Chapter 26: Modeling

After her birthday, Brit spent most of her free time in the studio. Within a couple of weeks, she had the walls covered with her drawings, and sketches all over her desks. Jeff taught her how to scan her drawings into the computer and keep track of them in a database. He was amazed at how talented she had become in the last couple of years. Walking into the studio was like walking into a fantasy world; he found himself suddenly surrounded by fairies and unicorns and magical landscapes of all kinds.

Landscapes were her specialty. Her vivid imagination really came out in these drawings. There were waterfalls in the deep forest, distant peaks hiding in the clouds, beautiful sunsets over sparkling seas, and rocky alien worlds with planets shining down from starlit skies.

It was during these days that Brit began to use live models. Allison was the first to suggest it, offering herself to be the first guinea pig. Jeff asked if he could watch their first time, and both girls agreed, though warning him that it would be pretty boring. That didn't bother him; it was just another excuse to look at Allison.

He helped to set up the lighting, taking instructions from Brit and suggestions from Allison. She had considered becoming a professional photographer after all, and the same rules for lighting in photography applied to drawing.

Jeff suggested that Brit take a picture first, so that they could compare the drawing later and see where she needed to improve. Surprisingly, Brit agreed. It was the first time she had agreed to any suggestion of his involving her art in years. That made him feel good; it was a sign that she had truly forgiven him.

As it turned out, Brit had a real knack for capturing the essence of a person in her drawings. When she was finished and she let Jeff and Allison see her handiwork, they were both astonished. It looked just like Allison!

She had added her own touch of fantasy, of course, turning her into a fairy in a long, flowing robe and gossamer wings. Instead of sitting on the couch, she sat on a tree stump in a forest. It was one of her best works yet.

Then Allison suggested that Jeff model for her next. Jeff didn't want to, but Allison promised she would stay there to keep Brit from teasing him. He grudgingly conceded, and sat down on the couch.

He wasn't particularly excited about just sitting still for the hour that it took for Brit to draw his portrait, but on the other hand, Allison's presence there made it bearable.

When Brit finished, she giggled as she turned the easel around to let him see the results of her handiwork. Jeff was not surprised in the least that she had turned him into a devil, complete with pointy beard, horns, cloven hooves, barbed tail, and a pitchfork.

Once upon a time, he would have gotten mad at her for that. However, he had mellowed in the last year, especially since meeting Crystal and seeing how teasing could actually be fun. "Looks like you really brought out my inner self," he told her with a grin.

Needless to say, he never modeled for her again.

Lissa did, though, and soon the fairies and mermaids and angels in Brit's pictures all started to look like either her sister or her stepmother. Both girls were very pretty, and Jeff enjoyed coming out to visit Brit in her studio, surrounded by their faces.

Something changed between Jeff and Brit after that. She didn't tease him half as much as she used to, and when she did, it was all in fun. More often than not, they actually spent time together without getting into an argument. Perhaps Brit was just growing up, and gaining a certain degree of maturity. Or perhaps his special gift to her had had something to do with it. Or maybe the change was in Jeff himself; certainly the time spent working on the studio had made him think of her less as a bratty little girl and more as someone that he wanted to make happy. She really did have a pretty smile after all, and it made him feel good to see it.

In April, Allen Williams came over to discuss plans for the camping trip coming up in a couple of months. He brought Kari and Crystal along, and they left the adults to go out back to the studio. Crystal and Brit often spent their time there whenever she visited, and several portraits of Crystal joined those of Allison and Lissa on the walls.

This time Brit asked Kari if she wouldn't mind modeling. Kari was all for it. She sat down on the couch and smiled, looking as beautiful and radiant as ever.

Brit turned her into an angel this time, with feathery wings and a glowing halo. Jeff commented that that was just perfect; she could complement his devil picture on the wall. Brit laughed, agreeing with him. The Angel-Kari went up on the wall next to the Devil-Jeff, boyfriend and girlfriend portrayed as complete opposites.

Greg and Allison were ecstatic to see Jeff and Brit getting along. The children still sometimes argued, but their teasing had become much more good-natured. All in all, the mood in the Primdale household had lightened, and it looked like it would stay that way for some time.

About a month after Brit's birthday, Greg was sitting in his bedroom reading while Allison worked on her computer. They had been sitting like that for about twenty minutes when Allison suddenly began to chuckle. Greg glanced over at her.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Well, how would you like to spend the weekend surrounded by beautiful nude women?" she replied.

"Is this another one of your ideas to help break me out of my shell?"

"Actually, the idea isn't mine this time. Remember Kristen and Roberta from our honeymoon?"

"Of course. Did you get another email from them?" He knew that Allison had been keeping in contact with them by email over the past couple of years, though he himself hadn't conversed with them since the getaway on Maui.

