The Shoot

Alex was sitting in front of the computer, his eyes locked upon the image on the screen before him, as they had been for the past two hours. The study was in semi-darkness, a lamp in the far corner providing a deep orange glow that contrasted harshly with the bright blue of the computer monitor. A Johnny Cash CD was on replay on the stereo, and Alex's lips moved occasionally to the well-remembered tunes. Otherwise, his attention was all on the image before him. His fingers worked rapidly, pulling a pen this way and that, pausing now and then to push buttons on the keyboard.

Natalie looked across at him from the doorway. He had been working on his latest project for over five hours straight, and, she thought, he needed a break. Quietly, she poured him a drink from the whiskey decanter and brought it across to him. For a moment, he seemed not to realise she was beside him, and she stooped to kiss him on the cheek.

"How's it going?" she asked.

He started at the tough of her lips on his face, and turned to look into her big, beautiful eyes. "Oh, so so," he said. "Another hour or so and I should be finished. I just wish I hadn't promised to have this finished by morning."

She looked at the image upon the screen. A monochrome image. A young woman, wearing a basque, was reclining against a rocky backdrop, her hair over one shoulder, a nipple peeping over the lace trim. Alex was busy hand-coloring the image.

"I was going to head off down to the bar for a drink. Why don't you take a break and come and join me?"

Alex thought about it for a long moment. He needed a rest from this, he knew. His eyes were beginning to tire, and he was in danger of becoming obsessed with the image. If that happened, he knew he would be there all night, correcting minor flaws that nobody would ever notice. At the same time, though, he knew that if he didn't get this finished tonight, he'd have to rush it tomorrow morning to get it to the printer. He glanced at the clock. Eight o'clock. A few minor changes, and he could have it e-mailed away to the printers when he got back...

"Tell you what," he said, taking the glass from Natalie's hand. "Why don't you go and get us both a drink, and I'll join you in a little while? I just need to put the finishing touches to this. I'll rush it through, and be as quick as I can, okay?"

Well, she thought, it's going to be one of those nights...

*

Those nights didn't happen very often, but when they did, Natalie knew that Alex's mind would be elsewhere. Normally, he was attentive, considerate, always ready to do anything for her. Tonight, though, she knew his mind would be on work, and it would be hard to keep his attention for long. She didn't mind, much. It was rare for him to get so engrossed in his work, and when he did, she knew big money would follow. Besides, other people brought work home with them, sometimes every night. She doubted, though, that many of them got so involved in it.

She glanced up at the clock behind the bar, and saw it was almost nine. Her glass was empty, whilst Alex's scotch lay untouched beside it. She was about to get another when she became aware of a presence beside her, a waft of perfume, thick and cloying in her nostrils. She turned as a woman seated herself on a stool beside her.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

Natalie's eyes took in a young woman, maybe twenty two, twenty three years old, long blonde hair, green eyes, good figure and long, toned legs squeezed into a pair of black denims. Her tee-shirt clung tightly to her, bearing the image of James Dean in a scene from Rebel Without A Cause. "Sure", she said, "why not?"

Natalie turned her stool toward her, and they ordered a couple of beers. "I'm Tina, by the way", said the girl, offering her hand across to Natalie. "You live here?"

"I'm Natalie" she replied. "Yeah, I'm just waiting for my guy to turn up. He's late. You?"

"No, I'm in town for a couple of days, working. I'm staying at the Ramada. Thought I'd come out and get a beer before dinner. Asked the cab driver to recommend somewhere. He brought me here."

"So what do you do, then?"

"She's a model."

Alex's hands were around Natalie's waist, his mouth close to her ear. She hadn't noticed him come into the bar, and she squirmed in her seat, her lips searching for his. They kissed for a long moment, her mouth letting him know how happy she was to see him after even so short an absence.

They separated, and Alex leaned across and kissed Tina on the cheek. "So," he said "you two know each other?"

"Hardly" said Natalie, and just for a second a twinge of jealousy infected her. "We've only just met."

"Well, why don't we grab a table and you two can get properly acquainted?" And picking up his scotch, he lead the way to a table in the window, the two women following in his wake.

"I'm surprised you didn't recognise Tina" he said as they sat down. "She's the girl in the picture I'm working on for the GQ spread."

