The Corruption of the Muse Pt. 02

Part 2 : that photo club thing

" oh my goodness, what a pervert" Mia almost spat out her bagel as Bella recounted her tryst with the stranger at Helen and Troy's party.

Bella quickly corrected her, "he wasn't a pervert!" She protested

" well he sounds like one!" Mia added. Bella throw her head back in mock exasperation, she is a funny one, she thought looking at Mia wolf down her bagel, for one how could someone be so thin and toned yet eat like a pig, Mia looked a million dollars today in a yellow billowy blouse and dark blue tight pencil skirt accompanied with black stockings and killer pumps.

"And what will you do if you meet him again?" Asked Mia almost absently as she continued to wrestle with a mouth full of Bagel.

Bella laughed at her friend " I will obviously let him ravish me completely." she was only half joking, since last Friday she had not been able to get that stare, that smile out of her system, it was a Timely distraction from the troubles she was having with James although she was't too sure James realised they were in dangerous malaise. He must she reckoned know on a subconscious level or why would he be so enthralled with Helen.

It was as if Mia read her thoughts "so you still think James wants to shag Helen?" she had a simple way with words, Bella relayed the events of the party obviously through her own prism, explains how James wants them to spend more time with Helen and James. Mia washing down the bagel with some Diet Coke asked if Bella was going to go to Helen's photography club.

Bella who was herself absently minded lay pushing her Greek salad around her plate heard Mia tell her that that this would be a perfect opportunity to find out more about Helen " I don't know" replied Bella " Steph told me I should go as well" Mia took this as a green light and told. she had to go, Bella asked if Mia would attend with her but she politely declined, explains she and Mark were off to the art gallery to put the finishing decorations for the opening of the Noir exhibition on Sunday, she reminded Bella that her and James had promised to come along, Bella nodded. She dropped a text to James to say that she would be late and made her way to the Arts college where the photography group met.

Bella arrived just after 7pm, still in her works get up of white shirt, blue jeans, white Adidas trainers and her hair tried up in a ponytail, this was her usual weekday look that was of course till she could get home and get rid of the bra for comfort sake and slip into something more comfortable, in Bella's case this was not a negligee or sexy sleep ware but usually a old sweatshirt and flannel PJ's.

The class were having coffee and cake before the session started, a mixed class of people around twenty people of all ages (but predominantly in the 25-40 age bracket), the majority of people were casually dressed just like Bella with one exception, that exception came bounding up to her.

"Hello," said Helen enthusiastically "so pleased you decided to come along tonight." she greeted Bella with a bear hug, it wasn't the greeting that most surprised Bella but rather her dress or to be more specific her robe. Helen presented before her in a white towelling robe. Bella looked her up and down " I know, " said Helen acknowledging Bella's bemused stares " I am your model tonight." she stated as she gave a twirl, " grab yourself a coffee and a custard cream we are about to begin." Bella poured a coffee into a polystyrene cup as she imagined Helen stood before James in her towering robe discarding it to be stood before him naked, dropping to her knees and undoing James fly to take his cock in her hand and opening her mouth "gather around everyone we are about to begin." exclaimed Helen bringing Bella back to the rather plain classroom in front of her, Helen was ushering everyone into the next room where a chair had been draped with a purple material and placed in. The middle of the room, the group which was probably two thirds male were positioning themselves around the chair in a semi circle, they were bringing out their cameras, Bella noticed some high end tech being produced and felt a little conscious for her Pentax which although high end when she bought it was well out of date now compared to the modern digital cameras.

The chair itself stood on a small square platform with enough room for maybe two or three others to stand, Helen climbed onto the platform and pointed out Bella as the first timer tonight, god that was all Bella wanted as she coyly yet stoically waved her hand as the others greeted her, she remembered a few from the party but in reality had only really met them briefly.

Helen slowly removed the robe, to Bella's relief Helen was not naked but dressed in a peach lingerie set, she was, Bella cattily thought, dressed like someone who's husband had bought what they thought was a sexy outfit for their wife, she was convinced Troy had purchased this outfit. The slinky flowery bra had matching peach boy shorts, the outfit was completed with cream coloured hold ups and peach heels. She held her arms aloft as if to say here I am, there were polite applause.

