Claire
 

As much as I would have loved things to have been different, they have always been the same.

Witnessing a moment of self doubt or nervousness has always been worth far more to me than a hundred meaningless drunken conquests. Modesty over conceit. Embarrassment over confidence. Always.

So it was with Claire, a girl of about nineteen, who I worked with in the mid nineties. I say I worked with her, but she was, despite her tender years, in the lower reaches of management. Aloof, driven, and assertive to the point of rudeness, to say that I actually liked her would be less than truthful. Claire was also, to my eyes at least, rather beautiful. The conflict of enjoying her looks immensely and yet finding her personality equally unattractive always held my interest like a stone in my shoe.

The first thing that struck anyone when they first met Claire was her physical stature, or more accurately perhaps, the lack of it. She was truly tiny, perhaps only five feet two, and as slender as the word itself. Her breasts were small, domed, but were at least present and attractively high, whilst her wrists and ankles looked like they would surely snap in a moderate breeze. Claire’s natural blonde, summery hair was usually tied back in a ponytail, but a complex French plait sometimes made a welcome change. Her pale skin was as smooth as a pebble, and was sprinkled with a dozen golden freckles either side of her nose.

She wore the plainest outfits for work, a black pencil skirt and black tights teamed with various white blouses that always seemed to allow her white bra strap to be visible to those who wished to look.

Claire was a constant source of fascination. She would enter each day at Eight o‘clock sharp, sit down without a word for anyone, and begin drinking a mug of tea that almost seemed bigger than she was. It was often an hour before anyone spoke to her, and I never once witnessed her instigate a conversation. I would usually be able to watch her across the canteen at lunchtime, alone as always, frowning over her paperback while dabbing crumbs away from her delicate pink lips.

I was the only one who bothered to watch her leave too, awkwardly pulling on her raincoat before whispering ‘Goodnight’. No one ever seemed to summon enough effort to reply before she was well out of earshot.

To watch Claire each day was like watching rainwater pouring down a storm drain. Boring yet captivating. Tiresome yet enthralling.

Things were, however, about to change.

Friday began in a cold, horrible atmosphere and went downhill from there. Just before nine, everyone raised their head to witness Claire being extremely rude to the lovely office junior Sarah, blaming her for a mistake in the diary. I could have stepped between them and ushered Claire away of course, but as usual shrunk away from the responsibility, finding myself open mouthed and paralyzed at the spectacle. Quiet tears were shed, and the office stuttered on, with girls shuttling from the office to the ladies loo, consoling and whispering. Everyone felt for the poor girl, except Claire of course, who soon immersed herself in her work again, ignoring the hubbub around her. Even when the mistake was found not to be Sarah’s, Claire successfully resisted the need to apologise, making the whole episode a thousand times worse. The day dragged on until five when everyone filtered away silently.

Saturday meant one of our frequent nights out for someone’s birthday. Claire surprisingly attended, although I was probably the only one pleased to see her, and looked absolutely breathtaking in a simple black dress that sparkled under the city’s lights. She had chosen my favourite French plait too which drew even more attention to her elfin features.

A pleasant enough night followed, but as could be expected after the previous days incident, most of the girls gave Claire the cold shoulder and as our group dispersed to various parts of the bar, she found herself alone in the corner, swirling a glass of white wine.

It was then that I noticed Claire gazing at two of the office girls and their boyfriends far across the bar.
Claire’s eyes looked away, misty and forlorn, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. I knew that look as soon as I saw it.

I know that look better than anyone.

LOL - this is brilliant....

You write so beautifully, cpower! I'm looking forward to your next post.

Although it felt almost painful to move to sit beside her, feeling everyone’s eyes burning, I overcame the awkwardness, and was rewarded with the faintest hint of a smile.

‘Hurts to watch sometimes, doesn’t it?

‘Yep.’ Her tiny features disappeared again into her glass.

Inwardly delighted that for once in my life I was right, I launched into several other Christmas cracker platitudes.

‘It will happen for you Claire..I’m sure it will’

‘Yeah right’

‘Of course it will. Just look at you’

She shook her head, but still managed to cast me that familiar sideways glance that says ‘Go on then. Tell me some more’

‘For what its worth, I think you’re the most beautiful girl here. It’s not even a contest’

‘So that’s why I’m sitting here on my own then is it?'

