The alarm in the next room awoke Gwen at 6am. She had not slept much, only dropping off after she had finally risen at one point to put on her underwear, sure the oil that Natalie had applied the night before had dried.
She lay there a moment, hearing the squeak of the bed on the other side of the wall as two bodies rose from it, debating whether to get up and shower first or go to the kitchen for coffee. Before she could do either, there was a soft knock on her door as it opened a crack, not enough that Gwen could see who it was.
"Gwen? Rise and shine. Places to go, things to do, people to see, pictures to take. C'mon and have a cup of coffee with us, honey."
"Thanks Natalie, I'm up. Be right there." Coffee would make showering and dressing a bit easier, she decided. The robe she had brought was thrown over the gown she wore, and she made her way to the kitchen.
Her sister-in-law was already there, pouring coffee from the maker that had started ten minutes before the alarm went off, her bare bottom peeking from underneath a t-shirt emblazoned with her alma mater. So much for modesty, Gwen wryly noted.
Natalie turned, mug in hand, and leaned to kiss her on the cheek. "Mornin' sweetie. Sleep well?"
"Not really..."
"I'm sorry. Strange bed, missing a handsome stud beside you, nerves, or all of the above?"
"Nerves," she replied as she took the cup from her hands. She was not about to admit that the previous day's activities and sounds had been a factor as well.
"Well, hopefully you got enough sleep to be on your game today. Aren't you excited? I know I am."
"Scared as all get out, thank you very much."
Natalie laughed as the pair sat down at the small table. "I wish you wouldn't be. You'll end up loving this, you'll see!"
"'Morning," Liz called out softly as she glided around the corner. Gwen instantly felt self-conscious. Where she knew she had bed head, sleep lines and a slightly disheveled appearance, Liz looked as elegant as ever in a full-length black satin robe tied loosely about her waist, her red mane flowing down her back like it had just been carefully brushed.
"'Morning" the others replied as she took a mug on the counter before continuing on to the refrigerator. The robe gaped open as she bent to pull milk from a lower shelf, and Gwen caught sight of a bare breast, larger than hers, capped by a pink nipple. She guiltily looked away.
Liz straightened and put the carton on the table before casually untying the robe, flipping it open and loosely retying it, making it apparent she wore no underwear whatsoever underneath. Gwen caught a glimpse of her shaved sex and wondered if that too was Natalie's handiwork.
"See anything you want to eat?"
Gwen's eyes flew from the waist of the woman standing before her to her eyes. Liz smiled down at her, a knowing look on her face. The seated woman's face turned hot. "Uhh, thank you, no, I'm not really hungry."
"Somebody's nervous," Natalie said with a sympathetic laugh, rubbing her forearm for support.
"Just remember that Barry and Sandra have seen it all many, many times before, stuff a lot more graphic than you're going to do today for sure, and that the end result is going to be something your husband will treasure for the rest of his life. I was pretty nervous too, until we got to work."
"You've had these kinds of pictures taken before?" Gwen asked, surprised that the cool, collected woman in front of her had ever been nervous in her life.
"Not exactly. Mine were a little more extreme. Barry asked me to pose for some artistic nudes, and boy was I nude. Of course, so was the poor guy I was posing with. His nerves were a bit more apparent until he got into it as well.
Anyways, help yourself to whatever you can find. I've got to start getting ready for work." Liz swept out of the room as elegantly as she had entered, coffee in hand.
"You should probably start getting ready, too. I'm sure they'll want us there earlier than later so Sandra can do up your hair and makeup." Natalie rose, kissed her on the top of the head, and followed Liz down the hallway.
Gwen took two more sips before deciding she could not delay the inevitable any longer. She made her way back to her room, the sound of the shower in the master bath coming through Liz's open bedroom door. A quick glimpse of Natalie moving about confirmed she had discarded what little cover she had worn in the kitchen.
With a sigh, Gwen gathered her things and moved to the guest bathroom. She admired the look and feel of her new hairstyle after she had stripped down, running her fingers over the now bare skin while looking at herself in the mirror. The smooth feel where for many years there had been thick, curly hair fascinated her. Her hand continued its exploration after she stepped into the shower, even as the excitement and dread of what she was about to do again crept over her.
She called Tim after she had finished her preparations and returned to her room. She did her best to hide her nerves from him, trying to turn the conversation from her activities to his own, and was relieved when she was able to end the call and send him over to the shop.
Gwen returned to the living room to find Natalie and Liz saying their goodbyes. Despite the activities she had heard the night before, she was a little surprised by the quick kiss they shared before Liz moved to where she stood, hugging her and kissing her cheek. "You'll do great," she said with a smile. "May I see them when they're done?"
"Of course," Gwen replied politely after figuring out she was referring to the photos, having never considered the possibility that someone else might actually want to see them. "I doubt they'll be much to look at, though."
