Rainy Night in Georgia

I wish I could say that J. Bishop Photography had kicked off with a bang, but after laying out the money for the business plan, licenses, insurance and such I was left with finding clients or work.

I caught up with Derek after work one day and talked to him about my idea for seeing if any of his live-action role playing buddies would be up for a shoot. I'd gotten a couple emails back, but since it was the dead of winter, they weren't very active with it. Most of them were either college students or working full time right now. I responded to them all in kind saying to keep me in mind as spring rolled around and they dusted off their armor and gowns.

One of the girls sent me a separate message asking what other kinds of photography I did. I sent her a link to my profile clearly stating there was nudity so she wouldn't freak out. She emailed back an hour later asking how much I would charge for a shoot. She wanted some sexy pics for her boyfriend but didn't have a lot of money. I sent her a questionnaire I'd developed after reading up online about how to price my time. She filled it out surprisingly fast and sent it back with a selfie she'd shot with her phone. Once I got her answers back I gave her a price, since she had a setting to take the photos I would just arrive and shoot, lowering the cost considerably. We came to an agreement and signed off on a date to shoot.

When the date rolled around I packed up my things and headed towards her campus apartment. Cassie was a bright eyed twenty-one year old studying exercise and sports science. She had dirty long blond hair and an athletic figure. Her roommate had cleared out under orders that she needed the room for the day. She was pretty nervous when she answered the door. I got the feeling she was checking me out as I found a spot to set down my bags. We got our introductions done, she showed me her license and gave me a copy she'd taken in the library earlier. Since she agreed to let me use the photos for my profile I asked her to sign a basic photo release stating that fact.

"So, I had this idea to wear just my Bulldogs jersey and panties. I was going to do my entire cheerleader get up but that seems a bit much for the setting."

I smiled. "That makes sense. You're in your room, a relaxed outfit is going to fit the setting a lot better." I noticed she was already wearing the jersey. "Do you want to get changed?"

"Oh I'm already wearing it." She turned and pushed off the leggings she was wearing to show a great ass barely covered by a red lace thong. Her bed was made with a navy comforter, the walls adorned with a Bulldogs pennant and a concert poster. I was worried we'd get some glare off that but I'd see how it worked out with the window light. I set up the stand and mounted the gold reflector to catch the window light and warm her up. She'd done her hair and make up already. "I was thinking of wearing gym socks. My feet get cold easily."

"That would work great, relaxed at home feel. Except without pants." I said. Cassie laughed at that and dug a pair out of her dresser and sat on the bed and pulled them on folding the tops over giving them a puffed look. I knelt down and brought my camera up framing her. She looked up surprised.

"Now?"

"I'm just getting a feel for the light." I stood and closed one of the blinds. She had a corner room and had windows in both walls. I backed up as far as I could and had her extend her legs towards me. She was very stiff at first, and I mentioned she should point her toes but relax a little to not look stiff. We did a few shots as I stood, she leaned back on her elbows, even tugging the jersey up a bit to show off incredible abs. I started chatting in between directions noting she didn't seem the stereotypical LARPer.

"Oh I'm a huge nerd. Ask me anything about Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, I know it."

"A hot, nerd cheerleader. Where were you when I was going here?" I chuckled. Her smile was bright and I captured it before I had her sit back against the wall and found a book for her to open up in front of her to pretend she was studying. She even reached over and grabbed a pen to bite on. I don't know if she'd ever done this sort of thing but she was turning out to be a natural. She got braver and pushed the jersey up over her breasts cupping them as she looked down the barrel of the lens. I had to admit I was getting a little warm as she got into it. I stopped her and asked her if she wanted to go further. She looked as if I'd startled her.

"I know what you told me about your limits. I don't want you to regret it later."

She thought for a moment and looked me in the eyes and nodded. "Thanks. I was getting a little carried away." Her cheeks reddened. "There's a cute bra that goes with these, let me go throw it on.

She opened her drawer grabbed it and skipped into the bath to change. She came back a moment later wearing just the lingerie and I sighed. She peeled off the socks and tossed them aside before climbing back on the bed.

