Part 7,  New Clothes.

Another workday over, Nina was once again in the pool behind the house she shared with her host, Brian Cook, and his housekeeper, Mrs. Terry.

Nina swam naked, not by choice but because of the unusual lease she had signed over a week before.  Instead of money, her rent was to be paid by providing a service.  She was to always be naked when at home, her clothes locked away from her and under the control of Brian Cook.

Since Nina couldn't have afforded a decent place to live in the rich community she lived and worked in, she took the deal and now spent more time nude than she had ever done in her life.

Sometimes it wasn't a problem, and the athletic young woman especially liked swimming naked.  But there were other times when her nudity had been difficult to bear.

Such as...
 
 

---***---
 
 

"My God!  Nina?" said the voice, interrupting Nina's steady crawl from one end of the pool to the other.

Nina jumped and stopped swimming, frantically turning in the water to see who had called out to her.  With a shock, she recognized the young woman standing with her host as Helen, one of the paralegals she worked with at the firm.

Helen was dressed in a bright yellow sundress with matching accessories and was standing with one hand on her mouth, a very surprised look on her face.

Nina immediately began blushing, knowing that Helen could easily see that she was naked in the clear water.  She also groaned, thinking that soon news of this moment would soon spread quickly through the firm and her reputation ruined.

Nina glared at Brian for a second before swimming to the side of the pool.  He had promised her that she would not be embarrassed at the firm, but now it seemed it would happen anyway.

"Nina, why are you swimming with no clothes on?" Helen asked, a curious smile on her face.

"Er..." Nina began, wondering how she was to explain it.  Brian came to her rescue.

"Nina likes a good work out, Helen, and swimming nude gives her the best.  Besides, she doesn't have to worry about being seen here, do you now, Nina?" he said with a smile.

Nina had not found that to be entirely true, but she nodded anyway.

Helen laughed.  "Well, I guess there is nothing wrong with skinny dipping in your own back yard, there was a watering hole near my place back home where we went to as kids.  But I didn't think you were the type, Nina!"

"You never know, do you," Nina replied softly.

Helen giggled again.  "Well don't worry, Honey, your secret is safe with me.  But you had better get dressed, we're supposed to go shopping tonight, remember?"

Nina had actually forgotten about the date she made with Helen a couple of days earlier, and mentally kicked herself.  She held on to the side of the pool, screening her body.  "Sure, I'll be dressed in a little bit," she said, looking over at Brian and wondering what next.

Brian, who was enjoying the discomfort Nina felt, had already taken matters into his own hands.  He had been surprised at the arrival of Helen at the main gate, and had briefly considered warning Nina before allowing the girl in.  But Brian knew Helen from when he was a partner at the firm, and knew that Helen could be discreet.

"Nina," he said, "why don't you go upstairs and put on something nice for your trip, I'm sure you'll find something appropriate."

"But..." Nina said, knowing that she didn't have any clothes up in her room; they were all locked away in a room over the garage at the main gate.

"Don't worry.  I'll entertain young Helen here while you dress.  You'll find what you need upstairs."  Brian gave her a steady look and Nina knew that he meant her to get out of the pool in front of them and walk naked and wet into the house.  Nina didn't have a towel outside to dry with, she didn't have any towels.

Nina looked at Helen, the only friend she had made so far at the firm, and knew she had no choice.  Along with being naked all the time, she also had to appear this way before anyone Brian Cook wanted.  So, swallowing her pride, Nina hoisted herself out of the water and stood dripping on the patio.

Helen blushed and glanced away, before looking back at her new friend.  She felt somewhat out of her depth as well.  At first it was only because she was at the home of a retired senior partner of the law firm she worked at, but now it was because of seeing Nina with nothing on at all.

Nina gave Helen a sheepish smile.  "I'll be right back," she said.  And she padded across the patio and into the house as both Helen and Brian watched her go.  Nina went straight up to her room, her body reflected a thousand times in all the mirrors that covered most of the wall space inside the house.  She also knew that through many of the huge windows the house had to offer, her image could be easily seen.  She figured that Helen, if she looked, could probably follow her image all the way up to her room.

