When Emmy went back to working on her songwriting, I made my way up to my office to read some reports I’d been putting off. Ashley followed me, and dropped herself down into the antique leather love seat, showing no desire to go somewhere else and do something else.

  “Whatcha reading?” Ashley asked after maybe a minute of being quiet.

  “An analysis of potential office to residential building conversions in the Bay Area- mostly San Francisco, but a few in Oakland and one in Palo Alto, near campus.”

  “Sounds boring,” Ashley groaned.

  “It is,” I agreed. “Crushingly boring. But it’s called ‘work’ for a reason. This is how I make my money.”

  “Yeah, I get that,” she admitted. “I was just hopin’ that you would, like, show me around New York or something.”

  “You didn’t like the parts of it I showed you this morning,” I replied.

  “I was thinkin’ about that,” Ashley said. “You were right about nobody jumpin’ out of an alley and holding a gun at us or anything. Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely would not spend any time there by myself after dark, but running through it like we did wasn’t a problem.”

  “Statistically speaking, that neighborhood is higher crime than most parts of New York City,” I admitted. “But again, lower than Odessa, Texas or Casper, Wyoming. Like you said, don’t wander through the project by yourself after midnight or anything stupid like that and you’ll be fine. The parts of town you’re likely to spend your time in are generally safe as long as you show even a tiny bit of street awareness.”

  “So, not gonna show me around?”

  “Not today, Ash. I have work to do.”

  “Booooring,” Ashley said, sliding down so her back was flat and her feet were up on the armrest.

  “My life is probably a lot more boring than you think it is,” I confirmed. “Emmy and I are mostly home-bodies. We don’t tend to go out all that much.”

  “Booooring,” Ashley repeated.

  “What would you be doing today if we hadn’t been here in New York when you had your interview? Go do that,” I urged.

  Ashley thought about it for a minute, then lifted her butt up off the couch and slipped her shorts and undies right off, dropping them on the floor. She sat upright and removed her T shirt guy-style, pulling it up by the bottom hem with both hands crossing in front, inverting the shirt. That, too, went on the floor. There was no need for her to remove a bra, since she hadn’t been wearing one. All that done, she lay back on the love seat with her phone in her hand and proceeded to scroll through her social media.

  I didn’t say anything. After all, if I did she’d just tell me that if she were in her hotel room she’d just be on her phone in her birthday suit, right? Anyhow, I’d seen her naked plenty, so this was a familiar game. I could wait her out.

  I’m not going to lie and say that I didn’t take little peeks every now and then- we’d firmly established my red-bloodedness before, after all. To Ashley’s credit, she didn’t do anything overtly sexual, either. She just played Fortnite or whatever while relaxing on the couch, totally naked.

  About an hour or so into this scene Luisa knocked on the door and came in. She said that lunch would be ready in ten minutes and we’d be eating in the kitchen. I could see that she’d been a bit surprised at Ashley’s lack of clothing, but she didn’t say anything about it one way or another.

  I finished up the email I was writing, then stood up. I was about to say something about getting dressed, but Ashley stood and walked to the door, giving me a wink over her shoulder.

  “You know it’s not just going to be me and you having lunch, right? Not even just me and you and Emmy? Luisa and Jeremy will be there, and maybe Mia and Wally. Heck, Grant might be here, too, for all I know,” I said.

  “Is there a dress code for lunch in this fancy-ass mansion of yours?” Ashley asked. “If not, I’m perfectly fine.”

  “You are pretty fine,” I admitted, admiring the way her little runner’s butt bumped as she walked.

  “Why, thank you,” she replied, laying on her Virginian accent.

  In the elevator, Ashley admitted that she was nervous about being naked in front of a bunch of strangers, but wanted to prove to herself that she could do it.

  “Ask Luisa about posing for her art class,” I said. “You’ll get to spend an hour naked in front of a dozen people you’ll never see again.”

  “She takes art classes? Isn’t she the one that painted that portrait of you?”

