A New Way of Seeing Things Pt. 03 Ch. 15

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"Mrs. Nelson?"

Gwen descended the deck steps towards the rental car in their yard as the driver got out and straightened. He looked even younger than he had sounded, impossibly young, too young to be a noted artist, a slim, handsome boy with skin tone that belied a Mediterranean heritage. A shock of unruly black curls sat above a handsome face and easy smile.

"I am." She offered her hand. "You must be Mr. Castigalli?"

"Dan."

"Please, call me Gwen." The young man smiling pleasantly but said nothing, his silence unnerving her a bit. "You must have gotten on the road early this morning. Can, I uhh, get you anything? Coffee, some water?"

"Coffee would be great, but only if you already have some made." The smile never wavered and his eyes never left hers as he waited for her to lead the way.

"I do, please come in." She turned, hiding her blush, and led him back up the stairs and into the kitchen. "My husband Tim is out in the workshop," Gwen felt the need to volunteer. "I'm sure he'll be along shortly." She imagined his eyes on her back as she turned to the counter and could not shake the feeling that she was somehow being evaluated, like a buyer might size up a horse for sale. Not that she had not sized him up as well, the Slut reminded her. KD's age, maybe even younger, she guessed. Must be a prodigy to have caught Mrs. Danning's eye. Was it even legal to pose nude for a teenager?

"I'd like to meet him," Dan replied, taking the mug from her. As if on cue, there was the sound of boots on the deck.

Gwen whirled to face the door, thankful for her husband's appearance to help break the stress she imagined, the Lady hoping that it was obvious to Tim that there was nothing inappropriate about being in the kitchen with the young man. He smiled easily at the young photographer and extended his hand.

"Tim Nelson."

"Dan Castigalli. It's nice to finally meet Gwen and yourself. You folks have a beautiful place here."

Tim smiled. "We try to run a reputable home for wayward horses."

Dan returned the smile and turned to Gwen. "Speaking of horses...I know your time is very valuable, so I'll try not to waste it. I was hoping we could start out in the barn? I'd like to see you interacting with them...maybe take some test photos of you grooming, saddling and riding, if that's alright."

Tim led the trio out the door and down the stairs. "I doubt you'll be wanting to see my skill with a front end loader, so I'm going to head down to the shop. Let me know if you need anything." Their paths diverged, one to the shop, the young man to his car to retrieve his camera, and Gwen to the barn.

"Your barn is immaculate,' the photographer remarked upon joining her in the cool shade of the barn's center aisle and looking about. "You must have a very attentive staff."

Gwen laughed. "No staff, just me and my friend. She boards the Thoroughbred there—"she nodded to where Marvin stood with Dancer and Tigger in the middle of the paddock, eying the stranger warily while Dart ambled towards them—"and she does most of the work on weekends. My daughters pitch in when they come over, and my husband does the heavy lifting, bless his heart."

"Well, that's impressive," he said truthfully. "Most of the owners and riders I associate with wouldn't be caught dead with a manure fork in their hands. Are the others your horses?"

"The other two out in the paddock are my daughters. Dart's mine," she said, walking over to where the horse stood at the gate to rub his neck, her nervous tension forgotten now that she was in her sanctuary.

"Seems pretty confident. I see he's the only one brave enough to come up and check me out."

"He's probably just looking for a handout," Gwen said dismissively. "But yes, he's a brave boy..." the rubbing of his cheek had turned to an affectionate stroke.

She sensed he now had the camera up to his eye and turned to confirm her suspicion. "Oh—uhh, sorry, what should I be doing now? Am I supposed to pose, or something? I'm so sorry, but I haven't done this before," she told him again.

"You're doing fine, just keep what you're doing, and no, no, don't pose—pretend I'm not even here—just do what you normally do when you're out here, when you're doing chores. Maybe go through your routine for getting ready to ride? What do you do then?"

She grabbed the halter and lead hanging by Dart's stall, resisting the urge to ignore the photographer's instruction and look at him or more exactly, the camera up to his eye. "I, uhh put a lead on him so I can groom him first, check him for anything that might make riding uncomfortable for him." Dart was happy to accept the bit and halter, knowing it meant some time together with his human, and walked on his own to where he was always tethered and saddled after the gate was opened. The other horses watched with interest, but came no closer.

