Chapter 15: Sheila Meets the Menfolk

The guys were in the rental house’s big living room. They were half-watching a boring and inconsequential baseball game (Detroit vs. Kansas City? Blah.) They had found a semi-healthy platter of crackers, cheese, veggies, and fruit to snack on, and more importantly, beer.

One by one, the four ladies sauntered into the living room and took up their stations by their favorites. Kerri and Ric, Talia and Paul, Pam and Barry. Sheila realized she had a spot open on Barry’s left side, so she snuggled there.

“The ladies have brought me up to speed, so I know all your names now, and the pairings are kind of obvious.”

Everyone smiled.

“I’m Sheila Murray, I’m 29 years old. My ancestors are Celts, from Scotland, so the pale coloring and red hair is in my DNA. There is NO value of SPF lotion that protects me, I must keep out of direct sunlight as much as I can. Particularly if I were visiting Pam and Barry up in the mountains, where the thin atmosphere is no protection. I can even burn on a cloudy day.

“It was such a rare and exciting experience for me to be outside, naked, with just enough light to be photographed but no risk of sunburn.

“Since I have to wrap like a mummy when I go outside, I make up for it with constant indoor nudity. I thought you should know that; I hope there are no objections.

“I’m really hungry, I’m going to be snacking while I talk, I hope that’s OK.

“I’ve had a few different jobs in my life so far. I was an EMT, that’s sort of a light-paramedic. I would go on ambulance calls, fire rescues, things like that. I quit that because the work was very difficult, took every bit of my strength, and paid rock-bottom wages—seven dollars an hour at the time. The only good part of it (besides helping people) was that I really built up my muscles to wrestle those gurneys around, and I learned some basic firefighting skills.

“I think I’m the tallest and strongest one here, no offense. I’m five foot ten inches [178 cm] and weigh 155 lbs. [70 kg], and there’s muscle under my womanly curves. I do a lot of exercising to maintain my weight and power, without looking like I use or abuse steroids.

“Excuse me while I gobble your cheese and crackers.

Photography

“When I left the fire district, I picked up my old camera from my high school days and started doing photography as a business. I was doing portraits and then I got into weddings.

“Because I was really fit I could zip around in the background and catch those cute and funny and intimate moments that always happen at weddings. I did it using my zoom lens from a distance, so my subjects were behaving naturally and not aware they were being photographed.

“I started to be really successful. But so many people are doing outdoor weddings now, it’s becoming a huge problem for me because of the sunlight exposure.

“I would be happier just doing indoor studio work. There are two types, both are very successful.

“The first is portraits of kids. I’m killer with kids, I really am. Age 2 to 12, I tell them jokes, and I otherwise treat them respectfully. And, by the way, Barry, I use the lightweight little camera and it relaxes them and gives me perfect sharp images.

“The second kind is completely different, and that is the spicy bedroom stuff. ‘Boudoir Photography,’ they call it. Most of the time it is married women, in lingerie, for their husband’s eyes only. Beyond that, my lips are sealed. But I need lots of security and I have to do my own lab work.

“So, that’s ten minutes about Sheila. Paul, I believe you have some photos from Barry’s big old camera to show us all?”

“I do, but it’s going to be one incredible mess to create the hookup to that old big-screen TV. Give me half an hour. Maybe you all can go in the kitchen and find more food for our starving Scottish waif?”

When they returned, Paul had created a monstrosity. A cable snaked from his laptop to a DVD player. From there, another cable connected into the TV cable service box, and finally the TV was tuned to the auxiliary cable input channel.

“To quote Samuel L. Jackson in Jurassic Park, ‘Hold on to your butts.’” Paul pushed a key.

A beautiful back-lit image of Talia filled the television screen. To cheers from the assembled group, Paul sketched a bow and settled behind the laptop to navigate.

As he paged through the images, he stopped on some of Talia’s most engaging shots. Ric asked for pauses to ogle Kerri, as well. There were no complaints. Then the shots of Pam came up. The room got very quiet.