  “She teaches art classes,” I corrected as the elevator came to a stop on the second floor. When the door opened, Emmy joined us.

  “That is quite the outfit,” Emmy said, looking Ashley up and down. “I think it looks good on you.”

  “Thanks!” Ashley said, trying to not blush.

  “Leah told me that you enjoy nudism,” Emmy said as we stopped on the kitchen floor. “I had no idea that you were so committed to the lifestyle.”

  “I’m- I’m not, really,” Ashley stammered. “I’m just… trying to be brave.”

  Luckily for Ashley, it was only Luisa and Jeremy in addition to the three of us at lunch. It was with a certain amount of mischief in mind when I gently steered Ashley into the seat directly across from the one that Jeremy usually sat in, but I would never admit it.

  Conversation was awkward at first, but Emmy and I made sure that we kept the discussion flowing. Poor Tiny was doing his best to not stare at Ashley’s cute little boobies, but it was as if his eyes were magnetically attracted to her pert little pokies. It isn’t as if I could blame him in any way, and I had set the two of them up for just that circumstance. Jeremy knew he was staring, and Ashley knew it too, and knew that Jeremy was trying not to stare but was unable to help it. This actually gave Ashley a bit more confidence, and as lunch progressed she made more and more of an attempt to talk with him.

  The poor guy did his best to keep his eyes on her face, but biological imperatives are hard to fight. At least he managed to not accidentally drop his fork and have to duck under the table to pick it up…

  “Leah said that you teach an art class?” Ashley asked Luisa. “She said you need models?”

  “We pay twenty-five bucks an hour,” Luisa said. “It’s not much, but at least it’s something.”

  “How do I sign up?” Ashley asked. “I’ve never modeled before, so I don’t know a danged thing about it.”

  The two got to talking about modeling, and agreed to do a trial session after lunch in the library. Luisa would help Ashley through the process, and Ashley would get a taste of what would be involved.

  Once lunch was done Ashley helped Jeremy clean up, clearly enjoying how she was affecting him. I felt sorry for the guy and at the same time happy for him, too. Yes, it was a strange and uncomfortable circumstance, but he was getting quite a show and it was bound to be excellent spank material going forward. Ashley was a pretty little thing, nice and lean and athletic. Seeing her load the dishwasher gave me a funny feeling in my pants, and I have zero doubts it did something similar for Jeremy. I noticed Emmy wasn’t shy about watching, either.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Shall we retire to the library?” Emmy asked me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Jeremy, could you please bring tea up to the library when you are done?” Emmy asked as we stood.

  “Are you planning on watching?” I asked as soon we got out of earshot.

  “Of course!” Emmy replied, smiling. “It is what Ashley wants, is it not? If she wishes to exhibit herself in this way, it would be rude to fail to show appreciation.”

  “Well, when you put it that way,” I grumbled, but we both knew I was enjoying the whole scene as much as Emmy was. I had no doubt at all that Emmy recognized my ploy with the seating arrangement.

  Settling into the couch to await our tea and our entertainment, Emmy took my hand and kissed it. “You had mentioned that Ashley is impulsive, but this is unexpectedly fun,” she said.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I said, leaning over to give her a kiss. “But you know-”

  “Ashley does have a charming butt,” Emmy interrupted.

  “- We may be stuck with this Ashley,” I continued.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Now that she’s seen that she can get away with running around the house naked, she might feel a need to up her game somehow,” I said, but we stopped talking as we heard Ashley come up the stairs.

  “Luisa went up to her apartment to grab her art stuff,” Ashley explained when she sat down in the big armchair by the beaded lamp. “So, um, like, she said she’d teach me how to pose, but isn’t it just sitting there?”

  “Ugh, no,” I groaned. “It’s way more work than you’d think.”

  “You posed for that painting, right? How long did that take?”

  “Hours and hours, but there’s even more to it than just that,” I said. “The poses themselves can be really uncomfortable.”

