Window Display Ch. 02

[Author's note: Carine, desperate to keep her modelling career afloat, has taken a very unusual job. She's agreed to become a suspended-animation living mannequin in a high-end fashion boutique. Carine wanted the exposure and the fame... what could possibly go wrong?]

---

Carine decided to arrive in the heels. Short skirt, floaty blouse, dark hair secured artfully in a butterfly clip, just a hint of colouring around her ice-blue eyes, as if she wasn't really trying. She wanted Walker Terrin to understand the bargain she was getting, having Carine on show for six months in her shop window. In the early morning hush, the click of her heels echoed through the empty mall.

She'd given Telia the keys to her apartment, and her phone, and her wallet. It had felt surreal, standing in her best friend's doorway watching Telia nodding blearily as Carine handed her life over to her in the early morning light. Telia had given her a big hug, and then Carine had gone down onto the street to meet the car that had been sent for her by Walker. She had sat there in silence, acutely aware that she had nothing but the clothes that she was wearing: every other part of her life was packed up in storage, like she already didn't exist.

Carine came to a halt in front of a large glass window. In the distance, someone was working a floor cleaner, the only sound in the shiny, cavernous space. The contract was for six months, to be in suspended animation and dressed in designer fashion from a legend in the industry. She would be on display in Walker's window, but frozen, unable to see or hear or feel or think. The suspension device would activate and then in the blink of an eye, it would be six months later and Carine would be famous.

There was movement within the shop, and the doors opened.

"Carine, good to see you."

Carine blinked, roused from her reverie. Walker Terrin strode towards her, holding out a hand. Carine shook it, noting the firm grip. Walker's wrist jingled with silver bracelets, a counterpoint to the colourful silk top she was wearing. Tight black pants complemented the outfit, showing off the body of a woman fifteen years older than her but still as trim as a woman in her twenties.

Her blonde hair was gathered back, clear of a face that made Carine stop and stare: high cheekbones, almond eyes, full lips. Walker had worked hard to maintain her image.

"I... I was just admiring your latest collection," Carine stammered, unnerved by her proximity to the legendary designer. She nodded towards the display window.

Walker turned, smiling. "Yes. But that's all about to change isn't it?"

"How?"

Walker's attention flicked back to Carine, and Carine found herself staring into the older woman's beautiful eyes. "You, Carine."

"Me?"

"I've picked out something fabulous for you to be wearing."

Carine glanced nervously back at the window. There were two mannequins in short dresses, posed as if at a cocktail function. Her stomach flipped. "Uh, there?"

"That's the plan, darling. Front and centre. That's why I had you come so early, we need to make sure you're perfect for opening time."

Walker opened the doors again, holding them open expectantly. Carine took one last look at the mannequins on display, her pulse racing. Six months, suspended in the front of Walker's boutique, with all the very best people passing by every day. She would be seen by everyone, but she wouldn't be aware of it. She hoped that Telia would at least video her and show her afterwards. But, if everything went to plan, there would be dozens of videos online. Carine's exposure problem would be solved, and she would pop back into the world with six months' salary in her bank account and a string of modelling assignments. She nodded to Walker and strode purposefully into the store.

Inside, there was a small pile of clothing on a stool.

"Did you want to use the changing rooms or change here?" Walker asked her.

"Uh, what would you normally do?"

"We'd dress the mannequins in the window, but you're a different proposition. No-one cares about a mannequin with no clothes on."

"I can change here, then, I guess you can show me where you want me to stand."

"Sounds good. Otherwise I'd have to lift you and I'm not sure I can be bothered with that. Sounds too much like manual labour," Walker laughed.

It was a musical sound, and it dispelled the little knot of tension in Carine's stomach. Walker Terrin wasn't the dread figure Carine had imagined after all, the iconoclast forging her way through the ruthless landscape of high fashion. The real woman was warm and personable, and, Carine acknowledged silently, sexy. Not a girl, like Anna or any of Carine's previous partners, but a woman, assured in her manner, in control of her life.

She felt a little thrill as she said, "I can just strip here, there's nobody around except you."

"If you want," Walker replied, her face giving nothing away.

Carine stepped out of her heels, suddenly shorter than Walker. She tried to remember something she'd read recently, about an incident in Walker's private life that had made the headlines. Her husband? Yes, that was it. A messy divorce. She instinctively checked Walker's fingers and didn't see a wedding ring.

Carine unbuttoned her top, trying to remain businesslike as she stripped naked in front of the older woman. Walker picked a dress up from the stool and was smoothing it out. She glanced over at Carine, who was unzipping her skirt to reveal a matching set of lace briefs and bra.

Walker frowned. "Can you go without? It's a plunging v-neck."

"Uh, I guess." Carine reached behind herself and unhooked her bra, peeling it off. She resisted the urge to cross her arms over her bare breasts in front of the older woman; she wanted to remain professional.

Walker glanced at her breasts, and then smiled. "Oh, I remember those days."

"What days?"

"When the girls sat where you left them. Me topless is not such a pretty sight. I thought we'd need to tape you up or something for support, but you'll be just fine."

"Okay."

"Not an issue with mannequins. They're moulded into shape. You good without the panties too? I'm not sure how this works, but I'd imagine your body isn't going to be doing anything, uh, biologically, while you're suspended."

Carine looked down at her lacy briefs. "I guess not."

