Exhibitionist Woman

Courtney walked down the busy street admiring the view.

Exploring the city had become her favorite past time since moving to San Francisco for college. With a camera in hand, she continued wandering the city, looking for new pictures she could take, and new buildings to admire. As her attention was focused on the city's architecture, she didn't notice the footsteps of a woman approaching her from behind.

"Do you work professionally?" a woman's voice asked.

Courtney turned to look at the woman. The woman was in her mid-30's. She had a strong sense of style and possessed an aura of confidence. She had a fairly commanding presence, and had the trademarks of any San Francisco hipster, wearing a scarf and skinny jeans.

"What do you mean?" Courtney replied.

"Are you a professional photographer? You handle the camera well. I hope you don't mind, but I've been watching you these past few minutes."

"I don't mind at all. And no, I'm not a professional photographer. I only do this for fun."

"I'm Gianna," she said, extending her hand. "Nice to meet you."

The two women shook hands.

"I'm Courtney."

"Well, Courtney, I don't want to waste your time, but I

am

a professional photographer, and I think you're very beautiful. I'd love to take pictures of you sometime if you're interested. I'll pay, of course. Here's my card. Contact me if you're interested."

Gianna handed the college student a card. Then Gianna smiled, winked, and walked away.

Exhibitionist Woman

The classroom was quiet. It was early in the morning and people were slowly making their way to class. Courtney sat in the back of the room and she surfed the internet on her laptop like she always did before class began.

When she took the binder out of her backpack, she saw the card that Gianna had given her a few days earlier. She never bothered to look at it, and she never gave it much thought. Being offered a modeling job was flattering to her. She had received offers before, but she never took them seriously.

Courtney took a good look at the card for the very first time and noticed it had a website printed on it. She typed in the web address and briefly skimmed through Gianna's website. The pictures were beautiful. Much better than anything Courtney had ever taken. She continued looking at the different pictures and was amazed by the artistry. What grabbed her attention was that there were several nude pictures of men and women posing in different public locations. They were normal looking people.

After glancing through the images, Courtney read Gianna's biography and looked at her portrait. Everything seemed genuine and Courtney was impressed. She thought of all the endless opportunities to learn art and photography from someone as talented as Gianna.

Courtney sent an email:

Hello Gianna,

Hope you're doing well. It's Courtney. We met the other day when you saw me taking pictures downtown and you gave me your card. I had a chance to look at your website and I think your work is really amazing. Are you still interested in possibly doing something with me? Let me know. I'm available to meet you when I don't have class.

- Courtney : )

Once the email was sent, Courtney turned her attention towards the professor who had just walked into the room. The class lecture began moments later, but all Courtney could think about was potentially meeting Gianna, and possibly having her picture taken. She continued looking at her laptop, and her eyes were captivated by the different men & women who had their picture taken by Gianna. Most of the images were taken outdoors. Some of the images featured full nudity. None of the people looked like models or celebrities. They were all normal everyday people. That's what intrigued her so much for whatever reason.

Nearly thirty minutes passed, then she received an email. It was Gianna:

Hey Courtney,

I didn't think you were interested. I'm glad to hear from you. The address to my apartment is on the card. That's where I work. How about Saturday 10 am? It shouldn't take very long. We'll figure things out from there. Let me know.

G

A smile grew on Courtney's face, which she tried to suppress so the professor wouldn't see it. At that point, she wasn't listening to the lecture anymore. The only thing on her mind was meeting Gianna.

Courtney replied to the email:

Saturday 10 am sounds great. See you then!

With the plans for the weekend confirmed, Courtney turned her attention to the professor and listened to the remainder of the class lecture.

***

Saturday early morning. The apartment wasn't hard to find. Courtney used the device on her phone to navigate the downtown area. She was casually dressed, wearing jeans and a tshirt. She found the loft apartment and entered. Courtney felt herself becoming nervous as waited in the elevator. Modeling was something she had never done before, but she had a good feeling about Gianna. After a few knocks on the door, there was an answer.

"Welcome to my home," Gianna said as a friendly greeting.

Courtney smiled back and looked around the loft apartment. "Nice place."

