I met my friend at the pool

Rewinding the clock a couple of hours before Nick and Kim engaged in some kinky discussions about the struggle of poverty, some of the folks in the hotel were dealing with actual issues in modern society.

Like not having a good swimsuit top that fit! Oh, the horror.

Dani was still only half-sure that she could trust Vivian’s judgment on this. Sure, she’d asked the heiress for help, due to Vivian’s rather extensive array of clothes, and the fact that, when one ignored that Dani’s chest was a little broader than most women her natural breasts were roughly the same size as Vivian’s, but that didn’t shake her concern over the very real possibility that Vivian would just…

Troll her.

Because she could.

A fact that left Dani very concerned about entrusting Vivian with the responsibility of picking out her clothes.

The ultimate deciding factor was that Vivian wasn’t stupid. Dani knew that the heiress knew that if she blew this opportunity, Dani would never trust her again with something like this in a million years, and Nick probably wouldn’t be happy to hear about it either. And while Vivian may have acted like she didn’t care what anyone else thought of her, Dani knew that wasn’t the case.

Vivian cared. She wanted people to like her. It was almost compulsive. So she would tease, she would make fun, she would even push Dani’s buttons if she thought she could get away with it, and though Dani couldn’t prove anything she was pretty sure that the heiress had copped a feel or two while measuring her.

But even with ALL THAT… Dani knew she wouldn’t cross the line. Professional pride aside, Vivian didn’t want to make enemies. She wanted to make friends. And helping Dani was the perfect way to go about doing that.

I really hope that I’m not seeing things through her point of view due to this room, Dani thought, staring absentmindedly off into the distance as Vivian sorted through swimsuits of various sizes. The last thing I want is to be more like that schemer.

“Here we go! This one should look fabulous on you!” Vivian’s lilting posh accent rang through the room as she held up her final selection triumphantly.

Dani was understandably ****. “Don’t you think… it’ll be a little tight?” She questioned. “I mean… I could always go and buy one…”

“Nope, no need for that at all,” Vivian said, clicking her tongue. “Trust me, it’ll be a little skimpier on you, but it should still look great.”

She winked at the tomboy and brought the swimsuit closer for Dani to inspect. It was a two-piece, just like she figured. After all, Dani was a lot taller than the heiress, so there was no way she could wear a racing swimsuit or any other kind of one-piece.

“Well, it’s not like I mind showing off my abs,” Dani admitted, taking the bathing suit from Vivian and inspecting it. It was definitely going to be tight around her muscled chest, but she should be able to make it work, with Vivian’s help.

The tomboy realized that she was becoming more comfortable with showing off her body than she’d expected. A side-effect from being on this show for so long, apparently.

“Just need to make a few adjustments…” Vivian reached towards Dani’s current, poorly-fitting bathing suit, and Dani slapped her hand away gently.

“Hey, I… I can put it on myself,” she said, her face heating up. “You don’t need to be here.”

Vivian raised a quizzical eyebrow. “I’ve seen you coming out of the shower before,” she pointed out. Then she shrugged. “Well, alright, if you insist… though it seems rather strange to me.”

She turned her back and let Dani change, while also leaving the tomboy with some very confusing thoughts. Why DID she have a reaction like that to Vivian? It didn’t make a lot of sense. She wasn’t this self-conscious before, when she was inflated to the proportions of a sultry porn star. But now she was being bashful about another woman- a beautiful woman- spying on her while she was changing into a bathing suit?

Just because she’d gotten her muscles back?

It didn’t make sense. Maybe she was just feeling stressed as a result of the sudden shift in her body type, and her apprehension at helping Emmy learn how to swim.

Luckily for Dani’s newly-reborn sense of modesty, she finished changing just as Carly and the other girls stepped out of the improvised changing room themselves. Well, everyone except Emmy. She was still back in the other room. And somehow, Sylvia had snuck past Dani and taken her place, walking with Carly and Marley like it was just natural for her.

As Dani anticipated, Carly hadn’t changed out of her Supergirl costume. And the thing looked less waterproof now than ever. Her sister, however, HAD changed into a nice, modest bathing suit, the same one she’d worn last time they had a beach party.

