Walking in the Sunshine

~ Key West, Florida... ~

Crossing his large, hairy arms over his paint-spattered, overall-covered chest, Arc asked, "You... want me, to do WHAT?"

Standing in the middle of his studio, Sherry Clifford smiled winningly at the burly artist. "You heard me right," she said, stuffing her hands into the back pockets of her 501's. Scuffing the floorboards with the toe of her left sneaker, she canted her candy-apple auburn-haired head at him and asked, "What? Don't think you can do it?"

Running a hand over his tanned, bald head, Albert R. Cass - aka "Arc" as the locals called him - wrinkled his brow, frowning slightly. "That's not the problem. It's just... as far as go..." Dropping back to sit his six-foot-four frame on the stool next to his drafting table, he asked "Are you sure that you want to do this?"

Sherry simply nodded, her cheeks dimpling as she replied, "Believe me, I'm sure." Beaming, her lilting, rich alto filling his ears as she explained, "This is something I've been planning on doing since last year. Everyone said you were the best in town with an airbrush... I just want to know if you can pull it off?"

Arc chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Hey what you're asking is a piece of cake," he admitted. "I can get the right mix of paints, and nearly all of my friends have done similar jobs during the festival."

Sherry grinned, her coffee-brown eyes twinkling as she raked one hand through her shoulder-length curls. "I've seen that sort of work last year. That's why I wanted to come to you for this job."

"You do realize that you're taking a big risk though." Arc frowned slightly, looking the short woman over briefly. "I mean, you could get into trouble, even with the festival going on-."

"Trust me, I know what the risks are, and I'm more than willing to take the consequences... if I get caught," Sherry said with conviction. "This is a one-time thing that I really want to do. Are you gonna help me out or not?"

Standing up, Arc wandered over to where his equipment sat on a wall rack. "Hell, girl... you could get in dutch for this... we both could! However..." He turned back and grinned at her. "I can't say no to a challenge."

Sherry felt like crowing. "So, you'll do it? Great!"

Arc's ice-blue eyes twinkled at her enthusiasm. "Hold on now, this isn't going to be like a walk in the park. I've got to prep up the right paints and do some experimenting. Since we've got a couple of weeks until the festival, you better come back in a few days so we can do a practice run, okay?"

Nodding, Sherry replied, "Brilliant! I can be here whenever you need me!"

Chuckling, Arc said under his breath, "Let's hope there is no sweat, for your sake darlin'..."

# # #

~ One Week Later... ~

The ting-tang sound of his doorbell cut through the humid air, breaking Arc's concentration briefly from mixing a can of paint at his workbench.

"Hold on a sec!" he called out, removing the face mask and shield to wipe his bald head clean of the sweat forming there. He dropped the shield and mask on the bench top and swiveled away before getting off his stool to pad on sandaled feet across the studio floor. He flicked away the sweat on his eyes, having left his home's air conditioner on halfway, which left the inside filled with the typical morning heat of the South Florida sun.

Reaching the front door, he jerked it wide open and stared, his face breaking into a smile at the sight of Sherry standing there. "Hey there," he said brightly. "Good to see you made it this morning."

Returning his smile, Sherry hopped over the stoop, dressed in a set of baggy sweat pants and jacket over a loose T-shirt, a small dufflebag slung over her shoulder. "I wouldn't have been late for today for anything," she said sweetly, tipping the ball cap on her head back as she walked past him. "Whew!" Sherry wrinkled her nose slightly as she got a whiff of the smells of alcohol and acrylic paints filling the air. "You've been busy this morning."

"Just getting the paints ready for your big day," Arc replied, walking past her. "We'll be doing most of the work over there, but the detail work and touch ups I'll do by the bench." He briefly checked the cans of paint that he'd been mixing before Sherry had arrived. "Did you prep before you left home?"

With her sneakers squeaking against the wood floor as she came to a stop, Sherry bit her lip while fanning herself with her ball cap briefly before answering. "Actually, I wasn't sure I could do a good job, so..."

Arc arched an eyebrow as he turned away from his bench, gazing down at her. "You want me to help you with that?"

Letting her small dufflebag slip from her her shoulder onto the floor, Sherry gave him a hopeful expression. "If you wouldn't... mind? I mean-."

He shook his head slowly, raising his hand to cut her off gently. "No worries, I've had to do that with some people before." His lips twisted in a wry smile. "I will admit, it was mostly backs and chests I had to do though. You sure you don't mind? I could call one of my lady-friends-?"