In her room, Nina got a surprise.  Mrs. Terry, the housekeeper was already waiting for her.  What DIDN'T surprise Nina was that Mrs. Terry was nude.  Mrs. Terry was also required to be naked on the property, but unlike Nina, Mrs. Terry had made the surprising revelation a few days before that she preferred being this way.

What DID surprise Nina was that Mrs. Terry was laying out some clothes on Nina's bed.

"Hi, where did that come from?" Nina asked.  It was one of her own cotton summer dresses, one of her nice ones with the neck strap and bare shoulders.

"Mr. Cook sent me to get it and some shoes for you to wear on your shopping trip, Miss West," replied the dour Mrs. Terry.

Nina was relieved.  She had been wondering how she was to explain to Helen that she had to go all the way to the garage to find something to wear.

"Thanks," Nina said, "I really appreciate this.  Just let me quickly shower and dry off."

Mrs. Terry nodded and left the room.  Nina jumped in the shower of her private bathroom and quickly rinsed the pool chemicals off her skin, before standing in front of the hot air blower she used instead of towels.

In minutes, she was ready and back in her room, eager to be dressed.  She picked up her dress and looked down for her underwear but didn't see any.  Instead, there was an envelope with a note and a plastic card.  The note looked hastily written but was legible.

"Nina.  You should have warned me we were having company, but no matter.  I've taken the liberty of picking this dress out for you to wear this evening.  You can wear it quite easily without panties or bra, so I didn't bother having Alison retrieve them for you.  The card is a store credit card where I opened an account for you yesterday.  Your bills there will be paid out of the money you get from me at the end of your lease.  You can shop there and purchase anything you wish whenever you want.  I do however ask that for this trip you refrain from buying any underwear.  You have plenty already and don't need more.

Helen will tell you what you need to pick up for the office.

Brian."

Nina read the note and smiled.  She had wondered if her meager budget would stretch to cover the kinds of styles her co-workers wore, and now that was no longer a concern.  But running around town in nothing but this single dress did worry her.  Without looking at the credit card, she slipped on her dress and shivered a little as the material slid down her naked skin.  It felt very odd wearing the dress with nothing on underneath, but it beat going naked.  Looking at herself in her mirror, she could see that nothing showed that wasn't supposed to, and Nina relaxed.

She slipped her sandals on, and taking the credit card, went back down stairs.
 
 

---***---
 
 

"I thought we'd stop at 'Mylars', or 'The Gap'," Helen said as they raced down the highway in her little convertible.

Nina had one hand on her lap, holding her skirt down in the windy car, not wanting to reveal to her friend that she wore nothing underneath it.  Her other hand clutched her purse.  "That would be cool," Nina replied, "but I just got an account at another store and I want to try it out."

"What store?" Helen asked.

Nina looked in her purse at the credit card she had been given.  "It's called...'IO'."

Helen did a double take.  "You're kidding!"

"What?  Why should I be kidding?" Nina said, a little worried at Helen's reaction.

"You HAVE to be kidding.  YOU have a card to 'IO'?  This I have to see!"  Helen pulled over to the side of the highway and stopped even though there was no real place to park.  She held out her hand and Nina obediently handed over the black plastic card.  While Helen examined it, Nina looked around and recognized this highway as the one she and Mrs. Terry had taken to get to the grocery store.  It made Nina smile a little to think that the last time she had been down that way she had been completely naked.

"You lucky bitch!" Helen exclaimed.  "How did you manage to get a card to that store?"

"Mr. Cook got it for me.  Why, is it a special place?" Nina asked.

"You've never heard of 'IO'?  Well I guess that's not too surprising, he only sells locally.  But damn it Nina, I'd kill for a chance to shop there.  His place is very exclusive, more like a private club than a clothes store, and his designs are to die for!"

"Is it expensive?" Nina wondered if she was going to squander her money on clothing that was way out of her budget.

"It's not that, it's just the fact that he only makes one-offs, no one ever gets what someone else has.  And NO one gets through the door without one of these!" she said, waving the card around.

"It sounds expensive to me," Nina said, "maybe we should try 'The Gap'."

