Three Sisters of Delta Gamma Ch. 09

"You can come visit me but your job is here."

Melissa turned and walked quietly downstairs. She now understood why Amy gave her the doll. It was a gift of love in its purest form.

****

The start of classes seemed to come too soon. The three couples were having too much fun being somewhat carefree. But reality set in and their schedules were suddenly very tight. This would be their last few months together and the three sisters did what they could to use the time wisely.

Layla's business took off after the students were back and she learned that one other fraternity had decided to require their pledges do sex videos. There were numerous rumors on campus about these sex recordings and many students were claiming to have seen them.

One afternoon, Layla was at her studio editing videos when she heard a knock on the door. She looked out the window to see a university police officer and another well-dressed man. Fearfully, she opened the door and greeted them with a forced smile.

"Hi. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Jack Morris. I'm one of many assistants to the dean of students and this is Officer Stiles with our campus police. Are you Ms. Russo?"

"Yes. I'm Layla Russo."

"May we come in?"

"Sure. Is this an official visit?"

"We're just looking into a situation on campus and need to ask a few questions."

"Do I need to call my attorney for this meeting?"

He smiled. "That's up to you of course. We aren't here to arrest you or anything like that. Let's sit and talk and then if you want to call a halt to our discussion, we can do that until your attorney is present."

"I'm fine with that."

They sat around the conference table. She offered them a beer but they declined.

"We've heard rumors that you're producing porn films here involving students of the university."

"Those rumors aren't true. I shoot videos for students and they can be on just about any subject. Some of the students want videos of themselves having beautiful sex and I do those but they're not sold and are not porn. I also video their parents or grandparents doing what I call legacy videos." She went on to explain those.

"Ms. Russo, you are a student at the university, I think."

"That's correct."

"Do you own this facility?"

"I rent it."

"Are you licensed to do business in Delaware?"

"Of course." She returned to her desk and pulled out the files containing her business documents and contracts. The two men reviewed the documents and nodded.

"The rumors are that you're selling videos on the Internet that the students in the videos did not authorize you to sell. Is that true?"

"No, it's not. I only do videos ordered by the participants and all copies go to them unless they didn't want to buy the copyright. If I retain the copyright, I can sell them to anyone in the future but I haven't done that."

"How can you prove that?"

"Now we are getting into serious accusations and you're asking me to prove a negative. Let's stop now and schedule a meeting so I can have proper representation. I will say that every video is done under a contract and all the contracts are here in this file."

"Can I look at just one? I'm looking for the paperwork for the one you did for a Ben and Ashley."

Layla turned to the stack and pulled that one off the top. "This is the contract I had with them. They purchased the copyright and I kept no copies of the video. They left here with the master and four copies plus a set of stills. I was paid a little over $1100."

The two men quickly read through the contract and asked if they could make a copy of it. Layla agreed if they signed a statement that it would not be used in anyway as part of a legal complaint against her or her business. She typed out a statement for them to sign before she made the copy they requested.

The assistant dean said, "Thank you, Ms. Russo. I don't see any issue here. Your records appear to be in order and the two students clearly agreed with what you did. They're adults. This video you produced for them is on the Internet on an amateur site. It still has your studio information on the opening legal notice frame. Someone else must have sold it to the site." They stood and thanked her as they shook hands.

Before he left, the officer turned to her and said, "It's a great video, by the way." Everyone grinned.

"Could I ask if you talked to Ben or Ashley before coming to see me?"

"Yes. You confirmed what they said but they are at a loss as to how a copy got out. They have the master and four copies, like you gave them."

"Why don't you ask them who had a grudge to settle. I also hear rumors. And look for someone who can remove the copy protection features I installed. That's not easy to do so it's probably a computer geek."

"We will. Thanks. Just so you know, we're not prudes. We know this goes on all the time. Lord, I did it when I was your age except it was VHS tapes back then. We're just trying to keep the false accusations from hurting someone or forcing us to take disciplinary measures that are not warranted."

