A Gift Amongst Friends Ch. 09

Days later, Mandy was walking through the kitchen, bored. It was pouring rain outside and she had the house to herself while her mother was at work. She was cleaning up and texting back and forth with Sarah. Occasionally, she looked out the window toward Arthur's house as she often did, thinking about how his cock had felt inside of her. She thought about how easy it would be to go back over there just one more time and swear to herself it would be the last time.

"We still getting together tonight??" Sarah messaged her. "Feels like I haven't seen you in forever."

It was true. The two girls used to chat all day and every day. They used to practically live at each other's houses. Now it felt like they exchanged a few messages every couple of days, and Mandy had not seen her best friend in over a week.

Sarah was still a little mad at the unceremonious way that Eric had ghosted her since the end of the school year. While she had been bitter for the first several weeks, she was finally starting to come back out of her shell.

Sarah had never been prude. Up until very recently, she had almost certainly been the wilder of the two friends. However, she was still ashamed of the way she had given herself completely to Eric so easily and so quickly. She had given him a souvenir of erotic photos before they were even officially a couple, and she had even let him talk her into a threesome with his roommate. Now, he no longer responded to her messages and Mandy tried to forget that Sarah had trusted him with some erotic photos of the two girls together...

Mandy typed on her phone. "Yeah mom needs the car til 7ish but good after that."

Grabbing a broom, she moved the kitchen table and continued what she had been doing. She intended to help her mom around the house, even if that help was more well-intentioned than practical. The laundry was piling up, the shower needed a scrubbing, and the lawn was long-overdue for mowing. But Mandy preferred the more modest challenges of putting a few dishes from the dishwater and tidying around the kitchen.

Pulling the chair back, Mandy found a small piece of paper on the floor. Or, as she quickly discovered, it was a business card. Bending over, she picked it up and turned it over.

"Golden Hour Photography," it read.

Must be mom's, she decided as she kept reading.

"Specializing in events and private photoshoots: Weddings. Parties. Office events. Modeling portfolios. Romantic gifts. Graduation photos. Boudoir sessions."

Her mother was employed at a marketing firm that worked with lots of local businesses. She often brought home documents and other items from work. This one looked like dozens of other business cards that Mandy had seen before, except for the last item which grabbed her attention.

Boudoir sessions.

Mandy had always loved the concept of boudoir, even before her transformation into a fully-fledged exhibitionist. It took one of her favorite hobbies--photography--and turned it into something intimate. It was taboo, it was bold, and it demonstrated complete confidence in the model's beauty and sexuality. Even more than that, it was a statement of trust for a model, especially a young woman, to allow a photographer to capture her at her most vulnerable.

Even the word boudoir evoked so many different responses. It could be a naughty gift for a partner, or it could be a private experience for the model alone. It could be both empowering and also objectifying. It could be tasteful and dignified, or it could blur the line between artistic and pornographic. It could mean whatever a subject and the viewer wanted it to mean.

She had only come to appreciate it more after discovering how much she loved for her own body to be seen. After the amateur photoshoot with Sarah in the dorm room--which she did not consider boudoir, but boudoir-esque--she had fantasized about it even more.

It was naughty to consider paying someone to do something they would gladly do for free: photographing her body in revealing lingerie and perhaps even less.

She quickly searched for the business online and found a simple website, in addition to several positive reviews. The studio was owned by a Noah Clark, a name Mandy did not recognize.

The website showcased a wide range of photography, categorized by style. The Boudoir tab brought up almost two dozen photographs, some in color and some in black and white. Some of the women wore relatively conservative underwear that showed off their figure and little more. Some wore more revealing lingerie that gave a less subtle impression of what hid beneath. Some women were nude and obscured by shadows and poses that naturally blocked the most private parts of their bodies. And some photos hid nothing, showing fully nude woman sprawled on the bed for the world to see.

The photos were all well-lit and well-composed, and even the most provocative photos were tastefully done. Mandy spent several minutes admiring the photographer's work and the boudoir models themselves. One had a full sleeve of tattoos along her arms and another had tattoos all over her body. One model had several facial piercings that were barely noticeable next to her exposed and prominently displayed breasts.

Mandy stared at her for several seconds before realizing that she was no longer just admiring the photographic composition.

