Princess Prick Tease

Adam woke Grace at the crack of dawn the following morning with cereal and juice followed up by toast and strong black coffee. They had decided earlier that the best plan of attack would be to start with the costumes with the least and lightest body paint working their way up to the darker and more time consuming costumes.

As a further twist to his fantasy zoo theme Adam had in the end created costumes of mythical creatures. On that first day, Grace found herself transformed into a mermaid with a shimmering tail hand painted and sewn so as to fit her perfectly. The lycra-like material allowed her to shuffle around rather than have to jump. A hard shell-like structure topped the tail hugging her hips and the small of her back joining in a low vee in the front resting over her mound.

Intricate painting was applied over her shoulders neck and around the edges of her face and eyes. She curled her hair in large waves and pinned it with specially crafted seashell combs. Small pearls hung from tiny gold nipple shields before her skin was coated in a luminescent spray making her glow. She sat dutifully on green structures that would be filled in on the computer with rocks and beach scapes, she lay on tables with fans blowing as if swimming and by early evening she was sore, tired and starving so she finally called a halt knowing that Adam never would in his search for the perfect moment and picture.

"I am going to go scrub down with the solvents you gave me. There had better be real food here when I come back," Grace warned him as she slithered out of the tube-like material that covered her legs and handed back the jewellery and combs. As she walked off she knew that he wouldn't have the food; once out of his sight he would get distracted once more by the work he had done today and she would be the one making sure he ate.

The industrial strength cleanser he had provided for her nightly showers smelled dreadful and she spent just as much time in the shower ridding herself of the smell of it as she did the body paint he had taken so much time in applying. When she finally emerged from the steamy bathroom Grace was surprised to hear voices. Curious, she padded toward his studio silently trying to listen despite the fact she wore only a towel. It was at the exact moment that she had tiptoed across the hallway that that Adam's brother, Kane, came out of the room colliding with her.

"Oh shit Grace! What are you doing here?" Kane said helping her up from where she had fallen as she clutched the towel to her body.

"Taking a shower," Grace said clinging to the obvious unsure of what he had seen or been told by Adam.

"Are you and Adam back together again? I didn't think you would ever forgive him for inviting another guy to your bed without asking," Kane laughed.

"I am just helping him out with a project. As much as I would never screw him again, I forgave him ages ago. He is bi and that's great, I on the other hand am definitely a 'one partner at a time' type of chick," she laughed at the expression on Kane's face.

"Wholly crap. It's you isn't it?" Kane exclaimed. "Skinny little Grace looking like a full blown hottie as a mermaid." His eyes raked over her towel clad body.

"You promised Adam, You promised no one would recognise me!" Grace walked into the studio raising her voice.

"I didn't tell him who it was when he asked. I think perhaps your towel dress might have given him a hint though, don't you?" That awful Mr-know-it-all smirk was back on Adam's face.

"Shame about that one partner at a time thing," Kane lamented, "Maggie would have loved a little sex pot like you in our bed." He teased.

"What is wrong with your family? Are you all incapable of monogamy?" Grace threw up her hands and flopped into a chair noticing the Chinese food on the table.

"Well now that you know you may as well take a look at all the shots we took today not just the ones with the face obscured," Adam gestured toward his computer.

"Oooh goodie," Kane went and sat at the computer with Adam and Grace, not bothering to dress, helped herself to the food.

After half an hour of murmuring and glances in her direction Grace gave up trying to get Adam to eat and went to grab some clothes from her bag and dress for bed. When she came back she lay on the day bed and picked up the book she had bought for times when his obsession shut her out. She only came back to reality when she heard Kane say her name, "Huh?"

"What would you like for dinner tomorrow night? You know you can't rely on him to eat let alone cook when he is like this and running you ragged with his temperamental mood swings," he smiled at her.

"I don't really mind as long as it's real food, not burgers or deep fried mystery fish," Grace laughed.