"No, it's cool," Sherry replied quickly. "If I don't do this now, I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve."

Arc nodded. "That makes two of us. Well," he sighed, "my bathroom's back there. I've got a few towels we can use... did you bring any shaving supplies?"

Sherry picked her duffel back up, nodding. "I brought my own."

"Good, well... go in there and strip. I'll be in as soon as I make sure we're ready to go in here, okay?" Arc said, trying not to sound too eager.

"Okay, I'll call you when I'm ready," Sherry replied, as she headed towards his bathroom...

#

A few minutes later, Sherry's voice sang out from the open bathroom door: "Okay... I'm ready in here!"

"I'll be right there," Arc replied, absently rubbing the top of his bald head. Hoping he didn't sound too anxious, he slipped his hand under the metal basin, retrieving it from the sink next to the workbench. After he'd checked his gear and the paints - all ready, mixed and set - he'd taken the time to fill up the basin with water and retrieve some skin softener from the shelf over the sink, to get ready for the task ahead.

With everything in hand, he padded over to the bathroom doorway and called out, "Okay, here I come," he warned, slipping around the door jam.

Inside, his Spartan bathroom was filled with the yellowish glow of the naked bulb, hanging from the open fixture overhead. Sherry was sitting on the edge of the small sink beneath the medicine cabinet; stripped bare from her waist to her toes. She still wore her t-shirt, but had pulled it up to expose her tanned tummy and lower torso.

"Well, you're certainly ready," Arc commented thickly, his eyes sweeping down Sherry's body, pausing at the fork of her legs to take in the reddish curls peeking above her closed thighs. He couldn't help himself, as he admired the long, curvy pair of legs stretched out in front of him, as well as her cute tummy with its slight curve to her navel.

With a slight nervous lilt to her voice, Sherry said softly, "I don't... think, we should drag this out, y'know?"

Arc nodded. "Yeah... best to do this right," he murmured, breaking his gaze from her smooth body. "We still have to do the painting, after all." As he placed the basin of hot water on the back of the toilet, he spied Sherry's duffel on the floor next to the sink. Bending down, he reached out to pulled the open end to himself and rummaged around inside. He found a pair of terry-cloth hand towels, a bottle of lady's shaving gel and some disposable razors.

"Well," he sighed gustily, "we can use these... but I don't recommend these shavers," Arc commented.

Sherry blinked. "Why not? I use them on my legs all the time."

Arc said, "Well, you've got thicker skin on your legs... plus we're going to shave a more, well, sensitive area." Reaching over Sherry, Arc opened his medicine cabinet and pulled out a compact straight razor. "This will be better, I think... no chance of getting clogged with hair, and I'm more, well, comfortable with it." He gave her an arched look. "We don't want any cuts or nicks... down there, do we?"

Sherry blushed a bit. "Yeah... I guess not. Well, you're the expert here," she said gamely. "Shall we start?"

Arc nodded, "Sure, darlin'." Setting himself down on the closed lid of the toilet, he motioned for her to turn towards him, taking a nearby bath towel off a nearby hook on the wall. "Lift up," he said, folding the towel to make a cushion for her. As she complied, he gently took one of her legs and moved it to the side, spreading her open so both legs bracketed him in a wide vee. After seeing she was positioned right, he reached back into the cabinet for a pair of straight scissors and one of his old combs, placing them with the items she'd brought as he sat back down.

"Okay," he said with a gusty breath. "Now, you relax, okay? Trust me, I'm not gonna hurt you."

Sherry nodded, bracing herself on both arms as she leaned back to give him an unrestricted view of her crotch. "Okay... I trust you," she replied, her own breathing slightly pitched as she watched him expectantly.

Rubbing his hands together briefly, Arc reached for the comb and one of the hand cloths. Draping the cloth over her left thigh, he began to gently run the teeth of the comb through her red pubic curls. Careful not to snare any tangles, he soon had them combed out, laying straight against the curve of her mons. Satisfied, he reached for the scissors and - using the comb as a shield - began to cut back the long hairs with long, steady clips.

Flinching slightly, Sherry tensed as the blades moved over her pubes, but she quickly settled down as Arc worked with efficient progress. Eventually, she was shorn down to a thin stubble, which Arc covered with the hand towel after he'd dipped it in the hot water.

"Ow," she hissed slightly, feeling the heat on her nearly-exposed skin.

