A Gift of Unimagined Pleasure

It had all started well just over twenty hours ago when Julie had woken to find herself unexpectedly sharing a soft kiss with a shadowy figure stooping over her side of the bed. By the time she had sat up and was trying to open her eyes properly, Simon was already out the front door and hopping into his car for work.

Turning the light on, the anniversary card she found on his pillow completely surprised her. He usually forgot such things. Even better were the gift voucher and the handwritten note that dropped out of it. The stunning twenty eight year old squealed and clapped her hands with delight as she re-read them. He’d actually been listening when she had said she wanted something daring and different as an anniversary present this year. And having some professional semi-naked and nude shots taken of her in her prime was something she had hinted at for three years now. She smiled remembering the diplomacy she’d had to use to decline his well-meaning offers to take photos of her on his phone.

Only one thing had ever stopped her going off and doing it by herself - the reality of standing completely alone with little or no clothing on before a total stranger wielding a camera. A few times, she had suggested to Simon she’d like to book a session provided he came along for moral support. It wouldn’t be cheap for professional shots but they weren’t short of money. All she needed from him was to take a half day off his business. But he had always had some reason why he couldn’t help her each time.

The voucher said her booking was for noon today. In a mixture of nervous excitement, she again read the handwritten note attached to it. It not only began by saying he’d meet her there at twelve but that he’d also paid to have a set of photos taken of them as a couple right after hers. Maybe she could talk him into some naughtier shots with both of them partly naked.

But more pleasing was the proposal to share fish and chips on the beach straight afterwards with a small bottle of champagne. That had her sprinting to the shower, eager to get the day started. Under it she madly planned the whole day out.

The session was booked at a nearby photo studio, one Julie had researched it carefully a while ago after a mutual friend said she knew the photographer. She’d found that the owner, Helen, was indeed a professional whose specialty was taking private adult, nude or semi-nude shots of individuals and couples as well as her magazine and internet work. Best of all, Julie felt pleased at Simon’s choice had been so considerate; she would be a lot more at ease posing in front of a female. Delicately she trimmed her pubic hair for the new swimsuit she’d bought to pose in. Under a loose T-shirt, she decided she would wear a pair of snug shorts to highlight her shapely athletic legs and bottom.

As she put on old clothes to start thoroughly cleaning the house, she hoped she was seeing the romantic side of Simon re-emerging. To make the most of their time together this afternoon, she would work frantically to get their home all set up for the small fully-catered party they had planned for a few friends tonight.

Five hours later she was rushing into the studio. The clock on the wall said it was just after noon. Standing before the receptionist taking what seemed to be a quick call, she glanced back to see a very attractive young woman her age enter and stand behind her at the counter. Julie’s mind guiltily thought about the expense of the new racy thong bikini in her bag, especially since this would be the only place it would ever be likely to be worn. Where was Simon? He was obviously a little late.

Ending her call, the receptionist ignored them both and raced to the door. Leaning back through it almost as an afterthought, she announced that the photographer was running a bit late and that she would just be gone for fifteen minutes or so getting a sandwich. Neither Julie nor the other young woman had time to ask just how late before she vanished.

They both sat down. Between unsuccessful attempts to get Simon to text back where he was, Julie thumbed through one of the display portfolios lying on the table. She took a liking to some of the less mainstream poses of a few of the individuals and couples inside it. To pass the time, she decided to see if the tall beautiful girl in the chair alongside her browsing the other album wanted to talk.

The receptionist’s bizarre disappearance reminded Julie of a funny story in her job as a reporter. After a quick introduction, she told it and they both fell into fits of laughter. She knew she’d chosen the right photographer when Chloe went on to tell her she was a photographic model. A query revealed the girl hadn’t used Helen professionally before, but confirmed she had an impeccable reputation in the industry. Chloe went on to tell Julie a hilarious story herself, about a bad day in the life of one of her fellow models at another studio that ended with her falling off roller skates that were all she was wearing and breaking her arm.

Pointing out to Chloe what poses she had chosen, Julie was a bit taken aback when the girl said she was thinking of cancelling her own session. There was a look of sadness in the girl’s eyes as she elaborated that this was to have been a personal shoot, not a business one, and that her girlfriend had thrown her out of their unit that very morning.

