try to experiment with and polish. Sometimes it could be a simple sentence, or anything. Ideally we have a sense of the coming scene and we can set that up a little with a nudge in that direction. I liked that this opener was a reminder of the last scene that has a fun moment of uncertainty and then leads into asking about sharing images with Brian. So yes, a great opening.
Wavy Line! So that’s how I’m characterizing this chapter — simply put, it’s the perfect mix of sexy and adorable.
I’m not sure I’ve ever done this — drop in a descriptive phrase as an ersatz name for an otherwise unnamed character. It’s an arrow that I need in my quiver.
hahaha
Melanie is such a tease!
Your English. Tell me the part again about how it is not your mother tongue.
Okay — just plain adorable. She doesn’t know how sexy what she just did is? So innocent! A girl walks up to you and shows you a picture on her phone — an image with a bare breast — her bare breast. What guy is not going to get sprung?
Wavy Line!The wording, but more importantly where Melanie’s mind is in that moment.
Just plain fun. Melanie finding a bit of support from an unexpected sector.
I love the clothing selections and how you describe them.The two changing room scenes (two girls and then three girls) — wow, just wow. In recent memory, Emi, another leading lady, visited a changing room — also with another woman. I have to say, both scenes were over-the-top amazing. You and ReaderMan — each of you outdid the other!
It bears repeating.
Hi Blair,
Glad you enjoyed the “Perfect mix of sexy and adorable”. 😉
To be fair, I started learning English early, in elementary school. However, I learned most of my grasp of English from reading a lot of books.
Wistfully is such a nice word.
Thank you for the comments and compliments.
Cave