"Well, I only glanced at it" said Natalie, "and besides, she was wearing a lot less in the picture I saw."

They sat and chatted for a while, listening as Tina filled them in on her life as a model, "...which isn't nearly as glamorous as everyone thinks..." Alex got another round of drinks, then a third. All the while, Natalie watched Tina slightly suspiciously. Was she flirting with him? She seemed to be making a lot of eye contact with him, and she couldn't help but notice that her nipples seemed to give James Dean a pair of bulging eyes as they thrust, small and hard, against her tee shirt.

"Look" Tina said at length "I need to be heading back. Why don't the two of you join me for dinner?" She levelled the question straight at Natalie.

"Well, I don't know..." began Natalie.

"Please? Sitting alone in that restaurant, I just get hit on by sales reps and convention goers who think a single girl is there for their entertainment. I could really use some company."

"Well... okay. But first I gotta go pee."

"Oh, me too" said Tina, rising. "Lead the way."

Alex watched as the two women headed off toward the bathroom. It was odd, he thought, bumping into Tina here. Had he mentioned the bar to her during the shoot? He couldn't remember. He'd slept since then. Anyway, what of it? She was a cute kid, sure enough, but not a patch on his princess. And besides, he had strict rules about mixing business with pleasure. Even if he had been single, she would have been off limits. As it was, he was in a relationship with the most beautiful, loving woman he had ever known. What more could he need?

*

Natalie watched Tina touch up her make-up in the bathroom mirror, unease mounting within her. The girl was undoubtedly very pretty, and her figure had gained her some attentive stares on the way to the bathroom. Maybe she should just grasp the nettle and say something...

"Natalie, can I ask you something?" Tina turned big, soulful eyes upon her.

"Sure."

"You and Alex. Are you an item? Married, I mean?"

Oh boy, thought Natalie, here we go. "Married? No, not yet. We live together, though. I love him, he loves me... you know?" She tried to make her answer seem a friendly response, but Tina picked up the edge that hid beneath it. She laughed, a girlish giggle of genuine pleasure.

"Hey, that's great" she said, catching Natalie off-guard. "I just thought...well... he might be gay, is all..."

It was Natalie's turn to laugh. "Gay? God, whatever gave you that idea?" "Well, so many guys in his profession are. And the ones that aren't tend to get all macho on you when you pose for them. He was just so... polite, I guess... I figured he must bat for the other side."

Natalie felt herself warming to her now. She'd thought he was gay? How wrong could a girl get? Still, better mark the territory clearly, she thought.

"No, he's definitely not gay. It's just – well, I suppose he only has eyes for me." Again, there was just the smallest edge in her voice, and Tina caught its inference straight away.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm not interested in him – except for what he can do for my career. Other than that, he's just another guy. Do you think he'd do some stuff for me? It's hard to find a photographer you can really trust these days. Could you ask him for me? Please?" There was just the merest hint of desperation in her voice.

"Well, sure, I guess so" said Natalie.

The giggle was back again. "Thanks, Natalie, I'd really appreciate that" she said, and kissed her quickly on the cheek. "Shall we go eat?"

*

Over dinner, Natalie and Alex sat and listened as Tina told them about herself – her home in Iowa, her upbringing, her parent's divorce and the seemingly endless stream of men who then appeared to populate her mother's life thereafter. She'd left home at nineteen and gone to live with her father – who, it transpired, had his own stream of men parading through his life. So she'd moved, first to Washington DC, where she'd hoped to get work in Human Resources, and then to Indianapolis, where she'd wound up waitressing to pay the bills. That's when she'd fallen into modelling. "But I'm kinda old for it now" she said. "I mean, I'm twenty-two, and Alex's is the first big shoot I've ever done. Mostly it's just been catalog and merchandising work."

Her tale had been accompanied by no fewer than four bottles of wine, for which she seemed to have an infinite capacity. She talked freely, openly, honestly about herself, and Natalie found herself totally engaged by her conversation. It was refreshing to hear about Alex's work from the other side of the lens, particularly from someone so fulsome in her praise of him.