To distract Chloe from her woes, Julie decided to ask the girl for an opinion on a shot she fancied. She opened her landscape folder to a nude full-length body shot taken of a wistful looking young woman reclining back against a wall. Mentioning though she would never have thought of doing anything like this without her husband being there for support, she waited for the girl’s reply. After Chloe’s complimentary response, saying Julie had the great legs needed to really carry the shot off, the girl in turn asked Julie her views on two poses of a near naked couple kissing in her own album. After Julie had enthused and disclosed she was hoping Simon would relent and join her in doing something like that, Chloe even started suggesting ways that Julie might embellish the pose to make it a tad more daring.

Interrupting their chat, Julie made yet another call. Damn Simon for now having his mobile phone turned off. There was an immediate thud of a largish body against the front glass door. An obviously harried woman in her early fifties managed to successfully to push open the door, hold it there with one elbow and guide herself through with a tripod and a case of gear under both arms.

“Hello. I’m Helen. Apologies everyone,” she managed to get out as she somehow avoided dropping gear all over the floor on her way over through to the door opposite. “Bloody traffic at lunchtime. Now, where is that receptionist?” But before they could answer, the plumpish photographer had vanished through the doors and into her studio like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.

Looking more like a middle aged teacher in her cardigan and thick black glasses, a less flustered Helen suddenly re-emerged five minutes later, took a dog-eared diary off the reception desk and was immediately in control.

Julie’s phone suddenly beeped. Snatching it from her handbag, she saw the message was from Simon. “Sorry. Busy rest of day.” She poignantly turned the phone off, eyes and throat tingling with sadness.

“Chloe Williamson and Shauna Johnson?” Helen read aloud, casting a look more like a friendly doctor’s over her glasses at both Julie and the girl. “Thank God! Both seem to be present. Which of you is, er , Chloe?” The woman froze inquiringly over her bifocals waiting for the answer.

“I am,” Chloe volunteered, getting to her feet. “Much as I don’t want to, I’m afraid I’m here to cancel. Shauna and I just split up this morning.” She looked down at the floor uncomfortably before murmuring. “Is the deposit refundable?”

“Usually no, sweetheart. Which one of you paid?” the photographer announced with a kindly look at Chloe then a much less friendly one at Julie.

“Shauna thought from the outset that this was all just an extravagant waste of money so I did,” Chloe finally murmured. The woman was glaring daggers at Julie by now.

“Wait. I’m not Shauna!” Julie spluttered as she got to her feet, anxious to correct the photographer’s misapprehension. “I’m Julie Driscoll. My husband, Simon, is also meant to be here for shots of me then some of us both, but that message was to say he’s done his usual bunk. So I guess I may have to postpone. Sorry to interrupt.”

“Julie. Julie and Simon Driscoll?” Helen checked referring to her diary. “Aha! It says here your husband indeed rang this morning saying he had to postpone your joint sitting. He did suggest however that you use the extra money paid to get a whole lot more shots taken of yourself,” she added.

Julie’s face dropped. “I have enough already being taken of me already. He said he was going to be here for me today so I could keep my nerve and go through with this. That was the most important bit of him being here. He knew I couldn’t do it alone.”

There was silence for a while. Finally Helen piped up. “If you feel you can trust me, how about we just do the individual ones of you here and now and postpone the joint ones of you two as a couple until later on.”

“It’s not trusting you so much as having your husband support you on your anniversary,” a teary Julie began, then faltered and dabbed a tissue found in her handbag to her eyes.

She thought briefly of coming back another day. Inside though she realised that Simon would never come along with her. If she was going to ever do this, it was now or never. An unexpected hand came over from Chloe and gave hers a comforting squeeze.

“It’d be no good taking twice as many shots of me,” Julie said with a quaver in her voice. “And the money side is unimportant. But shots of us together might be like gold one day as memories. Right now I feel like walking out and abandoning the whole thing.”

“No. You have to persist. Do the ones you’ve shown me, at least,” Chloe urged. “So what if he’s not here. I’ll stay here and be your support if you like, provided of course that’s okay with Helen.” Julie looked up at Helen whose nod said yes.