"Real food, got it," Kane winked at her and left. She smiled thinking that it was nice of him but then everyone looked after Adam; he had a certain vulnerability to him that made people want to look after him and help him out. She pulled herself up short of labelling him an artist with a sensitive soul because he was quite insensitive more often than not with her.

The following day Adam woke Grace with breakfast again eager to start on a second day of her transformation as he called it. Having been through the process once already, the initial costuming part went relatively easy, until he produced bizarre looking footwear. "You can keep these off until the last moment but I want to see how they fit," Adam pushed her back into a chair making her draw her breath. The skin tight pants she wore were made from the treated hide of some nondescript animal giving her short but shaggy fur from hip to calf below that were soft vinyl stockings that covered her feet in a similar dark brown colour as the fur. The footwear seemed to be created from a pair of very high heels with the heel removed and the front part added to make it stable as well as appear as a cloven hoof.

She did not have to do her hair instead he fluffed it out teasing it slightly and spraying with hairspray to keep the wild effect as he placed moulded plastics along her forehead, hairline and around her ears pushing the hair up and back from her face and adding short curling horns. He then began the long process of painting her shoulders neck and face and dusting her body with a red glow rather than the gold of yesterday before he added the final touches of jewellery. Adam allowed Grace to add the breast adornments herself and she took her time liking the look of the spidery filigree that covered her areola leaving the actual nipple to poke through the centre.

This time when she looked in the mirror at the final product she barely recognised herself so complete was the effect and she went through the motions of posing and standing in strange positions while he took a million photos. It was not her that called a halt though, it was Kane who arrived early bearing a range of sushi on a platter.

"Oh goodie I get to see the satyr in the flesh not just photo's. I was hoping I would be early enough," Kane enthused and then gushed compliments and flattery over both of them. "I can't believe it's you under there Gracie! You look amazing."

"You mean I don't usually look amazing," she said pretending to be hurt, making him back-pedal madly.

"No it's not that, it's just... like... your tits... wow, and..." he fumbled for words.

"Don't pay her any attention Kane," he scowled at Grace as she burst out laughing, "She wears big baggy sacks all the time. How would anyone knew she was hiding a hot body under there lately?"

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover," Grace said still grinning and enjoying the attention and compliments of the last two days. Starving as always because they never stopped for lunch and she only drank sips of water so as not to have to run constantly to the bathroom she sat and helped herself to the food and bottle of wine Kane had brought with him before going for a shower.

"Don't get anything on those pants," Adam warned her and with a huff she pulled a small drop cloth over her lap and continued eating while she watched the brothers go through the photos and compare them to the sketches totally ignoring her now. Once she had had enough of the sushi she took it over to the desk hoping it would tempt Adam to eat and took both her glass and the wine bottle to the bathroom to have a nice long bath and soak the paint from her skin.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom Kane was gone and she could see Adam at his computer eating as he worked. Rather than disturb him she went to bed and curled up with her book as she had the night before. She had woken in the middle of the night to find Adam had crawled into the small bed beside her and though he had wrapped an arm around her, he had stolen the blanket. She was loathe to disturb him when he finally was getting some much needed rest so she cuddled close to him and pulled a corner of the blanket back over her body. When she woke in the morning he was sitting beside her once again with breakfast.

"Let's get going. The easy ones are done, now comes the hard stuff, eat up," he said and shoved a piece of toast in her mouth.

"I think I would rather be at work," she grumbled. "At least I get paid to get out of bed for them."

"We," Adam said with conviction, "Are going to be paid for these, trust me my little mythical marvel."

Grace laughed at his confidence and stood up stretching, "Okay I will try and wake myself up properly but you know if you're going to hog the covers you need to get me a spare blanket so I am not so tired in the mornings." Adam looked surprised that she knew he had slept with her for a little during the night but said nothing in return.

Grace went to the bathroom and splashed water on her face, she had only worn two of the five costumes and her skin was drying out alarmingly, she worried that he heavy duty cleansers were taking a bigger toll on her than expected as she put some light cream over her neck and face rubbing it in. Considering her options to keep her skin from flaking and becoming truly damaged she went back in to eat breakfast.

