Love Letters Volume 5: Exposed

by Ginny Glass, Christina Thacher, Emily Cale, Maggie Wells

  Naked. On a table. Waiting to be covered with food. Not whipped cream and chocolate sauce either. Fish. Raw fish and seaweed. The seaweed she could deal with. People paid spas to wrap them up in that, so it must not be that bad, but salmon and tuna were meant to be cooked and covered in cream sauce, not uncooked and pressed over her nipple. And God knew what else they’d be putting on her. The organizers had kept talking, listing off the specifics after they told her she’d gotten the job, but she’d managed to forget all of them. Though that implied she’d actually heard and absorbed the words in the first place.

  She kind of wished she’d managed to at least pick up on a few of them now. The important things had all been on a sheet of paper. Go home, shave everything, shower and arrive at the warehouse no later than five.

  Then it was time for another shower, this time with help. Not the sexy kind either. No man running his hands over her wet skin, finding all the slick spots. Instead, she was met by a nice yet forceful woman who’d scrubbed every inch of her body with a rough loofah. Her skin—if there was any left—was bright red and burned by the time she was done. Kacey finally understood how the pots in her kitchen felt. A final dunk into a bathtub full of ice water had been the perfect way to top off the experience. She’d moved to L.A. to avoid freezing her ass off. At least back home she’d never bothered to jump in the frozen pond down the street. At least, not on purpose.

  All those things had been discussed in her audition, but she’d still been a little surprised at the process. Partly because she hadn’t allowed herself to think about it for more than a second. Now that it’d happened, she was glad she hadn’t put too much thought into it. It’d been two decades since she’d allowed anyone to bathe her in any way that wasn’t sexual.

  Good thing the woman put in charge of cleaning her had been so professional or Kacey would have been tempted to fake a migraine. Or appendicitis. Really anything that would guarantee she’d have to leave.

  Now they had her stretched out across the table and were preparing to set the food out. Or rather on. On her. It was somewhere near the halfway point in the audition that they’d mentioned that little detail. She was the serving platter for the evening. Apparently it was a thing. Women as dishes. They were calling it art. She called it weird.

  She hadn’t figured out how she felt about it, but if they were paying her it didn’t much matter. Two hours. That was all she had to get through. Then she could go home, pour herself a big glass of wine and forget the whole thing ever happened.

  “This will likely feel strange at first. Just remember to hold perfectly still.”

  She hadn’t even noticed the young woman standing over her, holding an oversized tray.

  There was that word again. She’d heard it a whole bunch of times in the past few hours. When she’d shown up, she and the two other models for the evening were given a lot of instructions. The most important of which was that for the night, they were considered furniture. No matter what happened, they weren’t allowed to move. Art held perfectly still. Art didn’t scratch, sneeze or wiggle. She thanked her lucky starts that art was still allowed to breathe, as long as it was quiet and gentle.

  “I’m going to put the flowers in place first. These are for your modesty and will stay in place all night.”

  At least something would stay on. Modest seemed like a bit of a stretch, but being slowly uncovered would give her time to adjust to the idea. By the time the customers ate their way down to nothing but the flowers, she expected to be so numb she wouldn’t care.

  “Put your legs together with your feet facing straight up.”

  Kacey did as directed, trying to find a position that was comfortable. She knew she’d be stuck like this for a while and didn’t want to risk picking something that would make her cramp in fifteen minutes.

  Having another woman touch her genitals wasn’t something she was used to, but it wasn’t as weird as she imagined either. Though, a few drinks first would have been nice, at least as a warm-up. Lucky for her, the woman had a dainty touch and as soon as she had the stem of the lily tucked between Kacey’s legs, her hands pulled back. Straining her eyes, Kacey tried to see how much the flower covered. She was shocked to see it did a pretty good job of covering most of the skin around her crotch. At least as much as some of her thongs. Maybe this won’t be so bad. She’d done plenty of work in underwear or swimsuits over the years. If the same parts of her were covered for this, she’d be set.

  She struggled to continue watching as the woman planted six more smaller flowers between her thighs from the lily down to her knees.

  “Now I’m going to put the rest of the plants in place. We’ll add the actual food in a few minutes.” Cool, damp leaves were placed over her nipples, then larger ones in several places along her torso and thighs. That was one way to keep her from moving too much. Even the slightest movement and Kacey feared she’d throw off the carefully designed display and make the girl start over.

  Or worse, they’d realize they’d hired the wrong person for the job and show her to the door. If she was lucky, they’d let her pick her clothes up on the way out.

  Great, now the insane panic was setting in. Kacey focused on calming her nerves. They’d told her she’d be able to close her eyes and relax through the event. Closing her eyes seemed like a good idea, but she didn’t have high hopes for the relaxing part. The last thing she wanted was to watch people staring at her as they plucked pieces of food off her body. Eye contact would be ridiculously awkward. “Oh, would you like to eat that California roll next to my nipple? Awesome!”

  “Five minutes.” A male voice broke through the small amount of tranquility she’d managed to muster. She glanced down her body the best she could and took in the full display that had been set up.

