Training Tom Ch. 02: Humility Pt. 01

Her ragged breaths inhaled Sophie's sublime scent. Her arms grasped onto the girl just a little tighter. She could feel her vulva throb with each heartbeat.

Sophie was the first person in seemingly forever who went out of her way to notice her. Her compliments and gratitude were so affirming. Her confidence and strength made her feel safe. Lisa felt like she might cry.

Sophie's grip began to loosen.

Like a flick of a switch, the high wore off, and alarm bells began ringing in Lisa's brain. What the hell just happened? Her mind streamed a mile a minute: I've never thought about a woman like this before! I'm not a lesbian! Why the hell am I so excited? Am I this lonely and vulnerable? God, I hope she didn't notice. This is so humiliating!

Sophie released the hug, then stepped around Lisa and spoke giddily:

"I have an idea. Stay here, I'll be right back."

She opened the door and darted from the room in her socks, running on her toes with soft, airy steps. Like a ballerina.

Lisa suddenly felt light-headed and leaned forward into the mirror, propping herself on her raised forearm. She took deep breaths and looked at her reflection. Her cheeks were flushed, and her heart beat a mile a minute. She was ashamed. But she felt alive. It had truly been a long time.

Just as she managed to stand back up, Sophie came racing back in and shut the door, holding an arm behind her back.

"Close your eyes," she said with a grin.

"What...?" Lisa said uncertainly.

"It's okay! Trust me!" Sophie smiled broadly, showing her full mouth of perfect teeth.

Lisa felt her emotions rise. Sophie's enthusiasm was contagious. And she didn't seem to have noticed -- or at least hadn't reacted to -- Lisa's unseemly climax in her embrace. Momentarily forgetting her inhibitions, Lisa closed her eyes.

"Now turn around to face the mirror and put your arms straight up in the air," Sophie instructed.

Lisa complied. Just as her hands reached their apex, she felt tugs at her sides and her turtleneck was suddenly whisked off over her head. A chill immediately hit her skin and goosebumps raised all over.

"Ooh!" Lisa exclaimed.

Before she had time to react further, a cloth with a different texture slipped over her arms and partway down her body. Something tugged at the back of her skirt, then it abruptly slipped down her legs and crumpled at her feet. For a moment she thought of her unflattering underwear -- borderline granny panties -- that she never expected anyone to see. She felt violated and embarrassed. This was so inappropriate, she had to tell the teen to stop...

"It's okay, this is going to be so cool, just wait, you'll see," Sophie said gleefully, stopping Lisa's objection before she could make it.

Her anxiety partly subsided as the new smooth fabric slid past her hips and to her thighs. There was a light tug down on her shoulders, then the sound of a zipper and the garment tightened around her ribcage.

"Red really is a good color on you," Sophie said with a giggle, then added with sweet sincerity, "You really are so pretty, Mrs. D."

Lisa opened her eyes and was astonished by the woman she saw. Remarkably, the dress highlighted her good curves and obscured the not-so-good. She really did look pretty, better than she had in years.

"If God were looking down right now, I think She'd say you fill that dress pretty well," Sophie said with an enchanting smile.

"I guess I would wear this in a heartbeat," Lisa laughed, pleased to have matched Sophie's clever twist on her earlier comment.

"Ha! But it seems to be missing a little something," Sophie said slyly.

The pearls suddenly reappeared around Lisa's neck. They complemented the dress perfectly.

"Well, a little something else," Lisa grinned mischievously, getting caught up in the moment.

She placed her hands beside her boobs and squeezed in. The puffy tops of her soft breasts appeared above the neckline of the dress, forming alluring cleavage.

"I don't think God would object to a push-up bra," Sophie joked. "She's supportive like that."

The two women doubled over with laughter at Sophie's double entendre, each holding onto the other's shoulder with a hand. In that moment, Lisa sensed she had made a special friend, someone who enjoyed the same things, who she could share her thoughts with, who wouldn't judge her. A best friend.

As they calmed down, Sophie turned toward the mirror and guided Lisa to stand beside her. Lisa observed that her dress was a bit redder and more traditionally cut than Sophie's, but their overall look was similar.

"We're sooo hot!" Sophie said with a dip of her hip and a kiss at the mirror. "Imagine us hitting the club together, we'd totally slay!"

They both laughed again. But Lisa could tell she was only half-joking. Despite their height and age difference, they did look hot together.

