Full Frame
27
New Man
“Avery” by Master1305, ID282298418 licensed from Shutterstock
THE NEXT WEEK at school was pretty quiet. It was marked by Chris and Ronda and I just hanging out together more. They were with me at lunches. We walked home from school together. We finished our big term papers and handed them in. I guess if anything was different, it might have been the way they looked at me. And I returned their look in the same way. I adored them. We all knew I’d turned down the opportunity to have sex with Kelly because we wanted each other.
We did some kissing and making out, and went to see the double feature of Bikini Beach and Beach Blanket Bingo. I guess the Huntertown theater was experimenting with all kinds of things to draw an audience and even though the films were a couple of years old, we were among the teens who crammed the theater who had never seen them. Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon never looked better. It reminded us that summer was coming soon, even though the temperature was still only around forty degrees.
I think that knowing we were going to do it together kind of slowed the three of us down a little. We still made out and petted when we could, but we didn’t go back to the studio or to Ronda’s playhouse to get more intimate than we could get while parked in front of their houses. And while the physical play calmed down a little, the emotional intensity picked up.
I had an appointment to shoot some pictures of Lori again on Sunday at two. I’d gotten ‘push’ chemicals and instructions from Levi but hadn’t had a chance to experiment with it. After we had Sunday dinner and cleaned up the dishes, I headed over for the studio. I was almost to the top of the stairs to go in through the attic when I was stopped by a voice from below.
“You there on the fire escape. Stop where you are and turn around.”
I looked down and saw a uniformed police officer.
“Hello, sir. How can I help you?” I asked. I’d heard the town hired a new constable, but I hadn’t met him. I figured I’d better be polite and try not to get on his wrong side.
“What are you doing up there?”
“I was just going to my studio, sir. Mr. Barkley lets me use some space for my darkroom and photoshoots.”
“Really? I’d like to confirm that. Stay where you are while I come up.”
He started mounting the stairs. I just waited. He reached me and grabbed the door immediately.
“I don’t think you’re going through this door unless you’re breaking and entering. It’s locked tight,” he growled menacingly.
“I have a key, sir,” I said, holding up the key.
“Open it.”
I opened the door and stepped in to turn on the lights. I stopped to take off my shoes and leave them by the door. He pushed in behind me and glanced around the room.
“Barkley lets you use this space?”
“Yes, sir. I’m a photographer. Um… I understand if you don’t want to take off your shoes, but please wipe your feet. It’s still pretty wet outside and I’d rather not have to spend the next hour cleaning up the mud.”
I think he started to object, but I’d put a mat in front of the door, so it didn’t really cost him anything to wipe his feet. He followed me to the darkroom and looked inside just to verify that it was what I said.
“Photographer, huh? You the one who took the incriminating photos of the former constable?”
“I guess so. I’m Nate Hart.”
“Okay. I’ve heard the name. Preacher’s kid, right? This doesn’t really look like much of a studio.”
“I was going to work on an enlargement,” I said. “The studio is down a flight.”
“Just in the interest of touring the town, I’d like to see it,” he said. “You aren’t a suspect in anything now that I know who you are and that you belong here. I’m Jim Stoneburner and, as you’ve probably figured out, I’m the new constable. Seeing someone crawling around the back of a building on Sunday afternoon was suspicious, but I’ve seen your work. The mayor made a point of showing me before I was hired so I’d know what went down here before.”
“Constable, I’d be happy to show you around. I don’t have many visitors unless I’m shooting a model or have an appointment for a showing. Let me lock the door behind you, though. I work alone and don’t leave the doors open since there’s still so many petty thefts. Camera equipment is expensive,” I said.
“Good thinking.”
I locked the upstairs door and led him to the stairs to the new studio.
“Barkley just gives you access to his whole store?”
“No. There’s a locked gate at the foot of the next flight down. I just use the third and fourth floors.”
I found the switch and turned on the overhead lights in the big room. I planned to get some props ready before Lori got there and set the lights where I thought I’d want them.
“Now this is impressive,” Stoneburner said. “You bring models up here?”
“Yes. I have a scheduled shooting at two o’clock today. Please take a look at my gallery.”
He walked over to the wall display. I had a couple dozen photos on display now and I really liked them. I’d managed to print a very cool picture of Lori on the old pickup truck. Her expression was one of utter disdain as she pulled one side of her shirt up. I liked that one better than the one where she was completely topless and had her shorts unzipped. I used a filter and overexposed slightly to darken it and she looked really moody.
