Sportswriter's Dilemma

"Can I get you another?" a female voice startled her, and Kate turned back to see her waitress standing in front of her table.

"Umm, guess not. Think that's it for tonight," Kate said.

She smiled at her as if to apologize for interrupting her eavesdropping. "Don't worry, I won't tell them," she said as she took the check, left it on the table, and moved onto her next customer. Kate settled the bill and stepped out into the chilly New York winter night. But somehow, the combination of the beers and the overheard conversation left her with a warm glow inside and a new found confidence that the next couple of days were going to be good ones.

****

The following afternoon Julie accompanied her to the studio where they'd be shooting and introduced her to the two key people on the set, the photographer and the video director.

"Kate, this is Daniel. He's done dozens of photoshoots for us." Julie had sensed the journalist's nervousness, and she wanted to let her know that they had a first-class team assembled. "We picked him because he's photographed a number of the athletes who were doing this for the first time. So he knows what it's like to work with people who aren't professional models." The photographer shook hands with the sports reporter and said that he was looking forward to working with her.

"Thanks, Daniel. I'm sure I'm in good hands here."

"And this," Julie continued, "is Marcus, our videographer. One of the best in the business."

"I'm flattered," Kate said, wanting to get off on a good foot with everyone. "As Julie has pointed out, I'm no model, so I'm going to need all the help I can get to avoid embarrassing myself." She noticed the three of them quickly glance at one another, and she wondered if she had come closer to the truth than she realized. She could just imagine the conversations among them and the crew as they planned for this shoot -- something along the lines of "the magazine came up with this harebrained scheme and we're stuck with trying to make it work." "Well, if that's the case," Kate thought to herself, "we're all thinking the same thing."

The photographer and videographer returned to working with their crews on the lighting and backdrops while Julie introduced her to Amanda, who spent the next hour with Kate going through some wardrobe choices. They had already gotten her measurements and clothes sizes and the journalist was impressed by the large number of outfits on hand. She couldn't fail to note that most of them were definitely sexier and more revealing than anything she had ever worn.

Kate then spent the rest of the afternoon with the hair stylist and make-up artist. Given that her normal morning routine involved a maximum of five minutes in front of the mirror, she was amused that there could be so much to do. But when they finally completed the work and let her take a look at herself, Kate was amazed at the results. Her first reaction was "who is that woman?" followed almost immediately by a gasp. "I'm beautiful," she thought.

The eyeliner and make-up had accentuated her dark eyes, producing the effect of deep and mysterious liquid pools that commanded attention. She had always thought of her face as somewhat plain and square-jawed -- in short, unremarkable. But the blush on her cheeks served to accentuate the bone structure, and the dark lipstick gave a new focus to her face.

"You like?" the make-up girl asked, smiling as she observed Kate's reaction.

"Very much so," Kate answered sincerely. "You really can work magic."

The woman nodded, acknowledging the compliment. "You'd be surprised at what most models look like without their make-up. You could definitely get some work with your looks." She paused and looked down the hallway to where the cameras and lights were being set up. "But right now, let's see how you do tonight. Julie's waiting for you."

As Kate walked onto Daniel's set, Julie stepped forward and took her hand. "We've been talking and we'd like to start with some shots of you in the team jersey. That will give us a chance to fine tune the lighting and should help you get comfortable in front of the camera. So, you can go with Amanda and she'll get you set. Given the team colors, I'd suggest dark blue panties with the jersey. That should be all we need for now."

When Kate reappeared on the set, she was wearing an oversized jersey that came about halfway down her thighs. Other than panties, she was naked under the shirt.

"Okay," Daniel spoke to his crew. "We're ready to start. Let's run through the different lighting combinations we discussed and see what looks best. Kate, just stand and face the camera and I'll move you around."

The rapid clicks of the camera were barely audible but it was distracting to see the crew in constant motion as they adjusted the lights. "Kate, keep looking at me. Watch the camera. Don't worry about those guys. They're invisible -- not even here." A loud crash of equipment off to the side caused Kate to turn her head quickly with a startled look.