"I understand. If you two ever need outstanding videos to document a wedding, a Christening or a party just let me know. We do great work."

Jack replied, "You sure do." They turned and walked to their cars.

****

The senior art exhibit was at the end of February and Julia was ready with twelve paintings. The university promoted the show because it was good advertising for their program and always attracted many art lovers and dealers from the tri-state area. Layla did the promotional video for the university and it was widely seen on local television.

Each artist was required to be at the show during certain hours of the afternoon and evening to meet and greet the patrons and hundreds of other students. The artists were allowed to sell their work, hand out business cards and take orders.

When the paintings were hung, Layla and Julia made photos and videos of her work to document the event.

The traffic was heavy and paintings were being sold. Julia was a little nervous that she'd set her prices too high at $2000 to $2500 but she had a couple of smaller ones at $1500.

The third and last night of the show came and Julia had only sold one of the smaller ones. Cliff came to support her... she was clearly disappointed. Everyone said they loved her work but no one was buying.

A gray-haired gentleman in a business suit walked up while Cliff and Julia were talking about calling it a night. He carefully studied each painting and took time to make notes. Julia walked to him and said, "Sir, you seem to be interested in my paintings. Are there any questions I can answer for you?"

"Are you Ms. Richards?"

"Yes sir." She gave him her card.

He reached inside his jacket and handed her his card. She was shocked and tingles rush through her. He was Jules Kaufman, owner of the largest and best-known gallery in Philadelphia. She only knew him by reputation, which was at the very pinnacle of the profession.

"Sir, I'm honored to meet you." He smiled.

"Young lady, you have a very rare talent. From a few feet away, these look like high quality photos. I'm astonished."

"Thank you sir. Your opinion means the world to me."

He smiled and Julia introduced him to Cliff.

Jules explained, "One of my clients was at this show yesterday, talked to you briefly and called me last night. He was impressed, although he's more into modern art. He made me promise to come tonight."

"I'm thrilled. Thank you for coming."

"Are they still for sale?"

"Yes sir, except for the smaller one of the coiled rattlesnake."

"I'll buy all of them. Can I give you a business check?"

The blood instantly drained from Julia's face and a tingling lightheadedness overwhelmed her. Cliff reached for her just as she fainted. Jules helped Cliff lay her gently on the floor and another student rushed for water. The first aid kit was brought but not used since she recovered when Cliff laid his wet handkerchief across her forehead. A dozen or more of her friends and visitors gather around as she sat up and regained her composure.

Within another minute, Cliff and Jules helped her up and into a chair. She apologized and said, "I suppose I just fainted."

Cliff replied, "Yeah, you did."

Jules asked, "Are you okay now?"

"Yes sir. Mr. Kaufman, did you say you wanted to buy all of my paintings?"

"Yes, plus any more you have like these. There's a big demand for art of this quality. I've clients across North America that will buy these in a minute."

"I'm shocked. I've been told that by others but not by anyone with your reputation." He smiled.

"May I call you Julia?"

"Please do."

"And my name is Jules. I don't like being reminded how old I am."

"Yes sir. I mean Jules." He smiled again and pulled up a chair to sit near her.

"I never do this, Julia, but I'm going to give you some advice that will hurt me."

He paused and then spoke in a very low voice. "Your prices are too low. This grizzly is perfect for a fan poster for a number of universities and sports teams. You cannot imagine how many teams are called the bears, the bruins, the golden bears and so on. That bear looks like it's going eat me. I can almost smell the breath of those coyotes. The eyes on that timber wolf are looking right through me. We could print 5000 posters of any of these and sell them in universities and ballparks everywhere. We could make a limited edition of 500 numbered and signed prints and get $250 each for them."

"I've never thought seriously about that."

"We need to talk, Julia. There are many opportunities open to someone with your talent."

"I'd appreciate that very much."

"I don't like to talk business in a public place like this. Could you come to my office early next week and let's discuss all the options. Cliff, you're obviously invited to come as well."