The constable looked at all the photos carefully, nodding. He pointed to the first of my really artistic nudes of Lori.
“Your girlfriend? I see you have a few photos of her.”
“No, sir. I don’t date my models and I don’t photograph my girlfriends. This is my business. I’m fortunate enough to have a couple of models who just want a collection of sexy pictures of themselves and are willing to come and pose occasionally, so I can work on capturing the right feeling. That model will be here in about twenty minutes. I was going to set up a backdrop and some props for her. Want to give me a hand setting my backdrop? It’s difficult to do alone.” I showed him what drop I was using and we both stood on boxes to put it on the stands.
“You’ve got an interesting style. Not that I’m an art critic. I just find it interesting.”
“It evolved from the original studio upstairs before Mr. Barkley opened this floor for me. I call it Attic Allure.” I pulled down the brick wall drop and got the silhouettes of the falling people. I had to stack two boxes in order to stand high enough to push the upholstery tacks holding the fishline leading to the lightweight cutouts into the ceiling. I was thankful that the constable put a hand on my waist to steady me.
“Can I watch your photo session?”
“I only allow people in the room when I’m working at the model’s invitation. You can imagine that a model like Lori might feel a little exposed or inhibited. It would be like the doctor inviting a neighbor in while he was examining a patient.” For some reason, I was really relaxed around the new constable. He just wasn’t threatening at all.
“I’ll have to consider that statement. I acknowledge that you take good pictures, but I’m not ready to equate you with a doctor. How old is this girl?”
“Eighteen. I can show you her model release. I always verify the age of a model and don’t do this kind of work with anyone under eighteen.”
“Okay. I’ll accept that. Listen, Nate, I saw the photos you took of the former constable. They were good, and were enough to get him fired. Believe me, I don’t have that kind of prejudice and I’m not a violent man by nature. I’m a former Army officer and this job is a good way to start a career in law enforcement. As long as you don’t actually interfere with me doing my job, you can take my photo in any place you want. In fact, give me one of these model releases. I’ll sign it for you. If you ever catch me in an act like the former constable committed, you can plaster photos of it all over the town and the newspapers and television. People think all police are pigs. I’m not and I’ll stake my reputation on any photo you take.”
“Wow! That’s a bold statement. Thank you. I can’t do it right now, but I’ve been taking pictures of community leaders for a future exhibition. I’d like to get yours for the collection,” I said.
“I’ll agree to that. Stop by the office and we’ll set a time. And I won’t interfere with your work, either. Just don’t create suspicions in town that you are doing anything illegal up here. No porn, right?”
“No porn, sir. I’m an art photographer. I once had a model that went a little overboard and I had to destroy some pictures and negatives. I hate to do that and I’ve learned to avoid the need to,” I said.
“Well, I’ll let you get to work then. If you’d unlock the door, I’ll leave.”
I unlocked the door just in time to let Lori in as the constable left.
“Miss, do you mind if I ask if you are here freely and plan to model for Mr. Hart? I’m Constable Stoneburner and I just want to make sure you feel safe and aren’t being coerced.”
“Um… have you seen my pictures on Nate’s wall?”
“Yes ma’am, I have.”
“Do you love them as much as I do? I’d do anything Nate asked of me because he always comes up with something that makes me look more beautiful than I am,” Lori said.
“You’re a fine-looking young woman,” Stoneburner said. “I don’t think the man’s photos did anything to improve your looks. He’s just captured what anyone with eyes could see. You two have a good sitting.” He went down the stairs and out the alley.
“What was that all about?” Lori squeaked as she came on in. “Is it okay to do this?”
“Yeah, it’s fine, Lori. He saw me on the back stairs and thought I was breaking in. As soon as he found out who and what I am, he was fine. He even signed a model release and told me I could take his picture anytime I wanted as long as I didn’t interfere with his work.”
“That’s good. Talk about being fine-looking. Mmm. I do like me an older man,” she said, looking back toward the door, which I’d relocked. “And in uniform, too. Yum. What are we shooting today? Can I just get naked now?”
“I got this backdrop recently and Constable Stoneburner helped me set it up. I want to do something really dramatic with strong shadows and a kind of bizarre background, I guess.”
“Whoa! This is… Are those supposed to be people falling off a building?” she asked.
The three silhouettes I’d positioned were hung with a single filament of fishing line, so they spun a little if they were hit by a breeze or touched. We’d need to be careful not to get too much motion in them. This was also going to tax Lori’s ability to strike and hold a pose that wouldn’t just be sexy and sultry—two things she did especially well.
