Liberty Summer Ch. 08

I parked in front of the Thrift shop. We hit it like ninja bargain hunters. I had a hard time finding anything in my size that I liked. Chloe was more successful. We met up at the changing rooms and picked up our conversation.

"Not sure I want to watch my naked mother get tied up."

"It's an art, it's beautiful." I had done some internet surfing this week and spent maybe half an hour looking at shibari pics. I mean I probably did a whole lot of things I hadn't mentioned until reminded. Sue me.

"I'll bet."

"And you can tease her about it." I dropped a white with black polka dots dress over my head and looked at myself in the mirror. "Or say nice things, if you want to bond or just butter her up some time."

We tried on a whole bunch of stuff. Finally I settled on a couple of dresses with a cut that resembled LYD—Little Yellow Dress—Mom had given me. One green, the other the white with black polka dots. Chloe bought half a dozen things.

We went around to the back of the shopping center, near the loading docks and I changed into the white polka dots while Chloe did lookout. It took like ten seconds. I pulled off my top and shorts in the car, stepped out for a second and dropped the dress over my head. I gave it a tug here and there to make sure it settled and I was done. I didn't get caught. I had a whole script prepared in response. Oh well, maybe someday. Chloe declined my offer to watch out while she changed. That wasn't like her.

Then we went looking for shoes—at an actual shoe store. I have never bought shoes on my own at a shoe store. When I was a kid I went with Mom, usually at a big box store. I was disappointed that the attendants at shoe stores don't actually fit shoes, they just run and fetch for you. So I didn't get to do the classic upskirt flash thing.

I picked out some strappy white sandals and some basic black pumps. Either would go with Polka Dots. For the green dress I had my eye on the pumps Moms had worn last night. Maybe the sandals would work too. Certainly the black would. What did I know, I'm a tomboy, remember.

We drove around looking for an adult book store.

"Is that what we're doing today?" Chloe asked. "Looking for opportunities to show our naked pussies?"

"And you're not onboard with that?"

"I feel like I'm being baby-sat."

"How so?" I felt like I was on a tightrope.

"That wasn't a denial." And I was being poked at with long pointy sticks.

"It's not." Fuck metaphor.

"Mom was awful eager for me to go out this afternoon." Chloe was looking at me with eyes that were just shy of welling with tears. "Is she going to fuck your Dad again? Is my best friend—and HIS daughter—helping to make that happen?"

"I can honestly say no to that."

"Then WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"

"Chloe, do you trust me to keep your confidences, even from your mom?"

"ESPECIALLY from Mom."

"Well your mom can trust me to keep her confidences even from you."

"SHIT, you're doing it again." She huffed out and crossed her arms.

"What?"

"Being fucking right!" she said. "Sucks."

Chloe flounced. How do you flounce strapped into the front passenger seat of an '04 Jeep Liberty? I don't know but Chloe managed. Girlfriend has flouncing skills.

I pulled to the curb. "I can't drag you over the center console like my brother can but I want you in my lap." I unbuckled my seat belt.

She looked at me and unbuckled. Over she came. We cuddled and kissed.

And then the blue and red lights and a police siren chirped.

I really should pay more attention to my rear view mirror.

A lady cop tapped on my window. She looked kinda heavy but that might have just been her protective vest. I hit the window button. "Something wrong officer?"

"What do you think?" Grandpa Clarke told me once they do that—get you to admit to whatever upfront.

"I think my best friend is upset over a private family matter."

"You pulled to the curb suddenly across two lanes without signaling," She said. She looked down at where my hand was on Chloe's knee. "And it looks like you two are about to engage in public indecency."

"Are public displays of affection illegal officer?" Chloe asked.

"Not per se, but groping each other on a busy public street is." She tapped the windshield right above where Chloe's panties lay.

"But we haven't actually done that yet, have we, officer...Kawalski?" Chloe cooed.

That cracked the cop's professional demeanor. "Why does everyone think female cops are all lesbians? I'm married to a big bellied construction worker. I have two kids. We're working on a third. Shit."

I said, "I'm guessing this isn't the first time someone tried using their feminine wiles on you today?"

Officer Kawalski straightened. "License, proof of insurance and registration please."

Chloe crawled back to her seat. I fished my documents out and handed them over. Kawalski went back to her car and did mysterious cop like things. She came back in a couple of minutes. "I'm going to issue a warning, in future please be mindful of traffic while discussing family issues. Distracted driving is very unsafe."