"Yes I did," Allison replied. "Kristen's been talking about going independent with her modeling career, and it looks like she's finally doing it. She's setting up a website specializing in tasteful pictures of nude women. She herself is going to model for it of course, and she has about a dozen other models scheduled for some photoshoots this weekend. But her photographer canceled. She says she was unable to get anyone else at the last minute, and she's getting desperate. She can't afford to cancel with the models because she'd have to pay them whether they pose or not."

"And she wants me to take the pictures?"

"Basically, yes. She's offered to fly us down to LA, all expenses paid, plus the fee she would have paid the photographer, and a bonus on top of it for coming through for her at the last minute."

"Wow. She must really be desperate if she wants me to photograph the models."

"You're a better photographer than you give yourself credit for. Besides, she's going off of the pictures you took on our honeymoon."

"That's right, I remember that you sent them copies."

"So what do you think?"

Greg considered. He really didn't have any objections. He had no plans for the weekend, so it wouldn't conflict with his schedule. However, he had a slight moral qualm about gawking at naked ladies, especially since he was already married. But it sounded like his wife was even more enthusiastic about it than he was.

"All right," he nodded. "I'm in. As long as we can find a babysitter for the kids, because I am not going to bring them along."

Allison laughed. "Oh, I'm sure they wouldn't mind," she teased. "Jeff especially."

"Very funny."

Arranging a babysitter turned out not to be a problem. They simply invited Allen, Kari, and Crystal to spend the weekend at the Primdale mansion. Jeff and Brit were particularly excited about the idea because it meant spending time with Kari and Crystal. Of course, with Allen there it would be impossible for Jeff to find time to have sex with Kari and/or Crystal, but he didn't let it bother him. Just being with the girls was fun, with or without sex. And ever since he had gotten to know Allen better, the two of them got along great. He couldn't believe he had ever thought Allen was scary.

Greg and Allison didn't tell the children where they were going; they just gave them a vague "going away for the weekend" and left it at that. Jeff was no fool though; he had figured out that that was code for "getting naughty." He liked to fantasize about what they would end up doing that weekend, though he had to admit that his fantasies were probably much wilder than the reality.

On Saturday morning, Greg and Allison drove to the airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles. It was a short flight, really just a commuter flight, but Kristen had paid for first class seats for them. Greg was usually pretty frugal; though he could easily afford first class every time he flew, he usually just stuck to coach when he traveled on his own dime. However, he wasn't about to pass up this opportunity, since Kristen was paying for the tickets.

As they disembarked from the plane, they caught sight of a familiar face in the crowd of the airport. Allison grinned, then dashed over and gave Roberta a hug. "It's really good to see you," she smiled.

"You too," replied Roberta. She looked good; she hadn't changed much since they had last seen her in Maui. Her attire consisted of a conservative yet stylish business suit, rather anticlimactic considering that the last time they saw her she had been wearing nothing at all.

They collected their bags, then Roberta led them out to the limo that Kristen had hired for them. It appeared that Kristen had spared no expense in bringing them out. Greg wondered if that was because she thought he expected that kind of service because he was on the board of directors of a large corporation. Truth be told, he would have been satisfied taking a taxi.

Roberta explained that she was taking them to a large mansion that would serve as the headquarters of the site, as well as the location of the first set of photoshoots. It belonged to a wealthy uncle of Roberta's who was happy to rent it to Kristen and her for a share of the profits from the website. Plus free lifetime access to the site, of course, and the right to visit at any time, including during photoshoots.

Greg chuckled. "I'm sure he takes advantage of it quite often."

"I'm sure he will, once we actually get the site up and running. We haven't taken any pictures yet."

"So tell us about this website," said Allison as they rode.

"Oh, it's going to be great," Roberta replied. "It's all run by the models themselves. Kristen of course is in charge, but each of the girls has a role to play in the business beyond just looking good without her clothes on. It's not just pictures, but articles as well, all written by the models themselves, of course. Our writers, editor, graphic artist, even our computer system administrator are all models. The basic theme of the site is promoting the idea that smart women are sexy, so each of the models also operates a forum to discuss things related to her expertise. We only hire models who are not only beautiful, but talented in some other area as well. Journalism, computers, sports, physics, travel, music, you name it."

"Sort of a Miss America type thing," commented Greg. "Good looks is not enough."

"Exactly," said Roberta.

"And what about you?" asked Allison.

"Me too," she smiled. "I've never done any nude modeling myself, but Kristen says I have the face and body for it. I'm also in charge of hiring. My official title is Human Resources director, but it sounds much more prestigious than it really is, since the business only has a dozen employees. My particular forum on the site deals mostly with job hunting and interviewing skills."

"Well I'm going to feel out of place," Greg laughed. "I'll be the only one there who's not going to get naked in front of the camera. I'm sure your viewers wouldn't appreciate that."