Gwen went through the routine she had repeated countless times, checking for sores or tenderness in the big animal's muscles as she curry combed, looking for weight shifts that might indicate lameness or hoof problems. The camera clicked, catching the muscle memory she had been acquiring since high school.

"You need help with that?" Dan offered as the petite woman hefted the saddle off its stand and carried it to the horse, unsure such a small woman would be able to handle the task alone.

"No, but thank you," she laughed, surprising the young photographer just how easily she managed to get it into place on the patient animal's back, impressed the horse had even dipped a bit to help.

Everything ready, Gwen finally risked a glance at the camera, greeted by more clicks. She quickly turned away. "What should I do now?"

"Well, if you wouldn't mind leading him out into the field below the trees..." the photographer followed, camera still to his eye, as woman and horse walked together. "Nice...okay, maybe you could mount him?" With much-practiced ease her left foot found the stirrup before the right leg saw swung over the big animal. "Great. Now, can you dismount, then re-mount?"

Gwen looked down at the photographer, concerned she had done something wrong, and repeat the process. Dan moved about taking pictures from several angles, having her repeat the motion again and again until she found herself slightly winded. Finally satisfied, he left her in the saddle and asked the pair to "move around a bit."

Horse and rider were put through their paces for the next half-hour, trots, gallops, more technical aspects from the world of dressage, as well as just standing and being. Tim came out from the shop to briefly watch and wave, Gwen seeing but not acknowledging him as she connected with her horse, not knowing exactly what the young photographer was looking for but anxious to not to embarrass either her or Dart in the process of giving it to him. He finally called a halt to the team's efforts, still taking photos while the process of getting the horse ready to ride was reversed.

"You and Dart appear to be very much in tune with each other," Dan told her as they walked back to the house. "I can definitely understand what Mrs. Danning sees in you."

"It's all him. Dart and I, well, I trust him completely and I think he trusts me," she said with a grimace. "I'm sure I won't be the same with the horse she picked out for this. Do you know anything about him—or her?"

Dan seemed a little distracted, his mind elsewhere at the moment. "Him," he announced, bringing himself back, "and yes, I've met him. Very spirited, maybe even a little brash, I definitely wouldn't trust him with a lesser rider. He is very handsome, though-I'm sure you'll do fine."

The young man's confident, easy going nature seemed to wane after they returned to the kitchen. "So, uhh, Gwen," he asked after taking a sip of water, "forgive me for asking, but did Mrs. Danning, did she uhh, tell you that part of her idea for this project involves, uhh both you and the horse posing without clothes?" He smiled apologetically at the weak joke.

"She did..." Despite her embarrassment, Gwen looked him square in the eye, determined to show calm confidence in a way even Miss Ritter would have deemed sufficient.

The young photographer mistook her confidence for icy annoyance, but continued on. "And, uh, again, forgive me for asking, but does, uh, your husband know?"

Gwen could see him grow even more nervous with the second question, and impassiveness turned to compassion. "He does," she told him with a smile, "and he's okay with it. I have to admit I'm a little nervous about it, though."

Dan grinned sheepishly. "You and me both. Sorry, I'm a little nervous, too. You'll be my first professional nude."

Gwen's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? But you're a professional photographer—"

"Of horses," he said, cutting her off. "And their riders, who wear clothes. I did a couple of nude portfolios in college, though," he added quickly, "and a couple more private portfolios of girlfriends." His blushed at this admission. "So I at least know what girls look like. To be honest, I wasn't sure why Mrs. Danning chose me for this, but she kept saying something about the way I capture a body in motion, and that it can't be that much of a stretch from the equine form to the human, so..." he shrugged and smiled again. "So you're stuck with me, I'm afraid."

Gwen smiled, his admission somehow comforting, as if it had returned some small amount of control to her. "Mrs. Danning had a very good reason for asking you to do this, I'm sure. How long ago did you graduate from college?"

He smiled. "Four years ago. I know, I know, I look young for my age, but trust me—I'm twenty-five. I can show you my passport, if you don't believe me."

Not a teenager, at least, Gwen thought, but still young. He must think I'm ancient. "No," she said with a blush, "that's not necessary."

"Which brings me back to the next thing on my to-do list," he continued, now avoiding eye contact. "I'd like to, umm, get a couple test shots—of you, without clothes-if that's alright?"

