Exposure
23
The Producers
“Marli” by Ollyy, ID90159664, licensed from Shutterstock.com
I WAS GLAD to have the weekend to recover from my beating. And glad my girlfriends and crew were so good at taking care of me. But I had to deal with the problems when I woke up. Jordan, Don, and Chrystal were still in the living room and Anna was laying out the facts of life to them.
“None of us will return to the studio if there are recording devices there. That isn’t part of Nate’s agreement and it isn’t part of ours. In fact, when the camera crew came to Tenbrook, they had to get special permission from anyone who showed up on camera. Video and audio recordings in the studio could capture compromising material for both the crew and the models. Absolutely, no.”
“It’s just to make it easier to capture the feel,” Don said. “We don’t want compromising material.”
“The best way to ensure that is by not having recording devices,” Jordan said. “I have to agree. Even when we did the test in Chicago, no recording was allowed in the studio.”
“Why are you here?” Don demanded. “Nate Mayer was our contact with the Chicago investors.”
“Don, let me just say you are fortunate. Mr. Mayer can be unpredictable at times. Especially when it comes to defending his nephew,” Jordan said. “The patrons felt it would be… um… safer to send a neutral party. Nate’s only my daughter’s boyfriend.”
Don sat back as I entered the room. He looked up at me.
“Nate are you dead set against having any recordings. Some of your work is worth preserving on tape,” he said.
“I think Anna has presented our case accurately,” I said. “I don’t have anything to add. Can I get some ice for my face?”
Elizabeth beat Ronda to the refrigerator in the suite and got a plastic bag filled with ice. She wrapped it in a towel and handed it to me. I sank into the chair that Anna jumped up from and held the ice pack to my swollen jaw. Beth, Ronda, Patricia, and Anna stood beside me and reached out a hand to touch my shoulder. The other girls were apparently all out at the pool again.
“I’ll call the producer and give him the news. They aren’t going to like this. I can’t say I disagree with you. You don’t know anyone from Photosensitive Productions but Chrystal and me. That’s not really enough to build trust. I think they intended to just not let anyone know that they were recording or even had mikes set up. Not smart,” Don said. I could tell he wasn’t fond of this aspect of his job. He was really a promoter.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Are you going to be able to continue Monday? You know, being so banged up?” he asked.
“It’s not the first time. I’d definitely like it to be the last.”
“Do you mind telling me why you didn’t fight back? You’re a pretty well-built guy. You could have defended yourself,” Don said
“Maybe it wasn’t the right decision. I don’t know. I’m a pacifist and a conscientious objector. Getting beat up seemed to be a small price to pay for standing up for my beliefs, especially since his whole purpose was to make me fight,” I said. “I’m not sure it was smart, but it’s who I am. I won’t fight.”
“We’ll assume everything is set for Monday morning, then,” Don said. “Unless you hear from Chrystal or me otherwise.”
He got up and shook hands with Jordan and me, then left.
“You done good, Nate,” Jordan said. “I’m not from a pacificist background and can’t say I really understand it. But when it comes time for you to stand before your draft board again, I’ll stand with you. Now, I hear Phyllis Diller is playing tonight and I promised to take my daughter to the show if you can spare her.”
“I am so damned fucking proud of you,” Patricia said as she cuddled next to me in bed. “And Tony would be proud of you. It’s why he respected you so much. You wouldn’t back down from what you knew was right. But maybe you could wear this inside your shirt from now on. It’s not meant to make you a target, and that’s twice. Please?” She tucked the peace symbol inside my T-shirt.
“I’m kind of thinking the same thing,” I chuckled. My side was bruised but the doctor said I had no broken bones. My split lip made it hard to kiss, though. “I’m really not trying to start a movement or anything. I just don’t believe we should be out there fighting. At least that I should be. Honey, don’t ever believe that I thought poorly of Tony for going. I can never forget that he saved my brother-in-law’s life. And no matter how much I love you, I wish he was still here beside you.”
“I know. We had something wonderful for a while. But Nate, you and I have something wonderful, too. I’m so thankful that you are in my life and in Little Toni’s life. I love you. I never thought I would love anyone but Tony, but I love you. I love you.”
The response of my first model when she saw the condition of my face was predictable. She gasped and became all solicitous—almost exactly like Molly Pratt had been almost a year ago after the cops beat me. She offered to postpone or to have frequent rest breaks if I needed. I assured her and subtly started turning the subject back to her. Her name was Drew Lux, which I understood was a stage name. She was, in fact, quite a deluxe model.
