Chapter 35: Final Project

I WORKED MOSTLY in the studio for the rest of Monday. It is amazing how much dust accumulates in seven months. After we graduated, I was going to have to talk with Anna about the economic realities of owning a property in Canada that we only occupied three months of the year. Maybe I’d be able to stretch it to four months this year since I wouldn’t need to go back to college.

I was most concerned about the darkroom equipment. I wanted to install some kind of air filtration system. Having dust in the air would mean spots on a print. The enlarger with a condenser lamp housing showed every particle of dust in the air when it was between the lamp and the paper. I vacuumed and then went over every surface with a damp cloth. I came up here mostly to have peace and quiet while I worked on the fine details of my senior exhibition, but I needed the place clean in order to do that.

I took a few minutes to carefully examine a few of the last prints I did last summer. Damn it. I should have been monitoring this more closely instead of patting myself on the back for such artistic work. It was artistic, but there were entirely too many dust marks on the last few prints I did. Perhaps someone would look at the color print of Rachel as a satyr and assume the tiny white specks were part of the scene or the makeup. I couldn’t let it go at that.

When I’d thoroughly cleaned the darkroom and equipment, I started over and cleaned it again. I should have been doing this every week if not daily. I was so used to perfect conditions at school. Now I was wondering about my work at the studio in Chicago. I at least had the advantage there in having assistants who cleaned everything and took pride in how sparkling everything was.

Once I’d completely cleaned the room a second time, I decided to test it. The test was simple. I put a sheet of RC paper on the easel and turned on the enlarger. No negative. Just straight exposure on the paper. I ran the paper through the developer, rinse, fix, and then rinsed the solid black image. I examined the result with my loupe. I probably sat at the table under strong light examining that paper for longer than was needed.

“Nate? Is there a secret message that you’re looking for from outer space or something?” Patricia asked as she leaned over my shoulder.

I looked up from examining the solid black photo and laughed. I must look ridiculous.

“Look,” I said, pointing at the photos of Irene, Olivia, and Julie that I’d pulled down from the wall. “Do you see the little white specks on these photos? It’s dust that’s between the enlarger lamp house and the paper. I should have been doing a more thorough cleaning of the darkroom. I’ve cleaned it twice today and am examining a black photo to see if there are any white specks on it. I think my eyes are getting tired. I see something and then look again and it’s gone.”

“Let me look,” she said. “Um ... Don’t look over my shoulder. Go see Melinda and Adrienne. Melinda got a couple of panels that she thought might be useful to you, but she didn’t bring them into the studio.”

“Okay.” I went out into the shop and, in fact, Melinda had acquired a couple of wall panels from an expensive house that was being re-done.

“When I saw what they were going to do, I managed to talk them into cutting these two panels out of the wall. They were just going to smash them out, can you believe it? I couldn’t save the entire room, but I was sure you could use a couple of panels, eh?” Melinda said.

“How did you even happen to be there?” I asked. “These are beautiful.”

“I often get calls from people who see something unusual. I went over to get a few old gaslight fixtures and some door hardware. A lot of people want to install old hardware in their homes. In fact, I sold all the hardware two weeks after I scavenged it.”

“That’s brilliant, Mel. I definitely want to use these in the studio. Maybe by the end of summer, we’ll find a buyer for them and can recycle them out.”

“I’ll keep an ear out for anyone looking for something like this. It’s expensive to find anyone who will do fancy plaster work like this.”

“It’s heavy, too. How did you manage to get them over here?”

“I flirted with one of the contractors and he moved them for me.”

“You’re a valuable employee, Melinda.”

I moved the heavy panels into the studio and leaned them against a wall. I wasn’t sure how to use them, but I thought I might want to try something with them when I photographed Adrienne on Tuesday.

“All I see is black, honey,” Patricia said. “Can I arrange to clean the darkroom every week for you? It’s too bad we don’t have Debbie, Janice, and Pris up here. They’d be fighting over the opportunity to clean your darkroom and everything in it. Including you.”

“They did seem to have an uncommon passion for cleaning,” I laughed. “Thank you, sweetheart. We’ll get cleaning the darkroom on a regular schedule this summer.”