"Hmm, this could work well for the PTA dinner in a couple weeks," Lisa contemplated. "I've been fretting about what to wear."

"You'd be the belle of the ball, Mrs. D," Sophie urged. "Those country club shrews on the executive committee will be cursing you under their breath, afraid you're after their boring husbands. By all means, go for it!"

They laughed again.

"I haven't felt so young and vibrant in years," Lisa admitted. "Thank you, Sophie."

"Hey, all I did was trick you into trying on a dress," Sophie said, smiling impishly. Then she continued with a bat of her eyelashes, "You're responsible for the rest. I really meant it when I said you're pretty."

Lisa blushed and was about to return the compliment when Sophie spoke again.

"Hey, let's catch up with the girls in the shoe department. I can't wait to show that old witch how my dress fits. And maybe you can get some new heels to match."

The two ladies grabbed their purses and stepped out of the dressing area. As they reached the main aisle, Lisa reflected briefly on the encounter:

She really did feel like something had reawakened in her, brought out by Sophie's amazing charisma. And she still couldn't believe she had orgasmed in front of the girl. It was so inappropriate and out of character. Yet, despite being small and brief, it was like a needle piercing a balloon of pent-up despair. It truly had been so long. And was she really attracted to a woman, or had she simply been caught up in the moment? It was all so confusing. In any case, she hoped Sophie didn't notice when it happened. Oddly, it seemed like the teen would have taken it in stride. But nevertheless, it was entirely scandalous.

"Can I ask you something?" Sophie said as they walked, disrupting Lisa's train of thought.

"Of course, dear," Lisa responded with hesitation, worried the girl would ask about the indecent act.

"How does it feel to be so in love with someone?" Sophie queried.

"Excuse me?" Lisa exclaimed, visibly surprised.

Her head whirred, concerned that Sophie sensed the strange feelings she was having and was somehow misinterpreting them.

"You and Mr. Douglas," Sophie clarified, speaking as if it were obvious. "Lauren says you guys are, like, the perfect couple, totally in love and all. I have a boyfriend, but it's not like that, more just a convenient high school thing."

"Well yes, of course," Lisa answered quickly, embarrassed to have misunderstood the question, and by the subject itself. She continued, wistfully, "We were college sweethearts, it was all so romantic. He was a grad student, the star of the Chicago economics program. He really swept me off my feet."

"That does sound romantic," Sophie said with puppy dog eyes. "What were you studying?"

"Oh, me?" Lisa asked, surprised and flattered by Sophie's interest. She rarely had reason to talk about her education. "Well, I was an honors undergrad in biological sciences with a specialization in cell and molecular biology."

"Wow, really? That's so cool," Sophie said with genuine admiration.

"Yes. I planned to go to medical school, but one thing led to another with Tom, I had Lauren and well, you know..." Lisa's voice trailed off uncomfortably. Remembering Sophie's original question, she took the opportunity to shift off the topic. "We're still in love, you know, perhaps not the same as before. That said, I'm not sure it's the same for any middle-aged couple. But we're happy."

"That's a little different than Lauren made it sound," Sophie said with a hint of disappointment.

"Lauren hasn't slept in our bedroom for quite a few years, so I'm not sure she's much of an authority," Lisa snarked. Then her cheeks flushed, and she put a hand to her mouth, adding, "Sorry I didn't mean to overshare."

"It's okay, Mrs. D, you have nothing to apologize for," Sophie consoled. "I'm really big on open communication. I'm kind of the friend who all the other friends come to with their problems. If you ever need to talk, I'm a really good listener."

"That's very kind of you, Sophie," Lisa answered more sweetly than she intended, sounding a bit disingenuous. In truth, she was skeptical of the offer to share her intimacy issues with the teen. "There's really no problem --,"

"Ooh, stand behind me!" Sophie suddenly urged, interrupting her.

They were approaching Gina and Lauren who were both sitting down. A man knelt before Lauren, helping her try on a shoe.

Realizing Sophie intended to make the red dress a surprise, Lisa slid behind her for the last few steps toward the girls, relieved to bypass the awkward conversation.

"Holy shit, Sophie! You look absolutely amazing in that dress!" Lauren exclaimed, then she covered her mouth and her eyes widened, looking around. "Um, where's my mom?"

Sophie grinned then stepped aside, revealing the smaller woman behind her. Lisa did her best sashay in front of the girls.

"And you look amazing in that dress, Mrs. Douglas!" Gina gushed. "Wow!"