Gwen hesitated. "Well, yes, certainly, I suppose we have to get to that sometime. Now's as good as never. What would you like me to do?"

"Like I said, I don't have much experience with this...my girlfriends were already in the right way to be photographed," Gwen thought it cute that his blush deepened at what was being implied. "The models in school started out in robes until the instructors asked them to, uhh, disrobe...if you have a bathrobe, maybe you could change into that?"

She smiled in acknowledgement. "I'll go change and come back out here?"

"I think that's best, yeah...maybe just take the pictures in the living room? Or would that make you uncomfortable? These are just test shots, I promise. They won't get around."

She rose from the table. "I'll trust you to make sure they don't. I'll take a shower and get changed."

"No," he said suddenly, "no shower—please. I'd rather see you natural, like you just came in from riding, if you know what I mean."

"If you mean sweaty with caked-on dirt, then yes I know what you mean."

"Natural," he corrected. "I want to show an equestrienne in her most natural form, showing the effects and results of her passion. Sorry, I know that sounds hokey, but it's really the look I'm hoping for here...please?"

Gwen smiled. "Would you like me to go roll around in the paddock for effect?"

Dan laughed. "No, just like you are is fine."

She turned to leave but he stopped her again. "Oh—Tim...I know you said he knows, but he's not going to get upset if he comes in and sees me taking pictures of you, is he? I'd really hate to be chased off your property."

Gwen reversed direction towards the kitchen door. "I doubt that will be an issue, but I'll go warn him just in case." She waited patiently at the shop door until he had finished a weld. "Dan is going to take some test pictures of me," she announced matter-of-factly. "Without my clothes on. I wanted to warn you in case you came up to the house."

"Oh yeah?" he replied with a smile. "Should I be there to chaperone?"

"If you would like. Just try not to scare Dan, okay? I think he's a little nervous about it."

"I find that hard to believe." He flipped the welder's mask down. "Let me get one more tack down and I'll be up."

"Please don't burn yourself." She didn't wait for him, crossing the yard on shaky knees, re-entering the kitchen to find the young man still at the table, looking up at her anxiously. "Be right back," she announced, walking by him and down the hallway.

She had only been gone a moment when Tim followed along, cautiously opening the door as if trying to avoid interrupting something, instead finding the young photographer adjusting his camera.

"Hi, Tim," he said cautiously, looking up from his efforts.

"Hey."

Dan cleared his throat. "Gwen's certainly the accomplished rider. Beautiful to watch on horseback. Smooth and flowing, not at all technical-looking, like it comes naturally."

"Yeah, she loves those horses...I pity the person that gets between her and them. Or her and our kids."

"I could see that..."

There was an uncomfortable silence, both men very aware of what they were waiting for. Gwen returned a moment later, her bathrobe wrapped about her. "You said the living room?"

The photographer rose from his chair, again checking his camera. "Uhh, yeah, okay." She stood between the two rooms, arms at her side, facing the young man. Dan glanced at Tim, worried how he would react to his wife getting naked, then looked at Gwen "Okay, uhh, whenever you're ready, you can take the robe off."

Gwen looked at Tim as well, raising her eyebrows to silently ask for his permission, or at least his acceptance. His smile was enough for her and quickly undid the sash with shaking fingers. She hesitated, taking a breath, the Lady scolding her to at least not make it seem like a striptease, then flipped the robe open, letting it slide off her arms and to the floor.

She saw the young man's eyes widen slightly and resisted the urge to giggle at his flustered reaction. His eyes swept from her feet up to her face, quickly stopping there and focusing as if to make it clear he was not checking her out.

Dan smile was meant to be reassuring but came across as nervous as he again looked at Tim, his own patient smile the only reaction while he leaned against the kitchen counter with arms folded over his chest. The photographer hurriedly raised his camera to his eye where he stood, intent to be seen as working and not gawking, apparently unsure as to whether it was appropriate or safe to move any closer to the naked woman before him.

The young man's nervousness was obvious, a fact which somehow greatly reduced Gwen's. She felt a sense of her power and control over the situation despite being the only naked one in the room, a feeling she decided she definitely liked. "Should I do something?" she asked again, arms hanging by her side, nipples hardening in the cool air. "Pose?"

"Nope, no posing, you're fine. But, uhh, could you take your hair out of the ponytail?"