"Don't worry," Arc cooed soothingly. "I didn't make the water too hot... the heat will pass." He rubbed the cloth softly over her crotch for a moment longer, then lifted it away so he could run one fingertip along one side of her mound. "Good... the hairs are soft enough. This shouldn't take much longer," he murmured thickly.

Sherry shivered a bit from his touch, biting her lip as a tingle shot along her body.

Putting the comb and scissors aside, Arc reached for the can of shaving gel and gave it a few sharp shakes. He grimaced slightly at the label before he squirted a dollop of the pinkish, scented gel into his hand. "Passion Rose?" he queried, arching one eyebrow at Sherry.

She giggled softly. "Hey, a girl's got to have her favorites, doesn't she?"

Nodding, Arc smoothed the gel over his hand, turning it into a foamy mound of froth. When he had it whipped up enough, he dipped his hand down and smoothed it over the stubble covering her labia and mons. The muscles in her thigh twitched from the contact - even though he used a soft touch with his fingers - as the cool foam covered her skin. Smoothing it out, Arc couldn't help but make contact with the outer lips of her puss as he finished dabbing the lower area between her backside and her mons.

"Okay, now... keep perfectly still," he cautioned her as he tilted her pelvis up to keep everything he'd covered in view. Wiping his hands clean, he reached for the straight razor and snapped it open. Taking a moment to examine the edge critically, he then leaned close in between Sherry's legs and began to scrape the blade slowly over her skin. When he collected a good amount of cream, he lifted the blade away to wipe it clean on another hand towel, before swishing it in the basin to rinse it.

With each pass, more foam and stubble vanished, leaving behind a growing bare patch of skin. Sherry closed her eyes, trying to keep from moving as he moved from one side of her pubes to the other. Still, it was hard not to, as the touch of his hand and fingers manipulating her intimate flesh was sending sparks racing down her legs and up her spine.

Avoiding the lips of her puss as he continued to shave her clean, Arc guided the razor down to the area below her puss; clearing out the last few wisps of hair along the junctions where her legs met her pelvis. "Quit it, darlin'... I'm almost done here."

Sherry shivered. "Sorry... I'm trying."

Finally, Arc made a last critical look before he pulled the blade away and swiped it one last time. "There... that's done." He took the last hand towel and dipped it in the water, wringing it out before he used it to wipe her pubic mound down.

Leaning up, Sherry gaped at the sight of her now baby-bald mons; all smooth and only slightly pink from the razor's touch. "Wow," she breathed. "I can't believe how it looks." She giggled softly as the cloth made another pass over her slick skin. "That tickles!"

"Sorry," Arc apologized. "This will become irritated. Let's get some lotion on it," he stated. Turning, he reached for the bottle of lotion he'd brought in and uncapped it. "It's got aloe and it's water based... should be soothing enough to keep you from getting razor burns." With that, he squeezed out some onto her pubes, before deftly rubbing it around with his fingers to cover every inch of shaved skin.

Sherry shook her head back, unable to stop the soft moan from slipping through her lips as his hand moved in slow strokes on her flesh.

Arc paused for a bit, then withdrew his hand to pass the lotion bottle to her. "I... think you can finish this part, okay?" he said huskily.

There was a slight pout to Sherry's lips as she sat up and accepted the bottle. "Ah... okay, sure."

"Just rub that in and let it set for about thirty minutes," he stated, standing up before moving towards the doorway. "I'll... get everything ready in the studio, and call you when it's time. So, just sit back and... try to relax, okay?"

Sherry nodded, "Sure thing, Arc." She pulled her legs back and down, watching as the burly artist shuffled out the doorway. On impulse, she cast a short glance down as he went past her, and caught sight of a somewhat large lump in the crotch of the big man's overalls. With a slight smile, she privately chuckled at the thought of Arc's real excuse for leaving her to finish up...

# # #

Back in the studio, Arc had his protective apron and headgear on. "Okay, darlin'... I'm all set out here. Ready to get yourself set for your big day out?"

"Has it been thirty minutes?" Sherry's voice called out.

Arc glance at a clock on the wall. "Looks like it. Come on, and let's get started."

Sherry slipped out of the bathroom, twisting her red curls up into a tight bun on her head. She'd wrapped in a large bath towel, tucked underneath her arms and high over her chest. Padding barefoot across the studio to the spot where Arc had set up his drop cloths, she watched expectantly as he finished adjusting the air pressure on the airbrush and paint gun he had resting on a stand beside him.