"Thank you officer." I put away my documents.

"I apologize for my loss of professional demeanor," Kawalski said formally. Was this all on bodycam? Was Kawalski going to catch grief from a supervisor?

"We're all human," I said. I did NOT add "Except for Chloe here, she's a tentacled space alien with the morals to match in disguise."

But I wanted to.

"Thank you for your understanding," officer Kawalski said. "Remember to buckle up before you pull out."

I buckled my seat belt and looked at Chloe. She buckled hers and looked at me. We broke out laughing. I pounded the steering wheel and she doubled over.

We eventually wiped our eyes and got on with the day's agenda.

"There, 'Station News,'" Chloe said.

Station News looked like a former Pizza Hut occupying it's own lot with a short but tall chain link fence with louvers intertwined in its links near the rear of the building. The front lot was empty. When I pulled Libby around the rear I saw several cars parked there, including one I recognized.

It was an older model Rav 4 from back when they were compact SUVs and not crossovers. I remember I had grudgingly admitted I liked the looks of it along with the bumper sticker quoting the First Amendment plastered on the spare tire cover. "That's our neighbor."

"You wanna..."

"Fuck no," I said. "Now we gotta."

I hopped out and headed in. I heard Chloe's door slam behind me. I hit the lock button on Libby's fob.

The interior of the Station News held several surprises. The first was that it was actually very neat and tidy with a strong smell of pine scented cleaner. The second was that my neighbor sat behind an elevated glass counter right at the front of the store. The third was that the other patrons of the store looked entirely... ordinary. Not a loser among the lot, except maybe that one scruffy guy near the back.

When you enter a room with an eight hundred pound gorilla, the best thing to do is say hi. I walked up to the counter and stuck out my hand.

"Hello neighbor," I said. "I'm Casey Clarke from up the street from you."

"Bill Wegner." He said.

Bill Wegner had that fading hippy look with long frizzy hair with streaks of gray pulled back into a pony tail, muttonchop mustache and tiny rimless glasses. He even wore a plaid lumberjack shirt rolled up at the sleeves revealing thin hairy arms.

"Nice to finally meet you," I said. "I recognized your car out back by the bumper sticker, which is really cool by the way."

"Thanks, bit of a fanatic." He waved his hand about. "For obvious reasons."

The door behind me beeped. Chloe was now standing behind me looking nervous.

"Chloe, this is Bill Wegner," I said. "May I call you Bill?"

Bill nodded. I continued my formal introduction. "Bill, this is my BFF Chloe."

"Hello Chloe." He held out his hand. After a moment Chloe took it, gave it a perfunctory single shake and let go.

"Don't be nervous," Bill said. "My business relies on maintaining my customers' trust. I'm not going to call your parents or anything."

He sighed. "My business also relies on not getting busted for allowing minors in. I will need to see ID."

I fished out my license for the second time. Chloe produced hers as well.

"You must walk a razor's edge on things like that."

"Tell me about it." A customer came up and made a purchase. Bill processed this as he talked. "A little less now that we took out the video booths. They were too much trouble and the money wasn't great."

He pointed to the back of the store where a plastic chain with a CLOSED sign extended across an open doorway.

"People having assignations?" Chloe asked. "Or wanking off?"

"Yes, that... Both," he said. "Besides being the target of increasingly oppressive local ordinances, it made the place smell really sleazy. I'm trying to upgrade from 'sleazy' to 'risqué.'"

I smiled at that. "I imagine all those men splooging over the years must have built up quite an aroma. I'm curious: What did it actually smell like?"

"To me it smelled like rotting cherry blossoms, hated it." He looked at me. "It's great that we can talk but I know you ladies came in with a purpose."

"Our original purpose had been just curiosity," I admitted. "But I recently decided I want a set of kegel balls."

"And I could use a nice purse sized vibe," Chloe said. "Something cute."

Bill smiled. "Let me help this customer and then I'll show you two a few things."

Bill processed the sale and then pulled out several small packages from inside the front counter where they had resided among many other small packages with significant price tags. Bill went over the various kits, and I do mean kits, all really well designed and aesthetically pleasing.

"It's amazing how high quality, even the lower cost items, are," I said.

"I've watched over the years as they got better and better," Bill said.

"Yea capitalism," Chloe said.