She reached back to undo the band, her breasts pushing out towards the camera as she reached back. "Let me go comb it."

"No, don't comb it—just let if fall. Natural, remember?"

Gwen laughed. "Now you're really asking a lot! There's natural, and there's just plain messy!" She allowed the dark locks to fall down between her shoulder blades, quickly running her fingers through it.

"No, it looks great, really. Okay turn to the side, give me a profile, please." She concentrated on her posture, shoulders back, chin up, her instructor's voice in her head. No slouching, stupid girl! Stable hands slouch! More clicks. "Turn again, so I can see your a...uhh, backside. Her buttock muscles flexed reflexively after she had turned her back to him, and Dan wondered if that had been for him. "One more turn please, other profile. Beautiful!" he lowered the camera and looked at her for a second before dropping his eyes to intently study the camera in his hands, as if to avoid being accused of staring. "It's so obvious you're a rider. You have the muscle tone of the show riders I've seen, uhh, well, without their clothes on. Tight abs and thighs, firm, uh, backside, even your back muscles and shoulders have tone to them.

Gwen's lip curled mischievously. "I thought you haven't photographed any riders—like this—before?"

His blush freshened. "I didn't have my camera when I saw them like that. We were, well, you know..." The young man hurried to deflect. "It's even more amazing you look like that after two kids. My mom has five, and she doesn't look like that—I mean, I've never seen my mom naked—" he stammered, desperate to correct the misunderstandings he was creating-"but I have seen her in a bathing suit, and she looks more like a, uhh, I don't know, a mom."

Gwen wondered if she had to wait for permission to put her robe back on, but realized she didn't want to just yet, even if permission was given. "I'm sure your mother is beautiful. She has five children, I've only got two," she reasoned. "Is she an equestrienne? Is that how you got into the horse world?"

"I wouldn't call her that, but she is a horse lover. She was an actress from Iowa, Dad's a film producer from Rome. They met at an audition, got married. Mom liked to drag me to horse shows when I was a kid. I'd take pictures for something to do, people with more money than sense told me how much they liked them and gave me money, so I got the idea I might be good at photography and went to college for it." He looked at his watch. "And I've taken way too much of your time." He looked up and realized there was still a naked woman standing in front of him waiting for instructions. The photographer averted his eyes. "You can go get dressed now, Gwen, I'm done with pictures. Just a couple more things." He turned and sat at the table, fishing something out of his pocket to write on.

Gwen smiled, leaving the robe where it was and joined him. "I'm fine. What else do you need?"

He glanced at the small tuft of pubic hair next to him just below the table's edge and then quickly away again, his train of thought derailed. "Uhh, yes, well, you'll need wardrobe. If you could contact this Equestrian Supply outfit in Atlanta, they can come out and do some measurements and fittings at your convenience. It will be on Mrs. Danning's tab, of course."

"Wardrobe? I thought this—"she motioned to herself—"I won't be wearing this after all?" A part of her worried that she had failed the test.

Dan smiled. "Only part of the time. For the rest, you'll need something a bit more...traditional for riding."

Gwen looked down. "Alright...well then, I can go to Atlanta for this," she said taking the card from him. "I have something else I need to do there—I can get both done in one trip."

"You're more than welcome to, but if you change your mind, just give them a call and they will come to see you. Do you think you could see them in the next couple of weeks?"

"Is next weekend soon enough?"

"Absolutely."

Oh—and the last thing." His blush freshened as his eyes swept from her midsection up over her breasts to her eyes, then away again. "Your, uhh, hair. Could you let it grow until we do the shoot?"

Gwen nodded. "I can do that. Do I need to have it styled?"

Dan wouldn't look at her. "No, I'd just like it as long as possible. And uhh, if you could let your other hair grow as well...we can style either or both if we need to before the shoot."

It was her turn to renew her blush. "You mean my...?" She glanced down at her crotch, but his focus was intentionally elsewhere and it was missed.

"Your pubic hear" he mumbled. "It looks like you keep it trimmed up, but, uh, natural, right?"

He rose from the table, only briefly making eye contact with her as he said his goodbyes. To the young man's surprise, she didn't bother to redress before escorting him out to his car and seeing him off, and he felt it safe to keep his eyes on the rearview mirror and the nude woman in it waving goodbye until he turned down the tree-lined portion of the driveway.