  “Uncomfortable how?” Ashley asked.

  “Well, like uncomfortable. You’ll see what I mean,” I assured her.

  “Well, that’s confidence-inspiring,” Ashley said, pouting as she leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Thanks for that.”

  “Ashley, how long have you been a nudist?” Emmy asked.

  “Since about…” Ashley said, making a show of checking her wrist, but she wasn’t wearing her watch. “eleven o’clock?”

  “So this is not something from your childhood?”

  “No, I mean… I guess if anything it started when I first met Leah,” Ashley admitted, thinking about it.

  “Leah told me about you disrobing on the side of the road,” Emmy said. “And then riding home in the nude.”

  “Yeah, that’s a thing that happened,” Ashley agreed.

  “And then there was the metal dress at the club,” I added.

  “Oh, yes. Imogen told me about that. Ashley, did you bring that dress with you? I would love to see it,” Emmy said, but before Ashley could answer Luisa came in wearing a smock over paint-spattered jeans and shirt. She was carrying her zippered bag full of pencils and her sketchbook, looking ready to do some art.

  “Are you two going to watch?” she asked Emmy and me.

  “Yes,” Emmy replied, adding no further details.

  “Well, if Ashley is O.K. with it…” Luisa said.

  “If she is to pose for your class she must accustom herself to being seen,” Emmy explained.

  “Yeah…” Luisa said skeptically.

  After closing the drapes and turning on the beaded lamp, Luisa dimmed the room’s main lights until she was satisfied with the lighting. Once everything was just the way she wanted it, she began to explain how art posing generally went. Ashley was a good listener and followed Luisa’s directions as best as she could, understanding more and more what was wanted.

  When Jeremy brought the tea, Emmy invited him to stay but he mumbled something about having things to do and vanished.

  For Ashley’s final main pose Luisa had her sit upright, her legs crossed at her ankles, holding a teacup up to her lips and the saucer in her other hand, very prim and proper. Other than the fact she was bare-assed naked, of course.

  Ashley had to take breaks every so often to put the cup and saucer down and shake life back into her arms. “God, who’d have thought that holding a danged teacup could be so exhausting?” she asked.

  “Remember when I said the word ‘uncomfortable’?” I asked. “That’s exactly what I meant. It’s harder work that it seems.”

  “That’s why my class loved Leah so much,” Luisa said absently as she drew. “Her poses were so dynamic, and she held them rock-steady. They keep asking if she’ll ever come back.”

  “Wait, what? You posed for her class?” Ashley demanded. “You never told me this!"

  “Hold still,” Luisa admonished Ashley, who did just that, looking sheepish.

  “You posed naked for a class full of art students?” Ashley asked again, this time keeping her body still.

  “Why yes, Ashley, I did pose naked for an art class last time we were here in New York.”

  “What was it like?”

  “It was like posing for a bunch of people who were there to learn to do figure studies. I posed, they drew. Just like what you’re doing now, but with fifteen artists instead of just one,” I answered truthfully.

  Once Luisa announced the hour was over and they were done for the day, Ashley sagged with relief. “I swear, it’s gotta be way easier to pose for photographers. You don’t gotta hold the pose for so long!”

  “From my limited experience, I’d say the dynamic is very different. There’s a whole lot more fussing with the pose and the photographer telling you to move your foot to the left, lift your chin, turn your shoulders just a little bit, stuff like that. In the art class, you pose how you want and they draw it as they see it,” I said.

  “That seems to imply that you’ve posed naked for photographers, too!” Ashley said.

  “Just the once, way back in college, for a benefit calendar featuring the girls on the volleyball team, and no, the pictures were what they call ‘implied nude’. You couldn’t actually see anything. I also went with Angela to a photo session one time for a bikini shoot, and that’s what it was like,” I explained.

  “I have had several shoots, and that is exactly what it is like,” Emmy agreed.

