The sun went down on Whitney Crest, and when it got dark in a small town, it got fucking dark. Only the tackle shop and the Kitschy-Kat Bar could afford neon. I thought of the previous week. It seemed like a fantasy, like it didn't happen. I missed Analise, that strange, wondrous creature. I shouldn't have. She wasn't mine to miss. Try telling your heart to be reasonable. It doesn't work. Your heart is a bitch with a will of its own.
So here I sat, outside her house, in the dark, the cold, inside my car. I told myself it was for the art, but it was probably for the company. 730PM sharp, the bitch had brought me here.
I walked the gravel driveway to the side of the house. Carly was outside.
"Hey Kellan. How's your melon?" She quipped.
"Hi Carly, how's your Harley?"
She nearly barf laughed, bent over, stumbling in the dark, holding her gut in a giggle-fit. I grabbed her arm.
"You kill me Kellan." Catching her breath. "You're the cat's jams. Hey, I can't see shit out here. That girl needs to let me string a light up."
I pushed open the door to the warm hallows of the basement and Carly entered first. She was enveloped in the light, revealing a short party dress and stilettos, as if she'd just been somewhere else first. I followed into the cozy underground lair. It looked the same as it had, the gray carpet with plush faux-fur throw rugs scattered. Art hanging everywhere, a few couches, the wine cooler, the big support post wrapped to look like a tree with plastic vines clinging, and a big fireplace to the side wall.
Analise appeared. She wore a dark blazer and scoop-neck shirt. Her amber gemstone hung around her neck like a weight. She came up to me, almost bashful like a fawn from the trees.
"Hi."
My heart skipped a beat. We peered into each other's eyes for a moment, silently.
"I gotta use the toilet to change. I just came from a party and you know... I need to get fresh." Carly interrupted then tottered off in high heels towards the bathroom.
"Good, we're alone for a moment," Analise started. "Last week I'd had too much to drink. I shouldn't have shown you my paintings, and I shouldn't have hug--"
I hugged her. "Your paintings are beautiful," I whispered.
"Thank you... I--"
Footsteps on the concrete stairs outside and we quickly broke.
"I need to talk to you later." Analise headed into the kitchenette.
The door swung open as Barb and Dealla walked in together. Smiling.
"Hi Kellan." They said in unison.
This felt weird. Barb dropped her art bag on the carpet and Dealla started setting up an easel. A few moments of silence passed as they continued their business.
"Barb," Dealla called. "I think Kellan is right here in the room with us."
"What was going on?" I thought.
"I believe he is." She crooned back.
"I see him, and I don't see YOU saying anything... that you were supposed to say."
"Give me a minute!" Barb finished taking some things from her bag. Then walked toward me. Tight tiger-skin pants in motion.
This might get ugly. I swallowed.
"Kellan. Hi. I have to--wanted to... tell you I'm very sorry for hitting on you last week." She turned and looked at Dealla. "OK?!"
Dealla smiled.
"I'm sorry, I tried to show you my gorgeous tits."
"Barb!" The shy redhead barked.
"Anyway, I just wanted to apologize."
I smiled, "apology accepted."
She hugged me unexpectedly, then whispered. "Offer is still good."
A flush from the bathroom down the hall was heard.
A moment later, Carly emerged. She was wearing comfortable yoga pants and sandals. She looked over at me and shot the double gun-finger points. "Hey Carly, where's your Harley. Ha! That still kills me. Is there any wine?"
She went to the wine cooler and bent over, her butt high in the air, with Barb still clinging to me.
Shit Carly... her leggings left nothing to the imagination.
Analise emerged from the kitchen holding a glass of wine.
"OK everybody, settle in. I have a surprise tonight. In lieu of Barb's boredom from last week, we're going to try something different. We have a model!"
A young woman wearing a pink butterfly robe stepped in from the kitchenette. She had curly dark hair, kinda like Analise's.
"So..." Analise continued. "This is Megan. She is going to pose nude."
"What?" the word quietly fell from all mouths in the room.
"She's a professional. Once we start you'll have forty-five minutes to sketch."
I sat down on the floor cross-legged with sketchbook in hand. Dealla sat down next to me, just like last time. She was wearing jeans and a revealing T-shirt that read "Howdy Bear." Below that, a picture of a cute lavender-colored panda cub.
Barb plopped down toward the front of the room and Carly off to the side.
Analise dimmed the lights, then came up from behind and set a plastic cup of chardonnay down next to me. "Thank you." I mouthed, as she headed to the head of the class.
"OK Megan, go ahead."
The young woman removed her robe, dropping it to the floor. She was completely naked and sat down on the stool provided, with knees together, turned to the side.
I had drawn a woman's nude body before. My hand knew instinctively where to go. It was second nature, and I was good at it--my talent developed soon after I'd discovered other things I could do with my fingers. I sketched her body in blocks. When you draw a person, you always start with the nude form. The frame, the curves, the flow. The geometry. Get the anatomy right, and you'll get the clothes right. Megan was cute, probably just out of college and needed some extra money. Her anatomy was right, it was very right. She would probably do well.
"Am I doing OK?" She asked Analise.
"You're doing fine honey, just keep still."
Analise's voice... the voice that had whispered to me last week; the voice that I'd fantasized about for the past seven nights. And she wanted to talk to me? About something? I noticed how the model kinda resembled her. They had a very similar hair color and style. Almost a younger version, but not quite as curvy. I liked curvy. Yes, I looked at Megan's tits and pussy. I'm male. I looked at her other parts as well, and how they fit into the block forms. The contour of her ankles, riding up her calves to curve around pink knees and onto her thighs, very graceful. I almost felt like a perv. Then, I felt Dealla getting closer, looking around my shoulder to see the drawing.
"You're fast." She sighed.
"That's what they say... I mean, not that I draw a lot of naked women. I--"
"It's OK, I know what you mean. Sometimes I get bored of drawing flowers."
"What else do you draw?" Piquing my interest.
"Trees."
"Oh--"
"Once, I drew a nude man." She blushed. "Then my roommate came in... and thought I'd drawn her boyfriend. They broke up. Now, it's flowers, and sometimes trees... "
"You seem to be doing pretty well with the nude form also."
"Thank you. I always have trouble with breasts though."
"Are we getting a naked man in here next week?" I heard Barb ask Analise.
