Reluctant Diva 26
Inspired by Lipstick Discipline
Chapter 26 – Working girl
It was with deep misgivings that I ran after the other girls and caught up with Paula as she hobbled after the rest. It didn’t do anything for my confidence when she didn’t return my smile either. Instead she left me abruptly to sit over on the bleachers and join Kyle and Peter and a little knot of supporters from our home room. Coach began by taking the squad through the various routines. Under Mom’s guidance I’d practiced some of the basic moves the previous evening and to my relief I was easily able to keep up with the others. In fact I was pleased to see I wasn’t the least proficient by any means.

Although I was oblivious at first, Paula’s sulky looks soon made it plain that she wasn’t happy to be left out, even temporarily. Perhaps she was harbouring fears that, despite the repeated assurances of her best friend, she wouldn’t get back in the squad once her ankle was recovered. I was lost in the moment, however. It was so liberating to be enjoying some kind of physical activity after all this time. It was only late in the session when we were getting individual coaching that I finally saw that something was upsetting her. Before that I had been too absorbed following coach’s instructions.

Eventually I noticed how anxiously the injured girl was watching me. What was worse her dismay was being fuelled by the enthusiasm of the two boys who were sitting close by her. As I threw myself into each of the moves, and jumped or spun around, I realised that my skirt flipped up as high as my waist. I must be treating my audience to a free show of my exotic nether garment. After each move an exclamation of approval escaped my self-appointed “fan club”.

I didn’t try to gain their approval of course. Well, perhaps just a little. At first. Until I became aware of Paula’s reaction, that is. Shirley had gone over to sit with her and was once more encouraging her discontented friend. I caught the gist of a few complaints which set my alarm bells ringing. “Showing off and prancing about… That butt… What’s with those panties?”

My first concern had to be to preserve my popularity with my classmates, if possible. While it had been thrilling just to be included in their group, I would have to find some way of avoiding alienating any of them. During the time-out for drinks which followed the practice, my fears returned. Aspiring to be a cheerleader was putting myself too much in the public eye but I didn’t see how I could avoid that now. It was Mom’s enthusiasm that had carried me along this far. Now, I started to wonder, could I trust her motives? Was this simply a chance to relive her happier years though me, or another golden opportunity to let me court disaster?

I knew from experience that there was no way she would hear of me backing out in either case. She didn’t seem to understand, or was it care, that though I might be tolerated in my class, seeking the limelight like this was expecting too much. How could I avoid putting myself on show before the whole school? I cudgelled my brains frantically and was congratulating myself that at least my parent wasn’t there to complicate matters… when I saw someone who had been watching from a distance now making her way towards us. It couldn’t be! I recognised the familiar figure as that of Mom herself! She was still in her work uniform and had clearly stopped by on her way home. Oh no!!

I panicked. It seemed to my fevered imagination that I had only seconds if I was to escape total notoriety and probably the derision of the entire school. In an instinct of self-preservation, I ran across to where Paula and Shirley were sitting and threw myself down in front of them.

“Listen you two!” I hissed, so that only they might hear. “I can’t do this. I don’t mean the practicing; that’s all right. But, to be in the squad for real. I just can’t! Okay!”

The eyes of both my hearers were round as saucers.

“My mom will be here in a minute. You’ve got to tell her I’m just not good enough. Please! She’ll want me to be some kind of star otherwise.”

They still looked bemused.

I turned to Paula desperately, “If you want to be certain of your place in the team, then help me! You don’t know her. She doesn’t take prisoners!”
When Mom was within earshot, I straightened up and put on what I hoped looked like a brave smile. “So thanks for letting me try, Shirley” I said aloud. “Sorry I wasn’t up to it. I’ll keep filling in until Paula here is fully fit. If you want me, that is” I finished breathlessly, then turning, “Hi Mom! Thanks for coming to support me. That’s so nice!”

To my momentary relief Shirley caught on quicker than her friend and pretended to reassure me, “That’s okay, Jennifer. Don’t fret. It good that you’re able to help at all.”

“What’s this?” Mom’s smile had frozen and the warning furrows were showing between her eyes. “Is something wrong? You looked okay to me.” I saw that my guess about her opposition to my backing out had been correct.

Before either of my friends could speak again, however, another voice intervened. Coach had decided to take the situation out of our hands. “Your, er… daughter is suffering a few nerves, Mrs Cartwright!”
She continued “I can assure you that she is a natural for the squad. I think she’s just worried that her friend Paula here might be missing out. But there’s no need at all. There’s room for both of them in the team. Five are just as good as four; better perhaps! The only problem is… she does need a uniform more her size.”

The two women were soon deep in conversation while we three ‘girls’ made our way toward the locker room. Shirley looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. It seemed there was to be no escape and I would have to bow to the inevitable. I went and sat beside Paula.

