Photographer 16

The day after I managed to finally take Nancy to the bed and managed to complete the set, I was woken up by the insistent ringing of my phone. Quite unwelcome. Yesterday, I had achieved the impossible by completing the seduction of Nancy, acquiring the whole set. I had gone three-for-three, having a bite from all three forbidden apples. 

My journey was not over, of course. It was just the beginning, from a certain point of view. I had some very interesting ideas for them, but those required some serious preparation, not to mention a serious moral degradation on the ladies’ part. 

I had hoped that, while I was busy with my musings, the caller was going to get the idea and stop calling. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked as I hoped. With great reluctance, I reached, fully intending to curse the caller before slamming the phone back to their face, but stopped the moment I saw the identity of the caller. 

It was Penny, Madison’s sexy cousin who moved to the city with the dreams of becoming an actress.

My annoyance had evaporated as I pressed the green symbol, and brought the phone to my ear. “Penny,” I said, doing my best not to sound sleepy, but also, I didn’t want to sound too enthusiastic. There was a simple reason for it. Penny was the quintessential farm girl who came to the city to prove her talents, but failing to achieve decent progress. The way her face lighted the moment she had learned I was a professional photographer during our previous meeting was clue enough for that, making her forget the extremely revealing situation I had been caught in moments before. 

“Hi, Stephen,” said a trembling voice from the other side of the phone, a familiar mixture of hope and fear. A nicer man would have felt bad, but then again, a nicer man wouldn’t have done most of the things I had done. She said nothing, clearly expecting me to continue, so naturally, I stayed silent as well. It was a simple trick, but worked wonders in people with low self-confidence. As I expected, Penny started talking a few seconds later. “I’m calling about the thing we had talked about.” Again, I said nothing. “The small job that you mentioned that might fit for me,” she added, desperation dripping from her tone. 

“Oh, right?” I answered, once again falling into silence.

“Yes,” she said, her voice trembling in desperation. 

“Sorry, sweetie, that job had fallen through,” I answered mercilessly. “It happens sometimes.” 

“I see,” she murmured, her earlier hope evaporating while her fear turned into sadness, unshed tears carried in her tone. “I’m sorry to disturb you.” Again, I said nothing, and she closed the phone a few seconds later. 

I had no intention of leaving it like that, of course. I was just trying to create a sense of scarcity, which would only make her more pliable for my requests later on. I called her back about a minute later. “Penny,” I said, this time using a warmer tone. “Actually, I just remembered, but I have an upcoming task that might fit you. Maybe you’ll be interested in that.” 

“I would love to,” she answered without even bothering to ask for the details, which was a huge mistake. Nine out of ten times, an open-ended request like I just did turned out to be nudes. And for the easily-impressionable girls like Penny, that was a short step away from doing porn. Of course, there was a chance that I was mistaken for her assessment, and her cheerful demeanor hid an iron will, but even a gambling addict wouldn’t be willing to take that particular bet. 

“Excellent, are you available in a couple of hours?” I asked. 

“Of course,” she answered, her earlier sadness replaced with excitement. “I can’t wait to-” she tried to continue, but I cut her off. 

“It’s not for the actual job, but a trial job,” I explained. “The actual job is for a very important client, so I can’t actually give it to you without making sure you can deliver. I have a reputation to consider,” I continued, once again, trying to unbalance her as much as possible.  

“I understand,” she said, no less enthusiastic. “I won’t let you down. When do you want me to be in your studio.” 

I would have liked to invite her there, as my studio was the best place to break her resistance, but unfortunately, I didn’t know whether Nicole was going to be in the living room, and I didn’t want her to start getting suspicious. “Actually, I was going for a couple of chores. I can swing by, and we can take the test photos in your house.” From the way she breathed, I could tell that she wasn’t happy with that, so I quickly explained. “It would be better for you if we hold the first session somewhere you’re familiar with,” I explained. “But if you want to take the risk…” I added, deliberately stretching the last part. 

“You’re the expert,” she exclaimed, quick to reassure. “You know the best.” 

“Perfect, then I’ll see you in two hours.” With that, I closed the phone, took a quick shower, and started preparation for a small shopping trip. I actually needed to go downtown to pick a few supplies, the only part of the discussion that was factually accurate. With the money from the jobs coming in, I finally had the opportunity to upgrade some of my supplies. New reflectors without cigarette burns, and maybe even a decent 85mm, specialized for studio work. It was expensive, with a price tag in low five-figures, but a worthwhile investment with the way things were going on. 

