It was a simple arrangement, comprising of a wooden dining chair with a generously upholstered base and back rest, concealed by a white cotton sheet which had been casually draped over it. There was no stage or dais because, as Nathan had explained, raising the model up above the artists would give their work an odd perspective.
Paula approached the chair, her heart now thudding against her chest, desperately trying to suppress the trembling she could feel starting in her limbs. Looking straight ahead to the far wall, she fumbled at the belt around her waist, eventually managing to untie it.
After letting the robe hang loose around her for a few seconds, Paula wriggled her shoulders a little. She felt the heavy material slipping over her shoulders. Then down it went, over her arms and hips, before dropping to the floor in a heap around her feet.
She was expecting a reaction from the people around her: perhaps a gasp, or a snigger, or at least a grunt of admiration. But there was nothing. A quick scan of the room revealed that her newly-nude state had gone largely unnoticed, with most of the class still arranging themselves in preparation for the session about to begin. Not even Nathan had turned to look at her.
So, forcing her brain to accept that this group found nothing remarkable in a naked body, Paula concentrated on arranging herself on the chair. Getting into a comfortable, simple pose, she sat upright but tried to be as relaxed as it was possible to feel at that moment. She ensured her thighs, knees and ankles were firmly together and kept her hands resting on her lap.
Then, seemingly without prompting or instruction, the activity began. Paula became aware that she was being studied, but purely as an inanimate object. From keeping her eyes firmly fixed on the floor in front of her, she glanced surreptitiously at the people who were sketching and painting her. Well those within her field of vision, at least; her head had to remain as still as possible.
The surprise was the variation in ages and sexes of the assembled group. One of her many anxieties had been that Nathan's class would attract mainly archetypal dirty old men, keen on seeing a bit of naked flesh. He however had been swift to emphasise at their first meeting, even before she had a chance to raise the issue, that his sessions only attracted serious artists.
Nobody was permitted to attend the life class until a lengthy foundation course had been completed, part of his strategy to weed out the perverts. Nevertheless, very occasionally one or two people would be asked to leave if, as Nathan euphemistically put it, they did not share his artistic vision.
Perhaps the only thing common to all the participants was the absorbed expressions on their faces. It occurred to Paula that it was actually irrelevant who she was or what she looked like, she was just a form to be studied and transferred onto paper or canvas.
It was during that very first session that, possibly for the first time, Paula thought she might one day feel moderately comfortable about her body. Or slightly less uncomfortable, at least.
That is not to say there were any reasons why she should have been ill at ease with it before. Indeed, the boyfriends (three, all while at university) that had seen it had always paid her what seemed like genuine compliments. Nevertheless, she had always maintained an aversion to undressing in front of them, always insisting that the lights be off before she took a rapid dive beneath the bedclothes.
Even now, reclining on the chaise lounge nearly a year later, she can still be overly-critical about her figure. Paula allows her eyes to peer down, once again convincing herself that her breasts could do with being a little larger. She concedes that she likes her nipples though, which are fairly wide in diameter without protruding too much, and sit atop pale pink areolae that almost blend into the surrounding skin.
Definitely too big, however, are her stomach and hips - at least according to Paula. Most impartial observers would simply describe the gentle bulge of her belly and the curve of her hips as being femininely attractive. After all, she is not overweight, but neither is she a size zero. She is just normal, average, but not plain.
Her gaze wanders further, over her hands resting on that stomach, until it fixes on the patch of dark, almost black hair that begins below her abdomen and continues down between the very tops of her thighs. Apart from a little topiary at the edges, Paula prefers to leave things natural down there. Perhaps it is a remaining throwback to her upbringing, but she has simply never considered giving it a severe trim, let alone taking a razor or - heaven forbid - wax to it.
And she has been glad of her decision. There have been many classes that she has posed for, and many poses, but Paula has never once knowingly exposed what lies between her legs. That thick bush of hair and the design of the female anatomy thankfully combine to prevent any students from getting a too intimate view of her.