"Oh, he's just fantastic", she told Natalie while Alex headed for the bathroom. "He really makes it all so easy for you. Say, has he ever done you? With the camera, I mean" she added, a slightly drunken giggle sneaking into the last words. When Natalie replied that he hadn't, she almost squeaked at her. "Oh, you gotta let him. He's the best. Besides, you've got a great figure, and lovely eyes. I'm sure you'd be a real wow in print!"

Natalie blushed, and tried to steer the conversation away from herself. Had Tina got a portfolio? Could she see it?

"Well, it's in my room. We could go back and look at it if you like – just as soon as Alex gets back." A slur to her words, now – the drink was starting to hit her. There was something else, too, that was making Natalie nervous, but she couldn't nail it down. "Its kinda late," she said. "Maybe tomorrow...?"

"Maybe what, tomorrow?" said Alex, appearing out of nowhere.

"Tina wants me to see her portfolio. She also..." and here, Natalie paused. Was this such a good idea? "She also wants you to shoot some stuff for her. Says you're the best there is."

"Well, with complements like that, how can I say no?" He looked across at Tina, who was now grinning wide enough to swallow the table. "Tell you what, why don't you come over after lunch? I've got the afternoon free. I'm sure we can do something." He looked at his watch. It was almost eleven thirty. Damn.

"We're gonna have to go" he said. Natalie and Tina both rose, Tina leaning heavily on the chair as she did. She was swaying slightly. Alex looked at her, doubtfully. "Lets get you to your room before you fall over" he said, sweeping an arm around her slim waist and picking up her purse and room key. He checked the fob, then guided her toward the elevator, Natalie trailing behind them. They rode up to the second floor, and Alex handed Natalie the key, and nodded down the corridor. She walked toward the door at the far end, and heard Tina giggle. As she opened the door, she turned and saw her whispering into Alex's ear, giggling again. He rolled his eyes, shook his head and laughed briefly. Then he was through the door, and sitting her on the edge of the bed. As he turned to leave, he took out a business card and put it on the chest of drawers by the door.

"What was all that about?" asked Natalie, in the corridor.

"Kids! Just can't handle their liquor..."

*

Back home, Alex e-mailed the finished image to the printers. Natalie noticed a change in him right away, as though a huge weight had been lifted from him. As they undressed for bed, she realised he was watching her, his eyes seeming to feast on her flesh.

"See anything you like?" she asked, one hand on her hip.

"Mmmm... everything" he said. She noticed his manhood twitch, gradually stiffening, rising slowly. He took two slow paces toward her and slid his left hand onto her bottom, pulling her toward him. His right hand cupped her chin, lifting it up, presenting her lips to his. As they kissed, his hand fell away to her breast, his fingers stroking the soft flesh, easing toward her nipple which hardened at his touch. Her tongue sought out his, and they jousted together as her hands clawed at his back, drawing him tight against her. She felt his fleshy rod pressing against her belly, his balls below swinging free, colliding with her pubic mound. She reached a hand round and down, taking hold of it, tugging at it gently, feeling each little vein throb within it, the whole muscle swollen and rigid. She knelt before it, and closed her lips around the shiny purple tip. Her tongue began to flick across the little aperture, tasting the first droplet of pre-cum that had formed there, then started to circle the crown, before, with almost glacial slowness, she began to take the whole length into her mouth.

His hands were in her hair now, not holding, not pressing, just stroking her long brown tresses, brushing them away from her face. She looked up into his face. His eyes were closed, his head thrown back, his expression one of absolute pleasure. Her nose came to rest against the base of his penis, and she could feel now the tip at the back of her throat, almost choking her. She ran her tongue around the shaft, slowly sliding it back out of her mouth, then, reaching the tip, gliding it back in again. One hand was free to play with his balls, gently rolling them between her fingers, pulling lightly on them as her head bobbed slowly back and forth. Her other hand was between her own thighs, toying with the wetness of her own sex, teasing apart the lips, slipping a finger inside herself, teasing and playing while her mouth worked steadily, softly, lovingly on his cock.

Her body was on automatic now, her fingers, wet with her own juices, seeking out the hot red ruby of her clit. She began to flick at it with a nail, sending shivers through her, electric currents of desire. Her head bobbed faster and faster as her fingers began to work against the little stone, the currents getting stronger and stronger. Her tongue rolled against his manhood as she milked it, sucking harder and harder as her fingers ground out a hellish tattoo on her swollen clit. Her pussy ground involuntarily against her hand as the shivers became tremors, and her whole body began to ache for the release that orgasm would bring. She was frenzied now, her head moving rapidly, tongue lashing the whole length of him, her hand pulling and squeezing his scrotum, urging him on as she reached toward her own climactic peak.

