Passages
To go out again, Jasmin had to wear whatever she could get herself into. Even though the T-shirt she had on fit her like a second skin, she decided not to fight success by trying to exchange it for something else. She took up the looseness in the bottom by knotting the hem just above her waist. None of her panties could withstand the journey over her thighs, so she pulled on a G-string. With all of her lower body wear being out of the question, Ray donated a pair of running shorts to the cause. After slitting both sides seams up to the waistband, the shorts just barely made it over her legs without tearing the elastic. Not one single shoe she owned would fit her anymore, so Ray offered her a pair of his athletic shoes. They fit a bit loose, but she was able to take up the slack by adding a second pair of socklets to the one she already had on. She wasn't a fashion plate, but the essential areas were covered.
The rubbing of her inner thighs soon turned to painful chafing. Ray suggested body oil to relieve the irritation, so they stopped at a store to pick some up. Jasmin was in such distress by then that she plucked the first bottle she saw from the shelf, and immediately applied some oil to her sensitive, reddened skin. Watching her hands at work, and where they were at work, induced a heightened state of activity in Ray's salivary glands. He satisfied the need to swallow, then remarked, "That . . . kinda looks like fun. Can I play?"
Jasmin's soothing motion slowed as she regarded him through gratified eyes. She straightened her posture, dispatched her hair behind her shoulder with an expert flick of her head, then felt the residue of oil on her fingers. Her noncommittal, enigmatic gaze caused Ray to wonder, but only for a moment before she spat, "Yes!" then lunged at him with an oily hand splayed forward. He narrowly escaped wearing an oily hand print on the front of his shirt.
They went to a part of town where a four block section of older, retail storefronts, along with the street they boardered, had been converted into an outdoor mall. Jasmin thought her chances of finding something to wear would be better there than at any of the chain stores she was familiar with. Not being connected to a major chain, however, the mall had seen both good times, and bad. It had undergone a number of renovations over the years, the most recent one having succeeded in catching the public's taste just right. It quickly had become the 'in' place to be, and the business owners were enjoying a prosperity few of them had seen.
Ray being one of those men who hates pay parking, he spent twenty minutes finding a spot on a side street that was only five blocks away from their destination. Jasmin didn't mind the walk. She figured it would keep her, and her appearance, away from a crowded public place that much longer, which the mall was sure to be on a pleasantly sunny Saturday afternoon.
The brief journey by foot also gave her the opportunity to get a feel for her transformed body. With the oil on her inner thighs having relieved her of a mental distraction, Jasmin soon found that she had no problem moving her bulky, muscle-ladened form. Her footsteps fell silently as she strode along, and her motions felt every bit as fluid, and easy, as they had before. It made her feel different, yes, but she found the difference not to be at all unpleasant. In spite of the reassuring comfort she felt in her movements, however, Jasmin was painfully aware of the way she looked. She hated it, but, at one, and the same time, she couldn't remember having felt so . . . at home with herself.
At the mall, Jasmin was exclusively concerned about work cloths for the office. With her massive, and unusual, build, both of them knew what they were up against. They tried to remain upbeat, yet objective, but, even so, as they went from store to store, from shop to shop, nothing they saw was even remotely suitable for her unique shape, and contours. Positive mental outlook not-with-standing, the mounting number of disappointments they encountered eventually made them depressed, and disheartened. Whatever she could try on looked terrible; the garments being made for extremely fat women, not extremely muscular women. At one point, late in their search, Ray took a desperate risk by intentionally placing himself by a display rack of moo-moos. Gleaning his suggestion, Jasmin was furious, and swore, "I will go naked before I wear a freaking moo-moo!"
Ray succeeded in defusing her temper by not so innocently cracking, "I'm cool with that."
