Princess Pric Tease

Author's note: This began as a Halloween story then went too far off course and became to long for me to salvage it, but as I like the story I have decided to trim it down into chapters and post it here instead. I hope you like it. Thank you to JK Moreland for his copy-editing It is much appreciated. ~ellie

*

"I won't ever ask you for another favour if you just do this for me," Adam pleaded.

"I just..." Grace looked into his face seeing the look he gave her. "What about..."

"I have asked everyone, including you, so many times that people have stopped answering my calls," he said plaintively exaggerating the situation.

"I am not a model, look at me!" Grace said in exasperation.

"I look at you all the time," Adam said softly, "You forget we grew up together, I know underneath that sack you call a dress there's a hot body. No one will even recognise you I promise."

Grace glared at him over the rims of her glasses. That was a backhanded compliment and it stung a little. She had never in her life been considered hot, occasionally she may have bordered pretty in some eyes but she was too short, too dull, too average. She had dated a little at college, mostly with equally nerdy guys but nothing very serious. Now a year after college, she and her best friend from childhood Adam had become a pseudo couple while waiting for the great loves of their lives to come along. They attended reunions and some parties together but it was only ever as friends. It wasn't that they hadn't tried to date from time to time, they loved each other as friends and it was only natural to want more, but the timing always seemed off and it had never really worked for them. Adam lived life at full speed and Grace found it hard to keep up, even as just his friend. She stood considering him.

"Come on Gracie, please. I really want to do this, it's an awesome opportunity. I can't do it without you." Adam was begging now.

"Only because you can't convince anyone else to go along with your ridiculous scheme, yet again," Grace sighed.

Adam saw her eyes roll as she began to give in and let a wicked smile slowly cross his lips. "I promise you won't regret it Gracie. Thank you Thank you Thank you! No one will even know it's you once I am done."

Grace let Adam pick her up and twirl her around happily. She knew, just as he knew, that she would eventually give in. He must truly be desperate if he had asked her in the first place over some of their more statuesque, beautiful friends.

"There are stipulations," she laughed at his enthusiasm. "You have to share the prize money with me."

"Fine, that's fine really. What else?" Adam put her down and stepped back looking at her imagining in his mind what he could do.

"No one and I repeat no one can know it's me," her voice had become serious, "Promise me Adam, I am still living down the last time I helped you out like this."

"I promise, I promise. Even your own mother won't recognise you," Adam flashed a beguiling smile at her. Knowing he had her and not wanting to waste any more time as his deadline approached he took her hand and led her into his artist's studio. "I need to get some photos and quick sketches and colour matches done first."

Grace looked around, he had known she would give in to his sincere pleading and had readied the room with a few bottles of their favourite wine and a huge fruit and cheese platter. She groaned realising she could have held out for much more than a share in the prize money but acknowledged it was probably too late to renegotiate terms.

"Why do you want to do this weird little show anyway? It's not like a huge spring show or anything." Grace asked as she plucked a small bunch of grapes from the platter and sat in the battered old chair she favoured in his studio. Adam was an artist who had fallen in love with textiles in high school. He had been screen printing alternative senior shirts for each of his friends playing with the colours and effects and different materials when he decided that was what he wanted to do forever. He had gone to an arts college that also had courses in fashion and business and had been determined to take on the large fashion houses of the world with his fabric designs.

He found that getting his fabrics and off beat designs noticed by eminent designers harder than he had planned on and increasingly looked for alternative routes to those people who dictated the worlds sense of what was in or out at any given moment. This latest venture of his though was too far out in left field for Grace to understand why he wanted to do it so badly.

"Are you kidding?" Adam looked at her incredulously. "This is where the money is, the Nuevo riche. They don't depend on celebrity or old world money and publicity they are all self-made or mostly. Designer brands mean nothing to what they like and will pay through the nose for. And..." he paused adding a flair of the dramatic, "They are gonna love me and in turn you, my Grace-ful one."

"Alright so explain it to me like I am a two year old. Step by step every little detail and we will see if I need to renegotiate my terms," she said with a smile finding his enthusiasm for this new project as infectious as all his other schemes.