Not that there is a need for Paula to display everything as, to her relief, she had realised soon after she first embarked on her modelling career. This was art, not pornography, and by her logic pornography likewise could not be art.
Nathan appears in her peripheral vision and, unnoticed by his students, he looks across to Paula and flashes the briefest of smiles. She wants to respond, but Paula knows he would not want her to change her facial expression while she is modelling. Watching him now, Paula recalls what an enigma he had been to her during those early sessions.
She had initially noticed it the second week she came to the studio. Perhaps he was just being overly professional, or maybe he just felt unsure whether Paula would hang around for long (indeed, the thought to not return after that first class had crossed her mind but, strangely, her predominant sentiment had been one of release, rather than the anticipated feelings of shame and embarrassment).
Whatever his reasons, it seemed to Paula that Nathan's initial friendliness had disappeared. He remained polite and respectful though, and he would often remind her how grateful he was that she could hold a pose without fidgeting or shifting around, talents sadly lacking in many of her predecessors.
This had continued for a few weeks. Their conversations before and after the classes were pleasant, but had become almost perfunctory. Consequently Paula hardly knew anything about him, which frustrated her. She would not describe herself as lonely, but the only other people Paula had met since moving away from home to start work had been her telesales colleagues, and most of them were not all that appealing. Nathan, on the other hand, seemed interesting. Or, at least she believed he could be interesting if only he would open up more to her.
His enigmatic manner compelled her to contemplate his personal life as she posed. Estimating he was probably around five years her senior, Paula's favourite theory was that he had married a rich older widow, whose financial support now allowed him to pursue a bohemian lifestyle. Either that, or he was gay, hence his obvious nonchalance at being in the company of a naked woman.
In her more fanciful moments, Paula could even imagine Nathan as potential boyfriend material. However, that situation would require a web of white lies to explain to her parents how they had met, a question bound to form part of the inevitable grilling her mother would instigate. Paula imagined news of her modelling would not suit her parents' sensitive dispositions.
Then, exactly eight weeks after she had started, Nathan's demeanour towards her thawed. It was as if some kind of implicit probationary period had been passed. Paula had demonstrated that she was not going to disappear without warning, leaving him to run a life class with no model. She knew that was something which had happened to Nathan several times before.
They fell into a pleasant post-class routine. After all the students had left, Nathan would pack away the easels and stack any chairs that had been used, before dismantling whatever props Paula had been posing on. Meanwhile, she would put her clothes back on in the privacy of the dressing room, looking forward to their few minutes' chat.
These after-class conversations gradually became longer, allowing both of them to share little pieces of information about themselves. Paula slowly built up a picture of Nathan's
life, and it appeared that her theories about him were way off the mark.
He just about made a living from selling his own works (mostly imposing landscape watercolours, portraits and a few nudes) via small-scale local galleries. His clients mainly chose his pictures based on whether they would go with the interior decoration of their homes though, rather than in appreciation of any artistic merit.
The teaching work at the evening classes was apparently a welcome addition to Nathan's finances, something Paula could readily identify with. However, he had also inherited an undisclosed amount from a long-dead distant relative, which she suspected was the main reason he remained solvent.
It was during one of their after-class talks, as he finished clearing up, that Nathan made a request which was to change their fledgling relationship.
'Paula, I need a favour, please,' he asked.
'Sure, what is it?'
'Well, I, um, would like you sit for me... if you don't mind?'
'Nathan, I sit for you every week,' Paula replied, smiling across at him.
'No, I don't mean for the class. For me. There's an exhibition coming up, and I've been asked to contribute some paintings. But I'd understand if you felt uncomfortable about it,' he continued, trying hard not to blush.
Paula thought for a moment. It was endearing how shy Nathan was in asking her, but it still made her feel slightly strange. This man had seen her naked once a week for three months, but it was not as if he had actually been studying her. His attention was always on his students' work, not on her. It would certainly be an unusual first date.