"Are you KIDDING!  No way, honey, it's to 'IO' we go!"

Helen fired up the engine again and off they went.
 
 

---***---
 
 

The store was unassuming, with nothing in the windows but some very nice artwork and the name of the store in neon.  It occupied a building all by itself near a shopping Mall and just happened to be across the street from Diotelli's Groceries.

Remembering how naked she was the last time she was there, and how this time she only wore a light dress, Nina climbed cautiously out of the Volkswagen convertible.

"I'm told you have to have an appointment to get it, but I don't know if that is true or not," Helen said, grabbing her purse out of the back seat.

"Maybe we should come back after I've made one," Nina said, still nervous for some reason.

Helen grinned.  "No way.  We're here; let's see if they throw us out.  Correction, throw ME out.  After all, it's your card!"

"They wouldn't do that," Nina said uncertainly.

The two women approached the door and went in.  Inside they found themselves in a smart looking lobby with several chairs scattered about and a desk at one end with a curtained doorway behind it.  Seated at the desk was an older woman in a rather stylish business suit, who stood up at their entry.

"Hello, how can I help you," she said.

"Hi," said Nina, rather impressed by the lobby although it didn't look like any shop she had ever seen, "I was hoping to do a little shopping!"

The woman's face took on a haughty look as she spied the cut of Nina's dress.  "Then may I suggest the Mall next door, I'm sure they will have something to your taste."

Nina bristled; she knew when she was being talked down to and didn't like it.  Armed with the knowledge her friend Helen had given her though, Nina thought she knew just how to respond.  She reached into her purse and pulled out the credit card.  "Well, I was in the neighborhood and just thought I'd drop in!"

The woman's eyes immediately locked on to the card, and her expression changed to one of shock before assuming something a little friendlier.

Helen giggled, also aware of their change in 'status' now that Nina had revealed her card.

"I'm sorry," said the woman, "I thought I knew most of our clientele on sight.  My name is Dorothy.  Did you have an appointment?"

Nina's tight smile faded.  "No, I don't, sorry.  I wasn't expecting to drop in today."

Dorothy's smug look returned.  "I see.  Well, we are by appointment only, and at the moment are rather booked up.  Perhaps we can schedule something for you in a week's time?"

Nina was about to open her mouth when she saw a man step through the curtain and answer for her.

"I don't think that's necessary, Dorothy.  We just had that cancellation, remember?  I'm sure I can see these young ladies now."

Dorothy turned, looking a little miffed.  "Yes, Mr. IO.  But I thought that you wanted this time free!"

"I'd much prefer getting to know a new customer."  IO smiled at Nina and Helen, and they automatically smiled back, although the response wasn't hard to give.

IO was an older man, but handsome in a Mel Gibson sense.  He also gave off that air of masculinity that women enjoyed being around.  Nina knew that even though he made women's clothes, there was nothing feminine about IO.

He stood to one side and opened the curtain.  "If you would care to follow me?"

Nina stepped forward, but Helen hesitated.  "Am I allowed?  It's just that it's Nina's card, not mine."

IO looked at Helen, then inclined his head toward Nina.  "Normally guests wait here, but it's entirely up to...Nina, was it?"

Nina nodded, then turned to Helen.  "Please come!"

Helen smiled and joined her friend, and they passed by Dorothy without another word.

The group walked along a curtained hallway and Nina wondered where all the clothes were.  She wanted to see what kinds of creations this man could come up with.  But instead, they entered a large room with several mirrors and bolts of fabric scattered about.

"Now I know you haven't been here before, Nina, nor your friend..."

"Helen."

"...Helen.  My name is IO, and this is my humble store.  Have you heard of me?"

"Yes, Sir," Nina replied.  "Helen told me all about you on the drive over."

IO laughed.  "I doubt she knows everything about me," he said with a grin.  "But before I explain what we do here, can I ask where you got the charge card you waved in Dorothy's face?  I could tell it surprised her, and well it should.  She is the one who issues them!"

"My...a friend got the card for me yesterday.  I'm staying with him for a while.  His name is Brian Cook."

