Lisa looked up and flashed a soft smile. “Well, Riley, that goes under your boobies and props them up while pulling in your tummy.”
“I had figured that much out myself.” She gave Lisa a wry smile. “What I don’t understand is does this contraption go on first under everything or in between the layers or does it go on last?” She looked at the mound of clothes before her. This was all a little sensual, both of them standing there naked, sorting through clothing. But with her frustration increasing exponentially, it was looking less attractive.
Lisa seemed to take pity on her and came over, laying her hand gently on her shoulder. “Hey, how about I help you? It can be a little intimidating at first.”
“Yeah, you can say that again.”
“I remember the first time I dressed up. I couldn’t figure out which way the dress went and ended up wearing it back to front. Boy, let me tell you, if that didn’t make an impression.”
“I was never really into girlie stuff growing up, so I really haven’t got a clue.”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t either. I was always into sports and getting into as much trouble as I could. But wear a dress? You couldn’t have paid me enough.” Lisa surveyed the stacks of clothes and selected a natural linen chemise, holding it up to Riley. “Here, let’s try this first.”
Riley slipped her arms into it and pulled the garment over her head, letting it fall to the floor. She could barely feel it. It touched her upper body lightly and flowed out from her hips. She ran her hands down her side, feeling the material caress her naked skin. “Oh my God, I can’t believe how soft it is. And it’s really cool against my skin.”
“That’s linen made from natural flax, sometimes called the royal fabric because historically only the very wealthy could afford it. I absolutely love how it feels. We’re not used to material like that much anymore. And with a chemise it will keep you nice and cool whereas if it was made of cotton, trust me, you’d sweat.”
Maybe she needed something like that the next time she had to see the Dean or when she had to give her deposition to the University’s lawyer. “So, do I put on that leather torture device now?” She nodded to the corset lying on Lisa’s bed.
“Leather torture device, huh?” Lisa burst out laughing. “No, that doesn’t go on yet. We need another layer first. So, let’s see…” She scanned the dresses lined up on her bed, tapping her finger to her chin. Finally, she picked up a flowing dark royal blue short-sleeved dress lined with blue and gold trim. “Here, let’s try this one.”
With Lisa’s help Riley slipped the dress over her head. Again, she marveled at the weight and feel of the fabric. She stretched out her arms and swayed her hips, causing the dress to swirl around her legs. “Well, how does it look? I don’t look stupid, do I?”
“No, you don’t look stupid at all.” Lisa tugged it slightly left and then right before she stepped back and eyed her up and down. “Actually, you look great in it, Riley. The blue really brings out your skin tone and makes your gray eyes literally sparkle like silver.”
Riley could feel herself blush. “Um…gee thanks, Lisa.”
“Oh, trust me, it’s my pleasure.” Lisa eyed her up and down again before grabbing the corset off her bed. “And now for the leather torture device as you call it.”
Riley could feel her chest tighten even before Lisa held the corset up to her. She had heard all the horror stories that medieval women endured because of fashion—broken ribs, crushed lungs, obstructed hearts. What if she fainted?
Lisa must have picked up on her anxiety. “Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it looks.” She helped Riley strap on the corset and get it properly adjusted. Finally she tugged the strings one last time and tied them behind Riley’s back. “There, see? Nothing to it, huh?”
Riley bent from side to side and then twisted first one way and then the other. “Actually, that’s not bad at all.”
“Okay, great. Now there’s only one thing left…”A devilish little grin lit up Lisa’s face. “You have to floof the girls.”
“I have to what?”
“Floof the girls. You know, pop up your boobs. Just lean over and lift up your left boob and then lift up your right boob and sort of squish them together a bit.”
“You’re serious, right?”
“Yeah, I’m serious. It helps push things up and gives you a little of that sassy cleavage look.”
With a skeptical look, she floofed her breasts. She stood back up and held out her arms, her hips cocked slightly to the right. “So, is this what you had in mind?”