'OK Nathan. No problem, I'll do it,' Paula conceded, not wanting to make him feel awkward, or drive a wedge between them.
'Really? That's great,' Nathan replied, his wide smile showing how delighted he was. 'But just to let you know, I don't make a habit of doing this... it's just that you're one of the best models I've ever worked with,' he added quickly.
'One of the best?' Paula replied, in a show of mock indignation.
So the following Sunday, in the middle of August, Paula found herself standing on the corner at the end of her street. Although it was only just approaching ten o'clock, a sultry heat was already brewing. The sun burnt down through a cloudless sky, and there was hardly a breath of wind to diminish its effect.
Her mind was wandering, thinking about what she was doing. Sure, it was nice to be spending some time alone with Nathan, but was it right to yet again be unclothed in front of him? Paula's deliberations were abruptly disturbed by the sound of a car horn.
Looking up, she saw Nathan pull up in his car, a battered old Renault. He waved her across, and she jumped into the passenger seat.
'Hi Nathan, very punctual,' she said teasing him.
'Thank you, I like to make the effort,' he grinned back at her, as he started to drive off. 'There's a nice place out in the countryside I thought we'd go. It's very quiet, not many people know about it.'
'What - aren't we going to the studio?' Paula asked, her smile morphing into a frown.
'Oh... sorry... I'm sure I mentioned we couldn't use it. It's not too late to change your mind you know, I won't be offended.'
'Well, I didn't realise we'd be outside. What if anyone sees us? I'd be mortified.'
Nathan reassured her as best he could that that was unlikely. It was a quiet spot, remote and off the beaten track. He tried to keep the chat going for the rest of the journey, but Paula's responses were monosyllabic. Evidently her attention was on the changing scenery as they drove out of town.
Half an hour later, Nathan turned the car off the road and onto a dirt track. Bouncing along, it was clear the worn-out suspension could hardly cope. After only a short distance, he pulled into the entrance to a field and stopped the engine.
'Are we here?' Paula asked, looking around her.
'Not quite, there's a little bit of a walk, but it's not far.'
In front of them, the grass-covered field rose up the side of a gently sloping hill, which was topped by thick deciduous woodland. They both got out of the car, and were immediately struck by the lack of noise. Only birdsong could be heard, not the usual urban sounds of traffic, sirens, and music being played too loudly through open windows.
Paula watched as Nathan unloaded his equipment from the car, piling it up on the dry ground at their feet.
'Wow, that's a lot,' Paula joked, her returning smile signifying that her earlier annoyance with Nathan was ebbing away. Her mood had been much improved by the tranquillity of the landscape around them.
'It's not as bad as it looks. The large cool bag has our picnic in it - I thought we'd need some refreshments. I just hope the wine hasn't become unbearably warm.'
Together, they carried everything across the field, following the contours around the hill until the track and car were both out of view. Nathan then lead them up towards the far corner, where a huge oak tree stood.
'This is it,' he told her, 'nice and secluded, and it's in the shade too.'
'It's lovely, maybe we should bring the class here sometime,' Paula replied.
'You think they'd like it?' Nathan asked enthusiastically. 'Some of them might struggle with the walk, but... hang on, you weren't being serious, were you?'
'No Nathan!,' said Paula, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her laughter.
She helped him set up his makeshift studio, laying out a dark red blanket on the ground adjacent to the oak tree. When everything was ready, Nathan turned to Paula.
'Do you want to start now, or leave it for a little bit? It's just that the light's perfect right now,' he asked.
'Yeah, sure, I'm as ready as I'll ever be.'
Nathan tried to find something else to concentrate on as Paula started to undress. But she couldn't help noticing that he glanced over as she pulled her silk short-sleeve top over her head. Paula felt the warmth of the sun directly on her breasts for the first time ever. It was unfamiliar, but exhilarating.