Some people began snapping before Helen even composed herself in her chair, all Bella could think of was the clash between Helen's peach ensemble and the purple of the chair, Helen sat down, "now," she addressed the eager photographers in front of her "please welcome my friend Lewis who has agreed to help with tonight's shoot,Bella gasped, out from a side room strutted the elegant mysterious stranger from the party Last Friday, Although Bella had hoped and was beginning to give up hope of seeing him again his presence once more filled her belly full of butterflies and her head full of both fear and expectation. Just like last week he was impeccably dressed once again in a dark grey suit and white cotton open collared shirt, Bella laughed inwardly musing that this was all he had in his wardrobe.

He seemed to glide across the floor, my god thought Bella he's like some kind of rugged hero in a mills and boon story. That thought made her stifle a snigger, The stranger first approached Helen, you could tell from her body language she was equally as taken with the man. He gently adjusted her position on the chair. he spent the next 20 mins or so walking around the photographer's giving tips, adjusting their camera settings, Bella waited her turn with a mix of trepidation and excitement, the butterflies in her stomach were still there but the sense of being around this enigmatic figure once again was a heavy draw. The stranger was attending everyone in turn, while centre stage Helen was looking every bit some 80's tacky glamour model, pushing her chest out and pouting for the eager pack of wolves snapping merrily.

Soon it was her turn, again the strangers eyes seared into her psyche, he gestured for her to pass him the camera, looking through the lens he made some very minor adjustments. As he was doing so Bella once again studied him meticulously, she noticed every line on his tanned face, she placed him as mid/ late 40's certainly a lot older than her usual type, she noticed his watch, gold, expensive but she was intrigued by the motto on it, three feathers in a fleur-de-lis symbol, she noticed however that the left hand feather appeared broken. She glanced at the cuffs on his shirt, again gold, again the same broken feathers, and then he was gone.

Gone, she almost spat out that thought, Gone after what he did to me the other day he has just treated me like any of the others here, how bloody dare he, her mind was a fog going in a myriad of directions, didn't they have a bond, a flame, but what the hell was she doing flirting like a silly schoolgirl, she was married for heavens sake, to a good man who provided for her and made her safe. She was almost chiding herself now, punishing herself for feeling so darn ungrateful, for have those thoughts.

The stranger had moved back to Helen, he stood behind her and gently stroked her hair that she had curled especially for this occasion. He spoke softly yet assuredly "Helen, Helen, Helen" it's was like a kindly father scolding a child, she noticed Helen blush ever so slightly. "You don't need to hawk your beauty, you don't need to advertise your sensuality, you just need to let it shine so the camera captures the true you" what a load of bollocks thought Bella yet still she was captivated by his voice and angry at Helen for having the attention from him that she herself craved. He placed his hands on her shoulders and straightened her back, deftly he unhooked the bra and exposed her breasts to the audience, the clicking started at once however Bella just looked on camera at her side. Helen appeared to gulp, a forced smile crossed her lips as the stranger carefully placed her top on the discarded chair and softly lowered her panties allowing her to step out of them. You could palpably feel the electricity in the room as Helen stood there on display to all in just her stockings and heels, she instinctively went to cover her shaved pussy but the stranger slowly moved her hands to her sides, click, click, click, click.

As the stranger finished moving Helen's hands he looked directly at at Bella, with just the slighted movement of his head he beckoned her to come forth, Bella nervously looked around before pointing to herself and mouthing "me" the stranger slowly nodded in affirmation and Bella as if in slow motion tentatively approached where he and Helen stood. As she approached she broke her eye contact with The stranger for just a second to look down at Helen's body, it was shaking with excitement, her fine body hairs bristling and dusted with sweat, she noticed the moisture on Helen's pussy lips and quickly cast her stare back into the mysterious figure behind Helen.

He motioned for Bella to take his place standing directly behind Helen, standing behind Bella he took hold of both of Helen's hands and placed then on Helen's shoulders, Bella could feel the heat coming from Helen's body, the mix of cologne, perfume and sex filled her nostrils, it was as if she was somehow entranced, held in some kind of spell. the strangers voice broke through the enchantment " she is very beautiful yes."