“Would you? God, thanks Chloe,” Julie heard herself hoarsely stammer as butterflies rose inside. She wiped a tear away and sat up straight. “It’s up to me, I guess.” She took a long brave breath. “Okay. Let’s do it then.”

“Excellent. Let’s do it indeed.” Helen agreed. “Now Chloe, I’m sorry about your break-up but rather than throwing your own deposit away, why don’t you get a few individual shots of yourself taken to the value of it. After all, you’ll be around being the Good Samaritan for a little while anyway?” Helen looked kindly into the girl’s young face. “I can double you up with Julie and we can save time not having to do two separate sets of make-up, hair and photos together over the next few hours. You two had my afternoon booked between you anyway.”

“Fine by me,” came Julie’s nod of agreement, then Chloe’s.

“I assume you both want to wear bathers to start with?” drew another pair of nods. “Okay. Who’s up first then?”

Chloe pointed cheekily to Julie.

“Good,” Helen said rubbing her hands. “Julie, as soon as my assistant is back and she’s made you up, I should also be set up and raring to go too.”

Twenty minutes later the two young women had emerged from the change cubicles in the studio and were sitting side by side in short silk robes. The prodigal receptionist had done Julie’s face and eyes and was halfway though brushing out her tawny shoulder length hair and asking Chloe if she would like to begin her session with her slightly longer straight brunette hair loosely tied behind in a long pony tail.

As Julie got more and more nervous waiting for Helen to set up the last light stands, she nervously grabbed Chloe’s hand to let her feel how antsy she was becoming.

“Relax. You’ll be just fine out there. Just enjoy yourself,” Chloe had reassured her then stopped Julie dead in the tracks with an unexpected question. “Who were you doing the individual shots for? You or your husband?”

“Sixty percent for me, forty for Simon I guess,” Julie said after a pause. “He’s a bit unusual for a man. Likes to look at shots of skimpily-clad or undressed females. I’d just would have liked him to include mine in his repertoire in the future whenever he does.”

“Does he also like shots of girls together?” Chloe asked after a thoughtful pause.

“You mean, suggestive ones?” Julie asked warily, wondering why the girl had asked.

“Yes. Sexy photos,” Chloe persisted.

“Sure,” Julie admitted. “Why?”

“After your individual shots, what say I cancel my individual shots, throw the money in with the credit from your couple shots, and we get Helen to take some impromptu ones of us together?” Chloe proposed. “From my past experience and our talking earlier, I just might have some ideas you might like. If you want to be slightly daring, that is.”

“Keeping the credit’s useless. Simon’s always going to be a no show.” She started to redden when she realised she hadn’t ever got close to actually saying the ‘no thanks’ intended as her original answer.

“Deal!” a delighted Chloe beamed.

“I get what I want out of this and Simon gets his thrills from the photos, but what on earth would you get out of us doing sexy shots together?” Julie asked.

“Simple,” Chloe replied. “I’ve only ever done raunchy shots with Shauna, so I get to exact some harmless revenge of sorts on her just by doing sensual shots with someone else. I say harmless because after we do them, I won’t take any copies away to show her.”

Chloe smiled then continued “You could take some harmless revenge on Simon too. Just leave a few of our shots where he can find them. Imagine him dying to ask you what you did and you saying a girl offered to take his place?”

Julie realised Chloe had seen her hesitate. The girl leaned forward and Julie saw her face lit up as she whispered confidentially “Plus, I really liked the poses you had in mind for the pair of you. We can emulate some of them, or do our own theme together. Maybe call it Love and Revenge. It might end up being a real hoot,” Chloe ended by musing.

“Julie, you’re first,” Helen interrupted, stooped over behind one of the trained cameras.

Chloe’s last words, “Think about it and tell me later what you think,” were echoing in Julie’s head as she timidly padded onto the set and did her first few self-conscious guided poses before Helen looked up over her camera expectantly. A reassuring wink from Chloe made it easier to discard the robe.

In moments between the next set of poses carefully choreographed by Helen, she was bashfully aware she was in a G string bottom for the first time ever. Helen must have sensed this assuring her she had such a nice figure with great shaped legs and a perfect bum.

