Chapter 1 - Introduction
Rachel and Mike were both working at a large construction firm. Mike was a civil engineer and Rachel was a structural engineer, working for a long term on the same project. When they finished their studies a few years ago, they both started at the same time where they were set together in the same office. They matched very well together, but they weren’t involved in a relationship. After work they rarely met, they had their own social life, friends and dates, but as they worked together for a few years now, they knew each other very well and discussed their social lives.
One Monday morning Rachel seemed nervous, like she wanted to discuss a topic, but didn’t know how or where to start. Of course Mike noticed but just ignored it. He knew Rachel would start herself about what was bothering her and questioning about it would be of nu use.
After a few hours, while Mike was concentrating behind his computer, he heard: “Mike, can I ask you a very personal question?”
“Off course,” said Mike: “What’s on your mind?”
Rachel stood up and closed the door of the office and took the second chair at Mikes desk. While she looked down, she asked: “Mike, is it strange as someone wants to wear braces?”
“You mean braces on teeth? I don’t think it is strange anymore for adults to get brace to fix your teeth,” Mike said.
“That’s not exactly what I mean. I mean is it strange for a woman with nice and straight teeth to get braces, just because she loves the sight and the feeling of braces?”
Mike looked up to Rachel and said: “Can you please explain what you’re meaning?”
“Okay, it’s so embarrassing,” said Rachel: “let’s get it at the beginning. When I was a teenager, I had braces, just like the majority of teenagers. It was a fairly simple treatment with only brackets and some rubber bands, but I was wearing braces. Where most of the teenagers were happy to have their braces removed, I was actually sad. I really liked the rough feeling of the braces. I never complained about pain after tightening my braces or the pull of the rubber bands and so on.
To tell you the truth, I miss my braces since the day they were removed about ten years ago. Last Saturday I met another woman in the pub, who was in a really needed braces treatment. She told me she had to pay the whole treatment herself. That made me think that an orthodontist might put someone in braces as long as he gets paid. I can’t get that thought out of my head.”
“Okay, I understand partly what you mean,” said Mike: “actually you ask me my opinion about getting braces, although you don’t need them.”
Rachel just nodded, while Mike continued: “Just to understand. You said you liked the feeling of the braces and tightening and so on, but what do you like about the feeling? What is it doing to you? Do you know why you like the feeling of braces?”
Rachel looked down again and got red and hesitated to answer. Mike stood up, walked around his desk and started to massage Rachels shoulders. “You don’t have to be embarrassed for me. You can trust me. I think we know each other for so long, that you can tell me everything. I won’t judge you.”
With a soft voice Rachel said: “It’s so embarrassing, but I get aroused by braces. That’s why I want braces again.”
“Aroused? Like getting hot? That sounds more BDSM-like,” Mike whispered while he winked.
Still ashamed of the privacy of what she was telling Mike, Rachel replied: “Actually you might be right about the BDSM-thing. I never looked it that way, but I guess I even more like the fact that I had no control over the braces.”
“Okay, so as I translate your story, I might call you a braces-fetish. And now you think you found a way to answer to your fetish, but you are ashamed of public reactions.”
“Hmmm wow, I’m really impressed by your analysis, but I think you are right.”
“In that case, I see no reason not to get braces. Adults with braces aren’t unique nowadays and if you don’t want to tell the real reason of your braces, you can always tell you are wearing braces to prevent future problems. In fact you don’t lie, because if you don’t get braces, you’ll get unhappy,” Mike said with a smile on his face.
“But won’t I look ridiculous with braces?” the now smiling Rachel asked: ”And on top of that, if I would get braces again, I would love to have braces that will have impact on my speech. But I’m a professional. What will our colleagues and clients think when there is a lisping engineer in their meeting?”
“I can only speak for myself, but I think you will look very cute with braces, but only if you will have the metal ones. Actually I don’t like the so called clear ones. And don’t worry about lisping or so. I think that lisping makes you even sexier.”
“Thanks. You aren’t bullshitting me, are you?” asked Rachel, while she stood up and walked to her own desk.
“Absolutely not,” Mike said: “when are you getting them?”
Rachel didn’t reply to that question but she continued her work, definitely relieved with Mikes reaction.