She did have a point. Even though I knew her frostiness to be the problem, getting her to thaw was
always going to be a much bigger one.

‘Perhaps I’m just able to see what no one else does’

‘And what is it you see exactly?'

I offered one last cast, praying it would catch my little fish.

‘Oh I don’t know.. It seems to me that you’re always trying to show how tough you are, but it just doesn’t come naturally to you. Its just an act. Inside you’re just as lonely and vulnerable as the rest of us’

I wasn’t really sure whether I believed a word of it, but it sounded quite good at the time. I left it at that and wandered back to the others, but my eyes never really strayed far from her as she finished her wine.

As the landlord began to usher people away, I lost sight of her in a crowd that seemed to be twice as tall as she was. I could feel a panic sweep over me, until I felt a tiny little tug on my shirt.

‘Would you..er…like to go for a coffee or something?

The taxi was warm and silent, as they all are after a night on the town, and the long back seat gave me the chance to look at Claire’s smooth, unmarked legs as she fidgeted away next to me.

‘Just to let you know’ she eventually began. ‘I don’t want to DO anything tonight. I just want someone to…you know….just be with’

‘Of course. Absolutely. No problem at all’ I replied.

I suppose I should have felt disappointed, but I wasn’t at all. Typically of me, her reticence was only serving to intrigue me further. Had she thrown herself at me in that taxi, I doubt I would even bother recounting this tale.

She fumbled for her keys as the taxi rattled away into the night, and we were soon inside her narrow townhouse. We sat side by side on her sofa, Claire cradling one of her huge teas, me wincing my way through one of her coffees. She had soon kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs under herself, and I stole looks at those lovely little calves and her modest cleavage as her eyelids began to drift towards sleep.

As her head dropped onto my chest, I felt certain she would be able to hear my heart beating above the muted music, but it was the ending of the final song that made her stir.

‘Are you about ready then?’ she whispered, raising herself up. ‘You do remember what I said though don’t you?

‘Of course. We’ll just have a nice sleep. Don’t worry’

I followed her up the stairs gazing at her derriere and those wondrous little calves, and looked up at the ceiling every time she turned around to check on me. The bedroom was lit only by two bedside lamps, casting pale green light subtly around the room.

Claire began one of those bedtime routines that all girls seem to have, taking off her minute wristw*tch, impossibly thin gold necklace and earrings, before placing them safely on her dressing table. She picked up differing bottles of products in a well practiced order and applied them gently over her arms and hands. She turned her back to me as she continued this ritual and I took a moment to drink in the enormity of whatever was to come. Eventually Claire turned to face me as she rubbed yet another cream into her forearms and smiled a weak, tired smile.

As she did so I unbuttoned my shirt, laid it on the floor, and undid my belt, letting my trousers fall to the ground abruptly. I saw her stare as I did so, her eyes looking down at my white boxer shorts. Knowing she was looking, I lowered them too, making no effort to hide myself as I did so.

‘Oh. OK. Right’ she gasped, struggling to take in sufficient air. ‘I didn’t realise you would be going totally..’

The next word seemed to stick in her throat and was never said.

I made no effort to get into bed, and simply stood before her. I could see her eyes looking into mine before darting quickly downward and then up again. I could feel myself stiffening rapidly, and was intent on prolonging her discomfort for as long as I could.

‘I hope youre not expecting me to sleep naked. I have my nightie under here’ she said assertively, trying to recover from the shock.

I declined to answer her of course, and just let her continue, fretting and mumbling away to herself.

Once she realised I was never going to reply, she sn*tched the garment from under her pillow like a lifejacket and turned briskly away.

She continued turning and twisting, laying her nightdress on the bed and picking it up again several times, before finally reaching agreement with herself. She turned away once more, and in one rapid, fluid motion lifted her sparkling dress right over her head. I was surprised to learn that she had not been wearing a bra under her dress, and I was treated to my first sight of her creamy white back, bare and speckled with a few tiny freckles on her shoulders. My eyes quickly scanned downwards, where a pair of minuscule black panties struggled to contain the cheeks of her petite bottom.

