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Karen's Sweaterboy
Part 1

Karen Myers had worked in the women's wear section of the department 
store for almost ten years.  During this time she had learned to 
recognize the signs.  It wasn't just a man looking around on his own.  
That happened frequently.  And it wasn't just the evidence of his 
nervousness.  That also was very common.  Rather, it was the lingering 
over certain items -- giving too much attention.  Karen had seen some 
men act this way around lingerie, around shoes, and, like the young man 
she was watching now, around the numerous colors, styles, textures, and 
materials of sweaters that were featured in the autumn display.  Karen 
and the other saleswomen would tell each other stories of watching these 
men and surprising them.  But there was something about them that Karen 
liked.  She thought their interests were rather sweet -- and certainly 
harmless.  This young man in particular seemed so vulnerable as he gazed 
intently at some of the sweaters.  He could not be more than twenty, 
thought Karen.  Perfect for what she had in mind.

Quietly, she glided over behind him.  He was looking at a table 
containing piles of thick, oversized, cowl-neck angora pullovers.

"Can I help you" she suddenly asked.

The young man startled.  Karen smiled, realizing how deep his reverie 
had been.

"I .. I was just looking for something for my girlfriend." he replied.

"Oh, she must be very lucky.  These are certainly very pretty.  First, 
let me get your name."

"Michael" the young man replied.

"Well, Michael, have you decided on what you want for her, or can I help 
you look around?"

"I'm .. I guess .. well, I'm not sure yet." he stammered.

"Well that's fine" Karen continued.  "Here, let me help.  I assume 
you're looking for something nice and warm and soft for her to wear on 
chilly days, is that right?"

"Yes, that's exactly it."

"There are a lot of possibilities" Karen said, as she pointed to the 
many tables piled high with sweaters.  "Now, these that you're looking 
at are certainly attractive, don't you think.  They're very soft, you 
know.  Angora wool.  Here, feel this mauve one.  That's it.  Feel how 
soft and thick it is.  Mmm.  You can't  imagine how nice something like 
that feels against your skin!  Women love that you know.  Hold it up and 
feel it against your face.  Isn't that wonderful."

As Michael felt the softness of the sweater and touched its sleeve 
against his face, Karen could see that her judgment about him was 
correct.  He was totally entranced by the look and feel of the pullover, 
and Karen could tell that his mind was fully focused on the sweater and 
that his pulse was already quickening from the experience.  Oh yes, 
thought Karen, this one will be easy.

In a soft voice, Karen continued to talk to the young man in front of 
her who was so obviously enraptured by the sensuality of feeling the 
soft femininity of the angora pullover. "That's it", she almost 
whispered, "just feel its softness.  Hold it up and look how pretty the 
cowl neck is.  Can't you just imagine how pretty a woman would look in 
that.  And now hold it up against yourself.  See how long and oversized 
it is.  A woman could wear that with nothing else on at all.  So --" she 
now interjected in a more normal tone of voice, "would you like to buy 
that one?  Or shall we look at some of the other colors in this style.  
Here, how about this creamy white one, or this soft pink over here?"

As she showed Michael some of the other pullovers on the table, she 
could see that he was almost overwhelmed with the experience, and was 
hardly aware of his surrounding except for the sensations of the 
sweaters and the sounds of her voice.  Spying one of the other 
saleswomen, Karen gave her the look that meant "I've got one here."  In 
a moment there was a group of three of the other women who worked in 
that section watching from a short distance as Karen proceeded to show 
Michael other sweaters that he might want to buy.  Michael was oblivious 
to the attention he was receiving from the other saleswomen, but Karen 
kept glancing over, and soon noticed that Janet, one of the new "temps", 
had joined the group.  Janet was a  pretty young girl who was a freshman 
at the local community college.  She had heard the other women talking a 
few times about some of the men they would see who had a fascination 
with types of women's clothing.  She thought it was all quite funny, and 
had asked the others to tell her the next time something like that 
occurred.

By this time, Karen and Michael had moved to a table of mohair 
cardigans.  Janet made her way over to where they were standing, and 
just as Karen was showing Michael an incredibly fluffy pink mohair with 
large pink buttons, Janet made her entrance.  "Hello", she said, "I 
thought I might be able to help a little too."  Michael startled at 
hearing her voice, and looked at Karen, almost as if for reassurance.  
Karen smiled and welcomed Janet, and mentioned that it might be helpful 
to get the perspective of someone right around the age of Michael's 
"girlfriend."

