The day was Friday. I picked up the phone. It was my art instructor, David.
“Hello, Melanie. Would you like to do a modelling job for me at my cottage?”
“Yes, if I can. When do you want me?”
“I’m afraid it’s rather short notice, but it’s for a special class this evening and most of tomorrow. Just four advanced students.”
I had nothing arranged, so I agreed to do it. David continued, “Do you know of another model who’d like to come along? What I want to do is to portray two lesbians if we can get someone.”
Now I was more than a little interested. I had just the person in mind. “I’ll try Abigail if she can manage it,” I said.
David gave a short chuckle. “Now why did I think you were going to suggest Abigail?” he said.
“Oh dear,” I replied, “It notices that much does it?”
“It does to me. It’s obvious there’s a close bond between you two. But I don’t suppose anyone else has noticed. Anyway, ask her and let me know if she can make it.”
David is a real charmer, much older than I and with a wide and sympathetic understanding of people of all ages, which comes with experience. I rang Abby and she was as thrilled as I was especially when I told her it was an overnight stay at David’s cottage. “So bring an overnight bag,” I said.
“Bag?” she queried. “I’ll only need a toothbrush.”
I whispered huskily, “You won’t. You can share mine.” She giggled . I love her giggle - amongst other things.
I said I’d ring her back as soon as David gave me the details about travelling to his cottage. “Better bring a bag, if only to make it look good. Cheerio!”
David said he would pick us up just after lunch at my place, and we’d go straight to the cottage. Then I had a sudden idea which appealed to me so I had to go out. I needed something from the fruit shop.
David arrived about 1.30 and we all drove out to his cottage in the country. Although I call it a cottage it is by no means small. It has five bedrooms, various other rooms and a lovely big swimming pool on the south side of the building. It is enclosed but has a folding door which slides right back so it’s open to the air.
On the way David explained that, after a session of quickies, that is three or five minute sketches, he wanted Abigail and me to pose together as though we were a couple of lesbians. Abby and I looked at each other and smiled. He told us the timing and the arrangements for breaks and meals etc, then asked us whether we’d mind sharing a room. We assured him that we would not mind in the slightest. He grinned. He knew it was just what we wanted.
The next thing he told me as we drove along was that he’d been asked by a local woman named Kathryn, who is a lesbian, to do a triptych for her bathroom. It had to be of three nude girls, in pastel and vignetted. He went on to say that the woman is a 32 year old widow of a wealthy high tech businessman who was about 15 years her senior . It’s since his death that she’s been a lesbian and she lives alone in a magnificent house not far from David’s cottage.
I congratulated him on landing such a marvellous assignment. Then he REALLY surprised me. He said he had far too much work on to be able to do it within her time frame, and he asked me if I would like to take it on. Does a duck like swimming? Then I was a bit doubtful and asked whether he thought I was good enough. He said he KNEW I was and that, as it was to be in pastel (my favourite medium), it was right in my line. I accepted immediately.
He said he was glad as he had already told her I would do it and that she was calling at the cottage about five o‘clock tomorrow to meet me and talk about the assignment.
His next statement nearly shot me through the roof of his car. “She’ll pay you £500 for each painting.” Wow!
When we arrived at the cottage we were introduced to the other four men as they arrived. One was quite young and really dishy. His name was Mark and I quite fancied him, but I had Abby to think of so I had to behave myself.
Abby and I took it in turns to pose for the quickie sketches. When she was posing, I walked around looking at the work of the students and made sure I hovered around Mark most of the time. His drawings showed great talent. Then we had a short break before starting the main long pose. David had arranged the podium in the pool area and had surrounded it by stools and boxes covered with a variety of coloured satin drapes in very attractive folds.