It was yet another reminder that Mandy's interest in women was more than a one-time curiosity. Where it would go, she was not sure. But so far her bisexual fascination and lustful fantasies seemed to be growing.

If her lesbian experimentation with Kelly had been meant to get the curiosity out of her system, then it had had the opposite effect. Mandy still thought fondly about that night, completely exposed in the common room of the neighboring dormitory. She still thought about her many fantasies involving Kelly and Megan. She still thought about Sarah, naked and in front of her own camera.

She started typing another message to Sarah. "I'm totally thinking of doing a boudoir photoshoot. You inspired me lol."

"Really??? That sounds like a lot of fun. Where?"

"I just found a photographer in town that does it. Haven't called yet."

"You should! Definitely research the place first tho lol."

"Yeah I did. Looks legit and they're working with mom's office so probably not tooooo sketchy haha." Mandy paused a moment, hesitating. "You should come with me. Def better to have someone else if things get weird." She felt like she was holding her breath for an eternity, waiting for a response.

"Yea of course np. Just tell me where and when. I'll bring popcorn and watch you strip bitch."

Mandy laughed. With Sarah onboard, she decided to take the plunge and called the number on the card. After a few rings, a male voice answered.

"Golden Hour, Noah speaking."

"Hi... I'm... well, I was just wondering how it would work to book a photoshoot if I wanted one. And how much it would cost."

"Yeah of course, happy to help." His voice sounded friendly, but Mandy had trouble guessing his age. "So I guess it depends on what kind of photoshoot you're looking for, where, and for how long. The company is relatively new, but I've been doing this for eight years. I can book anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks in advance, depending on what we're doing. Lots of stuff can factor in there, especially if it's outdoors. I got a pretty decent studio here. Looking for grad photos or something like that?"

"No," she hesitated again. "I was actually kinda wondering about maybe a boudoir shoot. Not really sure yet."

"Sure, I've done a few of those lately. They always peak around Valentine's Day and then pick up again in the summer. They usually run one-to-two hours, depending what you have in mind. Ever done any boudoir?"

For a moment, she wondered if any of her recent photography could be classified as boudoir. No, probably not.

"No," she answered, "but I always wanted to try it. Sounds really fun."

"Yeah, from my experience I've never met a woman who regretted it or didn't come out feeling good about themselves. They're definitely really fun for first timers that have never done anything like this before. It's really liberating is what they usually say. Can I get your name?"

"Mandy..."

"Hey Mandy, I just want to confirm you're over eighteen, right?"

"Yeah, I'm twenty."

"Ok great, just wanted to make sure. So I'm really great with first timers. I always follow the comfort level of my model. If you want to run the whole show, then I am just handling lights and taking pictures. If you'd prefer for me to give direction, then I have experience with that too."

They talked for several minutes, discussing pricing and ideas. Mandy was pleasantly surprised by the rates. Noah's studio did not do hair or makeup, but they had an arrangement with several local businesses that were owned by his friends. He explained that they would give her a steep discount if Noah referred her. In return, Noah would sometimes provide them with a few select photos of their work for their own website and marketing. Mandy got excited as she listened, realizing that this whole experience was going to cost far less than she had feared.

"What about location?" he asked. "Were you planning to do this at your place?"

"No," she responded quickly. "I can't do it here."

"Ok, no problem. I have a side room in my studio that can be set up to look like a bedroom. It's not perfect, but it works pretty well once I set up the lighting. Most of the boudoir photos on our website are taken here and you'd probably never notice if I hadn't told you. You should come in and check it out to see if it's what you had in mind."

They agreed to meet the next day after lunch.

"Oh," Mandy interjected, "is it okay for my friend to come for the session? I was kinda hoping that would be okay."

"Yeah, sure. Of course," he said enthusiastically. "Yeah, she can come. You two can do the shoot together or split up the time however you want. Same rate. I won't charge extra, and I can book you some extra time."

It took Mandy a moment to realize what he meant. "Oh... Oh, no I don't mean to model. I just mean she wants to come and watch."

"Sure, yeah she can do that too if she wants. I don't mind. My offer still stands though. If the two of you want to go halfsies on a session I can book you an extra free hour."