Thinking of Conrad, I selected a medium priced kit with five progressive weights. I blushed a little as I said, "One of my boyfriends is really big and I think I'm going to have to be very diligent so I don't disappoint the others."

I watched to see how he processed 'one of" and 'the others." His face lit up with the possibilities for a second then clamped back down into professionalism.

"Case!" Chloe said. "You're such a slut!"

She had said it loud enough to attract the attention of the other patrons. What else could I do but turn to face them, smile and do a little curtsy in my polka dotted dress and cute strappy white sandals?

Bill put the other selections away and locked the display case. "Let me show you the vibes."

He led us down towards the back of the store to show us a huge assortment of dildos and vibrators.

"I think what you're looking for is a nice bullet vibe." He took a bubble pack off the the rack. "I've read good reviews on this one and it's a good price."

That was a metallic gold lengthened teardrop shape with an attached USB charger. Chloe read the back of the package starting with a skeptical look the started nodding. She smiled and said, "Ten functions! I'll take it."

On a nearby rack I noticed the exact same anal plug kit Chloe had bought for Greg. The price was slightly higher than advertised online but cheaper when you considered delivery. I grabbed two.

"Look Chloe!," I said. "You said you wanted one of these for yourself and now I won't have to rely on my brother's hand me downs."

I checked out Bill's face to see how he processed that.

"Plus we'll be supporting local small business."

"That's music to my ears," Bill said. "It's hard to compete with online these days. People think it's more discrete despite a multi billion dollar corporation knowing your business."

"Plus porch pirates," Chloe chimed in.

"And your browser history," I said. Giving Chloe a look.

"I'm feeling inspired to get some signage done," Bill said. "Let me show you something."

Bill led us to the very back of the store. He unclipped the plastic chain. He showed us a room that had once been a kitchen and then an array of video booths. Now it was just a bare room stripped to the studs. "We've been thinking of installing a kinda theater slash classroom and having educational events."

"That's super!" I said. "I know a shibari rigger who could teach rope classes."

"You do?"

"It's her—"

"Chloe!"

"You just outed your own brother as having butt plugs!"

"Shit! You're right!"

"You two young ladies are..." Bill began.

"Outrageous sluts?" I offered.

"Impressive," Bill said. "That you are cognizant of the issues puts you a giant leap ahead of your peers."

My cheeks warmed at the compliment. "Thank you!"

On our way back to checkout Bill stopped at another display. "Now you should both get some water based lube and also toy cleaner."

We grabbed three of each. I wanted Greg to not have to borrow from others.

When we had divided up our purchases and paid I asked "Bill, what would you do if I lifted my skirt revealing I wasn't wearing panties and then inserted the first of my kegel balls?"

"Sadly I would have to evict you from the premises and say you can't come back." He leaned forward and murmured "because other customers are present to see."

"She's been wanting to show her pussy to someone all afternoon," Chloe said. "So have I."

"Umm... if you're looking for volunteers," a voice said behind me.

I turned to see the scruffy guy standing behind me with a value pack of old fashioned skin magazines. He had unkempt hair, a T-shirt with a twenty sided die, and jeans that were being pushed down by his belly so the fabric at the bottom of his legs in the back was ragged from being stepped on. I stuck out my hand. "Hi, I'm Casey."

Scruffy fumbled with his purchase and took my hand. It was sweaty. "Uh... Jake."

Chloe frowned at me from over his shoulder. She made like she was sniffing it. Jake did indeed smell a little.

"I'm guessing you just got off work Jake."

"Uh... yeah," he said. "How can you tell?"

"A girl can tell Jake. Listen..."

His face fell, obviously expecting a harsh put-down.

"Kudos for having the balls to ask," I said. "I bet you're really shy normally."

"Well you are... the two of you I mean... are really hot," he said. "If I didn't I'd kick myself for the rest of my life."

"Exactly!" I gave him a broad smile.

"But now you're going to turn me down."

"Only for now Jake," I said. "Up your game and you have a chance, I really am a slut."

"But how?" He started to reach for his phone.

"Plenty of videos online," Chloe said. "Watch the ones made by women, not guys trying to teach you tricks. There are no tricks Jake. A good looking guy can say anything and get laid. No matter what a loser says, it won't work."

"And even half or what the female content creators put up online is bullshit too Jake," Bill added. "You're gonna have to sort it out like a crazy side quest."

"Um thanks but I uh... meant how would we..."