"Thanks. It suits me well."

Once the college student entered, Gianna closed the door. Courtney continued looking around before eventually gazing through the window to see the view.

"This seems like the perfect place for an artist. You've got lots of space and you have a beautiful view of the city."

"It definitely helps my work," Gianna replied. "I've made us coffee on the stove. How do you like it?"

"Cream and sugar."

"Coming right up."

Gianna went to the kitchen to prepare the drinks. The apartment was open spaced, so the two women could still see each other. Courtney continued walking around, looking at the different artwork and pictures which were posted on the walls.

"So what exactly do you do?" Courtney asked. "I mean for a career. Do you just take pictures?"

"I do a number of things. I sell art. I sell paintings. But my favorite is photography. I also sell books with a variety of pictures I've taken of other people. Occasionally I'll get hired to take private pictures of individuals, or couples, just for them only."

"Really? Why?"

"Because when I take pictures of people, it's special. You'll see."

Gianna finished preparing two cups of coffee. She walked over to Courtney and handed her a cup.

"Thank you," Courtney said, taking the drink.

"Have you eaten yet? Would you like breakfast?"

"I'm fine thanks. I already ate."

The two women took sips of their hot coffee.

"Have you done this before?" Gianna asked. "Do you have any experience modeling?"

"No. I've had offers, but I was never interested because I was always busy with school or a part time job. It was something I never took seriously."

"You're very beautiful. I can see why you've received offers before."

Courtney blushed. "Thanks. So what are we going to be doing today?"

"Whatever we feel like," Gianna said, after thinking for a moment. "I'm not the type of person who lives by a strict schedule when it comes to art. I don't work that way. I like to feel things out. After all, isn't art about feelings?"

"I agree wholeheartedly."

"Then you must be an artist too."

"Well, I'd like to work in the fashion business someday as a designer or something. That's always been a dream of mine."

Gianna nodded. "I figured you were an artistic type by the way you dress, and the way you handle a camera. When I saw you taking pictures, I could tell you had a sharp eye."

"Thanks. I try my best. But I'm obviously not as good as you when it comes to photography. Your stuff is brilliant."

"What do you like about my work? Maybe I could give you pointers."

Courtney thought for a moment. "I like the honesty that I see in the pictures you take. The people seem so vulnerable. It's like I know their life story just by looking in their eyes. You don't normally see that. In the real world, everyone is so closely guarded. You bring something out of people with your camera."

"Do you want to know my secret?" Gianna asked with a smile.

Courtney smiled back. "Sure."

"My secret is exactly what we're doing know. Talking. I've always been interested in personal stories that people have. In college, I wanted to be a writer. Nowadays, I simply talk to people, and they open up to me. Then I take pictures of them."

"That makes total sense."

"I learned that through experience," Gianna replied. "Photography is timing. It's capturing a moment. If I take a picture of you right now, the details would look completely different than if I took the picture 10 minutes later. Your facial expressions would be different. Same thing with landscape, or buildings, or anything taken outdoors. The pictures will look different because the position of the sun and the clouds will change the lighting. So even though the image would be the same, the color would be different. Thus you would have a different picture."

Courtney smiled again. "You're wonderful. You really are."

"I try my best. Shall we get started now? Can I take your picture?"

"Sure."

The two women put their coffee down on a nearby table. Gianna got her large camera, and Courtney stood awkwardly in the loft apartment, not knowing what to do.

"You look tense," Gianna said.

"I've never done this before. Do you want me to stop talking and strike a sexy pose or something?"

"No. That's the last thing I want. Just act natural. Keep talking to me."

Gianna pointed the camera at her and started snapping a few shots.

"What are you going to do with these pictures anyway?" Courtney asked. "Are you going to put them on your website?"

Gianna snapped more shots. "Only if you want me to. I wouldn't mind putting these on my website. Or I could put them in my next book and you'll receive some extra money. It's up to you. No matter what you decide, I'll be sure to send you copies of these pictures."

Courtney walked around the room while different pictures of her were being taken.

"How does everything look so far?" Courtney asked.

