Life's A Grind 10

LIFE'S A GRIND-10

LIFE'S A GRIND-10話

Jack Scribe

The usual disclaimers apply.  If for some legal reason you shouldn't read

this...don't.

 Comments are appreciated at jack.scribe@gmail.com.

 __________________________

Chapter 10, FRIENDS - NEW AND OLD

The next couple of days were like a rapid fast-forward on a DVD player

for Jeremy. His grooming buddy was a complete gentleman with the

touch-up. And Charlie seemed pleased at the careful shaving he himself

received. They made an arrangement for every Thursday evening

thereafter to repeat the process. Jeremy figured a bi-product of this

agreement was the opportunity to develop a solid friendship.

An initial wave of self-doubt and embarrassment didn't last long the next

morning at the June Stillman Photography Studio. Jeremy was a little

surprised that the photographer was a tall, older woman - almost a

motherly type - who wore cargo pants, denim shirt, vest and boots. She

was the prototypical 'rough on the outside; soft on the inside' person.

"Honey, I'm June. Come on in." The woman's craggy, permanently

suntanned face exposed a lifetime of experience when she smiled.

"Thanks. I've got an appointment. Sloan...Jeremy Sloan's the name."

"Hi, Jeremy. You are certainly expected. Now, let me look at Garin's

newest find." She helped him off with his coat and walked around

Jeremy, occasionally saying, "Ah, ha", "Hmmm", and "Yes" before

stepping back. She took off her glasses that were chained around her

neck and let them drop.

"Do I pass inspection?" he asked with a smile.

"If you can dance and work the crowd at the same time...absolutely. By

the way, don't worry about me lusting over your studly, hot body and

everything else you have. My lover of 15 years, Susan, is more than

enough for me."

"I suspect Susan is a lucky woman."

"Compliments like that will get you a long way." She told him that all the

costume parts were in a small, screened off dressing area in the corner of

the large room past the backdrop and lights. He was instructed to take

off all his street clothes and put on the Joe College costume, thong first.

Jeremy gave her a puzzled look. 'What the hell is this all about?' he

wondered. 'I thought I was just going to have my picture taken with my

dick and gonads packed in the slingshot.'

"Garin asked me to do character shots first. He wants a whole new look

for publicity. It just saves time to dress and then systematically strip down

to the basics. It saves time and allows you to get used to a piece of

underwear you may not be used to wearing."

"Oh, okay," he mumbled. "That makes sense."

"Don't worry about anything, Jeremy. First, I don't think there's anything I

haven't seen before. Second, as gorgeous as you may be...to me it's just

business. Oh, use the next size smaller when it comes to the thong. If your

underwear is medium, try a small...it works better for the camera."

"As long as I don't get arrested," Jeremy replied with a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry. I'll make the pictures provocative but decent. Trust me."

Behind the large screen were the costume, several thongs in different

sizes, and a picture he could use for reference; a smaller version of the

same one displayed in front of the club. The temperature of the room was

cool enough to encourage Jeremy to undress and change without delay.

Once he was bare, Jeremy tried the small, flesh-colored thong. 'Kee-rist,'

he thought when he saw himself in the mirror, 'a Kleenex would give me

more coverage.' He tucked himself in so that the head of his cock rested

down between his balls. It concerned him that it was pretty obvious from

the outline that he was larger than average. However, the shave had been

successful: absolutely no hair showed above the top of the tight, skimpy

underwear.

He quickly changed to his usual, more generous, medium-size and

checked the results. Although he rated it as an eight on the comfort scale

- ignoring the funny string up his asscrack - the results looked rather

lumpy by comparison. 'Okay, bite the bullet,' Jeremy decided as he

 changed back to the small size, 'it's just business.' He tried dressing his

privates left...then right. Finally, he rearranged himself to the original dead

center position. His rationale was it really wouldn't matter anyway, since

he would be wearing a mask and avoid recognition. The rest of the

costume was rather routine. He adjusted the loose necktie to the same

distance from his collar as shown in the picture and slipped on the school

blazer. The final props consisted of the horn-rimmed glasses and a pencil

behind his ear.

"Such innocence," June said when he walked from behind the screen.

"You should really be able to stir up some great fantasies for the

women...and the men."

"Not so innocent when you get down to the thong."

"That comes later. First, let me put on the mask and fluff up your hair.

These poses, as you know, will be for the website and for the club

programs, posters and brochures...things like that. Stand over there and

just follow my directions."

She positioned Jeremy in front of the backdrop, turned on the lights and

started firing with a hand-held camera as she barked out posing positions.

15 minutes later, she started directing from behind a larger, stationary

camera that sat on a tripod. This time the shooting was longer and more

deliberate.

"Okay, let's take a break. We're ahead of schedule and it's time to take

the costume off. You want a bottle of water?" Without waiting for a

response, she went to a refrigerator and took out a couple of bottles of

Evian.

"That was fast," Jeremy said as he took the chilled bottle and drank. He

didn't attempt to pull off the mask.