It didn't help matters any that everywhere they went Jasmin was subjected to obvious stares of shock, and awe. Though she tried to remain inconspicuous, it was impossible for her to go anywhere unnoticed. Her appearance simply commanded the undividable attention of everyone who came any where's close to laying eyes on her. Even while standing perfectly still as she studied the contents of a display window, eyes from all directions gravitated toward her, unable to conceal the intensely primal desires that lay deeply hidden behind them.
When she moved it was even worse. Her naturally balletic way of going made her extraordinary body look like an eye-candy mega-mall of sensuously evocative motion. Even the mild flexion of her thighs sent out shock waves with every stride she took. Time and again, people would be literally stopped in their tracks upon seeing her.
All of this unwanted attention greatly unnerved Jasmin, and made it difficult for her to concentrate on her purpose. Throughout their search she held onto Ray's arm, needing the contact with him for comfort, and support. Although well aware of the situation, Ray managed to stay relaxed. He joked, and doted on her attentively, and that helped a lot to keep her from running out of the place screaming as she frequently had the urge to do.
Finally, tired, and frustrated, they chose one last shop. With most of her civilizing traits badly frayed, Jasmin barged her way through the door. She spotted a kindly looking saleswoman of advanced years, and strode purposefully toward her. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of the obviously ill-humored Asian behemoth bearing down on her, and she instinctively backed away. Jasmin tried to put the startled woman at ease, but the stress of the previous three hours gave her words more force than she actually intended.
"I pose no threat to you," she stated more in the manner of a command than in the spirit of appeasement.
The sternness of this announcement did nothing to reassure the woman, but it did make her stop where she was. Jasmin stopped before her, and gave vent to her plight.
"I know you don't have anything that fits me, but I desperately need cloths. Can you make something for me?"
Not at all sure of what to make of the situation, the woman tentatively offered, "We do have a tailor, if that's what you mean."
With that single utterance, Jasmin began to relax. It reflected in her voice as she went on to state her business.
"Straight off, I need two business suits; blouse, skirt and jacket type thing, and I need them to wear Monday morning."
The woman's look told her that this wasn't possible.
"I can pay whatever the cost, but I need at least one suit to wear by Monday. A skirt, and blouse, at the very least."
The woman's look softened, but it still wasn't very encouraging. The tension began returning to Jasmin's voice as she asked the woman impatiently, "Can you do it?"
The woman a took moment to consider the proposal, and then hesitantly replied, "I'll have to talk to the tailor."
She didn't sound very positive, but it was better than the nothing they'd encountered up 'til then. The woman turned to leave, "I'll be just a minute," she said. "Please wait here," and then she disappeared behind a curtained doorway in the back wall of the showroom just beyond the sales counter.
While the woman was gone, the couple took the opportunity to look around the display area. As her eyes flitted over the racks, it occurred to Jasmin that the place was unlike any dress shop she'd ever been in before. The whole interior of the shop looked old, quaint and homey, and there was an unusual warmth to the atmosphere that both of them noticed. The garments on display were also atypical, being generally larger than the standard anorexic fare.
While Ray strode around with his hands in his pockets, looking suitably lost, as any self-respecting man is supposed to do in a women's dress shop, Jasmin casually perused one of the racks. She picked an item of her interest from it, and held it up against her chest before a nearby mirror. She was much too big for it, which no longer surprised her, but the cut, and style of the garment actually looked like it would fit her new proportions if only it were larger.
Holding the dress in place against herself, she turned to Ray, and modeled it for him with her eyebrows arched high, quizzically asking for his opinion. He looked her over, and smiled his approval. She smiled her appreciation in return, then looked back to the mirror for a final, more critical appraisal before returning the garment to its place on the rack.
The saleswoman reappeared from behind the curtain. She spotted Jasmin, and called her, "Miss."
Jasmin looked up in her direction, and dared to hope when she saw the woman smile warmly.
"I think we may be able to help you," she said.
Both of the couple hastened toward the woman.
"Oh, thank you," Jasmin fairly gushed.
"At last," said Ray, feeling greatly relieved.
