Rachel stared in silent resignation at the one-page financial summary on her desk. This was not what she needed on a Thursday morning.
“Any questions?” Michael asked.
Rachel brushed a strand of brown hair away from her face, adjusted her glasses, and glanced across the desk at her accountant. “No, it’s pretty clear where things stand with my shop.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel,” Michael replied. “I wish I had better news for you. I wouldn’t say it’s hopeless, but it’ll be tough to dig out of this hole.”
Rachel nodded. “Yeah, I know. How about more financing to get us by?”
Michael shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s no longer an option. It’s just too risky for the banks. And I wouldn’t recommend digging any deeper anyway.” He paused and cleared his throat. “It may be time to consider cutting your losses.”
Rachel silently stood, opened the door to her small back office, and gestured to the racks of lingerie in her shop. Customers browsed the skimpy merchandise as her two employees circulated among them.
“Velvet Vixens is not shutting down, Michael,” she said, surveying the shop. “Find a way to fix this. I don’t care what it takes.”
Michael stood and picked up his briefcase. “Sure, Rachel. No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
Rachel turned to him and smiled. “Thank you. That’s all I ask.”
Michael nodded, exited the office, and disappeared into the mall. Rachel sighed. Her accountant was a miracle worker, but this mess may be beyond his powers.
In the evening, after the mall had closed and her employees had left for the night, Rachel spun around slowly in the center of her shop. She had to admit her selection was exquisite, far better than the national chain stores. And her customers were fiercely loyal. There just weren’t enough of them.
Rachel shook her head. It couldn’t end like this. Something had to happen to turn things around. Velvet Vixens needed a lifeline.
“Excuse me,” called a male voice from the shop entrance. “Are you Rachel Flynn?”
Rachel turned to find a slight and disheveled man in a tweed blazer and jeans looking at her expectantly. She raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, but the mall is closed. How did you get in—”
“Unimportant,” he interrupted. “At least compared to what I’m about to propose. I’m Jasper Holloway.”
Rachel stared at him blankly.
“The, umm, scientist,” Jasper added.
Rachel shook her head. “Sorry, doesn’t ring a bell.”
Jasper frowned. “Oh, I see. So much for my grand entrance. I guess I’ll skip to the good part.” He cleared his throat. “Your shop is on the verge of failure. You need a miracle to keep it going. I am that miracle.”
Rachel laughed. “First of all, Jasper, where did you get that information? And, secondly, how the hell are you a miracle? Is this somebody’s idea of a joke?”
Jasper smiled. “I assure you I’m not joking. I would never joke about someone’s livelihood. Honestly, it would be easier if I just showed you.”
Rachel shrugged. “Okay, fine. Show me.”
“Not here,” Jasper replied. “We’ll have to go to my lab.”
Against her better judgment, Rachel nodded. “Fine. Where’s that? I hope it’s not far.”
“Only a few miles. I’ll drive.”
Ten minutes later, Jasper pulled up outside a rundown warehouse in the industrial part of town.
“Well,” he announced, “this is it.”
“Seriously?” Rachel replied. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Not at all. Follow me.”
Jasper exited the car, unlocked a steel door, and motioned Rachel inside. She shrugged. She’d come this far. She might as well see what this weirdo had to show her. She stepped out of the car and into the darkened warehouse. Jasper followed and switched on the lights.
Rachel’s jaw dropped. The size of a basketball court, the warehouse interior was spotless white, a stark contrast to the building’s worn facade. Racks of servers filled one half of the floor while the other half was empty—well, mostly. Standing apart from the racks was an eight-foot-long telescope on a tripod. Thick cables snaked from the barrel and meandered among the racks.
“Wow,” she whispered, in awe of the sight. “What is all that?”
Jasper pointed at the telescope. “That, Rachel, is a molecular transducer. Everything else you see is the equipment that runs it.”
“What does it do?” Rachel asked.
“As it turns out,” Jasper replied with a grin, “I have a demonstration for you. Our subject should be here momentarily.”
The outside door opened ten seconds later, and a stunning young redhead in a yellow sundress entered. She smiled at them as she approached.