When we’d arrived at the studio, Chrystal and I immediately went to the booth where our observers would be located and verified that there were no recording devices there. It was a pretty simple set up with an amplifier and headsets connected to the microphones around the stage. The sound crew had done a very good job of covering the area and I could hear even low conversations between my girls. But I was satisfied that we weren’t being recorded and I thought it was inevitable that we’d be listened to.
“Drew, I love your hair. It’s so silky and soft,” I said as I primped her on the set for a portrait. “Do you always wear it down?” Her light brown tresses hung straight below her shoulders.
“No. A lot of our costumes need our hair to be tucked up under the headdress. Some of the headdresses we wear weigh twenty or twenty-five pounds. And sometimes we wear wigs. This is my ‘I’m not at work’ look.”
“I like it and I don’t want you to feel like you’re at work. Here, now, let’s swivel you a little to your left. I like the part on this side. May I unbutton a couple of buttons? Yes, that’s nice. What an elegant neck and collar bone. Let’s take a couple of pictures and then shift a little.”
We worked through several portrait poses and I took pictures on both the 4x5 and the Hasselblad. By the time I was finished with those, I had her blouse off and her bra straps down off her shoulders.
“Let’s go to the dressing room and take a break,” I said. We got to the room, where Leanne and Judy joined us. “Have a seat. Do you want a cup of coffee? I’ll get it in a second. Judy, do we have a nice floor-length gauzy gown? Good. Leanne, I’d like Drew’s hair pulled back a bit so I can see her ears. See if you can deepen her eyes a little and highlight her cheekbones.”
I didn’t know if the dressing room had been wired for sound, but I was glad there were no cameras and it was out of sight from the booth where our observers were—if they’d shown up yet. That had been one of the arguments for recording everything. They were afraid they would miss something if they weren’t here all the time we were. Well, that was their problem, not mine. I wanted my model to feel secure that only my assistants and I could see how she was treated in the dressing room. I fetched a cup of coffee for each of us.
“Oh, yes, Judy. That’s lovely. Drew, we’ll take the bra now,” I said, unfastening it and pulling it away from her lovely breasts. “Oh, you are quite stunning. Would you like to take off your slacks and panties or would you prefer I just keep taking care of you? Okay, if you’d stand, we’ll get the dress over your head.”
I wasn’t really making a big deal about touching her. I brushed against her breasts a little, but didn’t stroke or squeeze them. I appreciated the look of her shaved pussy. I was told that many of the showgirls shaved because the costumes were so brief. It was easier to just take it all off than try to make sure it was all tucked in.
We pulled the gauzy dress on and I smoothed it over her curves.
“Do you play an instrument?” I asked.
“Flute,” she answered.
“Debbie, can you find us a musical instrument like a flute or recorder? Thank you!” I called as we left the dressing room.
I led Drew back to the stage and directed Pris and Theresa in how I wanted the lighting set. We hung an oceanside cliffy backdrop that was labeled Ariadne auf Naxos. Debbie rushed to me with a recorder and I handed it to Drew.
“Here’s what we’re going for, sweetheart,” I whispered to her. “I want the ethereal Drew. Not necessarily playing the recorder, but having it in hand in case she needs something to dance to. I’m looking for the absolute freedom you enjoy as a bird on the wing.”
“I think I see what you want. Can I move?”
“Yes, but I might have you stop abruptly or repeat a move. Are we working together on this?”
“I love working with you. Your command is my wish.”
I moved behind the cameras and caught a couple of poses in which she was static. I shot wider open and at faster speed to catch her in motion.
“Do we have a fan? Like we used in Chicago, Cassie?”
She and Beth rolled a big fan out onto the stage and set the wind blowing. It was a noisy fan, obviously meant to move an industrial amount of air. Combined with the ventilation system, I wondered if the guys in the booth could hear anything.
As soon as the wind hit Drew, her hair and the dress flew behind her. It was beautiful.
“Can you face the wind on one foot?” I asked as I held her to steady her pose. “Think of it as skating on the wind.”
“Yes. I feel what you want,” she whispered.
I let my hand trail over her chest and felt her inhale deeply. We were getting close to the vision I had in my mind. The whole concept of skating on the wind was coming together.
“New backdrop,” I called. “I’d like to use the dark night scene that looks like moonlight on the water. Theresa, I’ll need backlight that shines right through her dress. You know what we’re going for here.”
“It will be like I’m naked but I’m not,” Drew whispered. “I should probably be… um… perky.” She reached into the dress to pinch her nipples.