Lisa stared hard at her now enhanced décolletage and then bit her bottom lip. “Oh yeah, that was definitely what I had in mind.”
Now that Riley was dressed, Lisa quickly picked out an outfit for herself. After she slipped into a chemise with billowing lace-up sleeves, she tugged a deep forest green dress with gold Celtic trim over her head.
Riley watched on in wonder. Lisa looked stunning. She swallowed hard as she stared at Lisa tying her black corset behind her back. “Wow…” She swallowed once again. “…you look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Why thank you, Riley.” It was now Lisa’s turn to blush.
When their eyes met, Riley felt her knees grow weak independently of her tight corset. She was wondering how long it would take to strip back out of these outfits (it couldn’t take that long, could it?) and wrap their arms and legs around each other’s naked bodies when Lisa blinked and lowered her eyes, breaking the spell.
“Okay.” Lisa’s voice was bright yet she couldn’t completely disguise the shake in it. “How about we accessorize and then get going?”
Riley merely nodded. She wasn’t sure she completely trusted her voice.
Lisa picked out a couple of leather and brass bicep bracelets that helped tame down her sleeves and a wide engraved choker before adjusting a small metal headdress over her forehead. When at last they stood together side-by-side in front of Lisa’s full-length mirror, Riley had to smile. She wasn’t sure how historically accurate they were to medieval times, but there was no denying that they both made a stunning pair.
* * *
Lisa pulled into the first open parking spot she could find and shut off her car. She turned to Riley sitting beside her. Throughout their journey she found it difficult to tear her eyes away from her. She’d never seen anyone so beautiful in medieval garb. “You ready?”
“You bet.” The braids she had put in Riley’s hair bounced as she nodded.
As they climbed out of her car they were met with the clash of iron on iron ringing throughout the festival. “Sounds like the sword fights are already going. We should go there first.”
“Yeah, I’d really like to see that. I’ve been on digs in England from this time period. You wouldn’t believe the damage that those weapons could inflict on the human body.”
“Oh, you’re going to be right in your glory then.” She chuckled.
As they walked along the path toward the sound of battle, they passed a young woman dressed mostly in black with a feather-adorned Victorian hat decorated with clockwork gears. She even had clockwork gears for earrings and a large mechanical globe watch hanging from her neck. Riley spun around, watching her go. “Well, that’s not right.”
Lisa turned to see what she was talking about. “What’s not right, Riley?”
“That girl…” Riley couldn’t seem to find her words. “…that outfit that girl was wearing with all the gears and stuff, that’s not…that’s not… I tell you that’s not historically accurate. Not at all.”
“So what, Riley? What’s the big deal?”
Riley raised her eyebrows. “The big deal is shouldn’t everyone dress as accurately as they can for medieval or Renaissance times? I mean, isn’t this a historical reenactment of that time period? Aren’t we all supposed to do our best to be true to that?”
“Riley, you’re missing the point. This isn’t about historical accuracy. This is about dressing up, throwing yourself into your imag
ination and having fun.” Maybe Riley was a little too pedantic. Sometimes it was fun just to kick back and live in the world of pretend for a bit. That was something she saw every day in her students but sadly, by the time most people got older, they forgot how to do it.
“Okay, okay, I get that. But still—”
She silenced Riley with a finger to her lips. “Riley, just relax and have fun. Remember, today you’re not some genius professor, you’re a medieval noblewoman walking with her fair lady beside her through ye olde faire.” She hooked her arm through Riley’s and pulled her closer.
Riley acquiesced with a grin. “Okay, I’ll try.”
“Good.” She patted Riley’s arm with her free hand. “Now how about escorting your sweetest to the sword fighting ring so we can cheer on some brutal medieval combat.”
At that Riley burst out laughing. “Yeah, nothing says good times like brutal medieval combat.”
“Darn right. What could be more fun than watching two men beating each other silly with swords?”