"I dunno Adam, my skin is starting to flake I might need a break for a day or I will be all scaly in the photos," Grace tested to see how he would react.

"Maybe tomorrow if we get enough shots today and scaly is good for today," he smirked and held up a gold and black mesh material, "Dragon day."

He passed her a tiny triangle of thin material held together with fishing line. She choked on her last mouthful of coffee, "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Well there is more to it but that's what you get to start with," Adam said seriously trying to remind himself she was just a canvas and that no matter how amazing she looked and acted he didn't want to go down that road again.

"Fine," she said not feeling so fine but refusing to show it. If he was determined to ignore her nudity then she would flaunt it. Donning the small triangle of fabric she went and stood against the opposite wall where he had spread a drop sheet. She tried to strut, swinging her hips saucily but it felt ridiculous and she burst out laughing. She didn't really know why she wanted to tease him with her body except that he had admitted that she affected him and it made her feel... she couldn't quite find the word to describe how it felt, sexy? Powerful? She shook her head, still grinning and faced him.

"Close your eyes, hands to the side, try not to smile too much and breathe shallowly." He started the small motor that ran the air gun in his hand and he shot her with the paint low in her belly as a test patch. Grace's giggles crunched her tummy muscles. He started on the small triangle of material pasting it to her body with the paint and smiling as it showed the details of her pubic hair and slit.

To Grace it seemed to take forever as she turned and changed position time and again to his almost barked commands and she was at the point of demanding a break when he finally stopped for a moment and stood back to assess her. It took another couple of hours to add the accessories that had been crafted from a type of soft plastic and the material that created the effect of scales and lizard skin. It was late afternoon when he was done with the detailed face and neck paint and finally satisfied with how the costume looked with its taloned feet and large tail.

Kane walked in as they had only just started the photographs and Grace could smell the Italian food and garlic bread, begging Kane to feed her small bites of the cheesy garlic bread between shots. She was beyond caring that she was practically naked in front of Kane as she had known him almost as long as she had known Adam.

As on the two previous evenings it was Grace who had to call a halt and begged to have the tail removed so she could eat and soak the paint from her body before curling up with a book as Adam ignored her; she fell asleep before she had completed even a paragraph. When he woke her in the morning with breakfast she glared at him and rolled over pulling the blanket over her head.

"I need a day off. I can't do another day without fresh air and sunshine," she whined. "I' a person dammit Adam, you barely even talk to me, I need to go out and be with real people who will ask me what I think and feel and care if I am hungry or need a drink or or..." she had run out of ready alternatives but she had made her point.

"Come on Gracie, we agreed to the week, geez don't do this to me," Adam sounded frustrated and angry.

"Do this to you? I am the one with blotchy skin. I am the one who has to spend hours every night scrubbing my skin with the worst smelling gunk in the world while I am dizzy and nauseous from not eating all day. I am the one who is doing you the favour remember, not the other way around." She snarled and pulled the blanket back over her head. "Or do you think I actually enjoy standing around naked in front of my best friend all day knowing that he going to send photos of me to some deviants to drool over so he can win some stupid fucking contest and get an in with the kinky Nuevo Riche?"

"Great! Take the day off! Do what you fucking want to!" Adam exploded and stormed off to his room slamming the door so it echoed back through the house to where Grace lay.

Getting up she grabbed some clothes and got dressed. Taking her bag and car keys she let herself out of his house hoping he would get some sleep. Once she was in her car she had no idea where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do, she just knew she had to get out of Adams house. She covered her face with her hands and felt tears spring to her eyes. She should have known better, a whole week of Adam while he is manic is too much for any normal person to handle.

Deciding what to do in a moment of clarity, Grace started the car and pulled away from the kerb. Driving with purpose she hoped Anna, who she had met through a friend, would take her as a walk in. Anna had just begun a business combining massage therapies with beauty treatments and Grace knew she could use a day of pampering. At a set of traffic lights she reached into her purse making sure she had her credit card. She couldn't really afford the full spa treatment but she knew that's what she wanted right now, her skin was taking a real dislike to the paint and harsh cleansers she used to remove it.