“I’ve found that it lasts longer if I do it,” I breathed in her ear. I slid my hand into the dress and fondled her breast, stroking her nipple to firmness. Then I moved to the other breast and brought it up as well. “If they flag, I can always change to sucking on them.”
“I hope you wanted my clit erect, too,” she giggled.
“It’s always a possibility.”
As soon as the backdrop and lights were set, we returned to taking pictures with the wind blowing her dress and hair back. As she got into it, we took pictures on each side so that I had pictures of her front and her back. Then I approached her again and she relaxed into my arms as I pulled the sleeves off her arms and let the fabric fall away from her breasts.
We worked with the standing and dancing poses, then got her seated on a cast fiberglass rock. When she played the recorder, she truly looked ethereal. When I felt we had enough, I lifted her from the rock into my arms and carried her to the dressing room. There, I fulfilled the promise of lightly sucking on her beautiful nipples and petting her all over.
“They told us we’d be touched,” she sighed. “They didn’t say we’d enjoy it. I can’t wait to see the photos. I’ll think of this each time I look at them.”
“I’m glad, Drew. Thank you for being such a wonderful model. I’ll think of this often, as well.”
And so, the week progressed. Ronda and Patricia assisted Anna in the darkroom by getting film processed and printing proofs. During our breaks, I went in and examined the proofs, selecting the frames I’d want to print as soon as our shoot was done. I spent some time examining my girlfriends, too, as they found less and less clothing was required in the darkroom.
Beth had built on her Chicago role as straw boss of the crew and made sure the studio was in perfect shape. She and Cassie cued up different props. Judy and Leanne kept costumes and the dressing room in perfect order. Pris and Theresa worked on lights and wind and anything else we needed that might have a battery or a power cord. And Debbie kept matching backdrops to set props and coming up with interesting combinations that enhanced the Attic Allure style.
I told Judy I thought we’d want more of the gauzy dresses in a variety of colors and styles. She was all too happy to get a sewing machine in operation and put together creative outfits in an array of styles. The key element with each was that they were see-through. With the right lighting, I’d have a naked model with the illusion of a dress on.
I grabbed Debbie at one point and took her outside.
“Oh boy! Are we going someplace to make out?” she asked. “I’d like that!”
“Have you felt neglected, Deb?”
“M-m-maybe a little. I just see everyone getting a little loving and think I’d like some of that, too.”
I pulled her into my arms and kissed her, managing to feel up her boobs right there in the parking area in front of our studio theatre. There were a couple of catcalls from the street and we straightened up.
“I had another reason for bringing you out here,” I said. “You’re doing such a good job of matching up backdrops and some interesting set pieces that aren’t necessarily related.”
“Thank you!”
“Look at our building here. I want to do something interesting right out here in front of the doors. Probably with an afternoon model. The light seems to be best from this direction. But it’s going to be hot as blazes. We’ll need to get the set in place, get the cameras positioned, and get the model in place, then take a few photos and pack everything back inside. What do you think would look good in front of this industrial looking old factory?”
“Hmm. It is an interesting look. Remember the living room set we used in front of the cityscape?”
“I wouldn’t want to repeat that exactly,” I said.
“We couldn’t. All those props are still in Tenbrook. I was thinking something simpler. Like the model just landed here in her bed and is trying to puzzle out how she got there. Or there’s a flying chair that she just rode in on.”
“I like it. See what you can come up with, all right? And keep wiggling this ass in my hands while I kiss you again. Then we need to get inside where it’s at least a few degrees cooler.”
Friday afternoon was when everything gelled. My model was Marli Peters. I loved her as soon as she walked in. She crossed the floor toward the stage, taking her clothes off as she approached. When she reached the stage, she was naked of everything except her sunglasses.
“I’m here,” she announced. “Mold me tender, Pose me sweet, Make me your photo.” She sang in the best female impersonation of Elvis I’d ever heard. Everybody was buzzing about Elvis because he was opening at the new International Hotel at the end of the month. It was the first time he’d do a live show since he started doing movies full time. Unfortunately, we were scheduled to leave town the night before he opened. Not that we’d ever be able to get tickets anyway. The buzz at the Sands was that the show was already sold out.
“I don’t think I’ll let you put clothes on all afternoon,” I said as I walked up to her. “You are way too beautiful to cover up.”
“I’m good with that. Um… I’m good with about anything you want,” she said. “You know, the word is out among the dancers. We were told… warned really… that you would be touching us while you posed us and took our pictures. No one was real excited about it, but your portfolio they showed was a big selling point and everyone is hoping for a picture like a couple of those in your album. But you’ve been in town for a week now and the girls talk backstage. Those who have been here have said the experience was great and that the more intimately we connect, the better the photos are. I really want a work of art. So, connect with me. Any way you want.”