* * *
Riley watched the sword fighting with Lisa for over an hour. Although most of the fights were obviously staged it was still interesting to catch a glimpse of what it might have been like during medieval times. There was just something about the high-pitched ping of steel on steel and the loud, hollow clang of armor and shields that couldn’t be gleaned from texts or digs. If she closed her eyes she could imagine herself eight hundred years in the past. This certainly fulfilled Lisa’s number forty-six on her Anti-Bucket list to live for the past.
“So, are you having fun, Riley?” Lisa leaned closer.
She didn’t want to pull her eyes away from the fray in case she missed something. “Yeah, this is really fascinating. The strength and energy it must take to move around in that much armor is unbelievable. It probably weighs sixty or seventy pounds.”
Lisa bobbed her head. “Oh, at least that, I’d think. It would probably feel like trying to move underwater. Not to mention how hot it must get with the sun beating down on all that metal.”
“It would probably feel like being crammed in a giant beer can left out on the beach on a bright summer afternoon.”
Just then one of the knights broke through the other’s defenses and slammed a sword against his helmet with a loud, hollow thud, taking him to his knees.
“Ooooooh.” They both groaned along with the crowd.
Riley winced, watching the knight struggle and fail to regain his footing. That blow didn’t seem quite as staged as others. “Damn, that had to hurt.”
Lisa took her hand and squeezed. “No kidding. As loud as it was out here, can you just imagine how loud it was inside that helmet?”
She had thought the same thing. It was a wonder it didn’t blow out his eardrums. She watched on as two of his friends helped him remove his helmet. Sweat beaded across his forehead and trickled down the sides of his face. He seemed more than a bit disoriented as his friends tended to him. “You know, I’m not so sure that was planned.”
They continued to watch the ring. The second knight was in the center, his arm raised in victory by the announcer. “…and the victor by three blows to none, Sir James.”
“I don’t know, Riley, sometimes they make it look pretty real.”
The announcer now walked around the ring, addressing the crowd in the worst Old English accent Riley had ever heard. “…next match will be in one hour’s time. Don’t ye be late.”
Lisa threaded her arm through hers. “What say you we acquire food and drink at ye olde pub, Lady Riley?”
“What say I, huh?” She still laughed. “I say thou fairest of all, my Lady Lisa, dost have the sweetest of ideas.”
They walked arm in arm across the festival grounds to the large food tent. Several groups, some rowdier than others, sat around the primitive benches and tables eating and drinking. Riley waited for her eyes to adjust in the relative shade as they ducked underneath the tent. She then scanned the menu scratched out by hand on a large slab of wood—wild boar, fowl, venison stew. Then there were the drinks—cider, ale and mead. She turned to Lisa. “What, no yak?”
Lisa chuckled and shook her head. “Nope. And the venison isn’t venison either. It’s most likely just plain beef and the wild boar will be pork. Not sure what the fowl is but from the looks of it, it’s probably chicken.”
“And I suppose the mead isn’t mead.”
“Oh no, the mead is real and so is the ale but I’d go easy…” Lisa leaned in and lowered her voice. “…they can have quite a kick. Don’t want you jumping up on the table and dancing the Strathspey.”
“The what?” It sounded like something nasty Breslin might leave on the rug.
“The Strathspey. It’s a medieval Scottish dance a lot like a reel but much livelier.” Lisa then hiked her dress almost to her knees, kicking her feet in wide gliding steps and whirling in great circular movements. When she finished she kicked up one foot behind the other and bowed in a semi-curtsy. “See? The Strathspey.”
Several people clapped and banged their tankards on the tabletops. Riley laughed, shaking her head while she also applauded. “If I got to share that again, it would be worth seeing how much kick the ale has.”
“Beware of what you wish for, Riley. You might get more than you bargained for.”