"Um, you do look pretty good, Mom," Lauren added, seeming reluctant to compliment her mother.

"Pretty good?" Sophie said, with a look askance at Lauren. "More like: Holy shit, Mom! You look absolutely amazing in that dress!"

Lisa noticed Lauren blush, either from being called out by Sophie or from the foul language in her mother's presence, perhaps both.

Just then, the shoe clerk looked up at the arriving women. Carelessly dropping Lauren's foot, he scrambled to his feet and took a step toward Sophie, nearly tripping over a shoe box. He was of average height and had to crane his neck to look up at Sophie's face.

"May I help you, Miss?" he asked with undisguised eagerness.

Sophie looked down her nose at him, forcing an awkward silence. Finally, she spoke.

"Not unless you started carrying size 13."

"Um, no ma'am," the man said with genuine disappointment.

Lisa noticed that he unconsciously shifted to address Sophie as a woman, rather than as a girl.

"Then the best way you can help is by providing excellent service to my friends here," she continued with the haughtiness of an aristocrat. Then she glanced toward Lauren and added scornfully, "Why does she only have one shoe on?"

The clerk was clearly caught off guard and looked down at his feet, guilty of abandoning Lauren in favor of Sophie. If he were a dog, his tail would have been between his legs.

"Of course, you're right, ma'am," he spoke submissively, then returned to Lauren and took a knee. "Very sorry, Miss."

Lauren giggled nervously, taken aback by the exchange.

"Um, it's fine," she said, daintily holding out her foot for the second shoe.

"Let's take a look around, shall we?" Sophie said to Lisa.

She placed a hand on Lisa's shoulder and guided her past the man, making a point to step directly over him. Then she muttered with a dismissive roll of her eyes:

"Smaller men are always trying to fawn over me."

"Honey, most men are smaller than you," Lisa pointed out.

Sophie turned her head and smirked.

"Precisely."

Lisa snorted with amusement as Sophie's subtle joke registered. Just then, a familiar voice chortled:

"I think I have just the pair to --"

Flo immediately stopped short when she saw Sophie.

The teen turned and smiled at her. Then with dramatic flair and practiced precision, she slowly raised her hands above her head, formed a circle with her arms, and bent her knees into a graceful plié. After a second, she stood straight and raised one leg, bending it into a perfect triangle while simultaneously launching into a pirouette. Despite her size, her spin was lithe and nimble. Lisa was rapt. Sophie's body was truly a wonderful machine, she thought.

After three swift revolutions, the girl came to rest, once again facing the stylist.

"So...what was that about half-off?" Sophie asked expectantly while running the backs of her hands down the improbably well-fitting dress.

Flo's face screwed up, her demeanor becoming increasingly flustered.

"Well, I'll be..." she said with disbelief.

"Hm," Sophie issued a satisfied grunt, curtly tossing her long hair over a shoulder.

Regathering herself, Flo spoke again:

"You must have misheard me."

"Your offer was crystal clear," Sophie snapped back, her words like sharp icicles.

"Ahh...I'll see what I can do," said Flo, visibly backing away.

"Of course you will," said Sophie with derision, then she turned her back on the woman dismissively.

Lisa was immediately struck by how the staff responded to Sophie's commanding personality, practically cowering before her. While her height and physique certainly contributed to her presence, her words and body language were equally as formidable. Lisa couldn't ever remember meeting someone so dominant. And Sophie made it appear effortless.

Yet she seemed to apply her power with finesse and measured restraint. The staff had indeed been rude, and Sophie had responded in kind, objectively getting what she wanted from each interaction. She was sassy and confident in ways that Lisa could never have been. Yet she was only eighteen. Her regard for Sophie was growing from admiration to awe.

"You're a size six and a half, right?" Sophie asked, jarring Lisa from her thoughts.

Lisa suddenly felt tiny again, as she recalled Sophie mentioning her size 13 feet.

"Um, yes, how did you know?" Lisa responded with surprise.

"I can just tell," Sophie said casually, then held up a pair of platform heels. "These would look so cute on you, and the display model happens to be your size. Have a seat!"

Sophie gestured to an open chair. They had wandered across the shoe section from the girls and the chair faced the other direction.

"Ok, sure," Lisa said quietly.

She felt a measure of trepidation that she was bowing to Sophie's control the same way the clerks had, although it presented as something kinder and gentler, more of a subtle influence.

