Alice takes one for the team (R18)

Alice Blake put the finishing touches on her dark eyeliner, then screwed the cap on the brush and tossed it into her handbag on the bed. She gave herself an approving nod in the mirror. She had it down to half an hour these days, the time to transform into her goth look.

Her mum called from downstairs, “Alice, I’m still worried about this photo shoot thing. Are you sure me or your father can’t come with you?”

Sighing as she flicked off her bedroom light and headed downstairs to meet her mother peering up at her, she said, “It’s fine, Mum, don’t worry. It’s just the guys from the photo club at college. And the calendar’s proceeds are going to the kid’s cancer foundation, so how dodgy can it be?”

Her mother fussed over her, picking some fluff from her black corset. “Well, you just be careful. Dressed like that, it looks like you’re up for anything!”

“Mum!” Alice cringed. “You’re sooo awkward!”

Before she was subjected to any more parental advice, she gave her mother a peck on the cheek, hastily closed the front door behind her and headed for the bus stop. Her black ankle boots slapped last night’s rain from the puddles.

As the bus climbed up the winding single lane road to the old ruins, Alice looked down on Glasgow city, its sprawling grey terraced hours spread out below. She really needed to get out of this town. University in Edinburgh next year couldn’t come soon enough. Living at home with her parents, even at just eighteen, already felt claustrophobic.

The bus passengers were mostly tourists, on their way to the ruins for the history and the view, she supposed. Hopefully this photo shoot was somewhere private, away from the rabble. She was shy at the best of times, let alone being on display for a bunch of Japanese and Americans watching on.

When the bus pulled into the lookout car park, Alice was already waiting behind the driver, holding one of the leather straps hanging from the rail above, keen to dismount first and find the photo crew.

Thankfully, they were way over on the other side of the ruins, away from where tourists gathered to take photos of the more interesting castle keep and the view over the city. She recognised Anton, the tutor in charge of the project, waving at her.

”So glad you made it, Alice,” he said, palms pressed together in front of his woolen cardigan. “We’ve had a couple pull out, and it was looking like there wouldn’t be a calendar at all. Come and meet Rosemary, our photographer.”

Rosemary looked far more professional than Anton; she had a sharpness about her, both in physique and character. Even her pencil skirt was sharp, and the way she’d rolled up the sleeves of her cream blouse suggested she meant business.

She shook Alice’s hand with a smile. “A goth girl, eh?” she said, nodding her approval. “We can make that work. Stand over there by that wall Alice, I’ll test some white balance settings. There won’t be a lot of light bouncing off those clothes of yours. A bit of reflection from your skin, though I’d say. You don’t see much sun, do you, lass?”

’Well, she doesn’t mince words,’ Alice thought, trying not to show any reaction to the comment as she plodded over to the wall.

She stood rather awkwardly, an arm across her torso, while Rosemary fiddled with the settings of her tripod-mounted camera. Anton was standing off to the side, on the phone while he flicked through a folder. Two other guys were walking towards them from the college’s van. ‘Great’, Alice thought ‘More people to watch me looking silly.’ They looked like first years too, setting up what Alice knew to be a bounce board to reflect light onto the subject being photographed. Rosemary barked orders at them as they maneuvered it just where she wanted.

All the while, Alice stood, back against the low stone wall, waiting for instructions and feeling rather exposed. She’d thought her outfit looked great back in the bedroom mirror, but now it just made her a spectacle. A pair of tourists had wandered over. A Japanese couple, taking pictures as they came, perhaps wondering what movie was being shot up here or something.

”Shit!” Anton said, hanging up his phone. He strode over to Rosemary and lowered his voice, but Alice thought she heard him say, “Our nude model’s just pulled out at the last minute. She’s only gone and pranged her car.”

Rosemary shook her head in disbelief. “One problem after another eh? I don’t know what to tell you, Mister, but you’ve only got me this afternoon. I’m flying back to London tonight.” She sighed, “Anyway, I’ll get some shots of Alice here, while you figure out what to do.”

Trying to put the overheard comment out of her mind, Alice followed Rosemary’s instructions on where to stand and how to pose. All very normal, with hands on hips, hands in her hair, then turning to the side. Her anxiety gradually melted away.

There was a small awkward moment when Rosemary said “Hold it right there like that,” as Alice was turned in a three-quarter pose with her hands on her head, and Rosemary then beckoned to one of the young crew, “Fix her boot lace would you Tom, It’s come undone and I don’t want that drawing attention away from her face.” The lad scurried over, bent down and tied her laces. Right inside her personal bubble. But it also made her feel like maybe she was a bit of a star.

When Anton approached, rubbing the stubble on his chin and looking downcast, Alice knew it wasn’t going to be good.

“Alice,” he said, “I’m about to pull the pin on this project. We just don’t have the talent now. Our nude model’s not going to show and…” He must have noticed her somewhat shocked expression because he apologised, “Sorry, let me explain. We always throw a nude into the mix. It sells ten times as many “Girls of Glasgow” calendars. Raises ten times as much for the cancer kids, you see?” He let that sink in. Alice tried to nod, like it were no big thing, but inside her a sense of dread emerged, and sure enough his next line confirmed her fears.

