by Tom Benson
* * *
One morning, a tall, slim girl in her early twenties stood outside gazing at the feature window. She seemed transfixed by the artwork, and her long, dark hair lifted in the light breeze as she stood there. After a few minutes, she wandered inside and sauntered around the gallery.
Unlike mainstream retail, Lauren was in the practice of acknowledging visitors, but not approaching them unless they indicated that they wanted assistance.
“Good morning,” Lauren chirped and gave the young woman a smile.
“Hi there,” the dark-haired visitor said. “I’ll be taking a good look at what you have on display, but could you confirm—you are the resident artist as described in the window?”
“I am, and I’ll be available if you’d like to ask any questions or commission work.”
“Thank you, Lauren—I’m sorry, may I call you Lauren?”
“Of course.” Lauren extended a slender hand, pleased that she had not been painting. “Lauren Ashton BA, at your service.”
The attractive visitor took the proffered hand and held it gently. “Myleene Raynor—I’m pleased to meet you, and I would appreciate a word in a short while.”
Lauren was dressed in a loose-fitting blouse, which still couldn’t hide her assets effectively. Her jeans survived unscathed when she painted because she wore a long apron. Being able to produce her work and not be compelled to wear a uniform, or formal costume appealed to Lauren.
The young women held each other’s gaze for a few seconds after the handshake.
Myleene smiled and wandered off around the four rooms of the gallery. She was wearing a cream-coloured dress which flared from the hips and stopped mid-way on her shapely thighs. Being around 5-10, she had no need for extra height, but her black high heels accentuated her natural elegance. As Myleene strolled and paused to study different paintings, she slipped her navy-coloured jacket from her shoulders, relaxed in her surroundings.
Lauren appraised the girl. The hair was not only long and dark, but straight, as if there were an oriental influence in her genes. Another eastern aspect of her appearance were her narrow, dark eyes. She reminded Lauren of the prints she’d seen from the 1960s which had adorned many a living room—the dark-haired beauties in a brightly-coloured costume; first created by artists like Vladimir Tretchikoff.
Rather than mix and prepare paints to get back into her work in progress, Lauren lifted her sketch pad and sat on her stool, idly making rapid sketches of Myleene as she paused in front of the work in the main room.
It was twenty minutes before Myleene approached the artist. “I think I’ve seen enough to know I’m in the right place.”
“Have you found anything to interest you, or do you have something in mind?”
“Mmm—I have seen something which interests me, and I’ve got a couple of things in mind.” Myleene smiled, showing even white teeth. She made an obvious, slow assessment of Lauren. “Perhaps I should ask about the commission first.” She arched a shapely eyebrow.
“Okay, what would you like?” Lauren was seeing the other girl up close without her jacket for the first time, and the slim figure made the pert breasts more prominent. The artist to maintained eye contact.
“It might sound a bit narcissistic because I’d like a portrait of me, but it’s actually for my dad.”
“Would he like a head and shoulders painting, or something regal, like a full figure piece?”
Myleene glanced over her shoulder and then leant forward slightly to whisper. “He’d like me in traditional Chinese costume—a brightly-coloured kimono.”
“You would look beautiful in a kimono. Do your parents live in the Far East?”
“Yes. They own a large hotel in Hong Kong. My mum is actually from Singapore, hence the characteristics.” She raised one hand halfway to her face as if presenting her features for inspection.
“If you don’t mind me saying so, those characteristics as you call them give you a particular beauty.” Lauren found herself captivated by the woman standing in front of her.
“Thank you, Lauren—you’re very kind.”
“No more than you deserve.” There was something about their interaction, and it was hard to define. Had this been a young man, Lauren would consider it flirting. “Do you have a deadline in mind for completion?”
“Actually, I’m flexible up to a point.” Myleene gave another long look at her prospective artist. “I completed my degree last year, and I’ll be employed in two more placements before I return home—to Hong Kong.”
“May I ask what you’ve been trained for?”
“After I gained my qualifications I had four places lined up for me to gain experience—all high-class establishments because when I return home, I’ll be taking over as the chef in my parent’s hotel.”
* * *
One week after their first conversation, Myleene turned up at the gallery and was met by Lauren in the main exhibition area.
“Good morning, Myleene—how are you?”
“Hi, Lauren, I’m great, although feeling a bit awkward, you know—the thought of posing?”
“Please don’t worry, I’ll put you at ease before we get too involved.”
“Now, there’s something I might have said to you in other circumstances.” The enigmatic smile appeared, and the right eyebrow arched.
Lauren was reminded of the strange feeling she’d had before. “Kathryn is our new part-time assistant, and she’ll be with us in a few minutes.”
“Will she be able to handle the gallery if you’re occupied elsewhere?”
“Yes, she’s been with us for a few weeks now, and she’s quite capable. Gordon, the owner of the gallery, will be coming in at lunchtime and probably staying all day, so we’ve got plenty of time for you to relax, and for me to get started.”
“I know I said I’m feeling a bit awkward, but I’m also a bit excited.”
“So am I, Myleene—so am I.”