As Lisa sat down, Sophie crouched in front of her. She softly grasped her right calf with one hand and lifted her leg. Lisa felt a tingle run up her spine at Sophie's touch. The room suddenly felt hot.

Sophie paused and looked up, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hello, my name is Sophie, but you can call me Soph," she said, skillfully mimicking Flo's nasal voice and mannerisms. She added a wink, then continued verbatim, "I'm a complimentary personal stylist for the store and I would be happy to help you find what you're looking for."

"Really?" Lisa exclaimed as sarcastically as she could, again gratified to follow in step with Sophie's witty antics.

Both women broke out laughing at the shared joke. Gosh, she's so funny and charming, Lisa thought to herself. It seemed like Sophie could sense her bouts of anxiety and know exactly what to say or do to ease the tension. It all came so naturally to her. The sense of awe returned. Lisa could feel herself yielding to Sophie's direction -- willingly -- eager to see what would happen next.

Sophie put a hand under Lisa's raised foot and slid off her flat. Lisa's face suddenly flushed as she saw her unpainted nails, one of which looked cracked and unkempt.

"Ugh, I guess I didn't expect to take my shoes off today," Lisa said meekly.

"You think I can keep my nails always looking perfect with all the sports I play?" Sophie commiserated. She grabbed one of the platform heels and slid it onto the older woman's foot, then added, "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Your feet are super cute. Although if the shoes work out, you'll definitely need a pedi with theses open toes. I know a great day spa that's a bit off the radar -- maybe you, Lauren and I can go one of these days?"

Sophie lifted Lisa's other leg to remove her shoe.

"That would be lovely, dear," Lisa beamed, again appreciative of how easily Sophie put her at ease, deflecting and defusing her embarrassment.

"There, let's give that a try," Sophie said, standing up and gesturing Lisa to follow.

Lisa suddenly realized it had been ages since she had donned high heels, and that she had never actually worn platforms. She placed her hands on the armrests and pushed herself up, then took a step. Her left ankle immediately rolled to the side, and she would have gone down but for Sophie's quick reflexes.

"Ooh, are you okay?" Sophie intoned sympathetically as she caught Lisa under her arms.

"Ugh, my ankle," Lisa grunted.

But another part of her felt a wave of excitement as Sophie's strong arms held her weight, like she had done with Flo. She seemed light as a feather to the athletic giantess.

Sophie helped her back into the seat, then took the ailing leg in her hand and removed the shoe. Lisa expected her to remove the other shoe and end the misadventure. But instead, Sophie began skillfully massaging the strained tendon on the outside of her foot.

Her hands were firm yet controlled as they squeezed and kneaded at Lisa's injury. The pain subsided almost immediately, replaced by fascination at the girl's adept maneuvers. One hand slipped up and massaged her calf and Lisa couldn't help but sigh. The pain had not seemed to reach that high, but Lisa immediately noticed the tension that Sophie had known would be there.

After a few seconds, Sophie's hands shifted to the sole of Lisa's foot, her thumbs digging in to wondrous effect. Lisa's head tipped back reflexively. She could feel the same fire as earlier smoldering in her lap. Her breathing grew uneven. She couldn't believe what was happening, how easily she was becoming aroused. She couldn't give in this time; it was just so inappropriate...

To her relief -- and disappointment -- Sophie slipped the shoe back on her foot.

"I've rolled a lot of ankles in my day and have helped a lot of people who've done the same," Sophie explained, as if needing to justify her uncanny skill. With a firm grip and gentle compassion, she took one of Lisa's hands and pulled her to stand. "Let's try that again."

Lisa had no time to resist and found herself taking small steps alongside Sophie, supported by her sturdy arm. She gripped on tightly, recalling her near-fall.

"You can do it, it's just like riding a bike after a long hiatus," Sophie encouraged.

She was clearly aware that Lisa was out of practice in heels, but conscious to assure her there was no shame in it. Rather Lisa felt like she had a dedicated coach on her side, helping her regain her confidence.

She took two more steps then loosened her grip and began walking on her own. After a few more strides, she balanced more naturally.

"Okay, it's coming back to me. It's just been a while," Lisa said demurely.

"Ooh, check yourself out in the mirror as you walk by," Sophie said suggestively.

Lisa turned and saw herself. She was obviously taller. But her back was also straighter and her legs looked more defined. She seemed to have an air about her, a certain confidence. Almost like Sophie.

"I do look...even better," Lisa admitted with evident satisfaction.