“I was kind of interrupted while getting ready, so I need to go upstairs and get my camera. Just relax for a few minutes and think about what we can do. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay. Can I use other props?”
“Sure. Be creative. If you need something from upstairs, come and get it. We’ve got a lot of new props here in this room, too.”
I went up to get my camera case and film. While all my negatives and proofs and model releases were now in the fire safe, my camera was still kept in the under-the-counter safe I’d built in the darkroom. Most of my film was in the refrigerator at home, much to Mom’s disgust, but the weather was getting too warm to just have it sitting in the darkroom.
When I came back downstairs with the camera case and a dozen rolls of film, I found Lori had pulled a couple of things together for her ‘scene.’ She had one of the smaller black wooden cubes in the center of the stage area. When she stood on it, she looked like she was more ‘among’ the falling shadows than when she was on the floor and looked like they were falling toward her. She’d laid out a teddy bear and an umbrella. And, of course, she was naked.
“I think I kind of see the dark and gruesome side of what you want, but I thought about a humorous bit, too. I could be falling among the shapes, but floating with the umbrella over my head and a toy under my arm.”
“That’s great thinking, Lori. Kind of a Mary Poppins thing. When I looked at these things all I saw was falling to death. I still want to do that scene, but I think the humorous scene would be good, too. Let’s start with that. I need to adjust the lights so I get a good exposure of you.”
“Am I not exposed enough?” she giggled. “You know, Nate, I’ve had some guys… I mean, you know I lost my virginity when I was fifteen to Billy. He’s not the only one who poked his cock into my pussy. I kind of like sex. But it’s always been in a parked car or a dark barn somewhere. I think you are the only boy who has truly seen me completely naked.”
“I’m honored, Lori. I don’t doubt that any of your lovers would have wanted to see you like I do,” I said.
She was standing on the block, just relaxed with the umbrella and teddy bear and completely bare. She even had bare feet and wore no jewelry. I did like seeing her soft round tits and exposed slit. If I wasn’t committed to preserving the studio space and my relationship with two perfectly wonderful and beautiful girls, I could certainly see myself being one of the guys who’d poked his cock into her pussy. In fact, I’d imagined it a few times late at night in the privacy of my bedroom. I thought that tonight might be one of those nights.
For now, though, I got the first round of photos set up. I shut down all the overhead lights in the room so I was only lighting with the photo and theatre lights. I was getting light from the window in the front of the room, too, but it wasn’t enough to upset the balance I was looking for. When we started getting sunny weather, I might have problems, but the dreary clouds just made it glow slightly. I might have to move the heavy drapes from upstairs to cover these windows.
When I thought I had the lighting right, we started taking pictures. And Lori came to life. She showed a side of herself that I hadn’t seen before, laughing as if she were parachuting among the falling bodies, holding the umbrella above her head and the bear out to her side, pirouetting, and standing tiptoe on one foot. I shot two rolls of her in these positions and said I was satisfied with this one.
She came down from the box and sat on it, laying the bear and umbrella aside.
“Whoo! That was hard work.” She had her legs spread open and if I was doing porn, I’d have snapped a picture of what I saw between her legs. She fanned at her pussy. “Do you have a clean washcloth and towel in the bathroom? I think I need to wipe down a little before the next series.”
“Sure. That reminds me that I should invest in some more things for the restrooms. If you happen to think of anything else I should have in there, let’s make a list so I can go shopping.”
She hopped up and ran to the restroom as I watched her ass bouncing away from me. That ass. I was definitely going to feature it in this next series.
Pushing the 400 ASA film to 3200 was a process for very low light or high speed use. I knew the general characteristics and how to process it. It tended to be a lot grainier, especially than the lower speed portrait film I used for beautiful continuous skin tones. The shadows would be especially grainy. But for the effect I wanted, the graininess was a desired effect. I wanted only enough detail in the shadows to make Lori fully three-dimensional rather than flat like the silhouettes. Not only did I have all the lights off, but I cut the light from my floods and spots down and emphasized the backlight so the wall had very little light on it at all.
I was going to shoot exactly the same scenes on two different rolls of film—at least as exactly as we could reproduce them. One would be shot normally as 400ASA Tri-X. But I’d shoot the other as if it were 3200 ASA. Then I’d over develop it to further enhance the grain. Maybe this whole experiment would work and maybe I’d have a colossal failure on my hands. I was lucky that Lori accepted the fact that she was an experimental subject, but that there was always at least one photo from a set that she was proud of.
