Fetish

vi. smile!

Cathy was in a luxurious marble bathtub with her legs spread wide. "Come for me." Andrew ordered, whispering in his ear. His fingers slid from her clit to her opening in smooth but quick strokes. Another hand of his pressed and squeezed her breasts, teasing her n*****s, hard and sensitive. Her body, wet with the warm scented water of her bath salts, writhed in pleasure as she tried to delay her impending orgasm. “Come for me, babe,” he said once more. Unable to contain herself, Cathy achieved multiple orgasms in a row, writhing in spasms until her body felt cold and tired.

When Cathy opened her eyes, she wasn't in a luxurious bathtub, but in her apartment’s bathtub. The fingers touching her were none other than her own.

- This is getting ridiculous. - Cathy said to Ella. The two of them were in Ella's apartment drinking wine on the couch. - I must have dreamed about him at least three times since I posed for him.

- Well, I'm aware he's hot but you're getting a little obsessed. -Said Ella, laughing at her friend.

- I know! - Said Cathy, frustrated. - I don't remember the last time anyone made me feel like this, it’s so annoying.

- Maybe it's because he ignored you completely.

- He didn't ignore me! Well, he... He was very respectful. I'm not exactly used to it.

- Is he really a famous artist like you said? I mean, I know my firm represents him but I didn’t knew it was because of that.

- Yes! He has a work in Metro Pictures… It portrays some sort of psychedelic orgy in hell with butterfly demons or something. I researched his other paintings, his art is extremely erotic but like… Acid trip erotic. I can't believe I didn't pose nude for him.

- When is your next session?

- Tomorrow afternoon.

- Don't forget we have Jess's birthday on Friday!

- I won't, I promise!

- How much is Mr. Lowe paying you to pose for him?

- Fifty thousand… With an additional ten thousand per session. Too bad the frame won't be sold. Royalties from a Xavier Köhler work would keep me pretty and rich forever.

- He is a famous artist with a billion dollar generational fortune. - Ella said, finishing the wine in her glass. - What's your plan to seduce him?

- I have no idea, he makes me so nervous… He's so hot and rich and serious and talented, how should I behave? I feel like a little girl trying to impress her friend's older brother but afraid he might correspond at the same time. I swear, Ella, no man should be allowed to disarm me like that.

- Well, armed or not, you can’t, in any way, let this man escape you. Or at least check if he has any billionaire friends to introduce me to…

- I joke about this stuff, but I don't think I would dare to play with someone's feelings for money like that. Imagine getting stuck in a loveless relationship...

- You're so romantic... Watch out for that little heart of yours, Kit-Kat.

Catherine was smart, brave, shamelessly sensual, and knew how to use her s*x appeal to her advantage. But she wasn't always like that. Born and raised in a traditional Christian family, Cathy dreamed of being a virgin bride, walking down the aisle in a white dress, and living happily ever after with her own prince charming. But the boys were too interesting, the girls were too pretty, and poor little Cat was too curious. “One day we're going to get out of this town and live our truth, sis,” said Cameron, Cathy's older brother, when he was still alive. His death, a terrible car accident, was what made Catherine leave her town, her self-righteous family and a lifetime of false smiles for an uncertain adventure in New York.

Cathy was preparing for her second art session with Mr. Lowe. She was in the bathroom trying to choose a good bra when her phone rang. It was an unknown number.

- Hello?

- Ms. West. - It was Andrew's voice. - Catherine, hello.

- Mr. Lo... Andrew. - She said, unable to contain a smile. - Hello.

- Forgive me for calling, I asked Jonathan to give me your number. Are you busy?

- No, I was getting ready to meet you right now.

- Do you mind staying for another hour today? - He asked, straight. - Actually, it's a little more than that. Do you mind taking some pictures?

- Photos? What kind of photos? - She questioned, curious.

- To my website. I usually share some pictures from my studio… Well, I'm not in my studio anymore, but I always like to photograph my process.

- Well, that's fine with me. - Said Cathy.

- Great, see you later then.

Cathy was excited by the idea of Andrew photographing her and was very sweet of him to call ahead to ask if she was okay with it. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that, as much as she posed for him dressed, he was drawing her naked, spending hours thinking about her naked body, filling in what he didn't know with his imagination. Cathy wanted to take her clothes off for him, the same way she'd undressed for her old customers at the nightclub, the same way she undressed for Russell's art class. She finished getting ready and called a car to take her to Mr. Lowe's apartment.

When Catherine got off the elevator on the sixteenth floor, she was a little out of place - after all, she was entering someone's house unannounced and completely alone. She crossed the room and called for Andrew, but before he could answer, she saw him with a camera in his hand, photographing his living-room-turned-studio.

- Hi, Catherine. - Andrew said, smiling when he saw her.

- Hello. - She said, smiling. - Please, just Cathy. Only my mom used to call me Catherine like that, it's weird.

- Cathy… - He smiled, looking at the camera's digital viewfinder. - Smile!

Andrew pointed the camera at Cathy and she was startled, covering her face as a first reaction. She laughed and he kept photographing her and she tried to act a little more relaxed.

- Want something to drink? - Andrew asked, still checking the camera. - I think all I have is alcohol… And water, of course. I apologize.

- No, thank you. - Cathy smiled. She looked at Andrew's easel and saw that there were three other canvases beneath it, all three containing sketches of the drawing he was making of her in the last session. - What happened to the original canvas?

- Just a creative crisis, I think. - Andrew said.

- Not satisfied with the pose?

- No, the pose is fine. I just need to get one thing right… That I still don't know what it is.

- Yeah, I know the feeling.

- Are you an artist too?

- Kind of. I am a dancer. I mean, I was… But technically I still am, sort of. It's complicated.

- Yeah, it seems. - He laughed, unpretentiously. - Well, everything is ready. We should start.

Cathy went to her place and Andrew went to get the jewelry box to prepare it. This time, she was wearing a white crop top with spaghetti straps instead of her bra, so he wouldn't think she was trying to tease him or something - all the friendliness and detachment he had been treating her so far needed to be reciprocated, no matter how she felt. Once she was covered in sapphires and diamonds, sitting in the position they'd agreed to, he returned to his position behind the easel and picked up one of the canvases sketched on the floor. He looked at the screen, at Catherine, at the screen again, and the entire room was utterly silent. Cathy allowed herself to move her eyes and glanced at him briefly, to understand why she wasn't hearing scribbling. Andrew was staring at her sketch like he was going to start talking to it at any moment.

- It's everything alright? - Cathy asked, remaining still.

- Yes… - Andrew replied, a little distracted. - It's just… I need you to take your clothes off.