"Ah, Brian.  Yes, now I understand.  I've attended many functions in his wonderful house.  You must be his new model!"

"Model?" Helen asked, looking at Nina curiously.

"Er...yeah," Nina replied, blushing.

"What do you mean, model?" asked Helen.

IO answered for Nina.  "Mr. Cook is a talented artist and often has a live-in model for inspiration of his work."

"I'm actually here to work at his old law firm," Nina added, "But at home he has asked me to model for him, occasionally."

"Oh," said Helen.

IO grinned.  "I've met one or two of his former models already, so I know how demanding a job that can be!"  He looked straight at Nina, and she knew right then that IO knew exactly what she was going through at her new home.  He KNEW that she spent all her time there naked, and she began blush further.

IO clapped his hands once.  "But, to business.  What I do here is create.  Each outfit tailored to the person it is for.  Everything unique.  You can trust yourself in my hands.  Now what do you need?"

"Er..." Nina said, her mind going blank for a moment.

"New work clothes," Helen said.  "She's a paralegal at the firm, as am I, and she needs to dress up from what she already has.  Maybe two or three full outfits to start out with.  From what little I've seen," Helen winked playfully at Nina, "she's fine with her casual clothes, but I think a nice formal gown would also be in order.  No doubt she will soon be invited to a party up here, and I doubt her wardrobe would be up to it.  No offense, Nina.  But coming here from a small town myself, I understand what it is to be underdressed."

Nina thought that Helen didn't know WHAT it was to be so underdressed that you spent most of your time naked.  But the idea of a nice formal gown appealed to her, and she forgot about being concerned about the price.

"Is that about right, Nina?" IO asked her.

"Yes, that's right."

IO smiled.  "A simple matter.  I'll just need to get some measurements from you.  Could you remove your dress and stand over there?" he said pointing at the center of the room.

Nina flushed.  "Er, I can just tell you my measurements."

"Nonsense.  How can I create for you if I don't know what shape you are?" IO asked, digging a tape measure from a pocket.  Actually, his expert eye had already taken most of the measurements he needed, as the simple dress Nina wore did little to hide her excellent figure.  But there were always a few more.

"Couldn't I just look in a catalog?" Nina said, knowing that to remove the dress meant getting naked again.

"You insult me, Nina.  If that is what you want, then you might as well go to that monstrosity of a Mall next door!"

"Nina," Helen whispered, "what the hell are you doing?  Do you know how many women would sell their children to be where you are right now?"

Nina looked from one to the other and back, her panic rising.  "It's just that...that...I...I don't have...anything on under the dress."

Helen looked shocked for a second, the stifled a giggle.  "Nina, don't tell me you're going commando!"

Nina blushed and nodded, and Helen began to laugh.

IO on the other hand just looked bored.  "That really doesn't matter, Nina, if your underwear had gotten in the way, I would have asked you to remove it anyway.  Now come on, lose the dress and let me measure you!"

Helen calmed down and also urged Nina to do it.  So Nina carefully undid the strap around her neck and let the dress fall to the floor.  Once again she was naked among strangers.

Helen blushed a little, amazed that her new friend was so casual about her body that she went out wearing just one item of clothing.  Then, looking at Nina's athletic build, Helen figured why not, if she looked like that!

Nina, blushing from head to toe, padded to the center of the room and stood still while IO measured her.  His hands, throughout the course of the measurements, found their way into almost every nook and cranny, yet Nina was relieved to find out that not once did IO seem touch her without good reason.  He took no opportunities to feel her up that she could tell.

He measured her standing, sitting and reaching in various directions, and after a while Nina grew comfortable with her nudity once more.  It was only when she made occasional eye contact with Helen that she became aware of how naked she was.  She fervently hoped that Helen would keep her mouth shut about all this at work.

It was as IO was finishing up that Dorothy stepped into the room.  She gave the nude girl a complete once over then didn't look at her again.  "Your 9 pm is here, Mr. IO," she said before departing.

IO ignored her and got his last measurement.  "Very good, Nina.  I'll have the first work suit ready for you in a week, and you can come try it on."

"Er...don't I get a say in how it looks?" Nina asked.

