Super Model
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2024 7:59 pm
Part I
"Just get out of here! Go on, now! Get out of my sight!"
The shrill female voice could be heard coming through the screen door of the house into the back yard. A moment later an eleven-year old girl dashed out, sobbing, into the early fall evening. She was barefoot, wearing only yellow shorts and a sleeveless white buttoned blouse. Her brown hair, done into a ponytail, bounced behind her head as she ran.
"And just stay out there 'til you learn how to talk to your mother!" the voice rasped out after her.
Anna's mom was drunk again. Anna could tell that from her voice. It had been happening more and more since her dad had left, a year ago, just packing his bags and leaving, with no explanation. Her mom had had to struggle to keep the family going, to earn money to pay the rent on the little four-room house, and to keep the groceries coming in. Anna knew it was a stress on her mom, and that her mom had been turning to drink more and more to escape the strain.
But tonight was about the worst it had ever been. Anna had needed twenty dollars for school the next day, for a field trip. She'd told her mom about it a week ago. But when she'd reminded her tonight, her mom had just sat down at the table, and pulled out a whiskey bottle from a bag of groceries, and opened it.
"I don't have twenty bucks," she'd said abruptly.
Anna heard herself shoot back, "But you had enough money to buy that bottle of whiskey!"
Her mom had whirled on her, and had started in on her. "How dare you talk to me like that! I earn this money and I have a perfect right to spend it any way I want! I've earned the right to sit down and have a drink when I get home!"
Anna could tell her mom had been drinking already.
"I shouldn’t have to spend it all on you! Where does it say I have to spend every last dime on your stupid school projects? That damned teacher of yours is always asking for money! Just last week she wanted fifteen bucks for that entry fee! Now this! Maybe your teacher should come and work my job for me, huh?"
Anna backed off. Her mom continued, "And where do you think you get off scolding me about my drinking? Who do you think you are, anyway, you little brat? Just one more burden I have to pay for! Just one more drain on my paycheck! And you have the nerve to try to lecture me about how much I drink? Get out of here!"
Anna had never heard her mom quite this stressed before. She was afraid, and hurt. She backed off, toward the door.
"Just get out of here! Go on, now! Get out of my sight!"
Letting the door slam behind her, she ran out into the yard, feeling rejected, tears of frustration in her eyes.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As she sat in the backyard, catching her breath, she wondered what she'd do. School had started, just a couple weeks ago. So far, none of her friends in the sixth grade knew about her mom. She didn't want to tell them anything. She wasn't sure how they'd respond. She could imagine their reaction, at first sounding supportive and sympathetic, then gradually backing away, leaving her out of their circle, not talking to her anymore. She didn't want that.
What was hurting her even more was the sting of the last couple of words she'd heard her mom shout at her. "Burden!" "Drain on my paycheck!" "Get out of my sight!" She'd never expect her own mother to scream that at her! Was she such a burden to her mom? Maybe she was. After all, it would be easy for her mom to get back on her feet if she didn't have Anna to take care of.
A voice interrupted her musings. "Hey! You! Wanna earn twenty-five bucks?"
She looked over to the fence on the side of the yard, where the voice was coming from. There she saw a boy, about five or six years older than her. He had wavy blonde hair, and a slightly round face, but with a firm jaw. He was leaning on the fence, apparently shirtless, with his rather muscular arms folded in front of him on the fence rail.
Anna was startled. "How long have you been looking at me?" she demanded.
"Just a few minutes. I heard you come out the door and I was watching you after that. So, you wanna earn some money?"
"How?" asked Anna warily.
The boy held up a digital camera. "Just pose for me for a couple of pictures. I gotta take a couple pictures for school, and I want you to be my model. I'll pay you twenty-five bucks."
Anna thought for a moment. She did need the money for school. "What kind of posing?"
"Oh, just come over and sit over here in the backyard. Let me take a few pictures of you." He stopped, and seeing a quizzical look on her face, went on, "I'm taking this photography class at the high school, and we gotta take a series of pictures of a live model."
That sounded reasonable. "But why do you want to take pictures of me?"
"'Cause you're pretty."
"No, I am not!" Anna protested with a little smile, but a faint thrill zipped through her. No one had ever called her pretty before. Cute, maybe, when she was younger. But, a guy she'd never met, thinking she was pretty? Wow! That was a far cry from "burden" or "drain on the paycheck!" That was something she'd never thought of before--she was pretty!