"Oh, that one is just gorgeous" commented Janet.  "I can't imagine that 
any girl wouldn't want something as soft and luxurious as that.  You 
know what.  I just got an idea.  Why don't I try this on so you can see 
how it would look on a girl.  Unbutton it for me Michael, and then I can 
put it on."

Michael seemed almost daze by this point, and took a moment to start 
doing as he'd been told..  He fumbled a bit with the buttons, but 
finally got them all open and handed the sweater to Janet.  Janet was 
wearing a white turtleneck already.  As Michael watched intently, she 
slowly slipped her arms into the sweater, pulled it on herself, then 
buttoned it up from bottom to top.  "Mmm" she commented, as she wrapped 
her own arms around herself, "this is SO cuddly.  Doesn't it look 
comfy!"

Michael was speechless.  With a laugh, Karen said to Janet "I think he's 
going to buy this one too.  Let's put it with the cream pullover that he 
picked out already. "

As Janet removed the sweater she turned to Michael with another 
suggestion.  "You know what is really popular these days - soft, tight 
sweater sets.  That layered sweatered look is really in - and really 
warm and" with a laugh and a whisper "really sexy.  Let's go take a look 
at our lambswool sweater sets over there on that table next to the 
wall."

Michael acted almost as if he was  hypnotized.  He followed in a trance 
to where the lambswool sweater sets were neatly folded, organized by 
style (cardigan and pullover) and color.

"Oh my goodness" gushed Janet, "these are so beautiful!  Don't you think 
so Michael.  To me, there is nothing I like the feel of better than a 
nice snug deliciously soft sweater set with nothing on underneath!  What 
do you think Michael?  Isn't this baby blue set just adorable.  Layers 
of softness.  And the pullover just hugs a woman's body nice and close.  
Oh, and look at the pretty blue pearl buttons.  I think he should buy a 
couple of sets of these, don't you  Karen!"

"Oh, certainly" laughed Karen.  "I'm sure his girlfriend will look so 
pretty in them."

Looking over at Michael, Karen noticed that his breathing had become 
irregular, and his face was flushed.  He just nodded his head at 
everything that was said, and followed behind again as the two 
saleswomen took the different items that "he'd" selected - the 
cream-colored angora pullover, the pink mohair cardigan, the baby blue 
lambswool sweater set and a yellow lambswool sweater set - to the cash 
register.  Michael paid by credit card, took the bag of sweaters, and 
was about to leave the store when Karen walked over to him - startling 
him once again.

"Michael" she said, "Do you know what I think?  I think you don't have a 
girlfriend.  I think you just love women's sweaters and that once you 
were caught you felt you had no choice but to buy what we'd selected.  
That's true isn't it!"

Michael's mouth dropped open, and he started to stammer.

"N.. No. It isn't.  I ...."

"Oh, of course it's true" said Karen, in a more forceful voice now.  "Do 
you think you're the only young man I've ever caught here doing what you 
were doing?  There isn't anything wrong with being fascinated with 
women's clothes.  I, for one, love sweaters.  I love how they feel, and 
I love how they look on me.  Don't you think I'd look attractive in some 
of the sweaters you just bought for your supposed girlfriend?"

Michael was looking down by now, unable to make eye contact.  Karen took 
his face in her hand and made him look directly into her eyes.

"Well - answer me" Karen demanded.

"Y .. Yes.  You would look beautiful in them." whispered Michael, as he 
choked back tears.

"Well, I think you'd actually like to give them to me as a gift.  I know 
how you feel, Michael.  And I know what you want.  Here is my card.  It 
has my home phone number on it.  Give me a call.  I want you to come to 
my house.  I own a huge collection of sweaters.  If you visit me, I will 
let you add the sweaters you just bought to my collection, and I'll show 
you how they look on me.  Of course, I don't want anyone else wearing 
them first -- including you" she laughed as Michael blushed beet red. 
"But there is one more thing.  Before you call, I want you to buy 
another sweater set for me.  Buy me something in cashmere. I want a 
pullover and a long cardigan.  I love the feel of cashmere -- the 
softness, the way it hugs my body.  I'm sure you'd want me to have a 
sweater set like that wouldn't you!  Bring that with you when you visit 
and I'll let you give it to me as a gift."

And with that, Karen turned around and walked back to her section of the 
store - fully confident that Michael would be unable to resist the 
invitation she'd just extended.