“Hi there,” Kathryn said as she walked into the main room.
“Kathryn, this is Myleene, who I’ll be painting over the next couple of weeks.”
“Hello, Myleene, and I agree with Lauren.” She extended a hand.
Myleene took the girl’s hand. “I’m delighted to meet you, Kathryn—what exactly do you two agree on?” She gave a short laugh.
“It will be easy to paint you, you’re very easy on the eye.”
When Lauren felt Myleene turn to smile at her, she felt her cheeks warming. “Well, I think this would be a good time for us to get upstairs, Myleene.” Lauren half-turned, smiled, and shook her head at Kathryn, who stifled a giggle.
* * *
“Would you like a coffee or tea, Myleene?”
“I would love a coffee, thank you. No sugar, and a hint of milk.”
Lauren laughed. “I’ll go into my luxurious suite of rooms and fix up our drinks, and you can have a look around.”
“How many rooms do you have up here?”
“It’s basically a fully-equipped two-bedroomed apartment. This was the second bedroom which I was allowed to convert into a working studio.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“Throughout my degree course, which ended last year, so about four and half years.” Lauren left her client and went off to make the hot drinks. She returned a few minutes later and placed the two mugs on a small side table.
“Thank you, Lauren.” Myleene sipped her drink. “When did you do those sketches?”
Lauren glanced at the pad and briefly closed her eyes. “I did those the first day you came in to ask about the portrait.”
“That must have been before I asked about you working on my portrait.”
“It was—I thought you had a nice face to draw.”
“Did you really tell Kathryn I was easy on the eye?”
“I did—I’m sorry, it wasn't very professional—”
“Forget professionalism, Lauren. The feeling is mutual.” Myleene smiled and gently touched the artist�
��s arm. “One of the reasons I came here for this to be done is because you have a good reputation, and another reason is … if I’m posing for long periods, I’ll be looking at the artist.”
Lauren had her suspicions about this beautiful client the first time they met, but with every conversation, the suspicions were being confirmed. Apprehension was replaced with excitement as Lauren went around the studio and explained how the main picture could be created.
“As you’ll see we have the sofa, which I can adapt in a painting, to be a chaise longue so the arm can be painted at either end and, of course, in whichever colour we choose. There is an assortment of throws we can use to create textures and effects for the backdrop.”
“There’s a lot more to this than is first imagined. You have to be quite creative and imaginative even before producing a sketch.”
“It depends on the overall effect you’d like, but to enhance your natural beauty, and the costume you’ll be wearing, we should consider the background being muted tones.”
“I’m happy to put myself in your hands, Lauren, and you can deal with me as you wish.”
“Thank you—it’s nice to have a model who’s prepared to be manipulated to get the right result.” She laughed briefly. The flirting worked both ways.
“It’s no less than I’d expect if you were available to me.” Myleene smiled but didn’t laugh.
Lauren could feel the balance of power shifting between them. Since her teens, especially with men, she’d felt the need to be in control—it was how she’d gained confidence. Now in this special situation with this stunning woman of her own age, she was experiencing peculiar chemistry.
The mugs were placed off to one side, and Lauren lifted her large pad. “When we talked before you said you had no wish to rush the job, so would it be okay to use today’s session for me to produce sketches?”
“You tell me where to look and how to pose, and I’ll be like putty in your hands—while you’re working.”
For an hour, Lauren sketched Myleene’s face at different angles. Their conversation was light and sporadic, due to the need for the artist to capture the lips in slightly different positions. For Lauren, the session could hardly be described as work—enjoying every minute of recreating such beauty on paper. She was looking forward to working with paint and colour.
When their time was up for the day, Myleene asked if she could see the sketches.
Lauren handed over her pad and was pleased to see her model’s eyes open wide and her lips part.
“Lauren, if this is what you call rough sketches, I am so looking forward to what you produce with paint. I would pay good money for this preparatory work.”
“Perhaps when we’ve finished, you’ll let me keep one or two, and you can have the others.”
“That’s what we’ll do, my friend.” Myleene sighed. “I suppose I’d better go back out into the real world, and I’ll see you in three days.”
“I look forward to it.”
Myleene made it obvious that she was looking deep into her artist’s eyes. “So do I, Lauren.”
Drawing from Experience
Thursday 3rd April, 2003
It was seven o’clock in the evening when Myleene turned up for the third sitting. As usual, she was wearing a minidress, and though casual, she looked beautiful. When she was indoors, the door was closed and locked. The artist and model went straight upstairs and into the studio.
“Are you sure you don’t mind us doing this in the evening, Lauren?”
“I’m enjoying what I’m doing, and it’s not like I have difficulty looking at my model.”
“Talking about looking at things—I’ve never seen you in a skirt before. You have a great pair of legs, and if there is one thing I like, it’s a girl with good thighs.”
“Thank you very much. What about men with good thighs?”
“Men’s thighs don’t interest me, Lauren.” She gave that enigmatic smile and raised an eyebrow. She had also delivered the clearest possible signal about her sexuality as if it were needed.
“In that case, your partner is a fortunate girl.”