  Damn. She’d wanted to hate every minute of this. It’d be her dirty secret that she took to her grave. If anyone asked where she’d been tonight, the answer would be home watching a trashy reality TV show. The money would get her to her friend’s wedding and then she’d never have to think about it again.

  Except she wished there was a picture she could stick in the back of the book so she could look at it from time to time. Like they’d told her, it really did appear to be art. Every plant and food item perfectly arranged to work with the contours of her body. She expected to feel awkward and uncomfortable but instead she felt…beautiful.

  Resting her head in the most comfortable position she could find, she allowed her eyes to gently close.

  Showtime.

  *

  Austin wasn’t sure exactly what he’d expected, but this certainly wasn’t it. In his head, the place would be dark, dimly lit around the wall with sconces covered with dark pieces of fabric that were supposed to help the ambiance. His fantasy smelled too, like a mix between baby oil, sweat and cheap beer. This—well, this was something completely different.

  No sticky tables with and chairs with questionable cushions. Instead, the three long tables in the room were low to the ground and surrounded by round pillows he assumed were for sitting on. Bright lights reflected off the white walls and minimalist space, somehow making it feel larger and cozy all at the same time. This wasn’t the typical sleazy place his friend frequented.

  The thing that amused him the most though was the fact that those were the things he noticed first. He had to be the only guy in the place whose eye wasn’t first caught by one of the naked women covered in sushi and stretched out across the tables. It was probably a good thing considering the moment he started staring at one of the models, he couldn’t stop.

  Damn if she didn’t look good. And he didn’t mean the food, he meant her. Every inch of her luscious body made his mouth water. He’d gladly skip the main course if it meant that he could have her for dessert.

  An idea that had already been shot down. The group had gathered upstairs in the entrance space for a short drink before they were escorted down the stairs. Before they were allowed to head to the main event, they’d b
een told in crystal clear detail exactly what behavior was expected, and what was off-limits for the evening. Or, more accurately, what was allowed. Touch the models with chopsticks. Those were the only things allowed to touch the skin or leaves decorating the table. No fingers. No fingertips. No fingernails. Getting caught ignoring the rules—purposefully or accidentally—meant getting kicked out. No questions asked, no chance to plead a case. Just gone and blacklisted from any future events. That had never happened at any of the strip clubs he’d visited. Not that two really gave him a good sample to draw from.

  Damn if he wasn’t tempted to risk it though. He wasn’t that good with chopsticks. Maybe tonight his skills would slip back a little and he’d have to fumble with the utensils, rubbing his hand against the model’s skin. Just for a second. One really good second.

  “Austin?” Isaac elbowed him in the side.

  “What?” He held his hand firmly against his thigh, refusing to give in to the urge to rub the tender area around his ribs. For a friendly move, that little nudge had packed quite the punch.

  “We’re supposed to go sit down now.”

  Sit turned out to be a lot more like kneel uncomfortably on the floor, but it would do. He supposed they didn’t want anyone getting too comfortable with the arrangement. They’d been warned that photographs would be taken throughout the evening, and forced to sign model release forms for advertising purposes. What they’d be advertising exactly he didn’t know. As far as he could tell, the evening was invitation only and wasn’t known about by anyone outside the people in the room at that moment.

  They crossed the room and were shown to their assigned spots by one of the staff members. Lucky for them, their party had been assigned the table with the model he’d been eyeing a minute ago. Or perhaps it wasn’t such good fortune. Trying to find a comfortable position on his knees against the floor while sporting a hard-on wasn’t a skill he’d attempted to master before and it didn’t appear to be one he’d be proficient at by the end of the evening.

  The rest of the patrons had already made themselves comfortable, picked up their chopsticks and started pulling pieces of sushi from the woman’s body before he even got situated. Once ready, he found himself struggling to figure out where to begin. He’d always considered himself a boob man, but diving right in when he hadn’t even been introduced to the model made him question his choice.

  Then again, those pieces had avocado in them. That was enough to overrule any of his prior thoughts. Moving deliberately, he picked one of the rolls off the leaf immediately below her breast and put it in his mouth.

  While he chewed, he took in the whole scene. It really was something to look at. He’d been amazed by the use of color and shape when he first walked in, but up close, he could see that someone had put a lot of effort into placing each piece in exactly the right spot. It was a shame the whole thing was breaking down as the food started to disappear. Pulling his eyes back up to her face, his stomach flip-flopped.

  Kacey James. Of all the people he never expected to run into in L.A., she topped the list. In fact, he’d barely thought about her this past year. An amazing feat considering the amount of time he’d spent fantasizing about her in the prior years. She was a few years younger than him, but always wiser and far more mature. His mom had been her piano teacher and she’d spent plenty of time hanging around his living room and bedroom. Nothing had ever happened. Well, nothing really good at least. There’d been one quick and awkward kiss during his senior year when he was getting ready to pack up and move out, but after that they’d both pretended the whole thing hadn’t happened.