"Sure you are!" he was saying. "You better look in a mirror sometime, if you don't know you're pretty!" He hesitated. "Want to pose for me?"
"Okay," Anna grinned. She got up and walked over to a place on the back of the fence. Hooking her toes around the lower fence rail, she boosted herself up and grabbed the top of the fence. She pushed, at the same time swinging one of her legs over the fence. She was ready to let herself drop down, when she felt strong hands holding her around her waist, letting her slowly down to the ground.
"I could have gotten down by myself," she protested.
"I know. I didn't want you to hurt yourself."
Anna took a look at the boy. He was a head taller than she was, and fairly muscular. He was wearing jeans that hung from his hips, revealing a taut belly and a well-shaped vee. His chest was strong and tight, with small pert nipples. In one of his muscular hands he was holding a camera. He was grinning as he noticed her studying him.
"By the way, I'm Derek," he offered. "What's your name?"
"I'm Anna," she replied.
She'd never been in this backyard before. As she looked around, she noticed that there was a patio, paved with brick, at the back of the house. A screen door led from the patio onto the house. On the patio were a couple of folding lounge chairs, and, and a wooden picnic table in the middle. The rest of the yard was covered with grass, with a few patchy spots. An unused clothes pole protruded from the ground in one corner of the yard. In the center of the yard was a mature tree, with its lowest branches protruding out about six feet above the ground.
"Well, let's get started," Derek gestured to the patio. "For the first couple shots, I'd like to have you sitting in this chair." He gestured to a lounge chair, unfolded next to the house.
"You want me just to sit there?" Anna asked.
"Sure. I can show you how I want to pose you for each shot."
Anna went over and sat back in the lounge chair.
"Now, for the first one, put your hands behind your head, like you were being all luxurious. And raise your left knee, so your left leg is folded up."
Anna did as she was told.
"Good! Now smile. A real casual lazy smile." Anna made her face smile, as Derek moved slightly for the shot. "Perfect!" He took the picture. "Now for the next one, keep your hands where they are, but this time take your left leg and let it dangle over the side of the chair. Yes! Just like that! Perfect!' He shot again. "Now, stay in that same pose, but make your face look serious. Yes, just like that!" Another shot. "Now, look pouty. Can you make your face look like you're pouting about something? Yes, perfect!" He moved closer for a shot of her face. "Now, dangle both legs off the sides of the chair. No, go ahead, like this," he reached down and gently grasped Anna's leg with his fingers and moved it. "There, now just hold it." Another shot. "Now this time, give me that lazy smile again." He stood back and took another shot.
"How am I doing?" Anna asked.
Derek grinned. "You're doing great! You're a natural!" He gestured. "Now let's do some by the picnic table."
Obediently, Anna went to the picnic table and sat on the bench. Derek studied her for a minute.
"No," he mused. "Tell you what--try sitting on the other side of the table."
Anna got up and moved to the other side. She sat down again. Derek mused, "Yes, that'll be better."
"What was wrong?" Anna asked. “Was I doing something wrong?"
"No," Derek shook his head. "Those garbage cans by the house were in the background. This way, I get the peony bush behind you." He moved slightly. "Now, can you cross your legs, and put your left arm up on the table, like you're leaning on it? Yeah, just like that! Perfect!" He proceeded to take a couple of shots, each time asking Anna to move an arm or a leg, or assume a different expression on her face.
"You really think I'm pretty?" she asked, as he was framing a shot.
He let down the camera and looked at her for a minute. "Of course you're pretty, Butterfly. Look at you! You have an adorable round face, and your eyes are nice and big and inviting. And your little chin is perfectly shaped. In fact," he looked at her face for a minute, "let's try something."
"What?"
"Can you undo your hair? Let it out of that ponytail?"
"Sure." Anna reached behind her head and slipped the hair band off her ponytail. Immediately, her brown hair tumbled out, spreading out down her back.
"Oh, wow!" Derek looked at it. He held up his camera. "Yes, this'll work." He put the camera down, and came over to Anna. I want you to get up and sit up on the table itself. Let your legs dangle down to the seat." Anna obeyed.
