Chapter 6

Wednesday, Katie returned late from her shopping trip with Shannon and arrived while I was in the kitchen. For once, I was fixing dinner, though it wasn’t much. Spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, and salad from a kit. Still, I was cooking for her instead of the other way around.

Katie looked tired, but content. She sat at the table and had a glass of chianti while I finished up the meal. She smiled when I slid a full plate in front of her and then took my own place.

“So,” I began, “how’d it go?”

“Well. We got her some lingerie from the bridal shop. She might actually wear it again on her wedding night.”

“Nice. Anything in particular?”

“White silk. You should shoot in black and white.”

“Already planning on it.”

Katie smiled. “She ... also showed me something I wasn’t expecting.”

“Oh?”

“A blindfold. One of those sleep mask types.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah. Except it was black, so we went shopping for a white one. It took a while.”

“Where’d you go?”

“A costume shop, would you believe?

I chuckled. “Actually, I would. I’ve found all sorts of stuff in those.”

She rolled her eyes. “Anyway ... we should get some white rope. Something soft.”

“Is ... is she really into bondage?”

“Oh, nothing serious. Just maybe tie her hands?”

I nodded. I could already see the pose in my mind.

That night, I lay in bed thinking about bondage shoots. I’d done a couple, mostly in my early days, but it required a finesse I didn’t really have. Caroline hadn’t been into it, either, so we’d given it up after one or two sessions. I still had the photographs somewhere in my files, but they’d never made it into an album.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate some of the pictures I’d seen by other photographers. A few of them had been amazing.

But for Caroline and I ... she wasn’t truly submissive. Yeah, she wanted me to take charge in the bedroom, but she’d drop her hints of what she wanted. The way she’d moisten her lips when she wanted to be kissed. The way she’d wiggle her ass when she wanted me inside her. Even the little moans and sighs that said she wanted more.

The more I let my mind wander through the memories, the harder I got. My sex drive was definitely back. So I got out one of Caroline’s albums and took care of things.

The rest of the week somehow flew by. I spent far more time Thursday figuring out how to print Alyssa’s pictures so they’d have the same quality as the ones I used to develop from film. I almost broke down and used a development studio, but I still wanted full control. Besides, when one is shooting nudes, the fewer people who handle your pictures, the less chance things get out of control.

I did manage to come up with something I liked by Friday morning. Alyssa was pleased with the quality, and the three of us chitchatted a bit while she went through the prints. When she got to the last one—the really explicit one—she paused.

“Wow. Oh, wow, Mr. Peterson. It’s so hot!”

“I’m glad you like it,” I said quietly.

“Yeah ... my boyfriend’s gonna love it!”

“He’d better,” Katie joked. “He’d have to be gay not to.”

“It is really sexy. Kinda like those ones you see on some of those websites.”

“Well,” I said, “if you want to submit to one of those websites, let me know. We’ll figure something out.”

She smiled, and gave me a hug when she left. After her car had turned the corner, Katie turned to me with a grin.

“Maybe you should shoot porn,” she teased.

“Please.”

She laughed. “Well, the money would be nice.”

“I’ve got plenty.”

“True.” She sighed. “And since you do, you can buy dinner tonight. I don’t wanna cook.”

I grinned. “You’re on.”

We ended up at one of the local steakhouses. Katie actually put on a dress and insisted I change into slacks and a nice shirt. It could’ve been a date if she wasn’t my daughter. We ordered a bottle of wine and talked mostly about teaching—comparing her middle school experiences to mine at the University. It was a conversation we’d had dozens of times, but we still always found something fresh.

We also talked a lot about the art scene on the coasts. Katie had started listening to some podcasts and was intrigued by some of the artists they’d interviewed. Apparently, the California scene was still “shock for the sake of shock” but New York was experiencing a wave of realism.

“It’s the foreign photographers,” she said. “This one photographer went to Ukraine...”

We were enjoying ourselves so much that we lingered for dessert and after-dinner drinks. My port tasted delicious and I had a second. When that finally finished, I wasn’t too steady on my feet. Katie took the keys. I rode in the passenger’s seat and stared at the full moon.

“So what do you want to do now?” she asked as we pulled into our driveway.

“Take...” I pointed in the sky. “Take ... pictures.”

“Pictures?”

“Yeah. Good moonlight. Under the moon.”

“Mmm. Okay.”

“Need...” I made an effort to not slur my words. “Need a model.”

She grinned. “I’ll pose. In the barn?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me change and I’ll meet you there.”

I switched to my film camera. It was hard to get film these days, but I hadn’t ... I couldn’t ... I didn’t know how to do long exposures with low light on the digital one. I needed to learn.

Another day.

I needed to clear my head a bit, so I walked around the barn. The best moonlight came through the upper-level hatch. I had to shift a hay bale into it. I almost lost my balance doing so. But the buzz in my head faded a bit. I didn’t think I was much beyond tipsy.

I’d just finished getting everything set up when Katie joined me. She’d changed into an elegant full-length silk peignoir. She’s also brushed her hair, loosely bound it back, and touched up her makeup. She smiled and walked with a relaxed gait.

I sighed happily. “Wow.”

“Wow?”

“You’re beautiful.” I was smart enough not to add, “just like your mother.”

“Not bad for a woman in her thirties.”

“Age is a number. You’re gorgeous.”

Her smile grew. Then she looked at the hay bale.

“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s get started.”

We shot two rolls of film before the moonlight changed too much for me to want to continue. I focused on bringing out Katie’s elegance. She sat, leaned, and stood in a variety of poses, each designed to bring out the curve of her neck or the confidence in her stance.

She was beautiful. So much like her mother.

From time to time, I even swore I saw Caroline through the lens, but when I pulled back, it was all Katie.

My favorite shot was her turned to the side, looking off into the distance. She was facing the light, so her face was fully illuminated. Her expression was so serene, so content...

It was just ... beautiful.

I also loved a full figure shot where Katie had turned and bent at the hip just enough to create a glorious curve. The silk hugged her ass, but sensually rather than sexually. It honestly was one of the best pictures I’d taken in a long, long time.