Bella nodded "yes" she stuttered, the strangers voice came again

"Feel her, breathe her" some people were still taking photos while others had put down their cameras and looking on in some kind of trance, indeed some kind of trance was exactly the feeling that Bella had right now, the stranger moved Bella's arms from Helen's shoulders and down her arms till. Ella was able to hold Helen's hands in the same way the stranger had held hers, he now let go and placed his hands on Bella's shoulders.

The room waited with bated breathe, you could see Hellenes chest rising and falling with every heartbeat, it wasn't only Helen, Bella was surprised her heart hadn't kept right out of her chest, once more she could feel the warm breathe of the stranger on her neck.

Slowly yet very purposely his hands moved firstly to Bella's waist then up along the front of her blouse, brushing against her rather delicate and sensitive nipples, she slightly tilted her head back. She felt his hands on the top button of her blouse, slowly he started to unbutton. First the top button then the one below, slowly, deliberately all the time blowing on her neck, she felt like she was floating along on a dream. He reached the final button on the shirt and the sides fell open revealing her white cotton sports bra.

"No" it was as if she was snapped back to reality " I can't do this, I can't " she closed up her blouse and ran for the door clumsily picking up her camera and bag on the way out.

Twenty four hours later and the embarrassment of the night before had still not subsided. Mia on the other had was showing no signs of letting the matter go "oh shut the front door you are a sex maniac!" she almost spilt her wine in her animated state. it was one of those times where Bella regretted that she shared everything with her best friend.

"First, I do not know what came over me, I got lost in a moment, it was not real, I love James not some strange guy I know nothing about" Mia nodded not sure if even her friend believed what she was saying. Bella continued "I love James, I am not going to be unfaithful to him, I love him."

Mia poured more wine into her glass "so you keep saying but don't tell me girl that you wasn't drawn to this guy, or rather drawn to the excitement, the mystery, the 'what could be'."Bella found herself agreeing with her friend. There was a flame that had been lit and in truth Bella was unsure how to extinguish it or perhaps more frighteningly whether she even wanted too, it was like a Pandora's box had been opened and she felt more and more fated to let it play out. perhaps she thought this is where all relationships start going south, perhaps this was the beginning of the end for her and James.

Mia had been pondering the dilemma, "perhaps what you too need is a bit of spice in your relationship.try a bit of role play, get some toys." Bella smiled but shook her head.

"I don't think that is me." Bella mused

Right then Mark appeared "hello and how are my two favourite ladies in the whole world." Bella loved Marks optimism, his zest for life, Mia and him had linked up in college and the rest as they say is history, a good artist in his own right he hit gold with what was supposed to be a sideline of designing T-shirt's.

Mia giggled " we need to get going, sorry Lady Chatterley, we will see you tomorrow for launch night."

Bella smiled and nodded, Mark looked confused as he was getting dragged away "lady Chatterley?" He questioned as Mia laughed and told him he would explain all.

Saturday morning was not at all harmonious in the Price household as James broke the news to Bella that he had a better offer than Mia's opening " your going where?" James had already told her the question was for effect more than anything, the better offer in this case was a days golfing with Troy, of all the things Bella thought, bloody golfing with Troy comes before supporting me and my best friend, it add insult to injury he was the happiest she had seen him in months, perhaps she thought he ought to move in with them, the she would be free to discover herself.

She chided herself for having those thoughts, "and you can't get back in time to come?"

James nodded solemnly " sorry babe it's out of town, look I will make it up to you.....and Mia I promise." he pecked her on the cheek and like that he was gone, clubs in hand.

Fuming Bella decided to waste the rest of the day with a bit of gardening to stop her brooding over James, she had only been out for less than an hour when a cheery voice came from the side gate. appearing in the back garden juggling a bunch of flowers in one hand a a ridiculously large homemade apple pie in the other.

Bella was bemused that Helen somehow managed to look glamorous no matter what the occasion, her she was kneeling down in a flowerbed, hair up and a check shirt and cut off jeans while Helen looked radiant in a white flowing skirt and scrappy lilac top. Bella thought of the last time she saw her stood buck naked in front of a group of salacious amateur photographers while the stranger called the tunes.

