Baby Talk

120. Secret Shopping “It’s kind of weird,” Zannah said, eyes on the stall spread out in front of her rather than her audience. “It’s like he wasn’t really trying to impress me.” “Does he need to?” Isadora asked. “Yeah,” Kaylee added her voice in support. “You already like him, don’t you? So better if you can just have fun together without treating it like some kind of challenge.” “Yeah, I get that. It’s just… well, I never really had that before. So I wasn’t sure how I’m supposed to react.” “Sounds like it went well enough,” Nina answered. “So whatever you did, it clearly worked. Are you going to see him again?” Zannah quickly glanced over to another stall, where her mother and Martha were comparing the relative merits of stainless or iron cookware. Martha met her gaze and offered a quick wink; it was obvious to everyone in the group that Zannah wouldn’t have been able to tell everyone about her wonderful date if Barbara had been listening in the whole time. As it was, the story had come out piece by piece whenever the older woman was a little distracted, and so had been the dominant topic intermittently for almost the whole morning. As Zannah went back to mumbling, and started to recount the young couple’s unexpected struggles with finding a venue that wasn’t fully booked for the following Saturday, a storefront caught Isadora’s eye, reminding her of one other errand she had been planning for this trip. She looked across at the others, all of them excited to offer their own suggestions, and decided that she wouldn’t be missed if she went into a shop for a couple of minutes. Most of the floorspace and galleries in the main Exchange building was taken up by tiny outlets set up like market stalls; many of them with their own canvas roofs even though they were indoors. Dotted between them were more permanent businesses, built up between the pillars, and both types of establishment made stylistic choices about whether they wanted to look more like a shop or more like a travelling merchant. But the place Isadora was heading for now was a real shop; a real storefront with lots of glass and aged hardwood set in an archway at the edge of the building, and extending out of the main Exchange hall into what might once have been one of the building’s offices. There weren’t many old walls in this place, but a jeweller with such a reputation for quality justified having more than just timber to protect its wares from intruders. It wasn’t the kind of place where a customer could browse. If you were coming here, you would be more likely to ask one of the assistants at the long counter for something specific, and then he would return with two or three carefully selected pieces for a customer to examine before making a choice. It was a place that didn’t need gaudy displays to attract customers; the name over the door would be enough, if you were the right sort. And stepping inside, it felt like a lot of effort had gone into emphasising the ancient timbers of the building’s structure; giving the impression the shop had been allowed to mature like a fine wine. “Good morning,” The woman at the counter greeted Isadora with a carefully measured smile. Her presentation felt as carefully polished as the display cases. “How can I help you?” “Well, it’s this,” Isadora said, and held out her wrist. The bracelet was still there; it hadn’t seemed right to take it off after her time in the Pink Room, even when she and Brock quarreled. It looked almost like something a child would wear, made of blocks in muted colours; but was also clearly an expensive bespoke piece. “I need to resize this. It’s starting to feel a little loose, but not enough to justify removing a whole block.” The woman leaned forward to look, and something shifted in her expression. She might not know Isadora, but she recognised the brand of the jewellery, and clearly understood that anyone who owned it must be rich enough to shop here. Her manner changed quickly from perfunctory politeness to professional attentiveness. “Serenne?” she asked. “Yes,” Isadora stammered, and let a little relief creep into her voice, as if she’d been half expecting a less-respectful response to Stella’s unusual fashion choices. “Can you do that?” “As an accredited Serenne partner, we are always able to offer an upkeep service,” the woman said with a smile. “But it seems you are in look. A Serenne representative is with us this week. He may be able to perform alterations today, rather than us having to send it away.” She paused. “He is with another customer just now, but if you wouldn’t mind waiting a few minutes?” “That’s fine,” Isadora said, and took a seat at the side of the room. They even brought her coffee while she waited, which was an unexpected benefit. Things really were different for the rich, and she found herself wondering whether this was the kind of lifestyle Brock often had to play. Would he get used to being some well-off businessman? Would something like that change his perspectives, or change him? She tried to put those thoughts out of her mind and stared out of the little window, watching crowds on the main floor of the exchange wax and wane. At one point she wondered if the others might have noticed her absence; she hadn’t expected it to take this long. But after what must only have been a few minutes, the woman reappeared and led her through to a small workroom at the back of the shop. The man already standing there was younger than she would have expected, in a plain grey jacket and a smart waistcoat with more tiny pockets than Isadora had ever seen in one place. He had the kind of unremarkable face that was easy to be wrong about, and hair so average in shade that no single colour seemed an adequate description. He looked at the bracelet before he looked at her. “No clasp,” he said. There was a slight upward inflection that wasn't quite a question. “My husband had it made that way,” Isadora said. “I never take it off. Some men like it that way.” A small pause, before he responded exactly as she had hoped. “A lot of people would agree,” he said. “It’s a lovely gesture. He must know you very well.” “Better every day,” she said with a forced smile, hoping that there was no outward sign of how those words really made her feel. And then there was a longer pause, the formal greeting completed, and it felt like they were both expecting the other to speak first. “I… I wondered if some of the pieces could be replaced. To make it fit more accurately.” “Certainly,” he said, tapping some of his many pockets. “I’ve got the extra pieces you wanted here. I can do it while you wait, if you would like, or you can return in about an hour to collect it from Miss Hardison at the desk.” “I think I’d better catch up with my friends. Thank you, and I’ll see you after lunch.” He quickly retrieved the tools from his belt to remove the bracelet. As he had said, it didn’t have a clasp and couldn’t easily be removed without the key. But that wasn’t too unusual, among a certain clientele. And then Isadora strode back to the Exchange, wondering how long it would take her to catch up with the other girls; and desperately hoped that she hadn’t missed the reveal of any major developments in one of her friends’ lives. Isadora wondered for a moment whether they would be getting lunch at the new retro place, or going to one of the cafés they were more familiar with. She thought that she had seen food menus earlier, but wasn’t sure which friends would prefer which option. She decided to head upstairs first, and if they weren’t there she would wander around until she saw someone. She was on one of the catwalks that stretched over the main market hall when she first saw familiar faces. It looked like they were taking a bathroom break before choosing where to go for lunch. She watched Kaylee, Martha, and Zannah disappear into the ladies’ room as she walked closer. Isadora didn’t need to