Page 35 of Fling

‘We call this the Venus, for the woman who knows what she wants,’ Ava said.

Tara stood in awe. It was like a work of art. It somehow felt so dominant and submissive at the same time, like a gift demanding to be unwrapped.

‘We’ll take it,’ Emily said on Tara’s behalf.

‘EMILY!’ Tara said, in shock. ‘I can’t pull this off. This is for a woman oozing with confidence. I’ll look like a stuffed ham in it.’

‘Will you stop putting yourself down. You said Jack is expecting a photo tonight. Do you really think he’ll text back when he sees your granny knickers?’

‘Well, if you’re looking to impress a man with some erotic photos, the Venus will certainly get his attention,’ Ava added.

Tara knew if she didn’t buy it today, she never would.

‘OK,’ Tara said, daring herself. ‘I’ll take it!’

When Ava rang the items up at the till, Tara almost had heart failure once she heard the price. ‘One hundred and twenty-six euro?’ Tara gasped. She had never spent more than ten euro on underwear in her life.

‘It’s a special occasion, Tara,’ Emily said, trying to justify it to her.

Although Tara was shocked, she knew she couldn’t present herself to Jack in her usual undergarments. Anyway, she had spent years not feeling sexy and she deserved a day off from Catholic guilt. She put her card into the machine and entered her pin.

‘Perfect. Here’s your receipt,’ Ava said, handing it to her along with the bag of lingerie.

‘We’re going to be using your fitting rooms before we leave. This woman has some selfies to take.’

‘Of course, right down at the back,’ Ava said. Emily headed down towards the fitting rooms and Tara chased after her with her bag of lace.

‘Wait, we’re taking the photos here? We’re supposed to be at work! I’m supposed to be your mentor!’ Tara said, chasing after her.

‘Well, today I’m the mentor and you’re the student so get in there and lace up!’ Emily said, pointing to an empty stall.

Tara didn’t resist any further because she was secretly dying to try on the items. She entered the dressing room and started to change. After a few minutes of figuring out where everything went, Tara pulled back the curtain to reveal a body worthy of sculpture.

‘Oh my God! Clean up on aisle ME!’ Emily shouted throughout the store.

‘Shh,’ Tara said, embarrassed by the attention. Tara walked out of the dressing room and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She was every bit as shocked as Emily. It was like looking through a window to her past. She looked good. And she felt good.

‘Jack, eat your heart out,’ Tara said, taking in her own image.

‘I’m starting to like Claire more than Tara,’ Emily said. ‘This Jack has turned you into a whole new woman.’

‘There’s something about him, Emily. It’s like he sees me. The real me.’

‘Well, he’s definitely about to see the real you with these pics.’

‘OK . . . so now what do I do?’

‘Nudes are all about the angles. Everybody looks better from a high angle, looking down. So hold your phone up high and take a selfie facing downwards. But don’t forget to crop out your face. Never send full body nudes or believe me, somebody will leak them. You can’t trust anyone,’ Emily explained, with an air of experience.

‘Oh God, did someone leak yours?’ Tara asked, concerned.

‘Oh, I leaked my own nudes. I can’t even trust myself,’ Emily laughed.

Tara followed Emily’s instructions and held her phone up high to take a selfie. She obscured her face and pointed the camera at her breasts. They looked exquisite in the red lace push-up bra, if she did say so herself.

She was beaming with confidence at this point and she took about a dozen other pics from different angles, showing off the lingerie in all its glory. After a few minutes, and plenty of instructions from Emily, she was confident she had got the perfect pic for Jack.

‘That’s it, that’s the money shot!’ Emily said, seeing the final image. ‘I’m calling it The Rebirth of Venus and hanging it in the Louvre.’

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