The Tuesday started like hundreds of others at the art centre where I worked as a model. I breezed in through the main door, walked down the corridor and into the office.
"Good morning all," I greeted the office staff.
"G'morning they returned."
I turned and was about to leave when the Secretary called out, "Oh, Sophie. Just a minute."
I looked around the door at the slight figure of Margaret, the wiry-haired and bespectacled secretary. "I should have told you last week, but as Harold has his exhibition on for two weeks in Manchester, you'll have a new instructress this morning."
"Oh," I said. "Who is she?"
"Laura Lee from the Godiva Art Academy."
I was intrigued. I went back inside the room and leaned on the secretary's desk.
"Isn't she the one who recently had a great exhibition at the Liverpool Art gallery? Specialises in figure painting in pastel."
"That's the one," confirmed the Secretary. "The newspapers reported that she sold every painting. She's a good teacher too."
"Sounds interesting," I said. "I'll go up and meet her.
The life class room was on the next floor. As the class had not started, the door was wide open. I walked in and saw a woman, with shoulder length auburn hair, standing with her back to me. As she heard me enter she turned around. Her smile was instantly welcoming so I went over and said, "I'm your model - Sophie."
Her smile broadened and she held out her hand. She took mine in a very firm grip. "Hello, Sophie. I'm Laura. Very pleased to meet you. As we'll be working together I think we'd better have a quick chat to sort out what we're going to do."
She took my elbow and led me firmly over to the side of the room where there were two chairs.
"Sit down," she said. I sat and looked into her face. I noticed that she was several inches taller than me. She seemed about 35, and her auburn hair surrounded a very pleasant looking face with a few freckles scattered here and there. I was very attracted to her smile and her firm but very smooth voice. She gave me the impression that she was a person very much in charge. She had a fairly full figure with a generous bust but, as far as I could see, her body was quite firm. I wondered whether she might work out a couple of times a week. Certainly there was nothing fragile about her.
"I understand you've been modelling here for almost two years now?"
"That's right," I replied.
"Tell me, Sophie, when you're modelling, what do you try to do?"
"Well, I aim to present the class with a pose that's interesting to draw. If possible I try to imply some small action in the pose, or present a position of tension." She looked faintly surprised at my reply. Her eyes widened and a faint suggestion of a smile played at the corners of her generous mouth.
"You obviously take a genuine interest in your work. I've known so many models who just stand, or sit or lie down without knowing what effect they are creating. Some look thoroughly bored. She then looked straight into my eyes and asked, "Do you like a nice comfortable position?"
I hesitated a moment before replying. I felt this was a testing question. "Well . . . it partly depends on the length of pose. If it's only three minutes then it can be fairly uncomfortable; anything longer I try to make reasonably comfortable." Then, almost as an afterthought I added, "But not too comfortable."
At those words she seemed to straighten, her brow raised almost imperceptibly and the smile at the corners of her mouth appeared again. "That's interesting; very interesting."
We both looked deeply into each other's eyes and, at that very moment something happened that I really cannot put into words. It was as though a chord had reached out from her mind to mine. A certain chemistry passed between us and I experienced a tangible bond of trust with another woman I had never previously experienced.
Just then a man and a woman came over to speak to Laura and the magic of the moment evaporated. Before she answered their question, she turned to me, lightly touched my arm and said, "We'll start in a few minutes Sophie. Will you get changed please?"
I went into the changing cubicle almost in a trance. What was it that bound this woman and me so closely together. We'd only just met. As I took off my clothes I remember wondering whether it might be because she was 10 to 15 years older than me; but I rejected that idea. I knew a number of women that would apply to but they did not have the same effect on me as Laura did.
I put on my robe and went out into the room. By now almost every student was arranged either sitting down or standing behind an easel. Laura was sitting on the edge of the podium, and as I walked in her direction she stood up smiling.
She introduced herself to the class and then said, "You all know Sophie who has been your model for some time. I'm going to get her to do a few three-minute poses, then we'll have a couple of ten minute poses and follow those with a longer one of about 25 minutes. That will take us up to coffee time."
Previously, taking my robe off and presenting myself nude to the class was something I did almost without thought. There was no embarrassment and it was just a matter of routine. But now, I really wanted to let Laura see me naked. I faced in her direction, took off my robe and went into the first pose. I noticed that she just stood there, absolutely still with her eyes fixed on me taking in every detail of my naked body.
She then made a circuit of the 15 or so students just glancing to see what they had done. "Thank you Sophie. Another pose please." Again I faced Laura and knelt down with one leg stretched to the side. I had the same effect on her: two minutes looking at me and one minute looking at the students' work. For my third pose I lay on the podium with my back arched and my hands spread flat at my sides. Laura slowly walked over to the podium and stood at my feet looking down at my nude body. I was thrilled when she quietly said, "That's a lovely pose Sophie. You really are good." I remember thinking I'd do anything for this woman.