"Awesome, yeah maybe she'll be interested. I'll talk to her and let you know."

They said their goodbyes and Mandy started typing another message to her best friend.

"He doesn't sound creepy so... yay?? lol. I'm gonna go check out the place tomorrow and make sure it's not some basement dungeon."

"Nice, I'm excited for you!! Want me to come tomorrow?"

"Ok sure." Mandy paused, typing, deleting, and retyping the next message several times before hitting send. "Do you want to do the photoshoot with me? It's the same price whether it's just me or two of us. Might as well share it and I know you kinda like modeling."

It was true, but it only captured part of the whole picture. The last time Sarah had modeled for Mandy, the two women had ended up naked on her roommate's bed, and Mandy had been dangerously close to planting her tongue between the wet lips of her best friend's pussy.

"Maybe," her friend answered. "I dunno. Tempting but probably shouldn't"

Mandy exhaled, trying to let the disappointment pass before she responded. "Ok totally up to you. I know it got kinda weird last time but at least the guy will be there this time so things don't get carried away lol." She hoped the LOL would do a lot of heavy lifting to ease the awkwardness.

"Yeah true. Hmmm..."

Mandy was starting to type her response when another message arrived from Sarah.

"Ok sure I'm in. I was totally excited to go watch but I'm just gonna be jealous the whole time if I do that. Was probably gonna book my own shoot anyway so why not?"

They discussed how they wanted to split their time at the photoshoot, ultimately deciding to go with the flow and just make it up as they went. The next day, Sarah picked her up and the two girls went to visit Golden Hour. Noah greeted them and led them through an entryway lined with framed photographs. They walked into a small waiting area with a few chairs against the wall.

"Welcome to my studio," he said with a smile. "I think I mentioned it yesterday, this location is still pretty new but I have eight-plus years of photography experience. I've done weddings, parties, and yeah, I've done a lot of boudoir sets as well."

Mandy found him a little plain looking, but certainly not unattractive. She estimated that he must be around thirty, tall with an intense stare. She introduced him to Sarah, and he led them past the unmanned front counter and through a doorway. They walked through a short hallway that opened to a much larger room.

"Here's the main studio," he said with a gesture of his hand. "There's a lot of options in here, but honestly I prefer one of the side rooms for boudoir." He directed them to a door on their left. "This room can be set up to look like a bedroom. I've got all the big stuff... a bed, a nice antique double dresser, makeup vanity, lots of mirrors..."

Mandy stepped into the room, which felt small with all three of them in there. The furniture was all pushed to the corner, but she was impressed by what she saw. The set was a mixed collection of bedroom furniture that did not match, but was tied together by an antique motif that Mandy found both classy and cute.

"Sorry I don't have it all set up for you. Had a busy morning and another group had this room set up as a temporary changing room. Hopefully you can visualize it, but I would typically set up the bed over there..."

Mandy followed as Noah took them step-by-step through the layout of the room, where each piece of furniture would be set up, how he preferred to light the space, and where he normally stood. He showed them which angles worked well to disguise the space as a convincing bedroom, and which angles would give away that it was a studio.

"Believe me though," he said. "Once the lights are turned down and especially once I do some edits, it looks really convincing. But honestly," Noah joked, "if people are overanalyzing the room and the furniture when they look at boudoir, then the photographer has really fucked up their job."

Mandy was convinced. She discussed it with Sarah on the drive home, but she would have done it even without her best friend's agreement. Fortunately, Sarah had come to the same conclusion. They arranged a time for next week, and the girls started discussing what they each planned to wear.

The next day, Mandy went shopping again, this time at a more local mall that did not permit her to play her exhibitionist game again. Although she already owned several sets of flattering underwear, she wanted something new. She did not own anything that she would classify as lingerie, and this seemed like a good opportunity to remedy that.

She tried on multiple bras, corsets, garters, babydoll tops, and anything else that screamed out boudoir to her. Mandy decided to splurge on a few higher priced items, justifying the purchase with the unexpectedly cheap cost of the photoshoot and makeup.

For the next couple of days, she excitedly shared notes with Sarah about what she had bought, what she had planned, and whether she would decide to remove the underwear and go completely bare for the camera.

I guess it depends on how it goes.