Sylvia, in contrast, had gone for something completely different. Her previous swimsuit had been ironically fitting for the other room, looking like something right out of a bondage magazine. But she’d traded out the black corset for something far more modest. At least, as modest as she could get with her Slip into Something Less Comfortable transformation, which meant not really that modest at all.

At least it wasn’t more fetish gear.

“I didn’t want Emmy to feel self-conscious, so I went back to my original red!” She chirped, flouncing through the room and showing off the swimsuit she’d borrowed from Emmy. “My old one doesn’t fit me anymore, sadly, so I had to pop back in here to borrow one.”

“This one doesn’t either,” Dani pointed out, gesturing to the way it hung off of Sylvia’s lithe form. She was grimly reminded of her own unfitting swimsuit from earlier.

Of course, by talking, Dani had drawn attention to herself, and now all eyes were on her.

“Can I turn around now?” Vivian called, swiveling back around before getting an answer and whistling in approval at what she saw. “Have I got skills?” She asked herself proudly. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

“Wow, Dani, that… well, damn,” Carly said, cracking a grin.

Dani blushed and tucked her arms behind her back, standing up a little straighter and pushing her chest out. “You like it?” She asked, feeling surprisingly shy due to her girlfriend’s praise. “Um, thanks, that… that really means a lot…”

“Now I wish I could wear a sexy swimsuit,” Carly groaned, shaking her head. “Maybe tomorrow then…”

Then a lightbulb flashed over her head. “…Hey, wait a second! Vivian! You gave Dani that swimsuit to use?”

“Loaned it to her, yeah,” Vivian said, nodding.

“Great, then since you’re feeling so helpful, maybe you could help me!” Carly said, eyes shining intently.

“Um, mom, can I come out yet?” Emmy called from the other room.

Immediately, Carly’s idea popped out of her head and she spun around. “Oh, yes, of course honey! Come on out and show everyone what you decided on!”

By “everyone” she really meant just Dani and Vivian, but apparently Carly couldn’t help but make everything into one big production. Dani couldn’t blame her for being so intent on showing off her daughter’s looks, though.

It was such a “Carly” thing to do.

“I mean… it’s not anything really that special,” Emmy mumbled, stepping out of the changing room and scratching her cheek shyly. And she wasn’t wrong. Her bathing suit was nice and tasteful, and fit her growing body well. She had chosen not to wear something revealing like Sylvia or the bathing suit Vivian had picked out for Dani, and instead gone with a modest one-piece.

Dani was actually kind of jealous how good she looked.

“Wow… Emmy… you’re so cute…” Carly breathed, gazing adoringly at her daughter. “Such a perfect little angel, my my…”

“Mom!” Emmy’s face turned scarlet. “Shut up! You’re embarrassing me!”

“It’s not my fault!” Carly protested. “You’re just so cute! I can’t help myself!”

Dani nodded. She couldn’t agree more. Emmy really was cute, which was impressive. With a body like hers, it was hard to look “cute” and not “sexy” but the ponytailed teen pulled it off pretty nicely.

It helped that Dani knew how young she was, which kept her from seeing her that way. Not to mention being Carly’s daughter and everything.

Vivian cleared her throat. “So, uh… Carly, you said you needed my help with something?” She asked gently, reminding the other woman of the favor she’d been about to ask before she got distracted by her daughter.

Carly immediately sprung up and nodded. “Yes! I almost forgot!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “You’ve got that transformation of yours you can use again, remember? New Style! The one that lets you overwrite my clothing transformation, so I can wear something else!”

“Oh, hey, yeah, I almost forgot about that one!” Sylvia said, nodding. She felt like such an idiot. “And I have it! Sure thing, Carly, let me just whip you up something new-”

“NO!” Vivian blurted out, her eyes widening. Her body jerked, like she’d been lunging forward and then stopped herself. She **** the blush from her cheeks through sheer **** of will. “I… what I mean is, I-I want to help,” she clarified, shaking her head and blinking rapidly. “If you’re sure, I mean.”

Sylvia obediently stepped aside, sensing the desperation in Vivian’s voice. Everyone could hear it, though none of them commented on it. Not even Carly.