"We'll probably run into each other here if you're a regular customer," I said. "And no I can't give you my digits. Sorry."

"I uh... understand."

Bill gave a gimme motion and Jake handed him the skin mags.

"Gotta love the classics," Bill said. He ran the sale, collected the cash and made change.

"Yeah," Jake agreed.

"You'll have to excuse us now, Jake," Bill said. "We're discussing business."

"Yeah, sure..." Jake trundled out.

Bill said, "Regular. Good guy. Not a single social clue."

"I can't believe you did that!" Chloe said. "Letting him think he has a chance like that."

"But he does Chloe," I said. "I am what is says right on the package."

"Are you two going to turn pro?" Bill asked. "Not judging..."

"As in prostitution? No. But I do have an audition tomorrow as an exotic dancer."

"In that case can I give you a bit of advice?"

Shit. Radical honesty incoming. "Of course."

Bill leaned over the counter and pointedly looked down at my feet. "Your toenails look like shit, get a pedicure."

I was mortified. I stood there with my mouth open staring down at my own feet.

Chloe was doubled over with laughter again as was her way.

Bill took a business card from a small holder on the counter. "Give this to your rope Top friend. Tell him—or her—or them to call me."

"I certainly will do that Bill." I rubbed Chloe's back. "Come on girlfriend. Our mission here is done. Our carriage awaits."

Outside Chloe, still with tears in her eye, said, "He's right you know, just saying."

"So how come you didn't?" I asked. "I rely on you for shit like that."

"In the middle of all the other drama, it would sound like I was scoring petty points on you."

"There you go doing some of that nasty 'being right' crap your own self." I gave her a hug.

"What time is it?" my BFF asked.

I looked at my phone. "Just after two."

Chloe stood up straight and clapped her hands. "Great! Pedicures! On me!"

We ended up in chairs side by side taking advantage of a special on mani-pedi. The lady who was attending to my toes looked over to her coworker and said something in Vietnamese. The coworker glances up Chloe's skirt and replied something noncommittal. My attendant said, "We also have an introductory special on bikini waxing."

I looked at Chloe. She said, "Go for it! Daddy's paying for everything, not me."

"What about you?"

"We Asian girls have the advantage, our wispy cunt cover drives men wild."

"Yes," her attendant said. "But that doesn't mean we can ignore the ugly hairs around the edges."

"Nice up-sell," I said.

"Chloe," I said while we were waiting for wax to cool. "When are you going to pop Greg's cherry? He's really hurting."

"Me too. I'm thinking at my party."

"The thing is everyone around him is getting laid left and right, present company included, and he's feeling like he's on the sidelines of life. Y'know."

"Again, me too."

"So what's the problem?"

"Well he's going far far away to school and I'm stuck having to go through another year of high school hell." Her voice had a quaver in it. "He's probably gonna meet some hot kinky chick like his sister and his mother and..."

Holy shit, I thought. She loves him. As in 'until death do us part.' Holy fucking plot twist Batman.

"But he's already met a hot kinky chick who has the added advantage of being so much cuter." I reached out and took her hand. "We'll figure something out Chloe, you and me together. The poor sucker doesn't stand a chance."

"You're the best Case."

"So are you."

"You girls ready?" the wax lady asked.

All I can say about what ensued is "OWWW!"

We were actually early getting back to Greg's job. I decided we should hang around at the fence line showing the pre-legals what they were competing against. We got some ferocious looks. We gave them back ferocious smiles.

"Nice dress Sis," Greg said when he finally got off.

"What about me?" Chloe asked.

Greg grabbed her and pulled her close. "I do not have the words to describe how good you look."

Nice save Bro.

We piled into Libby. I handed the lube and toy cleaner over his shoulder. "This is for you."

"Uh... thanks?"

"We don't want you to have to ask to borrow ours." Chloe said.

"That's... really very thoughtful." His eyes widened. "'Ours?'"

"Of course silly," I said.

And we were home. It's a very short drive, remember?

In the back yard we found Mom, Dad, Conrad and Seoyun laying out. Mom was rocking tiny sunglasses, collar and her anal beads. Dad had Raybans and his Timex. Seoyun had ditched all the rope and had on big catseye sunglasses plus mom-suit tan lines. Conrad had nothing but his beautiful cock. Everyone was sporting a sheen of sunscreen, even Conrad, who surprisingly had very faint tanlines of his own.