I had dressed pretty well for my mall trip in some newer clothes. I had gone with smart but tight white jeans and a somewhat loose but thin and long white sweater that reached below the large brown belt I had fixing it tightly around my waist. I wore a white bra that made my boobs sit very nicely but was probably not showing through or letting them wobble around that much. I think I looked good but not particularly show offish, though, as I was beginning to realise, my body was pretty show offish no matter what as long as I didn’t go out of my way to hide it.
As I made my way out of the car I noticed the bag of clothes I’d got from the mall. I’d been intending to go straight round to Geoff’s so a small moment of impatience hit as I realised I’d need to drop them off first and make sure they were hidden in case my parents got back before me, but then it quickly occurred that I could just take them with me. The idea of maybe wearing them at Geoff’s was of course there at the back of my mind but there was no plan, I just knew I was much happier setting off right away.
A minute or so later I was knocking at his door, I felt the familiar tug of nervousness at my stomach but that was a feeling I relished these days and for the most part I felt confident. If his friends thought I was just a normal girl next door then they would need to do at least a bit of work to get me to be anything else. I was looking forward to seeing if they had what it took.
“Claire, come in.”
Geoff greeted me coolly and immediately stepped aside to let me enter, which I did.
“Just through in the lounge, you know the way.”
I had half wondered if he might do a little more setup with me before introducing his friends but it seemed not. I didn’t mind, I felt ready and with another delightful flutter of butterflies in my tummy I stepped through into his front room.
“Hello.”
There were two men in there, on sat on each sofa and they both rose slightly as I came in. I nodded to the one who had spoken and the other smiled at me as I hovered near a chair waiting for Geoff to make the introductions. As expected they both looked like the sort of middle aged men I’d been aware of as fathers of friends my whole life. One seemed about Geoff’s age and, if I didn’t know better, seemed vaguely familiar, the other was a little older, maybe in his mid 50s. The younger man was in casual jeans, button down shirt and sweater like Geoff, whereas the older guy was slightly smarter in dress pants and a collared shirt.
As Geoff made his way in the older guy stepped towards me and offered his hand.
“I’m Luke, pleased to meet you.”
“Hi Luke,” I smiled at him and lightly shook his hand, I got a whiff of cologne which was strong but fairly pleasant and not overpowering. He hair was very grey streaked and he was older than anyone I’d done things with apart from maybe Chris at the restaurant, but he was making a very good first impression.
“And this is Colin.” Geoff nodded to the other man, who was still half risen from his seat seeming to be caught unsure whether to also shake my hand of not.
I decided to keep acting confidently and stepped across to him, he straightened up and I gave him a smiling, “hi Colin,” as I shook his hand.
“You might know Colin’s son actually, didn’t you mention having met him in the driveway the other week?”
I stopped slightly on my way to a chair but managed to keep going and sit before replying.
“Oh, you’re Tom’s dad?”
“Er, yes, I am. Do you know him?”
Colin also seemed to have not been expecting that. It did explain why I thought him familiar, I’d caught a brief glimpse of him in the car yesterday and, now it had been pointed out, there was a family resemblance.
“We’ve spoken a few times, he saw me in the back garden once and said hello.” That was accurate so far as it went. “He hasn’t mentioned me?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
I was relieved and just shrugged, “maybe I didn’t make an impression.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Luke joined the conversation. “You certainly made an impression on Geoff here.”
I turned to him, I didn’t really know what to make of having Tom’s dad here and it seemed easier to continue the conversation elsewhere for the moment.
“What did he say about me?”
“Let’s just say he painted a very attractive picture.”
“I was presenting a pretty good side of myself, I think.”
“Very true.” Geoff confirmed things.
There was silence again. I could feel already that there was a bit of tension in the room and it seemed like no one was much interested in small talk but not quite sure how to raise the topic at hand. I had obviously decided that the guys needed to work at it, but it also seemed as if Geoff wasn’t going to take the lead quite yet. As often happened with silences I cracked first.
“I don’t make a habit of that sort of thing usually, you know. Wearing that little in public.” I figured me in a bikini was the sort of topic of conversation we were all interested in.
“No, of course not.” Geoff sounded as if he didn’t necessarily agree with me.
I took the bait and carried on explaining myself. “I didn’t think anyone would be around and was just going out quickly to,” I paused and looked back at Colin. I’d been on my round to visit his son but I decided that wasn’t a revelation worth making just yet. “To, er, check the mail.”
I noticed Geoff look at me, obviously noting my lie but he quickly went with it.
“And there I was cutting the hedge a few steps from your mailbox. Just my lucky day, I guess.” There were few good natured chuckles, then he continued. “You didn’t really seem uncomfortable, though.”
“Did I not?”
“No.”
“Well, if guys like to look that’s not my problem is it?” I smiled at each of them in turn. I was beginning to feel pretty good about things.
“Not at all, not at all.” Luke seemed delighted with my comment. “You should be proud.”
I smiled and I’m sure conveyed agreement but I didn’t quite know what to say back. I already was quite proud and since that first time with Ton and Jim it had never occurred to me to be otherwise.
“What would you say if we asked if we could take a look now?”
I looked at Luke more closely, I’m sure conveying some of the surprise I felt that he’d suddenly been so direct.
“Just at your current outfit, of course. You sat down so quickly I hardly had chance to take it in, but it struck me as very elegant. Perhaps you could just stand up and let us do some quick admiration.”
I looked at Luke for a moment, then over at Colin and finally Geoff, before replying.
“I suppose that would be fine.”
I stood slowly and Luke, who had been sat forwards during the conversation, settled back into the couch to watch me. I made sure the belt was sitting nicely and tugged the bottom of the sweater to make sure it ran neatly across my chest. I wasn’t doing more than I might do in public, just taking much more time over it and in that familiar environment of knowing all eyes in the room were focused on my body.
I stepped away from the chair and then held my arms out slightly and turned around for them. I held eye contact with each of them and while Colin seemed the most reticent, even he seemed more confident and at ease than men often were at this point in proceedings. I began to wonder if Geoff had perhaps said more than he’d let on.