Chapter 4: The Proposition

Tad and Don emerged from the basement stairway with Tad leading the way, holding a manila folder in his hand. "Look at these," he said to me, unceremoniously.

Before he showed me the folder, he remembered, belatedly, to look to Louise for her consent. I'm sure that Tad sensed that Louise would already know pretty much what was in the folder -- more photographs of her in her birthday suit. But he had realized, a little late, that more than just Don's permission might be required.

"It's OK, Tad," Louise said. "Go ahead and show them to Cathy."

I didn't know what to expect, but the three photos in the folder were pretty mild -- at least compared to the one in the bedroom. One picture showed Louise reclining sexily on the couch -- the very couch on which we were now seated -- with her right hand held behind her head in a classic pose, right leg lifted at the knee, and a lovely, somewhat imperious expression on her pretty face. As in the picture hanging above us over the couch, there was a healthy amount of pubic hair visible as well, but in this case, her legs were close together, so nothing between her lovely thighs was winking at us.

The other two 8 x 10s depicted Louise in casual, carefree-looking poses, one a nude from the waist up, her eyes half-closed in a parody of drunkenness, while she breezily waved around an opened can of Schlitz; the other photo showed her posed on her knees, a small round couch pillow coyly covering her pubes, her small breasts thrust out teasingly toward the camera. All three shots were quite tasteful -- at least compared to the incomparable Beaver in the Bedroom, but they all vividly demonstrated Don's photographic skills and Louise's superior figure and considerable natural beauty.

"Aren't these fantastic?" Tad asked me.

I allowed as how they were, indeed, fantastic.

"Honey, this is a revelation!" Tad said, his enthusiasm almost overwhelming him. "I've got to have some of these!"

Now I was shocked! "What? Don's not going to give you nude photographs of Louise!"

Don laughed, and Tad blushed. "No, no, of course not," Tad said, finally. "I mean, I've already memorized them, Louise -- Jesus, they are so hot!... But Don's not going to give me any copies! No, Baby!... I meant pictures of you! Wonderful, incredible, sexy pictures -- like these -- of you!"

"So, in thirty minutes together down in the basement, you two have cooked this all up," I said, more than a little bit miffed. "Naked photos of Little Cathy -- just like the ones of Louise -- and just like the ones of all of Don's old girlfriends! --Louise told me about those, too!"

Louise intervened. "Now, don't get upset, Cathy, please! Nobody's going to ask you to do anything you don't want to do. You and Tad: You can discuss all this in private, at home. Whatever you decide will be fine. I can tell you, though, a couple of things: First off, you should know that I don't object. Not at all!

"And you don't have to worry about Don. If you want Don to promise not to keep any copies of pictures he takes of you, and not to keep any of the negatives, well, he'll absolutely honor your wishes! I guarantee it! Now, he might want to keep copies -- you're a beautiful young woman, Cathy. But if you ask him not to, he absolutely wouldn't keep any!"

"I'd love to photograph you," Don said. "I think you'd be a wonderful subject, and I know Tad would be gloriously happy to have a collection of photos of you that are like the ones I have of Louise."

"We can talk about it later, Honey," Tad said, his voice full of conciliation. I think Tad was afraid I would absolutely refuse the idea, right then and there.

I almost did.

Louise brought out dessert -- key lime pie -- and we had a glass of wine that probably would have tasted better if we'd skipped the pie. Nothing more was said that night at the Parker Residence about my taking my turn as nude model. We thanked the Parkers for a delightful evening and a really great meal, and left for home.