The Second Floor

[petticoated]

The ambiance of the restaurant's
small bar setting of maybe twelve barstools and four tables for four was enhanced by the soft lighting. While the tables were tastefully spaced from one another to allow for quiet conversations, total privacy was not possible, save for the occasional quiet whispering that occasionally occurred at a particular table. And although this beautiful woman and her familiar bartender acquaintance were enjoying the soccer match on this late Wednesday evening, this bar area was all about intimacy. It was anything but a sports bar. Just as Leighton's grilled salmon salad was delivered to his table by his server, this mystery woman was returning from the front of the restaurant. Her slightly flared skirt had Leighton wondering what might be contributing to that enhanced vision of her dress's Femininity. He thought he might have heard a slight rustling sound as she passed his table. He couldn't swear to it and maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. As her 5-inch heels clacked femininely on the hardwood floor, he also noticed that she was carrying a small white paper gift bag with pink lettering. It was a dainty bag and it had pale pink tissue-like wrapping paper decoratively peeking out of the top. No doubt a gift for someone? Carefully placing the bag on the oak bar counter beside her purse and her phone, she asked the bartender for a couple of menus. Slowly rising out of her barstool in her red silk minidress, she whisked her hand to check her short skirt, took her phone, the two menus, and her purse to one of the three remaining tables, walked back to retrieve the feminine gift bag, and returned to the table. Leighton was mesmerized. He did his best not to stare at her...and her ultrafeminine mannerisms. Slowly lowering herself into her chair, Leighton watched her place her right hand under her short satin skirt to prevent it from  wrinkling as she sat down. And then it happened. As she slowly crossed her toned and tanned long legs, from under her dress a glimpse of red tulle appeared. Two layers, maybe three, Leighton surmised. Feminine tulle. Now he knew what made this beautiful woman's red silk minidress's skirt flare. And just as quickky, the tulle pettilayers were gone as she adjusted her short skirt to conceal them. Only She knew now. But Leighton knew her secret, too. And then...

[petticoated]

Once again, that Feminine sound of stiletto heels meeting the hardwood floors of the intimate bar caught Leighton's attention. Just as he was getting ready to take a bite of his grilled salmon salad, his mouth dropped open and he nearly dropped his fork. She was gorgeous! This absolute blonde beauty! And ohhhh how She was dressed. She was wearing a Tonal Boucle Tweed Skirt Suit in a pale lavender. Her mini length luxurious tweed fabric skirt featured two large button flap pockets. Her matching collared jacket also featured two large button flap pockets as well. Her pale lavender 5-inch heels matched her feminine power suit perfectly. Her thick wavy blonde hair was worn in a high ponytail. Her makeup featured pale lavender eyeshadow, a light dusting of blush on her cheeks, and light rose pink lipstick. She was carrying a light ivory-colored leather Dior clutch. She had a wide smile on her face as she hugged her friend(?). "Sorry I am late. My last meeting went much longer than I thought it would." "No worries. Don and I were just watching the soccer match while I sat at the bar and kept him company." The woman in the red minidress waved to Don and he nodded. The blonde then kissed the woman in red lightly on her cheek, looked at the gift bag, and replied, laughingly, "For me?" "Of course! Happy Early Anniversary! Three years tomorrow! I couldn't wait until tomorrow to give you this. When I saw it, I knew I had to get it for you. Go ahead. Open it!" Don brought the women two glasses of champagne as they took their seats  While all of this was playing out not more than thirty feet from where Leighton was dining, by himself, he watched the beautiful blonde in her gorgeous boucle miniskirt smooth her skirt before sitting. Reaching for the gift bag, she exclaimed, "La Femme Boutique! OMG! I love that place!" Excitedly removing the rustling decorative pink tissue paper from the top, she discovered the laciest white lace bra Leighton had ever seen...in all of his hundreds...no, thousands of late-night internet searches. His eyes were fixated on the prize.The beautiful blonde held it up and fingered the lace cups. "OMG! It's beautiful! It's soooo light!" Leighton immediately took quick notice that her pale pink nail polish was the perfect complement to Her brand new ultrafeminine white lace bra...