"Well, here I am!" Sherry announced brightly. "What do you need me to do... other than the obvious?"

Pausing to lift the cover of his face shield up, Arc unclipped a pair of small goggles and a face mask from a tool belt hanging on his hips. "Here, put these on and drop that towel. We've got to finish this so you won't miss the opening of the festival."

Nodding, Sherry slipped the towel loose and let it drop to the studio floor. "Okay," she said, accepting the mask and goggles with a wry grin. "Hope you're still... up for this," she teased.

Arc stared at her, a smile curving around his lips as he watched her slip the goggles and mask over her face. Seeing her completely nude

Arc stifled a moan, realizing this was going to be his hardest job to date... literally! Seeing her completely in the nude - with her petite frame, proportionate curves and sweet-looking B-cup breasts, sporting marzipan-toned nipples - was bringing him back to the aroused state he'd been in while he'd shaved her. Already, those nipples were becoming stiff in the cold air of the studio, since Arc had cranked up the air conditioner in preparation for the painting ahead.

Shaking himself, Arc motioned towards the drop cloth-covered area. "Ah, step over there, and let's get started," he said, unable to keep his voice from getting low and husky.

Sherry complied, stepping into the middle of the eggshell-colored cloth.

Arc moved to position her legs so that she stood with them a moderate distance apart, making sure she didn't bend or flex her legs as he started deftly wrapping two strips of cloth tape around Sherry's thighs, just a few inches below her crotch. Another loop of tape went low around her waist, with a small dip to form a vee, just below her navel.

"Careful down there," Sherry said, watching him put the tape in place.

Arc groaned under his breath, catching a whiff of her scent as he moved to finish doing this part quickly... otherwise, he'd be undone before they started, and who knows where that would lead to!

"Now, keep that mask and goggles on until I say it's okay to take them off," Arc told Sherry firmly, as he rose up to place two more strips of tape over her shoulders and down until they almost crossed under her arms. "This first layers are textile acrylics - the stuff we found you're not allergic to - and, I don't want any getting in your eyes. Oh! Almost forgot." Arc pulled out a ball of gauzy-green fabric, and stretched it out to place it over Sherry's hair. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

"Right," Sherry agreed.

"Okay, put those on, darlin'," Arc said, slipping his own mask and shield into place. "It's time to create a masterpiece!" With that, he reached for the handle of the paint gun, and gave the trigger a few pulls to prime it.

Over the next two hours, Arc worked his artistic magic on Sherry's body: deftly spraying the areas inside the tape with layer after layer of paint. Using a few techniques he'd used on other models, the dark indigo blue on her hips, thighs, buttocks and pubes was slowly transformed into what appeared to be skin-tight, stone washed denim. When he moved to her upper body - now using the airbrush for better control - he slowly built up an impressive appearance of faded, yellow chambray.

Sherry turned at his command, holding her arms slightly out to the side as he worked in the details on her naked chest and back. She couldn't see the full effect yet, but she trusted the tall artist to do his best...

#

Eventually, Arc made a few last touch-ups behind her back, and stopped. "All right... it's nearly finished," he said with a heavy sigh. "We just need to put some finishing talc to set it, and you're done."

Sherry turned her head to look over her shoulder at Arc. "Really? How do I look?"

Arc didn't reply for a bit - while he lightly patted her with a puff-applicator, dusting her down with a fine powder. When he stopped, he pointed to her face and nodded. "Take those off and come over here," he prompted, backing towards a long mirror in one corner of the studio. He smiled broadly as she walked towards him, his eyes moving up and down her tiny frame with pride. "See for yourself, darlin'!"

Stepping in front of the mirror, Sherry's brown eyes shot wide open in surprise. She'd been expecting... well, not what she was seeing now! Her upper body was still as naked as all get out, but, from the first glance you could swear she was wearing a tied-off, faded yellow shirt; right down to the two tied-off shirt tails hanging part way down her tummy.

What was further down on her body was just as incredible: the painted on, cut-off hot pants appeared so real to her, Sherry nearly tried to put her hands in the painted on pockets at her hips. He'd even painted in little rivets of copper, faded stitching down the sides, even belt loops at several intervals around her waist.

"Oh my God, Arc!" Sherry nearly squealed in delight. "This... this looks amazing!" Turning around, she looked at her backside in the mirror, marveling at the sight of two back pockets painted on her posterior. "It really looks real!"