EXTRACT FOR
RED/s: The Harness
(Terri Pray)

"What do you think of this?" Alice turned and held up a bright red bra and panties set against her body, a wicked grin claiming her lips.

Lizzie paused long enough to check out the set, comparing the color to her friend before shaking her head. "No, it's not your color love. Try this one." She reached up and tugged down a peekaboo bra, and G-string set off the rack before walking it over to the other woman. The black with pale pink trim, full cups with small cutouts for the nipples was enough to get any man up and ready. At least, any straight man.

"What do you... oh, I couldn't. He'd be able to see my -- them

-- right through my top." Alice blanched and took a step back. "Lizzie, I'm not like that."

Lizzie frowned and glanced down at the set she held. What was wrong with Alice? She was a grown woman, and all women had nipples. "That's the point, you'll have him on the edge of his seat all the way through dinner." She sighed, held up the set again but returned it to the hook. "Alice, I don't know what your

problem is; you're going on with him on what? Your seventh date with the man?"

"This will be the eighth." Alice turned away, heat touching her cheeks.

"And you still haven't taken it--"

"God no, we haven't." Alice cut in, her gaze pointedly moving to the counter and back to Lizzie. "Do we have to talk about my sex life in here? What if someone hears us?"

"So what if they do?" Lizzie gestured around the store. "This is an adult store, Alice. What do you think people talk about in here? Grocery lists? Pet problems? PTA events?" The fact was she'd listened to all of those conversations in here, but she wasn't about

 

to tell Alice.

The other woman swallowed hard, her voice dropping into a whisper. "It's different. It's not like I'm a spring chicken."

Lizzie snorted and snatched a shiny black one piece with a G-string bottom and mesh inserts over the breasts, from a rack and marched it over to the trembling Alice. "We have a flash of silver up top, who cares? It doesn't mean the fires have burned

down or gone out. I don't know about you, girl, but I'm ready to rock and roll tonight." She forced the outfit into Alice's hands. "Here. Try it on, try at least one piece on, please. Live a bit. Shit, live a lot."

"Lizzie, you don't understand. I'm fifty-one and--"

"And I'm sixty-three, what does it matter?" She held up a hand to stop Alice from protesting. "Maybe I need a touch more care, a hot bath after we've finished instead of round three, or four, but it doesn't mean I can't enjoy the ride."

"Three? Four?"

She took hold of Alice's shoulders, turned her friend around and gave the woman a sharp push toward the changing rooms. "Go. Try it on and see for yourself. Go on, before I strip you out of those damned granny pants myself." Not as if her friend was anything other than vanilla and straight, but the threat had the desired effect. Alice hurried away toward the changing rooms.

"Your friend's nervous, isn't she?" A middle-aged woman with a warm smile made her way over to Lizzie once Alice had vanished into the changing room.

"A little, but I'll do my best to shake her up a bit. It will do her good. She's been on her own far too long."

The woman nodded, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Your order came in. I meant to tell you earlier but I wasn't sure

if your friend knew about your interests..." she let the words drift off.

"No, she doesn't know, Mary." Lizzie flashed a grin. "Not that I'd have cared either way, but it might have sent her into a faint

 

if you'd brought it out where Alice could see." She looked back at the changing room before following Mary back to the neatly laid out counter. "It arrived today?"

"No, it came in yesterday, but the new hire couldn't find your number. Damn thing is on file, but whatever, you're here now." Mary pulled a white box out from beneath the counter, followed by a smaller red and black box. "I double checked the measurements, and they matched what you ordered, but I'd prefer it if you made certain it's right. Easier to sort out any problems if they're spotted before the items make their way home."

"No arguments from me," Lizzie opened the first box and ran her fingers over the beautiful black and white outfit. Exactly what she'd ordered. "He's going to love this. I already have the boots at home. I'll have him drooling within seconds."

"Fantastic," Mary helped Lizzie close the first box and marked it with a sold tape.

Lizzie closed her eyes for a moment, savoring it before she opened the second box. A smile tugged at her lips. Red leather, small metal studs, adjustable buckle fastenings. She smoothed her fingers over the leather. Soft and pliable. Everything she'd asked for. "He does damned fine work."

"Yes, he does, he's one of the best in the business, and the only one I trust with this type of custom work," Mary admitted. "I have a tape measure here." The woman placed the coiled tape on the counter. "Please, measure and check the item, then we can sign off on this."

Lizzie didn't argue. Custom pieces could be hit and miss, she'd experienced those problems first hand, but the man who'd made this one knew what he was doing. Still, it didn't cost her anything to check the measurements and confirm all was well. Once it was done, she signed off on the two boxes and turned as Alice called out from the dressing room.

"God, what the hell have you done to me?"

 

"Does it fit?" Lizzie winked at Mary, flashed a grin, and walked over to the changing rooms. "Come on, let me see."

"No. Not happening. No one's going to see me in this. I'm dressed like a -- like a hooker." The protest stammered past the closed curtains.

"So what if you do?" Lizzie leaned against the door. "We all need to explore our inner slut from time to time. Nothing wrong with it."

Alice's gasp filtered past the thin walls of the changing area. "You're outrageous."

"Yes, I am, your point is?" Lizzie grinned back over her shoulder at Mary, who gave a thumbs up. "Come on, we're both women, you don't have anything I haven't seen before, and you need an honest opinion." Would her friend have the courage to follow through? God alone knew Alice needed to loosen up a bit. How long had it taken Lizzie to get Alice back out into the dating scene after the mess with her ex?

"I can't, I just can't. Maybe I should go with something simple.

Nice white lace?"

Enough was enough. "Over my dead body. Now open this damned door and let me see." She hardened her voice, adding in the tone she knew produced results.

The door unlocked a moment later. "Fine, but if you laugh, I'm going straight home and pulling on my oldest set of flannels."

Lizzie slipped into the small room and pulled the door closed behind her before she turned to take in Alice and the clothing she was trying on. Like all of the panties they could try, these ones had the protective liner in them, but it didn't spoil the line of the underwear. She took a good long look, assessing the woman who stood in front of her.

"No, don't say it," Alice sighed and grabbed for her clothing to cover up.

"Stop it," Lizzie ordered.

Alice trembled, eyes wide. "Lizzie..."

 

"You're beautiful. Any man and half the women out there would be delighted to see you like this. And no, not to humiliate you." She cut that line of thought off before Alice had a chance to dive down the rabbit hole. "A decent pair of fuck me heels and

you'll be ready for anything. Especially a slinky, but classy, over the top outfit." Yes, the outfit worked. "Stockings, and not the old- fashioned kind. Thigh-highs." The store carried a decent selection.

"Fuck me heels?" Alice frowned.

"Oh dear, we have a lot of work to do, don't we."