[petticoated]

The blonde then took her new white lace bra by its pretty white ribbon straps and held it up against her bustline. "OMG! It's soooooo Feminine. And the lace  is to die for. I can't wait to wear it!" She laughed. "You know, Emily," she spoke softly, "I think I may have told you about this guy at work. He's maybe 23 years old. He's a Dartmouth graduate interning with us. He's kind of shy around women. It's kinda cute, actually. He always seems to be checking me out, you know. Like today, when I had the Senior Leadership meeting and I wore this suit. I knew it would command the respect I have earned. It's almost like...I don't know...it's like everytime I wear a dress or a skirt...his eyes have this glazed over look. His name is Allen. I think my Femininity intimidates him. Plus, my Senior Partner status...at such a young age. It's kinda cute, actually. I think tomorrow I'm going to change it up a little." The woman in the red minidress (Emily) was giggling now. As she leaned closer, the hem of her red silk minidress rose just enough to expose her red tulle pettilayers. Leighton counted three stiff layers. He was positive this time. Three layers of red tulle. "What are you thinking, Girl?" The blonde held her new bra and dangled it in front of her friend(?), "I have this very sheer white chiffon blouse, somewhat formal...not overtly feminine. I think I'm going to wear it tomorrow...with a pair of black leather pants, and my black 5-inch Louboutins. And under the sheer top," This." She said, proudly dangling the lacy confection in front of her friend(?). "The timing is perfect because tomorrow is the day that he will be shadowing me. I think I'll begin the morning by ordering him to make me a cup of coffee..."

[petticoated]

Emily laughed. "Dorian, why am I not surprised. See what else is in the bag," Emily said, while at the same time taking her right fingers, checking her satin skirt, and instinctively covering her exposed tulle pettis. Much to Leighton's disappointment. "Ooooo!" Dorian gushed. "Matching panties! Oh god, these are exquisite, Em." She held the matching white lace thong panties for closer examination. This set must have cost a fortune, Em. Thank you!" "You're not done yet, Dorian," Dorian's friend(?) smiled. "More, Em?" Dorian responded. Emily nodded and pointed with her cherry red fingernails to the gift bag. After removing the rest of the pale pink tissue paper, Dorian found a scalloped white lace garter belt with small white satin and lace garters. As stunned as Dorian was, Leighton was experiencing, well, arousals of his own. "Cryptically, Dorian looked at Emily and whispered something to her while the two of them giggled. Emily raised her glass of Dom and said, "I'll definitely drink to that!" As the evening came to a close, and the women had finished their meals, Emily cashed out at the bar and asked Don who had won the soccer match. After she exuberantly said "Yes!!," to Don, she whispered something in his ear before leaving with Dorian. Three minutes later, Don delivered a drink to Leighton's table, explaining, "Those two women who just left wanted to buy you a drink." Surprised, Leighton looked at the pink concoction with the large pink toothpick umbrella, anchored by four shiny marischino cherries. "What kind of drink is it?" Leighton excitedly asked the bartender. "A Shirley Temple." Don responded as he turned around and made his way back behind his empty bar. Leighton swallowed hard, removed the umbrella from his drink, and when he turned the pink umbrella upside down to remove the cherries, he noticed a design on the underside. In white were tiny images of ballerinas in tutus. The feminine script read, "Cinderella. A Specialty boutique for very Special bois." But in no time, after maybe twenty seconds of Leighton's shocking scrutiny, the images and the script had vanished...

[petticoated]

FIVE WEEKS and SIX DAYS LATER: Leighton continued for what seemed like an eternity to visit the same restaurant at least a couple of evenings a week. Never on the weekend, however, because the front of the house and even the bar in the back both were crowded. Usually he sat by himself, almist always at the same table, under the soft lighting. Many of those nights only Don, the bartender, shared the area with Leighton. The likelihood that Leighton would ever see those two beautiful women ever again was fading. And then, on a misty chilly evening, around 8:15, as Leighton was making his way to his table, there She was. Sitting at the bar. Laughing with Don. And wearing a dress. A little black dress. A black sweater dress, it appeared to Leighton. Her long jet black hair was in a high ponytail. The televusion was off. She and Don were having a lighthearted conversation. The server interrupted his thoughts momentarily to take his order. Caesar salad and water. When he turned to look at Emily, she was getting off the barstool and gently pulling her dress down. She was wearing black stockings with black stilettos. Then Don grabbed his jacket, told Emily "Thank you," and exited ths bar area. "See you tomorrow, Ms. Em. Thanks again." Emily told him no worries and reminded him to tell the front if the house that the bar area in the back was closed to anyone else, but the bar up front was serving. And then she set her sights on Leighton, sitting all by himself, waiting on his order. As her stilettos femininely click clacked across the hardwood floor, this drop-dead gorgeous Woman stopped at Leighton's table. Leighton swallowed hard. After briefly stumblig as he moved his chair from out under the table, he stammered, "Do you need me to eat my salad in the restaurant?" "No. But it's sweet of you to offer. You can stay back here with me. My name is Emily. My friends call me 'Em.' But you can call me Emily." She reached out to shake Leighton's hand. She was wearing cherry red nail polish and power Red lipstick. Her grip was firm but feminine. "Do you mind if I join you?" she asked. Before Leighton could answer her, she smoothed the back of her black mini sweater dress and sat down across from the frightened boy. She was stunning. And then she started to play with her ponytail while she studied Leighton. She knew it made him nervous. He was tongue tied. Then she opened her black clutch purse and retrieved a tube of lipstick. Reaching back into her purse she pulled out a small compact and opened it. Looking in the mirror, she slowly opened the tube of red lipstick. Looking up at Leighton, she asked, while aiming the tube of lipstick right at him, "You don't mind too much if I take just a moment to refresh my lipstick, do you?"...