Claire’s legs were of course short by model standards, but no less beautiful for that. Drawn from bone china, they tapered gently from her dainty ankles all the way to her thighs, a yard of pure heaven. The satin fabric of her panties interrupted the pleasure of looking at them, so I was forced to start all over again from the beginning.

I could feel my erection springing up harder and higher as I continued to watch her get ready for bed. Reaching behind her blindly, and managing to screen her breasts from me, she picked up her nightdress and placed it on her dressing table. I fully expected her to pull it over her head as quickly as she had removed her dress, but was delighted to see her lower her panties first, exposing those cute little cheeks to my eager eyes. She stepped out of her panties carefully, and as she bent over to pick them from the floor, my eyes feasted on the graceful curve of her bottom. She straightened up again before pulling the nightdress over her blonde hair, down her back and over her rear, ending my pleasure for the moment at least.

Straightening her nightdress, Claire strode over to the bed and stripped back the bedclothes as I fervently tried to see more of her through the pale pink covering. Sadly though, my effort went unrewarded, and she slipped under the covers undiscovered.

I followed her into bed, and she immediately attached herself to me like a little limpet. Her head rested weightless on my chest, and I could feel the softness of her little breasts against my ribs. She rested her hand gently on my stomach, uncomfortably near to where I wished her to rest it. I could also feel where her nightdress ended and her bare, smooth legs began, and the feeling of her warm thigh touching mine did nothing to aid my sleep.

I had promised her though, and a promise was a promise, however difficult it was to keep.

‘Night then’ she said, stifling a yawn.

‘Goodnight Claire. I’ll see you in the morning’

Or at least I hoped I would.

Sorry Lue- Im not quite with you. Are you saying my story isnt a true one?

Who cares what he thinks, I'm loving it, please carry on

I agree -- I come here every day looking for the next installment. I love your story, the way you write it and I can't wait to see what happened next.

"‘And what is it you see exactly?'

I offered one last cast, praying it would catch my little fish.

‘Oh I don’t know.. It seems to me that you’re always trying to show how tough you are, but it just doesn’t come naturally to you. Its just an act. Inside you’re just as lonely and vulnerable as the rest of us’"

Brilliant xD and sooooo recogniseable!
This is what seperates the boys from the men.

Your writing is very very nice, and i have no problem at all believing this is not fiction.
go on;)

cpower .... you have a great style of writing ... man i'm cheering for you 2 nail her!!!!

I agree.. i read a lot, and you've got a given talent. The descriptions and detailing remind me of the book "perfume" andeuhh thats a huuge compliment.

Lying half awake as Claire slept silently beside me, my brain replayed the sight of her pulling her knickers down over and over again. Even if the evening were to end right here, it was a vision that would be in my scrapbook forever. The more I thought of those few seconds, the more I began to question her motives for doing it. It would have been far easier to put her nightie on first, so I had to wonder exactly why she chose to do what she did. I finally arrived at the conclusion that my own nakedness had somehow placed her under pressure, and she had felt the need to reciprocate. The decision to let me have a quick look at her bottom was perhaps her limit, beyond which she was not prepared to go.

As I felt myself finally ready to drift off too, I resolved to at least try to persuade Claire to push her limit a little further in the morning.

It was Claire who actually woke me, slipping out of bed at somewhere around seven. I was able to watch her, playing dead in the hope of seeing something indiscreet. I did manage to see her nightie ride right up the back of her thighs as she rose, but it somehow managed to keep her bottom just about covered. She threw on a dressing gown and left me both alone and disappointed.

The smell of warm toast drifting upstairs eventually made me get up too, and I threw on my boxer shorts and joined her at the kitchen table.

‘I need to go into work for an hour this morning, so if you could get dressed in a minute’ she announced as soon as I sat down.

So there it was. Not a second to thank me for my restraint. Not a second given in appreciation of a little comfort. I hadn’t realised until then that her icyness woke up at exactly the same time as she did. I focused again. Whether her story was true or not, it was pretty convincing. Nevertheless I pursued it.

‘Work? On a Sunday?’

‘To check last nights update. The system’s fallen over the last two nights. Its my turn to check it’

'That’s a shame. I enjoyed last night’ I replied, giving her my best doleful look.

‘Yeah. It was all right I suppose’ she said in a monotone, her tiny face disappearing into yet another mug of tea.