"I'd love that Jules," she replied. Cliff nodded.

"Do you have anyone representing you?"

"No sir."

"Let's talk about that when you come. You'll need legal representation and I could give you some suggestions."

"Mr. Kaufman, thank you so very much. I'm thrilled."

"You're welcome. I'm not blowing smoke when I say you have the talent to be the next truly great wildlife artist. You're very young and will continue to evolve, I know. I hope that I and my associates can be there with you along the way."

She and Jules shook hands and then, on impulse, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. They smiled as he turned to shake hands with Cliff, who was amazingly quiet.

****

Susanna and Charles returned from the winter break totally in love. They were together most all the time, which could have driven many couples mad and wishing to kill each other. For them, it was a time of learning about every little detail of the other's life. After she revealed her biggest secret, that Charles already knew, all her other secrets were relatively minor and easily shared. Charles had fewer secrets and he kept nothing back. He did admit to having sex with the mother of a girlfriend after he'd mowed her yard one day.

Susanna roared with laughter. "I'll bet a lot of middle-aged women would like a shot at your virile body," Susanna said.

"Yeah, I should never have gone into her house."

"That's often a plot of porn films. Handsome man mowing grass or cleaning a pool while the lonesome housewife with big fake tits watches him from the window. She invites him in for water or a beer and then rubs her hands and tits all over him."

"How did you know?"

Susanna laughed. "Are you kidding me? That really happened to you?"

"Unfortunately. It was not a pleasant experience." She laughed again.

Charles and Susanna learned to be great friends and both realized that their relationship was probably mirroring what it would be like if they were married. Their sex was really special and her body adjusted to his size over time.

Susanna's normally strong, maybe even domineering, personality of always being in control and making the decisions gradually moderated. She was beginning to be comfortable following Charles' lead and she was learning to trust him completely.

Charles often found himself gazing at Susanna and wondering why God blessed him with such a partner. His coaches always praised his aggressive play on the field; in her presence, however, he was quiet and thoughtful. Many would describe him as shy but "reserved" would be a better description. Susanna was outgoing, full of life, always with an opinion to share with anyone, no matter if they asked or not. Charles listened, thought carefully and then made his move or expressed his views. Susanna viewed him as her protector, her anchor, her foundation and her lover. He saw in her a passion for everything in life, a source of his happiness and his partner, a true friend and his lover.

His field of study was chemical engineering. Like Susanna, he was an honor student and on the dean's list. There would be many job openings available to him at the Research Triangle Park near Raleigh. With Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State Universities all close, his work toward a master's degree would be possible. Susanna was destined to follow her father into the personal investment advisory business and join a firm he founded in Raleigh 20 years earlier. He had been very successful and one of Susanna's older brothers was already making a name for himself in that firm.

Although their futures were equally bright, for now Susanna had money and Charles didn't. His parents were solid middle class but he was the third child they had put through college and funds were very tight. Because of football, Charles had a scholarship but spending money was the issue and the scholarship didn't provide the funds he needed to take Susanna out and pay for dates very often. She tried numerous times to pay for their dates but Charles' pride wouldn't let him accept her offers. So they stayed home and did things that didn't cost money.

When spring training arrived, football took over a huge portion of Charles' time and forced him to make some tough decisions. The toughest one was to leave Theta Chi. He just didn't have the money or time. Cliff and the brothers understood completely and there were no hard feelings.

Susanna also understood when he was so exhausted he didn't visit her. They talked most nights, but the physical contact was much less than they had been accustomed. Their love for each other didn't diminish but Susanna started going out more and more with the sisters.

They were at the Deer Park Tavern one evening without any of their guys. As usual, there were an admiring number of men observing their every movement.

Layla asked, "Don't you get tired of men staring at you all the time? I wish I could hang a sign around my neck that says 'I'm taken, don't bother.' I guess they'd just ignore it anyway."

"Men can't read when their hormones are raging, especially at this age," Susanna responded. The girls grinned.