“Well… okay, sure,” she said, nodding. “Supergirl is nice and all, but this way I can teach Emmy how to swim all on my own!”

Dani let that sink in for a second. So she didn’t need to actually wear a bathing suit at all! All that mental stress had been for nothing.

She fought back a sigh and just tried to be happy for Carly. That would be for the best, she figured.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Vivian said, taking a deep breath. She calmed herself down and her playful smile returned as she ran her fingers through her hair. Then she called up the text of her transformation just to double-check and make sure that she could actually do it.

• New Style: Vivian is an excellent designer with an eye for all the chic styles. Each day, she can either copy someone else’s clothing transformation for herself, or temporarily negate someone else’s clothing transformation, allowing them to wear whatever outfit she picks out, instead. She may use both effects on the same person in the same round once each, but she may not use the same effect on the same person twice in one round. [NOTE: Both these effects last for 24 hours.] (Fashionista)

Yep, she could definitely replace Carly’s cosplay with a swimsuit. “Any particular style you were looking for?” The fashionista asked, eager to be as helpful as possible. She didn’t want to come off as ****, but it was feeling more and more like that.

Thankfully, the kindness of the other girls kept them from commenting on it.

“Hmm…” Carly turned and looked at her daughter, who met her eyes with a shy gaze. That made the cosplayer smile.

“Something that will go along nicely with what Emmy is wearing!” She said. “Better yet, how about we match?”

“That would be so cute!” Marley gushed. She looked sharply at Vivian. “You’re okay with that, right?” She asked, testing the heiress. Unlike Dani, she didn’t trust Vivian’s need to be liked over her impulsive desire to mess around with people.

“Absolutely!” Vivian nodded intently. “Works for me!”

She got to work, and in a few seconds, her transformation kicked in and Carly’s cosplay was replaced with a sleek black swimsuit just like her daughter’s.

“Oh yeah!” Carly sauntered over to the mirror Dani was standing in front of, and checked herself out. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! I look great!”

“Yeah, you really do,” Dani said, blushing. Carly looked amazing like that. If Emmy made the swimsuit look cute, her mother definitely brought it back around to sexy. She felt so dirty just checking her out, which was insane considering they’d gone a lot further than that already!

“Alright, perfect!” Carly punched the air. “Let’s get going, time for some swimming lessons!” She cheered, overflowing with excitement.

Vivian leaned forward intently. “Oh, uh… you guys, going to the pool for some swimming lessons, yeah?” She said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Or maybe to the beach?”

“Yup, the pool,” Carly confirmed with a nod.

“Oh, well, that sounds really fun,” Vivian said, nodding again. “Really fun…”

Dani felt like she was going to die of secondhand embarrassment. Vivian may have been trying to be subtle, but it was painfully obvious what was going on here. She wanted to join them and go to the pool as well, but she didn’t want to ask. So she was beating around the bush so clumsily it was actually painful to watch.

Dude, if you want to come, just ask. Carly would say yes in a heartbeat! Dani’s girlfriend wasn’t the kind of person who would ever turn people away if they wanted to hang out, that was one of the things Dani loved most about her. But if Vivian didn’t state her intentions, then how was Carly supposed to know she wanted to come?

But for all the insights Dani’s week of living with Vivian had given her into the heiress’s way of doing things, there was one critical detail she failed to understand. And it was what kept Vivian from speaking up and asking to come along.

Vivian didn’t want to “go” to the pool. She wanted to be invited to the pool. It wasn’t like this was some private party or something. Nothing could stop the heiress from just throwing on a bathing suit and tagging along. Carly would embrace her with open arms.

But that was different from being invited there. And it was why Vivian just couldn’t ask.

If Vivian was invited, then it meant the other girls actively wanted her presence there. Which was different from asking to go. Sure, the girls would say yes, and may even enjoy her company. But that still paled in comparison to the joy that could come from being honestly wanted.

And in that moment Vivian wanted them to want her there more than anything.

“Let’s go already, I’m getting hungry!” Sylvia groaned from the doorway, rolling her eyes. “And I can’t eat half an hour after getting in the water or I’ll get cramps!”

