It was a long black dress, clinging and slinky. Backless, with a choker neck and a slash right in the front all the way up to her thighs, stopping just below the crucial spot -- when it would have been inappropriate and indecent. The split was necessary; without it she would have been unable to walk, never mind dance. But as she moved around there were glimpses that caught everyone's attention. When she sat, she was careful to avoid showing her panties but she had a feeling that people could see more than she had intended.
She wasn't wrong.
The lights were low but the party guests were in high spirits. The music was in the lounge, but the action was in the kitchen as the hostess attended to nibbles and bottles of wine. The male guests seemed fascinated with her, blonde hair piled high and tied severely back from her long neck with a clip. A long thin gold chain dangled from a piercing in the top of her left ear, to brush the skin of her shoulder before rising again to a stud in her lobe. A little bit fetish, hinting at chains and bondage.
In her youth she had been regarded as cute, in college she had never been short of admirers. Now she was approaching what she would have regarded as middle age as a kid and she had developed a mature beauty.
Her husband knew why she was the centre of attention of course, but she was blissfully unaware -- others at the gathering were wearing glamorous outfits after all. If she had been told, she would have been embarrassed and would have changed -- which would have been obvious and altered the ambience of the party. It wasn't that the split was too high -- although it certainly was. The dress was of thin material and was tight across her chest. Under the low lights her body was clearly visible, generous unfettered breasts contrasted with an almost flat stomach, dark areolae with flat nipples pressing against the translucent fabric.
Julie wasn't a teenager any longer but her stomach was almost as taut as it used to be, due to regular gym and pool sessions, and her boobs were almost as high. She could still turn heads; no plastic implants or paralysing injections were involved, this was all woman.
Under the dress she wore a high-waisted pair of black thong panties and even these could be clearly distinguished as she walked, the dimple of her jewelled navel sucked in the fine silky weave. Her strong buttocks muscled against the dress, keeping furtive male -- and several female - glances constant through the evening.
Julie had consumed a whole bottle of wine and was now feeling unsteady on her high stiletto heels, which had sparkling buckles around slender ankles as she continued sipping from her glass. Another bottle was disappearing fast.
Someone suggested a drinking game and shots were lined up; a selection of whiskies, brandies, rums. Everyone was merry and joined in enthusiastically. Another guest was experimenting with a recipe book of cocktails and kept passing heady concoctions around the room to be judged.
Eventually the critical time approached and they all left the house to the garden. The night was crisp with stars bright and the moon haloed in the frosty air. With a chanted count-down, those present clinked glasses with toasts and joined crossed hands to sing 'Auld Lang Syne.'
Soon Julie led her guests back to the house. The night air was freezing and she was wearing very little. The chill had affected her sobriety; she felt suddenly dizzy and had to steady herself against a piece of furniture.
Her husband Nick gave her a celebratory kiss and wished her and everyone else a prosperous new year, then she kissed everyone else in turn with a polite hug and a peck on each cheek.
She did not realise but her nipples were now fully erect from the cold night air and protruding against the flimsy cloth. The men seemed to press closer in the embraces, warm against her as they clasped her bare shoulders.
After several more drinks, someone posed what seemed an intelligent question. Could anyone really distinguish between different brands of vodka? There was only one way to find out and several bottles were brought out for a taste test. Then they did a similar test with vermouths. Julie was now struggling with her focus and pronouncing her words.
A couple of hours passed and the merry throng began to take their leave. More hugs, kisses and best wishes for the coming year followed and eventually Julie and Nick were left with just their best friends Deborah and Oliver.
Oliver was a builder by profession and had a physique developed by years of his trade although this was disguised by an urbane presence. At first glance you might think that he was a bank manager until you noticed the breadth of his chest and the size of his biceps. Deborah was slim and pretty; dark curls swept her shoulders and firm petite breasts supported a white strapless cocktail gown.
"We had better go home now as well, let you go to bed." Oliver stood, placing his glass on a coaster.
Julie stood and suddenly felt even giddier from the alcohol - she had to catch hold of the fireplace to avoid falling to the floor. She carefully stood with her feet and thighs braced well apart, concentrating on keeping the room from spinning around. "I'll walk you to the end of the street, it's a fine night. I fancy some fresh air." The split in her dress opened fully and Oliver had to force his eyes to stay on her face. The glimpse of her camel-toed panties was very distracting.
She opened the front door and stepped outside. "Are you coming?" She turned to her husband.
"No, I'll stay here." Nick was a dentist and saw little point in being outside on a cold night without good reason.
"Okay, see you soon, Happy New Year" they chorused and Oliver, Deborah and Julie stepped outside, along the path and through the garden gate to the footpath. There was good street lighting and the area was quiet except for another couple walking home some distance away.
The three strolled in the moonlight along the flag-stoned path at the side of the road. All were inebriated to a degree, Julie more than the others. She breathed the icy air deeply, exhaling pure fumes and feeling goose-flesh on her uncovered shoulders.
The booze kept them all in a warm glow and they admired the bright moon as they walked. Frost was now forming on the parked cars and gave them something else to study and scratch with a fingernail as they passed, which was the reason why none of them noticed the cracked and sunken paving stone at the corner.
Julie stepped into it and fell sideways, twisting her ankle as she tumbled into a hedge.
As she fell, she squealed in fright and Oliver reached out with a strong arm to save her, but he only succeeded in slowing her progress. A bush broke her fall and prevented injury, but as she climbed out of the foliage she felt rather insecure.
Oliver and Deborah stared in drunken bemusement. The neck fastening of her black, clinging, thin dress had ripped clean from the rest of the garment, leaving what appeared to be a dog collar around her neck. Otherwise she was naked from the waist upwards, white breasts with brown nipples swinging free in the moonlight.
Julie felt the night suddenly get even colder, causing her nipples to become erect almost to bursting point. She looked down, to see what was the cause of the draught. The front of the garment was hanging down to the floor ruined, and her breasts had red scratches from the twiggy bush.