Twenty minutes later, I left the house, passing through an empty living room. I placed several bulky pieces of equipment in my car, more than what was necessary for a simple test shot, but there was a reason for that. The more equipment I showed to Penny, the more professional it would seem for her, so she would be more inclined to follow my commands of more extreme strain.

The shopping didn’t take long since I had long identified the models I was planning to buy, but it still lightened my wallet to a significant degree. Luckily, there were only a couple of costumes left in the Halloween set, which would bring a significant windfall. 

A whistle was on my lips as I pulled on the driveway of Madison’s house. Since I was trying to impress, I picked up my equipment, both the old ones and the new ones, and stumbled towards the door under their weight. The instant I knocked on the door, I heard footsteps rapidly approaching. Somebody was enthusiastic. 

Then, the door opened, revealing a sight that put a smile on my face. Penny was standing in front of me with her impressive figure. Tall, but not too tall to detract from her sexiness, not to mention her curves that suggested excellent genetics and a careful exercise routine. But that much, I remembered from seeing her the night she crushed at our game. But at that time, she was wearing unflattering pajamas with no makeup, with messy bed hair. And now, she was wearing a bright blouse that hugged her body as tight as it could without coming across as gauche, complemented by a nice skirt that ended a couple of inches above her knees, enough to hint the beauty of her legs without showing anything. 

“Stephen, you’re here,” she said, her breath still quick with excitement. I shrugged in response, lifting my equipment once more to walk inside. I didn’t answer, because I didn’t want to look too friendly. I wanted her anxious, desperate to impress me. I didn’t have enough clout with her to push her for anything extreme, and I doubted that I had another submissive in denial like Nicole. Finding another like her was less likely than lightning striking twice to the same spot. 

I grunted as I carried the stuff towards the living room, a louder sound than what the weight of my equipment deserved, trying to make it look like I was doing a big chore just by coming to her house. I placed the bags in the middle of the living room, let out an exaggerated sigh that communicated exhaustion, then opened the first case that held an overhead flashlight. 

“Is there anything I can help you with,” she asked, her earlier eagerness replaced by a deep anxiousness. I lowered my head to hide the gleam that doubtlessly twinkled in my eyes. No need to warn the cute rabbit about the trap that was slowly closing around her. 

“You can help by setting up the reflector,” I said, deliberately passing her the case that held the oldest of the reflectors I had. I chose that one, because it had quite a few problems, and required a very careful assembling order to keep in place. In short, it was barely above garbage. I didn’t need that since I bought the new ones, and I would barely get twenty dollars if I tried to sell it, making it an easy sacrifice. 

I deliberately turned away from her as I prepared the rest of my equipment, waiting for the inevitable result, one that came a minute later, in the form of a loud ripping. “I’m so sorry,” Penny exclaimed. I turned, only to see the reflector on the ground, its fabric ripped in several pieces, making it useless. 

I let out a drawn-out sigh to show disappointment that lacked a hint of anger, like a teacher getting fed up with his well-meaning but clumsy student. It worked much better than anger. “It’s okay,” I said in a tone that suggested the opposite, and did it obviously. From what I saw, Penny wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and overacting would be more rewarding than subtle clues and other stuff. “Maybe it was a mistake,” I murmured quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. 

“I’m sorry,” she repeated desperately as she took a step closer, and doing so, she accidentally kicked down one of the cases I was yet to open, this time, all in her own. I raised my gaze at her, and she took a panicked step forward, her expression losing its luster, preparing herself for rejection. 

“Well, I drove all the way to here,” I said, trying to sound like I was speaking to myself. “Just sit down,” I said, this time louder. “I will handle everything, and then we can start.” She just nodded, like she was afraid that saying something out loud might change my mind. It took a few minutes for me to set up everything, though I was careful to shook my head disapprovingly a few times, subtle enough to seem like I was trying to suppress my anger, only to fail. 

“Can I bring you anything to drink? Juice, or maybe a beer?” she asked, unable to meet my gaze. 