"Now, put your hands behind you, on the table, and lean back a little . . .yes, just like that. . .. now cross your legs, and lean your head back a little . . .perfect!" He snapped the picture. "Good. Now, curl your right leg in."
"What? I don't understand what you mean," Anna looked at him quizzically.
"Like this,” Derek came over to the picnic table. With one hand he moved Anna's right calf so that her toes were pointing to her left thigh. Then his fingers gently touched Anna's bare thigh, moving it into position. He stepped back and looked into his camera. "That's it!" He took the picture, then moved forward to Anna again. With his free hand he reached out and brushed Anna's hair back a little. She tingled as she felt his fingers touching her face.
"Okay, now," he looked at her, "let's try something else. I want you to lay on your side, facing me, and prop your head up with your hand."
Anna felt just a little vulnerable as she lay on the tabletop. She lay on her side as directed.
"Now," Derek peered through the viewfinder, "I want you to curl your bottom leg forward, and bend your top leg up."
"I don't understand," Anna protested. "Pose me."
Derek came forward again. Anna felt his fingers gently touching the inside of her right thigh, pushing it up. Then he moved her left thigh so her leg was bent out in front of her. "Beautiful!" he whispered, as he moved back to take the shot.
Another rush went through Anna. Beautiful! There was another adjective she'd never heard. "You think I'm beautiful?" She asked.
Derek shook his head. "You really don't know, do you?"
"But I'm just a kid," she protested.
"Listen, Butterfly, you're right on the edge of being a woman. You're, like, the perfect age--just about to turn into a woman, and just young enough not to realize it. Tell you what---when we get done, you leave me your email address, and I'll send you copies of these pictures. OK? Then you'll see how you look."
"Okay," Anna heard herself say.
"Now, I want you to lie on your back on the tabletop. All the way back."
As Anna obeyed she began to feel more vulnerable. Derek came over. "I'm going to pose you," he said gently. As he leaned over her, Anna became conscious of his shirtless body. She could smell the faintly musky odor of the skin on his chest. His nipple was inches away from her face. He reached out and put her left hand back behind her head. As she started to follow suit with her right hand, he said, "No," and guided her right arm over, so her hand was on her stomach. Then his fingers guided her right leg into the same raised position it was in in the previous shot. But his fingers touched her left thigh, spreading it out, so her left calf was dangling over the side of the table.
He stepped back. "Nice!" He raised his camera and took the shot. Anna was feeling a little funny, with her bare legs spread on the picnic table, with Derek looking admiringly at her. He held up the camera again. "Now another one, only this time, smile for me--you have a beautiful smile--let me see it." He took the picture.
Anna looked down at the bottom of her blouse--so that was why she was feeling so vulnerable--her blouse was riding up, showing about an inch of her bare tummy. She wondered if Derek had gotten that in the picture. She sat up again quickly, adjusting herself.
Derek was motioning out into the yard. "Okay, just a couple over here with the tree, and then we're done."
Anna walked over to the tree. "How do you want me?"
"Oh, I want you hanging by your hands from the tree, from that branch," Derek indicated a stout branch, about two inches in diameter, projecting straight out, about eight feet up.
"I can't reach that!" Anna protested.
"Sure you can. I'll boost you up," and without any more warning, Derek came behind Anna and put his huge hands around her waist. She felt his strong grip picking her up, her feet leaving the ground. "Now, reach up with both hands and grab the branch." Anna obeyed. "Got it? Good, I'm going to let go of you now." Anna felt his hands releasing her.
She looked down. She was several feet off the ground, hanging from the branch. She felt her blouse riding up as she gripped the branch, baring her stomach--but she dare not let go to adjust her clothes. Her bare legs and feet were free, dangling in the air.
Derek stepped back, leaving Anna helpless on the tree branch. "Perfect! Adorable!" He held his camera up and snapped the picture. "One more--only this time, give me a smile--a real mischievous smile! There you go!" And he snapped again.
"Hey, get me down!" Anna protested. Derek put down the camera and came over to her. His hands felt big and strong as he grasped her by her waist.
"Why did you need those pictures anyway?" She asked.
"I needed a couple of fun ones," he replied, and then grinned, "and with these I got a chance to see your belly button."
His strong hands were gripping Anna's bare waist, the tops of this fingers just sliding up under her blouse. He held her as she let go, and let her down until her feet touched the ground.