“You’re a bit of a show-off, aren’t you,” I said as I walked around her, carefully looking up and down her body from every angle.
“Well, yeah. You kind of have to be in this business. I go out and dance topless in front of a couple hundred people six nights a week. Thousands of people have seen my boobs and I’m hoping thousands more will before I’m forced to retire,” she said.
“I like looking at them. And I plan to put them in a photo that thousands more will see than see them live. Let’s step into the dressing room and check makeup, then I’m going to start taking pictures of your naked body that would make Playboy magazine jealous.”
I got her seated in the dressing room and sat beside her and facing her as Leanne checked the makeup.
“Let’s perch the sunglasses on Marli’s head,” I suggested. “I foresee some instances in which we’ll want to have her put them on, but we’ll start with them up so you can doctor the shiny spots from the nose pads.”
“Oh, you’re so attentive to detail,” Marli said.
“Judy, can you fix Marli’s hair in a braided wrap? You know the kind I mean? Where the braids come from the side but don’t hang down. They should just wind up in a kind of bun, I guess.”
“That’s an interesting style,” Judy said. “Just hold still while we work a little Attic Allure magic on you.”
“I feel myself being transformed,” Marli giggled.
She put her hand on mine, which was on her bare leg. She encouraged me to stroke up and down a bit as the girls worked on her. When she was about ready, I gave her thigh a squeeze and went to position the camera for the first set.
“This is the first model we’ve done who is going to be all nude for all the pictures. Let’s drop the black background and use that top of the shoulder backlight to set her off. Then I’ll do some waist-up portraits.” They started scrambling. I pulled Debbie aside. “At three o’clock, we’ll do the outside scene. Do you have your set ready?”
“Ready and waiting. I’ll move it outside while you’re working on some of the other scenes. Beth and Cassie can help me.”
I moved over to talk to Pris and Theresa.
“We’re going to move outside later, so we’ll probably need reflectors to counteract any shadows that are too deep.”
“Got it,” Theresa said. “We’ll get Debbie and Cassie to help with them.”
“I think we’ll all be outside, so use whoever you need.”
We had the scene set and I went to the darkroom to check in with the girls processing the morning film. They let me in when everything was out of light sensitive processes.
“I’ll need help on cameras when we move outside,” I said. “There’s some very slow x-ray film for the 4x5. Ronda, could you load half a dozen film holders with that and a couple of Polaroids? Patricia, I’d like you to record our process with the Nikon. Be sure to get pictures of all our crew as we do this bit. Anna, if you could have a spare back for the Hasselblad ready to just snap in place, I’d appreciate it. Use the dark bag to protect it from any accidental light exposure while we’re outside. I’ll pull the first one and hand it to you. You hand me the second one and get the first one in the bag to protect it from the bright sun.”
“Super. We’re with you.”
I headed back to the stage just in time for Marli to step out of the dressing room. I took her hand and led her to the stool on the black backdrop.
“We’re going for maximum drama here, sweetheart,” I said. “I’m going to be composing pictures from your waist up, so we’ll want some photos where you are demurely concealing and some where you’re boldly revealing.”
I got her into the first pose and we started in on the pictures. We got some incredible poses for portraits and I went straight to our bedroom scene with a bed and dangling strips of fabric. I positioned her in a dozen different poses on the bed. Each time, I ‘helped’ her get into the exact position and expression I wanted her in. She was doing a fair amount of moaning each time I moved her to a new position, even though the touches were light. It wasn’t taking much to make sure her nipples were stiff and her legs were as open as I wanted them. I wasn’t taking pussy shots, but the pictures were of a wanton woman, restless in her bed while awaiting her lover.
“Marli has been naked all afternoon,” I said. “Anybody else who wants to be naked is welcome to join her.”
It seemed like everyone forgot entirely that the next thing I planned was to go outside. I had ten naked assistants in no time.
“Keep your shoes on. We’re headed outside,” I said. There were a couple of gasps as we packed things up and headed for the door.
I moved the Hasselblad on its tripod and led the way outside. Ronda carted the Linhof. Debbie had orchestrated moving a huge old Victorian-style overstuffed armchair out in the open space in front of our building. Theresa, Pris, Debbie, and Cassie held reflectors and Anna had her dark bag with my second film roll. I quickly checked with everyone to make sure we were ready. None of us wanted to stay out under this blazing sun, and there were periodic wind gusts that threatened to rip the reflectors out of people’s hands.
