The Rent Agreement Ch. 06 - Preview 2

Hey, readers. I'm on the fence about including this chunk in the next chapter as it is arguably over-detailed without moving the plot forward a whole lot. I think it's still worth sharing in that it provides some more character development, and a shared experience between Leah and Ethan. The ending of this preview is abrupt too, because I have not made up my mind about something yet. Anyway, I'm planning to focus on wrapping up this chapter and will probably post a 3rd preview here in the near future. As always, thank you all for the support!

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The time to depart for the event had arrived, and Leah met her roommate at the front door dressed in a low-cut, blue summer dress. She’d made up her mind that the outfit was worn enough that the threat of paint didn’t matter, and told herself that it had nothing to do with the fact that Ethan always seemed to check her out while she was wearing it. He greeted her, dawning a well-fitted button up with his sleeves rolled up, and a clean pair of shorts. She worried that not acknowledging what he had done earlier was a sign of complacency, but decided to leave it alone, hoping they could pretend it never happened. He offered to drive them, and they proceeded down the elevator and into his sports car. Leah made herself comfortable on the cool leather seat, noting that the interior was as immaculate as the man’s bedroom, and smelled fresh.

After a short drive to the community center, the duo entered the large space and considered their surroundings. A dozen or so easels were arranged in a semi-circle, with various tables and materials scattered about. The newcomers checked in with a middle-aged woman who appeared to be running the event, and chose a glass of wine from a collection that had already been poured. Half of the stations were occupied so far, and Ethan led the way to two empty seats. “Cheers,” he said, clinking his glass against hers. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”

“No prob! This will be fun,” she replied genuinely. 

Just as they settled in and began sipping their drinks, the coordinator woman’s voice caught their attention. “What? Oh no… Well that’s very unfortunate… Uh huh… And you don’t have a friend or colleague you can call? I see… Well, alright then. Feel better. Okay, bye.” The distress in her tone had the entire class turning to face her in curiosity. She let out a long sigh and addressed the room, “That was today’s model. She’s just informed me that she has come down with the flu, and won’t be able to join us today… Despite already demanding a hefty deposit…” The woman tried to maintain a level of professionalism, but was clearly frustrated.

“Ohh, was this a naked body type of painting class?” Ethan quietly asked Leah.

She thumbed through her phone, finding the descriptive text she had glazed over before: Human anatomy - the nude feminine form. “Apparently,” she answered, showing him the screen.

“I think I have the perfect solution then,” he said confidently. “Miss?” He inquired loudly, straightening up in his seat and raising his hand to grab her attention.

“Yes, young man?” She looked up from her device which she’d presumably been frantically texting on.

“Leah here is actually a model. She would be more than happy to fill in as a replacement,” he announced, placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling in her direction.

Leah’s heart nearly exploded in her chest and time seemed to come to a grinding halt. She looked at her roommate in complete shock, dumbfounded that he would suddenly volunteer her for something like that.

“Is that right? Gosh that would be just absolutely perfect. I’ve been trying to get this class going for a long time,” the older woman stated gleefully, sizing up the beauty and eagerly waiting for her confirmation.

Leah’s eyes were as wide as could be as she stared into Ethan’s. He quickly tried to steer her before she could protest. “You’re doing this,” he commanded privately but firmly. “I know it seems embarrassing now, but it will be so much fucking fun, believe me. And you’ll be helping out sweet old what’s-her-face.” He threw all the appeals at her, quietly enough that only she could hear. She turned her head to see that the lady was approaching her.

“Honey, I can’t thank you enough for this. The female body is my favorite subject to paint by far, and always makes for the most wonderful shared experience. You have the ideal figure, if you don’t mind me saying, and you’ll really be saving the day.” She flattered Leah, increasing the pressure by orders of magnitude with her wholesome and grateful nature. The stunned young woman was still at a loss for words, and swallowed a lump in her throat. “I’ll be sure you are paid very well for your services, of course!” The instructor added, offering a clipboard and a warm smile. “If you would just sign this standard little contract, we can get started!”

