Author's Note: This story tells what happened that night, in "Paul's Little Game Ch. 01", through Todd's experience.
*
For a local cover band, they had quite a following. Fans checked in each week to see if pictures from the last show might be posted yet. The guitar player, among my best of friends, asked if I could take pictures for them again this weekend. They were nearing the end of the second set. Having taken crowd shots from the stage, I started to make my rounds in the room. Couples posed together, the women insisting that their dates have their picture taken with them. Groups of alcohol loosened women would pull me to their table to get a group shot to commemorate their girls' night out. "Is this going to be on the internet?" was a common question.
"Maybe," I would tell them with a grin. "I take the pics, but the band decides what to post."
Some would threaten, "Well this one better make it on the web site. I'm gonna be lookin' for it, and if it's not there you're gonna be in trouble mister!"
I just laughed off one such exchange as a single little lady at the bar caught my eye. She looked stunning, and somewhat out of place in a bar like this. She was kind of short, with shoulder length blonde hair. She wore red lipstick, and appeared sleek and sophisticated in a mid-length black skirt and white halter. Bare shoulders and back advertised that she was not wearing a bra. Panties? I would employ the very best of my voyeuristic skills to try and find out.
On to the next table, and as I focused in for the picture, I noticed in the background that she was looking this way. Flash. Lowering the camera, my eyes made contact with hers. She gave me a little shy, but friendly smile and looked away. As I worked the room, I would glance back her way from time to time. She seemed to be aware that I was paying attention.
Back to the stage as the last few measures of the set filled the room, the bass player stopped me before he set down his instrument. He asked, "Gettin' any good pics?"
I knew what he was really asking; if anyone had bared their breasts for the lens. "Not what you're lookin' for, but I snuck a few shots of this cutie at the bar when she wasn't looking." I tilted the camera display so that he could see, and started flipping through three images of the mystery girl at the bar. By that time, the whole band had gathered and made comments about how hot she was. One shot in particular caught everyone's attention, as it showed how her top allowed a nice side-blouse view of the outside swell of one of her full, firm breasts. My friend told me I should go introduce my self. I looked back in her direction, finding that she was also looking my way. I gave her a kind of surprised smile, as if to say, "busted!"
A few minutes more of chatting with the band members and it was time to take some more photos. The D.J. had picked up where the band left off while they took their breather, and there were some picture worthy moments at the dance floor as the girls responded to the dance music in contrast to the harder rock that was previously playing. Moving through the crowd, and back through the tables, I got some memorable shots for the guys. I planned my path through the room to get me to my ultimate destination; the bar, where I could finally speak to this lovely creature. I looked her way between photos, and grew nervous, wondering how I might break the ice with her. My heart pounded as I got closer. My glances were sometimes returned; some reassurance that she would indeed be open to some conversation with me.
She was turned away from the stage when I approached. I stood behind her for a moment before she turned to face me. "Hi, I'm Todd. I'm the band photographer. Would you care if I took your picture?" I thought to myself just how un-smooth of a move it really was to use the camera bit to break the ice.