Philip Johnson
Prologue
An advisory to Literotica readers. This is a very long story involving photography for the first few chapters, and yes I do know that concept has been beat to death. I do hope that i've managed to give that idea a fresh treatment, and you'll stay with the story to see where things go. Good reading,
Thornapple.
Owen was forty one, but felt ten years older. It was because of that fact that for almost a year he had been working on the plan for changes in his life in the backroom of his mind. He grew up in a very comfortable home, and had received a very nice inheritance from his grandfather. The bottom line was, Owen didn't have to worry about finances. He was certainly ambitious enough, but something was missing. He wasn't enjoying life very much as he just plodded along, smiling when it was appropriate, playing golf with the right people, and keeping his boss happy. Or maybe, just maybe, none of that was the real Owen. Perhaps his whole upright and predictable life had been an act, while the real him sat just off stage waiting patiently for the right time to dash onto that stage and present his real self to the world.
On his first day of self imposed unemployment he started by shaving off his mustache and decided to let his hear grow longer. He was going to reinvent himself from hair to the loose fitting deck shoes on his feet.
Chapter One
The day finally came when Owen announced to his best friend Perry that he had submitted his resignation to his boss a month ago, and then proceeded to share what he wanted to do for the next few months. Perry was stunned and disbelieving saying "That's just crazy and adolescent. That isn't you. You're about business and board meetings. And that big damn house you just bought. What the hell for?"
"You're just now asking me that? Entertaining, enjoying, or whatever I feel like. It's all about following a new path in my life. About fun, excitement and adventure."
"Owen, the word adventure has connotations of jumping off of cliffs, or kayaking around the world, not...not what you're planning. What you have in mind comes closer to sleazy than adventuresome. You suffer from mid life crisis."
"To me, what I have planned will be adventure, and I can't wait to get started. I know what I want to do isn't what successful forty one year old men get involved in, but just maybe that's part of why I'm doing it. Besides, I won't spend all of my time with that craziness"
"Well if you've resigned your job and bought that damn house, I'd say you have a great start on your...hell, I don't even know what to call it. Um...you do know that what you have planned has been done dozens if not hundreds of times before. It's easy to find on the internet in fact."
"I know, but what I'm doing is for me and nobody else. I'm doing it because I want to do it, and not for profit. I won't be posting anything to share with the world. I'll know that what I see and experience will be real and not created by a staff of goons looking to make a buck."
Perry shook his head, smiled and then said, "Oh, and by the way, you will keep me up to date with your sleazy adventures Right?" and they both laughed.
"Of course I will. Now I just have to find a way to explain this to dear sister Kate."
"By the way Owen, I assume that this is just between you and me, and not for Kathy's ears."
"That's up to you. I'm not even sure how you'd tell her, but I suspect that she won't think much of me if you do. But if you do tell her, she has to understand that she can't repeat any of it to anybody no matter how trustworthy."
Perry smiled and said, "I'd love to see her reaction if I told her, but maybe I'll just keep this to myself for now."
His conversation with Perry bounced around in his mind until late in the day when he met Kate at Houlihan's for dinner. "Dinner in the middle of the week Owen?" she had asked him, and he just said, 'Yes, I just want to talk to you about something."
"Is this going to be a bad thing that we talk about?"
"Certainly not bad as far as I'm concerned," he'd told her. "You look great by the way."
"Thanks, I just took Cliff to the airport. He's off to Saudi Arabia or someplace over there, but first he's going to San Jose, California for a few days of so called meetings. You and I both know those meetings will happen either on the golf course or in a bar someplace."
"Or a topless nightclub."
"Right, or there, and if he brings home any souvenirs it better be something like a negligee and not something that requires antibiotics or even worse."
"You're being rather open minded Sis."
"To you I am, but I'd give him hell just to make sure he doesn't take me for granted. So do you have your photographer lined up?"
"No, got anybody you can suggest or recommend?"
"Brother, my friends and acquaintances aren't the ones to consider for your...um, your endeavor." She hesitated for only a moment before she said,
"Wait a minute. An acquaintance...I mean her son might...he's a photographer, and I guess a decent one, and you don't need anybody with world class skills."
"Her son? How old is he?"
"Twenty two or something like that."
"What makes you think he'd be interested?"
"I don't know if he would be, but he's worth a try. He's young and hungry for work, and maybe you could convince him this would be a good chance for him to learn while earning."
"To learn? I thought he was a photographer."