“Oops!” Patricia said rushing out of the room and closing the door behind her. I assumed Toni must need attention in the store. Then I saw Adrienne. She was mopping and cleaning the studio, and was completely naked while doing it.

“Hey, did someone say you had to be naked to clean down here?” I asked as I lifted her up to kiss and caress.

“Oh, Miss Patricia has been telling stories about how the girls in the studio always took off their clothes to clean. I think if it weren’t for the windows in front, even Melinda would be naked after hearing those stories.”

“Well, I’ve always enjoyed my naked models when they bent to a task,” I said, stroking her bottom. I kissed her deeply. “You’d better get dressed so we can go get some dinner. I need to stop by Pro Photo Source to pick up my slides.”

It took several minutes to get Adrienne dressed again. I just had to help. I probably got in the way more than I helped, but that was the point.

I put the transparencies on the light table as soon as I got them and just loved them. Now I’d have to decide if I wanted to display the color version of my boogie woogie pianist or the black and white version. There was a certain charm to each.

We ate at the pub and Toni was pleased as punch to have her own plate of mac and cheese. I wondered how long a bath it was going to require tonight to get the cheese out of her hair.

I didn’t find out directly. I begged off the cleanup routine when we got home and went down to print a Cibachrome of the slide of my wild girl on the piano. Yeah, it was good.

When I got back upstairs, I barely had time to read a story and dance my girl around the room before she was sound asleep.

When we had precious asleep and were ready for bed ourselves, Fifi and I made it our mission to treat Patricia to the same punishment of unlimited orgasms that Patricia and I had given her the night before. It was highly unusual these days for Patricia to come so hard she passed out, but we managed. Then Adrienne and I made love and went to sleep.

“Okay, Fifi, open your suitcase. I want to see what we’ve been lugging around,” I said. It was Tuesday and I intended to take photos of our mistress. I was sure she had brought things to wear exactly for that purpose.

“You want to see all of it, master?” she asked sheepishly.

“Was I not clear?”

“Yes, Master.” Fifi had been in bed with Patricia and me each night, but she’d put her things in the guest room. I guessed that was understandable since she didn’t have dedicated space in our bedroom like Ronda, Anna, and Patricia had. We went into the guest room and she placed her suitcase on the bed to open. She hesitated and looked around.

“Are you having difficulty, pet? I can open it for you,” I said.

“Oh no, Master. I just wanted to be sure Miss Toni was not near where she might see things that she shouldn’t see.”

I pushed the door closed and nodded toward her suitcase. She unbuckled and opened the big bag.

Adrienne had taught me how to optimize the space in my suitcase, how to fold my clothes, and how to keep them from becoming too wrinkled. Her own suitcase fell far short of those goals. It looked like things were just shoved into the bag as she grabbed them out of drawers and off hangers.

“Fifi! Your suitcase is a disaster! Is this how you pack when you come to see your family and your master? What is this? You packed an iron rather than fold your clothes neatly?”

I began pulling things out of her suitcase and laying them on the bed as she hung her head next to me. I made comments about what I was finding, asking if there were matching panties to a sexy bra, or if she really thought six-inch spike heels were necessary. That gave me pause. I handed her the heels.

“Put these on. I want to see the shape of your legs and your bottom while you are wearing them. No, you needn’t put any other clothes on.”

She obeyed and I walked around her stroking up her legs and butt to feel how her muscles tensed into the shape as the heels forced them. Damn! She was so good-looking.

“Ah! You knew what a messy suitcase would lead to. At least you packed my favorite paddle.”

“Yes, master.”

She immediately bent over with her hands on the bed next to the suitcase as if I had given her a command. I didn’t hit her with the paddle. Not yet. I spent a few minutes just petting that spectacular ass and running my hands up between her legs.

“Did any of your mistresses see this messy suitcase?” I asked.

“No, master. I left it in my separate room. They did not visit me there, but brought me to their rooms when I was needed.”

“I see. And did you bring this to their rooms?” I asked, holding a large two-headed dildo. I might want to see this in action.