She pulled her panties down, stepping out of them, revealing her neatly-trimmed crotch. Walker tutted.

"What's the matter?" Carine asked, abashed.

"That's good for now, but I'm doing swimwear in a month. Do you have any objection if we tidy up down there?"

Carine could feel her cheeks colouring, but there was a hint of amusement in Walker's tone that made the awkward moment a little more bearable.

"I guess not."

"Again, not an issue with mannequins. They're always bare."

"I can go bare if you need me to. I'm good with that."

"We'll see. It depends on what I dress you in."

Walker was matter-of-fact about it, but it made Carine squirm. She was now standing nude in the middle of Walker's boutique, imagining being shaved by the elegant woman in front of her. She was imagining Walker's fingers on her outer lips, delicately guiding the razor over her crotch. She had to fight very hard not to think about Walker's fingers venturing further, perhaps parting her, perhaps slipping inside. But, Carine couldn't help it, stripped naked in front of her. She bit her lip unconsciously.

"Let's get you dressed," Walker told her, breaking the spell.

Carine took the dress and slid it down, over her bare skin, letting Walker fasten it up at the back and tug out the wrinkles. It was a breatiful dark blue piece, and as promised, the plunging v-neck exposed her chest almost to her navel.

"Shoes."

Walker passed her a pair of four-inch patent-leather stiletto heels, shiny under the shop lights. Carine stepped into them and was suddenly aware that she was looking down on Walker.

"How do they feel?" Walker asked.

Carine took a few steps, then stopped. "Fine, but I guess it doesn't matter. It isn't like I'm going anywhere."

Walker laughed again. "Just as far as the window."

Carine hesitated, looking around. "Is, uh, is that it then?"

Walker shrugged. "I guess. Do you want to make one last phone call?"

"Did you want me to do my hair, or...?"

"I can do that once you're in place. I want to see you in situ before I decide the look. Ready?"

Carine knew that she was stalling. She turned towards the window, to the other two figures already dressed there. There was a space between them that she hadn't noticed before, a place for a third figure to stand until the display was changed in a month and they went to swimwear. It felt surreal, like it was all happening to someone else.

"Ready?" Walker asked again.

Carine didn't answer, but she took a step towards the glass, feeling the cocktail dress wrapping tightly around her body. She could feel her nakedness underneath, the feeling of being stripped away to nothing. She took up position between the two mannequins and raised her hair to expose the back of her neck. She peeled back the skin-tone patch over the little square embedded there, and waited to blink out of existence.

Cool fingers touched her neck and she shivered, then nothing.

Carine stood there, waiting. The same image was going through her head, of those cool fingers touching the little square and freezing her, then drifting down her body, over her firm rear, around her hip, into the little valley between her thighs, pressing the fabric of the dress, exploring her. She imagined her helpless, frozen body on display, being stroked by the older woman, like Florence had done to Carine in the club as she stood oblivious in her tight silver dress. Carine felt herself dampening at the thought of being Walker's plaything.

Instead the fingers retreated. Puzzled, Carine turned to ask Walker if anything was wrong.

Or, at least she tried to turn.

Fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her arm down by her side, letting her hair fall back over her neck. Carine tried to move her mouth, but it was locked in place. Her hair clip was removed and fingers raked through her hair, settling it around her shoulders. Carine attempted to raise her arms, but she couldn't. Her expression should have been showing her growing alarm, but instead her face remained calm and serene. She tried to turn her head, willing her body to move even a fraction, but she remained completely frozen in place. She stared at her reflection in the glass, seeing a beautiful young woman gazing back at her as if nothing was wrong. The face was unmoving, unconcerned, even as the mind within raced.

Walker continued to arrange her, posing her body, moving Carine's limbs effortlessly, but Carine was held implacably in place. She began to panic, trying to work out a way to signal to the other woman that the device had malfunctioned, but her eyes stared straight out at her reflection. They didn't even blink.

Carine realised that she wasn't taking little panicked breaths. Her chest had stopped rising and falling, but she was keenly aware of the other woman's touch. Her thoughts spiralled. This wasn't like Tony's office, like how it was supposed to work. It wasn't like the club either, when Florence had frozen her.

Florence. Oh shit: Florence, sucking the spilled champagne off her wet fingers and then touching the little square on the back of Carine's neck.

Walker moved around the display, adjusting the other mannequins. Other? Carine stopped herself, as the realisation dawned: she was a mannequin now, somehow still able to think and see and hear. She was still able to feel. But, either the malfunctioning control unit gave out and released her or she'd have to wait until someone turned the suspended animation field off.

Six months from now.

Two women walked by, and then stopped. They stared at her. They were dressed for work, probably assistants in another boutique. Carine felt their eyes on her body, taking in the sight of a woman who had allowed herself to be turned into a display centrepiece.

Oh no, Carine thought: six months. Stared at, dressed, undressed, posed for six months, and all the time aware of it, unable to even close her eyes.

Deep inside her frozen body, Carine's core burned at the idea of it.

---

[Next chapter: the store opens and Carine brings in the crowds. But, she also has to deal with Magda, the store manager, who seems less than pleased with the latest attraction in the window.

Follow me for updates to this and my other stories. If you like what you read, please leave a comment or a star rating. Constructive feedback is always welcome. If you want further adventures, or to check out my other stories, my story page is here]