The Bra Fitting

 

I had walked past the store many times before, the shops location on the route I walked between my office and the railway station meant that I had a reason to be passing if anyone noticed me. I could, and often did, casually pause to check my iPhone without arousing suspicion. The shop was from a time long past — an old fashioned shop selling old fashioned underwear. Located right on a street corner the entrance door was on one street and the display window on another. 

It’s layout was as familiar as my own apartment even though I had never plucked up the courage to go in, over a period I had taken in the smallest of details through the glass door — how the long thin shop had a display window to one side and opposite a long glass topped counter that ran the full length of the shop, at the far end were two changing cubicles with mirrors and curtains that, for privacy, could be pulled across. 

At various locations along the counter stood perspex busts where bras were displayed. Behind the counter were banks of drawers that I was occasionally lucky enough to see the assistant selecting items of lingerie for a customers approval. On the shelf above the drawers were perspex torsos each wearing a matching bra, panties and suspender belt set.

The sales assistant glanced up as I passed by on my way home while she was rearranging the window display. My favourite time to observe the store window was as fresh items were being carefully arranged in the display. Crossing the street I stood on the pavement opposite as if I were waiting for someone, but out of the corner of my eye I watched intently as the young woman in the window methodically worked on setting out the new display just so. 

She stepped out of the window and without the chance of her seeing me looking I turned my head to get a better view. The shop lights went off and the shop was in darkness, the sales assistant who had been in the window locked the door behind her. I checked my watch, she had closed early for the night. The street was quiet, I could take a closer look at the new window display and take a later train home.

Crossing the street and starting at one side of the window I began to take in every detail of the display. I had seen a bra just like it before and imagined how it would be to walk in and actually buy one. In my mind the cotton long line bra would be so much more controlling than those insubstantial modern lace and elastic bras that filled my wife’s lingerie drawer. I imagined feeling it’s tightening embrace from neck down to waist as I fastened the long row of hooks and eyes, imagined how I would tighten the rigid cotton shoulder straps. 

A few seconds or many minutes may have passed while I examined every item in the window lost in my thoughts. As the shop was empty I moved around the corner to the door and cupped my hands around my eyes to see inside better. The voice right next to me snapped me out of my daydreams.

‘I just popped out to get a coffee…I’m alone in the shop today’ the young woman from the window said, giggled then added ‘don’t tell my boss…come on in…’ as she unlocked the door and held it open for me.

As the door swung shut behind me, the sales assistant flicked lights on and stepped behind the counter ‘have a good browse now you’ve finally come in…my name is Edith’ she said with a smile. 

Edith had seen him often enough watching her as she worked, felt his eyes on her back as she arranged the window display. In her head she began to question her decision to draw him into the shop while she was there alone, even while she spoke to him he was unashamedly staring at her breasts as if she were one of the mannequins.

My throat felt tight, I wanted to speak but it was as if my voice was still outside in the street. 

‘With valentines day so close I changed the window display to mostly that sort of lingerie’ Edith smiled 

My confidence began to return as I thought — this is a shop, I am a customer, I said ’I was interested in a cotton long line bra Edith, like the one in the window’ I tried to get my suddenly quivering voice under control. There was no question that I was a customer as Edith  placed two bras on the counter, one identical to the one in the window, the second with lace panels. 

‘The lace top of the cups of this one are pretty don’t you think?’ She opened a drawer in the cabinet and took a third bra out ‘but this is the most firm control of all of our long line bras, a real traditional style from times past’

My eyes scanned the bra, as if on autopilot my hand moved slightly towards it before I got my hand back under control.

‘Made to a quality that modern bras don’t even come close to…go ahead…have a good look’ Edith said as she held it out for me to take.

The cups had circle stitching like of which I had only seen online in vintage advertisements, the back had eight shiny metal hooks that fastened into one of three rows of matching metal eyes, the two inch wide shoulder straps were made from the same rigid cotton that looped into metal adjusters at the back. I began to imagine how it would feel…

‘What size does she wear?’ Edith said. 

I looked vacantly, I had not intended coming into the shop let alone having this conversation ‘about….’ I said as I tried to imagine what size I could say, I could feel my ears burning. Her face changed as I stood there holding the bra.

Edith’s voice had an angry undertone that matched her expression ‘let me guess…she is about the same size as me…would I try it on…is that what you want to ask?’

‘Oh no, no…I’m not thinking that’ what did she think I was I wondered as I swallowed and managed to say ‘about the same size as me would be fine’

The angry look slipped away from her face to be replaced with a broad smile that spread to her eyes ‘step in here’ she said as she swept back the curtain to the changing cubical ‘men come in here trying to trick me into modelling lingerie for…well I’m sure you know what I mean’

‘I can find out her size and come back’ I said as I stayed in place at the counter.

‘It’s OK…honestly…why not pop in and slip your jacket and shirt off, it will only take a second to check the size’ That smile again ‘I have the bra you’re holding in plenty of sizes, is it that one you want?’

I put the bra down on the counter, the time for pretending was over ‘are you sure that is all right?’

‘Everyone deserves a properly fitted bra’ Edith said with a nod towards the cubicle and smile

I took the bra that she held out to me around the edge of the curtain, a short pause then she asked how the fit was ‘I’m having difficulty with the hooks’ I said

‘May I come in…’ 

I stood there as she hooked the back for me, the tight feeling a thousand times better than I could ever have imagined. In my head I counted the clicks as, behind my back, hooks found eyes six…seven…eight. She asked if my bra was too tight. Even though I thought the bra probably was too tight I said ‘no’ adding that this was my first bra. I would worry about bing able to hook or unhook the back alone later, next time my chance to wear it occurred. I had already decided that the bra I was just trying on had become my bra.

Edith smirked as she adjusted the shoulder straps nice and tightly before double threading the ends through the metal adjusters and back on themselves. Edith imagined her customer with shoulders so constrained struggling with increasing desperation as he struggled to reach the long too-tight row of hooks.

‘Perfect’ Edith declared ‘why don’t you slip your shirt and jacket back on, it is important to see how your bra looks and feels underneath clothes’

The suggestion sounded a good reason to wear my new bra a little longer. Edith went back to the counter. I checked out my reflection in the mirror and said ‘it feels fine under my clothes, does not  notice that I am wearing a bra’ 

‘Let me see’ Edith said

I walked out into the brightly lit shop, she nodded.

‘Card or cash?’ Edith said then pulled a lopsided smirk as I tapped my card on the terminal. Before I had a chance to speak she added ’and you’ll wear your new bra home…well of course you will…’

I decided that Edith was right. I would enjoy the feeling of wearing my new bra home and under my clothes now I was confident my wife would not be able to notice I was wearing a bra. Tonight I would change after dinner.

For a brief moment Edith felt a little guilty for being so wicked as he walked out of the door, outside the dimly lit changing cubicle the outline of the thick cotton bra was clearly visible through his shirt, outlines of shoulder straps and adjusters so clearly visible beneath his jacket. 

Customers had often mentioned the creepy man watching and how they avoided the shop when he was there. 

Edith hoped that owning the bra of his dreams he would stop lurking around outside the shop every day. On the other hand she thought with a wicked giggle that he might become a regular customer.