“Yes, indeed, only 20 minutes today from Federal Way,” I told her.
“Excellent, Eric. Dr. Crawley wants to talk with you a moment.” Amanda nodded down the hall to the office.
“Am I in trouble again?”
“When have you ever been in trouble here? You’ll have a modeling partner, and she wants to introduce you.” Amanda handed me the payment request voucher.
“Hopefully, this partner will be alive. Two sessions ago, I posed with a skeleton.” I signed the voucher and handed it back across the counter. “Thanks for filling in the form. Much easier than remembering my address and everything.”
“Oh, I know. You’ve got to save all your brainpower for your poses.”
“You got me there. I do appreciate it, though. I’m still on for Thursday?”
“Yes, and since you’re so nice to me, I’ll have your voucher ready then too. Break a leg.” She waved her hands toward the door and shooed me away.
I’m a nude art model, part-time. Today’s assignment is a three-hour session for Dr. Bethany Crawley’s advanced figure drawing class at the local university in Tacoma, Washington. My real job is managing a homecare medical equipment firm. I have the flexibility to take the odd modeling assignment a couple of times a month.
I knocked on Bethany’s door. “Come in.” Bethany was dressed as usual in a mid-thigh, indigo linen skirt with an alabaster, straight collar pullover. Short-sleeved, by the way. I don’t know how I know those things, but I do. “Hi, Eric, thanks for coming by.”
Another woman stood in front of Bethany’s desk. “I want you to meet Allison. I hope you won’t mind modeling together this evening, and Thursday, too.”
Allison, wearing a pair of lavender ankle jeans and a white, cotton Jacquard top, extended her hand in welcome. I clasped her hand in return. “Hi, Allison, I’m Eric. Pleased to meet you. Of course, I’d be delighted to model with you.”
I looked over to Bethany, “I don’t want to make assumptions. Will this be nude?”
“Of course, Eric. That’s the only way to teach figure drawing. Clothing is appropriate only in the theater, occasionally.” Bethany smiled and continued. “You’ve been solo all your times in my classes, but I assume you’ve modeled with a partner before?”
“I have, many times in Northern California. I’m comfortable with it and have self-control.” I tried to appear firm on that subject.
Bethany reached out and touched my arm. “I have no doubt you’ll behave properly tonight, Eric, don’t be concerned in the least. We’re here to capture the natural essence of the human form. You two must get changed. Class starts in ten minutes.”
I followed Allison out of the office, and we walked up the hallway to the studio. “Have you modeled for Bethany before? I’ve not seen you before.”
“Many, many times. I started before Bethany arrived, 15 years ago. I’m full-time throughout the Seattle area and live nearby, but I haven’t worked here for a while. I think this was a last-minute decision on Bethany’s part. Luckily, I had a cancellation just before she called. So here I am.” We arrived at the studio.
Allison looked in her mid-40s, a few years older than me and at least half a foot shorter than my 6’1″ height. She had a curvy but not plus-sized body; noticeable hips and bust but a thinner waist in between. A mass of curly red hair framed her pleasant face. I am ashamed to admit I looked forward to discovering whether her pubic patch matched.
“Do you mind sharing the changing room? I could use the restroom.” I asked inside the studio.
“Don’t be silly. The first time I modeled here, there wasn’t a changing room, and I had to use the restroom. Once. It was unpleasant, so I started changing in the studio in front of everyone, and it didn’t bother me at all. Now that the storage room is available for changing, I use it.” Allison laughed at my suggestion. “Amanda told me you’re married; she saw it on the paperwork you filed when you started here. Your wife doesn’t mind this?” We walked into the changing room.
“Not at all. We met at college in California indirectly because of my modeling. It’s the ploy I used to start our relationship, and we have a great relationship. She’s always saying she doesn’t care where I get hungry, as long as I come home for lunch. What about you?”
“I’ve been married, but it didn’t take. Guess I like to eat out too much. I do what I like and don’t want anyone else interfering. I do have a daughter at grad school in Houston and spend time there if that counts.” Allison started to unbutton her blouse.
I took that as my cue and turned around to provide privacy. I removed my clothes and pulled my robe out of my gym bag. When I put my clothes in the bag, I realized Allison didn’t have anything, not even a purse. I saw the cell phone outline in her back pocket, but nothing else. I wondered if she kept her robe here in the supply room and turned to see she didn’t use a robe. She had already opened the door and walked into the studio, nude. All her hair colors matched.
I followed her out and felt dumb for wearing a robe but would feel dumber taking it off. She walked to the model stand near the middle of the studio and sat on the front edge, waiting for the students to arrive. The confidence she displayed with her nudity was disarming.
I sat next to her. “I have to ask; do you always work without a robe?”
“Absolutely. I’d be nude 24 hours a day if I could. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to call me. But they do call me, you see, so everything’s good.” She answered matter-of-factly. “Don’t you find that thing ridiculous?”
“Well, yeah. I’m sure you’ve noticed different requirements for males. Until I’ve worked a year or two at most venues, they’re strict about a couple of things, robes being one of them.” I deliberately didn’t mention the other strict rule for guys. I was afraid verbalizing the taboo would make it happen, especially around Allison.
“Yep, it’s all bullshit. Guys do get hard. It happens, so get over it.” She put her hand on my thigh and squeezed to emphasize her point. It took all my willpower and the recitation of baseball statistics to keep me from springing a full-on boner right then.
Fortunately, Bethany entered and addressed the class, “Okay, everyone. We’re privileged to have two wonderful models this evening, Allison and Eric. We’ve worked with Eric already this semester but not Allison. She’s busy in Seattle and Houston and hasn’t been available, but we’re lucky to have her for our special sessions tonight and Thursday.
“As I promised all semester, we’ll explore the drawing challenges of a couple. It’s a complex enterprise from many perspectives. Allison and Eric have two widely variant physiques, not only in musculature, proportion, and shape but also in size and sex. You are all well-practiced working with an individual model’s negative spaces and contrapposto. Still, those change radically with the introduction of a second model. It’s more than doubly challenging to observe and accurately draw the physical reality of those differences with two people on the stand. Those are the least challenging aspects of drawing a couple.