I would have spit out angrily about professionalism to push her even more, but the sight of her quivering chin kept me from it. I wanted her unbalanced, not bawling her eyes out, completely broken. “A beer would be nice,” I said. She jumped up her feet, excited to have something to do. But in her excitement, she collided with one of the reflectors, making it dangle dangerously. I dashed to grab it before it fell, and this time, I hadn’t needed to fake my anger. It was one of the brand-new ones, and I didn’t appreciate the risk for them. Still, I wasn’t angry enough to miss the opportunity it presented. “Maybe you should pick a beer for yourself as well. You’re too tense to work,” I suggested. 

“I don’t usually-” she tried to say, but failed to finish it under my gaze. “Maybe a beer would help calm my nerves,” she followed in a resigned tone, and dashed towards the kitchen. I watched in appreciation as her impressively-sized breasts tumbled with each hurried step. I shook my head after she disappeared behind the doorway. She was so easy to manipulate that it would have been boring if the reward that was waiting for me at the end of the road was nothing short of amazing. 

When Penny returned, two bottles of beer on her hand, I had completed setting up the equipment. Not a professional-grade, of course. Flashes were angled wrong for that, reflectors failed to compensate for the natural light coming from the window. It would have taken half an hour to fix, a time that I had no intention to spend. The aim was to impress Penny with the weight of the equipment, not to have useful trial shots. I already had the freedom to use whoever I wanted, after all. 

I picked the bottle from her hands dismissively, without saying anything, and she lowered her head, still feeling guilty about her clumsiness. I raised my bottle, about to take a sip, but then I realized she was holding the bottle in her hand, with no intention to drink on display. That would not do. “Cheers,” I said, presenting the bottle for her. 

“Cheers,” she answered as the bottles connected with a soft clink. 

I took a sip from my bottle, and she followed a second later. However, there was a certain dullness in her motion, like she was slowly getting sure that “To a successful working relationship,” I called, trying to inject a bit of positivity to the situation. She smiled as she took another sip from her drink, a semi-positive comment enough to bring her mood back to positive. “We can start if you’re feeling ready,” I said. 

Indecision passed over her face, but she dispelled it with a stiff nod. “We can,” she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. 

“Good,” I approved as I raised my camera to eye-level. “Why don’t you stand in front of the couch, and give me a pose.” 

“Umm…” she murmured indecisively. “What should I do?” 

“Whichever feels most comfortable,” I answered to her without bothering to lower the camera, watching her through it. “We don’t have a particular concept, so just try to give me a few interesting poses.” 

In response, she put her hands on her waist, her chest out a bit, reminding me the power pose of a superheroine, drawn by a bad artist that was trying to make sure to accentuate his character’s breasts. It was a terrible pose, but I didn’t comment on it as I took several stills in quick succession before asking her to switch. She moved into another exaggerated pose. It was a struggle not to let out a biting comment out, though it took me a few minutes to realize I had been spoiled by Nicole. Not everyone was a natural model waiting for a camera to transform… 

“Now, lower your arms, turn your side to me, and try to look mysterious,” I asked, and she followed my direction. To be fair, she quickly started to show a passable talent. Nothing like Nicole’s natural flair, or even Nancy’s impetuous charm, but as long as I described what I was expecting from her in detail, she managed to give it to me. She wasn’t without her flaws either. Her emotions were too intense to be used for anything commercial, and she particularly showed between switching expressions, but both traits were likely about her ambition to act. 

“Quite good,” I said with a much warmer tone as I lowered my camera. I grabbed my beer and walked to her, raising it expectantly. She dashed to pick her bottle, and thankfully not touching any of my equipment this time. Our bottles clicked, and I took another sip. I carefully watched the amount she was consuming, planning how to entice her to drink more than a sip. It turned out that I was worrying for nothing, as she drank quite a bit of beer with enthusiastic gulps. 

“So, why do you want to be an actress,” I asked after another sip. 

“I always wanted to be one,” she answered wistfully. “All the cameras, lights, handsome lead actors… And I want it,” she said after taking another large sip of her beer. “No, I deserve it…” she said, then continued to give me a detailed rendition of her dream, the same one she followed since she was a teenager. It turned out that, not only she was naive, but also she had a childish way of looking at the world, expecting it to somehow give her all she deserved… 

Perfect prey for a carnivore like me, I thought, raising my camera high to hide the cruel smirk that forced itself to my face. “Finish your drink and then we can continue,” I said, directing her to consume the other half of her beer. And in a way that I was slowly coming to realize as her characteristic trait, she followed my direction naively and finished the rest of her beer in one extended sip. “Excellent, now, take a seat, and give me a look like you’re the princess of this castle.” 