Helen's smile was a enquiring one, sort of probing that Bella was both OK in herself and with what happened at the club, Bella reassuringly smiled back, in truth the last thing she wanted was tension with the neighbours even if she secret thought her husband wanted a threesome with them, she was also intrigued to get Helen's viewpoint on that evening as well as finding out more about the man who had occupied so much of her thoughts over the last week.

Bella offered to make coffee and passed Helen a knife and two plates to get a slice of the apple pie. Strangely she pondered the apple that Eve had procured for Adam and the fallout from that as she took the first bite of a rather fine apple and cinnamon pie, still warm from the cooking.

"You had me worried when you ran out like that" Helen was the first to break the ice "are you OK now Bella" Helen said with just the right amount of concern painted on her face, Bella didn't buy it of course, this was a woman who she was quite sure would trample over anyone in the pursuit of her own hedonistic power.

" I'm fine, honestly, it was just, you know, it was a bit intense" Bella replied

Helen smiled " your not wrong honey, I can tell you I was burning up, it was hot"

Bella both admired and was resentful of her openness and honesty to stuff she always somehow felt uncomfortable with, perhaps that was her weakness and Helen's trump card, she wished she could be so, she thought the word, brazen with her sexuality, no brazen is a ugly word, liberated, that's better.

" he can be quite intense, quite persuasive but he is a pussycat really" bullshit thought Bella, more like a panther or a Jaguar the one thing this enigmatic devil was not is a pussycat, she thought.

Bella to cut to the chase " so who is he?" Bella had a feeling she wouldn't get a straight answer and of course she was right

Helen pondered, she knew she had to be deliberate with her answer " Lewis is a," she paused and tried a different tack "me and Troy, we how best to say, lead a adventurous lifestyle, we don't always play by the norms that other couples play by, well we belong to a exclusive sort of club."

Oh my god they are sex people thought Bella pleased that she managed somehow to stay poker faced through that revelation, however it did make more fearful of both for herself and James.

Sheepishly she enquired "and this Lewis, he is also a member of the club I guess?" Bella was probing now

"Not quite," Helen retorted "he is the club, he owns it, we play by his rules, he is the God of his kingdom" the last bit sounded well creepy to Bella, not just that Helen said it but that she said it so matter of factly.

"So how do I get into this club?" Bella asked hoping it didn't sound too much like a plea to join.

Helen smiled sweetly "Well there's the thing honey, you can't just join, Lewis himself decides who is in the club" All of a sudden the stranger sounded like a right douchbag, deciding who would enter his precious club, yet at the same time Bella couldn't deny there was a delicious thrill from this secret society that she wanted, even needed to find out more.

"How did you and Troy get started in all this?" She casually asked while finishing the last of her slice of pie.

"Well we were already in the lifestyle, swinging, open relationship," sex people again thought Bella "and we were introduced through a mutual friend the rest as they say is history, anyway I have to get going, loads to do and see, just glad you are Ok Honey, enjoy the rest of the pie and I would love to see you at the photography club again, probably not as exciting next week though" she laughed as she stood up to leave " isn't it also great that Troy and James are getting on so well too, just like you and I" she walked towards the door

"You know we are straight, I mean we are not into the open stuff you mentioned don't you Helen" Bella clumsily fell over her words.

"of course you are Honey, of course" Helen gleefully remarked as she waltzed out the door.

A while later Bella stood in front of her wardrobe, she had decided if James had better things to do than escort her to her friends event she was going to show him, she looked at herself in the mirror, what the hell was she thinking, the reflection she saw before her was both pleasing and scary, she didn't see her own image but that of a femme fatale, a sheer black shirt with a slight paisley patten showed off her Lacy black bra, the black leather miniskirt stepped well short of her knees, black stockings and a sleek black pair of heels finished the ensemble. Her hair was down and slightly curled (it had taken her a age) and make up strong and bold without being over the top, if she had felt like the hunted at the party and photography club tonight she looked every bit like the huntress. Doubt then started to overwhelm her, it was too much, it wasn't her, it was her friend Mia's night she did t want to overshadow her, no, she was going to do this, she was going to be bold for once in her life.