Chapter Nine
Natalie
“Julie, you just have to leave, and that's that.”
“Come on, Natalie, be reasonable. You can't expect me to leave after saying something like that.”
I laughed gleefully. “I didn't mean to get your blood pressure raised, but I had to tell you in order to get you out of here.”
“Please, let me stay. I will just peek around the corner.”
“Be serious. If you want to see Jet without his clothes on, you just needed to be at the fight the other night.”
“You are so cruel.”
“I'm sorry, but I can't have him here to draw with you drooling in the corner.”
“Are you guys going to do the nasty after you're done?”
I giggled at the thought. “Not likely.”
“Okay, so how long am I expected to be gone this time?”
“I don't know. Can I just text you? Are you going to be at the library?”
“Yeah, probably. I have an essay to write that I was hoping to do in the comfort of my own home. But I guess I will do it at the library.”
“Thank you; you're the best.”
“No problem.”
“Okay, well I'm going to call him and make sure he’s going to be here on time.”
“Sure, you go ahead.” She had a small smile on her face. She was really enjoying herself. I guess I couldn't blame her; she really did find my situation amusing.
I picked up my phone and dialed Jet. He picked up right away.
“Hey, Natalie, what's up?”
“Hi Jet, I just wanted to make sure that you were still good to go for tonight?”
“Yes, of course. What time do you need me there? I can come at any time.”
“You are more than welcome to start heading over.”
“Sure; do you think we could have some of that wine this time?”
I laughed. “Sure we can. Actually, you're probably going to need it.”
He laughed with me. “Great; now you're making me nervous.”
“No need to be. I will see you soon.”
I disconnected the call and set my phone down. “He's on his way over, so get going.”
“I am so unimpressed with you. You're gonna get him naked eventually, aren't you? That's the end result, right? The last drawing?”
I smiled. “Yes, it is.”
“Well tell me this then, Natalie; do you plan on drawing Jet when he's hard or soft?”
I slapped her shoulder. “You're ridiculous! Stop talking like that.”
“If I were you, I would get a little wood from him while you can.”
“Get out!” I said, laughing.
I went into the kitchen while she puttered around, collecting everything she needed to take to the library with her. She headed to the door and called over her shoulder, “Have fun!”
Reaching into the cupboard over my head, I pulled out a bottle of wine. I grabbed a bottle opener and proceeded to open the bottle. I was willing to allow this particular session to be a little more laid-back, now that I had slept with Jet. We were a little more comfortable together than the last time I drew him. Plus, I was asking him to take off his clothes, so he would probably need to relax.
It wasn't long before I heard a knock at my door. I headed over to it and swung it open, finding Jet on the other side of it.
“Hi there.”
“Hey, beautiful.” He came inside, and I closed the door behind him.
He headed to the kitchen, where he found the wine bottle. “Do you mind?”
I shook my head and admired his form as he poured two glasses of wine. I walked to the couch and sat down, waiting for him to follow suit. He came to the couch and sat down beside me, handing me a glass of wine.
“This is great stuff,” he said, admiring the wine he drank.
“Yes, my roommate buys it. She knows her wine; I do not.”
“I heard that you were at the fights, Natalie.”
I stared at him, confused. “You saw me, Jet. You knew I was at the fights yourself.”
“Yes, you're right. That's what I meant. Why were you there?”
“I had no idea your fight was that night. Had I known, I probably would never have gone, but I had a photography class that night. We were essentially hired to take the fight shots for the evening.”
“Yeah, Kyle mentioned something to that effect. Can I see the photos? I would love to see what you caught.”
“They aren't ready yet. They have been downloaded to my computer, but I haven't had a chance to work on them yet. So if you're asking to see them, you can't.”
He stared at me. “Did you catch it, Natalie?”
I wasn't quite sure I understood what he was talking about at first. Then it clicked, and I smiled. “Yes, Jet, I got it.”
“Oh my God, girl, you have to let me see that back fist.”
I grinned. “Yes, I'm sure you want to see it. It looks incredible, if that helps. I'll make sure to get you a copy.”
“That's really cool, Natalie. You are really cool.”
