Redo of a Romanceless Author’s Life Devoid of Love; Another Chance at Youth
Chapter 406.

Chapter 406.

Chapter 406. Visiting a Small City from my Childhood with my Girlfriend. (3/4)

“What’s with that reaction?” She stopped me from escaping with a hand on my shoulder.

“You’re not even taking my critique into account.”

“I am.”

“Like hell you are! What girl in her right mind is going to go around in public with two long-ass strings attached to her wrists used to hold her bra up? It’s totally impractical.”

She pouted and grumbled, “Then what do you want to see me in?”

“I just want to see you in something normal.”

“Pick something out for me.”

“Give me a sec, I’ll be right back.”

“Fine. Hurry up.” She seemed annoyed.

I stepped outside the changing room and rounded the corner into the main store area. The store we were in exclusively sold lingerie. I naturally felt out of my comfort zone, but it wasn’t the first time I suffered through this sort of experience. I’d been through much worse than this when I was a kid dragged around by my mother.

As there weren’t many women in the store compared to those times, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad. Being a child in this type of store surrounded by women was no doubt hell. They’d get all friendly with you if they found you cute. It was an extremely awkward situation for me in those days since my mother couldn’t just leave me alone outside the store on a bench unattended.

Remembering what it was like, I actually felt a bit relieved the store was dead. At least I wouldn’t get as many weird looks while inside the store with the lack of women around.

While perusing the lingerie for something that would suit Rosa well, I heard a voice from behind, “Did your girlfriend need something she picked up in a different size?” When I turned, I confirmed it was the store’s clerk.

“No, she asked me to pick something out for her to try on.”

“Oh, did what she pick out not suit your taste?”

“What she picked isn’t practical.”

“Practical?” The clerk had a strange expression on her face.

“Yeah, something… normal she can wear on a regular basis.”

“Oh! I see. I see. That’s what you mean. What strange taste, I saw some of the things she picked up and they were certainly quite daring. A lot of boyfriends would be overjoyed if their girlfriend wore something like that.”

“Would you like a few suggestions?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather pick something out myself.” I didn’t like dealing with salespeople. They’d always try to upsell you or get you to buy more expensive items.

“Alright, but if you need any help, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m more than happy to assist.”

“Thanks.”

She returned to whatever she was doing while I continued to browse through the store.

After five minutes of searching, I hadn’t found anything that really stood out. While I walked with my eyes focused on the sidewall I wasn’t paying much attention to my front.

Without realizing it, I bumped into someone. When I focused in front, I realized it was the clerk again.

“Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“That’s alright. You still haven’t found anything for your girlfriend yet?”

“No.”

“Hmm, are you sure you don’t want any help?”

“No, it’s… fine?”

I raised one brow when I saw the mannequin in front of the clerk. It seems when I bumped into her she’d been in the middle of setting up a display.

“Uh, this…” I pointed without thinking. I’d fallen for the bait.

“Oh? Did these catch your eye?”

“Uh… yeah. How much are the-”

“If they’ve caught your eye we should let your girlfriend try them on and see if she likes them.” I was cut off before I could even ask for the price.

She picked up a pair and dragged me off to the back where the changing rooms were.

“You’re back? About time, took you long enough,” Rosa complained from the other side of the curtain.

“Excuse me, Miss, your boyfriend picked this out for you.”

“Huh? The clerk’s with you?”

“Yes, sorry if I’m being a bother.”

“Uh, no. It’s fine.”

Rosa stuck her hand through the curtain and the clerk handed over the two hangers.

“Did you need any help changing?”

“No thank you.”

“Alright, if you need anything else just give me a call.”

“Sure.”

The clerk left with a triumphant smile on her face. From it, I knew these weren’t cheap at all.

Thankfully I wasn’t paying and Rosa was spending her own money.

A minute later Rosa pulled me inside the changing room.

“So? What do you think?” She leaned forward with her hands on her knees, squeezing her bust together to accentuate her cleavage while looking at me with upturned eyes.

As expected, it really did look good on her. The thin black straps over her shoulders formed a deep wide V. 

The lining was black but inside the lining had a red floral pattern with touches of black and bits of semi-transparent black lace interspersed between it. The bottom had black lace frilled edges and the center between her cleavage had a black silk ribbon bow.

The panties were similarly colored to match the bra. The waistband was fashioned to look like a frilly skirt and was colored red. At the center along the waistband, there was another black silk ribbon bow. Black lace was also connected below the red portion of the waistband. The portion between her legs was red and matched the pattern of the bra.

“Hmm… so you prefer this type. I guess I’ll take it then,” Rosa mused to herself when I failed to respond.

“I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Your inability to say anything this time around tells me more than you saying something.”

“It does?”

“Yeah. So I’ll take it. Plus, it’s something you picked out for me yourself.”

Well, I only half picked it. That clerk really knew her stuff. She didn’t outright recommend it to me. She just discreetly guided me to what her recommendation would be by ‘coincidentally’ setting up a display with it while I was in the store. How sneaky of her.

Rosa changed back into her clothes and we exited the changing room area together.

On our way out Rosa said, “I really didn’t expect my cheapskate boyfriend to pick one of the pricier ones. I was sure you’d replace whichever one had the lowest price and would completely disregard how it looked.”

“Well… I actually sort of forgot to check the price on this one. How much is it?”

“Huh? You really didn’t look at the price?”

“No. How much is it?”

“It’s $150 for the two-piece set.” My heart tightened up as soon as I heard the price come out of her mouth. I clutched at my chest, tripped on my own foot, and collapsed onto my hands and knees. That bitch. She really scammed me.

“Hahaha, what’s wrong?”

“It’s so freaking expensive. You should put that one back and we should really replace a cheaper alternative.”

“Look it seems expensive, but some brand name luxury bras on their own can set you back $300 or more. So $150 isn’t such a bad price when you consider how bad it could really be.”

“$300… and that’s just for the bra?”

“Yeah.”

It was only now I realized how little I knew about women’s lingerie.

“Is there no justice in the world? I’m sure you could replace some knock-off made-in-China shit that looks the same for ten percent of the price.”

“The quality would be crappy and it wouldn’t last very long.”

“I’m sure ten of them would still last a lot longer than one of these.”

“But it wouldn’t be anywhere near as comfortable to wear. The feel of it would be completely different. The colors would fade in no time, and after a single wash, it’d be falling apart. A bit of physical activity would likely stretch out and ruin the fabric.”

“I… see.”

I unsteadily rose to my feet and said, “I’ll wait for you outside. I can’t bear to stick around and see the price on the register when you swipe your card. My fragile little heart won’t be able to take it.”

“Suit yourself.”