"It's the easiest part of the posing and you did great. Go ahead and go

back to the dressing area and get out of the costume. When you come

back in the thong, this is where the 'rubber hits the road,' so to speak."

Back behind the screen, Jeremy carefully took off and hung up all the

clothes. He adjusted himself once again, and returned to the backdrop.

Although this very professional photographer didn't threaten him, it was

only natural to stand with his hands in front of his crotch...the traditional,

international, protective male stance signaling discomfort.

"Even better than I suspected," June said with enthusiasm. "You take very

good care of yourself."

"I don't think of myself as really pumped up...not like some of the guys. I

work out to keep in good health. And, to be honest, I want to look my

best. Is that considered vain?"

"Not at all. Keeping in shape will pay off as you get older."

"That's part of the idea." Jeremy thought for a moment about his uncle.

"I guess you agreed with using the smaller thong size I suggested?"

"Does it look too revealing? In the mirror my...crotch looked...big."

"Leave everything to me. You look scrumptious - wholesome with just a

suggestion of naughtiness. This will be a good shoot. Please go back to

the mark on the floor and wait a sec while I adjust a few of the lights."

June went about her tasks and then grabbed a spray bottle. "Stand loose

while I spray some oil on you. It's just enough to bring out your skin and

muscle highlights."

"I've never done this and a bit embarrassed. I'm afraid that the thong is

too tight."

"Dahlin', it's tight for a reason. Trust me, this will sell you big time. There's

enough of a contour down there to let the clients know that you're all

male. Jeremy, these photos are going to be terrific. You're a handsome

guy with a body that's developed to where it is appealing but not

intimidating. If I was straight, I might jump on your bones," June said with

a laugh. "Seriously, Garin can really spot talent."

"I just want to do a good job and make some spending money and take

care of my college expenses." He stood motionlessly while June sprayed

a fine mist on his body.

"Okay, here we go." She adjusted the eye mask and started ordering

different body poses. This time, she would occasionally ask that a

particular group of muscles be flexed or a breath held, or to suck in the

stomach. The last set of shots with the hand-held camera involved Jeremy

sitting and stretching on the floor. A couple of times, she would adjust the

lighting to create some shadowing. Finally, June took more formal poses

with the large, stationary camera.

"Is that it?" Jeremy asked when the lights were turned off.

"We're done and it's only 11:30 a.m. Here...wipe yourself off and get

dressed." She tossed a towel and motioned him to go back to the

changing area.

Jeremy pulled off the thong and breathed a sigh of relief as he loosened

himself. He vowed to make sure whatever he wore in the show would

not be as snug. Once he neatly hung up the costume and was back in

street clothes, he returned to the front of the studio where June was

looking over a few Polaroid instant pictures she had taken.

"Any good shots?"

"Mr. Joe College number two is going to be very popular. Take a

look...your individuality really shows well." June spread out the pictures

and gestured for him to come closer. "And you have a youthful maturity

that jumps out."

"That's me? I mean I know it is...but the pictures seem like they're

someone else." He primarily studied the thong shots and marveled at the

way June and her lighting had caught the definition of his body. 'Those

workouts at the gym have paid off,' he thought.

"If you could get permission from Garin, I could find lots of modeling

work for you."

"If it's not porno, I don't think that's a problem. As I understand our

agreement, he's only concerned that I don't do anything that brings

discredit to his organization. And I wouldn't feel comfortable at all

doing...shit like that." Jeremy decided to use the "S" word for emphasis.

"Would you mind if I sent a few photos to a few of my commercial

clients? I think I might find some good work for you - runway and print –

if you're interested."

"Just pass it by Garin, first. If I can make a few more bucks and it doesn't

interfere with my school or work schedule...that's not a problem."

"We could work around that. Let me see what the interest level is."

"Super...it might be fun. June, I don't mean to be rude but I gotta get to

work if we're finished."

"Go...no problem. It was a pleasure doing this shoot and I think that I'll

be able to find more work for you. Oh, why don't you take those thongs

you had on? I will never use them again...and you might find them handy."

"Guess it's the main part of the costume that I need to get used to,"

Jeremy said with a sly grin. He returned to the dressing area, took the

thongs and slid them into his backpack. After accepting a parting

motherly hug from June, he headed on to the gym.

In rapid succession, the remaining hours of his weekend fell together. The

next morning, Jeremy was at the club for an initial briefing and training

session with the choreographer. This was arranged so he could get a

feeling for basic dance steps and his program. The serious rehearsals

would begin in another week. Jeremy had arranged to shorten his Bally's

schedule after the New Year to Thursday and Friday evenings only.

Garin surprised him by inviting Jeremy to the second show on Saturday

night. One of the private room reservations had cancelled and Garin

thought it would be a terrific opportunity for his newbie dancer to see the

show without being distracted on the first floor. Garin had no problem

that Jeremy wanted to bring his best friend to see the show.