And there it was again. Clearly the kindness I had shown her last night had been so intense that she had completely blocked it from her mind. Claire began to clear the breakfast dishes, so I gave her one last left jab to think about.

‘You won’t tell anyone at work about last night will you? I asked

‘Why?’ she snapped back, an octave higher than usual. ‘That’s meant to be something a girl says isn’t it?

‘Well I’m just a bit worried’ I began in my best quiver. ‘I know girls talk, and well…you got to see me last night. I just don’t want to be the talk of the office’

‘Don’t worry. I won’t say anything to the girls’

I smiled inwardly at her suggestion that she considered herself a member of the group.

‘Well it’s not like you have anything to worry about is it? I continued. ‘It’s all right for you. I’ve got nothing to tell anyone, even if I wanted to.’

‘Well that’s not quite true is it?’ she replied ‘You must have got an eyeful last night too. I hope you’re not saying you looked away?’

‘Well I was a gentleman last night wasn’t I?’ I reminded her ‘And anyway, that wasn’t the same thing at all. If you were ever to say anything about last night I’d never hear the last of it.’

‘Don’t worry . I’m not going to tell anyone. It’s not like I’m proud of it’

The room fell silent as the last word left her lips.

‘I didn’t mean it like that’ Claire stuttered. ‘I just meant I don’t want people to know that I can get a bit down sometimes’

It was clearly as close to an apology as I was ever likely to get.

‘I’m just saying it wasn’t really even, that’s all’ I said, trying to feign far greater hurt than I was actually feeling.

‘Look. I have to get ready for work. I’ve told you I won’t say anything and I mean it. Ok?’

I cast her an even more pathetic look and finished my tea. Claire was, for the first time since I met her, on the back foot, and I was enjoying it.

Her feet pattered swiftly up the stairs and I followed a minute or two later. As I walked past the bathroom, I could hear Claire turning the shower on, and the thought of the delights on display behind the door sent a shudder through me.

I somehow managed to walk past, back into the bedroom and picked up the shirt I had discarded so quickly the night before. I made no effort to get dressed of course. I certainly wasn’t going to give her an easy way out.

I had been sitting there for perhaps ten minutes when I suddenly heard the shower stop abruptly, and the bathroom door creaking open. In an instant, a five foot dervish had descended without warning. She was wrapped in a huge white towel, and was scrunching the two flapping edges of it in the small of her back. I was drawn to her tiny fist holding them like a dying man clings to life, but she was only partly succeeding in keeping that wonderful bottom covered. I just watched silently, in absolute heaven. She was still completely dry, and her hair was loose, flapping around her shoulders as she bounced around. Those calves again, those delicate little collar bones and that cheeky little rear all took their turn in teasing me.

‘Oh.. I thought you’d be ready to go by now’ she said mournfully.

‘No sorry- I’ll be finished in a minute’

Drawers were now being violently pulled open and wardrobe doors slammed shut, all while she struggled to preserve her modesty. A pair of tired jeans were thrown onto the bed and a range of blouses followed them in a vain attempt to find a suitable match. A fresh white bra and matching panties were sn*tched from somewhere, while a pair of court shoes fought hard to remain safe in the bottom of the wardrobe. Eventually the hurricane subsided, and she picked up an olive green bottle from the dressing table. She gave it a withering look of contempt before quickly placing it down again.

I knew just how it felt.

Silence returned as she began to gather her chosen items together, scanning the room for anything she might have missed. Clearly on her way to shower and get dressed, my hopes were sinking fast.

‘Claire’ I began, my fingernails sharp against my palms.

‘Could I… I mean.. could I just have…you know.. a moment?’

‘What?’ she looked up, her smooth brow furrowed for once.

‘A moment. Just one. Before I have to go. Please.’

‘No you can’t!’ she snapped back. ‘I don’t have time. Can’t you see I’m late already?’

It intrigued me that Claire used her lateness as the reason for not being able to give me my ‘moment’. She had surely understood what I was asking for, and didn’t seem to have any real moral objections. It was just that she was running late. This was certainly worth a final push toward the summit.

‘Ok. Well, thanks for a lovely night anyway’ I whispered back, my chin dropping toward my chest.

I watched her as she gathered up her clothes and began to make her way out, before pausing just short of the doorway. I offered her one last pathetic smile as she did so.

