"Kjem, I have a favor to ask," Lisa said between bites of a very nice cracked conch. She and Kjem were eating at the office cafe, at Lisa's request, during class lunch break. It was a nice day, warm but not hot, with a healthy sea breeze.
"OK, shoot. You know I owe you, I wouldn't be here," he waved his hands, "without you. What do you need?"
Lisa pushed his glass of beer toward him, making Kjem conclude that it might be a big ask. So he took a drink, set the glass down, and looked questioningly at Lisa.
"I need a model for my senior project class. A male model."
"OK, that's a favor, and a compliment, but it doesn't seem like anything in need of this much of a wind-up to ask. What's the drama about? And why me, I'm not model material."
"Well, to answer the second part first, the students asked for you. They've had most of the other willing guys model for them in one way or another during their time here. You're new, and they want a guy. And, to be honest, they like what they see in Deb's videos."
Lisa continued, "And let me be honest, it is a significant time commitment. We meet once a week for an hour, and once a week for 3 hours. And there may be some extra time for specific students projects. We start off with some basics for the first third of the semester; you know, photos, sketches, throwing out ideas, the basic stuff. Mostly, this is to get you and the students warmed up and give them inspiration for their big projects and work out a plan. Each of them has to come up with an idea for a capstone art project. The kind of pieces that're on display in the work room, remember?"
"Uhm, yeah I do remember. The ones I remember are pretty erotic. Can I assume then that the modeling is nude? What else?"
"Yes, there will be some nudity expected, Kjem. That's what the class is about. Anything more than nudity is up to your comfort level. If it makes you feel better, we'll also have female models, so you won't be alone. Usually we switch female models every couple of weeks, a lot of students like to give it a try. And if you're OK with it, I'm sure the students will ask for some interaction between you and the other models. What's in it for you? You get to meet the students, see and help their excellent work, and many of the female models get horny when they work and afterwards, well, there you are. And if not," she continued with a smirk, "let's just say I'm not going to let you leave after class with blue balls! And sometimes the students gift their work to the models; these are prizes for sure. The other models who do it always come back when I ask, so they seem to think it's worth it, even though the class kind of monopolizes your social calendar. AND, well, like you said, you owe me. Don't answer now, think about it and let me know you'll do it after you sleep on it."
Kjem took another big drink from his beer.
"I will need to think about it. Seriously, me? Modeling? Naked? And 'interacting' with a female model? In front of a class? I won't say I'm shy, but I may be more shy than that."
Lisa reached across the table to put her hand on his. "Remember that I've worked with models for years. There are lots of tricks and procedures to put models at ease, and I'll be using them all, not just for you but the female models as well. Talk with Mike or any of the other younger guys, they've all done it and know what I mean. Then think about it. Please? Being self-conscious is usually not much of a problem once you get into it, seriously the main thing is the time commitment."
"OK, I will think about it," Kjem replied, after a moments reflection, ordered another beer.
***
While working with students later that afternoon, Kjem got a ping on his phone. It seemed his casual date for the evening had been swapped out, and now he would be meeting 'Camila' at home after dinner. He shrugged and confirmed the change; he didn't know Camila, but then he also didn't know the student he'd been scheduled with very well, and both would've had to agree to the swap. He pulled up Camila's official student info, she was a pretty Hispanic- or Spanish-looking girl, medium skin tone and long black hair pulled into a pony tail. She seemed pretty young, but she was a senior, and so the picture was probably 3 years old from when she first started at GCC. An Art major - could this be a coincidence?
Anyway, the official info was not very helpful past the basics, and so he, as usual, pulled up her personal page on the local web site. Each person on campus kept their own info, and so these were often a good window into the students mind. Her picture wasn't a photograph, but a charcoal drawing. It was quite a good drawing, very expressive. She had a big smile, and one hand and arm up holding her long hair up. She was from coastal Catalonia. Her family was in the government, and her mother was a GCC alum. She had pictures of a number of her artworks, mostly digital landscapes and family paintings. He perused her other info to pick upon common interests and other tidbits for his own interest and use in conversation.
She arrived about 7:00, as arranged, with a knock on the door. Kjem was finishing up doing the dishes from his own dinner (leftovers).
"Camila, come on in! Can I make you a drink, or snack?"
"Hello, pleased to meet you at last," returned Camila as she moved in for a quick hug. She had a clutch and a tablet computer, which she left on the dining area table. She was wearing a simple, short white dress that flattered her very nicely. She was medium height and curvy, with her black hair still long and in a pony-tail, just like in her official picture. As Kjem suspected, she looked more mature than her student ID picture.
"Yes, do you have any white wine?" she answered.
"Nothing open, so you have your choice: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or I think there might be a Prosecco in the fridge as well," Kjem replied.
"Chardonnay would be wonderful. And be sure to pour yourself something as well," she responded, and sat down on the couch.
Kjem opened a bottle from the fridge and poured her a glass. Camila watched him, and when he looked back at her, she gestured him to pour more into the glass, so he did. He poured himself a healthy amount of dark rum, and dropped some ice into it.