The Artist
Chapter One
Abigail brought her Red Mercedes Slk to a sharp halt as the lights changed from amber to red far quicker than she anticipated, blowing out a deep breath as the car's anti lock braking system saved her from probably another car crash at another set of lights, that she didn't need.
Nodding her head to the latest Hailiee Steinfeld song on the radio while waiting for the lights to change, the music cut off and the car announced her Dad was calling.
"Accept call from Dad" she announced activating the hands free; crackling and a faint voice was all she heard.
"Dad..." she spoke as she pulled the paddle gear shifter, pulling away as the lights changed to green.
"Abigail...can you hear me?" His voice was assertive and mixed tone with his middle aged years.
"Yes I can hear you now! What's up?" she asked.
"I have a favour to ask, I'm supposed to be meeting an old friend, an artist who is doing a piece of work for me. I was supposed to be meeting with him today to pick it up, but I can't make it...he wants it out the way so he can be paid...typical of all artists, skint...can you meet him and pick it up?" He explained as well as requesting the help he wanted from her.
"How big is the art work? Will it go in my Merc?" she replied, turning her head to glimpse at the small back seat that was never in a million years a back seat! Unless you had a dog? Or small kids of about 6 months?
"Yes it will, it's not that big, I've picked up one in mine before...you think...can you meet him?" He asked again the call breaking up mid sentence.
"How do I know it's what you want?" she ended up shouting over the engine noise.
"I've approved it already and it will be wrapped...easy pick up!" He paused just as she did.
Abigail thought.
"What do you think? Easy five minutes?" he pushed.
'Got nothing on' her head told her, making up her mind.
"Okay I'll do it, what's the address" her reply was greeted with his thanks, he began to read out the address.
"Oh he is called Jonathan, bit eccentric!"
"Aren't all artists that?" She laughed and hung up.
"653
rd
Street, yeah I know where that is" she nodded to herself she sped through a set of traffic lights.
"White building on the corner....." whatever he was about to add was cut off with the loss of signal.
'No matter, I can find it'
Chapter Two
Finding a parking space in the city was 99% impossible, especially on 653
rd
.
Cruising slowly passed the building she was looking for, a corner building, three stories, white washed with red brick around the sash windows.
She spotted the side alley, yanking at the wheel she pulled right across the two lanes of traffic. Her hand waved to say sorry for causing at least four cars to make harsh braking manoeuvres, that wave of 'thank you for not crashing into me' and head down and no eye contact.
Abigail brought the car to a halt inches from the wall, the parking space was tight, only three cars could fit.
Her Mercedes was wide along side the small Mini and a pickup truck, she stepped out of the car in her white lace, plunge V shaped front, midi dress. The humid air began to make her uncomfortable almost immediately stepping out from the air conditioning she had on in the car.
The door on the front of the street looked like it hadn't been used in a while, peeled paint, rusted iron work on the big old door. The door knocker was no longer part of the door, just a battered intercom with a dirty button which was the only form of communication with inside the building.
She seemed to wait an age for a reply, impatiently she pressed it at least three more times thinking it wasn't working.
A muffled sound broke through.
"Side door" the male voice spoke quickly.
'Side door? I didn't see a side door she shrugged, she turned and headed to where she had parked in the alleyway.
Not obvious before but it was now, an even more faded red door was inset into the building, it opened as she arrived.
A man appeared, late 40, stubble, still sporting a full head of black hair.
She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
"Are you Jonathan?"
"Who are you?" he asked coarsely.
"Abigail Foster, picking up a picture/painting?.... for my father" she talked quickly.
"Foster...Foster? Nope, don't ring a bell!"
"Jack Foster, he is married to Kathleen..." she was cut off mid sentence when she mentioned her mother not her father.
"Wait a minute, ha yeah I know a Kathleen, great tits, firm arse for her age" he smiled.
"I can see the apple didn't fall far from the tree, you look firm, best come in then." He smiled and gave her a wink, giving a look over, spending too much time looking at the plunge line between her chest, pushing the door open he waved her inside.
'Jesus christ, my father sent me here, and to pick what up? If he suggests I blow him he gets a punch' she told herself, tensing her body.
Chapter Three
The door banged shut behind her, the stairs were as old and worn as the rest, they passed beyond the ground floor which was full of boxes and things a normal person would throw out.
The stairwell was dusty and dirty, but used often as there were plenty of track marks on the ground.
The first floor was as expected of an artist work space, open plan as she stepped from the stairwell.
To her right was a large three seater sofa covered with blankets, cushions and large white standing studio lights, metre high with three other tripods at various heights placed in different areas of the shoot zone. One was at least two feet away and very high, an orange step ladder needed to be used to gain elevation to any subjects that were being photographed.