Catching her breath, she gave him a half-serious pout. "Why did you want to see my belly button?" she demanded.
Derek grinned. "Because you saw mine."
Anna couldn't deny that.
"Anyway," he went on, "you have an adorable little belly button. It's going to look good in the picture."
"Okay," she looked around, "What do you want me to do next?"
Derek shrugged. "Nothing right now, Butterfly. These are going to be great pictures. My teacher'll love 'em." He pulled a pen out of his pocket. "Give me your email address, so I can send these to you." He handed her the pen, and stuck out his arm. "Write it right here on my arm."
Anna held his arm with her left hand, and wrote on his forearm. Derek smiled.
"I guess I better be going, then?" Anna started off.
"Wait," Derek stopped her. "Don't forget this," and he pulled a roll of bills out of his pocket. He pulled off a twenty and a five. "Modelling fee," he grinned, smiling at her.
"Oh yes, thank you," Anna slipped the bills into the pocket in her shorts.
"And let me give you a boost over that fence," Derek offered. He reached out and picked her up by her waist again. He carried her over to the fence, and set her on the top rail. "Will you be okay from there?"
"Sure," Anna grinned. She swung her legs over to her own side of the fence, and hopped down. She turned and waved at Derek. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he responded, smiling, as he watched her run back into the house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As Anna whisked through the door into the kitchen, she saw her mom, sitting at the kitchen table, a beer can open in front of her, looking vacant.
"Where you been?"
"Just outside," Anna responded, noncommittally.
Her mom looked at her with tired vacant eyes. "Look, honey, I shouldn't-a said what I did. Now, how much do you need for school? Was it twenty bucks?"
Anna didn't even look at her. "Never mind, I earned it myself," she said over her shoulder, and strode evenly through the door to the hallway, headed for her room.
Flopping down on her bed, she felt good--better than she had in a while. Part of it was from the satisfaction of telling her mom off, as if to say, "I don't need you."
But there was more to it than that. She still heard the words "pretty," "adorable," and "beautiful" echoing through her head. And to think, they'd come from some muscular, good-looking guy that she'd never seen before. Her nose could still sense the musky odor from his chest. The skin on her waist was still tingling from the firm touch of his hands. She closed her eyes and started imagining him picking her up, holding her, kissing her . . .
Wait a minute! That was stupid! Here she was, only eleven, and she was having fantasies about some guy five years older than she. It was ridiculous. He was probably doing exactly what he said--doing a photography project for school, and needed a model.
She wanted to tell her two friends Amiee and Emily about it--about this hot-looking shirtless boy who had picked her up, and laid her on the table and posed her for himself. How strong and yet gentle he was when he touched her. How he told her she was beautiful--her, little Anna from the sixth grade, beautiful!
No, they'd just laugh. They weren't old enough yet to understand about boys. Although, come to think of it, Emily was always looking through Tiger Beat, looking at all the photos of big muscular men. And she'd seen both of them ogling the shirtless muscular male heroes on TV. Well, maybe she wouldn't say anything just yet.
She lay back on the bed, and closed her eyes, thinking about her modeling session with Derek.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'll be right there," Anna called to Aimee and Emily. "I just gotta check my inbox."
Her statement drew a dirty look and a "shhhh!" from Mrs. Wingler, the librarian. Her two friends waved at her, and headed out of the library toward the lunchroom.
Aimee sat down at a computer, and typed in her email server. Quickly entering her account information, she clicked again, and saw her list of inbox messages pop up on the screen.
One of them stood out; it was from dkunzian@aero.net.
She opened it, and read:
Hi Anna. I couldn't send you the pictures, because the file is too big. My teacher loved it. Can you come and pose for me again tonight, about the same time? I'll pay you twenty-five again. I'll give you the files from the other night when I see you. Let me know. Derek.
Anna looked around, then quickly typed:
OK. Tonight about 6:30. What should I wear?
and clicked the "reply" button. With a feeling of lightness, she got up and went to the cafeteria to catch up with her friends.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later, when she got home, Anna went to her room and checked her mail again. There were two new messages from dkunzian@aero.net:
Don't worry about what to wear. I'll have some stuff I want you to wear.
and
On second thought, can you wear that white blouse you had on before?