“Sorry!” the latter murmured.

I put my arm around her waist and squeezed. “That’s okay. It wouldn’t have made any difference anyway. I guess you’re stuck with me.”

“Well I have to admit, I’m glad” said our captain.

“Me too!” said Paula, squeezing me in return. “Sisters, right?”

Shirley came over and pulled us to our feet for another group hug. We were friends again, so at least my appeal to them had allayed one set of my anxieties. That was reassuring.

When the summer term finally came to a close I was firmly established in Shirley’s cheer-leading squad, though we had yet to support an actual game. That ordeal could be left until after the long vacation. How my mother managed to afford it I don’t know, but she somehow kitted me out with a complete new uniform that actually fitted me, right down to the saddle shoes.

Even with school finally out for summer, I had little free time at my disposal. The other staff at the library were taking their annual breaks and I was often asked to cover for them so I found myself working there several days a week. There was enough to do to keep me occupied, and it pleased me that I was able to help Mom with the weekly budget and give her further reason to be happy with me. As things panned out my job there didn’t last very long. While my constant hope was that nothing untoward would arise, sadly that was too much to expect, and my decision to move on was hastened by events. What actually happened took place a couple of weeks into the vacation and owed nothing my mother’s schemes. To my shame, it was almost entirely my own fault, I have to admit.

My past admirer, Mr McShane, or Adrian as he’d told me to call him, had behaved very properly since I started there. He never laid a hand on me, though he certainly might have watched me a lot. It amused me to see him avert his eyes hurriedly when I caught him staring. As time went by, it became a sort of game for me to twist his tail a little. To flirt with him would be just a bit of harmless fun, or so I thought. This came to a head towards the end of one hot day when he and I had been virtually alone all afternoon. The last customer had left and I was occupied in putting the returned books back on the shelves as usual. There were several volumes for the higher shelves so feeling mischievous – yes, you’re right, it was during that ‘unpredictable’ week which followed my ‘time’ that month – an idea occurred to me. Having tried, and failed, to resist the temptation, I placed a pile of books on the top of a step-ladder in full view of the librarian’s desk and climbed up.

Slipping the edge of my skirt under the pile, “Oh!” I exclaimed in pretended chagrin. “Wrong section!” I turned to smile disarmingly at my colleague before slowly descending the steps.

As I had contrived, the hem of my skirt remained caught under the books on top of the ladder and when I stepped down, it was gradually lifted to reveal my thighs, the top of my hose and garters and then my pantie-clad butt. I was aware that I was wearing an ornate lacy pair of briefs that day. Well, I often chose some of my fancy underwear when employed at the library. It wasn’t unusual for me to be looked at there, and a ‘girl’ always needs to be prepared; to put her best butt forward, so to speak! Sorry. Couldn’t resist!

“Oh!” I cried again in feigned surprise, and hastily attempted to free my skirt. Amazingly it took more than one attempt. Just imagine! A covert glance at my colleague revealed him to be gaping open mouthed. Doing my best to hide my smiles I hastily trotted around to the correct section for my books, not daring to meet Adrian’s eyes. I knew he’d had more than a glimpse of what I’d intended him to see, but fortunately it was closing time and I could quickly grab my purse, take leave and be out the door before he had time to do anything about it. I giggled to myself all the way home. There had to be a fun side to my feminised lifestyle and to my way of thinking the over-sexed librarian deserved everything he got.

The following day the library was closed for the afternoon. Mrs Harris and I were scheduled to be reorganising some of the bookshelves so I felt safe from any repercussions from my teasing behaviour of the day before. When I arrived at work however, I was a discomfited to learn that somehow she and Adrian had swapped shifts and I had the unwelcome prospect of his sole company for the duration. It occurred to me that I might now have to deal with the consequences of having led him on yesterday, but there was nothing I could do. At midday the doors of the library closed and hearing the door-bolts being shot home gave rise to a whole series of emotions. I felt vulnerable, trapped even, but also fluttered; both nervous and, unaccountably, excited. How was that? Surely if nothing were to happen I would just be thankful, right? Right. But why did that hope make me feel let down also?

Fortunately in anticipation that the afternoon would be spent shifting books around I had brought a change of clothes. In the powder room I hastily slipped out of my dress, panties, hose and garters and put on a panty-girdle, tank top and crop pants. True the pants were tight over my butt and the strappy top, which was one Mom had passed on to me, was skimpier than ideally I would have chosen but in my reckoning, the ensemble offered an improvement in coverage over my dress. I was now ready to do any amount of climbing and to retrieve books from the highest shelves if required.

