Chapter 19: Summer Fun

WHEN WE GOT HOME after breakfast and playing in the park Sunday morning, we found Leslie sitting at the kitchen table, looking glazed. Anna and Ronda were down in the store.

“Is it always like this?” Leslie asked.

“Oh, no,” Patricia said, giving Leslie a quick peck on the cheek. “This is a special welcoming time. Later, you get to babysit.”

“Oh,” Leslie answered weakly.

We spent the afternoon getting the studio ready. Bridget said she would bring costumes and props for both the Monday and Wednesday shoots. I couldn’t wait to see what she came up with.

“So, I’ll be shooting black and white in the Hasselblad,” I said. “You should try it out a little so you can use it for your shoot on Wednesday. The color pictures are great, but they’re expensive. A customer cringes when they see the $100 price tag on a Cibachrome, but they’ll buy twenty five-dollar black and whites with no trouble. And then they’ll feel okay about buying a Cibachrome, too.”

“How did you ever figure this out?”

“I confess, I didn’t. Anna did. I was pretty much giving stuff away when Anna started keeping my books. I have never been so thankful for a person in my life. And I almost lost her in high school over a silly misunderstanding. It took us a year after that to really get back together again.”

“Anna is your boss bitch,” Leslie sighed. “I look at her and wonder how I get along without her.”

“I’m sure she’d consult with you on putting together your business plan.”

“The way she consults, I don’t know if I’d survive. I was almost ready to come five times this morning when she stopped what she was doing to explain the rules to me. By the time she made me come, I was ready to agree with anything!”

“I hope the rules aren’t too painful for you.”

“Not if I obey them,” Leslie laughed. “I think Anna would inflict serious damage on anyone who did anything to hurt a member of her family. She made it clear that you, Ronda, Patricia, Toni, and Elizabeth are her family. But really, the rules are things I’d obey anyway. I have no desire to hurt any of you and I’m not in the market for taking you away from the family. Nor am I really in the market for becoming a part of the family.”

“You understand that doesn’t mean we don’t love you, though?”

“I understand that. And I love you, too. I thought I only loved you, but I’ve been surprised to realize that I love all of you. I don’t want to live with you or anything like that, but I hope we stay in love for a long time to come.”

Monday morning, Bridget got to the studio at nine o’clock. I was surprised to find she didn’t have any makeup on. She was wearing a track suit sort of thing and carted in an armload of clothes we got onto the rack. Then we all followed her out to a theatre van that was loaded with props and furniture. It almost made the studio look like the old attic.

“Bridget, welcome to Attic Allure. Wow! You brought a truckload! We’ll have a really long shoot.”

“Oh, this isn’t all for my shoot. When I went to the props closet, Damien and the props manager were there and just kept loading things into the van. They said they were sure you could use them and they really needed room in the props closet. I wouldn’t be surprised if you get another load of props and costumes when Olivia makes an appointment. Damien is a big fan.”

“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay him for all he’s done,” I said.

“Treat us well when we place ourselves in your hands,” she said. I turned to look at her and she raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll do my best,” I said.

I took her into the dressing room and looked at her in the dressing room light.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without makeup,” I said.

“I was told that you’d change the makeup anyway, so why bother to start with it?”

“I like this look,” I said. “Maybe not for your performance pieces, but I’d like to get a nice natural portrait of you. Do you mind?”

“I suppose it won’t hurt. Really, though? You like this mess?”

“Yeah. You have a really fresh innocent look. I know that isn’t really your style, but it shows something about you that I really like. Come out here to the stage and let me set a light on you. Here, sit up on the high stool. I’ll be taking both color and black and white pictures today and this one is going to be the essence of Bridget in black and white.”

I helped her up on the stool and twisted her slightly. Then I adjusted the tilt of her head and squared her shoulders up. I don’t think Bridget actually noticed that I was touching her. I glanced over at Leslie, though, and she was staring with her mouth open slightly. I unzipped Bridget’s track jacket a little, not far, but enough so it didn’t look like it was choking her. I took another picture then offered her my hand to get down off the stool and led her back to the dressing room.

“Now let’s get you ready for a professional portrait that you can add to your resume if you want.”

I started with a foundation and just started applying a light makeup that she would wear out on the street. Fortunately, I’d seen her in what I assumed was her daily street makeup just Saturday, so I knew which colors she favored.