We set to work as soon as she was out of the restroom. There would be no extra props for this scene, but I was going to continue having her posed on the box. For one thing, limiting her area of movement helped limit the number of lighting adjustments I had to make.
I was lucky that she was so good at balancing on one foot. Having her completely vertical when all the silhouettes were falling just looked odd, so I wasn’t planning to do full body shots for this. What I really wanted with the lights was just to highlight the curves of her face, her breasts, her back, and her butt with the rest in deep relief.
This time I was more involved with getting her in exactly the poses I wanted. The first set had been her creative endeavor. In this one, I stepped right up to her and moved her with my hands until the light fell exactly the way I wanted it. I probably touched Lori as much as any of the boys who had poked her, but neither of us really noticed because we were so focused on the outcome we wanted.
I shot four rolls at normal speed and four more pushing it. I used different filters on some. It took us almost two hours and Lori had to take another quick break to wipe down about halfway through.
I was absolutely sure, though, that I had photos that would make her weep. I knew for a fact that I’d cry.
I spent most of my spare time the next week working in the darkroom, keeping meticulous records of what exposures I’d used, how long the film was in the developing tank, how long I exposed the paper from the negative, and which filter was used for each. After the basic proofs, I probably printed a hundred enlargements of different frames before I saw what I actually wanted. I was so thankful that Levi was supplying all my film, chemicals, and about half my paper. He just kept saying that my patron was paying for it. It’s a cinch I’d never have been able to afford half of what I was consuming.
Wednesday after school I headed for the darkroom and stopped at the third floor door. Something looked odd about the lock. When I pulled at the door, it came open without my using the key. I poked my head in and flipped on the light. Nothing looked disturbed in the big room. I looked at the props as I walked past them and checked the fireproof file cabinet. It was still locked and didn’t seem to have been disturbed. I supposed someone could have come in and gone either upstairs to my darkroom or down to break into the store. I glanced at my gallery wall as I turned to head toward the stairs and immediately saw what was missing.
The picture of Lori posed on the truck that I liked so much was gone. So was the dark and moody picture that had made her cry when she saw it. Two pictures, both of Lori. I looked down to see if they had fallen off the wall, but there was no sign of it. I ran upstairs to see if anything had been disturbed up there, but didn’t see a thing wrong. My little safe under the table was still locked securely.
I ran down and outside, locking the door behind me. As soon as I was downstairs, I ran around the block to get to the front of the store. I stopped at the village hall where the constable’s office was and ducked inside. I saw him sitting at his desk.
“Constable Stoneburner. There’s been a break-in. A couple of pictures are missing from my studio.”
“You’re sure it wasn’t just taken by mistake by one of your models? You know it was a break-in?”
“The lock on the third floor door was scratched up and the door was unlocked when I got there a few minutes ago. The photos are the only thing I’ve been able to identify as missing.”
Stoneburner came out around his desk and we went up two doors to the store. I told Mr. Barkley what had happened and he led us up the inside stairs, pausing to unlock the gates that sealed the first and second floor from what was above. The constable checked the locks on those gates to see if they had been tampered with, but there was no sign of anything.
When we got to my studio, I showed him the outside door lock and he confirmed that it looked like someone had been at it with a knife. We walked inside and I showed where the photos were missing. Both Mr. Bartley and the constable knew at once which photos I was talking about.
Stoneburner had me answer a whole lot of questions about who had been in the studio recently. He wanted to know if anyone showed undue interest in the photo. Then he wanted to know about whether I had any enemies in town, and if I still had a good relationship with Tony Kowalski. I hoped he didn’t pursue that any further. I knew that Tony loved the last set of pictures I took with Patricia. There was no reason he’d be interested in a photo of Lori.
Stoneburner said he’d inherited a file about the break-ins, petty theft, and vandalism in the town. He was beginning to see a pattern, but didn’t have a suspect yet. He said he could call the sheriff’s department to get someone out to dust the lock for prints, but he suspected there were enough of my prints on it to occlude anything else. I’d need to get fingerprinted.
I finally got to my darkroom, but didn’t really have time to do much. I pulled another print of each of Lori’s missing photos and set them to dry. One thing about having a stack of negatives in a fireproof safe was that if something happened to a print, I could print it again.