Ethan reached out and accepted the form, matching the woman’s positive energy. “She’s just a little shy because she normally works in a more private studio. This will be a great experience though, right Leah?” He held out the paper and pen towards her.

Leah’s mind was racing, and she knew that the time for contemplation was running out. She felt that her chance to refuse had already slipped through her fingers, and she reluctantly took the writing implement in her trembling hand. She scrawled her signature on the document, too dazed to even try and parse out its meaning, and silently accepted her fate. Ethan squeezed her thigh and shook it lightly before handing her the glass of wine she had barely touched. The nervous woman tipped the receptacle into her mouth, and gulped down the entirety of the aromatic liquid.

“Perfection!” The artist exclaimed. “Allow me to show you to the dressing room, darling.” She extended her hand for Leah to take, and led her to a small office. “My name’s Janice by the way. I apologize for the less than glamorous facilities. I’m sure you’re used to much finer establishments.”

“It’s… Okay...” She responded weakly while scanning her surroundings.

“You can use this closet to store your clothes and such, and you’ll find a robe in there to cover yourself. We’ll see you out there in a few minutes!” The cheerful woman excitedly hobbled out of the room. Leah stood there in disbelief for a moment, the reality of her situation setting in. She couldn’t wrap her head around what she’d just signed up for. She was about to get completely naked for a bunch of strangers so they could carefully examine every inch of her and replicate it on canvas. She opened the tall cabinet to find a fluffy white robe, which at least appeared clean and unworn.

There was a quick knocking at the door, and it swung open to reveal Ethan’s large frame. “This is gonna be awesome,” he chuckled, shutting the door behind him. He approached his distressed looking roommate and offered her another glass of wine, which had been filled to the brim. “Nervous?”

“Yeah, no shit!” She answered bitingly, grabbing the drink and swallowing a generous volume of the bitter substance. The previous portion was already warming her belly and providing some much needed confidence. “Why did you do this to me?”

“Well, first of all, I’ll take any chance I can get to see you naked,” he replied, making her scowl. “But seriously, it’s gonna make this such a fun and memorable experience, and your fucking gorgeous body deserves to be displayed. There’s a lot of bullshit art out there, but you–” He traced her shape in the air with his fingers. “Are the real deal.”

“Pfft.” Leah suppressed a grin at his cheesy compliment, and took another sip of wine. Maybe he had a point though, she considered. Models do this sort of thing all the time, and it would certainly be adventurous and unforgettable to just pretend to be one for the day. Between the alcohol and Ethan’s encouragement, she was beginning to gain the self-assurance needed to actually follow through with the arrangement. She guzzled the last of her drink, and handed the glass to her roommate. After drawing a deep breath and loudly exhaling the last of her fears, she said, “I’m ready.”

Ethan spotted the robe and pulled it off the hanger, volunteering himself to assist in her wardrobe change. “Noo… You get to wait out there like everyone else,” Leah instructed.

“You sure you don’t want me to lock the door and loosen you up a bit more first?” He suggested mischievously.

She was getting tipsy, and couldn’t help but picture his offer. It would be pretty hot to go out there all flustered from whatever he’s planning to do to me. She shook the naughty thought away, and asserted herself. “Out, mister.”

“Fine, have it your way,” Ethan chuckled and exited the room. Leah quickly slipped out of her clothes and took a moment to observe herself in a small mirror nearby. She was proud of her physique, but wondered what the room full of strangers would think. I can’t believe I’m doing this. She wrapped herself in the robe and walked bare-foot to the door. 

Leah’s heart raced as she stepped back out into the large open space and felt everyone’s eyes on her. Someone began clapping their hands together, and soon the entire room was applauding her as she approached the center of the room. She could feel herself blushing as she reached the makeshift stage, which featured a single leather ottoman. Just as she realized she had no idea what to do next, Janice spoke up, “Thanks again for doing this, Leah. So I was thinking something like this…” She joined the younger woman and showed her a simple sketch of a female posing. She was standing with one foot up on a short stool, her back slightly arched, and her arms at her sides. Her head was tilted down and to the side, making for a relatively simple yet graceful depiction. “You’re okay with exposing your genitals for this purpose? I’m sure you’ll agree it’s quite tasteful?”