“Tell me what you think,” I said, turning her toward the mirror.

She looked surprised, turning her head left and right.

“It’s perfect,” she finally said.

“Okay. What do we have among your clothes for your professional picture? This very nice button-down?”

“That’s what I thought would work. Is it okay?”

“I think you’ll look fantastic in this,” I said.

I reached over and unzipped her jacket and helped her out of it. She was wearing a nice bra and I held the blouse as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. Then I stepped in front of her and held the blouse open so I could look at her front.

“What?”

“Oh. I promised I wouldn’t be sneaky about it,” I said. “Very nice.”

I quickly buttoned up her blouse, leaving two buttons open. I looked at her and shook my head. I buttoned up the last buttons.

“You decided you didn’t like what you saw?” she asked, mildly offended.

“Oh, I liked it very much,” I said. “Can’t wait to see more. But that’s not the look for this photo. In fact...”

I looked in the dressing room and didn’t see what I wanted. I stepped out and told Leslie what I needed and she ran upstairs to the apartment.

“Let’s just fluff your hair out a bit. I have a redhead friend who once told me that she had a freckle for every soul she’d eaten. I believed her. She had quite a lot more freckles than you have. Okay, let’s get set for the portrait of a professional.”

I led her back to the stage and helped her up on the stool. Leslie handed me what I asked for and I threw my best tie around my neck and tied it.

“Really, you don’t need to dress up for me,” Bridget laughed.

I pulled the tie off, still tied, and put it over Bridget’s head and under her collar. I tightened it and straightened it.

“Now you truly look professional,” I said. I squared up her shoulders and moved behind the camera again.

We went through a number of poses and then shifted to the dressing room again.

“That was awesome,” she said. “I actually felt more professional while we were doing that set. What else do we have?”

“Well, you brought the costumes,” I said, sorting through the rack to see what we had. “Oh, I like this. It’s kind of fairytale-ish.”

“It does look like something from a Disney movie, doesn’t it?” she asked. “I didn’t really bring that for myself, but if you think it works, so be it.”

I held the dress as she skimmed out of her track pants and took off her blouse. Very nice. I didn’t try to hide the fact that I was looking at her and she blushed a bit. I held the dress for her and she got it on. I stood back and shook my head.

“What?”

I reached out and touched her bra straps.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about this when we were getting it on. You don’t want these showing.”

She opened her mouth to protest, then glanced in the mirror. She shrugged out of the sleeves of the dress and started to reach around. I reached around her first.

“Allow me. You can focus on getting tucked back in.”

I unfastened the bra and pulled it off, then turned my back. I heard her stamp her foot.

“Turn around!” she demanded.

I turned and she was bare on top. Very nice. The color of her nipples and areolae complemented her hair. I could definitely make a meal on those.

“I’ll be damned if I keep waiting all morning for you to slip up and sneak a peek. Would you just look at them?” I stepped up to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

“Bridget, I will stop and look at your beautiful breasts all day if you’d like. I’d touch them, kiss them, do my best to make them feel wonderful, but I know you want beautiful pictures, not just to have your body worshiped the way I’d like to. I love them. They’re beautiful.” I passed my hands gently over them and pulled the blouse up so she could put her arms in the sleeves. “Now let’s show them in the best light on stage.”

I led her back to the stage area and Leslie and I quickly changed to a woodland backdrop. I positioned Bridget and shot the first black and white, then switched to my Nikon for a color picture. I stopped.

“Wait. Not quite right. Leslie, would you change film in the Hasselblad while I make an adjustment to Bridget’s costume?”

“Sure, Nate.”

I ran back to the dressing room and quickly found what I wanted. I returned to Bridget with a hairbrush and a green ribbon.

“This fairytale princess needs a bow,” I said. She beamed when I tied the bow in her hair and preened as I returned to the Nikon to take more pictures.

And the day progressed. Her costumes became more daring and she cared less if I saw her nudity in the dressing room. I was casual about it, but I didn’t try to not see her. She was really quite lovely. Finally, we got to a costume that was truly stunning—mostly blue and gold. It would make her hair stand out by contrast. It was made for color photography. I wouldn’t even bother taking a black and white of this.

