A quick sketch.
Usual Disclaimer: If you are not 18 years old yet do not read. If you are offended by male to male sexual content definitely do not read. If the laws in your state or county forbid this type of material, do not read. Otherwise enjoy the story and genuine comments will be appreciated.
The author retains copyright (2007) to this story. Reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright.
This story is fiction.
Thank you Nifty for the opportunity to post this story.
Simon Says.
There weren't that many stalls, one with pictures, one with jewellery, another with t-shirts and three with food of different kinds. The last one was a guy sitting under a big beach umbrella with a few people watching as he made quick pencil drawings of anyone who lingered.
Jamie was fascinated as five sketches appeared in as many minutes and then passed to the surprised models. One of the guys liked his sketch and handed over a five dollar note, which according to the nearby sign, entitled him to a more detailed picture.
The artist sat him in a chair and set to work. All the other people gradually left but Jamie was intrigued to watch the difference as shading and depth appeared, compared to the quick line sketches. The portrait finished and the guy left.
"How can you do it so quickly?"
"Lots and lots of practice."
"Is it hard to get it all right?"
"Sometimes. People mostly want to look like a photo. Move under the umbrella and stand next to each other."
"We haven't got any money with us."
"That's all right. You can have a freebie. What're your names?"
"Alex and Jamie."
"Mine is Sam. Alex, put your arm round Jamie's waist. Good. Now slip your fingers under that band, slightly more to the front. That's it. Jamie, lean against Alex. No, that doesn't work. All right, move in front a bit then lean back. Yes, that's better. Now put your hand on Alex's thigh. Move it more to the inside."
After a couple more quick directions he started, and instead of the tablet in his lap he used the easel which had been standing to one side. He talked the whole time, chatting in a friendly way about general stuff so that Jamie barely noticed when the onlookers built up again.
"There you are. All yours."
He turned the easel round so Jamie and Alex could see. Wow, Simon didn't take pictures like this. He signed his name in dark pencil and with a big flourish, wrote `LOVERS' across the bottom. They both stared. The artist's paper was at least double the size of the ones he'd been handing out and that gave it lots more impact. Alex looked different, but it was still Alex. Jamie couldn't say about himself, but he was certain he didn't look that good.
"The title is right, isn't it?"
"Um, yes."
"I thought so. You're great models."
With a smile and a wink he handed the sketch over, then turned to a person holding out some money. Jamie and Alex walked off. It felt funny to be getting the picture for nothing.
"Alex, let's get him to do our portraits. At least we're giving him something for his work then."
"For sure. I don't know much about art, but it looks classy to me."
They went via the beach to collect all their gear and when that was deposited at the car they slipped on their cargoes and t-shirts. The artist wasn't there. The easel and other materials were all gone and the only thing left was the big beach umbrella.
"Bummer, now I feel guilty."
They looked round and were just about to leave when the artist guy appeared from the direction of the street.
"Hi Jamie, what's up?"
"We were going to get you to do our portraits."
He laughed.
"So you could pay me? I catch a few customers that way."
"Yes, but we did want the portraits too."
"Well, I'm heading for my studio... If you've got some spare time I could do them there."
Alex was nodding.
"Sounds great. Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Alex, you and Jamie are the kind of models I look for. You'd be doing me a favor."
He gave them a card and some quick directions, and a quarter of an hour later they were pulling into the driveway of a big old house with all sorts of extra sections added on. Sam, who was waiting, said he needed a quick snack before anything else and Jamie and Alex found themselves eating ham and mushrooms on toast with tasty cheese melted on top. Jamie had two slices and could easily have eaten three more.
"Let's go up to the studio."
The studio was different to what Jamie expected. He'd always pictured a studio as being a pokey little room crowded with all sorts of junk. This was large, crowded in some parts and open in others. There was a computer set up and a complicated looking camera as well as three different work desks.
"All right Jamie, you first. Relax in this chair and we'll do a better job than the beach quickie. How much spare time do you have?"
"Plenty. We can get back to Uni any time we like tonight."
