Andreas's photography business was hours from closing when his landlord Roberta knocked on his studio door.
"Time to pay the rent, Andreas. I know times are tough, but I have obligations, too. I let you slide for three months, but no more. So, pay up, big fella."
Andreas pushed his hand through his shaggy brown hair. "There's a moratorium for tenants, no? I don't have to pay you."
"The rent is still owed. You are creating a huge bill, my friend. Look. I don't want to toss you out on your ear, with all your fancy photography equipment. Nobody wants that. So, why don't you just make some kind of small payment?"
Andreas scratched his ear. The pandemic had put an end to his lucrative wedding business, the burgeoning christening and bar mitzvah ceremonies, the bread-and-butter grade school pictures and high school pictures. His own creditors had been put off as long as possible. But as the end of the year approached, Andreas was afraid that it was the end of his chosen occupation and successful business. And now, Roberta was demanding payment or she'd throw him out.
"You can't evict me. The courts won't let you." Andreas was in his thirties, slim, and kept himself in good shape so that he could clamber around sets and locations for the photo shoots. He looked Roberta over carefully. He swallowed his pride and asked, "Isn't there some kind of accommodation we could come to?"
Roberta looked twice his age. She was single and maybe divorced. She was a powerful real estate agent in the city, and dressed the part, flashing gold and jewels on her wrists. Still she looked twice his age.
"Well," she said, her long red fingernails tapping her teeth. Andreas had never noticed how sharp those teeth were. "I may have an idea that might do the trick."
Andreas gulped and said a quick prayer of thanks that none of his regular models was around to see his embarrassment and degradation. "Whatever shall we do?"
"I belong to many clubs and groups, including a monthly book club. The members are mostly elderly women, but they claim to have a vigorous sex life. I believe them."
Andreas grimaced. This might be much worse than he thought. Still, if the alternative was getting thrown out of his studio, he would have to play along. "Yes?"
"Since the pandemic, the women have continued to read the recommended books, but they met to discuss them only over the internet. All their holiday shopping was done over the internet, too, and they weren't too happy at the gifts they gave. Their recipients were not crazy about the gifts, either. The women had all been stumped by the lockdowns imposed during the holidays, and were unsure what to do about St. Valentine's Day. Do you see where I'm going with this, Andreas?"
"St. Valentine's Day? Hearts and flowers? I'm not quite sure..."
"So, I see the perfect combination of two opportunities. I'll convince my book club to come and get their pictures taken, and you'll take glamor shots of them for their husbands, boyfriends, whatever." Roberta had a smug smile on her face as she told Andreas her idea.
Andreas burst out with a long hearty laugh. The image of the older women posing was funny, yes, but the laugh was also because he was relieved. He felt he had dodged a bullet.
"Come on, Roberta. These are older women, yes? They will be difficult to light properly, and may not be entirely pleased with the results."
"They can't be any more demanding than neurotic brides or crazy fashion models, can they?"
Andreas admitted she had a point.
"You've got the facility to provide boudoir photos, glamour photos for these women, right? Well, I guarantee that they will love the opportunity to pose for you. After all, this isn't a calendar shoot, although that may be the next opportunity for us. What do you say?"
Andreas looked around his studio. Dust was gathering on some of his equipment right now. He needed to work. "Okay, but what's in it for you? Do you think you'll get your rent faster?"
"Of course I'll get my rent faster! I'm not getting any rent now and you're not getting any clients. So, this is a win-win for us, Andreas. Agreed?"
Andreas watched Roberta carefully. She was brilliant, tricky, and cheated at cards when they'd played together. Therefore, he suspected there was more to her offer than she was disclosing. Before he agreed and bumped elbows with her, he waited for Roberta to make her last demand. "What else are you proposing, Roberta?"
"I love dealing with knowledgeable businessmen!" Roberta called out, her head tilted back to project her enthusiasm. "Andreas, I'll be your agent, your broker, your procurer, whatever you like. I'll take the standard fee--15%--of the transaction. That's not a reduction in your rent either. Just a little something on top. So, whaddaya say? Deal?"
Andreas laughed again, opened his arms wide. It wasn't a perfect answer but it was better than any idea he had. They gave each other a big hug. No measly elbow bumps for Roberta.
She started for the door, still talking over her shoulder. "There's only six weeks until St. Valentine's Day. Can you have the portraits ready in time? I'll get the old bags here, don't you worry. Don't you worry! What can I tell them? A discount from your usual price?"
Oh yes, Andreas thought, Roberta was good. So he offered the group a discount and the opportunity to use their imaginations in creating the photographs.
He had no idea how creative the woman would turn out to be.
The older women were satisfied with the props Andreas used for wedding shoots--the lace, the flowers, the soft lights. He showed them how to avert their eyes, give a small inviting smile, and position their shoulders. He used his green screens and blue screens to create artificial but lifelike backgrounds from Venice to Paris to the Grand Canyon. After taking the shots, he used computer programs to enhance the effects. The women had plenty of money from pensions, social security, insurance on deceased husbands, and trust funds to pay for the pictures they wanted. They paid quickly, too, which made both Andreas and Roberta very happy.
Then, an amazing thing happened. The women who were very happy with the results brought other friends to Andreas's studio. But it didn't stop there. Those clients told their younger friends, who also wanted to be photographed in glamour poses. But it was only when they began to recommend him to their daughters and nieces that his business started to boom.
These new, younger women were in their twenties for the most part. After being locked down away from bars and football games and baseball parks, they were ready to cut loose. They came in small groups, probably to protect each other from an unknown man taking intimate pictures of them, but soon found themselves comfortable with him. Andreas focused on the shots. Besides getting paid, he cared mostly about light and the way it fell on his subjects. He wasn't interested in pushing them beyond their comfort zones. So, the young women trusted him.