All characters are adults over 18.
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A large crew flew to The Bahamas. Don and Eva flew with three other models and an assistant from the agency. They were expected to produce a series of photographs showing next season's swimsuit offerings from one of the top design houses in the world. The client expected photos that were perfect in every way.
The poses, composition, models and suits all had to be depicted in images that were as good as could be achieved with cutting-edge digital photography. One reason Don got the job instead of a more experienced photographer was that he'd shown himself to be just as capable taking high-quality images with outdoor light as in the studio. Most fashion photography happens in a studio because it is easier to control the lighting.
"We're actually here. This is real," Eva said as their jet's wheels touched down on the runway of Grand Bahama International Airport. By this time, she'd done several small modeling jobs for Rita's agency. So had Don. They'd both done so well that Rita decided they were ready for more ambitious projects.
It was winter - too cold to do the shoot locally - so Grand Bahama Island was selected for its beauty, climate, and the presence of comfortable resort hotels where the crew could stay. A native scout had found several suitable locales for the shoots. They had adequate time. The weather forecast was perfect. They imagined nothing could go wrong.
But Rita warned them of one potential problem. She told Don that it would be his job to supervise the crew; somebody had to be in charge, or nothing would get done. Rita said Don could count on the assistant to be responsible and professional; she'd gone on several shoots and always did her job.
But the models were a different story. Models tended to look at trips to places like The Bahamas as an opportunity to party. Sunrise shootings didn't work well when you had hung-over models with puffy eyes. Don was expected to let them know he'd have them fired if they didn't do their jobs professionally.
It was a long flight, and they were tired by the time they checked into their hotel. The exhaustion hit Don harder than Eva, who was only 19 and possessed a seemingly unlimited reservoir of energy and excitement. Tired or not, they had work to do. The assistant, Charlotte, went to rent a van that would take them to the shoot locations. Don had to meet with the local scout, Bill, to review the locations he'd selected.
Bill came to Don and Eva's suite, carrying a sheaf of maps and print-outs containing detailed descriptions of how to get where they were going, and where they could eat after the shoots were over. "There's a wealth of locations here - more than you need," Bill explained as he went over the list with Don. He sent navigation pins to Don's cellphone so he could find routes to the locations quickly.
Don's plan was to do the shooting just after sunrise and just before sunset. That's when the light takes on a warm, rosy tint that makes everything look better; photographers call it "the golden hour." Don went over the plan with his assistant, Charlotte, and she gave him a warning. "I know Rita told you that the models might be a handful. I'm sure that's going to be a problem for both of us.
"Rita sent us to an unusually nice place," Charlotte said. "The models are going to want to party. There are a lot of bars and clubs, and they are going to want to drink and dance. That can't happen. They are going to have to drag their butts out of bed every morning before dawn. I've seen this a million times. They are going to think they can party all night and still be able to work during the day."
"So what do we do about it?" Don said.
"You and I have to be very firm with them. We've got to treat them like kids with behavior problems. I'll let them know that Rita will fire them if they don't do their jobs. You have to reinforce that message.
"But it may not work. I know a couple of the girls, and they aren't as smart as they should be. If things get really bad, what you'll have to do is fire one of them and send her home. That will scare the rest of the girls enough to get them to shape up."
Don didn't like hearing any of that. He'd never imagined that being a photographer meant he also had to be a babysitter. He knew how important their careers were to models; he didn't like the idea of ending anyone's career.
That's why he was so upset on the third day of the shoot, when one of the models - her name was Bethany - showed up with a hangover.
She looked awful. There was no way she could do her job that morning. What's worse, she'd been a problem since landing at the airport, finding reasons to fight with the other models, including Eva. The fight made Eva cry, which made Don especially angry. When Bethany arrived on the beach with bloodshot eyes and a puffy face, Don exploded.
"You have one job - just one - and you can't even do that!" Don yelled. "I am not here to fuck around with some spoiled little princess who can't be professional. Get your shit packed. You're going home. I'll have Rita send someone who can do the job!"