I examined it carefully. Then we went about getting her into it. It fastened up the front with three buttons and a belt with a full skirt below. The inner sleeve had as many buttons and was partially covered by a bell sleeve over the top. There were gold braid leaves that formed a collar. She kept fidgeting as I started to work on her hair.

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s very uncomfortable. It’s scraping up my ... nipples.”

“Oh! I know what’s wrong.”

“Well, fix it!”

I reached for her and then paused.

“May I??”

“Oh, just do it.”

I reached into the front of her dress and gently caressed her breast as I moved the sewn-in cup of the dress into the right position that would protect the breast from the rough fabric of the dress. I took my time, but when I removed my hand, Bridget sighed. She looked at me with her mouth open and whispered, “Other side?”

I reached in and repeated the process, though that side was perfectly fine. I spent a moment just caressing her nipple and then withdrew my hand.

I searched through the props she’d brought and found a tiara. There was also a jeweled flower and a matching pendant. I got them all in place and then was inspired to separate a lock of hair on either side of her face and braid it, putting a little gold ear cuff at the end of each. I touched up her makeup as she simply sat quietly and let me handle her. I stepped back and looked at her, then reached for powder and gently applied a bit to her breasts and cleavage so they didn’t shine.

“Let’s go find something regal to set you against,” I said as I led her to the stage again. It turned out that the best backdrop for the costume was a neutral gray with a soft amber light glowing behind her. Leslie was a godsend in setting lights.

I took a few pictures with the Nikon and then moved the Linhof into place. I knew I’d want a superior quality portrait in color, so I’d loaded my precious sheets of Ektachrome into it and focused carefully. I moved to Bridget and positioned her with arms raised slightly and her head tilted down. It was beautiful.

As usual, that wasn’t the last picture, but in my mind it captured the essence of Bridget.

I took her back to the dressing room and unbuttoned her sleeves and then the front of the dress. She just let it slide off her shoulders and onto the floor. She surprised me by putting her hands around my neck and kissing me deeply. I loved having her bare breasts against me and stroked them lovingly.

“I think I’m ready for my nude scene,” she whispered. “Can you capture something dramatic without, you know, being a porn shot?”

“I’m sure we can handle that.”

“Handle me. You need to take off my bloomers.”

She returned to kissing me and I slid my hands into the waistband of her panties and nudged them down off her hips and over her butt. They fell to the floor. I stepped back and looked at the fiery red bush that was exposed. I plucked at the hair slightly to fluff it up and Bridget returned to kissing me. It was tempting to just delve into that wonderland, but I pulled away and found a strip of gauzy fabric we had. I took that with me as I led her back to the stage.

I saw Leslie over Bridget’s shoulder and she was just shaking her head.

I draped Bridget and we did some different poses, careful not to over expose her. I’d noticed that actors are pretty carefree about who is with them when they are dressing, but they don’t want pictures that show the naughty bits floating around.

When I’d finished this one, I swept Bridget up in my arms and carried her to the dressing room where I sat with her in my lap as we kissed and petted some more.

“This has been quite an experience,” Bridget said. “I am thankful for the no fucking in the studio rule or I would be lying on the floor with you buried in my fanny. As it is, I’m tempted to take you home with me. I don’t think my husband would approve, though.”

“Husband?” I squeaked, getting ready to push her out of my lap.

“Please, don’t quit petting and kissing yet. I promise, he won’t come after you with a shotgun. And I won’t be a problem in the future. But being held in the arms of a man ten years younger than I and being so turned on by him is something I can’t resist right now. Kiss me. Touch me. Hold me like I’m the first woman you ever discovered.”

With that invitation, I did kiss her and held her and petted her. I did not attempt to part her legs or to get her to touch me. Eventually, we eased up and Bridget Gray stood before me, completely naked. She pressed her bush against my face and I kissed it, then she began looking for her undies and her track suit. I helped her get dressed, or at least didn’t hinder her much.

“I’ll have the slides back tomorrow,” I said. “If you’d like to come in around noon, we can select what you want prints of.”

“If there is one that we both agree on, I’ll sign a release for it to be placed in your gallery,” she said. “Otherwise, I assure you I’ll make an order large enough to compensate you for the wonderful experience this day has brought. Thank you again, Nate.” She kissed me again and left, leaving all the props and costumes behind her.