‘Oh God! You’re just not going to let this go are you? Honestly! I’m telling you now. If I let you see me, you’d better not tell anyone or there will be so much trouble.’

I thought my heart was going to simply combust, but I still managed to raise some words of reassurance.

‘Of course I won’t. It goes without saying. Haven’t I behaved myself all night?’

‘I suppose. I’ll have to have a think about it. Can you please hurry up and get dressed though? I’ll have to be gone soon’

She disappeared almost as quickly as she had entered, and I heard the bathroom door shut firmly behind her.

I sat back on the bed, shattered. If I was meant to be the one doing the tormenting, it certainly didn’t feel like it. I tried to remember exactly the phrases she had used. ‘If I let you see me’ and ‘I’ll have to have a think about it’ . She had never given a definite no, and allowed me to think that my plan just might work. Whether it did or not, it was clear our time together was short and she would have to make a decision very soon.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard Claire hissing my name from the bathroom. My heart really did stop until I heard her voice again, slightly louder this time. I walked out on to the narrow landing to be greeted by Claire’s reddened face peeking around the bathroom door.

‘I’ll let you have a look. Just a look though. No touching or anything. Oh. And you’ve got to stay there. No closer.’

Even though the prospect of seeing my little cherub naked in the next few moments was overwhelming, it still felt like she was the one in charge, and I found myself nodding my agreement.

‘Right. I’ll do it then. First time for everything’ her face disappeared again behind the door.

The enormity of her last few words hit me hard, but I don’t know why I was so surprised. This was Claire after all. Quite how anyone would manage to get close enough to love her I would never know. Nevertheless, knowing I would be the first person ever to see that pale, petite little body was causing pain within every single cell of my body.

The door opened again, only for her face to appear around it once more.

‘Could I show just the top? I don’t mind showing the top’

That minute trace of vulnerability had surfaced again, just at the perfect moment. I knew then that this was an enormous step for her, and her usual confidence was now leaving on the first available train.

I summoned the courage not to give in and shook my head just enough to register.

‘Oh. Right. One minute then’ The door closed yet again.

She used all of her minute, although it seemed more like an hour, before the door slowly creaked open once more.

And there she was.

It didn’t seem possible that Claire could ever appear any smaller, but standing there completely naked made her appear so. She had the toned physique of a dancer, a ballerina perhaps. Her nudity showed me that she possessed that incredible lazy ‘s’ curve, with hips that pushed her bottom out and her chest gently forward. A truly modern day Alice.

I couldn’t possibly focus on the details of her body details at first, as that first sight of her was so simply breathtaking. Her skin was flawless, the colour of the palest straw, with only the occasional freckle providing even greater interest. Even in those first few seconds I could see that her body carried not an ounce of spare flesh. She was standing almost to attention, and had brought her arms across in front of her, as all naked girls seem to do, and I knew I would have to wait even longer for that particular prize.

I was drawn to her face first, hoping that it would tell me the true story of how she was feeling. She had placed her hair behind her ears, showing even more of that cute face, while her eyes blinked more often and a lot harder the more I stared at her. When her eyes did meet mine, they seemed to plead with me to call enough.

Had she waited for me to say it, we would still be there now.

‘Oh Claire. You look absolutely stunning. Thank you so much.’ I began with flattery that was not at all insincere. ‘How are you feeling? Are you ok?

‘I thought it would feel a bit worse than this actually. It’s not too bad’

She didn’t sound too convincing to me and I took my opportunity to make sure I took my fill before she finally cried enough.

Her shoulders were quite square for such a small girl, on the verge of athletic, and a rosy coloured patch was beginning to appear between them, extending slowly across her upper chest and neck. Her breasts were a very pleasant surprise. Small, certainly, but much more pointed than anyone would have guessed from seeing her at work everyday. They were topped with pale pink button nipples that were the perfect compliment.

My eyes were drifting ever downwards following the lines of that flat tummy before being rudely interrupted by her hands, clasped together as if in prayer.

I had always loved her legs, as you may have already guessed, but the sight of them like this, uncluttered by tights and skirts, was another world entirely. Her thighs were truly the eighth wonder, not at all that horrid fashion model look, but instead tapering along a line drawn by nature herself, downwards from her hips to easily the tiniest knees I had ever seen. I knew her calves so well already, but I wasn’t rude enough to neglect them in their finest hour. Her ankles were so close together that they seemed bound, and as I looked at her feet, her toes began to wiggle, making dark marks in the pile of the carpet.