[petticoated]

"N...N...no...n-no...of course not," Leighton's response was shaky at best. Emily's tight black sweater dress showed every single curve on her perfect body. And now she was reapplying a fresh coat of lipstick in front of this intimidated boi-child. A quintessential act of femininity. She looked in her compact mirror, pursed her lips, pursed them again, added one more touch of lipstick, pursed her lips again, rolled her lipstick back into its black cylinder, closed her compact, and put both articles back into her clutch purse. "There." She smiled at Leighton and asked if she could get him anything from the bar. "Uh...no...no...thanks. Water's fine. Besides, the bartender has already left, hasn't he?" "Yes. But that's not a problem. I tended bar in Philly while I was getting my MBA at Wharton. And besides, I own this place." "You own it? This whole restaurant?" "Yes. I own it. You seem surprised. You shouldn't be. My niche is mergers and acquisitions." Then this beautiful Woman looked straight at Leighton and added, "Mostly acquisitions. I like to acquire...things. And I'm very good at getting what I want. By the way, what's your name?" "L...Leighton. English. Leighton English." "And what do you do for a living, Leighton?" "Well, I...I...I, uhh, I am studying Culinary Arts here in New York. At the Culinary Institute of America." "Wow! Culinary Institute. That's impressive. Can you already cook much?" "Well, yes. I think I can." "Do you do much French food?" "I can. But since I live by myself..." "No girlfriend, Leighton?" He laughed nervously. "N...n...no...no...girlfriend." "That's too bad." She thought for a moment. "Tell you what. Why don't you come to my place for dinner next week. How about Monday night? You can cook something French...for my Girlfriend and me." "Y...y...your girlfriend?" "Yes, Leighton, my girlfriend. We've been together for three years. Do you have a problem with that?" "Oh no! N...n...noooo. No problem at all." "Good. Then it's settled. Call the restaurant tomorrow, tell them everything you will need to cook the meal. They will deliver it to my place Monday afternoon. We have a place in Hudson Yards . Put the address in your phone. Also, my girlfriend is Dorian...the one who, along with me, bought you a drink. It was a little over a month ago"...

[petticoated]

Leighton was caught by surprise at Emily's comment. "You DO remember us buying you a drink, don't you, Leighton?" Of course he remembered the drink. But what he remembered most about the drink had been the decorative umbrella. The pink umbrella. The pink umbrella with the vanishing white images of the tiny ballerinas in their tutus. And the references to "Cinderella." "Oh...y-yesss. Of...of course. The drink. Y...yesss. The drink." Emily laughed at the tongue-tied little man. "Perhaps we can serve something a bit stronger at my place? Pink Ladies, perhaps? You know, Leighton, on a second thought, I can send my driver to your place to pick you up. Text me your address, okay? We certainly wouldn't want you to forget our little date night, now would we? I think I'll buy a new Dress for the occasion. Would you like that?" Emily laughed. "Now, be a good little boy and text me your address right now.' As she stood up, Emily pulled her tight black sweater dress down. Skirt Management 101. And then she began tapping her heels on the hardwood floor while Leighton nervously funbled with his phone. The tapping of Emily's heels became more rapid as She became more impatient. "Did...did......did you.  Get it?" "Good boy, Leighton! Yes, I have it. Sara is my driver. She'll pick you up...how about 5:30? Will two hours be adequate time for you to prepare our meal?" "Ummm   y...yes. yes. That should give me time." A small bead of sweat gathered on the little man's pretty eyebrow. "Oh, by the way, there will be four of us. Another little boy will  be joining us. His name is Allen. He has been interning with Dorian and also serves as her 'personal assistant' in the evenings...when he is needed. He's a sweet boy. He will be serving the meal and taking care of our drinks. The two of you should get along splendidly." She smiled as she towered over him. 'Now, Leighton, be a good boy and send me your shopping list by noon tomorrow morning." Pulling her short skirt down again, She reached down and gave the frightened little man a sweet girly kiss on his cheek, implanting the perfect lip stain as her Marker...