go yet, maybe because she’d only had one drink in the bar earlier, so she decided it would be easiest to wait for them outside. But before she arrived, she saw Nina at the back of the group, peeling away from the others to focus on a stall showing a whole variety of novelty and joke gifts, from ‘beware of the wife’ plaques to soft toys in risque outfits. “I don’t think I’d want to give any little one a teddy like that,” Isadora said quietly, announcing her presence as she moved next to her friend. “No,” Nina laughed. “You disappeared, we wondered where you got to.” “Yeah, I had something to deal with.” Isadora paused for a second then, and thought about what she could say and what she shouldn’t. With Nina, she didn’t think there was any reason not to reveal at least the cover version of where she had been, so she held up her wrist to show a thin band of slightly paler skin.. “I needed to get my bracelet adjusted, will be back to pick it up later.” “Feels naked without it, right?” Nina said, showing a little more awareness than Isadora would have expected. She hadn’t even thought about it herself, but after so long with a constant weight on her wrist, it seemed a little strange for it not to be there. “Yeah, it’s weird. So, what did I miss?” “Not much,” Nina shrugged. “Zannah and Jeremy had a great date. We’ve been running interference so she can tell everyone without her mom knowing. Barb doesn’t want Zannah to be dating, still treats her like a little kid.” There was a long pause then; a moment where there didn’t seem to be a natural way to continue the conversation. “I mean, not like… but you know…” “Yeah. No major drama, then?” “No. Just the usual debate about where to go for lunch. I think we’re planning on Emilio’s this time. After a bathroom break, of course.” “Of course,” Isadora said. “Make sure you don’t miss your chance, looking at all these kinky bunnies.” “I don’t… I mean…” Nina mumbled, and then caught Isadora’s gaze and they both laughed. There was a kind of shared sense of adversity that seemed to lighten the mood instantly. “Don’t need to go?” Isadora asked, and then gave a shrug and turned back to the stall. “Or is something more important? Have you been naughty again?” “Maybe a little bit,” Nina answered, and made a point of examining one of the trinkets in front of her. Her blushes conveyed more than her words this time. “Ahh, I thought this time might be different. But maybe this is becoming a new routine.” “Oh no,” Nina said. “Not the same as last time. I mean… different crime, different punishment. Same vibes, though. You?” Isadora wondered how she should respond. Should she tell Nina that she was in the same state? She’d put the pull up on just so that she would be able to do that, but now she was on the spot she found herself coming over all embarrassed. A part of her mind reached for all the tricks in her field training, how she could turn the conversation in the direction she wanted. But she quickly reminded herself that she was talking to a friend, not an informant. Of all the people in Evergreen Estates, Nina was probably the one furthest from suspicion. “I uhh…” Isadora fished around for the right words, unable to decide whether to mention her current underwear. And then she went for the easy option: “Oh, so enigmatic! Tell me more.” “About the crime?” Nina asked, with a chuckle that made it clear she was excited to share despite the embarrassment. Or maybe even because of it.. “Or the punishment?” “Both,” Isadora said with a smile. “Start with whichever feels easier.” Nina considered this. “The punishment’s easier,” she decided. “It’s just embarrassing, not… complicated. Victor gave me a free choice of what to wear today. But I kind of went with… a safer option. Something that… that isn’t obvious, but will make it a bit easier if I have a problem.” “What kind of problem?” Isadora asked, needing more details before she could put herself in her friend’s shoes. “Well, I have to wait. You know? I can’t just go when I feel like. I have to wait until it’s urgent, and then send Daddy a selfie. A little video or some pics, so he can see me squirm. And then I can ask.” “Ask,” Isadora repeated. “He might say yes. Or he might not.” Nina’s expression was impossible to read now, and she raised her hands in front of her face as if they might hide the blushes. “If I impress him, he’ll let me go. Or he might… make me go.” Isadora put the words together in her head, trying to see through all the euphemisms and vague language. She guessed that meant that Nina wasn’t permitted to use the bathroom, and had to wait until she was desperate before asking Victor. And then he would decide whether to let her use the bathroom, or make her have an accident. “So he gave you a choice what to wear…” she said, seeing the insidious trick hidden in that choice. She had to choose pull-ups really, because she had no way of knowing whether her partner would make her wet her pants. “Wow, that is… pretty intense.” “Not for you?” “I uhh…” Isadora paused again. She knew that she needed to seem like she was in the same boat, even if just so that Nina wouldn’t feel so alone. She tried to think about what might be exciting to a man like Bernard Klein, and just let the story spill out. “Maybe something similar. I’m allowed to go, but not to… stand in line. If there’s a queue, I just have to… you know. Because I was being an impatient brat yesterday. I mean… that’s what he told me. I should probably try to do what he said, but he’s not going to force me.” “Do you wish he would?” Nina asked, her eyes coming alive for a moment as she visualised Stella’s imaginary punishment. But she could see that Isadora was still a little embarrassed, so quickly turned the subject back: “I think with what I did at the poker game, I’m lucky my punishment isn’t a lot worse.” “Oh, what happened?” Isadora answered instinctively. And while Nina searched for the courage to respond, she found herself wondering how well she could have showed that curiosity if she’d already known. Maybe Brock turning off his recording had helped her out in some way after all. “So,” Nina began, and then stopped. And started again: “You know how sometimes you just… hear something. Without meaning to.” “I know how that works,” Isadora said, wondering if Nina realised just how childish she sounded when she talked like this. “Well. There was a conversation. At Daddy’s poker night, when the others were all together, Victor and Bernard went into the study for some privacy. And I happened to be…” She gestured vaguely. “Nearby.” “Nearby,” Isadora echoed. “By accident. I mean, I had to come check on them in case they wanted more drinks or anything. And they were planning… I don’t know if I’m allowed to say.” Isadora wasn’t sure if she should be relieved that she could discover some of what Brock had decided to keep off the recordings; or disappointed that he had felt it necessary to hide it from her in the first place. She hated that there was so much secrecy between them, and it was hard to believe that it was all because of his suspicion of Lorenzo. He should at least be willing to investigate with her, to find evidence that the man might not be involved. A little voice from her training told her that she should consider other options too; that she had to be open that the possibility that Lorenzo had somehow managed to deceive them. But that didn’t feel possible given how much she knew about him. Accusing Lorenzo of helping terrorists seemed almost as crazy as suspecting Brock himself; although once that thought crossed her mind the secret meetings seemed a whole lot more suspicious. But now wasn’t the time. She was here with one of her closest friends, and probably the only one who would understand what she was feeling about some very serious issues. She needed to ask more about Victor and Bernard’s conversation, and hope that it was all as innocent as it seemed.

