Chapter 6

Ursula carefully removed the wig which had survived unmoved throughout her cavorting around the studio. Gunther had managed to get chocolate sauce in it but she would worry about how to clean it later. As she took the wig and skull cap off so the persona of Ursula faded away as well. The transfer would come off in the shower and she took off the fake rings and recovered her own from Donnie. Gunther too had gone, it was just Donnie and Elspeth again. Elspeth went through to the bathroom, removed the contacts and then relaxed under a quick shower, getting the remnants of the chocolate sauce off her as well as scraping away the transfer. She was out of the shower and getting dressed when she heard Donnie and Andrew talking in the studio.

“How are you doing? Was it okay?”

Donnie smiled at Andrew, sensing his underlying concern.

“Relax, it was bloody fantastic Andrew. And it was the whole day. Elspeth must be shattered, you were relentless. When I am taking photos in the bedroom with her it is fun and the two of us are goofing off all the time. What was really interesting to see was how you were this really odd combination of.”

Donnie stopped.

“I am not sure what it was a combination of. The language was blatant, explicit, dirty yet at the same time you were very unmoved by it.”

“I agree love. I think that is why it doesn’t feel awkward or strange to be doing this with Andrew.”

Elspeth had finished dressing and came over and gave Donnie a kiss. A mother in her jeans and a jumper. Donnie nodded in agreement to her statement.

“You are probably right. Now I have never been in a studio when a professional photographer was working, this is all based off snippets on TV. But you acted totally professionally. You bought Elspeth a big dildo and then took hundreds of photographs of her playing with herself. Yet when you were shooting I could see you moving around, changing the shot, you told her at one point to move her elbow. Her elbow! Nobody was going to be looking at her elbow but the way she was kneeling it was obscuring her face. I am babbling on here but it was different to how I expected it. What about you love? Any regrets?”

No words would have been necessary, Elspeth’s smile was answer enough.

“The discussion at the beginning was hugely helpful. All of my shoots up until today have been of me, they were personal, with Andrew as the photographer as a present for you, or with you as a present for, well both of us.”

They smiled and squeezed hands.

“But today was not me, it was Ursula Schmidt. I have watched actors be interviewed on Parkie or a show like that and I finally understand what they all kept going on about. They were playing a role. Sean Connery isn’t a secret agent, a spy, he is an actor who plays one, he was playing a role. Today it was me playing the role. I think that distinction will be really helpful. As for regrets? My only regret is that Andrew is away for three months and we will have to wait that long to do this again.”

She leaned over and kissed Donnie full on the mouth.

“Take me home love, I am knackered. The photographer was a tyrant, the things he made me do.”

They all laughed and Andrew survived another round of hugs and handshakes before they returned to their normal life. Andrew went down to the shop and found Tony. He was packed up and ready so they walked over to their flat.

“No shoot tonight, wrong week for Maggie.”

Andrew wasn’t disappointed, it had been a long day and he was done with being a photographer for a while. Andrew stood nursing a beer as Tony prepared some dinner, notionally helping but really just standing chatting.

“You are busy most days, what are you shooting?”

“It is a real mix of things. I wouldn’t say there was anything that predominates. Elspeth is amazing at getting stuff sold, sets that I have done in the past, some going back years. But she is also talking to people as to what they want going forward. So there is more of that starting to happen. That will be where the studio will really help. More space, a chance to set up a shot, even if it takes some time. The extra sets will make a big difference. We are thinking about finishing the floor in that big ground level space so that we can use it for larger shoots, like cars or other vehicles. We would finish the walls and the floor, not really do anything but clean it up, the equivalent of a backdrop.”

“If it gets you additional shoots and makes money then go for it, it makes sense.”

Maggie arrived home from work and hugged and kissed Tony before hugging Andrew.

“How are you? We never got much of a chance to chat last night.”

“I am fine, trying to cram too much into this week as usual. I thought the two of you handled the parents very well. I know Julian’s dad can be quite a snob.”

“I can see that, if you have your name over the door it is probably unavoidable. But they also seemed genuine in wanting to hear about us, about the business. If we went to a Chamber of Commerce event and we met them cold then I doubt they wouldn’t give us the time of day. But we are good friends with Leslie and Julian and really good friends with you, so they approached it differently. And money talks, it was clear that we were successful so again they listened. We aren’t going to have them round for dinner but it was fine. It is always fascinating to people watch at occasions like that. We talked about it when we got back here last night.”

“How do you mean?”

“The three of you are way more successful than any of your parents, even Julian. The two fathers talked about Suzanne becoming a Trustee and the reasons why. But what was conspicuously absent was that the three of you gave all that money away. I know that Brian in particular has been a business mentor for you but I think that you intimidate them.”

“Intimidate?”

“Oh yes. Even Tony and I talking about EPIC caused them to look over at you.”

“But everything about the business is through your hard work, I am never here.”

“Leslie once told me that her dad called you the ideas man. Sure, you are right, you are never here. But converting the flat into two smaller studios, looking for somewhere close to Edinburgh that had a view, the additional darkroom, buying all those pictures, the computer program. They are all interconnected and you had those ideas. I am like Leslie, I am good at the execution of the idea. Getting the new studio built, buying the site, dealing with the Council, getting the flat converted, getting someone in to build the new darkroom, sure I can do all that, and do it well.”

She stopped and smiled at Tony.

“And pretty boy here just plays with his camera all day.”

They all laughed and Maggie leaned in and kissed her husband.

“None of your ideas work without a lot of hard work. But they are also very clever, and so far have been very profitable. You don’t think Brian and Julian senior don’t see that. All we need to do now is buy a fancy sportscar and we will be just like you guys.”