'I don't mind you watching me,' she said, grinning across at him as she reached behind her back to undo the button and zip which secured her knee-length summery cotton skirt.
Nathan pretended to ignore her, keeping his face pointing to the floor. But he let his eyes rise back up towards Paula, just catching the moment the skirt fell to the floor around her ankles. Flicking her sandals off, she stood there, yet again naked in front of him. To her, though, it felt like the first time Nathan had properly seen her in such a state.
Without prompting Paula sat down on the blanket, leaning against the tree. The rough bark initially felt rough against her back, but it soon became bearable. She arranged herself so that she was side on to Nathan's view of her, in a position she felt she would be able to hold for a couple of hours at least.
He sat on a small fold-up stool in front of his easel, and immediately got to work, as if a restored air of professionalism would overcome any embarrassment he might have felt. As he busied himself sketching out the foundations of the picture, Paula started to relax. She began to read a paperback novel, although the distant view was to prove a frequent distraction.
They hardly said a word for the rest of the morning, Paula not wanting to disturb Nathan's concentration. It was a comfortable silence though, and she was happy being alone with her thoughts as usual. A recurring theme was pondering how many other models Nathan had brought here, but at least it helped take her mind off the fact that Nathan was now concentrating hard on every line, crease and curve of her body.
'OK, time for lunch I think,' Nathan said a few hours later, breaking the quiet.
Paula stood up and stretched her limbs out before pacing around. She wandered beyond the shade of the tree, the sun now high in the sky with its heat relentlessly beating down. She turned to look back at Nathan, who was occupied laying out the food and wine on the blanket. As she returned to him, she couldn't help but feel astounded by the spread he had laid on for her. She knelt down opposite him, the food in between them.
'Wow Nathan, that looks
lovely. You must've been up all night preparing this. Trying to impress me, were you?'
'Something like that,' he laughed, as he began to pour white wine into two plastic beakers. 'Sorry, I didn't think my best crystal glasses would survive the trip.'
He handed one of the drinks across to Paula, and she felt her fingers brush against his as she took it off him. Immediately, she took a gulp, the still-cool liquid both refreshing her and helping to steady her nerves, as she viewed him intently.
An hour or so later, when they had finished eating, the sun reached its zenith. The breezeless hot air, combined with the effects of half a bottle of wine, made Paula feel slightly drowsy, yet content.
But, she again wondered, how many other models had received this treatment? Was it a proven seduction technique? Shamelessly, she silently admitted to herself that it was working on her. Furthermore, Paula decided, she would not reject the advances she knew were about to come her way.
'Right, let's get back to work,' Nathan said as he meticulously packed the remnants of their lunch away.
'What? What about...'
'What about what? Come on, we can do a couple more hours.'
Paula recreated her pose from earlier, although she was now totally unable to concentrate on her book. She did not know whether to feel silly for thinking Nathan was planning to seduce her at this remote spot, surprise that he had not taken the opportunity, or offence that he had (in her mind, at least) now deemed her unworthy of his attention.
So the afternoon did not pass as well as the morning. Paula just pretended to read, as she slowly stewed in her thoughts of rejection.
At around four o'clock, Nathan rose off his stool, and took a step back from the canvas.
'There, I think it's virtually complete,' he announced proudly. 'Do you want to come and see it, Paula?'
'What's wrong with me?' she blurted out, unable to contain her frustration any longer.
Nathan stood there, stunned, as she glared at him.
'Wrong? Sorry Paula, I don't understand, you'll have to...'
'We get along really well,' Paula interrupted, trying very hard to keep the tone of her voice even and measured. 'You bring me here, like I'm sure you've done many times before with many different girls, but then you decide what - I'm actually not attractive enough? Or good enough for you? It must be nice to be able to pick and choose who you can be bothered to seduce.'
Climax Taboo Erotic Collection Page 55