"I can't tell you what this means to me," Jasmin continued.
The woman held up a hand to quiet them. Gaining their compliance, she began stating the conditions.
"We can't do everything you wish on such short notice," she told them, "however, we can have an ensemble ready for you by Monday, and then the other outfit will be ready in another day, or so."
They gladly accepted the terms, and payment was arranged. The woman then escorted them into the back area so that Jasmin's measurements could be taken.
Passing through the curtain was like entering another world. It was a large, narrow, rectangular space, unusually dark and spare, illuminated by three evenly spaced, shadeless bulbs suspended from the high beamed ceiling. The tools of a garment maker's trade hung haphazardly from a variety of wooden pegs and nails set along the length of the building's back most red brick wall. Three work tables, set lengthwise against the wall, were littered with cut material, and patterns. There were also three free standing forms which bore new garments in various stages of construction. At the far end of the room was another, separately enclosed room. Light shown through the doorway, which was at a right angle to their line of vision, and spilled into the half darkness of the larger room.
After they had entered, the woman turned to them, and instructed with what seemed like unusual sternness, "Please wait here." She then went ahead a few paces and, as she came to a stop, called out to the far end of the room, "Mr. Raskin!"
There was a long pause as the woman looked in the direction of the smaller room in the distance. After awhile, she turned to the couple, and smiled nervously before returning her attention to the far end of the main room again. After a few moments a figure emerged from the smaller room, and slowly turned in their direction. He was a smallish, older man of pale complexion, and a medium build. His well groomed, closely barbered hair was full, and thick, and almost completely white. He appeared, and moved as though he were much heavier than he actually was. His deeply furrowed visage bore the scars of experience far beyond his years. The light played off the lenses of his wire-rimmed spectacles so that his eyes looked like two glowing circles.
"Mr. Raskin," the woman reiterated, then she said with a peculiar emphasis, "she is here."
Ray leaned close to Jasmin, and whispered to her, "I think you've just been formally announced."
Jasmin looked at him frowning slightly.
"Shh, be quiet," she admonished him softly, "I need cloths, and this may be our last hope before Monday."
The old man continued looking at them from where he was. He gave no indication of having heard the woman speak to him.
"Mr. Raskin," the woman called again.
The old man raised a hand, and briefly waved it in a shallow vertical pattern in a gesture to subdue the woman.
"Yes, I see, Mrs. Hazelton," he said in an age cracked, baritone voice that seemed overburdened with care, and fatigue. "I see."
"She's here for a fitting," Mrs. Hazelton informed him.
"Yes, I know," he said as he began moving toward them in a labored, shuffling gait. "I know."
Mrs. Hazelton returned to the front of the shop as Mr. Raskin came to stand directly in front of Jasmin. He leisurely looked her over up and down, then to and fro. Even though she knew his purpose, the old man's eyes upon her made Jasmin feel self conscious. She sensed an unnerving familiarity in the old man's fitful, almost clinical glances. But then, unlike everyone else they'd encountered that afternoon, the old man seemed strangely unaffected by her singular appearance. He stepped away from her, and indicated a spot in the center of the room.
"Please stand over here, Miss," he quietly directed her.
Without a word, Jasmin did as was requested of her. She glanced back to Ray, who gave her the reassuring look she sought, then smiled her appreciation.
"Alright," said the tailor as he took up a measuring tape from a nearby table, then returned his attention to his extraordinary client, "let's begin."
The tailor acquired all the information he would need of her. There was a minor awkwardness when he attempted to gather measurements requiring him to maneuver around the extreme projectiles of her chest. They agreed upon a conservative ensemble comprised of a plain, white blouse and dark, below the knee skirt. When all was said, and done, they bid each other goodbye with the old man expecting to see Jasmin at the back door of the shop early Monday morning.