I woke up this morning in a wet Classico v2 diaper after multiple wettings during the night and simply going back to sleep. I was in the kitchen checking emails on my phone while I was getting coffee and all I had to do was relax without pushing or change in my posture as I messed my diaper in such a natural inconspicuous manner. Messing a diaper by just relaxing and not pushing does take some practice. Feeling warm poopie fill my diapie, settle in the bottom of my diaper pressing and caressing my perineum made me tremble slightly with a sort of dry orgasm from the cascade of intense physical, emotional, cathartic pleasure of going potty in my diaper. Walking to my laptop as I felt poopie jiggle inside my diaper was exciting and now sitting here sipping hot coffee as the messy in my diaper compresses and gets squishy is so relaxing. I have no plans to change right away, in fact I am going to get my morning exercise while still in my morning wet and messy diaper...and I just tinkled a little more adding more warmth to the front of my diaper. I don't mind cleaning up, many people take a shower, but I clean up the old fashioned way. When I change my soiled diaper I wipe as much as possible with a clean portion of my diaper, followed by several adult wipes, then a wet wash cloth with a little Dawn Dish Soap (an excellent cleaning tip), rinse, pat dry, baby lotion on my diaper area, and I am as fresh and clean as can be, ready for a nice clean diaper with a sprinkle of baby powder in my diaper. I am going to leave my chair for more coffee. Back, this time I can't say my poopie jiggled inside my diaper because the firm load is compressed in my diaper against my diaper area...sooooo nice!!! 

I have ADHD and I’m a new DL (strictly NOT AB). Couldn’t say what made me this way. I started wearing as a precaution for long work days at a new job this year (sometimes I have a sensitive gut). That’s how all this started lol. It ended up not being a problem because I don’t eat while working. So then, I told my wife a couple of weeks ago that I discovered that I’m kind of into this and she finds it cute and sexy 🤣. I’d reckon it all worked out lol. For what it’s worth, she’s neurodivergent herself, but she has autism, not ADHD. It’s probably why my beautiful wife is smart as all hell ! Lol

Do I win? 😝

Heyyy nice to meet u! 😊