“No, you’ve got that the other way around,” Marley said, shaking her head. “You can’t eat a half-hour before you get into the water.”

“Well, the point is that I’m hungry and want food,” Sylvia stubbornly replied. “But I also don’t want to miss the opportunity to have fun at the pool after putting on my swimsuit!”

“It’s my swimsuit,” Emmy gently reminded her. As if anyone would think that thing was meant for Sylvia’s modest figure with how it was sliding off her.

“Right, yeah, coming!” Carly turned and headed for the door.

Dani didn’t miss how Vivian’s eyes flared for an instant as desperation surged across her face. But she didn’t say anything. She just stood there with her playful smile affixed to her lips, like she didn’t have a qualm in the world.

With a sigh, the tomboy headed after the others. But she stopped in the doorway and turned back to the smiling heiress.

“You want to come?” She asked, figuring that if Vivian was going to be this stubborn she might as well bite the bullet herself and just ask.

Without even knowing it, Dani had given Vivian a gift that nearly moved her to tears.

“You betcha!” She crowed, pulling Dani into a tight hug that left the tomboy frozen. “Hold up a sec! Lemme just go get my swimsuit on…”

She dashed back into the closet, leaving Dani a lot more ragged than she’d expected.

“Uh… we’ll meet you down at the pool,” Dani called, not wanting to get held up. Who knew how long Vivian would spend picking out the perfect bathing suit, after how long she’d spent finding one for Dani just now. “Take your… …Time.”

Dani’s voice broke mid-sentence as Vivian popped out of the closet a second later, fully dressed in a brand-new outfit. In the time it would have taken Dani to say the words “bathing suit” she had already changed into one.

Sometimes Dani forgot just how fast Vivian could change when she really wanted to.

She cracked a grin and shrugged. “…Or you could just come along, no big deal.”

Vivian was already passing her. She smacked Dani on the back and nearly knocked the tight bikini top off. “Well, what are you waiting for?” She asked, rolling her eyes. “We haven’t got all day!”

Dani grumbled and readjusted her top. She was already starting to regret inviting Vivian. Well, almost. That smile won a lot back.

“Oh, Vivian, are you coming too?” Sylvia asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw the heiress walk over to the elevator to join them.

“Hey, that’s great!” Carly clapped. “The more the merrier!”

Vivian’s eyes widened imperceptibly for a moment before settling back down into their normal casual grin.

“Eh? You really mean that?” She asked, utterly failing to hide the joy on the rest of her face, on the other hand. “You’re okay with me coming along?”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Marley asked with a shrug. “It’s not like we own the pool.”

“As long as Emmy’s fine with it, I’m fine with it,” Carly said, nodding. “Like I said- I’m always up for company! We could make a regular old pool party out of it! Emmy?”

Emmy didn’t know Vivian very well, but the gorgeous woman had helped a lot, arranging the whole clothing thing earlier today. She’d been a little perplexed by the heiress’s choice to ditch them before, but if she wanted to tag along again…

Well… it wasn’t like Emmy was really involved in this whole “harem” thing, so who was she to say that Vivian couldn’t join?

“I-I’m okay with it,” she said, nodding slightly. “It’s fine with me…”

“Aww, you’re the best, Emmy!” Vivian hugged the younger woman before Emmy even knew what hit her. Her modest breasts pressed against Emmy’s more substantial ones as she did so. “I can’t thank you enough! Tell ya what, once your mom teaches you how to drive, I’ll buy you a car! Go on, no need to be shy! Whatever car you’d like, any model!”

Emmy looked at the heiress in shock. Her eyes bulged slightly and she quickly glanced at her mom. “Err… that… you… you don’t need to do that,” she said hastily, shaking her head. Having someone she barely knew offer to buy her a car, that was a little…

Vivian’s smile dimmed slightly and she stepped back, shrugging. “Well, alright, we’ll see about that. If not a car… how about a pony?”

“Vivian, stop trying to bribe my daughter,” Carly playfully teased, not realizing that Vivian was 100% serious. “Anyway, let’s get to swimming lessons!”