Of that she had no doubt. Everything concerning Lisa seemed to be more than she had ever bargained for. It was refreshing to see the world through the eyes of someone that seemed to be as much of a free spirit as Lisa.
“Now, let’s get something to eat.”
They both ordered food—Lisa the wild boar and Riley the fowl, which actually turned out indeed to be roasted chicken. Despite Lisa’s warnings Riley did hazard the ale. A little medieval tabletop dancing couldn’t hurt anyone, could it? When she took a long sip from the tankard she was pleasantly surprised. Bitter and sweet together. All in all, the meal was excellent, perhaps made even more so by the company and the atmosphere.
After they had both finished, Riley leaned back, her hand to her belly straining against the corset. “So Lady Lisa, what next?”
Lisa’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I know…if she’s here that is.” She sprang from the bench and quickly pulled Riley to her feet. “No Renaissance festival would be complete without this.”
Riley scrambled to keep up with Lisa, her fingers still entwined in hers. They were about halfway down crafters’ row when Lisa squeezed her hand and picked up the pace. “Oh good, she’s here. You’re going to love this.”
Lisa quickly made a right turn into the next to last tent. The inside of the tent was lined with various tie-dyed tapestries and rune-covered hangings. Rocks and crystals, books, boxes of tarot decks, Tibetan singing bowls and a wide selection of hemp jewelry covered the tables. But none of that was as bizarre as the young woman standing behind the tables. Her thick, curly, waist-length hair was a vivid shade of natural red. As striking as that was, it struggled to compete with the rest of her ensemble. She wore a sleek black hooded dress with gold trim that added to her mystique. To complete the costume, she had small downy feathers somehow attached along her cheekbones and a genuine-looking Celtic knot tattoo in the center of her forehead.
“Skye!” Lisa leaped up on her toes, almost bashing her head into the top of the tent. “I was hoping I’d see you here.”
“Blessed be Freya…” Skye’s eyes grew wide. “…it’s Lisa. Holy purple buckets, I haven’t seen you in forever.” She sprinted around the table.
Riley nearly fell over. Holy purple buckets? What the hell did that mean? Either this girl was Grace’s long-lost twin or she would make the perfect partner for her eclectic assistant.
Skye now wrapped her arms around Lisa, barely coming up to Lisa’s bust. “Where have you been, girl? I’ve been worried about you since…I’m really sorry to hear…you know…” She trailed off, her eyes suddenly looking misty.
Lisa pulled her into another fierce hug. “That’s really sweet of you, Skye. I’ve jus
t been staying pretty much to myself.”
Riley wished she could sneak back out of the tent. Watching the reunion felt intrusive. But before she could make a quiet retreat, Lisa wheeled around, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her right up in front of her friend.
“I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Riley, Skye.”
Riley’s breath froze in her throat. Girlfriend. She ran the word through her head again. Girlfriend. She liked how that sounded. Since last weekend she had been wondering how Lisa viewed their relationship but hadn’t wanted to bring it up. But girlfriend, that was certainly better than this friend of mine.
Skye leaped forward and wrapped her arms around Riley. “Truly this is a cause for celebration. Any friend of Lisa’s is a friend of mine.”
“Um…” She didn’t know what to say. Hopefully, she didn’t look too ill at ease but that was probably impossible with a befeathered stranger with her arms wrapped around her. She lightly patted Skye on the back with her fingertips. “Thank you.”
When Skye finally released her and stepped back, Lisa hooked her arm through hers. “So, how do you—” She pointed first from Lisa then to Skye.
“Know each other?” Lisa laughed. “I’ve known Skye since my freshman year at State. We were both on the same floor and both lived in Grand Rapids, so we rode back and forth together a lot. We’ve been friends ever since.”
“That’s right.” Skye chimed in. “And we also worked at the same Renaissance festival during the summers. Let me tell you, I could tell you some stories.”
Lisa hid her face, her cheeks now blossoming a deep red. “I’m beginning to regret coming over.”
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