I want to thank Chris for editing the story for me.
Preface: I have had comments about some of my stories and the women in them. I have been told; women wouldn't walk around nude, ride nude in cars, strip nude in front of friends, or even pile their clothes in a doorway and while nude hide. It has been my experience that the women I have known, enjoy showing off, as long as they feel safe. Most of my stories are based on that premise, a premise created through many years of experience. Maybe I've been lucky...
This Knowledge was not, however gained through wild times with many women. I have been happily married to my first love who was fifteen when I met her. I am two years older, and we were good friends as we went through high school, before it blossomed into something more. We celebrated our fifty-first year of marriage in September 2021.
The experience was gathered in association with our many friends; we went to nudist camps, my wife reluctantly modeled for figure studies, but eventually enjoyed the exposure. We went with our friends to lakes where nudity was allowed and nude beaches on the seashore. We had a pool, went to friends' houses who had hot tubs. We participated in social nudity with other friends who had pools.
Our longevity together stems from compromise, and from keeping our marriage fun. I love my wife more presently than I did when I married her. We have worked together for a common goal, had two children who are well grounded, with good jobs, four grandchildren and three grand dogs.
The lady I married, is not mine; my wife is her own person who is married to me and I to her. We seek our fun within our marriage and with friends with the same mindset.
I hope that helps everyone to understand where I'm coming from, now onto the story.
It has been twelve years since sixty-five-year-old Mike Costello retired after thirty years' service, with a pension from the trade union. He worked on and off for architects, owners, and contractors, both as an independent estimator or clerk of the works. Joanne, his well-preserved sixty-three-year-old wife was a stay-at-home mom until the kids went to school, and then she worked as a teacher's aide when school was in session. Recently she has worked with her husband. She helps with estimates and goes to see clients with him.
One of the architects called recently. "Hi Mike, I need an estimate for an art school in Springfield. Do you have time to do the take-off and budget for the project?"
"Sure, Dennis I can take care of it. Email the drawings to me."
"That's great. You'll have to go to look at the project as it's very complicated you'll see the challenges when I email the drawings to you."
The architect sent Mike the drawings, with the contact information for the school president. Mike called the number to set up an appointment for a week later, after he looked over the prints.
Joanne was excited to take a trip to Springfield because they could stop at Costco and the Holyoke Mall on the way back.
The meeting was for nine, so they left at six thirty in the morning, leaving enough time to stop at Little George's for breakfast. They arrived at the Art School a little early and went to the office. Tammy the young woman at the reception desk pointed out the student's paintings and drawings in the concourse while she called Mark the school president.
While Mike and Joanne waited, they looked at the paintings and drawings on the walls, along the corridor outside the main office. They ranged from landscapes to nudes, but all were well done.
The couple was so intrigued with the artwork they didn't hear someone come up behind them.
"Mike Costello?" the voice boomed.
Mike was startled, and his wife screeched.
"Yes, that's me and this is my wife, Joanne," the startled estimator replied.
Mike and Joanne turned to see a tall man about forty with longish, light brown hair, in jeans, and a tee shirt. He had flip flops on his feet. "Follow me and I'll show you the area of the proposed project," the younger man said without any introduction.
"And you are?" Mike asked as he followed the man.
"Oh sorry, I got carried away. I thought you knew who I was," he said full of himself. "I'm Mark, Tammy called to tell me you were here to look at the project I need built."The project consisted of a new classroom building and a complex remodel of parts of the old structure, which included the existing gallery, studio, and makeup/ salon area. "As you can see Mike, the models have to walk through the gallery from the salon, to get into the studio area. A door will be cut into the salon area, so the model will be able to go directly into the studio. They will not have to enter the gallery to go into the studio, as is the case presently. The addition is self-explanatory I believe"
Throughout the meeting Mark kept looking at Mike's wife. It seemed as though every time, Mike looked up, he noticed Mark's starring with fascination at his wife, Joanne.
Finally, just before the conclusion of the walk-through Mark asked. "Mike, I've been looking for a particular woman to model for me. It's a commissioned painting that will go to France. Would you be offended if I asked your wife to pose for me?"
"I wouldn't mind, but it's up to Joanne if she wants to do it." Mike answered with pride.
"Joanne, would you want to model for me. The session would pay ten thousand dollars total, and you would have to pose a few times a week for two to four hours over a month."
"I'd get ten thousand dollars to pose for a commissioned painting. Wow! That's a lot of money." Joanne answered excitedly. "That was half a year's salary when I worked as an aide." She thought.
"I would also pay travel time for you to get here." Mark added to sweeten an already generous model fee.
"If she wants to do this. I want to be in the room when Joanne poses," Mike said, because he knew there was more to the story, than Mark explained so far.
"No hurry to decide. Talk it over and get back to me within two weeks," Mark said.
Mike finished measuring what was needed and Joanne took photos. As they left for Costco, Joanne said. "I want to model for Mark."
"Joanne we'd better be careful we don't really know this guy," Mike said with concern for his wife's safety and reputation.