Gianna put the camera down and gave a playful expression. "I don't know. I haven't seen the final images yet. Right now I'm just taking pictures."

"Right," Courtney said playfully. "Well how do

I

look? Good I hope."

"You look like a beautiful young woman who's exploring something new. You look nervous, but brave. Confident, yet unsure of herself. You look as though you're going through a phase in your life which will define who you are as a person."

"Not bad. I'd say you're pretty spot on," Courtney smiled.

"I'm good at reading people. Last shot. Hold your smile."

Gianna snapped the last photograph of Courtney smiling before turning off the camera.

"That was a lot of fun," Courtney said.

"I had a lot of fun as well."

"Can we do it again sometime soon?"

Gianna winked. "I'd love that. How about next Saturday? At the beach."

"Sounds great. Any reason for choosing the beach?"

"Because I think that's where you'd be the most comfortable. You're a beach girl, aren't you?"

Courtney winked back. "I grew up by the beach."

"I thought so. You seem like that kind of girl. Plus you have a beautiful tan."

"Well, you're right about being able to read people."

"I've photographed hundreds of people in my life. And I've had extremely intimate conversations with many of them. So I know a thing or two about people."

"What do you normally talk about that gets them to open up?" Courtney asked curiously.

Gianna thought a moment. "A little bit of everything I suppose. Love, life, pain, sex. Usually their sexual desires. Once you get them started on that, then you start seeing a portrait of the

real

person."

"That makes sense in a weird way."

"I think it does. Sexual desires exists within the confines of everybody's mind. It's human nature and obviously people are afraid to reveal them because of how intimate they can be. But people feel comfortable talking to me, so they let it out."

"And that's when you snap the pictures," Courtney nodded. "That's actually a pretty good idea."

"Years of trial and error."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Courtney asked. "You totally don't have to answer it. I'm just curious. But do the people you photograph ever get aroused when they start telling you about their sexual fantasies? Do you?"

"Yes and yes."

"Oh, well that was blunt."

Gianna laughed. "We're all adults here. We all have feelings."

"Very true."

Gianna walked over to a nearby counter top and picked up an envelope, which she handed to Courtney.

"Here, take this," Gianna said. "For your time."

"Oh, there's no way I could ever take that. But thanks for the nice gesture."

"Please, I insist."

"I can't. I had so much fun today and I really learned a lot from you. It would be a crime for me to take your money. How about we just continue doing this and we'll call it even?"

Gianna smiled, "Come to my apartment next Saturday, same time. I'll drive us to the beach for a more extensive shoot. We'll see where it goes from there."

"Sounds good," Courtney smiled back.

***

A few days later. Courtney was in her small studio apartment when the delivery man came. She answer the door and saw him holding a package for her.

"Please sign," he said, handing her the package.

Courtney signed and accepted it. "Thanks. Have a great day."

"You too. Have a nice day."

She closed the door and sat down in her living room. It was from Gianna. Courtney opened the package, and the first thing she saw was a handwritten note:

Surprise!

These are for you. I hope you're satisfied with the outcome. I know I am. We have good chemistry together. I hope we can continue.

Your friend,

G

Courtney put the letter down and looked inside the package to see all of the pictures taken from days ago. She was flattered by the images. No one had ever taken pictures of her the way that Gianna had. She continued looking through each image. She could barely recognize herself. Every shot look professional and graceful. There was an honesty to the pictures.

She was completely awestruck.

***

Saturday morning was rainy, with mixtures of heavy showers. Courtney arrived to the loft apartment dressed in a thick coat and carrying an umbrella. Gianna opened the door and let her in.

"Looks rough out there," Gianna said.

Courtney put the umbrella down and took off her coat.

"Yikes. It's brutal. But I think it's calming down. I guess we aren't going to the beach anytime soon."

"Probably not the best idea. That's okay. We can continue in here. I'll make us some warm soup for lunch a bit later."

"Sounds nice," Courtney replied.

Gianna took Courtney's coat and hung it on the coat rack. Then she headed to the kitchen to fix them hot chocolate.

"I've thought about our last conversation a lot," Courtney said.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I just thought it was interesting. When I went back to look at your website, the pictures had a totally new context to them. And of course, I thought the pictures you took of me were amazing. So thank you for that."