"TRUST me!" IO said, holding her hands.  He smiled and Nina smiled back.  "Very good.  Now I have another client waiting.  The two of you can exit through the other door."  IO escorted the two lovely ladies to another curtained doorway and through a steel door he closed behind them.  It was only then that Nina realized what had happened.

"Didn't you pick up my dress?" Nina said to Helen.

Helen looked shocked.  "I'm sorry, I didn't even think!"  She tried the door but it was locked.  It didn't even have a handle for entry.  The two women were in a small anteroom, and through a tinted glass door they could see the parking lot.

"Shit," Helen said, "I'm sorry!"

"I NEED my dress, I can't go home like this!" Nina said.  But in the back of her mind, she knew she had already made this journey naked before, but that was in full darkness in an enclosed car, not in daylight or what was left of it, and in a convertible.

"Tell you what," said Helen, "I'll go around front and get Dorothy to go in and get your dress.  You wait here!"

"Thanks, Helen, like I could do anything else."

Helen grinned, and went out the other door.

Now Nina was alone, and for the first time felt the full vulnerability of her position.  She was naked in a strange place, with no one she knew, no means of dressing or getting home.  For all she knew Helen might just run off and leave her here, laughing at her the next day at work.  Nina doubted she could handle the humiliation.

She thought, if push came to shove, that she might risk a run to the front of the store itself, but didn't want to do that.  There was also the possibility of crossing the street to see Mr. Diotelli, but she was even less enthusiastic about THAT plan.

Nina's panic was just about to rise when she spotted Helen's car pull close up by the outside door.  Helen jumped out and came in.

"The bitch won't let me in!" Helen said.

"What?"  Nina asked, not believing her ears.

"She won't let me in, and she won't go get your dress.  Says IO is in an important meeting and she can't interrupt."

"But...I'm naked.  Do you have anything I can wrap up in?"

"Sorry, no.  Look, it'll be okay.  Once we're out of the shopping district, it's empty highway most of the way back."

"You're not suggesting I ride back naked are you?" Nina said, knowing in her heart that was indeed what was going to happen.

"No other way, Honey.  The Mall just closed, so we can't buy you anything else to wear.  We can do it!"

"We can't!"

Helen looked down.  "Tell you what.  How about this," she said after a moment.  Helen began fumbling at the fasteners of her dress and Nina watched amazed as her friend began to undress.  Under her sundress she was topless, but she wore sensible panties which she slowly removed until she too stood naked.  Helen was blushing furiously, but she stood with her arms at her sides.

"What are you doing?"  Nina asked.

"Now we're even.  We take the same risk.  I'll stay naked until we get to your place and then I'll dress for the trip back to mine.  I have to say I'm pretty...impressed with your...ease, in being naked.  It surprised me at the house, and I never thought you would really strip down here for IO.  But you did and...well...I admire your strength."

Nina didn't know what to say.  "Er..."

"It's okay.  So...shall we go?  A quick run to the car and we're out of here!"

Nina nodded and a moment later, after peeking into the parking lot, two nude attractive females made a dash to the car, jumping in like the 'Dukes of Hazzard', before speeding off into the emptying streets.

Only a few cars saw them, the drivers honking their horns and grinning, which made both girls cringe a little.  But they soon relaxed and even started waving back.

Their hearts didn't slow down though, until they reached the main gate of the Cook residence, and it seemed forever before the gate opened.  Helen gunned the engine and didn't stop until they pulled up in front of the house.

Nina was glad to be home and got out of the car as Brian Cook came out to greet them.  He raised his eyebrows at seeing Nina naked, and was very surprised to see Helen crouched in the driver's seat trying to shield her own nude body with her arms.

"Dare I ask?" he said, looking from one young woman to the other.

Helen and Nina exchanged a grin.  "I'll tell you all about it inside, Sir," Nina said, and she guided her host indoors so her new friend could get dressed.

As they went inside, Nina found herself happy about one thing.  Her friend's action had assured her that no one at work would find out about this incident, and Nina was also glad to have a friend who would do something like that for her.

In the end, it had not been a bad trip after all!
 
 
 
 

End of Part 7.