His body stiffened as the first wave of her orgasm hit, and her head slumped forward, his cock deep in her mouth as ribbons of cum jetted into her throat. He was sure that she would gag, but she seemed oblivious to everything but the spasms that wracked her. She writhed in ecstasy, her head twisting this way and that, lapping up every drop of his semen as it pumped into her willing mouth, her pussy a blazing inferno, burning with flames of pleasure. She brought her hands up, clasping Alex's buttocks, supporting herself as his cock twitched again, releasing another great burst of his hot, sticky juice...

As their orgasms subsided, they collapsed exhausted onto the great goatskin rug before the empty hearth. Alex put his arms around her, pulling her close to him, and kissed her, tasting his own cum on her lips. She licked away the last stray remnants, and smiled sleepily at him.

"You know," she said, "I thought I was gonna struggle to keep your attention tonight, what with work, and Tina, and everything..."

He laughed, and dragged off a blanket from the bed to cover them. "Baby," he said, "you don't know the half of it."

*

She was still in his arms the following morning when the phone rang. He crawled out from beneath the blanket, glanced at the clock, and reached for the receiver – which, annoyingly, cut out as his hand touched it. Nine forty-five. Too late for breakfast, too early for lunch. Never mind, he thought as he pulled on a pair of jeans and strolled down to the kitchen, it's never too early – or too late – for a plate of eggs and bacon.

The phone rang again as he was pulling the bacon from the refrigerator, and this time he got to it before it rang off. It was only the printers, confirming receipt of the image he'd sent them. Could he let them have a back-up? It puzzled him that, although they had received it via e-mail, they always telephoned an acknowledgement. Why not just e-mail back? Still, no big deal – at least they had it.

He heard the shower kick in upstairs, and began frying bacon in a large pan. He set up a deep saucepan full of salted water, ready to poach the eggs as soon as he heard Natalie on the stairs. He poured juice into a couple of glasses, set out plates and cutlery, and waited for his princess to descend.

She looked, as ever, beautiful as she came down to join him, wearing nothing more than a towel. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back almost to her thighs, her eyes shone bright, her cheeks a delicate peach, her lips soft and moist. As they sat across the breakfast table, he remembered a conversation he'd had, long ago, on his way to meet her for the first time. He'd shown her picture to the cab driver, explaining where he was going and why. "You lucky sonovabitch" was all the driver had said. Well, though Alex, you were right.

Having eaten, Alex went out to his studio in the yard. It was an old garage – one of several on the property – that he'd converted. In fact, he'd practically rebuilt it from scratch, and it had enough room within for his needs. Where the garage doors had been was now a huge store of props – a sofa, bed, chairs, tables, various lamps and lights. At the far end was dressing room, and in the center was the studio proper – a space sixteen feet square surrounded by a series of panels that could be moved, painted and decorated to simulate an interior. A vast array of flash heads, tripods and stands stood in one corner, awaiting their assignment. The place might not be a palace, but it served his needs.

He stood for a moment, assessing the props, and reached a decision. By the time Natalie came out to join him twenty minutes later, he had set up the sofa, an armchair, some rugs and a few decorative pieces, and was busy erecting the lighting.

"Tina just called" she said, passing him a cup of coffee. "She'll be over at one. Can you give her a call if she needs to bring anything with her?" She handed him his cellphone. "I'm going into town – do you need anything?"

"I don't think so, love," he said. "But could you take the GQ back-up disk into Modern Graphics on North Street for me? It's on the desk by my computer"

"Okay. See you later..."

Alex hit the recall button on his cell.

*

Tina arrived on the stroke of one o'clock, carrying a small suitcase and her make-up bag. Alex sat and listened whilst she explained what she wanted; some head shots, some costume, and some nudes – pretty much standard portfolio work. "You see," she said, "my current one is simply awful." She dredged it out from the bottom of the suitcase. Alex glanced at it and had to agree – whoever had shot them was obviously more used to handling a carbine than a camera.