“Uh, y-yeah…” Leah muttered reluctantly. She was past the point of resisting, and didn’t want to let the kind woman down.

“Great,” Janice said, beaming. “Whenever you’re ready, dear.”

Leah forced herself to peer around at the many faces that were patiently waiting for her to disrobe, too embarrassed to linger on any one person for too long. She settled on Ethan, whose familiar calm grin was somewhat comforting. Here goes nothing. She untied the cotton belt, let the material fall from her shoulders, and stood completely nude in front of the many prying eyes. She fought the urge to cover her private bits as a deafening silence fell over the room, each and every body studying her figure earnestly. It was an overwhelming moment to say the least, and luckily Janice cut the tension with her resounding voice.

Too preoccupied with her own embarrassment to even process the woman’s words, Leah remembered the pose she’d been shown, and moved her body to match it to the best of her ability. “That’s perfect, Leah, right there. Don’t hesitate to let us know when you need a break,” Janice stated. The acting model did her best to remain still, relaxing her muscles and settling into her position. The instructor began giving the class advice on how to approach the task, explaining the basics of drawing human anatomy, and how best to capture the essence of the naked woman.

Leah’s nerves cooled to a manageable simmer, and she found herself looking forward to seeing all of the finished products. She glanced at Ethan, who seemed mostly focused on his painting, but would smile and give her a thumbs up every so often. As the group of people studied her, she studied them, and she noticed a couple of men that appeared to be lingering on her longer than the rest. She wondered if they were harboring lustful thoughts while openly staring at her smooth young body. When she accidentally made eye contact with one older guy, he grinned in an unsavory way, and she felt a chilling sensation that his intentions were impure. The same man whispered something to the even older one next to him, and they both chuckled before looking back at her body. While Janice had set a somewhat dignified tone for Leah to undress and get comfortable in, there was now a more sexual tone bubbling under the surface. These people were not professionals, it occurred to her, and there could very likely have been some creeps who signed up for the chance to get buzzed and ogle a naked woman. She’d experienced the feeling of men undressing her with their eyes before, but this was something different. There was nothing to hide her body from them, and Leah felt more exposed than ever.

The thing she didn’t expect though, was the subtle sting of arousal she felt. Knowing that every inch of her bare skin was on display for the old creeps was somehow thrilling. It was a turn on to think that she was like a sexy carrot dangling in front of them, just within reach and yet completely unobtainable at the same time. She dared not look at them again, but could tell from her peripheral vision that they had not taken their eyes off of her. She wondered if they were hard from just the mere sight of her, and if they were going to jerk off to the mental images later. Leah tried to think of something else, ashamed with herself for pondering on the dirty thoughts the two weirdos may or may not be having. Leah, get a grip, she commanded herself. Why is this turning me on? What is wrong with me?

She tried to focus on Janice, who was pacing around the room and offering tips, but her mind kept wandering back to the old men and their menacing stares. She thought she might have spotted one of them adjusting his crotch for an abnormally long time. Leah knew she was supposed to be disgusted by their inappropriate behavior, but the fact that she was giving them big, uncomfortable erections was exciting. Her body was starting to respond to all the filthy ideas in her head, and she realized in a panic that her pussy was getting moist. Her instinct was to run away, but the naughty, pleasure seeking part of her held her there. She had no idea if anyone would be able to tell that she was wet, but the thought was arousing.

Leah stood in the requested pose for a while longer, before Janice suggested she take a break. She covered herself with the robe and bounced over to Ethan’s station. “You’re killing it up there!” He encouraged, wrapping an arm around her waist and squeezing her briefly.

“Okay, you were right… It’s pretty damn fun,” she admitted. “Woah!” She exclaimed upon noticing the man’s work in progress. “That’s actually pretty good!” She inspected his canvas, which featured wispy lines that represented her figure, with the beginnings of some coloring of her skin. His work was highly stylized, but surprisingly consistent given that it was his first try. “Since when are you an artist?”

Ethan laughed. “It’s not too hard when it’s something I’ve seen and thought about hundreds of times.” Leah shoved him playfully before a gruff voice caught their attention.