“I’ve got a huge favour to ask, dear.” He cringed as he continued. “I don’t suppose you’d pose nude for us? You know, save the day? I know it’s a lot to ask out of the blue, but we won’t sell enough copies to even cover the printing costs if it’s just a few lasses posing in clothes.”

Sure that her face was now fire-engine red, Alice couldn’t look up. Both embarrassed and annoyed at his audacity, she said, “No way!”

He nodded. “Yeah, I thought you’d say that. But I had to try. I hope you don’t think ill of me.”

It occurred to Alice that the guy wasn’t actually creepy, even though his request had been. His manner, tone of voice and body language spoke only of someone quite dejected, trying to figure out a solution to a problem. And now she felt guilty. But it wasn’t fair, putting all that pressure on her to save the day. It wasn’t her fault the model wasn’t going to show. Hell, she didn’t even know the bloody calendar had a nude model in the first place. She probably wouldn’t have agreed to be part of it if she knew.

Anton walked back to Rosemary and told her she could pack up and call it a day. Alice heard her tell him “You know its still my full fee right?”

“Yeah, I know.” Anton mumbled.

Rosemary thought she’d have a go at turning things around and called out to Alice. “It would only be a couple of shots love. Just a topless, then a full nude, quick as a flash. I’ll get the boys to shoo the tourists away.”

Alice’s pulse was racing. This was mental. Now she had two of them pressuring her, and making her feel guilty. Right now she just wanted to be back on that bus, heading home and forgetting the whole thing.

In the end it was young Tom that swayed her. You’d think he’d be leering or cheeky about the whole situation. It turned out that yes, he also wanted her to pose nude, predictably. But for a different reason.

He came up to her rather shyly and said “Please do it. My brother’s got cancer and this calendar thing makes heaps of money for the foundation. They reckon they’re going to add a PC gaming room in the treatment centre. I’ll be able to play with him.”

Against all her better judgment, Alice ignored the voice screaming “NO!” inside her head and said “Aw for fuck’s sake. Okay, I’ll do it!”

“Yes!” Tom fist pumped the air, jubilation on his face.

She wasn’t sure if there was a setting on Rosemary’s camera fancy enough to deal with her blushing, her cheeks felt so hot. Anton didn’t help, with his repeated “Thank you! Thank you so much!” and almost bowing to her as he got back on his phone. Rosemary just smiled and said “Good on ya love!”

The lads went to try and tell the Japanese tourists that it was a closed set, but they didn’t seem to be having much luck with the communication barrier, and in the end Alice shouted “Don’t worry about it Tom.” and they gave up. She just wanted to get the thing done. What did it matter if a couple of Japs saw her as well.

Tom adjusted the bounce board to account for the sun sitting a little lower in the sky and Rosemary said very matter of factly, “Okay, lean back against the wall, and just pop one boob out for us. Its always a good cheeky shot.”

‘I’ll bet it bloody is’ Alice thought, lamenting the fact that her boobs were hardly Playboy material.

Out loud, to share her discomfort, she said “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” and pulled the side of her corset down past her left boob.

Rosemary called out ”Good stuff. Look at me though. That’s it.” and her camera shutter clicked. Alice covered herself up again and breathed deeply. She could hear Tom give a little clap, but dared not look at him or his mate. Why hadn’t she insisted they sit in the van?

The next topless shot wasn’t too bad, with the corset around her waist, she stood with hands on hips and tried her best to smile, with her two pale boobs on show and the cool breeze wafting across her pink nipples. Everyone was deathly quiet and she wished someone would say something. Even “Nice tits” to lighten the mood.

And then as if she’d read her mind, Rosemary broke the silence “Lovely boobs Alice, you look great!”

Anton had his palms pressed together, fingers nearly up his nostrils, still presumably thanking her. Tom and his mate sat on the grass, happy as pigs in shit probably, Alice thought. But she kinda liked Tom at least, and his mate wasn’t being a jerk either.

In fact, it was lucky she liked Tom, because Rosemary casually asked him to “Go and help Alice out of her gear Tom. Chop chop, we don’t have much light.”

‘Bloody hell, did the woman have no boundaries?’ Alice thought as Tom walked meekly over. But she wasn’t about to send him back. Shaking her head in bemusement, more at herself for coping, than anything else, Alice let Tom unzip her corset from the back. He folded it over his arm and waited while she shuffled out of the black skirt and handed it to him. And now she was standing there in nothing but black lace knickers and ankle boots.

“Hang on, that’s a great sexy look. Tom hop out the way a second” Rosemary called, and took a couple of shots with Alice like that before yelling “Okay, full nude now, and we’re done.”

With her heart thudding, Alice pulled her knickers down her legs, stepped out of them and passed them to Tom. He proved she was a good judge of character when he said without any hint of being a perv,“You’re the best Alice. So brave!”

And there she stood, naked but for her boots, while Anton, the two lads, and the bloody tourists looked on. And Rosemary of course, through the lens. but she didn’t count so much. But Alice could have throttled her when she called out. “Its nice to see not every lass is shaving her muff these days!”