I believed him when he said it. “Thank you, Jet. Would you like another glass of wine?”
“Sure. Now why is it that you think I need to loosen up for this session?”
I smiled. “You'll see.” I got up and poured us both some wine. I handed him his glass and started to set up my easel. He took the hint and picked up his glass of wine, heading to the wall.
“Okay, so what's it going to be this time? Should I bend over and hold my butt in the air?”
“Funny. No, that's not what I want.”
“So what is it this time?”
I looked down at my pad of paper and picked up a pencil. “I want you to take your shirt off, Jet. That's the change I need for this session. Everything else stays the same.”
He stared at me for a few minutes. “Are you serious?”
“Very.”
He continued to stare, until a look of realization came over his face. “Am I going to be taking off more every time we do this?”
I laughed nervously. “Yes, you will be. Is that okay?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I'm surprised that you are okay with that.”
“I will deal with it. I am determined to have a really good project.”
“At all costs.”
I giggled. “Yes, that's right.”
Jet slowly pulled his shirt over his head, and tossed it to the side of the room. His chest was firm and strong. He had a six-pack that most people would kill for. I had a hard time drawing my eyes away from his body, but I did have work to do.
“Promise me one thing, Natalie, please.”
I looked up at him when he spoke. “What's that?”
“Promise me that I won't have to be fully naked for any of these drawings.”
I paused before I spoke. “I promise.” I had a hand behind my back, and what Jet didn't know, was that two of my delicate fingers were crossed. We would cross that bridge when we got there.
“You have a really nice body, Jet. You must work really hard at maintaining it.”
“Are you checking me out?”
I grinned. “Maybe a little.”
“Nice. I do actually spend quite a bit of time on it. But it's all part of the game, ya know. You have a pretty nice body yourself, if I remember correctly.” I looked up to catch the wink he threw my way, and I blushed excessively.
I started the drawing the same way I had done the last one, by starting with a vague outline that I would fill in with detail later on. He stood there without moving for half an hour before we took a break, but by then I had most of the drawing completed. I just needed to add the shading and the final details.
We sat on the couch together, and I realized just how comfortable I was in his presence. I was no longer freaked out at the idea of being in the same room with him. Despite the obvious attraction he felt for me, he was on his best behavior. He swirled the wine in his glass before he looked up at me.
“So, what do you plan on doing with all this afterwards, Natalie? What career are you looking for?”
“I haven't decided yet. Before my program is finished, I will have to decide on which part of my art experience here I loved the most. At that point, I will specialize in that for a year straight, and then I graduate. I hope by then I can afford to freelance, and sell my work in galleries, but of course, that remains to be seen.”
“Do you know which one you are going to choose?”
“I have no idea. There is really something great about all of them. Writing will have to go by the wayside, I think. I just don't have a natural talent for it. But as for the rest, I can't decide yet. I will play out the rest of the year, and then make a decision for my final year.”
“That's so interesting. The idea of you being out there; you could be famous one day.”
“So could you,” I shot back.
He nodded chuckling. “Yeah, I guess that's true.”
“What would you do, Jet, if you got injured? What then?”
“Well, that's where I would have to say I have no idea. I've never even considered doing anything else. This was always all I wanted. I couldn't even imagine doing a regular job. I know it sounds juvenile, but I can't. I would probably have to go work at my father's company, which is actually the last thing I want to do, but it would be a guaranteed career, where I would one day own the company,” he shrugged, and I could tell that the idea of giving up his dream caused him sadness. I hoped he would never have to do such a thing. Seeing him fight the other day had made me realize that it could be very easy for a fighter to get badly injured―enough to end his career. The thought of it scared me, not for myself, but for him.
It was his turn to change the subject and get us back on track. “Well, let's get back to it, okay?” He stood up and headed back to his position, and I could tell I hit a nerve with my comment. I wondered if he would ever feel comfortable talking to me about his dad. That, however, was probably too much to ask, since I didn't really want him in my life long-term anyway. It was best to have him keep his personal life to himself. I did not want to feel anything for him.
I rose from the couch myself, and headed back to the drawing to finish what I had started.