“Hey, Jasper!” she exclaimed. “This must be Rachel.”
“Indeed, Caitlin,” Jasper replied. “You ready to go?”
“You know it! Just give me a moment here.”
Caitlin kicked off her sandals and pulled the dress over her head, tossing it aside. She was fully nude.
Rachel’s eyes opened wide. “Umm, I’m not sure what sort of business you’re running here, but this is—”
“Perfectly normal,” Jasper finished. “Please let us proceed with our demonstration.”
Rachel rolled her eyes and shrugged. “Sure, why not? Go ahead.”
Caitlin walked over and stood ten feet in front of the transducer. Jasper approached the device and pulled a small tablet from his coat pocket. He tapped a few times, and the machine hummed as the barrel glowed orange. He glanced at Caitlin, who nodded in return. She stood with her left foot slightly ahead of the right, her left arm hanging loosely, and her right hand on her hip. Jasper tapped once more on his tablet.
An orange energy beam emerged from the end of the transducer and struck Caitlin between her bare breasts. Ten seconds later, the beam switched off.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Cool laser show, but what did that accomplish?”
“I’ll show you,” Jasper replied, waving her over to Caitlin. “Come closer.”
They both approached the still-motionless naked woman. As Rachel drew closer, she noticed a glossy appearance on Caitlin’s skin. And a vacant look in her eyes. Jasper rapped on Caitlin’s abdomen, eliciting a hollow sound.
Rachel’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit! You turned her into a fucking mannequin! How is this even possible?”
“Through the magic of molecular transduction!” Jasper exclaimed with a smile. “The device converted every molecule in her body into plastic.”
Rachel walked around the newly-created mannequin, examining her from all sides. She looked into Caitlin’s unfocused eyes and nodded.
“This is incredible, but why are you showing me?”
“Imagine using Caitlin here as a mannequin at Velvet Vixens, along with seven equally gorgeous women. Do you think that’d get people’s attention?”
Rachel thought for a moment and nodded. “It certainly would. She’s extraordinarily detailed and, umm, anatomically correct.”
Jasper grinned. “Consider it done. I’ll deliver them tomorrow evening after closing and help you set them up for a Saturday unveiling.”
“Wait a second,” Rachel said. “Is this permanent? Can you change her back?”
Jasper nodded. “Oh, yes. I can restore her any time. I’ll show you.”
The pair backed away from Caitlin’s mannequin as Jasper tapped again on his tablet. This time, a blue beam emitted from the transducer. Ten seconds later, Caitlin stretched and smiled.
“So,” she remarked, “are we a go for Saturday?”
Jasper turned to Rachel and waited. The science and ethics of what she had just witnessed were murky at best. On the other hand, this bizarre contraption could be the lifeline she needed. Rachel shrugged and nodded.
“Sure, why not? I have nothing to lose, after all.”
Jasper rubbed his palms together. “Wonderful! I’ll see you tomorrow after closing.”
“Okay, sounds good.” Rachel paused. “Can I, uh, get a ride back to the mall? My car’s there.”
“Of course!” Jasper replied. “Right this way.”
Rachel nodded to Caitlin. “See you soon, I guess.” She paused. “Quick question: what does it feel like?”
Caitlin smiled. “A pleasant warmth followed by nothing.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Nothing?”
“Right. I have no recollection of my time as a mannequin. It feels instantaneous no matter how long I’m transformed.”
Rachel nodded. “Interesting. Well, see you tomorrow.”
“Wouldn’t miss it!” the nude woman exclaimed with a grin.
Leaving Caitlin behind, Jasper and Rachel headed out into the night.
At closing time on Friday, Rachel bid her employees a pleasant evening and waited for Jasper. She started thinking he’d flaked out when she heard footsteps outside. Sure enough, Jasper appeared a few seconds later.
“Sorry I’m a tad late,” he began. “It took a bit longer than expected to mannequinize all eight of our subjects.”
“That’s no problem,” Rachel replied. “So, where are they?”
“In a truck outside. Come on. You can help me carry them in.”