Julie started to relax more then, and to even flirt a bit with the camera. Soon she became calm enough to find herself considering Chloe’s offer, glancing over to the striking girl attentively watching. The young woman hadn’t had to volunteer to stay. She must think of a way of thanking her. The model certainly didn’t look like she imagined a lesbian would, looking so frail and feminine on the sidelines in the short robe standing on one long straight leg, the other slightly bent beside it. The girl kept beaming the loveliest encouraging smile each time she noticed Julie looking over.

Julie suddenly wondered if she was imagining it or not when the wide eyes seemed to be checking out her body. She’d been told her figure was great by a few men and straight women in her life. Did lesbians like the same parts of women’s bodies that men did? If so, was she wrong or was Chloe especially eyeing her legs and behind?

“Take it slowly off whenever you want Julie,” she heard Helen interrupt. A check with Chloe saw her getting frantic hand signals to undo the bows behind her neck and back. She wondered whether topless girls turned on lesbians the same way they did men as she hesitated at the end, shyly holding the cups to her jutting breasts. So what if they did, if Chloe did, she scolded herself. Today, she was here to be brave, to be bold.

Dropping her hands to her sides, she felt proud as she let the bra fall without a prompt from either Helen or Chloe. On instruction from Helen, she put on a wistful face and looked down at her breasts. It felt wonderful seeing them proud and out-thrust like that, and she watched her nipples rising like small fingertips as though celebrating this eagerly awaited occasion too. After a few shots with her back to Helen, she was called over to choose the next few poses, choosing ones both she and Chloe had both liked in the waiting room portfolios.

As the first couple of shots were being taken, she beamed at an admiring Chloe getting a congratulatory thumbs-up in return. The camera flashed madly as Julie took her bravest step and teasingly began lowering her bikini bottom until she knew that the camera could see the top of her wispy patch of pubic hair. A few centimetres later, the camera would have been able to see clean through the natural keyhole gap at the top of her thighs had the shots not been taken from a modest angle.

This was so daring for her. Feeling both carnal and exhilarated, she let go of the thong and let it slip to her ankles. Stepping out and standing tall and proud, she let the camera take the first shots of her completely nude in her life. In no time Helen had her arranged on the carpet, seated with crossed arms and legs arranged every which way to hide her breasts and sex.

Then it was straight into laying out full length on her stomach on the floor. After a few full-length shots of her bare back, behind and shapely long legs, Helen suggested that Julie sit back up facing her propped on her palms, legs slightly bent for what would be the very last shots. With that, Helen had taken up a stance right before her. After two shots, she asked Julie to keep the beautiful smile but slightly part her knees. Despite knowing that her feminine opening would be visible to everyone seeing the ensuing photo, Julie swallowed, smiled at Helen, and opened her thighs slightly.

There were heaps of compliments from Helen and Chloe as Julie scrsambled to her feet. That had been all she had hoped it would be, and more. She felt gloriously liberated. Her face aglow with triumph and delight, she almost felt her nude body floating as she shared a low five with Chloe as the girl reached for her own sash. The thrill of what had just taken place was wonderful and she wished there was more.

“I am so up to those shots together Chloe,” she impetuous called as she walked on by, still on a high until she suddenly realised she had wandered back to watch Chloe’s session commence and was sitting on a stool stark naked.

“Whoops! Hang on everyone. I’ve left my bikini beside the set,” she suddenly called out apologetically, hopping from the stool and looking down.

“We’ve already started. Just find your robe and put it on just for the moment. I’ll make sure we bring it back,” Helen assured her without a glance as she continued snapping a confident Chloe swaying about in her tiny bikini.

Julie pulled on her robe and watched. The young girl had a lovely tanned figure and obviously knew how to strut and pose, needing little guidance from Helen. As though prowling, Chloe stayed on the move constantly whether serious, pouting or flashing that fabulous smile. Gradually she started undoing her loose pony tail. Then with a decisive flick of her head, she tossed her brunette hair about her shoulders and upper back before impishly gathering strands of it and framing her high cheekbones for a close-up, arranging her superb figure to best effect atop slender hips and legs.