I sighed as I looked through my wallet, it was full of receipts but definitely not full of cash, in fact it was empty. I'd checked my bank account that morning too and knew I was overdrawn, I couldn't ask my parents to bail me out again, they'd already given me fifty quid last week... "bloody hell" I thought to myself, "there's got to be some way I can get some cash in..."
I wasn't sure how though, all the best jobs had been taken at the start of term, while I was stupidly too busy getting drunk and having a good time... and what with studying and captaining the swim team I could never really find the time to commit to a regular job... my mind idly flicked through some possibilities until the sound of the bell brought me out of my reverie and back to the present moment. I looked up as the bus started to slow, this was my stop.
I picked up my bag, jumped off the bus, thanking the driver as I did so, and headed to campus. I decided to take a different route today, it was sunny & I had time to spare so I went the long way, through the park - figured the walk would do me good and, you never know, I might pass a few of the girls from the netball team.
I'd heard from my best mate Matt that they sometimes sunbathed near the yoga studio and I half fancied my chances with the blonde one, Sam, I think she was called. Although to be fair I also quite fancied Matt, but I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, I wasn't in the mood to think about that and anyway, its probably just a phase I told myself unconvincingly.
People always said I was a good looking guy but I never really believed them, I was toned with a proper 6-pack in the way that 20-year olds often are without having to actually do much to earn it, I swam regularly, thats true, but never went to the gym and didn't particularly watch my diet. I had green eyes & soft brown hair, loosely styled with wax, tousled, bit scruffy.
Today I was wearing my favourite skinny jeans & a plain blue H&M t - I checked my reflection in a shop window, pulling my sunglasses down over my nose so I could see myself properly, pausing and brushing a hand through my hair. I realised that a couple in the shop were watching me and exchanged a little laugh. Flushing red at the unexpected attention, I carried on walking quickly. I wasn't vain, wasn't particularly confident if the truth be told, but still liked to make an effort with how I looked, especially if there was a chance of bumping into the netball girls.
I was shy, at least that's how I think my friends would describe me, I always chose to shower in a cubicle if I'd been for a swim, or try to hang around until the others had finished before getting changed myself. I couldnt quite define where this shyness had come from, but it was a thing, and sort of went hand-in-hand with an introverted lack of confidence with girls, or guys for that matter.
As I walked I thought about my chances of getting a girlfriend, even just some casual action would do, Christ, there cant be too many second year virgins I thought? A skint virgin too... bloody hell. I frowned, scuffing my converse shoes on the floor and aimlessly kicking a pebble into the grass. I looked up to see the yoga studio, it was an old pavillion, converted into a studio with a funky looking extension, mostly big glass panels set in an aluminium frame, styled in a nod to the architecture of the victorian pavillion, but somehow now very trendy and modern. No netball girls I realised as I walked past & kicked another pebble disconsolately.
I saw there was a class in the studio and curiosity got the better of me, there was bamboo planted like a hedge around the glass which made it quite tricky to see, but I'm tall so managed to sneak up & peer over the top... this looked like some sort of art class... a mixed group of artists of different ages sat behind their easels, quietly focused on an old man standing on a raised platform.
The man looked pretty bored to be honest, he had a dressing gown on, he was flexing his left arm and looking down at his bicep. "Blimey" I thought, now thats easy money... I wonder if I could get involved with this? No-one had seen me peering over and I carried on around the building to get back to the path.
As I walked past the entrance though I saw some notices pinnned on a board, "yoga classes they read, park run, meditation workshop, art classes..." "hmmm", "this could be a winner," I scanned the art class notice, took a picture on my battered iPhone and read it as I walked on. The Friday afternoon classes didn't clash with my lectures, or my swimming - and that seriously is money for old rope I thought...
I'd never even seen a life drawing class before, let alone thought of modelling myself, but it looked pretty simple. I didnt know anyone in the class and I was happy to be topless, I would never get naked - obviously - but I knew I had a pretty good torso, certainly much better than the guy I'd just seen, so I felt like I'd be confident enough to give this a go.
That evening after swim training, I emailed the address of the tutor from the poster.
"Hi Stephen, I saw the poster for your art classes today and wondered if you might need any models? I'm a student at the uni, local, reliable and I've had a fair bit of life modelling experience in my home town." I added a brief description of myself, signed it off "David" and hit "send".
The bit about being experienced was complete fabrication, but I figured how would he know? And really, any idiot could stand in their shorts and flex right? A couple of minutes later my phone buzzed as a text came through.
"Hi David, its Stephen - sorry to text late but I've just picked up your email and actually you may be able to help me out with a class, someone has cancelled at the last minute and this is an important one, I need someone experienced, can I call you?"
"Wow!" I thought, "Ker-ching!"
"Hi Stephen, yes of course, I'm free if you'd like to call." My heart was beating fast as I sent the text and I realised I was actually a bit nervous. The thought of standing there with everyone looking at me, my chest exposed like that. Maybe I'll see if I can keep my t-shirt on I thought as the phone rang.
"Hello, David speaking."