Laughter again rang out.

“Julian mentioned your Ferrari one day when we were looking at his Jag. He was surprised at first that we didn’t know about it but it is very typically you. I don’t think I have ever seen you flaunt how rich you are. I know that Julian wasn’t lying but you really found it in the house you bought?”

Andrew explained about the ‘wrecked’ car in the Mews house.

“You were 15?”

“I don’t think my father ever told my mother. She would have had to be hospitalised. Anyway, ancient history.”

They knew that it had been too much praising Andrew for his comfort. Maggie sat up and looked more serious.

“We wanted to talk about the house, and change everything with regard to the business.”

An interesting opening statement.

“We have spoken to Mhairi and Creighton. Mhairi was full of worries about being conflicted but she can hire valuation firms for us. We wanted to get the shop with the darkrooms and the three studios valued. Once we have an agreed value then we want to sell you 50% in return for 50% of the value of the house. You would end up with a full 50% of the entire business and we would own the house. All the income from the sale of the old photographs is already split 50:50. And once this is done, if it is done, then we would agree a rate for Tony, and you, to sell sets to EPIC. You each get a flat rate as photographers but the selling on, that money is shared equally.”

Maggie paused.

“What do you think?”

Andrew shrugged.

“Sure.”

“That’s it. Sure?”

“I think it makes perfect sense. Tony has sold half of the business and used the proceeds to buy a house. That is all we are doing. Now there have been innumerable steps on the way but that is what it boils down to. You have involved outside people that I trust, not that I don’t trust the two of you, and the rest is just paperwork. If anything it seems a little generous to me, so my only comment is that the equal split of the money from EPIC, that should be looked at every year. Owning everything equally is great, but if I am not shooting much then maybe that should be looked at. But the concept, the idea, that is fine.”

Andrew just never worried about stuff like that. Maggie pulled him up for a hug and Tony shook his hand.

“Did you really think this was going to be an issue?”

Maggie sighed.

“No. Deep down we know what you are like. Irrational worries, projecting the ways others behave onto you.”

Andrew guessed she meant her family and left that well alone. Maggie went to put the kettle on.

“Sit and have another cup of tea. I was looking forward to a shoot but it is not possible.”

Just the way she seemed down about it, struck Andrew. He really needed to stop being such a keener.

“I have a great location. Go and change into your tightest jeans, highest heels, with just the short coat on top. Not every shoot needs Lord Sutch.”

Andrew was smirking and was whacked, Tony laughed and was whacked and Maggie skipped off to their room to change, the improvement to her demeanour obvious.

Castle Terrace, as the name gives away, was in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. There was a multi-storey car park on it but rather than rise up and be an eyesore it descended down the side of a small bluff to a street below. Andrew was going to head into town to meet Pete after the quick shoot so Tony drove them over. At 8.00 at night the car park was mostly deserted, but with just enough occasional traffic to keep them on their toes. There were people on the street below and their voices carried up to where they were parked; there were people on the street above, although they were muffled noises; there were people walking to their cars; and then there were the passing cars themselves. Maggie had to kneel down quickly three times as an overly aggressive driver screeched past with little warning. But for the most part she stood, topless in her jeans and high heels, leaning against the railing. Andrew shot her while he was sitting on the ground so that the Castle was framed behind her. That her bare back could be seen from the street below didn’t bother Maggie, and there were no shouted comments. She was being photographed posing topless on a warm late summer’s day right in the centre of Edinburgh but it was effortless. They weren’t caught yet there was that frisson of danger that all three of them enjoyed. It was three quick rolls of film in less than 30 minutes. Effortless. Tony would take Andrew’s camera bag back and drop it off at the shop in the morning. Maggie had her coat back on although it wasn’t closed.

“I love how you take somewhere that I have been many times and make it part of a shoot. I have parked the car here loads of times and it never occurred to me to flash the world from one of the levels.”

She kissed him on the cheek and led Tony to the car. Very determinedly. It might be the wrong week but lusts were going to be slaked somehow. Tony winked at Andrew.

The first pint tasted very good after a long busy day. Pete was in fine form, ready for his final year to start.

“I heard from Don. He made it through Selection and starts at Sandhurst in January.”

“Great. One of the guys from OTC also got through and started a couple of weeks ago. I doubt I will hear from him until he graduates. You still thinking about the Territorials?”

“No. I have finished with the OTC. I am going to concentrate on my degree this year. I also need to start thinking about work after I graduate.”

“Are you still going out with the Geordie?”

“Eileen, yes I am. That is a complication as well. We will have to negotiate where we are going to look for work. More opportunities here than in Newcastle but I don’t know that she sees it that way. What about you? Still London?”

“Yes, definitely. But I have to think about jobs as well. You know about my interest in structural strength, making buildings more blast-proof. That is pretty specialised and I don’t fancy working for the government, so I am still at a bit of a loss. I will probably apply to some of the consulting engineering firms, but I am not sure my heart is in it.”

“Yeah, you can’t bluff your way through those. When will you have to decide?”

“After Christmas I guess. Anyway enough of this chat. Have you seen any decent bands?”

“One or two but it is different than when it was you and me on a Friday night. What I haven’t found is a mate that just wants a couple of pints and will turn up and see if the band are any good. You were never a big John Peel fan but that is what he is brilliant at. He is always playing stuff from new groups, giving them a chance, letting them get some air time as opposed to the same old rubbish. I like to do the same thing but live, just turn up and give them a chance. It is only a fiver or whatever. But I have not found anyone to replace you, and I have not gone on my own very much. You?”