"Let's do this." I beckoned her off the bed and asked her to pull the comforter down. We made a little mess of the sheets and she climbed back onto the bed. We went through several poses and she suggested one. She moved the pillows against the wall and sat back spreading her legs and bringing her knees back. This was going from 'a little racy' to 'Playboy centerfold' pretty fast. She straightened out the fabric and looked at me, a smirk lifted the corner of her mouth as she reached for her anatomy textbook propping it up between her feet hiding the small red V of fabric.

I remained professional but not unaware of what was going on. She'd turned seductress and was teasing me. I reached over and turned her bedside lamp to give a more golden glow and highlight the study aids on the bed.

"I've been thinking I'd like to submit a portfolio to Playboy. Do you know what I'd need to put in there to get them to consider me?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked over my camera at her.

"Honestly I've never looked into it, but if you'd like I'll research it and do it for you."

Her smile was brilliant. She swung around and got on her knees again and unhooked the bra slipping her hands beneath the cups. I watched her pinch her nipples to hardness.

"Do you think I have a chance?" It wasn't the innocent question she thought it was.

"You're beautiful, and you have a lot of interests it seems. They'd be crazy not to consider you."

She lifted the bra over her head and tossed it aside.

"Are my tits okay?"

While slightly larger than Issa's they were beautiful with pale pink nipples.

"Okay is an understatement."

She peeled off her panties rolling back on her butt and tossed them aside. She was mostly shaved, but had a small triangle of blonde hair above her pussy.

"As a guy how would you rate me?" She spread her legs, the pink lips were damp.

"A solid fifteen out of ten." I had turned my wrist so the camera was facing away from her as she showed me her body.

"You seem like the kind of guy I can trust." She said frankly. She nodded at the hand holding the camera and began to run her fingers down the inside of her thigh.

"Are you certain about this?" I asked bluntly.

"Those shots of Issabella on your profile are hot as fuck." She shrugged. "I figured you might see me like that."

"Oh I definitely can see you like that. I want you to think about it. Once these photos are taken, you might reconsider."

The corner of her mouth lifted and the fingers were playing above her pussy and she slid them down and opened herself up.

"Okay we're skipping from Playboy and going a little harder here." I waved a finger at her and she closed her legs with a laugh.

"Are you completely unaware that you've been hard since I took my leggings off?"

"I am not, and I was hoping you wouldn't notice. As I told you I'm new to this myself, and I'm only human. I keep thinking that your boyfriend is probably a defensive lineman that weighs two-twenty and crushes walnuts bare-handed to keep my mind on task."

"I wouldn't exactly call him my boyfriend. It's more wishful thinking. I was hoping to get his attention with these photos. I was going to tell him I was submitting them for one of those sexy coed calendars and ask his opinion."

"Wow, that's devious." I laughed. "But well thought out. I can't imagine any guy seeing you like that in your jersey and not hitting on you."

"Well you're not." She lifted an eyebrow. I only just realized she hadn't removed her fingers from where they were when she closed her legs.

"Again, I'm trying to be professional."

"You're going to go home and jerk off to those photos aren't you?"

I don't know why but that pissed me off. I was likely going to relieve myself later but to be accused of doing this just for that purpose angered me.

"I think we're done for today."

She sensed the change of tone and jumped up. "I'm sorry. I'm lousy at the seduction thing. Nerd problem." She put her hand to her forehead suddenly concerned. "I was serious about submitting to Playboy."

"I'm serious if you want to do that. I'll look into it a little more and reach out to you when I have some answers."

"Do you think I would make a good model?"

I stuffed the stand into the bag with the collapsed reflector. She's slipped back into the leggings and jersey.

"You already have been a great model." I smiled up at her, and she visibly relaxed. "But you need to realize it's a real job like any other, not just a sexy situation."

"Will you still give me the photos?" She sounded concerned now that she'd fucked up so bad that I was going to call it all off. I stood up towering over her I realized as she was closer now than before.

"Of course I will. Can I make a suggestion though? You're gorgeous and if he hasn't hit on you by now he's blind or crazy." I chuckled.

Her face screwed up, and I thought she was going to cry, instead she leaned into me and gave me a hug. "Thank you." She whispered into my chest.

