A thousand things must have gone through my mind to say in response, but when I opened my mouth to speak, all that came out was a lame, “Well, fuck!”
“Exactly!” she sniffed as she stood up and began gathering her possessions. She headed for the beach house at a brisk pace and I trotted doggedly at her heels, panting at the effort to keep up with her. I blurted out every possible objection I could come up with, but she waved them all off without another comment. When we reached the bottom step, I paused, my ribs heaving in and out.
“Alright! You win!” I snapped waspishly. “But, when you pose for me, you have to do exactly what I say. No bullshit excuses. And, you have to give me all day Sunday to make up for Saturday,” I insisted.
She turned and faced me with her hands on her hips. She gave me a sharp nod and said, “Okay. Agreed! But, in return, no matter who bids on you, and no matter what they want you to do, you’ll do it. No bullshit excuses,” she said firmly.
“Anything?” I asked.
“What if some rich, old, fat lady wants me to fuck her?” I prodded. Surely, Summer would draw the line at that idea.
“Anything!” she reaffirmed.
“And, you’ll do anything I tell you to do when you pose for me? Including pose naked?” I asked.
She hesitated for a moment.
“Look, if you expect me to fuck some broad, the least you can do is agree to sit nude for me,” I pointed out with impatience. She paused for a few more seconds before nodding slightly. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Then, let’s go shopping!” I said.
*****
Our joint shopping expedition was exhausting. We must have visited a half-dozen stores before I saw something that really caught my eye. Summer insisted on choosing from a Brunello Cucinelli collection. Since he was known for his use of natural fabrics, I opted for something less ordinary. It was far too hot for wool, and Italian silk was everywhere. If I wanted to stand out, I needed a more dramatic look; it had to be eye-catching and woman-pleasing at the same time.
I decided on an all-black leather contemporary design. As I stared at myself in the dressing-room mirror, a slow grin spread across my face. Summer wasn’t the only one who looked good in expensive clothing. I thought I looked a bit like a cross between a youthful Steven Tyler and Slash. With my dark wavy hair, I presented quite the ‘bad-boy’ image. When I slid back the curtain and stepped outside the cubicle, Summer’s expression told me I was right about that.
She circled me slowly with her mouth slightly ajar.
“What do you think?” I asked with my head egotistically cocked to one side.
I gave the long silk scarf around my neck a little shake for effect. The flamboyant scarf contrasted with the white silk shirt. She passed a strand of my hair between her fingers and gave me a nod of approval.
“I was going to suggest you get a haircut, but now, I’ve changed my mind,” she declared with an expression of awe. “Sonny, you look like a rock-star!” she breathed as she ran her hand along one lapel of my jacket.