I couldn’t believe the fog we had on Thursday morning. It was like walking through pea soup on the way to school. I stopped just outside of the main business block and took a picture with the streetlight still on and lighting up a portion of the street around it. It was a cool effect. In fact, I thought about it all day long and after I’d walked Ronda and Chris home after school in the misty fog, I ran back to school to see if I could find Lori or Pam. I didn’t find either one, but Avery Benton was finishing typing a paper in Miss Sullivan’s room. She stretched and asked me what I was looking for the other two cheerleaders for.
“I have an idea for a really cool photo tonight, but I need a model who is over eighteen,” I explained.
“Meaning she needs to pose nude?”
“Well, at least sort of nude. It’s likely that there will be bits that show up in the picture. But it will be so neat if I can find them.”
“And what’s this picture going to be of?” Avery asked, glancing at my little 35 hung around my neck.
“It’ll be outside on Main Street after dark. The street lights are creating incredible glowing pools of light in the fog. If the fog doesn’t clear, and it sure looks like it’s here for the night, I want a picture of a woman dancing in the pool of light at night.”
“Nude,” Avery repeated.
“Well, she could wear a thin gown, but it’s important that I be able to see her shape through the fabric. That’s where the over eighteen part comes in. I don’t know exactly how much detail I’ll capture in the fog. I want the nudity because even if I can’t see details, it would ruin the concept to see a bra and panties,” I explained. I didn’t know why I was explaining so much to the senior cheerleader. I was hoping maybe she’d give me Pam’s or Lori’s phone number.
“Okay. I’ll do it,” she said suddenly.
“What?”
“I’ll pose for you. I suppose I need to come over and sign a release thing. Let’s go.”
I was stunned. Avery could justifiably be assumed to be the prettiest of the senior cheerleaders. She also had a reputation of being something of an ice queen. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was more into girls than guys, but she’d been nominated as prom queen and I couldn’t imagine anyone else beating her. I just followed her from school all the way to the stairs up to the studio. She paused and let me go up first. I wouldn’t have minded following her legs up the stairs, but going first made sense since I had the key. I stopped at the third floor and unlocked the door.
“I thought you were on the top floor,” she said.
“I’ve expanded since last fall,” I said. I ushered her into the studio and she followed my lead in kicking her shoes off.
“Wow! You have expanded! Is that the backdrop you used for Lori’s last scene?” she asked. I hadn’t changed the setting. I’d been too busy processing and printing.
“Yes. She did amazing.”
“If I hadn’t seen the picture you shot of her topless, I’d never have agreed to do this. Look at all the pictures you have!”
“I like to display photos so models know and understand what the Attic Allure style is,” I explained.
“Do you have any of the pictures of Lori that you did this weekend?”
“Yes. Over there on the table are a few that I printed to show Lori. Here’s the model release.”
I turned to look at her and she was bent over the table looking at Lori’s photos. I thought they turned out pretty well. She took the model release from me and filled it out and signed it. I signed a copy for her.
“You can make more photos like these?” she asked hoarsely.
“I’m still learning, but I’m getting better. I had to print nearly a hundred times to get exactly the right combination for those photos.”
“They’re amazing. So, where do you want me?”
“Um… I was planning to meet after dark tonight. Maybe around nine o’clock, or even ten.”
“Yeah, I got that. I’m here now, you might as well take advantage of your new model and shoot a set here and now.”
“O-kay,” I said. This was a surprise. But if Avery Benton wanted to pose for photos I had a release for, I was happy to do it. I could still remember the shape of her tits when she’d exposed them and threatened my life if I ever showed them to anyone. “I need to run upstairs and get my new camera. I don’t use the 35 for art shots anymore. We’ll work over there in front of the blue backdrop. See if there are any props that jump out at you. We’ll work on posing and lighting as soon as I get back down.”
I took off and ran upstairs to get my Hasselblad and film. When I came downstairs, she was arranging an odd assortment of things on the muslin. She had the huge metronome Levi had sent me and two of the polka-dot mushrooms. She also had a low table with an hourglass on it, and a parrot. She had a slouch hat perched on her head.
“Hmm. This should be interesting,” I said.
“I thought maybe I could appear from around or behind these things,” she said. “Kind of like I was just popping up in different places.”
“Good. Creative. Let’s get a black cube and put that mushroom on it to get a little more height in the setting. Will the parrot stay on top of the metronome?” I asked. She got right into it and started moving things around. “Wait a second. I don’t like the black box. We need the height, but let’s use some colored fabric and drape it. Maybe wrap some other bits around things, too. I’ve got a whole bunch of strips of fabric in a box over here.”