Roberta laughed. "Probably not. But don't worry about not fitting in. You're a contractor, not an employee, so you can keep your clothes on."

"So what about the pictures? Kristen used the word 'tasteful' in her email, but that still covers a broad range."

"That's a good question. It's not just photographic nudity, but eroticism. Some of the sets will be solo, with perhaps a little self-stimulation, and others will be lesbians. I'll be getting together with Kristen, for instance. But we're not talking raunchy closeups here; the purpose is to show off the beauty of the female body. A good rule of thumb is that if this were a movie, it wouldn't get any more than an R rating. The girls themselves decided on the themes and locations of their own photoshoots, and some of them are pretty creative. They'll explain it to you at each shoot, what mood they're trying to capture and things like that. Pretty much they're going to just do what they want, and you stand behind the camera and take the pictures. You might give them suggestions, but in the end, the girls have the final say."

"I think I understand," he nodded.

When they arrived at the mansion, Greg couldn't help but admire the posh, luxurious accommodations. A stone wall surrounded the grounds, which had been turned into a beautifully maintained garden by what must have been an army of gardeners. The mansion itself stood at the end of a long driveway, a large building not unlike an old English country house, though much more modern in construction. He knew he himself could probably have afforded a house this big if he wanted it, but he also knew that with it came a certain lifestyle. Everything about the mansion screamed of southern California glamour and excitement, not the kind of environment he wanted to raise his kids in. No, the upper middle class home they lived in, along with public schooling instead of exclusive private schooling, gave the children the opportunity to grow up as normal American kids rather than pampered and spoiled rich kids who never worked a day in their life.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a wistful longing for the life he could have had. He could still have it if he truly wanted it, but that was all just a fantasy.

The limousine pulled up into a roundabout in front of the house encircling a stone fountain. They got out, and the driver took their bags and carried them around the side of the house.

"We've got a guest house out back with a dozen rooms," Roberta explained. "Most of the models who have flown into town from elsewhere have rooms there. After you have a talk with Kristen, we'll take you back there to give you some time to get ready. The photoshoots aren't scheduled to begin until this afternoon."

She led them through the main doors of the mansion, into a large hall not unlike the one in the Primdales' mansion back home. They were just beginning to look around when Kristen emerged from a door off to the side. She hugged Allison and Greg, then kissed Roberta. As with Roberta, images of her without her clothes on flashed through his mind, but he kept them to himself. Not that it mattered; he would likely get to see plenty of her naked by the end of the weekend.

"Greg, Allison, would you follow me, please?" she asked. "Roberta, could you give Kathy a call on her cell phone? Her flight was delayed a couple of hours so we may need to rearrange her shoots. Debbie's already in town, so you could see if she wouldn't mind moving hers up to this afternoon."

Roberta nodded, then Kristen led the Primdales through the mansion into a comfortable office similar to Greg's den at home. Like his, she had set up a couple of couches for a less formal atmosphere. They took one couch while she plopped down in the other.

She sighed. "Sorry I'm not more sociable," she apologized. "Last minute details keep getting in the way. It takes a lot of work to run a business."

"I can certainly understand that," Greg grinned.

"Anyway, here's the situation," said Kristen. "I kind of lied in the email."

"You mean you don't need a photographer?" asked Greg.

"Oh, I do," she replied. "That part was true. But the part about not being able to find anyone else was a lie. I'm surprised you didn't see through it. What photographer in his right mind would pass up a chance to take pictures of a bunch of naked women?"

"Good point," he laughed. "So why did you want me in particular?"

"Well, the truth is, I didn't want you. I wanted Allison."

"But Greg's the better photographer," Allison replied.

"No, you don't understand. I was kind of hoping you wanted to do some modeling."

Greg stared at Kristen in shock. True, he had photographed Allison in front of Kristen before; he had even taken pictures of Kristen herself. But this was different because it was professional.

"I'm sorry I didn't mention it in the email, but I was afraid I might scare you off if I did," said Kristen. "So I wanted to tell you in person. Look, you don't have to decide right away; I still want you to take the pictures, Greg, and I'll pay you just like I promised. But if you're both willing, I'll add a standard modeling fee on top of it for pictures of Allison."

"Why do you want me in particular?" asked Allison.

"Are you kidding? A gorgeous woman like you? This kind of website is only as good as its models. Supply and demand and all that. You supply the photos, and the demand for the site is going to shoot up. You would be our first guest model."

"I think maybe I want to discuss it with Greg in private before I commit," said Allison.

"That's fine," Kristen nodded. "Look, I know you've taken pictures like this before. I have some of them in fact. The ones from Maui that you sent us. By the way, I'd be happy to pay you just to let me publish those on my website too, but I'll understand if you say no. It was your honeymoon after all."