“Um ... Only to Mistress Ronda,” she said. “She enjoyed it.”

“I’ll bet she did,” I muttered.

I smacked Fifi’s left butt cheek with the paddle and she yelped in surprise.

“Thank you, Master.”

“Do your nipples hang out of this bra when you wear it?” I asked, reaching beneath her to tickle her right nipple with the paddle.

“No, sir. Um ... Not unless you want them to.”

“I see. Yes, this has some possibilities,” I said as I laid the bra, panties, and garter aside. “Did you intend to wear this dress to court if I was summoned?” I held up a very nice, sleek gown.

“No, Master. I just thought you might like it.”

I smacked her other butt cheek with the paddle. She gasped and thanked me. I ran my fingers up between her legs and confirmed she was moistening.

“Stand up straight so I can put this on you,” I said.

She stood and I dropped the sleek dress over her head and smoothed it over her body. I liked what I saw and wanted to get a photograph of her, but it was all wrinkled.

“Well, that won’t do. Get out your iron and press this. I want you in it for your photos.”

Adrienne quickly slipped out of the dress and ran to the closet to get the ironing board. So, she already knew where we kept things. She plugged in the iron and turned the dress inside out to iron it. As soon as she had it ready, I surprised her with another pop on the butt. Her cheeks were quivering as she began ironing, not knowing when I would strike again. I wasn’t going to do that, though, while she had a hot iron in her hand. As soon as she set it down and bent to unplug the iron, I smacked her bottom again.

“Now, let’s put your dress on and go down to the studio. And bring this set with you as well. It’s time to get some photos.”

“Is that the end of my punishment, Master?”

“Oh, no. I’ll tell you when it’s over. But I plan to take some color photos today and don’t want your bottom to be bright red.”

I left and went downstairs. She paused long enough to put the lingerie I’d chosen on a hanger and followed me. I had a feeling she’d intentionally packed this way so I would have an excuse to punish her. I was willing to bet that if Ronda, Anna, or Patricia had seen her suitcase, it would have been immaculate.

“Now, let’s go into the dressing room so I can do your makeup.”

“Oh! Master! You’d do my makeup?”

“Yes, Fifi. I will do your makeup and your hair. I might even decide to change the color of your nails. I will inspect your arms and legs and pussy to be sure you are smoothly prepared and shave you if I need to. I will pet and play with you all day today. Now hang your pretty dress so I can get to you.”

She stripped again as I watched. I was having her get in and out of that second skin just so I could watch her. I loved her shape and lithe movements. And when she sat on the towel-covered chair, I petted her all over before I started on her makeup.

I spent a good hour doing Fifi’s makeup and hair. It wouldn’t have taken that long, but I was enjoying myself and she seemed to be happy about it as well. In fact, when it was finally time to get her dress back on—after I’d touched her body everywhere, just to make sure she was smooth—she fairly pranced around the studio and wanted to show her dress and makeup to Patricia and Toni.

I posed her and photographed her, undressed her, and dressed her. After lunch, I took her to the dressing room. This time, when I took her dress off, I spent time worshiping her breasts and even taking a few licks up her slit. And I kissed her. I hadn’t kissed her at all today, just waiting and planning for when I was going to move to that level. I kissed her and teased her lips and tongue. Then I began dressing her in the lingerie I had chosen from her suitcase.

The bra provided some cover for her nipples unless I wanted to push the top of it up a little or just lift it to suckle a little. The top of the bra and the underside were split in the middle, so that when it was on correctly, the nipples were covered, but the whole underboob was exposed.

There were lacy matching panties and a garter belt. I decided I didn’t want her to wear hose, but I liked the garters just dangling, or even fastened together under her butt.

I moved one of the fancy plaster panels onto the backdrop and propped it up as straight as I could make it, then began posing my pet in front of the fake wall. I wanted to experiment with the lighting, so it looked like she was in the light of a window. I thought it turned out pretty well.

When we finished the shoot, it was already after three and we were pretty tired. I led Adrienne to the dressing room and gently removed her lingerie, then caressed all the creases as I sucked on her nipples and plunged a finger into her pussy. I turned her toward the couch in the dressing room and had her bend forward, not letting her get out of the high heels. In this position, I attacked her pussy with my tongue until she was nearly ready to come.