"Walking Art," Adam said simply.

"No, Adam. The whole story from the time you heard about it and how," Grace picked up the glass of wine he poured for her and settled back in the chair.

"We really should get the initial stuff done first. This could take a while," he said. Noting the stubborn look on her face, Adam put down his camera and sat in the chair opposite hers picking up his wine and looked at her. He told her the story of how a few weeks prior he had met up with his brother on a boy's night out. Several of the guys from his brother's place of work had been there and they had started talking about the new club that opened up on Turbo Street in the CBD where the old theatre had been on the corner. Grace had look surprised, she had heard about that club. The first of that type to open publically in the CBD rather than hiding away in an industrial area somewhere away from the horrified general public's awareness.

"The Zoo?" Grace queried.

"Yeah, that's the one. Anyway apparently they put out an open call to designers to come up with Halloween costumes for the first of what will become their annual charity ball, to coincide with Halloween," he said trying to appeal to her altruistic side. "It a huge contract if I win," the look on her face stalled him and made him back pedal, "We win." Adam corrected himself.

"So you're telling me these people are going to run a charity event from a den of iniquity? Who are they trying to save sexual predators?" Incredulity lit her face.

"Stop acting so holier than thou I know you better than you realise, and I don't buy it. 'These people', as you said so smarmily, are good people who like a bit of kinky sex now and then. As I recall you didn't mind a bit of excitement in the boudoir with what's his name." Adam clicked his fingers trying to remember the name of the guy she had dated with a very kinky side.

"Gavin," Grace groaned. "But that was entirely different."

"Pffft," he waved her rebuff away. "Just because you did it in secret doesn't make it any different to the tattooed, pierced, latex wearing freaks who don't get embarrassed about showing what they like."

"Urg, remind never to talk to you about my sex life again," she grumbled.

They talked about his ideas for a bit and then began the inevitable bouncing of ideas off each other. Grace had a love of art but was never truly good enough to compete with the likes of Adam and other equally gifted people but she had good ideas at times. She became fully engaged in the project fairly quickly as she drank more wine and became less self-conscious.

"I'll open this second bottle if you take that sack you call a dress off and we can start working," Adam held up the bottle tempting her.

Grace found herself becoming inexplicably self-conscious again. It wasn't as if Adam hadn't seen her in her underwear before, it was just that it was so long ago, when they were both much younger in addition to one disastrous attempt at a relationship during the summer of their second year at University. She had put on a little weight since then. She looked at her now empty glass and groaned standing and pulling the loose fitting material over her head.

Adam was surprised, the ultra-thin gangly girl he had known seemed to have disappeared behind this feminine shapely figure and he admired the curve of her thigh and hip along with the now full rounded breasts. "Wow," Adam breathed in appreciation.

"If you say one word about my weight the deal is off!" Grace threatened him.

"What?" He asked perplexed. "You look great you were always too skinny before, right now you look perfect." Adam tore his eyes away from her to fill her glass with the newly opened bottle and smiled. "Put on a few more pounds for all I care it suits you."

Grace looked into his eyes and could see he wasn't teasing her, but doubt lingered in her mind. She took the glass and took a sip before putting it down. "Let's get this over with then, where do you want me?"

Angling his head toward the green wall he played with the settings on his camera mumbling, "We will get the basics done first then a few shots in different poses so I have something to work from." When it came to his art and his textiles Adam became obsessive, Grace ceased to exist as a person and became a medium for him, clay for a sculpture. She called a halt every so often to drink more, eat more and bring him back to the real world where she was a living breathing human being but after the second bottle of wine which she had pretty much drunk on her own she moved to the chaise.

"That's enough already, you have more pictures of me now than my parents took in a lifetime," she slurred.

"Fine," Adam grumbled and took the camera to his computer to review the shots he had taken properly.

Shortly after, she fell asleep. When she woke Grace cursed herself for drinking so much and looked around blearily seeing Adam sitting at his small easel sketching. "Explain to me when I lost my mind and agreed to take my bra off for you?"