We worked around until we had a somewhat bizarre, but interesting composition arranged. I got lights set up that I could use to control the depth of shadows, but the backdrop would pretty much disappear.
“Where would you like to pop up first?” I asked.
“Um… I should get ready. Are those dressing rooms?” she asked.
“Yes. Help yourself.”
She grabbed her school bag and ran into the dressing room. I figured she must have a change of clothes in her bag. She was a cheerleader. Who knew what she might be carrying?
She came out of the dressing room with more dramatic makeup. It wasn’t spooky exactly, but her eyes had stronger highlight and shadow and she wore bright red lipstick.
And nothing else.
I’d seen her tits before, but the total Avery package was to die for. She was bustier than either of her senior cheerleader counterparts. Ronda probably came close. She had an extremely thin waist like Patricia and a true hourglass figure. Like the other cheerleaders, her slit was shaved bare and looked absolutely edible. She went to our setting and sort of hid behind the metronome, then leaned out. One breast remained hidden behind the device and that was perfect as she braced herself on her hand.
“How’s this?”
“Wonderful. Let me shift the spotlight slightly so we get good contrast.”
I wasn’t going for the grainy look I had with Lori. I was shooting slower film and it would capture the varied textures perfectly. I’d save the grainy look for outside tonight.
It didn’t take long for us to get into the rhythm of finding a new position and posing, adjusting lights if necessary, taking the pictures, and moving on. I was in my third roll of film when she hopped up and went to the box of fabric. She rummaged through it until she found a piece of blue tulle. It was just a soft mesh netting that she flung around her shoulders and dragged behind her on the floor. I shifted the light slightly to get better backlight on her and then headed for the camera.
Avery did the most delicate and ethereal dance among the props that I could even imagine. Sometimes the tulle covered her so her breast or butt showed through it. Sometimes it flowed behind her so she was fully exposed. She seemed to be in a different world, moving from pose to pose and only pausing long enough for me to click the picture. It was like a ballet.
“Avery, that’s going to be truly beautiful. I think we got some great shots this afternoon. We should call it quits for now and get our dinners and be ready to meet at ten.”
“Why do you want to wait until so late? It’s getting dark already now.”
“Um… You’ll be nude or nearly nude. You could actually just take that piece of tulle with you and dance with it in the glow of the streetlamp if you want. I think that would look cool. But even though it’s almost dark, there will still be people out and about for another couple of hours. I didn’t want to risk having you exposed to anyone except my camera.”
“Oh. Geez, I forgot about other people and being outside. Will we be working out there for an hour or more like we were in here? I’ll freeze to death.”
“I promise I will work as quickly as I can. I don’t want to waste the opportunity, though. If you get too cold, we’ll wrap it up or wrap you up, and stop shooting.”
“So, it will be at the streetlamp at which end of the street?”
“Oh, the south end. Here, let me draw it out.” I grabbed a piece of paper and pencil and quickly sketched out what I wanted in terms of positions. She nodded. I noticed that she’d just come to the table with me without bothering to dress or even cover up. Up close, like this, her tits were really distracting.
“So, mostly, I’ll be backlit by the street light. I think I see what you mean, though, about needing to be nude. I’ll park around the corner so I can jump out of the car when you’re ready for the first shot and jump back into it when I get cold.”
“That will be fine.”
“You still want me nude?” she asked. I wasn’t sure if she was referring to the late-night shoot or to her standing beside me right now.
“Avery, you are magnificent. I think it would be a crime to cover you any more than with that wisp of fabric you’re dragging around.”
“I always figured that once a guy saw me naked, that would kind of be the end of it. The mystery would be revealed and he wouldn’t be interested anymore. But you’re still interested, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Avery, when I’m behind the camera, I’m looking for the composition, the light, the planes, and curves. When I’m not behind the camera, I can’t help but look at you as a beautiful, sexy, naked woman. I could stare at you all night,” I said.
“If we were spending all night together, I’d want you to do more than stare,” she laughed. “But for now, go ahead and take a good look. I need to get home and have dinner before we meet later.”
I did have a good look. She stood, not two feet from me, preening and posing and making sure I had plenty of opportunity to see. She turned and headed toward the dressing room, still dragging the piece of tulle.
When she came out of the dressing room, she went to get her shoes and jacket on.
“If these photos turn out like your vision of them, I’ll probably come back to pose some more. It was actually kind of fun. And liberating. Thanks, Nate. I’ll see you at ten.” She left and I sagged into a chair. What a hot girl!
