o’clock?”
“Three
it is,” she said, dashing off.
Isabel
took a seat before an easel and pulled a stash of pastel pencils from her
backpack.
“You
know what I hate about these life drawing classes?” Cindy asked from beside
her. “It’s the models they get. We’re supposed to be talking body form here.
Think Michelangelo’s David. But all we ever get are these little skinny dudes.
Waiflike, if you can even apply that term to guys.”
“All
bodies are beautiful in their own way.” She was glad she’d finally gotten a class
with her best friend. This had been the first one all year. During the last
session, they’d studied the female figure. Today’s focus was the male anatomy.
She adjusted her newsprint on the board before her, feeling Cindy grab her arm.
“Hang
on,” Cindy said under her breath. “I think we’ve just been blessed.”
Isabel
slowly raised her eyes to spy the back of their tall, blond model as he slid
the robe from his frame. Musculature rippled across his well-toned back and
taut derriere. “O. M. G.”
“Yeah.
Right,” Cindy whispered. “I’m almost scared to have him turn around.”
As
he did, Isabel gasped. When she and Robert had played doctor as kids, they’d
teased each other with slight glimpses of each other’s bodies, but she’d never seen
as much of him as all that. Even if
she had, it certainly couldn’t have competed with the way he looked now. All
grown up and gorgeous.
Robert
set his robe on a nearby table, then took his place on the stool at the front
of the room, bathed in the spotlights’ glow. He was…absolutely…perfect. From
his head down to his toes then… Oh! All the way back up again—past his buff
six-pack and broad, muscled chest and that hot-as-sin sexy face that, in and of
itself, could make most women moan. Isabel swallowed hard, not at all sure she
could do this.
“What’s
the matter?” Cindy asked, hastily beginning to sketch. “Why aren’t you starting?”
Isabel
was grateful she sat at the back of the room and that the glare from the lights
was in his eyes. She felt her grip on her pencil slide as her palms went moist.
“I
just never thought I’d have this opportunity.”
“You
and me both,” Cindy said, giving Isabel’s hand holding the pencil a nudge. “And
neither of us is going to waste it.”
“No,”
Isabel said, striving to remain professional. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Robert
sat as still as possible, trying to distract himself from the fact that he was
sitting naked before a crowded room. If he hadn’t made that deal with his buddy
Alan, he’d never be here. As it was, he was stuck upholding his end of the bargain.
When he’d been suddenly called out of town to New York, he’d needed someone to
pick up his shift at the lab quickly. The sole volunteer in sight had been Alan —a lthough
Alan’s offer of help had come with a price. He had a freelance job he needed
Robert’s help with later. Robert had easily agreed, thinking maybe Alan did
part-time landscaping or something. He had no clue he’d wind up here, like Adam
in need of a fig leaf.
Robert’s
only sense of relief lay in believing nobody in the class knew him. He’d just
caught a glimpse of their faces as he’d entered the studio, and, gratefully,
none had looked familiar. Now all he had to do was stay put for the next ninety
minutes, ignoring the fact that his…uh…personal attributes were on open
display. The fact was, there was nothing personal about this. This was a
centuries’ old practice concerning the rendering of art and creative portrayals
of the human body. That it was his body in particular didn’t matter one iota to
any of the artists in the room. And Robert knew he’d do well to remember that.
Robert
approached the Student Center, spying a beautiful blonde seated in a booth
beside the plate-glass window. A backpack was parked beside her on the bench as
she busily tapped at the laptop positioned before
“Three
it is,” she said, dashing off.
Isabel
took a seat before an easel and pulled a stash of pastel pencils from her
backpack.
“You
know what I hate about these life drawing classes?” Cindy asked from beside
her. “It’s the models they get. We’re supposed to be talking body form here.
Think Michelangelo’s David. But all we ever get are these little skinny dudes.
Waiflike, if you can even apply that term to guys.”
“All
bodies are beautiful in their own way.” She was glad she’d finally gotten a class
with her best friend. This had been the first one all year. During the last
session, they’d studied the female figure. Today’s focus was the male anatomy.
She adjusted her newsprint on the board before her, feeling Cindy grab her arm.
“Hang
on,” Cindy said under her breath. “I think we’ve just been blessed.”
Isabel
slowly raised her eyes to spy the back of their tall, blond model as he slid
the robe from his frame. Musculature rippled across his well-toned back and
taut derriere. “O. M. G.”
“Yeah.
Right,” Cindy whispered. “I’m almost scared to have him turn around.”
As
he did, Isabel gasped. When she and Robert had played doctor as kids, they’d
teased each other with slight glimpses of each other’s bodies, but she’d never seen
as much of him as all that. Even if
she had, it certainly couldn’t have competed with the way he looked now. All
grown up and gorgeous.
Robert
set his robe on a nearby table, then took his place on the stool at the front
of the room, bathed in the spotlights’ glow. He was…absolutely…perfect. From
his head down to his toes then… Oh! All the way back up again—past his buff
six-pack and broad, muscled chest and that hot-as-sin sexy face that, in and of
itself, could make most women moan. Isabel swallowed hard, not at all sure she
could do this.
“What’s
the matter?” Cindy asked, hastily beginning to sketch. “Why aren’t you starting?”
Isabel
was grateful she sat at the back of the room and that the glare from the lights
was in his eyes. She felt her grip on her pencil slide as her palms went moist.
“I
just never thought I’d have this opportunity.”
“You
and me both,” Cindy said, giving Isabel’s hand holding the pencil a nudge. “And
neither of us is going to waste it.”
“No,”
Isabel said, striving to remain professional. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Robert
sat as still as possible, trying to distract himself from the fact that he was
sitting naked before a crowded room. If he hadn’t made that deal with his buddy
Alan, he’d never be here. As it was, he was stuck upholding his end of the bargain.
When he’d been suddenly called out of town to New York, he’d needed someone to
pick up his shift at the lab quickly. The sole volunteer in sight had been Alan —a lthough
Alan’s offer of help had come with a price. He had a freelance job he needed
Robert’s help with later. Robert had easily agreed, thinking maybe Alan did
part-time landscaping or something. He had no clue he’d wind up here, like Adam
in need of a fig leaf.
Robert’s
only sense of relief lay in believing nobody in the class knew him. He’d just
caught a glimpse of their faces as he’d entered the studio, and, gratefully,
none had looked familiar. Now all he had to do was stay put for the next ninety
minutes, ignoring the fact that his…uh…personal attributes were on open
display. The fact was, there was nothing personal about this. This was a
centuries’ old practice concerning the rendering of art and creative portrayals
of the human body. That it was his body in particular didn’t matter one iota to
any of the artists in the room. And Robert knew he’d do well to remember that.
Robert
approached the Student Center, spying a beautiful blonde seated in a booth
beside the plate-glass window. A backpack was parked beside her on the bench as
she busily tapped at the laptop positioned before
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