Anna typed a "yes" message quickly and sent it back.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Just get out of here! Go on, now! Get out of my sight!"
The shrill female voice could be heard coming through the screen door of the house into the back yard. A moment later an eleven-year old girl dashed out, sobbing, into the early fall evening. She was barefoot, wearing only yellow shorts and a sleeveless white buttoned blouse. Her brown hair, done into a ponytail, bounced behind her head as she ran.
"And just stay out there 'til you learn how to talk to your mother!" the voice rasped out after her.
Anna's mom was drunk again. Anna could tell that from her voice. It had been happening more and more since her dad had left, a year ago, just packing his bags and leaving, with no explanation. Her mom had had to struggle to keep the family going, to earn money to pay the rent on the little four-room house, and to keep the groceries coming in. Anna knew it was a stress on her mom, and that her mom had been turning to drink more and more to escape the strain.
But tonight was about the worst it had ever been. Anna had needed twenty dollars for school the next day, for a field trip. She'd told her mom about it a week ago. But when she'd reminded her tonight, her mom had just sat down at the table, and pulled out a whiskey bottle from a bag of groceries, and opened it.
"I don't have twenty bucks," she'd said abruptly.
Anna heard herself shoot back, "But you had enough money to buy that bottle of whiskey!"
Her mom had whirled on her, and had started in on her. "How dare you talk to me like that! I earn this money and I have a perfect right to spend it any way I want! I've earned the right to sit down and have a drink when I get home!"
Anna could tell her mom had been drinking already.
"I shouldn’t have to spend it all on you! Where does it say I have to spend every last dime on your stupid school projects? That damned teacher of yours is always asking for money! Just last week she wanted fifteen bucks for that entry fee! Now this! Maybe your teacher should come and work my job for me, huh?"
Anna backed off. Her mom continued, "And where do you think you get off scolding me about my drinking? Who do you think you are, anyway, you little brat? Just one more burden I have to pay for! Just one more drain on my paycheck! And you have the nerve to try to lecture me about how much I drink? Get out of here!"
Anna had never heard her mom quite this stressed before. She was afraid, and hurt. She backed off, toward the door.
"Just get out of here! Go on, now! Get out of my sight!"
Letting the door slam behind her, she ran out into the yard, feeling rejected, tears of frustration in her eyes.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As she sat in the backyard, catching her breath, she wondered what she'd do. School had started, just a couple weeks ago. So far, none of her friends in the sixth grade knew about her mom. She didn't want to tell them anything. She wasn't sure how they'd respond. She could imagine their reaction, at first sounding supportive and sympathetic, then gradually backing away, leaving her out of their circle, not talking to her anymore. She didn't want that.
What was hurting her even more was the sting of the last couple of words she'd heard her mom shout at her. "Burden!" "Drain on my paycheck!" "Get out of my sight!" She'd never expect her own mother to scream that at her! Was she such a burden to her mom? Maybe she was. After all, it would be easy for her mom to get back on her feet if she didn't have Anna to take care of.
A voice interrupted her musings. "Hey! You! Wanna earn twenty-five bucks?"
She looked over to the fence on the side of the yard, where the voice was coming from. There she saw a boy, about five or six years older than her. He had wavy blonde hair, and a slightly round face, but with a firm jaw. He was leaning on the fence, apparently shirtless, with his rather muscular arms folded in front of him on the fence rail.
Anna was startled. "How long have you been looking at me?" she demanded.
"Just a few minutes. I heard you come out the door and I was watching you after that. So, you wanna earn some money?"
"How?" asked Anna warily.
The boy held up a digital camera. "Just pose for me for a couple of pictures. I gotta take a couple pictures for school, and I want you to be my model. I'll pay you twenty-five bucks."
Anna thought for a moment. She did need the money for school. "What kind of posing?"
"Oh, just come over and sit over here in the backyard. Let me take a few pictures of you." He stopped, and seeing a quizzical look on her face, went on, "I'm taking this photography class at the high school, and we gotta take a series of pictures of a live model."
That sounded reasonable. "But why do you want to take pictures of me?"
"'Cause you're pretty."
"No, I am not!" Anna protested with a little smile, but a faint thrill zipped through her. No one had ever called her pretty before. Cute, maybe, when she was younger. But, a guy she'd never met, thinking she was pretty? Wow! That was a far cry from "burden" or "drain on the paycheck!" That was something she'd never thought of before--she was pretty!