Mom and Dad were okay with me going out at ten for such an exceptional photo opportunity as the streetlight in the fog. I didn’t really mention the woman who’d be dancing naked around it. I went outside and tried a few settings with different lenses until I was satisfied that I had the one that I’d use. I really didn’t want Avery to get too cold and the temperature was falling pretty fast now that the daylight was completely gone. I hoped we didn’t reach the point where the fog would dissipate into rain.
I was standing on the corner with the camera on the tripod and an umbrella protecting it when Avery pulled up behind me and parked. I went over to her car and she rolled down the window.
“Is it all clear?”
“Yes. I don’t see a soul around,” I said.
“Um… I’m going to need you for one more thing,” she said. “I’m not real heavy, so I’m sure you can pick me up. Please pick me up and carry me to where you want me to pose. I really don’t want to run through the slippery street in my bare feet.”
“Uh… Sure, I guess. I wouldn’t want you to fall. Just yell when you’ve had enough and I’ll come and carry you back.”
“Okay.”
She rolled up the window and opened her door. I bent toward her and she quickly pulled off her jacket, showing me that she was, indeed, completely nude. She grabbed her piece of tulle and reached out to put her hands around my neck as I lifted her out of the car. She really didn’t weigh much. I didn’t figure any of the cheerleaders weighed more than 110. But the sensation of holding a completely naked cheerleader in my arms as I carried her to the lamplight was not in my book of experiences. It was definitely pleasant.
I set her down and ran to the camera, lifting the umbrella I’d left covering it. I was ready to start shooting.
“Okay. Action,” I called out.
I didn’t think I was really going to get many pictures tonight. It was chilly and the fog was not quite water droplets of mist. I still blotted my camera lens frequently.
Avery was divine. She elevated my vision to a new plateau as she danced with the piece of fabric swirling around her in the diffuse light of the streetlamp. I had to change film.
“Take me back to the car so I can get warm,” she said. “I’ll come back out for another roll.”
I ran to her and scooped her up in my arms as she threw her arms around my neck and cuddled close to me for warmth. I managed the door and leaned in to slide her onto the seat. She’d left the car running and it was warm.
“I’ll be warmed up and ready in a few minutes,” she said. “Let me know when you’ve changed film and are ready to shoot again.”
I hustled back to the camera and held the umbrella between my chin and shoulder as I popped the back off the camera and pulled the old film, then threaded a new roll into place. Once I had the camera reassembled, I went to get Avery. She opened the door so I could lift her out.
“Okay, I don’t think I’ll be able to do this again,” she said as I lifted her from the car. “It’s getting damn cold. Please get the perfect picture.” I started to set her down on the street and she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Thank you.”
I got back to the camera and we started to work.
“Come forward just a little more so I’ve got better back light. Damn, I wish I had some fill light. I’m sure all I’ve got is your silhouette. Which is great, by the way.”
It really was. She moved carefully on the sidewalk and the slow graceful moves kept the fabric floating around her, enhancing the effect of the fog and streetlight.
All of a sudden, she was hit by headlights coming up the street. I snapped another shot with the wished-for fill light showing far more detail.
Then Avery became alarmed as she realized a truck was coming up the highway and she’d be clearly seen. She started to run toward me and slipped, going down on her butt. I rushed to her and scooped her up, turning away as the truck came roaring past. They just didn’t slow down through town at night. Maybe Constable Stoneburner would crack down on them.
Avery hugged herself to me, having dropped the fabric. I knelt so I could snag it with a finger and basically dragged it all the way back to her car. I struggled to get the door open, getting my chin almost all the way down on her breasts. I finally managed to get her into her seat, but she didn’t let go of me immediately. She pulled my face to her and kissed me. I felt her hand on mine as I pulled it out from under her and she brought it to her bare breast to caress. It felt as good as it looked.
“Avery, I don’t mess around with models,” I panted. “Please, this is too tempting.”
“It isn’t from the model,” she said. “It’s a reward for your gallantry in rescuing me from the ground and carrying me to the car. We’ll never do this if I come back to model for you again. So, for now, just enjoy your reward. Pet me and kiss me for a minute before I go.”
The lips beneath mine and the breast in my hand were too much to resist. I was willing to bet Avery would have forgotten all about it by tomorrow morning and would be her usual aloof and cold self. For this moment, though, I let my tongue be enticed into her mouth as my thumb rubbed across her erect nipple. She finally pulled away and I moved my hand away from her.