"About halfway through the second bottle when I said I needed the natural contours of your breasts and ribs. You agreed, though at that stage you would have gotten completely naked for me if I had asked in the right way," he smirked. "You seemed to like being a bit of an exhibitionist at about that stage of the night."

"Did you sleep at all?" She asked ignoring his last comment.

"Are you kidding? Who knows when I will get you to sit still for that long again without your sack-like clothes," He chuckled at her look of dismay and took over her bra and dress. "You have a great figure. You shouldn't hide it so much. Don't put your clothes back on just yet. I'm going to need fairly accurate measurements, plus I am just as happy to look at you without them," he winked at her. "Stay here and I will grab you some water and aspirin, and see if there is anything for breakfast in the kitchen."

Standing and stretching out her legs from the cramped posture of sleeping on the too small chaise, Grace wandered over to his sketch block on the easel. Adam had an amazing talent and she wished he would do more with it than the offbeat things that seemed to appeal to him. She flicked the used pages over and began to look through the sketches, mesmerised by how he had captured her sleeping form and transformed it into various animorphs.

In their discussions earlier in the night before her drinking binge they had agreed that the name of the club, The Zoo, leant itself entirely to using animal costumes and in an attempt to edge out the competition, Adam, would create animorphs where most of the costume would be body paint or specifically designed vinyl that could imitate latex. It was too late to have latex made in time to his designs but if they wanted them in the future it could be arranged. The vinyl though was easily treated, as would be any fur he decided to use.

Adam came back in carrying the remnants of the fruit and cheese platter from last night to which he had added some ham and bread. "I don't usually do breakfast," he shrugged.

"The sketches are good," she said purposefully understating his work and taking the water and aspirin he offered her. It was surreal to be sitting having a conversation with him while wearing only her panties but he seemed in no hurry to take her measurements or to have her leave as he would have in the past when working on a project.

"Well this is uncomfortable," Grace said suddenly. "Get your measuring tape or make your best guestimate because I need to put some clothes on."

"Wait," Adam said, "What's the hurry? I am still thinking over my sketches now you're actually upright and talking." Grace gave him a hard look and he went to get his measuring tape out of the small sewing kit he kept in his studio. "I don't know why you're in such a hurry," he reiterated shaking his head, "It's not like I haven't seen you naked before. We grew up together, dated, had sex even."

"I don't see you getting your gear off and strolling around," her words held barbs she didn't really feel.

"Will that make you feel better?" he asked pulling off his shirt. "There you go I am topless now too."

"Oh yeah that makes a lot of difference," she rolled her eyes.

"Trust me you don't want me to take off my pants. You have told me time and time again that I have no self-control. I would hate to prove you right, yet again," he smirked at her meaningfully and without thinking she glanced down.

"You're not coming near me with that thing at the ready," Grace laughed. "Have you forgotten the last time we got involved?" He pulled a face remembering how he had almost lost his best friend through some particularly bad choices. "Exactly, now give me the measuring tape and I will do it."

Sheepishly Adam handed over the tape and instructed her on the measurements he wanted writing them down as she went, at times having to be reminded to do so. He tried to remind himself that this was his frumpy, confidante and advisor. His brain agreed but his eyes and libido did not and his heart didn't know which one to believe. She had been his first love and though it didn't work out romantically he still loved her, as a friend he reminded himself. But a friend wouldn't be teasing him on purpose like his imagination was letting him believe.

Grace was enjoying the moment. That dreadful summer had robbed her of self-esteem and self-confidence. It had taken a long time for their friendship to recover from the hurt and betrayal she felt. As always Adam had hounded her begging forgiveness until she finally gave in and they promised to never even in moments of weakness become intimate again. It was friendship they were best at and each of them needed the other in their own way. Even still, knowing the reaction she was getting, it was too much of a temptation not to tease him with what he had thrown away with his creative curiousness and in the end; cheating.