Gianna walked over and handed Courtney a cup of hot chocolate. The two women took sips of their drinks while standing in the living room.

"I'm glad you appreciate my work."

"It's easy to appreciate," Courtney replied. "I know I'm starting to sound like a fan girl, but I'm being honest."

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Anything."

"Do you wish you were photographed nude like some of the women on my website? I get the feeling that those images excited you in some way, like you wanted to be in their position. In other words, do you have an exhibitionist side?"

Courtney blushed. "I don't know. I think I do. I've never thought about it like that, but the idea of being exposed kind of excites me in some weird way."

"It's fairly normal. Exhibitionism is a common fantasy for men and women. There's something about leaving yourself open and vulnerable which gives a unique thrill."

"Are you an exhibitionist?"

"A little bit," Gianna replied. "I'm much more of a voyeur. I love to watch. Seeing people in their sexual element gives me a rush which I can't find anywhere else."

"Does that mean you were aroused last week when you were taking my picture?" Courtney asked with a smile.

"A lady never tells," Gianna smiled back. "What about you? Were you secretly aroused when you were modeling for my camera?"

Courtney raised an eyebrow and gave a cute look. "Maybe. That's for me to know, and you to wonder."

"Well, there's something else I'm wondering at the moment. Mind if I ask another question?"

"Please do," Courtney said playfully.

"Do you like the outdoors?"

"I grew up around Santa Cruz," the college student replied. "I love being outdoors, around the trees, and water especially. Why do you ask?"

"I have a small garden on the rooftop of this building. Maybe I can grab my camera and we can take a few pictures right now. You can borrow my clothes if you get soaking wet. Are you interested?"

"Sounds like the perfect plan for a rainy day."

***

The heavy rain turned to light drizzle by the time the two women reached the rooftop of the building. Both women were wearing their tshirts and neither of them cared that they were getting wet. It was part of their experience. Courtney marveled at the private garden.

"This is pretty amazing," Courtney said.

The college student walked around in the light rain, looking at the different plants and the fruits and vegetables which were growing. She didn't care that she was getting wet. Her hair and clothes were slowly becoming drenched. In her mind, it was like the rain wasn't even there.

"I knew you'd like it," Gianna said, quickly snapping a picture.

Gianna took more pictures of the unsuspecting college student. Once Courtney realized her picture was being taken, she looked at the camera and struck playful poses around the garden.

"You're much more relaxed this time," Gianna noted.

Courtney struck more poses. "I guess I'm more comfortable today."

"Good. Now take off your tshirt. I'm dying to see what you look like underneath."

Courtney suddenly froze and looked around. The rooftop she was standing on was surrounded by high-rise buildings. Some of the buildings were apartments, others were office buildings. All of the surrounding buildings had a clear view of Courtney, and if anybody decided to look through their window, they would have a pleasant surprise.

"People might see us," Courtney said hesitantly.

"That's the idea."

"Wouldn't this be illegal?" Courtney asked nervously.

Gianna held in her laughter. "We're on private property. There's no crime. But if you don't want to do it, that's fine. I don't want to pressure you. Let's continue what we're doing."

When Gianna lifted her camera and prepared to take more photos, Courtney reached for the bottom of her wet tshirt.

"Wait," Courtney said. "I want to try it. I'm interested."

"I'm serious, I don't want to pressure you. What we're doing now is perfectly fine."

The college student swiftly pulled the wet shirt overhead and tossed it on a nearby table. She stood in her bra, while the light rain coated her body. Courtney's eyes briefly surveyed all of the nearby buildings and she wondered if anyone was watching her. Being so vulnerable to the world was a surreal feeling. She felt an adrenaline rush flowing through her body. It was exciting, new, and thrilling. Then she heard more snaps from the camera.

"Your reaction is priceless," Gianna said, taking more pictures.

"This is awkward for me. I don't know how to react."

"Be confident and comfortable in your own skin. Realize that you're beautiful. I think you're a unique person, and don't be afraid of that. Be yourself. The rest will come naturally."