“I sure hope Ronda is treating you well. You’re some guy,” she said. “See you in school.”
I backed away as she closed the door. She turned on her lights and pulled away from the curb to go home. I think I remembered her saying she lived out in the country.
I still had the fabric in my hand. I wadded it up and stuck it under my arm as I retrieved my camera and umbrella and walked the two blocks home.
By morning, it had begun to rain and washed the fog out of the area. We were headed toward warmer and clearer weather as we moved into May, but first we had to get through April showers.
I didn’t have time to process any film Friday because after school, I had to go into Huntertown to get measured for my dinner jacket and formal slacks. I’d have to go back next Friday to pick it up. Chris and Ronda wanted to ‘ride along.’ I warned them I had a couple other stops to make, but they suggested that they’d treat me to dinner. That was a shift. But we had fun. After I’d been measured, I took them to the florist and ordered corsages for each of them that they chose to match their dresses. They ordered a boutonniere for my dinner jacket that would have two intertwined red rosebuds.
Then I went to the shoe store. The girls had fun trying on shoes while I chose a pair of black dress shoes. Since I pretty much wore my black shoes every day, they were pretty worn and I wanted a nice pair for prom. Junior/senior prom was the only dance of the year when we were allowed on the gym floor in our shoes to dance. I wanted nice ones. It turned out that Ronda and Chris both wanted to buy shoes for their formals, too. I was surprised at how high the heels were on the shoes they chose, but looking at their legs in those shoes when they showed me was an unforgettable experience. I didn’t think their dresses had been that short when we left school. I think they rolled up the waistbands while I was trying on the tux.
I stopped by Anderson’s Department store and picked up a couple of new towel sets and an assortment of feminine products for the restrooms in the studio. I was glad to have Chris and Ronda with me when I had to buy tampons and pads. Lori had been clear that the restroom should be stocked with an emergency supply, as well as Dove soap, hand lotion, tissues, and polish remover. Finally, I wanted to stop by Mr. Grossman’s studio and invite him to visit. I didn’t have any modeling sessions on Sunday, so he agreed to come by and take a look at my new setup.
Then we went to Gertie’s and had burgers and shakes. Both Chris and Ronda still got a kick out of the idea that I’d order coleslaw instead of French fries.
When we got back to Tenbrook, Ronda invited Chris and me in to just hang out for a while. Ronda’s parents and brother were headed to Chris’s house—the parents to play cards and her brother, Danny, to watch TV with Chris’s siblings. Ronda thought her brother was kind of sweet on Chris’s sister.
We settled in front of the TV and turned on a silly movie called Gay Purr-ee, about cats who wanted the high life in Paris and all the misadventures that befell them with the tough cats of the city.
It didn’t make any difference how silly the movie was. We were so involved with each other that we didn’t really watch. We had to be careful about how heavy we got because we weren’t sure how soon Ronda’s parents or brother would be home. Basically, we did a lot of kissing and petting and touching, but no one actually came. Still, having that kind of evening with my two girlfriends was something we hadn’t done in a while and we were all three happy to renew our intimacy.
I got laundry and ironing done early Saturday so I could spend the rest of the day in the darkroom. I wanted to get the dozen or so rolls of film I’d taken of Avery processed and proofed. I was hoping one or two of my shots would be ready to show Mr. Grossman on Sunday.
Ronda and Chris came over in the afternoon to hang out and proved to be really helpful when they took it upon themselves to get all the props put away, equip the restrooms, and sweep and dust the entire studio. While I was letting the proof sheets dry, we moved the heavy drapes from the windows on the fourth floor to the windows on the third floor. It really cut the light a lot. So much so, that we tied the drapes back and decided to only drop them when I needed better control over the light.
The girls were excited to see the proofs from my shooting of Avery. When I saw them, I got excited, too. There were some wonderful shots and Avery was incredibly photogenic. The last picture I got of her under the street light was when the headlights of the truck first picked her out. It was exactly the amount of fill light I needed to be able to see the definition of her figure through the gauze and fog. Her head was turned away and her hair fell across her face, so I could display this photo and not even have her identified. The girls joined me in the dark room as I printed a test strip and then pulled prints of our three favorite photos, including an archival print of that last picture. It was beautiful.
In the darkroom, we made out in short bursts as I timed the processes. But by the time I had four prints drying, we were all down to just our underdrawers. The feel of having my two nearly naked girlfriends holding me and each other was unbelievable.
Please feel free to send comments to the author at devon@devonlayne.com.