"We won't take that long. Hmm. I don't want artificial light with your fair skin. We'll try out on the decking. Alex, let's try you in the chair instead."
Sam worked for a quarter of an hour and Jamie marvelled as Alex's face appeared life-size on the paper.
"Not too bad. Carry the chair out onto the deck Jamie and we'll see what happens."
Not too bad? How could he say that? Jamie thought it was a wonderful picture.
Twenty minutes later Jamie watched in disbelief when Sam tore his work in half and screwed up the pieces.
"You're tricky Jamie. We'll have to try again."
His eyes twinkled at the look Jamie and Alex were giving him.
"Don't worry. I'm not crazy. I couldn't make your face look the way I wanted it. You look gentle but when I draw that it doesn't fit. Did it worry you when I had you posed at the beach?"
"What?... No. It was interesting."
"How would you feel about doing it again?"
Alex answered straight off.
"No problems. Like Jamie said, it was interesting."
"Great! I'll show Jamie the shower while you go and get your speedos."
Fifteen minutes later they were watching Sam hang a large black drape.
"That's so there's no background distraction. I'll take a series of photos and if any of them stand out I can use them later as a basis for a sketch. Do you think you could cope with an hour of posing?"
"What exactly do we have to do?"
"You can't do anything wrong if that's what you're thinking about Jamie. I'll be trying all sorts of positions to catch different looks and moods."
"Do we have to freeze in a position, like for five or ten minutes?"
"No, that's life drawing. When I take photos I can capture many, many poses, then work from the best without you having to hold position like that. Let's work out our ground rules. I don't want any misunderstandings. When I wrote lovers on your picture at the beach you hesitated Jamie. Did I get it wrong?"
"Um... no. It was unexpected that's all."
"You're very new to each other aren't you?"
"Just a few weeks."
"I thought so. Its great isn't it?"
That made them both smile.
"It's going to be difficult but it's the new, special feeling you have that I'd like to capture today. Are you happy to hug?"
"Yes."
"Kiss?"
"Yes."
"Look very intimate?"
"Yes."
"Great. Let's go."
He put them in the pose he used at the beach, fiddled with the lights and clicked a few shots on the camera. A couple of seconds later the pictures appeared on the computer monitor and stopped at the last one taken.
"Just to see what it looks like in high resolution. Look at Alex this time Jamie, instead of the camera. He's going to say something you like hearing."
"Is it all right if I laugh? He makes me do that all the time."
"Laughing is fantastic. Go on Alex."
"Hey Muffin, want to rub noses?"
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Now rub noses."
Alex went to rub noses and Jamie started to laugh.
"What happened?"
"Sorry Sam, it made me think of something and I couldn't help it."
In fact it made him think of trying to smile with his tongue out.
"No, don't be sorry. Things like that often turn out special. Alex, keep that pose but make it special between you and Jamie. Perhaps what you might do if I wasn't here."
"Sure."
Alex's fingers that were under the top of Jamie's bathers started a very sneaky tickle, the fingers of his other hand started softly squeezing Jamie's ear lobe and there was a soft whisper.
"Hey Muffin, remember the first time I held your ears?"
"Alex that was wonderful. Whatever it was, do it again. I think I caught a great expression on Jamie's face."
Again? He hadn't stopped. The fingers in Jamie's bathers sneaked a tiny bit further and the ones at his ear lobe changed to the nape of his neck and started pressing. That made Jamie hunch his shoulders and put his head back for a moment. Sam was giving them a curious look.
"Have you two been in front of a camera before? Posing I mean?"
"Um. We've just got a new digital camera. We've been using it at Uni. Sam, Alex is trying to embarrass me."
"He is? All right Alex, hands off then and swap positions. Jamie, your turn to say whatever."
That made Jamie smile because Sam was giving him a chance to get back at Alex's teasing. It backfired though because as soon as Alex had his hand on the inside of Jamie's thigh, his fingers started tickling again and set Jamie's stiffie going, which meant it wasn't going to stop and his bathers stretched and stretched.
"I'm sorry Sam. Do you want us to stop for a while?"
