CHAPTER TWO
The internet's top three non-nude models, Jardin Découpage, Debbie Romani and Wanda Soldado, stood in front of a plain white backdrop in a photography studio, each wearing nothing except a tiny G-string. They held flags of their native countries in front of them, the French Tricolour for Jardin, the Union Jack for Debbie and the Stars and Stripes for Wanda, the cotton pulled tight across their big, expansive tits.
In front of them, the photographer Reinhard clicked away while his lighting assistant, a young black man called Adam, stood nearby, holding the reflector. Next to them, a video camera worked silently, the whole scene being captured in stills and high definition video.
At the back of the room, watching intently, was the girls' agent representative, Charlene Nicholson. Despite being there in an official capacity, she wore just a tiny G-string like the others with a T-shirt pulled over her huge, braless tits. Charlene had started out on her own modelling career that morning but this shoot was all about Jardin, Debbie and Wanda.
"Okay girls, moment of truth," the photographer said.
Smiling at the camera the whole time, the three girls slowly, oh so slowly, began to lower the flags covering their enormous jugs. For the first time in their careers, the three of them were about to go topless - - and they were doing it simultaneously and exclusively for Charlene's father's company.
More and more cleavage was revealed as the cotton flags slipped ever lower and Charlene smiled, remembering how they'd arrived here.
† † † † †
Just two days before, Jardin had walked into the offices of Nicholson's Models and told the pretty receptionist that she had an appointment. She'd flown from New York on an all expenses paid trip after a brief meeting with Charlene who'd told her they were interested in taking her on and rejuvenating her non-nude modelling career. It had hit rock bottom recently with her ex-manager (and also now ex-boyfriend) Frederico leaving her in trouble with the IRS and him on the run from the police.
Figuring she had nothing to lose, she'd accepted the offer and arrived at the offices in L.A.
"Jardin?" said a familiar voice. She turned and saw Wanda Soldado, the all natural busty Latina model she'd met a few times over the years and even done a photoshoot with. Wanda, too, was a non-nude model, the pair of them making their names by not showing their large tits, and only posing in bikinis or lingerie.
"What are you doing here?" Wanda asked, stepping over to her and giving her a brief hug as Jardin air-kissed both her cheeks. They'd gotten on when they'd worked together but were not close, each one aware that the other was a potential threat to her fame.
"I have an appointment," Jardin said with just the hint of a French accent. "Monsieur Nicholson is apparently interested in helping me with my modelling."
"Yeah, I heard about the crap you're going through," Wanda said. "Who knew Frederico was such a bastard, eh?"
"Oui," Jardin said with a shrug. "But what of you? Why are you here today?"
"Same reason, would you believe? I've been dropped by my agent and am looking for work."
Despite being one of the tamer models on the internet, Wanda's work had been targeted over the last year by a religious group who appeared at her every shoot waving banners and shouting slogans, disrupting everything. It had reached the point where no-one wanted to work with her because of the trouble she attracted. That she was a Catholic and had never gone topless let alone nude didn't seem to bother the protestors.
"Ah, the church people," Jardin said. "I heard about them. They are crazy, oui?"
"Damn fucking right they are," Wanda said. "I can't get a single job with those fuckers turning up every time."
"It seems we have both been having some troubles," Jardin said.
"Debbie Romani to see Mr Nicholson," came from behind them. They turned to see the ex-model standing at reception. When the receptionist asked her to wait for a moment, Debbie turned round and froze, seeing the glares of the other two models.
Debbie had been the internet's most successful non-nude model before she'd quit and tried to become an actress, a career move that had failed when the British companies she'd worked for simply wanted her to flash some flesh for the camera. Before her TV career had bombed, she'd spoken out in several interviews, claiming that the non-nude models who followed her were never going to be as good or successful as she had been. While she hadn't named anyone specifically, Jardin and Wanda had known the remarks were aimed at them and a long standing grudge had developed.
"Jardin. Wanda. How nice to see you both," Debbie said quietly, her English accent grating to their ears. In all truth, she was ashamed of the things she'd said in the interviews, having been prompted by her now ex-manager to say them to stir up some controversy.
"Pah!" Jardin said with a derisive flick of her head. Wanda raised her hand and popped her middle finger at Debbie.