“That’s a lovely thing to say, and she might be … if I had one, but I haven’t been with anybody for a few months.” Myleene stepped closer to the artist and looked into her eyes. “You’ve never mentioned a significant other in your life during our conversations.”
“I don’t have one either.” Lauren studied the other woman’s features, and as her gaze fell to Myleene’s lips, they parted slightly, and the tip of her tongue appeared to run slowly along one lip and then the other. “I know some people think I’m peculiar, but I don’t do conventional relationships.”
“Oh, so what kind do you do?” Myleene smiled.
“I like to still have the trust aspect, but only because it ensures good hygiene, but so far I’ve managed to remain detached emotionally.”
Myleene nodded. “I like that idea—a sort of physical, sexual fulfilment, but no emotional baggage?”
“That’s a superb description, and absolutely accurate.”
“Last time I was here, I asked about the nude studies you’ve painted, and you said you’d painted a couple of them from live models.”
“Yes, I’ve done four in total, three women and one man. The man was gay, so he wasn’t affected by a female artist.”
“A rather attractive, female artist, Lauren.” Myleene stepped forward to be standing within a few inches of Lauren. “Would you like to do a nude study of me?”
“I would love to when we’ve completed the portrait.”
“I’d like to do a nude study of you.”
“I didn’t think you were an artist.”
“Who said anything about being an artist.” Myleene raised her right hand to caress Lauren’s face with her fingertips. “If the idea wasn’t repulsive, maybe this evening we could use the sofa for a mutual nude study.”
Lauren swallowed and whispered, “If we wanted to be comfortable, we could use my bed.”
Myleene lifted her other slender hand and held Lauren’s face before leaning forward slightly.
When their lips met, they brushed together a few times, and then Lauren parted her lips, but didn’t send out her tongue, which sent a message that Myleene would understand. A few seconds later, Myleene’s tongue probed and danced in Lauren’s mouth, before the blonde reciprocated.
Hands moved over clothing, slowly, and gently, caressing and gently urging the other person forward until the two girls were in a tight embrace, kissing passionately. Their breathing became a steady panting, and though not a word was spoken for a few minutes, they communicated a mutual need with the kiss and their body language.
Myleene took the lead. “Would you like … to continue … on your bed … Lauren?”
“Mmm.”
The pair kissed, and turned to leave the small studio, but halfway to the bedroom, Myleene turned and held Lauren close again to kiss her deeply. “I’ve waited so long … to feel your lips … on mine.”
“I’ve waited … and tried to … imagine … the moment.”
In the bedroom, the pair kissed again, standing beside the bed. They didn’t talk, but undressed each other slowly, one item each until they were both naked, and then they stood back to look at each other.
“Myleene, you’re beautiful,” Lauren gasped.
“You not only have a beautiful face, Lauren, you also have a body and legs to die for.”
Both girls stepped forward to kiss again, gently rubbing their bodies against each other—Lauren’s larger breasts being teased as Myleene moved away and used her nipples to rub lightly on Lauren’s.
“Get onto the bed,” Myleene whispered in a quiet suggestive tone.
It wasn’t quite a command, but Lauren was excited at the thought of being the submissive partner, even if they changed roles at a later stage. She needed release, but at the same time wanted to experience being used, treated like a subordinate in bed. Lauren lay on her back and smiled up a
t her latest lover, eager to please.
Myleene climbed onto the bed and lay beside the blonde, leaning over to kiss her while simultaneously using her fingertips to tease and toy with the other girl’s erect nipples. Every movement was slow and tender as if Myleene was worshipping a fragile flower. She assumed the dominant role of the pair, but there was no intimidation or forceful activity. To the contrary, her touches were as light as a feather as she took pleasure in tasting and enjoying her curvaceous lover.
Lauren panted heavily as she looked down to see her impressive breasts being held up in both Myleene’s hands, while she squatted, and leant forward. As her nipples were sucked and nibbled, Lauren let out a gasp and bit her lip. She wanted to urge Myleene to go lower down, to do more, but she knew that was not going to happen until her lover intended.
“Lauren … your body … is succulent … and I’m going to … devour you.”
“I’m yours … Myleene … to do … as you wish.” She’d said it aloud. Submission admitted.
“Good girl … ohh.” Myleene sucked and bit into Lauren’s firm belly and then moved down, flicking her tongue over the blonde’s smooth pussy lips. Myleene sucked on the left, and the right briefly, before moving on. She eased Lauren’s luscious thighs apart and sucked the soft, inner thigh on both legs. Myleene took plenty of time to work up and down Lauren’s shapely legs, pausing again at the succulent pussy.
“Turn over for me … Lauren.”
As soon as she’d complied, Lauren heard a sigh and then her buttocks were nibbled and kissed. She felt lips and tongue work along the back of her thighs, and she moaned softly parting her legs to give Myleene access to all areas. Kisses were delivered all over Lauren’s legs and body before she was told to turn over again.
Myleene moved up to lean over the blonde to kiss her passionately. “Are you nearly ready … to have … your pussy eaten?”