From the frequency with which Mei-Lien brought it up during our telephone conversations the next week, it was clear that the shopping trip which I had proposed was very much on her mind. After she had completed the more physically demanding portion of her exercises and had assumed the pose which I specified she adopt on her dildo, she would ask for more details about what she should expect if she were to agree to join me on such an excursion. Admitting that I was not entirely sure myself what to expect, I hedged my responses by telling her what I hoped would happen. For the most part, I emphasized the psychological aspects of the experience which I wanted her to have. Specifically, I talked about her accepting the role of an inanimate object which is being appraised and molded by strangers who would have little or no interest in her as a person and whose only goal would be to enhance the aesthetic and sexual appeal of the object on which they were working.
I knew that my answers would make Mei-Lien grapple with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, the idea of having her body the focus of attention appealed to her narcissism. On the other hand, the idea of so thoroughly abrogating control over what was done to her body gave her pause. Having not been indoctrinated by western feminist propaganda, she was not adverse to allowing her body to be a source of sexual and aesthetic pleasure for others, but she was reluctant to expose herself to humiliation and wanted assurance that, should she feel the need, she would be able to protect herself from having her dignity comprised. I tried to allay her fears by explaining that I would never purposefully put her in the hands of anyone who would not respect her sense of propriety and that I would not hesitate to intervene in the event that she was being subjected to inappropriate behavior. At the same time, I pointed out that some humiliation was an integral part of the experience which I intended for her to have and that it would be an essential ingredient in the excitement which I hoped she would derive from that experience. Knowing Mei-Lien as well as I did, I knew that this warning would both pique her interest and increase her reluctance, and I savored the picture I imagined of her mobile features reflecting the mixed emotions she would have as she sat on her dildo while she considered my words.
In spite her growing fascination with the idea, Mei-Lien postponed her decision until the last moment. Then, as our conversation on Friday evening was about to end, she agreed to my proposition and told me that she would go shopping for lingerie with me the following afternoon and that I should spend the morning locating the sort of store which we had been discussing. Fortunately, I had already done some preliminary research and had found the addresses of several potentially suitable establishments. Thus, I spent a rather embarrassing Saturday morning going from one lingerie store to another. At each I had to explain my mission, an explanation which was usually greeted with skepticism combined with the suspicion that I was simply trying to sneak a peak at their sometimes less than fully clad clientele. Finally I found what I was looking for. Its windows tastefully displayed a variety of female undergarments and negligees, and on the door there was a sign advertising that custom made items could be ordered. When I entered, I was greeted by an elegantly dressed woman who, after hearing what I was seeking, told me that I had arrived at my destination. Ushering me to the back of the store, she opened the door to a large dressing room which was fully carpeted and sumptuously furnished. Its walls were covered by full length mirrors, and at its center there was a square dais situated under an array of spotlights. Facing the dais was a comfortable looking armchair in which she invited me to sit while she explained to me the services which would be available. By the time that she was finished, I was convinced that she and her establishment were devoted to the appreciation of the female anatomy and well acquainted with techniques that can be employed to enhance its natural beauty. More than satisfied, I told her that I would return at 2PM, accompanied by someone whose body I hoped she and her staff would find worthy of their attention.
I called Mei-Lien to tell her to get to my apartment by 1:30 so that we would not be late for our appointment. Punctual as always, she arrived in time to show me, before we left, how she had groomed and dressed herself for the occasion. Under her coat she wore a traditional Chinese gown, the kind which wraps around and enfolds its occupant from head to toe in silk. The material had an attractive, slightly off white color which complemented the tawny color of Mei-Lien complexion. A cloth hairband of the same color was positioned at the back of her head so that her thick, straight hair would flow over her right shoulder and cascade down her front in an alluring swath of black which was in dramatic contrast to the color of material on which it rested. Looking at her, I began to doubt whether such perfection could be improved upon, but I knew that, having made up her mind, Mei-Lien was not to be dissuaded from seeing our plan through to the end. Thus, after expressing my admiration for her choice of decor and planting a warm kiss on her beaming face, I bundled her back into her coat, took her by the hand, and headed out the door with my exquisitely attired, exotic companion in tow.
As soon as we entered the store I had chosen, the proprietress greeted me and asked our names while ushering us into the dressing room which she had shown me earlier. With a natural authority which was not offensive but brooked no opposition, she took command. After taking our coats and indicating that I was to sit in the armchair, she led Mei-Lien to the dais and had her stand at its center. She then stepped back to survey her subject with a well trained, critical eye. Mei-Lien was understandably nervous, but her anxiety was somewhat alleviated by the smile of approval on the countenance of the elegant woman who was appraising her. Once she had completed her initial inspection, she introduced herself and gave her opinion.
''My name is Madame Deville, but you can call me Camille. As you can tell from my accent, I was raised in France, where I received my education and was trained as a corsetiere. I have practiced the art of corsetry for many years, but it is rare for me to have the opportunity to practice it on a customer whose body has the range of possibilities that Mei-Lien's has. I would like to begin by concentrating on the appearance of Mei-Lien's bust. In order to conform with traditional Chinese ideas about a woman's breasts, Mei-Lien's breasts should be bound so that they lie flat against her chest and do not interrupt the smooth line of her clothes. Even though I do not entirely agree with this aesthetic principle, I would like to experiment with Mei-Lien's breasts by binding them and seeing how she looks when they are less prominent.''
Although Mei-Lien was standing directly in front of Mei-Lien, Camille addressed these remarks to me, as if Mei-Lien's opinions were irrelevant. Proceeding on the assumption I concurred with, or at least did not object to, her plan, Camille joined Mei-Lien on the dais and began by loosening the folds of material around Mei-Lien's neck and shoulders so that she could lower them. Because of her years of experience with various forms of female garb, Camille had no difficulty first unwrapping Mei-Lien's upper torso and then removing her bra, leaving Mei-Lien naked from the waist up. Throughout, the expression on Mei-Lien's face remained passive and gave no hint of her emotions, but her bared nipples gave irrefutable evidence of her growing excitement. The training which they had been receiving for the past few weeks had turned Mei-Lien's nipples into highly accurate indicators of her sexual arousal, and the signal which they were broadcasting was unambiguous. Standing only inches from these little beacons, Camille watched as they blossomed into solid pegs of, considering the modest size of the breasts from which they sprung, surprising length and bulk. Enchanted, Camille first gently captured the turgid stems of Mei-Lien's nipples between her thumbs and forefingers and then leaned forward to take a closer look at both them and the puckered disks of reddish flesh at their bases.