Daniel walked up to her and talked softly. "Just ignore all that. You are the most important person on this set, and that's all that matters. The camera is your audience, and all you have to do is focus on that."

"Don't worry," she responded. "I'll get the hang of it." But she had begun to wonder if she really would.

Things improved slightly; she managed to tune out the distractions, listening carefully to Daniel's directions. "Look left, look right, now place your hands on your hips while taking a step forward. That's it," Daniel commanded. "I like it. A little sassy...proud of your team. Now turn and bend forward slightly."

She could hear the camera clicking. "No, that's not working," he barked at one of the assistants. "I need a shorter jersey. Get the smaller size."

A young woman appeared out of nowhere with another top and handed it to Kate. "Oh, I get it," she thought to herself. "Guess I just change here." With that, she took a deep breath and pulled off one jersey and exchanged it for the smaller size, slipping that over her head. As she finished pulling the top down and turned back to face the camera, she caught one of Marcus's team aiming a video camera at her from the side. "Better get used to this, girl," she muttered under her voice.

The hair stylist stepped forward with a brush to expertly adjust a few strands of hair. Daniel now had her pose facing left, then right as she leaned forward with her hips thrust back. "Good, good," he said. "Now raise the jersey to your waist. Keep your butt out, let the bottom of the shirt sit there." She could tell that this was providing a clear view of her panties with just a hint of flesh visible above the waist.

"Okay, Kate. I need you to straighten up, face the camera and slowly raise the top. Hold it when you get to your breasts."

A series of rapid fire clicks followed. "Have some fun with it. Tease the camera a little."

She tilted the shirt a bit, raising it higher with one hand so a glimpse of her underboob could be seen. She then tried raising both sides to reveal the bottom curves of both breasts, moving the top from side to side as she felt her large breasts swaying with the fabric, and then quickly lowered the jersey.

"That's it, keep it going. Let's see that from the back."

She turned away from the camera and this time was emboldened to raise her top even higher. At one point, she felt her orbs slip completely out from under the jersey and started to turn toward the camera. But suddenly she felt like she was losing her nerve and tugged the jersey back into place.

"Okay, just a few more," the photographer commanded. "Keep your back to the camera but lose the top entirely this time." As she raised the top and pulled it over head, she wondered if the camera was positioned to catch any glance of her sideboob. Daniel's next instructions quickly cleared up any uncertainty about that. "Now turn slowly to me. And as you do I want you to cover your breasts with your arms."

Kate did her best to keep her D cups covered, and she was pretty sure she had managed to avoid exposing her nipples. But clearly generous amounts of flesh were exposed above and below her arms, and she thought she could hear several cameras now clicking. "Okay, Kate, now I want you to drop your arms. Try it several times, any way you want to do it. Remember look at the camera."

She knew her movements were awkward and her gaze somewhat distracted. This is hard work, she thought to herself.

Daniel sensed her discomfort and called a break. "We've got a good start here folks, so let's stop for a bit." He glanced at his watch. "Besides, it's time for dinner. Take an hour and get something to eat." The assistant again appeared out of nowhere and handed Kate a robe, which she gratefully slipped on as Daniel approached.

"Sorry," she began, "I'm having a little trouble getting into it I guess."

He smiled good naturedly. "Not something you do every day, is it?"

"No, hardly," she answered with a chuckle.

"Well, I've worked on a lot of shoots like this. And I can get you through it with no trouble. Just follow my directions."

Something about his tone annoyed her, but she simply nodded. "I will."

"Good, we'll try something different after the break. For now, do you think you can handle food?"

"I'll give it a try."

He signaled for someone to bring her a drink. "When we resume, I'm going to have you pose in lingerie. Amanda will select some outfits for you and we'll get you more comfortable in front of the camera."

"I always thought the trick for overcoming stage fright was to imagine your audience naked, not to get naked yourself," Kate responded with just a note of sarcasm.