I noticed the three guys who had been observing from the booth had rushed outside to watch as well and were being treated to ten naked girls who weren’t on their schedule.
Of course, a small crowd was gathering on the sidewalk outside our fence, too. Chrystal was near the fence and telling guys they needed to keep the noise down as if this was a movie shoot instead of a photo shoot.
As soon as everyone was ready, I ran to the door where Marli was waiting and picked her up in my arms.
“There’s people standing on the sidewalks waiting to see your beautiful boobs,” I whispered to her as I carried her to the chair. She caught her breath as she saw them. “Now, let me settle you in this huge flying chair Debbie found for us. You’ve just landed. I think we’ll lower your sunglasses so you don’t look like you are squinting at us. Nipples nice and stiff. I’ll bet your pussy is wet, too, isn’t it? Right in the middle of the day and you’re naked outside with a crowd of guys watching you in the middle of Las Vegas. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It would only be better if you fucked me out here.”
“We don’t do porn, but I’ll take care of you. That will be better.”
As soon as I had her in position, I started calling instructions as I took pictures. I moved the 4x5 in close for the kind of portrait shot that we’d been taking inside, but this was obviously out in broad daylight. I swapped out backs for the Hasselblad and kept giving her instructions and running to her to lift and adjust. Elizabeth ran to Marli with a towel and wiped down a few of the spots that were beginning to drip sweat. It might not have reached 100 degrees this afternoon, but I’d discovered this week that I can’t tell the difference between 95 and 105.
I called out that we were ready for the last shot and told Marli to wave at all her fans. She did and I got that one, too. It would be a great memento.
Then I lifted Marli out of her chair and carried her to the building, checking to make sure that Ronda and Anna had the cameras. I saw the guys from the booth lift the chair under Debbie’s instructions and carry it inside. Useful for once. I guess guys just naturally obey naked girls. The last one into the studio was Chrystal and she locked the door, just to make sure no one came through uninvited.
I carried Marli straight to the dressing room and closed the door behind me, throwing the lock.
“Now I can focus on making sure you are cared for properly,” I said. I put her down on the sofa and went to the bathroom to get a damp washcloth and a towel. “I know you were getting hot out there. We were all sweating. Let me cool your body and wipe off the sweat. Sorry, I’ve been told dancers don’t sweat; they glow. But that’s from dancing. This is from heat.”
“Take your sticky shirt off, too,” she said. “All your girls were out there naked and you kept all your clothes on. Come on. Take them all off.”
“I don’t have intercourse with models,” I said.
But I pulled off my clothes anyway. I finished wiping her down and bent to suck on one of her beautiful nipples as my hand traced down her stomach and between her legs. She took the washcloth and wiped my stiff cock and balls.
“Sucking isn’t intercourse, is it?” she asked as she leaned in to take me in her mouth. We wrestled for position a little, but before long, she was on top of me as I feasted on her bare pussy and she inhaled my cock.
“Yes,” I said. “Sucking is very good. So is licking.”
“I was ready for this from the moment I walked in and started stripping off my clothes. It still would have been better if you’d fucked me in the parking lot in front of all your girlfriends and the strangers on the street. But licking is good. I’m going to come on your tongue.”
I had a finger buried in her twat as I lashed her clit with my tongue and she reached her peak. She went right back to sucking my cock and it was only a few minutes before she was drinking my semen. I managed to keep my finger lodged in her pussy as I licked her to another come.
We shifted around and lay next to each other as we kissed and fondled.
“I hope the pictures turn out as good as the afternoon did,” she whispered.
“I know we got some good ones. You were a great model and I’d love to work with you again.”
“I’d be willing to do a porn with you, if you’d like. I know some people who have been after me to shoot some scenes with them. I’d do them with you.”
“No. There were ten other beautiful reasons out there that I won’t do that,” I said. “But this was great.”
“Yeah. I suppose I’d better get dressed and get out of here before those other ten reasons decide I’ve overstayed my welcome.”
We stood and dressed, continuing to pause periodically to pet some more.
Chrystal got us out of the suite and moving on an adventure Saturday morning that started with breakfast at a drug store. There was only a counter and we had to stand in line to eat as stools cleared. But the food was great! I had a ham steak, hash browns, two eggs and coffee for ninety-nine cents. Chrystal told us it was a Las Vegas experience we had to have once. I got a picture of our whole crew outside White Cross Drugs.