  “The school I teach at has a sort of… relationship, I guess, with a photography school nearby. I don’t really know anybody over there, but I’m willing to bet they’re just as desperate for models as we are,” Luisa volunteered.

  “They may not be,” Emmy said. “After all, aspiring fashion models need to show portfolios, and will probably pose for free in return for images they can show to editors.”

  “This is New York,” Luisa agreed. “That’s probably really a thing. But I guess I can ask, if that’s something you want to try out,” she told Ashley.

  “Let’s start with your life drawing class first,” Ashley said, stretching. She followed Luisa out, talking about the logistics of when and where, leaving Emmy and me alone once again.

  I opened the drapes and picked up the tea service while Emmy excused herself to go spend some time in her studio.

  “Hey, big guy,” I said to Jeremy when I found him in the kitchen, kneading dough. I put my hand on his shoulder and said, “You know, she wants you to look.”

  “I think I understand that, but…” he said, not looking up from what he was doing.

  “Nobody, least of all Ashley, is going to think less of you because you’re checking out a pretty girl parading around the house naked. She wants to be looked at. That is her goal. She wants to feel desirable.”

  Jeremy opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again. He pondered his words for a bit, then said, “I guess I never understood kinks.”

  “Yeah, well, me either, but if she’s discovering her inner exhibitionist, I’d rather she do it someplace safe like this, you know? All we can do is provide her with the room to be herself, whatever that may turn out to be, and to make sure that we support her as she, well, like you said, comes to term with her personal kink.”

  “This is your house. You say what happens here and what doesn’t,” Jeremy objected.

  “Ashley is a friend of mine. How it happened, well, that’s sort of a crazy story, but it is what it is. She’s a friend, and I want to be the friend she needs. Apparently, right now that means letting her run around the house as naked as a jaybird,” I replied. “But you know what? I don’t mind. She’s pretty, and looks good with no clothes on. You can be as shy as you want, but I have no problem checking out her pretty little ass or her cute little boobies. Heck- she’d be upset if I didn’t, right?” I said.

  “Leah, can I ask you a personal question?” Tiny asked.

  “Of course,” I said. “I hope you realize by now that I think of you as family.”

  Jeremy stood up and looked at me. “That means more than you know,” he said.

  “It means everything to me, too,” I assured him. “I trust you like nobody else. I know for a fact that you have my back, and I hope you recognize that I have yours, too.”

  Jeremy let out a breath. “I would literally die for you and Emmy,” he said.

  “And I would literally kill to keep you from dying,” I told him. “But back to Ashley. Don’t let yourself be weirded out by her prancing around naked. If she wants to explore her new-found nudism here, be supportive. That’s all I ask.”

  “So, that’s what I was gonna ask,” Jeremy said, returning to his bread dough. “I know it’s not my place, but are you sleeping with her?”

  “No, and not gonna,” I said. “As much as she’s made it clear she wants in my pants, I have no interest in her that way. Why? Are you thinking…”

  “What? No!” he replied. “I just… I miss Angela sometimes and…”

  “I am absolutely not looking to find an Angela replacement,” I said. “I don’t think it would be possible. Ashley certainly isn’t the woman I could imagine myself growing old with, that for sure.”

  “What about…”

  “Katrina?” I guessed, and when Jeremy nodded, I said, “We gave it a shot. Between you and me, Emmy has been trying to find somebody for me to be with once she’s, well, gone, you know? So she sort of pushed me to explore how it would be with Katrina, but we just never really clicked, you know? I mean, I like her alright and she likes me, but we sure aren’t in love.”

  “It really isn’t my place-”

  “No, it is,” I said, rubbing his back between his shoulder blades. “Like I said, you’re family, and you should know. Ours is an unusual family, but it’s what it is. We all have our roles in life. I am absolutely not going to stand in the way of your own happiness, either. If you find someone, I’d be upset if you didn’t follow your heart- I mean that. If you ever, and I mean ever, need a night off to go on a date or something like that, don’t be shy about letting me know. Like Rafael said, family does for family.”