"Poor choice of words. To hone his skills I should have said. Oh, I know, you have that huge and impressive house. Why don't you do weddings there and you know, what with the reception, the drinking and getting wild. Just maybe you'll experience some of those things you mentioned."
"Weddings? That doesn't sound...wait, maybe you have something there. What the hell, I'll give that some thought, but I'm not interested in doing any run of the mill wedding celebrations. Oh, and have that kid call me."
"He's in his twenties Owen, so he isn't a kid anymore."
"I stand corrected."
"I'm still sitting here in stunned surprise. You're smart...well educated anyway, the smart part is questionable. You have enough money to do whatever you want, and you choose to..."
"Nobody will know any details about me."
"Want to bet on how long you'll be able to keep those secrets?"
"A long time, and by then I'll have tired of the game and will go back to work someplace."
"I just hope it all works out as you have envisioned. My only advice is, when you talk to others, try not to use big words. You'll be dealing with every day people with little and perhaps no college education."
"Good point."
"But whatever you do, don't talk down to them. Just keep things simple and straight forward."
"I know, why don't you go along on my maiden voyage into my new life. You'd be a big help."
She laughed and said, "I don't see that happening. My God, that would be so awkward."
"I'll bet your feminine presence would do a lot to relax people."
"I'm sure. Good luck to you brother."
"Thanks, and thank you for not tearing into me about how stupid and irrational I'm being."
"See, you brought it up yourself, so there's no point in my railing on about what you're already aware of. Like you being irrational."
Chapter Two
"Mr. Destin, this is Scott Aden. Your Sister said you were interested in some photography work."
"Oh right. Call me Owen, and yes, but did you get any of the details from Kate?"
"No, she got a funny look on her face and said it would be best if you filled me in. She mentioned something about a special and very unique opportunity though."
"So that's how she phrased it. So...well we need to get together and talk about my project and money."
"I could come to you if that would work."
"That would be far better than trying to have a long conversation in a noisy restaurant."
"Kate can tell me how to get there, so..."
"Is my sister there now?"
"That's right, she and my mother and they're smiling. So say...say an hour?"
"Perfect Scott, and I look forward to meeting you."
"Oh, and were you thinking stills, videos or both?"
"Both actually."
"Great, see you in an hour."
He put the phone down and smiled as Scott's words ran through his head again. "She and my mother," and he shook his head. What was this Scott going to be like?
When Owen opened his door an hour later, a lanky blond haired guy stood there smiling back at him. Loose fitting pull over shirt and cargo shorts and scuffed athletic shoes. "You must be Scott," Owen said as he opened the door wider.
"Yeah, hi. You have a nice place," he said casually as he stepped inside.
"Thanks. Get you something to drink?"
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Then let's go in here," and Owen led them to the den, and then subtly pointed at an oversized chair while he dropped onto the sofa. "So tell me a little about yourself."
"I still have some credits to get before I graduate, I've been into photography since I was about ten or eleven, and yes I've done a fair amount of professional work. Portraits more than anything else, but an increasing amount of casual sittings. People in gardens and so forth. I like that more than perching them on chairs or stools and coaxing something like a smile from them. Natural is always better."
"Interesting. How are you at candid work?"
"Depends, could you be more specific?"
"More specific? Okay Scott you got it. Now don't even bother to tell me I'm nuts because I already know that. Let's start with where...how much time do you have?"
"Whatever you need."
"I'm getting ready to move, so let's drive over there, because just maybe, at some point in the future, we could be getting some shots there. We can talk on the way."
"Cool."
Owen waited until they were well on their way and then said, "First of all, you have to keep what we talk about and we do a total secret. Now and forever. If you share what we do with anybody else, I'll sue your ass from here to hell and gone."
"Damn, okay."
"How well could you keep your mind on your cameras if a woman was stripping right in front of you?"
His face split with a smile as he stared at Owen for a second, unsure how to respond. But then his youthful self confidence took over and he said, "I can handle that."
"No questions to ask?"
"Oh hell, I have a ton of them."
It was Owen's turn to smile and then he said, "I'm sure you've seen or heard about this because it's nothing new at all but...I want to photograph women that I've convinced to strip for money. Maybe just a top, or top and bra or whatever. Of course I'll take it as far as she can be convinced to go, assuming she looks half way decent."
"You're shittin' me right?"
"Oh no, I assure you I am not shitting you."
"So you'll just walk up to some babe and say, strip and I'll give you fifty bucks."
"Well something like that, but I hope I can manage to be just a little smoother than that."
"And all I have to do is take her picture?"
"Right, and video when possible."