Then we boarded our little bus and headed out of town, back the direction we’d come when we got here. Our daily bus was about a third the size of the charter we used to get here from Illinois. We still had a driver and Chrystal acted as our tour guide. About fifty miles northeast of Las Vegas, we pulled into a state park called Valley of Fire. It had some cool rock formations but the real treat was when we got out and explored up into the rocks a little. There were petroglyphs all over the area. I took group pictures and then got Judy to pose for me. Of course, that meant getting her clothes off and putting her in some very interesting poses among the rocks.
We got back on the bus and she pushed me to the rear and sat in my lap as we pulled away. We made out for about fifteen minutes. I had one hand on her boobs and one in her panties when the bus pulled up at a kind of rustic trading post.
We all piled out and wandered through the obvious tourist trap. Still, we bought souvenirs. It was almost noon and the temperature had reached ninety degrees, so we headed back to the hotel and our air conditioned room. The pool was on the agenda for most everyone. Judy, however, wasn’t finished with me and we landed in bed to fuck for a while before we got bathing suits on and headed for the pool.
“So, the way I understand the Supreme Court, which is pretty much impossible for any normal person to understand, it’s better for single women to get pregnant than married women,” Beth said at the pool. “I mean they made a ruling that said married women have a right to birth control. But unmarried women don’t have that right. We have to get a doctor to agree that we need the pill to regulate our period or ease our menstrual cramps. Does any doctor believe that once we’re on it, we won’t be out there fucking our pussies off? Sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”
We were all laughing at my funny girlfriend’s routine. She’d already suggested that maybe she could just sew a piece of latex over her pussy as an added layer of protection. She was trying out some of her new material for a stand-up routine. I wondered if she’d been influenced by Phyllis Diller when her father took her to see the show the previous weekend.
“You know what I found out? For girls like us who like to take our clothes off anyway, we could all go down to Tiger Lily’s and get jobs as strippers because we’re over eighteen. Every old man in Las Vegas could get a handful of our lovely little T and A. But our boyfriend over there, sorry Nate, couldn’t get in to see us because he isn’t twenty-one! So, I say we skip the strip club and just take him back to our room and fuck him. If we need a little more excitement, we can always wear a garter and have him stuff dollar bills in it as he eats us.”
That didn’t sound like a bad idea to me. I was surprised that the girls had all jumped to take their clothes off Friday, even when they found out we were headed outside and knowing there were guys in the booth watching everything we do. This city inspires wild behavior. It wasn’t just the showgirls modeling who had no qualms about running around half dressed or naked. All the girls were in the swing of it.
I glanced around the pool and every woman there was wearing a bikini. And the bikinis were a lot smaller than anything I’d seen in Tenbrook. Of course, a few of them were the same size, but seemed smaller on the size of the women who wore them. I saw a woman at least fifty years old who had a scrap of fabric on that barely covered her nipples. And over in another corner of the pool deck, three couples were drinking some kind of umbrella drink and all three girls were topless.
Chrystal managed to herd us all inside before anyone got sunburnt. It was a near thing and I was sure Debbie was a little pink. But the girls immediately went to work getting dressed up for a night on the town. I grabbed a jacket and tie and was ready to go. The girls, of course, had lots of prep to do and by the time they walked out of their various bedrooms and bathrooms, I thought I was looking at the Miss America lineup. They looked like a million bucks.
Ronda and Anna took my arms with Patricia and Beth linked to them. We followed Chrystal to the elevators and the other six girls followed us. When we walked through the lobby, people stared all the way from the casino to the restaurants. It was a show-stopping parade. We boarded our little bus and the driver took us to the Italian American Club. Chrystal whispered that it was possible we’d even see Sinatra show up during the evening after his show at Caesar’s.
When we got to the restaurant, we found half a dozen other guys already at our table. They stood and greeted us. They all had drinks and were spaced out around the table. I got an instant bad feeling about this, but there was one spot with five chairs and the maître d’ conducted me to the center of the five. My girlfriends clustered around me. Of all the girls on our crew, I considered Elizabeth to be the most worldly, because she’d traveled and was rich. I guess that didn’t translate into confidence in this situation.
It was a pretty big round table and the guys were arranged in such a way that it would look random. There were eighteen of us, since Elise had stayed with Toni to get her ready for bed. Sunday, Elise would have all day to go out and do whatever she wanted, which would include an appointment at a spa where she’d be pampered for several hours.
So, my four girlfriends were seated closest to me with Chrystal next to Anna and the first of the dudes next to Patricia. Judy and Debbie were next to Dude 1 with Dude 2 seated next to Debbie. Then Dude 3. Pris and Theresa were straight across from me, and Don was next. Then Dude 5 sat next to him with Cassie and Leanne sandwiched between him and Dude 6. That brought us back to Chrystal.
