I had told Rosie that Emily was coming at ten, but I hadn't told her that I was turning up at nine. I was hoping her to catch her undressed and unaware. I did.
I wondered whether she had looked through the 'door peephole' before she answered the door. She threw it open wearing a very see-through, shortie nightie that we had bought the day before. Actually I really hoped that she had not looked through the peephole.
'Good morning wifey. You look delectable this morning.'
She did have the grace to give me a proper kiss this time.
'Did you look through the peephole before you answered the door to me?'
'Yes,' she admitted.
'I am disappointed. What would you have done if it had been the postman?'
'I don't know,' she answered honestly. She is just so honest it hurts.
'I would like to think that I would have opened the door to him. That's what you and Alan want isn't it? I think I would have opened it but stayed mainly behind it. I would have given him a little tease perhaps as I took the mail in. Anyway maybe we will find out soon. He hasn't been yet.'
'Perfect. I turned up early to take a few photos for Alan. I didn't get any yesterday. He will be having withdrawal symptoms. How about a coffee please?'
She made me a coffee and some toast while we chatted about the weather and how Alan was enjoying himself in Germany.
The doorbell rang.
'That maybe the postman. Don't look. Just answer the door and then hide behind it if you need to. Make sure you give him a flash if you have to sign for anything.
I stood in the kitchen doorway and she was as good as gold.
Her little faux blush as she realised it was the postman maybe wasn't a faux blush. It may have been real. From where I was standing I reckoned he could maybe see her left breast, just. Wonder of wonders, he had a small parcel she had to sign for. She had to almost fully open the front door to reach both arms around to sign and then hold the parcel. Just her right leg was probably hidden.
'Thank you,' I heard her say as she closed the door.
'I hoped he thanked you as well,' I said.
'You are naughty, but yes he did. Should I have offered him a cup of coffee?' She batted her eyelids at me.
'Now who's being naughty?'
I took a couple of photographs as she stood there drinking her coffee, looking a million dollars.
'Okay now remember what is happening in here tomorrow. The workmen are arriving and sooner or later we will be taking some photographs of you in here.
So I am going to start acclimatising you to that. Firstly if I were you I would move all the staples that you will need on a regular basis somewhere handy. Coffee, tea, sugar, cups, biscuits. That sort of thing.'
'I don't keep biscuits in the house. We never really snack on them, nor really sugar. I might be able to find some icing sugar.'
'Well you will need them. All builders take at least two spoonfuls of sugar and at least two biscuits with every cup they have so we will need to get them today. Buy instant coffee and tea bags if all you have is this wonderful Columbian blend coffee and Earl Grey tea. They will prefer to make their own usually and that will be a lot easier on you. What am I saying? Of course with you wandering around in the nude they will much prefer you to be making it. I can see you now, standing close, pushing out your tits and looking into the foreman's eyes and saying 'One lump or two? Is this sweet enough for you? More milk?' He will love that.'
'Don't even think about it. I find the whole idea repugnant. We don't really have to take photos in here do we? Or at least if we do can we not put up a temporary screen? That will be titillating enough won't it?'
It was interesting that she, in her heart of hearts, had actually accepted that we would be taking photos in here and she would be exposing herself at some stage to the workmen. She had started to move a few mugs from the cupboard over the work surface to the far side of the room.
'How many men do you think will be here?'
'It is difficult to say really. Day one, a plasterer and his assistant, an electrician or two, a plumber or two and a couple of general builders perhaps. No more than nine or ten. They will be here probably until Friday maybe Saturday, and then after that there will probably be a few less specialists and a couple more general builders to fit the cupboards and white goods that are due for delivery Monday morning.'
'That's a lot of people.'
'Take your panties off.'
'What?'
'You heard.'
'Why?'
'Are you going to question every order and pose I give you while we are taking these photos?'
She looked sullen. 'No, but why now? I will feel undressed without them.'
'That, my dear Rosie, is entirely the point. Did I not say I was acclimatising you to the idea.'
'No wait,' I stopped her from actually removing them.
'After all that prevarication. I am going to make it a bit harder for you so that next time you will do things immediately please. Help me move this table in front of the window.'
'Why? What are .... Sorry. I shouldn't have asked.'
We moved the table.
'Right now stand on the table and take your panties down. No crouching. Standing upright and straight legged. There is probably only me around but we can but hope someone will come past the kitchen window.'
She slowly started to ease the gauzy panties that matched her nightie off her backside.
'Wait,' she said. 'I know it is not yet ten o'clock but pour me a glass of wine from the fridge. There is a glass there on the draining board.'
I did so and passed it up. She drank it one go. What a waste of a good Chablis. A Picpoul maybe but Chablis should be savoured. I refilled it and passed the second glass up. She took just a little longer with this one. 'Put the radio on. It will be on a 70's music channel.'
Abba rang out through the kitchen. I knew what she wanted to do. She was going to dance for me. I poised the camera ready.
We both knew what she was going to do,
'Do you have to take photos?'
Knowing that there were already security cameras probably on her I mimed the word 'camera' and looked around.
She shrugged and started dancing.
She didn't actually take off her panties until halfway through the second song which appropriately enough was Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls. I was loathe to draw the simile.
I got some lovely photographs as the light through the window made her nightie even more translucent than before.
At the end of the song she curtsied. I wondered whether she realised how much that actually had revealed while standing on the kitchen table.
I shooed her back on to the stage.
'Well finish it off then. At least do a full striptease. You can't wind me up and just stop there.'
I heard a sharp intake of breath but as Michael Jackson started to belt out BillyJean she rose to her feet and started dancing again.
She teased me with the hem until eventually she pulled it completely off as the record was ending. She bowed and, as she started to move down from the table, the front doorbell rang.
'Stay standing there.' I said in a firm tone. 'Do not cover yourself up. It is probably only Emily and we will give her a surprise. Even if it is not Emily I still do not want to see you cover up.'
Her bottom lip began to quiver. This was a big test. How the hell do you explain away that you are standing naked on a kitchen table in front of the windows.
I looked through the peephole. It was Emily. I quickly opened the door and put my fingers over her lips to indicate that I did not want her to speak.
'Hello George,' I said. 'I was not expecting you until tomorrow.'
'Oh really. Of course, just a few measurements. Yes why not. Can we get you a cup of coffee while you do it. It will give you a chance to meet the lady of the house, Mrs Taylor. We will both be around while you are working.'
I turned into the kitchen door with Emily behind me. I paused meaning that she had to pause still just out of sight.