"Hi David - thanks so much for replying so quickly, it's Stephen about the life-modelling class. I wouldn't usually do this without meeting up first, but one of my regular models has cancelled on me at the last minute, she thinks she's picked up a summer cold and was worried about spreading it, people are so cautious now aren't they? I have a class tomorrow which is a double model class - supposed to be a guy and a girl posing but, well, you said you've got lots of experience so I'm sure you'll be fine with it. Thinking about this particular group I think they will really enjoy having 2 guys model for them. I can pay you £40 for 2 hours," he said... "and there may be some tips as well."
Blimey I thought, forty quid just to stand there next to some bloke while people paint me, I can't believe I've never thought of this before!
"Ah yeah thats fine. I've modelled on my own and with others many times," I lied. "All good with me."
"Excellent, well thats great news - is 3pm ok tomorrow?" he said, "its a special class actually...".
As he spoke though the signal dropped out on my phone and I missed his words... "it's a group of.... birthday party... body... something...." he said. "Is that OK for you? Again I wouldn't usually ask someone I haven't worked with to do this for their first class with us, but it seems like you have a lot of experience so what do you say?"
I was distracted now m by the idea of the cash and found myself just agreeing even though I hadn't really heard or followed what he'd said. "Of course, thats fine!" I said, "Actually I modelled for a class just like that a few months ago."
"Excellent, excellent, David you're a life-saver! I'll see you tomorrow - if you could arrive about ten to 3 please so we can start on time... any questions?" he asked.
"No I dont think so," I said... "oh, just one thing," I asked, "what should I wear?"
"Haha you are a funny one" he said, "see you tomorrow!"
Thats odd I thought, I guess it must just be a dressing gown... thats what the guy wore today. I thought it was likely that at some point the dressing gown would come off though so they could paint the actual torso of the model. I fished out my chino shorts from the washing basket ready for the next day so I had something nice to wear & went to bed thinking about my new venture and all the cash, I wondered how many gigs like this I could get and what was it about this particular class that made it special. I'm sure he said a birthday - probably some old lady's birthday party.
I felt pretty good the next day as I approached the yoga studio, I saw one of the gardeners in the park cutting the grass and said a cheery "good morning" as I passed him.
"Morning mate," he said.
I noticed his tanned muscular arms, the sweat on his forehead, I saw the waistband of his calvins just visible above his loose cargo trousers as he turned and bent back down to work and felt a flutter in my chest and a twang of desire... bloody hell, David, not now, I thought.
I checked my phone, quarter to 3, a few minutes early so I stopped outside and read the notices again to pass a few minutes. Todays was down as a life-model class and had been marked as 'private', I wondered what the other model would be like. I checked my look, I was wearing a navy t-shirt and some fitted pink chinos. Underneath them though I was just wearing some old white briefs that my mum bought me years ago when I was about 15, they were literally the last clean pair of underwear I had.
In a hasty last-minute decision I'd stuffed a pair of socks down the front. No one's actually going to see them I thought, so whats wrong with it, no different to girls wearing a push-up bra. I'm not that well-endowed and these shorts are quite fitted so I might as well give myself a bit of extra padding to boost my confidence. My dressing gown was in my rucksack.
I stepped in to the studio and called out to see if anyone was there, "hello... Stephen?"
"Hi!" he said, appearing from behind a screen. "You must be David, oh lovely to meet you! You look great, so handsome, I love those cheekbones, and what broad shoulders."
I blushed as he stepped back and looked me up and down, his eyes lingered for a moment too long over my groin.
My goodness I can see why you're suited to life modelling!" he smiled. "Mathias is our other model today, he's unfortunately running a few minutes late but not to worry, we'll start with some solo poses and then make it a bit more interesting when he arrives!" He laughed and winked at me.
"And I do apologise, the air conditioning seems to be stuck on I'm afraid so its rather more chilly than you might be used to, but it doesn't look like shrinkage should be a problem for you haha and I have made a call to see if someone can fix it for us."
I wasn't sure what he meant by shrinkage, "maybe I can keep my t-shirt on I?" I volunteered, "if its too cold I mean?"
"Haha oh you are funny as well as good looking" he laughed.
Worth a try, I thought and I stepped on to the stage to see how it felt before the artists arrived, suddenly when I looked at all the chairs set-up in front of me I felt nervous... the front row was very close, maybe a metre away... forty quid is forty quid I told myself and besides, it's too late to back out now.
It felt strange to be on the inside of the glass building that I'd been peering through from the outside just yesterday. The bamboo hedge gave it a nice screen however, so even though the walls were largely glass it felt intimate and private, not many people would be able to peer through like I had from the outside.
Stephen I'd say was about 45, slim with short hair and blue eyes, he was gay I was sure, he seemed very friendly and genuine. Cute in a DILF type way.
"Ah here they come, hello hello!" he exclaimed as a group walked in through the door.
I swallowed and felt my palms suddenly sweaty and my throat dry, thoughts raced through my mind - I didn't like attention, why had I signed up to this...
The demographic looks very different to yesterday I thought, and realised everyone that had come in so far was young, male and well, good-looking.