Then I grabbed the paddle and smacked her again. It was a surprise and she gasped, but I saw the immediate result of lubrication running from her inner lips. I swatted again.

“I’m through taking photos today, so I really don’t mind your bottom being shiny and red. Do you?” I asked.

“No, Master. Fifi is yours to punish as you see fit.”

During our times together, I had learned a great deal about what really turned Adrienne on. She could be a wonderfully gentle and caring lover, but the painful sensation of a good spanking really got her juices flowing. I think part of it was being vulnerable, but knowing that in the long run, she was safe. She’d told Kathleen that to be in her type of relationship, she had to have absolute trust in her master.

That was trust that I wouldn’t go too far, and trust that I would go far enough to bring her the utmost pleasure. I licked her slit again, rimming her asshole. Then I smacked her again. I wasn’t going to keep this up indefinitely. In fact, I was pushing my own clothes off as she gasped in front of me. I landed the next to last blow on her cheek. Of course, she didn’t know I was only going to give her one more. That was part of the suspense that kept her right on edge.

I was hard as a rock as I aimed the last swat. This one always made me cringe, but I managed to land it squarely across her clit. She began the convulsions of her orgasm as I tossed the paddle aside and plunged my cock into her waiting pussy. The fluttering of her vagina and the wail she was emitting were almost enough to draw my own come, but I withdrew immediately. I realigned myself and pressed straight into her bottom hole. I went to my full depth in one long stroke as she hyperventilated and cried out her orgasm.

While I’d been in her room commenting on the various toys she had in her suitcase, I’d slipped a regular dildo out and brought it down to the studio with me. I bent over Fifi’s back, my cock lodged fully in her ass, and pushed the dildo into her pussy.

She was beyond words, spouting gibberish as she orgasmed repeatedly and I sawed either my cock or the dildo in and out. Of course, I didn’t last long with that much stimulation, either. I began filling her bowels with my seed as she continued to moan and spasm.

Part of the ritual, of course, was taking care of my lover after our passion had peaked. I petted her and kissed her, soothed her pussy and ass with a cool washcloth, and generally loved on her as gently and yet passionately as I could.

“My master. My loving master. How lucky Fifi is to have found you. You give me such pleasure and pain. I scarcely knew how good my own life choices could be,” she said, as I held and kissed her on the couch. “And I know it is because you care for me. I have ... known men ... who take delight in beating women. They need no pretense of an excuse to inflict pain that is not pleasurable in any way. But I know ... you really don’t like to hurt me. You do it only because I find it pleasurable. You do it because you love your pet, and she loves you.”

“I do love you, Adrienne. Our whole family loves you.”

She held a finger to my lips to silence me.

“Please do not ask me to join you in the family. I know my place and I love it. But that place would soon deteriorate if I lived with you for long. Even tonight, I believe I should join my luggage in the guest room so you have time to focus just on your true love. I should not be a regular visitor to your family bed. The mistresses should also know that I know my place.”

“There is still so much that I don’t understand about how your mind works,” I said. “But I will honor your wishes. You are my beloved pet. It’s after four. I need to get the color slide film off to Dave so we can see what we have in the morning. Would you like to walk with me?”

“May I put on appropriate clothing before we leave?”

“Yes. I think I need to as well.”

Wednesday morning, I was in the darkroom when Damien and Kathleen arrived with props for my afternoon studio appointment with Anita Scott. It was nothing too elaborate. They’d brought me a brass bedstead with mattress and bedding, a night table, and a lamp.

“Kathleen said she’d be back to help us move the bed around while you are attending to Anita,” Patricia said. “Otherwise, Adrienne and I will set props and lights for you.”

“Well, this certainly sets the tempo for what’s expected, doesn’t it?” I asked. “Anita in bed. I’m going to use some other things before we get her that far. We’ll start with a standard portrait setup and begin working from there. Perhaps by the time we’re finished, we’ll have her tied to the bed.”

“Oh, that sounds exciting,” Adrienne laughed.