For some people Halloween meant gory, scary fun. It meant getting sick on bite sized candy. It meant costumes. Rusty was not one of those people. No, for Rusty Halloween meant pumpkins. Rusty had no time for Jack O' Lanterns. Rusty's passion was painted pumpkins. It had been since he was a small child. His family would come to the Robinson Greenhouse, and he would choose which of the water color cartoon characters that had been painted on the various gourds he wanted to take home and show off.
Now he was the one at Robinson. He was the one proudly painting the pick of the pack. He had even branched out into a discipline his mentor at the greenhouse had never even considered. Rusty painted pumpkin portraits. Over the now three years he offered this service he had received bountiful praise. Everyone he painted said his work was so lifelike. It wasn't much in the grand scheme of life, but he was proud of it.
He just wished it could last all year.
Arriving at work one morning he found the place strangely empty. The Robinsons were getting older, maybe they just slept in. No, they got up for the day at three in the morning. Besides, the place was unlocked and ready to go.
"Anyone here?!"
"Just me, Picasso."
What the hell? By the sounds of it the woman was in his little studio. Who the hell was she? The voice didn't seem even slightly familiar.
"Can I help you?" he asked as he made his way to the former storeroom where he 'toiled' away.
Opening the door several things caught his attention all at once. So many things hitting him at once left him with nothing but quick flashes as he struggled to find something to focus on. His supplies had already been set up for him. A painting he had never seen before hung on the back wall. It showed, in life like detail, the Robinsons in their home on a beautiful autumn day working on a puzzle together. A massive squat pumpkin was set up in the middle of the room. A fancy short couch with curved ends but no back was set against the wall facing said pumpkin.
That's when he found something he had no choice but to focus on. Her very presence in his space demanded it. Even though she hadn't spoken since he had entered he knew she was the one who called out to him.
"Who...who are you?"
"A goddess."
On any other woman this would have come across as an arrogant act of self-deception. Not so with her. She looked the part. Her face was this indescribable mixture of cute as a button and stoic classical beauty. Her hair was a wavy brown. At least he thought it was. If he didn't know any better he would have sworn that it was constantly shifting into a luscious red or elegant orange before changing back again.
She was a little on the shorter side but stood with the power of an amazon. She wore brown leather boots, tight jeans, a sporty jacket, and an orange wool sweater. It was the swelling inside that sweater that held his attention most. She had to have a least a C or D Cup under there.
"Who are you?" he asked again.
"Milana."
"How did you get in here?"
"The owners let me in."
"Are they here?"
"No. I paid them handsomely to rent out the greenhouse today."
"Rent it out?"
"I have a commission for you. One I don't want anyone else to see."
"A commission? You want me to paint your portrait?"
"That's the simple version but yes."
"You didn't need to go through all this for that."
"Oh, but Rusty I do."
She sat on the couch.
"Did you bring that with you? Why?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she just made direct eye contact as she kicked off her boots. Then her thick fuzzy socks.
"Uh, what are... you... doing?"
She stood back up, eyes still locked.
"Showing you why it has to be this way."
She slipped off her belt and unbuttoned her jeans.
"Uh..."
She slowly slid them down her stunning legs. She wore no underwear whatsoever. He turned away. He shouldn't be looking at this.
"Do not look away," she snapped.
Like a scolded child he slowly turned his head back and looked her in the eyes. She shucked her jacket, smiling an unknowable smile at him. She gripped her sweater and began pulling it up over her head.
"Why are you... doing this?"