"Sure you are!" he was saying. "You better look in a mirror sometime, if you don't know you're pretty!" He hesitated. "Want to pose for me?"
"Okay," Anna grinned. She got up and walked over to a place on the back of the fence. Hooking her toes around the lower fence rail, she boosted herself up and grabbed the top of the fence. She pushed, at the same time swinging one of her legs over the fence. She was ready to let herself drop down, when she felt strong hands holding her around her waist, letting her slowly down to the ground.
"I could have gotten down by myself," she protested.
"I know. I didn't want you to hurt yourself."
Anna took a look at the boy. He was a head taller than she was, and fairly muscular. He was wearing jeans that hung from his hips, revealing a taut belly and a well-shaped vee. His chest was strong and tight, with small pert nipples. In one of his muscular hands he was holding a camera. He was grinning as he noticed her studying him.
"By the way, I'm Derek," he offered. "What's your name?"
"I'm Anna," she replied.
She'd never been in this backyard before. As she looked around, she noticed that there was a patio, paved with brick, at the back of the house. A screen door led from the patio onto the house. On the patio were a couple of folding lounge chairs, and, and a wooden picnic table in the middle. The rest of the yard was covered with grass, with a few patchy spots. An unused clothes pole protruded from the ground in one corner of the yard. In the center of the yard was a mature tree, with its lowest branches protruding out about six feet above the ground.
"Well, let's get started," Derek gestured to the patio. "For the first couple shots, I'd like to have you sitting in this chair." He gestured to a lounge chair, unfolded next to the house.
"You want me just to sit there?" Anna asked.
"Sure. I can show you how I want to pose you for each shot."
Anna went over and sat back in the lounge chair.
"Now, for the first one, put your hands behind your head, like you were being all luxurious. And raise your left knee, so your left leg is folded up."
Anna did as she was told.
"Good! Now smile. A real casual lazy smile." Anna made her face smile, as Derek moved slightly for the shot. "Perfect!" He took the picture. "Now for the next one, keep your hands where they are, but this time take your left leg and let it dangle over the side of the chair. Yes! Just like that! Perfect!' He shot again. "Now, stay in that same pose, but make your face look serious. Yes, just like that!" Another shot. "Now, look pouty. Can you make your face look like you're pouting about something? Yes, perfect!" He moved closer for a shot of her face. "Now, dangle both legs off the sides of the chair. No, go ahead, like this," he reached down and gently grasped Anna's leg with his fingers and moved it. "There, now just hold it." Another shot. "Now this time, give me that lazy smile again." He stood back and took another shot.
"How am I doing?" Anna asked.
Derek grinned. "You're doing great! You're a natural!" He gestured. "Now let's do some by the picnic table."
Obediently, Anna went to the picnic table and sat on the bench. Derek studied her for a minute.
"No," he mused. "Tell you what--try sitting on the other side of the table."
Anna got up and moved to the other side. She sat down again. Derek mused, "Yes, that'll be better."
"What was wrong?" Anna asked. “Was I doing something wrong?"
"No," Derek shook his head. "Those garbage cans by the house were in the background. This way, I get the peony bush behind you." He moved slightly. "Now, can you cross your legs, and put your left arm up on the table, like you're leaning on it? Yeah, just like that! Perfect!" He proceeded to take a couple of shots, each time asking Anna to move an arm or a leg, or assume a different expression on her face.
"You really think I'm pretty?" she asked, as he was framing a shot.
He let down the camera and looked at her for a minute. "Of course you're pretty, Butterfly. Look at you! You have an adorable round face, and your eyes are nice and big and inviting. And your little chin is perfectly shaped. In fact," he looked at her face for a minute, "let's try something."
"What?"
"Can you undo your hair? Let it out of that ponytail?"
"Sure." Anna reached behind her head and slipped the hair band off her ponytail. Immediately, her brown hair tumbled out, spreading out down her back.
"Oh, wow!" Derek looked at it. He held up his camera. "Yes, this'll work." He put the camera down, and came over to Anna. I want you to get up and sit up on the table itself. Let your legs dangle down to the seat." Anna obeyed.