"Well, I'm leaning toward yes," said Greg. "That is, if Allison is willing."

"I'm willing," Allison grinned.

"But I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with nude pictures of my wife on the Internet," he qualified.

"Tell you what," said Kristen. "I've got a release form here that each model has to sign, granting me permission to publish the images. If she doesn't sign the release, I can't legally put the pictures on my site. If you want, we can take pictures of Allison, then you can decide at the end of the weekend whether to sign the release. Just keep in mind that I'm running a professional site here, so unless I can publish the pictures, I won't pay you for them."

"Oh, the money's not the problem. I've got more money already than I know what to do with. Just give me some time to think it over."

"All right. Look, the first photoshoot isn't scheduled until this afternoon, so why don't you two go out back to the guest house to unpack your things and talk it over? I'll send someone over to fetch you for lunch and you can give me your answer then."

"That sounds fine," he smiled. "Allison, what about you?"

"You already know my answer," she replied with a wink.

"Good," said Kristen. She picked up a couple of sheets of paper and handed them to Greg. "Here's the schedule. We've got a couple of shoots this afternoon, and quite a few tomorrow. I've tentatively penciled in Allison in a couple of spots where we have a break. Like the rest of the models, she'll need to come up with her own plans for her photoshoots, so before we start this afternoon, I'll give you the grand tour to help you get some ideas."

"Sure thing," smiled Greg.

"All right. Lunch is in about half an hour. I'll have someone show you to your room."

The three of them stood up and left the room. Out in the hall, they ran into another beautiful woman, no doubt one of the models. Kristen smiled when she saw her, then gave her a hug. "You made it!" she said. "Nicky, this is Greg and Allison. Greg's our stand-in photographer, and I'm trying to convince Allison to model for us. Greg and Allison, this is Nicky. She's in charge of wardrobe and makeup."

"Wardrobe?" asked Greg with a grin. "What wardrobe?"

"While the models do eventually get naked, it's always fun to have something to take off," Nicky explained.

"Good point."

"Nicky, be a dear and show Greg and Allison out back to the guest house. Number four. I'll send someone out to fetch everyone for lunch when it's ready."

"Sure," Nicky smiled. Then turning to Greg and Allison, "It's this way." They followed her through the house.

"So Allison," said Nicky, "Kristen's talked about you. She said she had you in mind from the very beginning. The way she described you, I thought she was exaggerating. She sounded like a teenage girl talking about the boy she has the hots for. But then, that's just Kristen. You knew she's a lesbian, right?"

"Yes, she was with Roberta the first time we met her."

"Right. So anyway, now that I've seen you, I can see she didn't exaggerate one bit."

"Well, I'm flattered," Allison beamed.

"I'm afraid I won't be much use to you, if you decide to model for us. I might do a little touch-up on your hair, but really I would just stick with the minimal amount of makeup for you. It's hard to improve upon perfection, after all."

"Okay, who's the one sounding like she's got a girlish crush now?" Allison joked.

Nicky laughed. "Oh, don't worry about me. Unlike a lot of the models, I'm a hundred percent heterosexual. I'm living with my boyfriend in Sacramento, although I could definitely get used to life here in the mansion."

Right about then, they emerged from the house into the back patio, which included a large pool, outdoor showers, and a tennis court off to the side. In the other direction stood another building, smaller than the mansion itself but still larger than most homes. Nicky led them toward it.

"That's the guest house?" asked Greg, astonished. It looked more like a block of condominiums. Once again he had a slight twinge of envy. He could probably afford a mansion much like this one, if he were willing to trade in the conservative family values of an upper-middle-class lifestyle for a glamorous life in the fast lane. But he couldn't do that to his children.

Nicky led them to their room, which turned out to be more like a small apartment. It looked nice and cozy inside. They found their bags set neatly against the wall just inside the door.

"I'm just two doors down in number six in case you need anything," Nicky said. "Or just knock on any of the doors and try to find someone who's in. The girls are all really nice, and I'm sure they'd be happy to help you with whatever."

"Thanks," they replied, then closed the door.

"So what do you think?" asked Allison as soon as they were alone. "Should I let the whole world see me nude?"

"Actually, they already have," replied Greg. "Or are you forgetting the infamous video?"

Allison laughed. "Good point. So do you think I should do it?"

"This is kind of like seeing you with another woman," he said. "It still kind of bothers me, but it's just too damn sexy for me to say no."

"So you don't mind my pictures going up on the Internet?"

"I'm still a little hesitant. The thing that worries me is what would happen if people we know ever saw those pictures?"

"Well then, just answer the question. What would happen?"

"I suppose ... not much, really. We might get a few glances every time we go out, but then, we do anyway. You tend to turn heads even with your clothes on. And I mean that in the best possible way."