“We thought it would be a good thing for our teams to get to know each other better,” Don said. “That was really the source of the problem when we were dealing with wanting to record the sessions. And we’re not revisiting that. Some of these guys, you’ve seen at the studio, especially yesterday when you all went outside. So, let me introduce you all, and that way you can correct me if I mess up. Directly across from me is Nate Hart, the star of our show, as it were. That doesn’t mean you’re actually in the show, but the writers are tapping you for tons of character content. They got a real earful last week when you got mugged at the concert, Nate. All of them regretted not being there.”
“I’m sure that would have helped,” I said noncommittally.
“So, next to Nate on his right are Elizabeth and Anna, and on his left are Ronda and Patricia. I was blown away when these four beautiful ladies were introduced as Nate’s girlfriends. But the rest of his crew is just as stunning. Next to Patricia is Bert Slocum. Bert is our lead writer for the movie we’re putting together. Next to Bert is Judy, who heads up the wardrobe department for Attic Allure. Dynamite job. Then we have Debbie, who is the chief grip and makes sure the right backdrop and set props are in position. Doing okay so far?”
We all nodded. It was the first time I’d actually met the lead writer, though I’d seen him at the studio.
“Now from Photosensitive Productions, we have Gene Rice. If you ever see him without his sunglasses, you know trouble is coming. Gene’s head of security and caught hell for letting you get beat up last week. You’ll see a lot of this next guy. Reginald Lombardi has been tapped to direct the yet untitled movie and is working with Bert on the concept.”
We said hi to each of the guys as he was introduced. There was nothing remarkable about any of them and the occasional pause for us to be impressed was wasted on us because we had no idea what any of them had done that made them noteworthy.
“Pris and Theresa, next to me over here, are lighting wizards. I have to tell you, Pris, having a licensed electrician on the crew saved us a world of problems with the union. We had an inspection at night in the middle of the week and they went over every connection and wire in the studio. It was all pronounced good.”
I started clapping for Pris. Not only was she licensed, she came from a long line of electricians and was headed into the family business when we got back to Tenbrook.
“You all know me. I’m Don and I’m an associate producer. Which means I have all the responsibility and none of the money. That goes to the gentleman on my left, Frank Loras. Frank is the producer and is in charge of making sure we actually get a movie out of this whole adventure.”
“Good luck,” I said, smiling at him. He had the good grace to heave a big sigh and nod his thanks.
“Leanne is Attic Allure’s makeup genius. When we saw the pictures of that girl with the tinfoil pasted on her, we were all blown away. I hope we’re going to see some more creative stuff like that this month. And Cassie is the administrative person when it comes to people and responsibilities. I understand that Anna handles administration of financial matters. Finally, we have our two PAs. Dave Mitchel works on the assistant side for the production and Chrystal Carmichael is coordinating anything that’s needed by Attic Allure. Now, let’s all have a glass of wine and toast to the success of Photosensitive Productions and our partnership with Attic Allure.”
“Thanks, but I’ll stick with water,” I said. “I’m not old enough to start drinking wine in Las Vegas.” I laughed to try to keep the sting out of it, but I wasn’t about to get looped when the execs of our partner were at the table. I didn’t want to agree to anything without being fully in control of my faculties. I didn’t say anything for any of the girls, but they all covered their glasses with their hands so only the employees of Photosensitive Productions had wine. We still all raised our glasses for the toast and then food started arriving.
There were already crostini on the table and since it was already after eight, we were all ravenous. The servers brought plates of antipasti, or thin sliced meats and cheese. They explained that this was a before the meal course, and encouraged us to eat lightly. That was hard to do because it was so good. For our primo course, we were given a choice of soup, risotto, or pasta. I chose soup because I was pretty sure the meal was going to include a lot of food. And would go on for a long time. A server asked us if we wanted a plain seltzer or soft drink with our meals and we gladly accepted that.
“So, Nate,” Frank said as we were settling in, “what would you say is the secret to your success with women?”
Oh, great. Nothing about photography. They were interested in the women.
“I don’t know that I’m that successful,” I said to the accompaniment of a couple of elbows in my ribs. We laughed. “I think there are two things that I just use to guide my life. Be respectful and do what they want me to. Beyond that, I just let them control our relationship.”
“Okay, I can believe that’s how you relate to your girlfriends, but I’ve watched you in the studio as you took the clothes off models and they became your willing slaves for the duration of the shoot. You can’t say that’s just doing what they want you to,” Reginald said. Oh yeah, he was the director.