As luck would have it most of Anna's newly opened business occurred on weekend or late afternoons and she was more than happy to fit Grace in around the few appointments she had that day. Grace let herself relax and enjoy the day of pampering, relishing the firm moisturising massage that eased the muscles in her tired body.

By mid-afternoon her skin felt smooth and supple again; Kathy had done her hair and make-up and she was feeling good. She wasn't quite relaxed enough to head back to the studio and work things out with Adam to finish his project, it was only two more costumes but she didn't even want to think about it until tomorrow. Climbing back into her car she turned on her phone not surprised to see several missed calls from Adam. In listening to the messages she realised he must have slept because the mania that had been present in the last day seemed to have disappeared. He sounded apologetic and offered comprises and bribes for her to return and finish the project. Rather than calling she texted him that she would return tonight but she needed the whole day off and would remain out of contact for a little while longer.

"Sure, come here first and you can borrow something to wear," Eve enthused to Grace. She had rung her friend who always seemed to know where a party was happening and asked if she could tag along with her for the night. When Grace tried to protest Eve said patiently, "I know you try but let's face it you could use a hand with your wardrobe."

Considering Eve's words for a few seconds, emboldened by the last few days and all the frumpy remarks she had endured from Adam and Kane she made a decision. "So take the afternoon off work and take me shopping," Grace suggested in return rather than the usual defensive reply her friends expected.

"Seriously?" Eve sounded dumbfounded.

"Yes. I am ready to admit I need some help," Grace laughed and they made plans to meet in an hour after her friend suddenly came down with an upset tummy at work.

Eve was surprised at the sudden change in Grace, the girl who hid behind her glasses and frumpy clothes seemed to be busting out of her shell and allowed Eve to suggest some risqué clothes that she never thought to see Grace wear and wondered about the change in her attitude. "So who is the new guy?" Eve asked casually.

"What new guy?" Grace returned confused by the question.

"There must be someone new or you wouldn't be so suddenly aware of your assets," Eve waggled her eyebrows suggestively at the skin tight dress Grace was trying on.

"No new guy," Grace laughed, "But let's see what tonight brings." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively in return and Eve burst out laughing too.

"Fine, don't tell me, but I know someone is behind this sudden transformation of our frumpy caterpillar into a butterfly." Eve looked at grace critically as she turned and entered the change room again.

Grace blew a big chunk of her savings but she was in a really good mood and was looking forward to the night out. She felt some small guilt about Adam and turned on her phone briefly as she arrived at Eve's place to get ready for the night out. The only message was from Kane wondering about her absence. She sent a similar message to the one she had sent Adam earlier in the day saying that she needed a day off and would return later that night or first thing in the morning to do the last two costumes in the project. She asked him to look after Adam and make sure he ate and got some rest. "I sound like his mother," she said out loud to herself as she hit send and threw her phone back into her bag. Gathering her purchases she went into Eve's house.

*****

Grace had discovered in the last few days that that being able to tease men was an incredible ego boost but knowing that it was just Adam that she had been teasing also left her flat. As she sat in the bar with the too loud music and colourful crowd she smiled at the glances she received. So she wanted an ego boost, it's not like she was here for a one night stand, those seem to be on offer if she had have given some of the men a second glance. She sized up some of the interested looking men and imagined a night of wild and crazy monkey sex might be just what she needed but she wasn't that drunk yet.

She considered that it was not only her that lacked confidence as it seemed that many of the men who did approach her seemed to have imbibed a lot before having the balls to do so. She laughed admitting she was equally as in need of liquid courage before she could flirt with confidence and was nice to the ones that dared to approach her but none of them had that certain spark she looked for. Ordering another drink, Grace smiled and sat up straighter noting her friend on the dance floor with yet another different guy before accepting her drink and chatting briefly with the friendly bartender.