  Hard to pretend anything when she was naked in front of him. Hell, even in his wildest boyhood dreams she’d at least been wearing a thong. This was…well, there simply weren’t words to describe it. What was he supposed to say? “Hi, how are things going? I see you sometimes use your body as a serving dish.” That conversation wouldn’t go particularly well.

  There’d been a thousand awkward conversations back when they were younger. The thing about talking to Kacey was that it never felt weird. Even when they were discussing their feelings toward one another, it somehow felt light. He’d never experienced it with anyone before or since. She held some sort of mystical power over him that he couldn’t quite break away from. At least until he moved a thousand miles away. They’d tried a few phone calls, but long distance—even as just friends—was hard. He had a new life with new friends and she, well, she was still Kacey.

  Which is exactly what she was now too. Even naked, covered in fish and surrounded by a bunch of men, the serene look on her face told him that she hadn’t changed a bit. Only she could lie there like nothing was going on around her. Like he was sitting a foot away, staring at her bare skin.

  Except she didn’t know he was there. Her eyes were closed and he was one of many people in the room. If he didn’t talk much and kept his voice low, she’d never pick it out of the multiple conversations in the room. He could leave and go back to pretending they lived in alternate universes, only stopping occasionally to consider her when someone brought up a memory of high school.

  A wise decision indeed. He grabbed another piece of sushi off her body and stuffed it in his mouth. New plan: keep mouth full of food so no one can ask questions and expect a response. He’d be done and back home safe in his bed in no time.

  *

  Surprisingly, she didn’t feel as dirty as she expected. The same woman who’d placed all the food and plants on her had peeled off the leftover pieces, wrapped her in a robe and led her to a back room where she was told she could clean up before leaving. No one had given her a time limit, but she felt compelled to get out as fast as possible. If only because she was dying to get home and put on her comfy pants and an oversized sweatshirt. After a second shower. Or rather her fifth of the day. She wasn’t sure she’d ever bathed that much in a twenty-four hour period before.

  That was until she actually looked at the facilities they provided. Earlier, when she’d stripped and showered, she’d been in a different room that had been nice but minimal. This new place was much more luxurious. Not large, per se, but better than the tiny closet she called a bathroom in her studio apartment. At least there was a big showerhead that would help her get the scent of fish and soy sauce off her before she headed home. She doubted people on the bus would appreciate that stench. Especially if they realized it was coming from her skin and not a takeaway bag.

  She shucked off the robe and started the water. A knock at the door made her jump and she turned, trying to figure out what to say. Everyone here had already seen her naked, so there wasn’t a good reason to turn them away, but she still felt she was owed a few seconds of privacy.

  Before she could respond, a man walked in, closing the door behind him. It took him a full beat to figure out exactly the situation he’d walked into. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

  Kacey expected him to turn away or do something to demonstrate his embarrassment. Nothing. He didn’t move a muscle. Well, actually he moved just enough to let his eyes wander down to the floor, then back up until he met her gaze again.

  She started to say something, kick him out of her room, but something stopped her. He was familiar, but she couldn’t place him. The way he raised his left eyebrow slightly when he looked at her. The subtle shift in his weight as he opened his mouth to speak, then quickly closed it again. Holy hell. “Austin?”

  “I didn’t know if you’d recognize me.”

  She the heat rising in her body, starting at her toes and ascending up until it seemed to settle in her belly. He always managed to get that reaction from her. Even as teenagers he could make her stomach feel like she was riding a roller coaster. Actually, that was exactly what liking him felt like. One big amusement park ride that she always wanted to get off of, but, the minute she did, she was right back in line to do it all over again.

  “It’s been a while.” Suddenly, she was acutely aware that she was completely naked. She crossed he
r arms, squishing her breasts as close to her as possible.

  She didn’t know why she bothered. Her lower half was still showing. There was a time when she dreamed about being naked in front of him. The naïve fantasies of a sixteen-year-old who believed Austin would be the first and only man to see her naked. On their wedding night. And maybe then she would be wearing lingerie the whole time. She hadn’t been completely clear on all the details, only that it would be absolutely perfect.

  Well, he hadn’t even been close to being the first guy to see her naked or the one who took her virginity. That boat had sailed and there was no chance he could take over that position now. He was one of the first to see her covered in food though. That had to count for something. For all she knew, he’d been eye level with her bare torso for the better part of the past two hours.

  Or legs. Or whatever part of her body he’d been seated at. Even if he’d been at another table, he’d have gotten a pretty damn good look, and there wasn’t any reason to try to cover up now. Still, she kept her arms tight across her chest. Good reason and instinct seemed to be at odds with one another, and she was too shocked to fight either.

  She knew she should have stayed home. Whatever had come over her and convinced her that this was the right job for her?

  “I’d recognize you anywhere.” She left out the part where he still haunted her dreams. She had no idea he lived in the same state, let alone the same city. He’d left to go to college in Texas and she’d immediately found a new crush, one she saw every day. Austin was still her first love though. The first guy she’d wanted to kiss and hold close to her.

  “It took me a few minutes to put a name to your face.”

  “Probably because I was covered with food.”