Bethany was alarmed. She was one of those women who'd always been so cute she'd gotten away with a lot of bad behavior. The temptation to drink and dance all night had been too much for her, and she realized now that she'd messed up. As always, she tried to use her sex appeal to get her out of trouble.
"I'm so sorry, Don. I won't do it again," she said, doing her best to look sultry and submissive. Most guys melted when Bethany tried that. Not Don.
"You are damned right you won't do it again!" Don said. "This shoot is important to me! This is the biggest job of my life! I won't let some spoiled little bitch ruin it!"
Bethany realized she was actually in trouble; Don wasn't responding the way most guys did when she acted coy and sultry. She figured she had to do more.
"I can make it up to you," she said, pressing her body against his. Bethany put her hand on his chest and began roaming south. It was obvious she was about to rub his cock through his shorts. Don wasn't having it.
"This just keeps getting worse, doesn't it?!" he yelled. "I'm in love more than ever before in my life! My girlfriend is the greatest woman I've ever met! Do you think I'd risk that for a stupid little cow like you!?!"
Don was so furious he did something he'd never imagined he was capable of doing. He sat on a bench, pulled Bethany over his lap, and began spanking her as hard as he could. "You . . . need . . . to . . . grow . . . the . . . fuck . . . up!!!" he said, swatting her butt after every word. Bethany was wearing a tiny thong that left most of her bottom exposed, so the loud sound of Don's hand slapping her cheeks carried down the beach. It was just after sunrise, so the beach was empty, but one group of people heard it.
Eva and the other models had drifted away as they waited for their turn to pose. They heard the noise, came back to investigate, and arrived just in time to witness the last half of Bethany's spanking. She was sobbing by then.
Don realized he'd gone too far.
"I'll make a deal," Don said. "Get your hungover ass back to the hotel, and pull yourself together. Eat some real food. Get an ice pack for your face. Use some eye drops. Do whatever the fuck you have to do to get ready for the camera! Then get back here for tonight's shoot, and you can pose in the suits you were supposed to model this morning.
"If you can do that, fine. If not, your ass is going to be on a plane headed home tomorrow. Do you think you can act like an adult for the rest of the week?"
"Yes sir," Bethany said, blubbering. "I'm so sorry. I'll get it right tonight. Thank you for letting me try."
Bethany put on her beach wrap, then wandered over to wait in the van while Don finished the shoot. The other models hid behind some shrubbery as they watched the scene unfold.
"Wow!" one of them said. "He gave that little bitch exactly what she deserved!"
Eva's eyes were big and round. She'd never seen Don angry. Eva was still upset about the fight she'd had with Bethany, and she had no sympathy for her. Seeing Don spank a grown woman was shocking. It revealed a side of Don she hadn't known was there.
One of the models came up beside Eva and whispered in her ear. "What's it like when he spanks you?" she asked.
"Don never spanks me!" she said. "Never!"
"Ok! Ok! I didn't mean anything by it," the other model said. "But if he was my boyfriend, he could spank me anytime he wanted."
It took a few minutes for Don to calm down, but he forced himself to begin shooting the next model. The necessity of getting back to work got him thinking about shutter speeds and aperture settings instead of how annoyed he was with Bethany. The light was changing as the sun rose higher, so Don worked quickly and finished all the work scheduled for that morning - excluding what he had planned to do with Bethany.
On the van ride back to the hotel, the assistant Charlotte sat down next to Bethany. "I suggest you be ready to work on time tonight," Charlotte said. "This is an important shoot. The client has budgeted a lot of money on this ad campaign. We all need for Don to be able to concentrate on what he's doing.
"If you fuck this up, I guarantee that you'll never work as a model again," Charlotte said. Bethany nodded in agreement, then looked out the window for the rest of the ride back. Charlotte gave her some tissues to clean up her eye makeup, which was a mess from crying.