Grace had cupped her beasts holding them up as the tape slid beneath them measuring her rib cage, she had flattened the tape against her nipples as she measured her bust line. She had widened her stance and even put a foot up on the low chaise tilting her pelvis up to measure the inside of her thigh accurately and finally he had groaned and turned away. Victorious, she was no longer in such a hurry to redress.

"Is that it?" Grace asked sweetly.

"Yeah. Get dressed," Adam said stiffly. He was unwilling to risk the friendship he had with Grace. She was the one person he could really trust to tell him the truth about his work, about his friends and when he was being an ass. That didn't mean he didn't want to re acquaint himself with her intimately, just that he knew he couldn't or rather shouldn't.

Grace felt the change in atmosphere and wondered if she had gone too far. She turned to get dressed consoling herself with the fact that he deserved it really and finally dressed turned back to face him. He was busy at his easel again and she sat to eat a little more as they talked about what was next and when he would need her again.

"You couldn't swing a week off work before the deadline could you?" Adam asked hopefully.

"Not unless I kill off a family member," she shook her head.

"Kill off your Great Aunt Ida, she is non-existent anyway," he waved his hand as if conjuring the woman out of thin air.

Grace laughed and gathered her bag. "I'll swing by after work tomorrow night. I'll even bring real food for a change," still laughing she let herself out of his house.

*****

Over the past two weeks Grace had become more comfortable with being nude in Adam's studio. In fact she quite liked that at least once in a session he would groan and complain, "I'm only human Grace, geez!" Their promise to each other that it was not worth risking their friendship again loomed large like an elephant in the room as sparks flew between them.

She had visited Adam and often spent the night falling asleep on the chaise in his studio. Much to her department managers chagrin, Grace had killed off the fictional Great Aunt Ida and taken the week off work just before the deadline for submissions. Grace had known that the costumes would in fact have little material involved relying heavily on the art of body painting but even knowing this she cringed when she saw the small strips of fur and vinyl.

It wasn't until the final week that Grace had been confronted with the actual fetish wear and the reality of exactly what she had agreed to. Of all of the ideas Adam had come up with for the costumes, he had narrowed it down to the top five and he hoped they could complete one each day and then edit them before the deadline. The range of materials and fetish gear could be highlighted by each design and hopefully appeal to a broad market within the club. The other designs he had come up with would remain in sketch format with a blurb detailing the materials so in all there would be at least ten to twelve to choose from. Only the top five would be modelled by Grace and photographed as they would appear in reality.

When Grace arrived on the Friday night with luggage to stay the week, Adam had nearly bounced with excitement. He was in full manic mode now, as he often became when working under pressure. It took her some time to convince him that she had had a hard day and that starting in the morning was a much better idea. Instead he was taking her out for dinner as a thank you for her help. She needed to get him out of his studio, his obsession, his mind set and calmer before they went ahead with the project.

Over dinner they discussed the final tweaks he had made to the costumes he had created for her and the sketches he had made of the ones she would not wear. She was disappointed about the phoenix but he had argued that in the bird world all the pretty ones were male, including the phoenix. Instead he had concentrated on what he had chosen for her and why. He lamented once again that she had refused piercings of any description opting for fakery if it was absolutely necessary.

Returning home after eating and drinking too much Grace had been surprised to find that Adam had remodelled his studio slightly to include a small day bed and a round pedestal in front of the green wall. Exhausted from working both her usual job and then evenings with Adam over the last few weeks Grace climbed into the daybed and fell asleep almost immediately. Adam smiled; he knew sleep would elude him until after this was over and he sat at the large drafting desk in the corner and studied her.

Being so close to her in her nudity had made him question what he had believed was a myth about men not being able to be just friends with women. Admitting that he was not the man to ever make Grace truly happy in a monogamous relationship he had been guarding himself against the feelings he had toward her. Treating her body as a canvas for his creativity he had been avoiding those intimate moments of real conversation outside of the project. Tonight had brought him back to reality, reminding him why he did value her friendship so much. She got him. She actually understood who he was and why he took on projects like this. Groaning at the turmoil he felt where Grace was concerned he turned back to his work and the sketches which were finished ordering them and making small adjustments to the written descriptions.