I found out that Adrian had other ideas however. His face might have betrayed some disappointment over my change of attire but in the event he was ahead of me. He told me that I should sit and write up the catalogue of books while he handed the volumes down to me. Situated thus I was soon aware that he had given himself the best possible view of my endowments, especially as I found that I had to reach forward to take the books from him. I silently cursed the revealing nature of my little top.

He too had brought a change of clothing and was now wearing just a t-shirt and shorts. Covered in dark hair his muscular arms and legs were like a magnet for my eyes as was the bulge in the front of his lower garment. This was frequently at the exact level of my face and I was aware that I was caught staring at it more than once. I had to struggle to keep myself from wondering how his hairy body would feel pressed against the smooth skin of my legs, and even…!
Ewkk!

I sensed that we were both fully aware of the flirtatious game we had engaged in but neither wanted to admit to. Provided that it stayed on a visual rather than tactile level, however, that was okay by me. My confidence returning, I could even enjoy myself a little. This was fun! On a mad impulse and with the pretext of needing the powder room I slipped away to return minutes later with a small amendment to my attire. While in there I had removed my bra! The stretchy tank top just about contained my swollen breasts. Only just! If I was wondering how long it would be before Adrian would notice, I might have saved myself the trouble. The effect on him was instantaneous!

As he looked down at me it was as if his whole body had received an electric shock. I could hear him breathing heavily while from his vantage point he gazed at my overexposed chest without disguise. Inches from my face the outline of his arousal was clearly discernible and the awareness of this heightened my own excitement. That was something I hadn’t bargained for and in consternation I averted my eyes with the realisation I might have pushed things too far.

My breasts rose and fell with every breath and I was conscious of them pressing hard against the thin material of my top. After a full minute of this Adrian hesitantly descended the ladder. Seemingly without volition I couldn’t help myself rising to face him. We stood for a pregnant moment face to face and only inches apart. My heaving bosom brushed against his chest and I didn’t even want this to stop though I knew by now that things had gotten way out of control. What might happen next would be anyone’s guess. Given my hidden ‘secret’ there was no saying what the outcome would be.

Mercifully, I was never to know. At that moment, a key was pushed into the lock of the building’s side door and the sound of it turning broke the tension between us. We had just seconds to adopt a less compromising stance before the door opened and Mrs Harris walked in.

“I was just passing and thought I’d look in and see what progress you were making.” She looked at each of us curiously. “It doesn’t seem that you have got very far.”

I was unable to look at my colleague to see how he appeared but I could feel myself blushing to the roots of my hair.

Tactfully appearing not to notice anything she continued. “Well, this sort of reorganisation always takes longer than you imagine. Fortunately I’m at a loose end. I’ll stay and help.”

“Oh… Er… Thanks. If you can. That would be so much appreciated,” Adrian replied heartily; much too heartily! It seemed to my fevered mind that his awkward manner spoke volumes.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly and without further incident. By my other employer’s fortunate intervention I had escaped the consequences of my own thoughtless frivolity, for the present. The escape might only be temporary but it was welcome nevertheless. What the future of my time at the library would have held was to remain a mystery as it happened. How things might have developed further is hard to say because there was another surprise in store for me on my return home.

“Lucky girl!” Mom greeted me. “Madeleine phoned today. She has offered you a part-time job at her salon. Won’t that be wonderful?”

I gazed at her, dumbly. I was thankful she couldn’t read my mind.

“You can start straight away. It will pay much better than the library and be so much more varied and interesting too. With your experience of make-up, you will have no trouble learning the job and just think how your skills will improve. It will save you a fortune in cosmetics. Who knows, it might even lead to a career. Think of that!”

What I welcomed most about my mother’s suggestion was that here was a ready-made solution to the librarian problem I’d just created for myself. A wave of relief swept through me, although I was ashamed to notice it was tinged with disappointment. I would never know…

Mom phoned Mrs Harris to tell her that I would be leaving. She apologised for the lack of notice and between them they agreed that I needn’t go in again. I started the job at the salon next day and over the summer vacation I was kept busy there. Actually I did call at the library in my lunch break to thank my former employers for their kindnesses. I told myself it didn’t seem right just to disappear without a word. Mrs Harris was very gracious though there might have been a knowing look in her eyes. I was both relieved and disappointed to find Adrian wasn’t there. I couldn’t decide how much of each emotion prevailed. However as I walked away I knew I wouldn’t be going there again.

My narrow escape ought to have provided a salutary lesson for me. Well I guess it did, though not one altogether to my benefit. Something that I now knew about myself didn’t augur too well for my ongoing safety or future peace of mind. I had to admit there would be times when I was given to uncontrollable impulses. No other explanation could account for my shameless behaviour. This was not a comfortable thought, but to some extent another discovery provided compensation.
Flirting could be so much fun!