A minute later, Rachel stood behind Jasper as he opened the back doors of a delivery truck. Inside was an unusual sight: eight nude women in stiletto heels strapped securely to the walls. Rachel immediately noticed Caitlin standing near the door on the right, staring blankly into space. The other seven mannequins were a mix of races and hair colors.
“Wow,” Rachel remarked. “You have the naked United Nations in here. Where are these ladies from?”
“Well,” Jasper began, “in terms of heritage, Caitlin is Irish. The other women here are Dutch, Italian, Moroccan, Kenyan, Japanese, Indian, and Brazilian. I’m sorry I forgot to take your order at the lab last night, so I assembled a variety pack for you. I hope that’s all right.”
Rachel laughed. “Yes, of course. I love the diversity.”
Jasper smiled. “I’m so glad to hear that! Shall we get them inside?”
“Absolutely.”
Jasper stepped into the back of the truck and unstrapped Caitlin before lifting her effortlessly and handing her to Rachel. Rachel took hold of the nude woman and lowered her slowly to the ground.
“Wow!” she exclaimed. “Caitlin is shockingly light. She can’t be more than twenty-five pounds.”
“Oh, yes,” Jasper replied. “They’re all hollow. It’s part of the transduction process. It also means we can each carry two at a time.”
Jasper handed Rachel a Japanese woman before taking hold of the Moroccan and Kenyan by the hips under each arm.
“Just carry them like this,” he instructed.
Rachel nodded. “Got it. Lead the way.”
Ten minutes later, after a second trip to the truck, all eight mannequins stood in a line outside Velvet Vixens. Rachel nodded in appreciation.
“They look even more stunning under the lights.”
“Indeed they do,” Jasper replied. “So, I’m here to help, but this is your shop. You let me know how to dress them and where to place them.”
“Oh, right, of course. I’ll go grab some lingerie for these ladies to wear.”
Jasper and Rachel worked silently until all eight mannequins were adorned in a stunning mix of bras, panties, chemises, teddies, babydolls, and negligees. Caitlin was rocking a green fishnet bodystocking that set off her fiery mane perfectly. With her plastic nipples poking through and a shock of red pubic hair on full display below, the scandalous garment left nothing to the imagination.
“They all look fantastic, but Caitlin is sexy as hell!” exclaimed Rachel. “Let’s put her and those three in the front window. We’ll set up the other four on the platforms among the racks.
Jasper nodded. “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”
Soon, all the mannequins were in place. Rachel and Jasper stood outside the shop and gazed at Caitlin and her friends in the window.
“These ladies are the epitome of velvet vixens,” Rachel remarked. “I can’t wait until tomorrow morning!”
“I’m glad you’re excited. I am, too. I’ll probably stop by later in the day to see how things are going.”
“All right.” Rachel paused. “Oh, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How long can they remain mannequins?”
Jasper smiled. “Theoretically speaking, they’ll remain mannequins indefinitely until I reverse the process with the transducer. Practically speaking, they all signed up for a seven-day contract. Don’t worry, though. I’ll have another batch ready to replace them.”
“You have a steady supply of women who want to be mannequins?”
“Yes, twenty-five so far. And don’t worry. I’m covering the modeling fees of these eight as a trial run, but we’ll need to discuss payment for your next group.”
“Right, of course. I appreciate the freebie.” Rachel rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait until tomorrow morning! This place will be swarming with customers. I can’t thank you enough, Jasper!”
“You’re quite welcome.” He offered a slight bow. “Until tomorrow.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.”
Copyright 2023 Olivia Quinn
Image by thank you for 💙 from Pixabay
Story notes
I’ve worked in some lingerie shops, so this story is my private fantasy come to life. I’ve long dreamed of being a mannequin, modeling scandalous undergarments for all to see and admire. If Jasper’s molecular transducer were real, I’d be first in line to be transformed and put on display in barely-there scraps of satin and lace. Would you join me?
Stay tuned for future installments of “Mannequin Dreams” in the coming weeks.
Article Tags: Female · Mannequin · Nudity · Sci-Fi · Volunteer
