I bit my lip at the thought and the growing desire to masturbate to the thought of my men naked in the showers was only turning me on more. I groaned and headed to the lockers to grab my stuff.
Ugh, I need a cold shower...and a vibrator.
"Yoshi, are you sure about this? This outfit probably doesn't look good on me."
"I have to see it to answer that, Crim. Come out," Yoshi encouraged.
I sighed and slowly stepped out from behind the divider of the store’s changing section to show Yoshi what I meant.
We were headed to the market section of Nokamato to try and get some information from the women who worked in those parts. Many of the women did maid and private services for men as their primary source of income.
I couldn't judge their choices because it was difficult to get a stable job. Unless you were a strong individual with magic or fighting skills, a regular job without higher education was almost impossible to obtain, and it was even harder for females. We hadn't reached a time where women were equal, but thanks to people like my mother and Storm Yuna's influence, things were beginning to change. It was just a matter of time before such change was universal.
Yoshi glanced up from the catalog he was thumbing through and his eyes grew wide. I glanced at the mirror on my left to see the finished look.
I was wearing an orange kimono designed with pink cherry blossoms. The ribbon around my waist was pink and formed a large bow at the back. The sleeves were long and outlined with white and the silk material of the kimono reached my ankles. My feet were in wooden-soled shoes known as geta, which were surprisingly comfortable despite their painful appearance.
I'd gotten my hair done at the salon next door. They had added black and silver extensions before putting my hair up in a ponytail accessorized with several orange, white and pink flowers.
My makeup was flawless with super-shock pink eyeshadow that was blended with a glittering orange, and a thin line of eyeliner that accented my eyes. It was topped off with some mascara, a light shade of pink blush, and a pink matte lipstick. I fit the style we were trying to go for, but I didn't think I was as perfect as the Japanese women in magazines.
Maybe it was the fact that I didn't dress up very often, so that when I did, I felt weird and out of place.
I realized Yoshi hadn't said anything while I was analyzing my appearance and I turned to see his flushed expression. When his eyes met mine, his cheeks grew redder and he looked away nervously.
"Do you like it?" I asked, unsure about his reaction.
Yoshi's sapphire eyes returned to take in my appearance from head to toe and I noticed the increase of gold lines in those bright irises that were dilated. He got to his feet and moved over to me, giving me a second to appreciate his perfect appearance.
He wore a blue kimono with gold cranes patterned across the bottom portion. His hair was tied in a bun. His gold silk belt was tied off using black rope in the front. He wore a sword to his side and he also had on geta shoes like me, but in black.
He stood before me and his expression softened as a dazzling smile formed on his smooth, pink lips. He lifted his hands to cradle my face as he looked down at me.
"You're so beautiful, Crimson."
His words were so husky and seductive that I almost forgot to breathe. I never knew a compliment could have such an effect on me until now.
He leaned down and ever so gently pressed his lips to mine. The kiss ended just as quickly and he grinned down at me as I pouted, unable to hide my disappointment.
"I'll ruin your lipstick if I were to kiss you like I really wanted, Crim," he purred and again, I had to tell my brain to focus and attempt to calm my racing heart.
"I suppose that’s a valid excuse...for now," I mumbled.
Yoshi chuckled, pressing his hands on my shoulders and motioned for me to face the mirror. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "What do you see, Crim?"
"Um. Well me...and you, in super fancy clothing and well, you’re really hot," I said the last part by accident, mentally cursing myself and my brain that was dealing with 'attractive overload syndrome.’
"Thank you, but you're missing one thing," he pointed out.
"I am? What did I miss?" I looked back at our reflection and analyzing each aspect of my appearance.
"You didn't acknowledge the strong and stunning woman in the mirror that I get the pleasure of sharing the evening with," Yoshi whispered. His lips pressed against my neck as his hands slid from my shoulders to settle on my waist.
I let out a soft moan and closed my eyes.
"Yoshi...we're in public," I reminded, my voice barely audible.
"I'm aware, Crim. But you're making it hard." The words were a breath against my flesh.
I wish these men knew how they affected me. Their soft kisses and loving natures were making it hard for me to take things slow. It's not like I wanted to move slow, but I was afraid to fuck something up with this new type of relationship.
His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into an embrace.
"Tonight, I want you to enjoy yourself. Don't think about it as a job, but more like a date, and most importantly, try to have fun."
I opened my eyes to meet his gaze in the mirror and nodded. "Hai."
He pulled away, but waited for me to turn around before he offered his hand and gave me a half bow.
"Will you enjoy a pleasant evening with me, my Crimstorm?" Yoshi asked politely.
I loved that he used my nickname which I felt represented me better than my surname. "I'd be honored," I replied, placing my hand in his as we shared a look.
"Let's enjoy tonight," he encouraged with a smile.
"I'll get us something to drink," Yoshi announced.
I nodded and watched him walk away to the food booths. I looked up at the starry sky and took a moment to admire the beautiful lanterns and lights decorating the marketplace.
I'd never come down to the markets during the night and never expected it to be as lively as it was during the day. Woman of all ages roamed the streets in groups or with their companions in similar traditional attire, ranging from kimonos to two-piece suits in a similar silky material.
The time had flown by and we had already been there for three hours without any issues. I had noticed the tension in the air, however. I could feel the nervous atmosphere that lingered throughout the marketplace and it was hard to not let it affect the mood.
I was glad Yoshi was with me tonight because he made me feel safe. His presence along with his hand that was either grasping mine or relaxed on my waist when we stopped to window shop, made me feel more at ease. But I could see why many of the women tried to huddle in groups and stay close to one another. Even the obvious prostitutes stood in groups of three or four, even if they knew only one of them would be able to snag a good companion for the night.
I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. I noticed a few men staring in my direction, but I did my best to ignore them. Yoshi would return before long and I had hidden a knife and a pair of swords behind my bow just in case.
This could have been a part of Yoshi's plan to study everyone’s behavior and look for suspicious activity and I just had to try and roll with it.
I opened my eyes to see a beautiful woman approach me. "Is this spot taken?" she asked softly.
I shook my head. "Nope, it’s free." I gave her a sweet smile. She smiled and sat down next to me. She looked to be about 6'1" and had long light brown hair. Her eyes were black, but they didn't look like her natural eye color and I suspected she had on contacts. She wore a gold kimono with white lilies. Her hair was curled and left down which complimented her oval face and heart-shaped lips that were adorned with clear gloss.
She noticed my curious gaze and smiled. "You shouldn't sit alone for too long in these parts," she said in a hushed tone.
I smiled, looking back at the group of men that appeared irritated by this woman's new arrival. "I agree with you. I didn't think my boyfriend would take so long," I confessed.
"I’m Melody," she introduced.