She rose with the pre-dawn light, in a rush from the moment she awoke till the moment she sat in her convertible and hurriedly twisted her slender wrist starting the engine. She wore a simple sundress, splashed with a faded yellow color and white flowers which rose above her knees as she sped across the roadway. A warm and somewhat muggy haze engulfed the horizon along the Carolina coast; she had no need for a sweater to start this summer day.
Her hair whipped in the wind and cascaded across her brow and dangled over her bare shoulders, a hint of the forthcoming sun told her to hurry and not be late. She dared to dream the outcome, but she did. She wondered with a nervous sense of not knowing the outcome or what to expect from the endeavor she had committed herself.
All that mattered is that her spirit and sense of adventure needed to be challenged; a change from routine and a break from the mundane solitude of loneliness which life had lead her. Life was somewhat typical; a mother, a friend, a wife and a martyr at times. She had yearned to be listened to and revered, respected and in-control. Living life to its fullest and harming no one, either directly or indirectly with her indiscretions.
She drove with the radio off and listened to her thoughts, grimacing at times and drawing a deep breath and sighing at unmet expectations. There was no time for an ice-coffee or her usual routine of a baguette or a simple breakfast, but he would direct her in every way; her make-up and her hair, what she wore, or what she wouldn't wear, when she would eat or rest. She had paid in advance and eagerly anticipated his approach and his style. How would he portray her natural beauty she constantly asked?
She worked hard to maintain herself with demeaning diets and countless hours of keeping fit to ward off the quickly passing years. She pleased her husband with her sexuality and still turned the heads of many men when she walked through a store or strolled on a sidewalk. She could sass and cry in the same conversation, she liked men of power, and women who appealed to her sensuality.
It was not a long drive even though she exceeded the speed limit on occasion. The lights were on in the rustic yet modern building which stood in solitude on the sandy coast.
A short driveway led her to the parking lot where she parked closest to the front door. His was the only other car in the lot at that time, an older pick-up truck which was black. On the rear cab window the outline of a white silhouette with a canine caught her interest. The words "doggie-style" at the bottom amused her as she pursued her lips and moved up the three stone steps to a large double-door.
Nervously she ran her fingers through her hair as he greeted her with a somewhat cool reception.
He was serious and intent and did not look her directly in the eye at first. She could tell from the surrounding walls the great detail and pride he took in his work; landscapes, seascapes, nudes and grand floral framed pictures covered the foyer. She praised his work and raised her chest with a deep breath in admiration.
He barely said 'thanks' and led her down a hallway to a large room filled with lights and equipment. He asked if she understood their agreement and she nodded with a reserved smile. He would do what he thought and could not be questioned, or resisted.