"At least I gave you a boner, so that counts for something. Right?" She said, her cheeks flushed.

I hoisted my bags and laughed. "If I had one less ounce of self control you may have pulled it off. But I'm new at this so I need to tread lightly until I can get some recognition. It's what I've wanted to do since I was old enough to figure out how to use a camera."

"Maybe we can do it again," she glanced around, "maybe in nice surroundings like you did with Issabella."

That was the second time Cassie had brought up her name and I felt a sudden stab to the heart again.

"Maybe we can. I think you'd be really good at it. You certainly weren't shy today." I said with a big smile. Cassie blushed again and looked down at her feet. She was smiling though.

As I drove home I wondered if it was often like that, being hit on by the model. I shook my head and laughed. I'm sure it wasn't. Cassie was a client, not a professional model, and as far as I could tell just got carried away with the idea of seducing the camera. I glanced at myself in the rear view mirror to see if I saw what Cassie had. At twenty-six I still looked a bit baby-faced with dirty blond hair. I was tall and in good shape. It felt a little egotistical to think but I was pretty good looking.

"You passed on a hot, naked, cheerleader in her own dorm room. Anyone you tell is going to think you're full of shit, or an idiot." I thought. It had only been a few weeks but I was still feeling the loss of Issabella. The fact that her name came up twice during the shoot didn't help.

Once I was home I immediately backed up all the photos I'd taken and started to go through them. Once she relaxed she looked incredible. The one of her laying on her side in her red lingerie looking at her text book, pen in her mouth, was amazing and surprised even me. The one of her on her knees, hands against her breasts with her jersey pushed up made me think I made a mistake in rebuffing her earlier. I put together a set of the best photographs. I hadn't been entirely sure of her path after school and I added a note in the email.

Cassie,

I don't know what your plans are for after school, but if working with kids is in the future, you may want to keep these under wraps. If you rather I will not post them to my photography profile.

Sincerely,

Josh

She replied surprisingly fast.

Josh,

Thanks, but I wasn't planning to be a middle school PE coach. I'm planning on being a fitness instructor and personal trainer. If anyone has an issue with me showing off my body they can look elsewhere for a trainer. My body, my rules. Post anything you like. In fact I had so much fun I might make my own profile to model. If you have any other projects or ideas, I'm all ears. I'm starting on my forest witch costume soon for the renaissance fair this spring.

Thanks,

Cassie <3

Her response surprised me. I thought the way things parted she'd just want her photos and be done with me. I took those two photos that struck me as the best and cropped them, and did a little finish editing to adjust the lighting before posting them to my profile.

My phone buzzed a notification and I flipped it to find a text from Issa. I felt my throat tighten. She hadn't spoken to me since the day she left.

"The model is beautiful. I like your photos."

That familiar stab to the heart got me again. Had she been watching my profile that closely? I surfed to where the new photographs had been added, and she'd already commented on how terrific they were.

Her leaving had crushed me. I was doing my best to act normal, but people who knew me well could see it. I had just started feeling like I was getting back to normal. I sat back and blew out a long breath. If I didn't respond I could try and act like it had never happened again, but I wasn't that rude.

"Thank you. It was her first time modeling, she was very stiff at first, but we kept talking and she relaxed into it." There I was again, writing novels in texts. I shook my head and set my phone down and went back to look through the other photos from the session. I was honestly sorry I hadn't finished the session like Cassie had wanted to, fully nude, though she'd left the door open to work together in the future, and seemed to be planning on it mentioning her LARP costume.

Another text came in. "I hope you keep working. You are very good."

I would have loved to keep working with her that week. I felt myself tensing up with feelings I'd spent the last three weeks trying to get over. I missed her smile, her flashing eyes, her amazing natural beauty, but most of all her warmth. It felt like she had faith in my like no other, and that felt like such a solid foundation to grow on.

"Thank you. I will try to keep working." I had to keep emotion out of this or I would break down and beg her to come back, or tell me where she was so I could come to her. I had kept away from stalking her profile to see where she was and what she'd been working on in an effort to let myself heal a little. It had worked until now. I surfed to her profile which was linked to mine conveniently enough thanks to our work together.

Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, NYC, Boston, Portland, Pittsburgh, Nashville, Charlotte... Atlanta. My eyes opened wide at the entry for a week in Atlanta in April. She was coming back. A full itinerary on her profile showed who she would be working with, where, and what workshops or art schools she'd be hosted at. She had put me in for three days. I choked back an exclamation and picked up my phone.

"What is this on your schedule? J. Bishop Photography for 3 days?"

"I say I would come back. I thought you may want to see me. I will remove if you prefer."

"No! Don't remove them." I typed quickly. I felt my eyes well up a little, my throat tightened in response. "I do want to see you again." I began to prepare myself for the ten weeks of torture waiting for her to arrive.

* * * * *

Cassie had reached out for another photo shoot and we did a set of her at my place. She said she'd been studying a lot of modeling pages and hoped she would seem less stiff. Her eyes flashed at me full of mischief. We did a shoot of her in my bed, and I had to clear my thoughts of what Issa and I had done on those very same sheets. Cassie had wanted to do a full nude art set. We'd talked about how much she could make doing this kind of work. She had been toying with getting a tattoo but had changed her mind saying she liked being the subject rather than the canvas since our first shoot weeks earlier.

I downloaded the photos to my computer and backed them up while she sat next to me. I felt her hand run up my cock and moved away.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see if I was still doing a good job." She bit her lip to suppress her grin.

"I thought they taught girls about consent nowadays." I laughed to soften the rebuke.

"Sorry!" She seemed really embarrassed and went through the bedroom door and got dressed.

She came back and took a seat as I was taking one of the photos of her supine in my sheets and converted it to a black and white before adjusting the lighting.

"Holy crap that looks like it belongs in a gallery."

"It's a good capture, the subject is pretty amazing too."

"Yeah, naked girl. Pretty much all guys think about."

"Not the only thing, but it's right up there in the top ten."

"Hey, you remember I was trying to get that guys attention. I happened to mention I'd started doing some modeling for a local photographer." She bit her lip, nervous about continuing. "He wanted to know if you were any good. So I showed him."

"And now you have a boyfriend?" I chuckled.

"Maybe, sort of. He's in a band, and asked if you do any promo work. I said I'd ask since I'd see you today."

"I hadn't considered it, but I figure I can talk to him and see what they're looking for."

"I'll already gave him your info. Hopefully when he looks at your profile he'll see me." She plastered on a fake smile.

"Well you did want him to notice you. If that doesn't do it." I shook my head as she watched me post two more of her photos to my portfolio. She had gone ahead and made her own portfolio and I'd linked to hers as soon as she'd created it. I sent her several of the photos we took both color and black and white.

Cassie stayed a bit longer going over some of the shots right away, saying which she liked and which she didn't and critiqued our work. I pointed out we were both still new at this so we were going to miss a few opportunities.

"I always thought those huge gestures," she stretched her arms way over her head, "they made in these photos were a little much, but I can see why after looking at your girlfriends portfolio."

"What?"

"Issabella. It's obvious by the photos you posted there's more than just a work relationship. The one in the bath with the rubber duck where she's turned towards the camera laughing her ass off." She leaned back in her chair, raised an eyebrow waiting for me to argue with her.

"She's an amazing model, seven years experience in this work." I waved at the screen. "She made me look good." I looked at the screen and flipped to another photo of Cassie.

"You have a glass face Josh." She laughed. "I see she's coming back in April. You do know that's the same weekend as the renaissance fair that you have booked with her?"

I hadn't put the dates together and muttered a 'fuck' under my breath.

"Unless she's attending. I can help with costumes if you want. She's about my height."

I looked at Cassie, she was all smiles. "You don't need to admit it to me. It's as plain as the look on your face right now."

"I'll let her know."

The following week I'd sat down with Wyatt and his bandmates to see what it was they were looking for. It appeared they were recording an album and wanted a band photo for the cover. We discussed what sort of photo they wanted, where it would be shot and how much it would cost. We came to a deal and I agreed to meet them at the club they were playing at before their show to see how it would best be lit.