'Absolutely incredible Claire. You’re just the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen’

The faintest of smiles broke over her, as if some longed for reassurance had finally arrived.

‘Can I go now then?’

I didn’t reply, but can only assume that my face gave her an answer.

‘Oh’ she whispered, her nervousness suddenly flooding back. ‘I didn’t think you’d ask me to’

‘Please. Just for a moment.’ I tried to sound as calm as I could.

‘Its just that it’s so private. So.. personal.’

I declined to answer her again, letting her find her own way.

‘Oh God. If I have to. Here’

Claire’s arms seemed to move at the speed of light, and as they parted, her head rose towards the ceiling. Her nose wrinkled like a rabbits, and her eyes closed more tightly than they had ever done before.

I, on the other hand, wasn’t sure I would ever get my own eyes to ever close again, as they moved down rapidly to gaze between those fabulous thighs.

I immediately knew why Claire had been so reluctant to let me look at her most intimate place. She was almost hairless there, with just the finest strands of golden blonde hair making a very poor attempt to cover her modesty. I could easily see her outer lips, which were symmetrical and seemed to be already parted, ready to welcome some fortunate soul inside. It was truly a rare jewel.

‘I hope you’re not going to tease me about it’ she broke the silence without ever looking downward.

‘Why on earth would I do that Claire? I think you have a lovely one. Just like the rest of you’

The smile returned again, and combined with her nakedness, made a picture worthy of any gallery in the world.

‘Is that it then? Can I go?’ she asked, folding her arms.

‘Of course.’ I replied, stupidly.

She turned away and that pert bottom flashed into view again before disappearing behind the bathroom door. I heard the shower start up again, and all was lost.

















.

Thanks!
 

Good story and a great storyteller.

I dressed alone, my head still filled with the sight of her. I thought further about how those angled hips made had made her stand, helpless and ready for inspection. How her tummy seemed to fade away underneath her. How minute her ankles were. The exact shade of those blushing cheeks. That ivory skin. Her most intimate, heavenly place. I tried to clear my head, only for it to be filled again with even more vivid images.

It was all too much. I needed far more time than I had been given. Knowing that little nymph was bathing just yards away offered little comfort either.

By the time I was trying to tie my shoelaces, Claire had entered the bedroom once more. Her hair was still soaking wet, but she was unfortunately fully dressed. She slipped on her shoes, grabbing at her handbag at the same time.

‘Are you ready then? She chirped. ‘Come on. I can give you a lift as far as the boulevard’

‘No it’s fine Claire. Don’t worry. I’ll walk. The air will do me good.’

It didn’t of course.

Monday came around even more quickly than usual, and I found myself watching the clock click ever closer to eight. It took an age to do so, and as the figures finally changed, my eyes focused firmly on the doorway, refusing to stray anywhere else.

Claire appeared, right on time as usual, shaking her umbrella and rearranging her damp hair.

The raincoat. The blouse and skirt. The tea. The silence. All were just the same.

Except that the same could never be the same.

Not the end ...
 

I hope that's not the end of the story.

I'm afraid so. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Reminiscing over this now don't you think you could have handled it different in a way she would have taken that extra leap?

There are 2 reasons really. the first- and by far the most important, is that she had made it quite clear what she wanted at the very start of the night, and throughout, quite frankly. Trying to push your luck in those circumstances is called something else entirely and is illegal. the second is explained by the first sentences of my story. I just always feel like that. I cant help it

I think you're miss-enterpreting the question.. I don't mean do something she doesn't want to, I had a similar situation with a girl a few years ago, we slept (and i do mean sleep) with eachother numerous times and in the end had sex 1 time because i accidentaly (yes, really by accident.) touched her privately and felt she was very wet.

When i think about it now i remember a few signs she gave me witch suggest she wanted me to be bolder. 1 time for instance on a morning i was drinking a cup of coffee on her terras and she watered her plants without wearing panties, she stood right in front of me and stretched to reach a hanging plant, revealing her pretty blond bush to me for the first time as her nighty rose.