Daniel smiled blandly. "Everything will be fine," he said and started to step away. "Now if you'll excuse me," he nodded. Kate noticed that he headed directly over to Julie, where the two of them engaged in what appeared to be a serious conversation.

"Probably complaining about me," she muttered, just as the assistant came up with tray holding a sandwich and a drink.

"I thought a glass of wine might help," she said with a friendly smile.

"I think you're right," Kate replied.

She wolfed down the sandwich and then spent the next forty-five minutes with Amanda. After much discussion, they settled on a red bra, panties, and garter belt with black stockings. Kate had resisted the idea of wearing a thong, but the panties that she ended up in were almost as revealing. They were minibriefs, several inches in width, and riding well below her belly button. In the front, the material was solid and served to cover her pussy. But in the back, the fabric was sheer and completely see through. The entire length of her ass crack was clearly visibly, and the bottoms of her round cheeks peeked out below the panties.

Kate had large areolas with broad nipples that extended only slightly when stimulated. The demi bra was cut low, revealing almost all of the top half of her breasts. So depending how she stood or moved, the top of the dark pink circles could be seen peeking out from the demi bra. The garter belt was narrow, a couple of inches in width running across her belly button. That left several inches of flesh visible between the belt and the top of the minibriefs, a look that Kate had to admit was sexy. To complete the outfit, they had chosen black lace top stockings and, against Kate's better instincts, a pair of black shoes with four inch heels.

"But I'll trip in them," she had tried explaining to Amanda, who just chuckled.

"Don't worry, they won't use those pictures. And here's a professional secret. Heels help lift your butt. They make your lower back arch slightly and they tilt your pelvis forward. You've got great curves, so why not accentuate that?"

"Okay, I guess," Kate said with a bemused look on her face as she took a few wobbly steps in the heels and checked herself out in the mirror. "I see what you mean. But I don't think I'll be wearing these outside of the studio any time soon." They shared a laugh as Amanda handed her a robe.

"Time to get on set," and the two headed out of the dressing room.

Most of the crew were still drifting back in from break, so the make-up artist and hair stylist took a few minutes to do a little last minute touch up. Finally Daniel called out, "People, we're ready to go."

He signaled someone to start some music, and a low bluesy jazz piece could be heard on the set. "I think this will help with your movements, Kate," he explained. "So why don't we start with you simply walking back and forth on the set, and I'll start snapping some pictures."

The journalist slipped out of her dressing gown and began her walk. She found the music was helping, that she moving more naturally and even letting her hips sway a bit as she walked. During the earlier session, there had been a constant level of chatter on the set, but she noticed now that things were quieter. She had the sense that everyone was watching her, and she liked that.

Then, without direction from Daniel, she stopped and stood in place with her hips gently undulating as her arms moved up and down her sides. With encouraging words from Daniel, she turned away from the camera, shaking her hips as she felt her ass cheeks shimmy beneath the transparent fabric. She bent forward allowing her ass to stick out even more, then turned sideways so the lens could capture the full size and shape of her breasts.

Facing the camera again, she stood fully erect, thrusting her chest forward. The tops of her areolas were now visible above the bra. The pale color of her skin provided a clear contrast to red fabric and the dark pink of the areolas, and she realized that she was nearing the point of no return where she would be providing the world with a close-up view of all of her assets. The thought, she realized, was both arousing and terrifying.

In preparation for the shoot, she had closely trimmed the pubic hair on her mound, leaving just the barest layer of fur above her outer lips. She had decided this was the best effect. Since Kate knew that the bet had been for her to get completely naked, she would have to deliver on the full frontal shot. And even though she didn't want to have things looking too hairy down there, she decided that a little bit of covering might keep her from completely exposing her pussy lips to the world at large.

She reached down to the sides of her panties and slowly nudged them downward. Just at the point where the dark strands of hair were poking out from the top, Daniel abruptly called a halt.

"Lovely idea, Kate," he said in a neutral tone. "But we really should get the garter off first. Let's go back to some walking back and forth and I'll give you some direction."

"Great," she thought to herself, "Apparently I don't even know how to expose myself correctly."