"Now, put your hands behind you, on the table, and lean back a little . . .yes, just like that. . .. now cross your legs, and lean your head back a little . . .perfect!" He snapped the picture. "Good. Now, curl your right leg in."
"What? I don't understand what you mean," Anna looked at him quizzically.
"Like this,” Derek came over to the picnic table. With one hand he moved Anna's right calf so that her toes were pointing to her left thigh. Then his fingers gently touched Anna's bare thigh, moving it into position. He stepped back and looked into his camera. "That's it!" He took the picture, then moved forward to Anna again. With his free hand he reached out and brushed Anna's hair back a little. She tingled as she felt his fingers touching her face.
"Okay, now," he looked at her, "let's try something else. I want you to lay on your side, facing me, and prop your head up with your hand."
Anna felt just a little vulnerable as she lay on the tabletop. She lay on her side as directed.
"Now," Derek peered through the viewfinder, "I want you to curl your bottom leg forward, and bend your top leg up."
"I don't understand," Anna protested. "Pose me."
Derek came forward again. Anna felt his fingers gently touching the inside of her right thigh, pushing it up. Then he moved her left thigh so her leg was bent out in front of her. "Beautiful!" he whispered, as he moved back to take the shot.
Another rush went through Anna. Beautiful! There was another adjective she'd never heard. "You think I'm beautiful?" She asked.
Derek shook his head. "You really don't know, do you?"
"But I'm just a kid," she protested.
"Listen, Butterfly, you're right on the edge of being a woman. You're, like, the perfect age--just about to turn into a woman, and just young enough not to realize it. Tell you what---when we get done, you leave me your email address, and I'll send you copies of these pictures. OK? Then you'll see how you look."
"Okay," Anna heard herself say.
"Now, I want you to lie on your back on the tabletop. All the way back."
As Anna obeyed she began to feel more vulnerable. Derek came over. "I'm going to pose you," he said gently. As he leaned over her, Anna became conscious of his shirtless body. She could smell the faintly musky odor of the skin on his chest. His nipple was inches away from her face. He reached out and put her left hand back behind her head. As she started to follow suit with her right hand, he said, "No," and guided her right arm over, so her hand was on her stomach. Then his fingers guided her right leg into the same raised position it was in in the previous shot. But his fingers touched her left thigh, spreading it out, so her left calf was dangling over the side of the table.
He stepped back. "Nice!" He raised his camera and took the shot. Anna was feeling a little funny, with her bare legs spread on the picnic table, with Derek looking admiringly at her. He held up the camera again. "Now another one, only this time, smile for me--you have a beautiful smile--let me see it." He took the picture.
Anna looked down at the bottom of her blouse--so that was why she was feeling so vulnerable--her blouse was riding up, showing about an inch of her bare tummy. She wondered if Derek had gotten that in the picture. She sat up again quickly, adjusting herself.
Derek was motioning out into the yard. "Okay, just a couple over here with the tree, and then we're done."
Anna walked over to the tree. "How do you want me?"
"Oh, I want you hanging by your hands from the tree, from that branch," Derek indicated a stout branch, about two inches in diameter, projecting straight out, about eight feet up.
"I can't reach that!" Anna protested.
"Sure you can. I'll boost you up," and without any more warning, Derek came behind Anna and put his huge hands around her waist. She felt his strong grip picking her up, her feet leaving the ground. "Now, reach up with both hands and grab the branch." Anna obeyed. "Got it? Good, I'm going to let go of you now." Anna felt his hands releasing her.
She looked down. She was several feet off the ground, hanging from the branch. She felt her blouse riding up as she gripped the branch, baring her stomach--but she dare not let go to adjust her clothes. Her bare legs and feet were free, dangling in the air.
Derek stepped back, leaving Anna helpless on the tree branch. "Perfect! Adorable!" He held his camera up and snapped the picture. "One more--only this time, give me a smile--a real mischievous smile! There you go!" And he snapped again.
"Hey, get me down!" Anna protested. Derek put down the camera and came over to her. His hands felt big and strong as he grasped her by her waist.
"Why did you need those pictures anyway?" She asked.
"I needed a couple of fun ones," he replied, and then grinned, "and with these I got a chance to see your belly button."
His strong hands were gripping Anna's bare waist, the tops of this fingers just sliding up under her blouse. He held her as she let go, and let her down until her feet touched the ground.