Sarah, on the other hand, seemed more coy about her plans and her wardrobe.

On the day of the photoshoot, Mandy told her mother that she would be hanging out with Sarah for most of the night. It was the truth, but there was no reason to tell her mom what the girls had planned. Mandy's mother still thought her daughter was a saint and could do nothing wrong. A seductive photoshoot in her underwear was a conversation topic that Mandy would much rather avoid.

I can only imagine what mom would say about me getting undressed in front of a stranger with a camera.

The plan was for Sarah to pick Mandy up before their hair and makeup appointment at 3pm. Mandy would leave her things at Sarah's place so that she would not need to come home and risk having to explain why she was done up so glamorously for a night at her friend's house.

She was pleasantly surprised that Noah's description of a discount was true. While Mandy was not usually the high-maintenance type, she knew what these types of makeovers could cost. The girls were charged significantly less than she had expected. She was also surprised to learn that the salon was owned by an older man she previously worked with in retail years ago.

The man, named Tyler, came out and chatted with the girls for a little while, asking Mandy about her life. He seemed genuinely excited to see her, which she interpreted as him just being polite. They had, after all, only worked together for less than a year while she was in high school, and he had been her supervisor.

"Tell Noah I said hi," he said with a smile as the girls were paying and preparing to leave.

There was still almost an hour until their photoshoot, so the girls did their best to eat a light dinner that did not risk ruining their makeup. Mandy began making some drinks to help them loosen up.

"I guess we could just take an Uber," Sarah agreed after some persuading from Mandy. The studio was pretty close and the fare would be pretty cheap.

When the time finally came, both girls had already finished two drinks and shot of Tequila for the road. They chatted excitedly in the car, and Mandy told the older male driver exactly what they were heading to the studio for.

"Boudoir..." he said, glancing back at her in the rear-view mirror. "Isn't that like nudie pics? Or something like that?" His tone was conversational and friendly. The question seemed more of a curiosity than a judgment. In this line of work, he probably heard all kinds of strange stories.

"It doesn't have to be nude but it can be," Mandy replied, looking over at Sarah who was silently staring out the window in embarrassment of her friend. "It can be all kinds of stuff... underwear, sexy lingerie, or whatever. It's usually just private pictures in like a bedroom or something like that. Doesn't have to be nude but sometimes it is. It's not porn or anything, but it's supposed to be very intimate." She paused, looking for the right word that was at the tip of her tongue. "Sensual," she eventually decided.

"Oh okay, sounds like fun to me. Maybe I'm in the wrong business."

Mandy smiled. "Yeah, you should definitely have been a photographer. Lots of naked girls. I'm pretty sure that's the main reason most guys do it. You could always come and watch," she joked.

The driver laughed. "Sure thing, I'd love to be a fly on the wall."

When they arrived, Noah greeted them in the waiting room. "Wow, you ladies look great. Please come this way, and I have a few forms for you to read over and sign before we get started." Mandy was so excited that she could barely listen to anything he was saying. Something about release forms, ownership of the artwork, and permissions to share or reproduce the images. Even without a couple of drinks in her system, Mandy would have struggled to read the specifics of what she was signing. With a slight buzz and her heart racing, she quickly skimmed the pages of technicalities and legalese.

She was already signing her name when Sarah spoke. "It says something about you having rights to use the images for promotional purposes. Like, what does that mean? Do you need to ask us before you use our pictures?"

His smile was almost apologetic. "I wouldn't technically have to, but I promise you'd have my complete discretion. These promotional deals are what allow me to keep my rates so competitive and create partnerships with Tyler and his salon. It's pretty standard and I apologize if I didn't fully explain it on the phone. Seriously, I mean it. I want the models to feel completely comfortable when they step in front of the camera. If there are a few pictures that you don't want me sharing, I get it--it's boudoir. That's what most girls come in here for. Just let me know, and I will leave those ones out of it. I don't want this to be on the back of your mind during the whole shoot. Just relax, have fun, and trust me." He paused. "I can also take off the discounted rate if you're not comfortable with this. I don't mind, but I'll have to include whatever I'm gonna owe Tyler. Just let me know... I honestly don't mind. The most important thing for me is that you get what you came here for today."