Susanna sensed that someone walked up to her and she turned to look. A nice looking young man was standing there with a piece of paper. He said, "Excuse me. Could I have your autograph?" She stared at him. He added, "Please."

"Why do you want my autograph?"

"I've admired your work on the Internet. You are the best there is."

Susanna replied, "Have a seat." He was stunned but pulled out the empty chair to sit next to her. He glanced past her to his friends. They were shocked.

"What's your name?"

"Dennis," he nervously replied.

"Are you a student here?"

"Yes, but only a freshman."

"Dennis, if I give you my autograph, you'll show it around to all your friends and then they'll track me down and ask for one. I'm no longer in that business. I appreciate that you like my acting but that was all fantasy sold to get young guys like you to jerk off and buy more. My autograph is my name, not the actress you've seen. If you show my real autograph around and others start pestering me for one, my boyfriend will track them down and cut their balls off. He's a tough guy and very protective."

"Could you at least sign it 'To Dennis, with love, Blu Sky?' You don't have to use your real name."

"Dennis, Blu Sky is gone, out of business, never to return. She only remains on the Internet."

Julia advised, "If I were you, Dennis, I'd be happy that she took the time to talk to you and let you sit next to her. Not many guys get to do that."

Susanna reached and took his hand. His mouth flew open. He actually touched Blu Sky. He quickly glanced over her shoulder back to his table and saw everyone's mouth fly open.

"You're a lovely young man. Any girl would be happy to spread her legs for you. Please spend all your romance time with one of the thousands of beautiful women here on campus and don't watch that crazy fantasy world on the Internet. It will affect you and not in a good way."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I bothered you."

"You didn't bother me. You flattered me and I appreciate that. I hope you understand." She squeezed his hand and turned it loose.

He stood, smiled and responded, "I do," before returning to his friends.

"That worked out well," Julia said. "He's a cute young man. This is going to happen more and more with Ben shooting his mouth off."

"That attention comes with the territory, Julia. When I agreed to get into the business, I knew there might be future problems but it'll blow over. The next hot girl that comes along will force my videos farther into the background. I just can't start giving autographs and get guys attention focused on me all over again."

"How's spring training going with Charles?" asked Layla.

"Good. We talked last night and he feels good about his conditioning and the way the team is coming together. It's tough on all of them. How's the wedding planning coming?"

"It's pretty much on track. The caterer, tent, band and parking are all arranged. The invitations are being printed, all the bridal party is committed but I'm still looking for a dress."

"You didn't mention the minister."

"I know. That's a bit of a sore point with Eric. My priest won't marry us because he's not Catholic and he's been away from the Presbyterian Church so long that he feels guilty about asking his old pastor. It'll work out."

Julia said, "I'm glad you're letting us wear our little black dresses. That saves so much effort and expense."

"The guys will be in black attire so it just seemed that was the way to go."

"Who's your maid or matron of honor?" asked Susanna.

"It's a surprise. You'll have to wait and see. But neither of you made the cut."

"Well thanks a lot!" Julia exclaimed.

"Stop and think about it. I can't choose between you two. You're my best girlfriends in the whole world."

"You're right, Layla," Susanna replied. "But I'd have been the best one." They laughed when Julia threw a potato chip at her.

Layla asked, "Julia, are you getting close to setting a date?"

"We're planning for a year from now. My parents want us to get to know each other over a period of time, and I think they're right. He's moving with me to the ranch and is going to be working in public accounting for the firm dad uses. They do bookkeeping and taxes for a lot of ranches. He'll also be learning about the ranch operations as he works alongside dad and me when he's not in the office."

"Is the wedding going to be in Cody?"

"Yes. Cliff has a number of close friends who'll be invited but my parents have hundreds in that area."

"Speaking of the ranch, whatever happened with Nick?"

"He got a new mommy right after we came home. Cliff and I were so excited. One of the young cows had a stillborn calf and dad got her to accept Nick. He should be weaned by now."

"What are the current plans for your art work?" Layla asked.