Catching her breath, she gave him a half-serious pout. "Why did you want to see my belly button?" she demanded.
Derek grinned. "Because you saw mine."
Anna couldn't deny that.
"Anyway," he went on, "you have an adorable little belly button. It's going to look good in the picture."
"Okay," she looked around, "What do you want me to do next?"
Derek shrugged. "Nothing right now, Butterfly. These are going to be great pictures. My teacher'll love 'em." He pulled a pen out of his pocket. "Give me your email address, so I can send these to you." He handed her the pen, and stuck out his arm. "Write it right here on my arm."
Anna held his arm with her left hand, and wrote on his forearm. Derek smiled.
"I guess I better be going, then?" Anna started off.
"Wait," Derek stopped her. "Don't forget this," and he pulled a roll of bills out of his pocket. He pulled off a twenty and a five. "Modelling fee," he grinned, smiling at her.
"Oh yes, thank you," Anna slipped the bills into the pocket in her shorts.
"And let me give you a boost over that fence," Derek offered. He reached out and picked her up by her waist again. He carried her over to the fence, and set her on the top rail. "Will you be okay from there?"
"Sure," Anna grinned. She swung her legs over to her own side of the fence, and hopped down. She turned and waved at Derek. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he responded, smiling, as he watched her run back into the house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As Anna whisked through the door into the kitchen, she saw her mom, sitting at the kitchen table, a beer can open in front of her, looking vacant.
"Where you been?"
"Just outside," Anna responded, noncommittally.
Her mom looked at her with tired vacant eyes. "Look, honey, I shouldn't-a said what I did. Now, how much do you need for school? Was it twenty bucks?"
Anna didn't even look at her. "Never mind, I earned it myself," she said over her shoulder, and strode evenly through the door to the hallway, headed for her room.
Flopping down on her bed, she felt good--better than she had in a while. Part of it was from the satisfaction of telling her mom off, as if to say, "I don't need you."
But there was more to it than that. She still heard the words "pretty," "adorable," and "beautiful" echoing through her head. And to think, they'd come from some muscular, good-looking guy that she'd never seen before. Her nose could still sense the musky odor from his chest. The skin on her waist was still tingling from the firm touch of his hands. She closed her eyes and started imagining him picking her up, holding her, kissing her . . .
Wait a minute! That was stupid! Here she was, only eleven, and she was having fantasies about some guy five years older than she. It was ridiculous. He was probably doing exactly what he said--doing a photography project for school, and needed a model.
She wanted to tell her two friends Amiee and Emily about it--about this hot-looking shirtless boy who had picked her up, and laid her on the table and posed her for himself. How strong and yet gentle he was when he touched her. How he told her she was beautiful--her, little Anna from the sixth grade, beautiful!
No, they'd just laugh. They weren't old enough yet to understand about boys. Although, come to think of it, Emily was always looking through Tiger Beat, looking at all the photos of big muscular men. And she'd seen both of them ogling the shirtless muscular male heroes on TV. Well, maybe she wouldn't say anything just yet.
She lay back on the bed, and closed her eyes, thinking about her modeling session with Derek.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'll be right there," Anna called to Aimee and Emily. "I just gotta check my inbox."
Her statement drew a dirty look and a "shhhh!" from Mrs. Wingler, the librarian. Her two friends waved at her, and headed out of the library toward the lunchroom.
Aimee sat down at a computer, and typed in her email server. Quickly entering her account information, she clicked again, and saw her list of inbox messages pop up on the screen.
One of them stood out; it was from dkunzian@aero.net.
She opened it, and read:
Hi Anna. I couldn't send you the pictures, because the file is too big. My teacher loved it. Can you come and pose for me again tonight, about the same time? I'll pay you twenty-five again. I'll give you the files from the other night when I see you. Let me know. Derek.
Anna looked around, then quickly typed:
OK. Tonight about 6:30. What should I wear?
and clicked the "reply" button. With a feeling of lightness, she got up and went to the cafeteria to catch up with her friends.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later, when she got home, Anna went to her room and checked her mail again. There were two new messages from dkunzian@aero.net:
Don't worry about what to wear. I'll have some stuff I want you to wear.
and
On second thought, can you wear that white blouse you had on before?
Anna typed a "yes" message quickly and sent it back.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~