She was growing annoyed with Daniel and trying hard to keep it from showing on her face. She obligingly followed directions for the next twenty minutes, assuming various poses and removing her garter belt as commanded. But she felt her movements were forced and unnatural, and she could tell that Daniel was displeased.

When a brief break was called, Kate slipped on her robe and watched out of the corner of her eye as Julie conferred with the photographer. After a few minutes, they nodded in agreement and informed the team that they were adding some props to the set. "This doesn't seem right for Kate," Daniel explained to the crew. "After all, she's a writer, a journalist. So let's bring in desk and chair and set up a computer and telephone. Let's show her at work."

This extended the brief break to a half hour, and it was approaching midnight by the time they resumed. Kate had to admit it did make her feel more in her element, even though she didn't typically lounge around her home office in a skimpy bra and panties. She tried various playful poses at the desk, typing away at the computer and answering the phone.

As the shooting continued, Daniel directed her to slide one bra strap off her shoulder, then the other. Positioning her in the chair with her feet up on the desk, he moved the camera closer and had a crew member standing by with a large piece of plastic that could be moved up and down to create a gentle breeze. "Very nice," he said encouragingly as the motion of the air blew strands of her hair across her face. "Now, look at the camera just like it's your lover approaching." The camera snapped several more times. "Reach behind and unhook your bra. That's good," he continued as Kate slid her hand between the chair and her back and reached for the clasp.

With only a minimal amount of fumbling, she managed to undo the hooks and felt the bra slide down to reveal the tips of her nipples. She went to grab the two ends of the bra to hold it in place but somehow managed to tug on one side too hard, pulling the cup off of her right breast but leaving the other partially covered. "Hardly a sexy look," she thought while suppressing a smile. "But at least flashing my boobs doesn't seem to have killed me." And with that in mind, she pulled the bra completely off and let it fall to the floor.

"Let's do that again, Kate," Daniel asked. So, she put the garment back on and tried again. This time, Daniel had her unsnap it first, then drop the shoulder straps one at a time. It worked better, and she was able to hold her bra in place while the photographer took multiple shots. They then experimented with various ways to remove it -- letting it drop in front of her, covering herself with an arm while she removed it, and finally covering each breast with a hand. They repeated this a dozen times or more, in different positions -- standing, sitting on the desk, and then back to sitting in the chair.

Trying to be honest with herself, Kate knew that the first time she removed the bra she had felt a little thrill, a kind of warm sensation racing through her blood. Maybe it was knowing that she had managed to overcome her doubts about the whole photoshoot. In part, it may have been knowing that her breasts were being photographed and would be seen by presumably hundreds of thousands of guys. But the repetition of putting her bra back on and taking it off quickly took the fun and excitement out of things and made it all seem anticlimactic.

Giving Daniel the benefit of the doubt, Kate concluded that he was giving her time to get accustomed to being topless before asking her to take off her panties. But it was having the opposite effect. Instead of getting comfortable she was growing more restless and distracted; it was strange for her to realize that she was actually annoyed that she hadn't yet exposed her pussy. And when he finally asked her to stand up and face the camera, she could sense that she was moving mechanically and trying to force a smile as she looked into the camera. If this bet had been intended by Ronnie Simpson to simply make her feel like an untalented girl with big tits, he was coming very close to succeeding.

The photographer paused and looked around the studio. "You know, I think that's enough for tonight," Daniel called out. "It's almost two, it's been a long day, and maybe we're starting to run out of steam." Kate was about to object but she knew he was right. And she had to acknowledge that she felt a sense of relief -- she just didn't feel ready to pose completely naked, at least not tonight. And yet she realized, it was too late to back out.

Daniel motioned Kate over to talk with him, Julie and Marcus. "That was good work today, Kate," Julie began. "And tomorrow will be even better. "We'll be turning things over to Marcus so he can shoot some sequences specifically designed for video. Daniel will still be here to take the still pictures but Marcus is now in charge." With that, the group disbanded and Kate headed to the wardrobe area to get back into her street clothes.