'Has mother had her photograph taken? Wouldn't have thought it was her thing' Abigail thought.
A table separated the room into two, a laptop was open but blank of anything on the screen.
Her eyes widened when she looked left.
At least five large free standing boards with pictures adorned with half naked men and women.
"Good aren't I!" Jonathan stood next to her, beaming a smile holding a tumbler of brown liquid.
Abigail stood, her heart raced at the full on nakedness on show, on closer inspection the subjects weren't posing!
The subjects were laughing, heads tilted back still half clothed, some bent forward as they held onto their clothes as they plucked up courage to undress.
"You look awkward? It's just human nature, women have breasts, men have cocks and some have both" Jonathan stood pointing at pictures.
"Yeah I know," she felt her face redden.
"This board, I capture people loosening up, not everyone is comfortable with what they want to do. People have these days when they want to do something outrageous, not be themselves. I can see it's making you uncomfortable...I'll go get your picture...I'm not that much of an arse hole to put you in an awkward position" he seemed genuinely worried for her feelings.
"Does the alcohol loosen them up?" She looked at him taking a drink of his liquid.
His laughter filled the room at her implied thoughts that he got people drunk and probably had sex with them.
"I never offer alcohol....and I think you imply I have sex with my clients?" He shook his head.
"Well?" she asked.
"For what it's worth to you.... I have..." he left her alone to her own thoughts.
Abigail found herself moving to the next screen, the subjects now posing for the camera.
One woman she recognised from an earlier picture, one where she looked like she was mustering the guts to do it.
Now she as stood in a red satin gown, one leg is raised up, showing her naked thigh but no more. She is leaning against the window frame looking out, the gown is untied and open, the sunlight on the left-side of the gown makes it easy to see the white flesh of her breast, her nipple is engorged and pointing through the material.
Abigail stands and is transfixed with the photo.
"Beautiful photo that one, one of my favourites" Jonathan speaks as he places her brown wrapped picture against the table.
"Do people do this easily?" Abigail asks.
"Not at all, but we all surprise ourselves when we want"
"I love her hair, her red tones...the compliment to her gown, I've never seen a breast curve like hers, the way her nipple makes it look like she has bigger breasts" Abigail found herself talking out loud.
Jonathan smiled at her.
"Does she look like she doesn't want to be there?" he asks softly.
"No"
As Abigail moves her head to the next picture she takes in a sharp breath.
The woman has now exposed both her breasts from the safe confines of the robe, although still stood at the window, she has pulled at her flesh showing the world what she has to offer.
"That is a bold move" Abigail reaches up to touch the picture.
"Normal person isn't she?" Jonathan remarks.
"A beautiful normal person showing off her body" Abigail replies.
"Which window is she stood at?" she adds.
"That far one in the corner" he points.
They move to the third board and miss red gown is now facing full front at the window, the gown open her breasts obscured from view, but now she has lifted her gown...her backside is now on show.
"She is getting braver?" Abigail tells him as she glances his way.
"Display number four" he points, Abigail has to turn around to see the board behind her and gasps.
There in the top corner is the woman in red, both hands placed on her hips holding the gown and showing off her nakedness. Her breasts with her long nipples, her toned stomach, her exposed vagina, simple pubic hair covering her full modesty but now she looks in control.
The look upon her face, her stance, her elegance.
"I never told her how to pose" he whispered.
"How did she get to this point?" Abigail replied.
"Between each picture she began to talk to me, how she found the thought of people becoming aroused at her poses/erotica, she began to explore her body as she changed her own poses" Jonathan tipped his glass as a toast and finished his drink.
"Explored her body?"
"Display five is behind that one" he pointed with a whirl of his hand as he walked to the table and placed his glass upon it.
Slowly he picked up his camera, turned to her.
"May I? " he asked as he showed her the camera.
Abigail stood at the side of the board, pausing she glanced back.
"You can...from where you are!" Her words whispered into the dusty air.
Click
Click
"This lady in red, did she become aroused as I have looking around the other photos?" She spoke as her left hand reached up to her shoulder her fingers feeling under the white lace shoulder, slowly peeling the material off her.
"She didn't think she was attractive enough to be admired" Jonathan replied.
Click Click
The cameras sharp burst caught the moment the material fell to her elbow.
"She is beautiful, I hope she knows that she is now?" Abigail took in a breath and looked down to her now exposed right breast, her back still to the camera. Her right hand repeated the same on her left shoulder, letting the material fall away.
Click
Stood still, her strong shoulder muscles completed her athletic figure.