When Bridget was gone, I ran all the transparency film down to Dave and he got his motorcyclist to take it to London. Then I went back to the studio and Leslie joined me in the darkroom.

“I watched it all and still find it hard to believe. Thank you for being sure the dressing room door stayed open. I don’t think she even considered that I was in the building. She came in determined to not be moved by you and by the end, she was stripping off her clothes and throwing herself at you. And she’s married!”

“Married and in the age category that I profess to know nothing about. I’m told by the movie producers I worked with, women in that age group are insanely loyal to their mates and don’t get involved with anyone else. I don’t understand either, Leslie. The question is, do you think you’ll be able to control Daniel on Wednesday?”

“That’s really the question. He needs to be the one seduced, and only as far as I want to go. I am the photographer. He has to be putty in my hands to mold the way I want. Men are always so domineering. If a woman flirts with him, he assumes he should fuck her. Preferably right now.”

I was setting up my first proof sheet from the Hasselblad as Leslie was going through this diatribe with her hand in my pants and my cock in her grip. I wasn’t complaining. Feeling up Bridget’s boobs was stimulating to say the least. And she could really kiss. But I definitely wasn’t driving. I let Leslie steer.

When I turned to put the print in the developer, Leslie dropped to her knees and sucked my cock into her mouth. This just felt too good to resist. Why would I?

“Doesn’t it get you insanely horny?” she asked. “How do you resist just bending her over and fucking her?”

“No fucking in the studio,” I said.

“And we don’t tell them that the dressing room and the darkroom aren’t the studio,” Leslie giggled.

She kept my cock in her mouth as she worked my trousers down and off my legs. Then she stood and turned me toward the enlarger so I could print the next contact sheet. She moved the first proof from the developer to the stop bath. When I was ready to put the next print in the developer, Leslie had moved the first print to the fixative. I turned to find her fully naked. I pulled off my shirt and she pushed me down in the chair and rolled a condom onto my cock.

“We don’t actually need to fuck. I mean, other than having you inside me, we really aren’t doing anything. I mean, except for me squeezing your cock in me with my vagina muscles. We aren’t really doing any fucking, except for your cock jerking every once in a while. And I promise I’ll get up as soon as we’re ready to move the proofs to the next stage. Oh, God! Come in me. I feel you pulsing. Do it!”

I did it and my timer went off to move the prints to the next stage. Leslie kept her word and jumped up to shift one from developer to stop bath and take the first one to the rinsing station. I set up the third and final proof sheet and turned on the enlarger. I turned to put it in the developer and Leslie moved the second to the fixative. Then she moved herself into my arms and we kissed.

“You didn’t come when you were coaxing that load out of me,” I said.

“That load was just for you to get relief after getting all hot with Bridget,” she said. “I can wait until later. I might need you to do the same thing after my session on Wednesday.”

We got great pictures. When Bridget and her husband came in to choose which ones to print, he kept suggesting another and another. He loved them. He ended up ordering close to a thousand dollars’ worth of prints. Bridget signed a release for me to display my favorite. It turned out to be her favorite, too. She did order a dozen 8x10 professional portraits, too. It was really a great picture.

I spent the rest of Tuesday printing and Anna stayed in the darkroom talking about how profitable our summer in Canada was turning out to be. Of course, she did all that talking with both of us naked and taking a break now and then for playing with each other. It took about twice as long to do the printing as it might have if I’d been alone in the darkroom, but what fun would that have been?

Wednesday morning, a very reserved Daniel Fournier came into the studio. I stood back and busied myself setting up props and lights. Leslie greeted him and welcomed him to Attic Allure, then took him to the dressing room. She was direct and a little clinical about her approach to deciding what he should wear. He’d chosen a white shirt and tie, and Leslie agreed to do one set of promo shots in that, but told him straightforward that he’d find it wasn’t his best look.

When she’d taken the basic set of headshots, she talked him out of his shirt and tie—and undershirt. She handed him a black T-shirt that fit him snugly. Daniel had the build that could support that look and I quickly pulled the black background for her. We reset the lights with a strong backlight to separate him from the background, and Leslie took a great series of shots. I thought Leslie was right on regarding his light brown—almost blond—beard against the black T-shirt. It looked striking in this setting where it had faded to nothing with the white shirt and tie.