Thinking their shopping ordeal to be finally behind them as they emerged from the dress shop, Ray was very much looking forward to going home when it occurred to Jasmin that, "I need shoes." Feeling drained herself from their excursion, she understood the whining groan with which he greeted this statement of fact, but she explained, "This shouldn't be so bad. My feet are bigger, but at least they don't look a Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon like the rest of me does."
"Couldn't it wait 'til tomorrow?" Ray pleaded.
"No, because I need them for tonight," she stated.
"Wul, what's tonight?" he asked innocently.
"Don't you remember?" she asked suspiciously.
"Remember what?"
"We're going to the concert tonight," she announced firmly.
"Oohhh maaann," he whined again -
"Don't you 'Oh man' me, mister," Jasmin declared. "You've known about this. We got those tickets months ago."
"But - ," as he tried -
"We're going," she stated. "And we're going to dinner on the way," she added in the manner of savoring a victory. "I made those reservations."
"The dinner I can handle - ," to think -
"Great," she chirped. "You're buyin'."
"But - ," of -
"We're going."
"Okay, but what about - ," a way -
"We're going, Ray."
"But - ," out.
She stopped, and faced him with her fists firmly planted on her hips.
"Raymond Patterson, we are going to that concert, even if I have to carry you," she declared before she paused a moment to cool down. But then a wicked smile crept onto her beautiful Asian features, heralding the advent of a wicked idea as she added, "And I could carry you."
They found a suitable shoe store on their first try, which did much to restore Jasmin's faith in shopping, and nothing to restore Ray's preferred weekend spot on their couch at home. Though flattered by Ray's suggestion that she sport a pair of five inch black stilettos, Jasmin had to defer to her nearly three hundred pound weight. She wanted to get something that could serve for work as well as evening wear, but, when Ray pointed out that neither of them knew what tomorrow, let alone Monday, might bring, she decided to be more feminine.
As they looked over the many pairs on display, it struck Jasmin that Ray seemed to be unusually concerned with what her final selection would be. She made no mention of it, because it was kind of nice having him involved with something that was important to her. They settled on a pair with a moderate, sturdy heel, the tops being made of tiny, black, patent leather straps. They not only felt good on her, but complimented her beautifully formed, strong looking feet as well. What seemed to matter most of all, however, was that Ray approved of them.
He lounged in the chair beside her as she removed the chosen shoes. While manipulating the small buckle of one, she got to wondering about his sudden fascination with her footwear.
"Since when did you acquire such an interest in women's shoes?" she asked with an slight edge of suspicion to her tone.
"I want you to look good when you're carrying me," he answered.
A threat so soon come back to haunt her, she thought. 'twas hardly fair. Indeed, this was a slight indeed which could hardly go unpunished. She paused from the shoe she was unbuckling, and peered around at him over her broad, muscular shoulder.
"Just when - would you care to pay for that remark?" she asked him with calculated solicitude.
He noted the look of dark foreboding on her face, then casually looked away and replied with an air of unflappable aplomb, "Aaaanytime you feel up to it, Wimpy."
Jasmin managed to emit a significantly less than enthusiastic laugh as she continued regarding her man. She then turned to the bewildered looking clerk who'd been assisting them. In a voice laced with evil, she asked with slow deliberation, "Could I see those black stilettos we were looking at earlier?"
Ray successfully avoided acquiring the ability to be mounted in a loose leaf binder in any position by insisting that he pay for the shoes himself.
"It is your birthday, after all," he noted, but Jasmin could tell by the way he sounded that he was thinking of how his original birthday offering to her hadn't gone so well.
She decided that it was time to tell him of the wonderful inner transformation she was experiencing, and so enjoying, but no sooner had they gotten out of the shoe store then they heard a commotion in the distance. It caught the attention of them both, but seemed to especially captivate Jasmin. She stood silent for a few moments, looking as if she were sensing something in the air, then, without a word, she started running in the direction that the noise had come from. Ray followed after her, wondering what had come over her, but she ran so fast that he could nether catch up to, or even keep pace with her.
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