She followed my directions enthusiastically, getting slowly better with each repeat, progress that slowly disappeared after a few minutes, replaced by blushes and occasional giggles. Damn, I thought, impressed by her weakness to alcohol. I didn’t know whether it was her natural lack of resistance, or her excitement was tipping things to my favor rather sharply, but whatever it was, I was happy with the advantage it provided. 

I hastily modified my plans, changing my mind about convincing her for a second drink. I wanted her with slightly impaired decision making, not actually drunk. I have given her several more orders, each more detailed, testing her ability to pull the desired pose. She was slowly getting more and more adept in following my directions, turning her into a workable model, even if barely. It would take significantly longer than working with Nicole, but it was a reasonable sacrifice to make. 

Then my alarm started buzzing, breaking the shoot as I had planned. “Sorry, I have to take this call,” I said even as I lowered my camera, and walked towards the kitchen. “What do you mean you have changed your mind?” I suddenly shouted to the imaginary caller on the other side of the call. “We had a deal, and I’m already interviewing models.” I paused for a moment, before spitting out angrily. “Okay, you idiot. But don’t call me the next time when you need a photographer.” 

Then, I walked back to Penny, trying to look annoyed. “What was that?” she asked hesitantly, tendrils of fear trying to find a purchase on her face as she read the clues I had fed her. 

“That’s the client that we were going to work together for,” I answered, trying to sound bummed. “Unfortunately, he just called to inform me about the change of plans. He decided to go with a different photographer.” I shrugged dismissively. “Pity, you were shaping up to be a good model as well.” 

“But…” she murmured dejectedly. “Maybe we can work on something else. I’m sure that’s not the only thing you have.” 

“Unfortunately, all of my other work is already in progress, and their models are already arranged. I’ll call you if there is a job that fits you, but even for that, I can’t promise. Each job has its own requirements for both style and size. And unfortunately for you, your traditional beauty doesn’t fit the general market trend. Most brands are now preferring women with less curves for their ads,”

“Don’t you have anything for me?” she asked desperately as she jumped on her feet, her face more pitiful than a puppy who was just kicked by an evil billionaire. “Maybe something small…” she added. 

“Well… There is one thing…” I murmured like I was thinking-out-loud, her expression brightening. But then, I shook my head, and her blossoming joy died just as quick. “No, that won’t work,” I added, louder. “You won’t be able to handle that one.” 

Her reply came in an instant, her excitement back with revenge. “I can handle it, I promise!” 

Keeping back a smirk was a difficult task, but it needed to be done. Yes, she swallowed the bait, but I still needed to reel my prey to the land, there she would be helpless for my predations. “You didn’t even hear the details,” I said, trying to sound reproachful, but without being too determined. It was a fine line to walk, trying to sound like I was trying to convince her without actually succeeding. 

“It doesn’t matter,” she answered. “I want to prove myself, and I can definitely-” 

“It’s for an underwear catalog,” I said, cutting her off. She fell silent in an instant, blinking in shock. I took a deep breath, as the next part was the most difficult. “See, I told you so,” I said, trying to inject just the right amount of derision in my tone. “Handling such a task-” 

“I’ll do it,” she cut me off. I hid my joy with an overblown expression of shock. Not the best acting, but she was too surprised by her own words to pay attention to my half-assed fake emotions. 

“You’re sure?” I asked, doing my best to sound like a teacher who just heard that a failing student promising to get an A, in good humor, but disbelieving. She avoided my gaze, preferring to examine her vastly more interesting shoes instead. “It’s okay if you can’t.” 

Her silence stretched for several seconds, making me wonder whether I pushed too fast too soon. “I’ll do it,” she repeated her earlier statement, conveying more determination than her earlier yelp despite her voice, barely above a whisper. 

“Excellent,” I said. “Then, why don’t you go upstairs and change into sleepwear, so we can take a few photos in that.” 

“Is that really necessary,” she asked. 

“That’s definitely necessary,” I answered. “I need to be sure that you’ll be able to perform under the camera while wearing something intimate.” This time, it didn’t take long for her to nod. “Excellent, now, why don’t you run to the upstairs and change. I don’t have much time left.” 

She nodded once again after another hesitant pause, then walked away in hurried steps, no doubt happy to take the opportunity to get away from me. I walked to the fridge to get another beer, curious about what she was going to pick for our first session…