"Don't worry about it Jamie. It happens with lots of models and you're both doing so well I don't want to stop."
Half an hour later Sam pulled a big art folio from a kind of rack and asked them to have a look through it. The pictures were all nudes of fantastic looking guys.
"Do you think you could pose nude for me? It's one of my specialties. It's a big favor but I don't often find models like you two. Great! ...Thanks. Toss your bathers over there and we'll get going again."
A bit later Sam laughed at them.
"Alex, you're making Jamie too conscious of his erection. Make love to him so he can relax."
"Now?"
"Yes and take your time. The more interaction, the better the chance for a good photo."
An hour later they were sitting round the computer, watching Sam flick through the several hundred photos he'd taken. He was rapidly sorting them into three groups, no good, possible, and definite. Jamie didn't understand the choices, as almost all the pictures looked good to him.
"We don't want good pictures Jamie. Only special ones. You'll see."
He only kept five pictures out of 247, four possibles and one definite.
"Okay, make your own pick out of these five. I'm interested to see what you think."
There was no doubt from either of them. It was the same one he'd already chosen. It was taken soon after they had finished making love, and Sam had them posed with Alex's back propped by some dark cushions, his hand kind of ruffling Jamie's hair, and Jamie reclining with his body at exactly the same angles as Alex's.
"It's quite striking. When I sketch it I'll be trying to make your personalities show more strongly."
"What do you do with the other four?"
"Play with them on the computer. Sometimes that brings them up. I'd like to get a couple more definites though. Is it asking too much for another session Jamie?"
Sam's enthusiasm had gotten to Jamie and he was keen as anything to keep going. He wondered why Sam didn't ask Alex though.
"Great, we'll have a meal first then see what happens."
Jamie was amazed when Sam took them out to a high-class bistro. The food must have cost a fortune. Weren't artists meant to be poor? The evening session went for over two hours and Jamie was completely relaxed about it now. Sometimes Sam would direct them to specific poses but he mostly changed to setting up a situation and letting them work out what to do themselves. When Jamie got excited Sam encouraged them to make love again and that produced one of the two new definite selections. When they finished Sam gave them both a friendly hug, quite blase that they were still nude, and arranged to see them in a month's time.
"I should have at least one piece finished by then and we still have to do your portrait Jamie."
In the car on the way home Jamie and Alex talked about it all and decided Sam was one of the friendliest guys they'd ever met.
Simon couldn't believe them.
"You went off with some stranger and posed nude? He mightn't even have been an artist for all you know."
"He's definitely an artist Simon. He's got a huge studio and you should see some of his sketches."
"Sketches? Did he actually do any, or just take photos? You could end up on a porn site by the sound of it."
"Mostly photos, but he did a portrait of Alex and a quick one of both of us at the beach. They look awfully good to us."
"Where are they? Show me."
Alex had to collect them from his room and while he did that Jamie described the rest of the day.
"So, you're coming out of your shell are you? There's hope for you yet."
It was a friendly tease but Jamie felt pleased about it. Alex arrived and Simon was all agog.
"Hell, you're right. These are brilliant. The double is teriffic but the portrait looks professional to me. What's this artist's name?"
"Sam. I'm not sure how to pronounce his last name."
Alex handed over Sam's card and Simon went to his computer and found the webpage that was printed on the bottom.
"Jamie, this guy's got all sorts of awards and look at the price on this work. It's unbelievable."
Now it was Jamie and Alex who were goggling. They'd seen pictures like that all over the studio.
"We're going back to his studio in four weeks time Simon. He wants us to model again."
"Look at this review. It says he's brilliant."
Before he went to sleep Jamie replayed the day's events in his mind. He thought about Alex sliding his bathers off in the water and wished he were here now. He thought of how they'd made love in front of Sam. Then he started thinking about what might happen next evening.
The end of chapter seven.
Author's Note. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Please note my changed email address - iarwain@aanet.com.au
Should you be interested, my other stories can be found by looking under 'Iarwain' in the authors section on Nifty.
Contact me if you'd like to read the stories in their original Word format.
Iarwain.