“Um… I don’t really know. I try to fulfill their fantasy, I guess. They want to feel like a work of art. Like I molded them into something more than they thought was possible,” I said.
“I’ve been a model and so have Patricia, Judy, Debbie, and Pris,” Elizabeth said. “And I think we’ve all had Nate take our pictures someplace along the line even if we weren’t intending to be models. The thing is that we all saw samples of his work before we ever agreed to model. When you look at the pictures in his album, you see women who were shown to be more than they thought they were. And I think we all want that.”
“There’s a kind of freedom that posing for Nate allows,” Judy confirmed. “It’s not always instant. I was incredibly embarrassed the first time he took my picture and I thought he could see my nipples poking at my swim suit. I guess that wasn’t even the first time. But later, it was kind of like, it’s okay. It was okay to pose nude. It was okay to have Nate push us around into a pose he wanted. Because it was Nate. We all know he’ll take care of us. We’re safe with him.”
We kept talking and some of what I was hearing was what the girls had said when they led tours through the gallery. The servers had taken our orders for the secondi plate, which was our meat dish, I guess you’d say. I had a veal cutlet and some vegetables that had been roasted. The servers suggested to several of the girls that they share the dish between two of them. After a whispered discussion, Anna and Beth shared a rabbit dish, and Ronda and Patricia shared a fish dish. They almost sent it back when it arrived complete with head. A very nice server stepped between them and opened the fish, then removed the head and all the bones in one swift move. He took the head away and the girls were much more at ease. I noticed the guys ordered their own dishes, like I had, and they were mostly beef, lamb, or sausage.
I wondered if there was some unspoken rule that chicken and fish were women’s dishes.
“I was interested in your statement, that I’ve heard a couple of times, that you are going to turn a model into a work of art. How much of that do you believe?” Bert asked. The writer.
“My goal is always to create a work of art,” I said. “I don’t always succeed. There are a lot of factors involved. And I mean beyond taking a good picture and processing the film correctly and getting the right settings, filters, and timing in the darkroom. One of the things that happens when I touch a model is that we make a connection. Even if I’m only pausing to rub her shoulders after a difficult pose, it puts the model and me in the same space. When we reach that point of trust and common thinking, we start truly working toward the same vision. And the rest of the crew starts working in sync. We get the right backdrop, props, lighting, makeup, and costume, and we um… transcend the situation and the environment. Then it’s possible to create a work of art.”
“That’s what we saw take place with Marli yesterday,” Debbie said. “First, she came into the studio ready to do anything Nate suggested. She was completely open to his vision. When he told her we were going to work outside, she was thrilled. She was ready.”
The salad course came next. I thought that was strange. I guess in most of the restaurants I’d been in, salad came between the appetizer and the main course, but I couldn’t think of a time when I’d had a meal with as many distinct courses as this one. I noted that the guys were getting a little looser as they continued to have wine—sometimes a different wine with each course—and ordered a round of after dinner drinks, too.
The tiramisu was terrific and since the men at the table were ordering drinks, I ordered a coffee. I pushed back a little and packed my pipe and lit it. Both Ronda and Beth loved the smell of my pipe and cuddled closer to me to sniff at it.
“Excuse me, Reg,” Pris said loudly, moving away from the director. “Apparently you didn’t get the memo. We are Nate’s girls. Please keep your hands to yourself.”
“Wait. What?” the confused and slightly tipsy director said. “Those four. We all agreed, nobody fools with Nate’s girlfriends. But you aren’t…”
“Girlfriend or not,” Pris continued. “We’re his girls and nobody else gets handsy with us.”
“Nate?” Don asked. “They’re all your girls?”
“Remember what I said about whatever they say goes? If they say they’re my girls, they’re mine and I’ll thank you to keep your hands off. Chrystal, I think we’ve all exceeded our limits and should head back to the hotel.” I stood and all the girls stood with me. Chrystal headed out to round up our bus.
“You don’t need to rush off,” Don said. “It was just a little misunderstanding.”
“You’re right, Don. Please don’t think we’re leaving mad. We’ve had quite a long and full day today and this has been a really long meal. My compliments to the chef and all who had a hand in preparing and serving it,” I said. “And it’s really been a treat to get to know the production team for the movie. Frank, I’ll never forget your definition of a producer as the one who gets blamed if a movie flops. I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.”
“It’s really for the best. This can happen when half the people at a party are drunk and the other half are sober,” Gene said. Security, yeah. “Guys, we should all order some cognac and cigars. You know there are lots of girls who are available. Order one up and leave our teen source material alone.”
We shook hands all around and left.
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