Next, he got a call from Tommy Turner to inquire if he wanted to attend a

party over at Sam Agosto's house on Saturday night. Since it was the

night before New Year's Eve, not many of the guys from school had firm

plans. Tommy said the party would start around nine and the usual crowd

would be there. Later, however, only certain friends from the swimming

team would stay around and Tommy wanted Jeremy to be his date.

Jeremy said he already had plans for earlier in the evening with Robert

Stein but could get over to Sam's house around 11:30 p.m. He was

stretching the truth a little; the two friends had tentatively made plans to

see a movie and Jeremy really didn't want to go through a charade of

partying with the girls so soon after the previous weekend. But he did

want to see Tommy. While not exactly speaking for Robert, Jeremy

insisted his best friend would be a great addition to the late party - and

being exposed to a broader base of guys who were at various stages of

accepting their sexuality. Tommy greeted this idea with enthusiasm and

agreed to include Robert. He said most of the guys who were attending

didn't have regular boyfriends. They planned to meet at Sam's house late

Saturday evening.

When Jeremy saw Robert at the gym, he mentioned the party. His old

friend was curious but reluctant to attend; he realized being included

would reveal their recently discovered orientation to others, beyond Sam

and Tommy. It was fairly quiet at the gym front desk and Jeremy was

able to take a short break when Robert was ready to leave.

"Bobby, it's not like anyone there is going to care about your...you

know...what you've decided about..."

"I know it's stupid. From what Sam said, the other guys are cool with it.

This is so new for me. I don't know..."

"A couple of weeks ago we went from semi-virgin status to the final

step...doing it. Then, I went all the way with Tommy. And from what you

said, Sam was pretty good in bed. This is just a learning curve for both of

us and God knows we've got plenty of condoms. Tell you what; if you

feel uncomfortable at the party and want to go home, I'll leave with you."

"Ah, shit...I guess I'm kinda being an asshole. Maybe I need this to really

figure out who I am. You're going to meet Tommy there and maybe I'll

find someone...interesting."

"And I got something we can do beforehand. We're invited to see the

Studz Barecats show downtown, at no cost. It's a freebie. You game?"

"This is a male stripper show, right? Jeez, how'd this invite happen and

what if someone saw us? Isn't the show restricted to women?" Robert

asked.

"Yeah, it's for the ladies...usually."

"Usually? What the hell do you mean?"

"Once in a while they do the show for guys. But not tomorrow night."

Jeremy shuffled on the floor and looked back at the gym for a minute. "I

got something to tell you. Something big that has happened to me and

I've been trying to figure out the best time to fill you in."

"This sounds serious." Robert stepped closer and looked at Jeremy very

closely.

"Naw, not serious...just different." Jeremy took a breath and continued,

"A man - cool guy, by the way - who is a member of the gym recruited

me to be one of the dancers. I'm just starting to learn the steps and

routines. If I'm not too clumsy, learn the program and rehearse all the

steps, I officially join the group in a couple of months - on the friggin'

stage." He blinked his eyes rapidly as he searched Robert's face for a

reaction.

Robert went from a casual smile to widened eyes to a mouth gaping

open. "Like the end of February? Holy fuck...that's, wow..."

"Mind boggling, isn't it. This all happened over the past couple of weeks

and I feel really good about joining the group."

"So, you're going to be dancing in front of a live audience; mostly

women? I've seen a few sites on the web that feature guys dancing in

front of these screaming ladies going nuts. Now that I think about it, some

of the audiences were guys, too. There seemed to be a lot of, you know,

groping an' everything from both groups," Robert said with a grimace.

"Barecats is a quality show that doesn't allow the audience to get that

carried away. And we don't strip all the way...just down to the basics."

Jeremy grinned and shrugged.

"Basics?"

"Dancers go down to a thong. Nothing more. I just agreed to do this

recently but feel good about the guys I've met so far. You know I

wouldn't do anything illegal or stuff like that. This is a good way to earn

some needed cash for school and the family." Jeremy decided not to

describe how the tips were given to the dancers.

"I understand, I think, and don't have a problem with this new job. It's

just kinda strange to hear about this and mentally think about my best

friend dancing around, practically naked. Do I get a sneak preview of

your dancing?" Robert said with a snicker.

"As a matter of fact, I'd do that sometime in early February when I feel

comfortable enough not to make a fool of myself."

"I'll hold you to it on a night when the folks are out." Robert smiled and

raised his closed hand to tap fists.

"Thanks, I need all the encouragement I can get," Jeremy replied, after

they bumped their knuckles together. "Anyway, there's a semi-private

area of the club on the second floor that's not being used Saturday night

so we won't have to be with the audience. The man I told you about who

operates the club and dance troop suggested that I come in to see the

show live to get an idea what it's all about. I said okay and asked if I

could bring a friend. There you are, buddy, all the details. Whaduya

think?"

"I think it's crazy and wild...in a good way. As long as you feel good

about what you're going to do and trust them...go for it."

"Cool. Then we can go over to Sam's house afterwards.

*****

Saturday night at the club couldn't have gone any better. They arrived

and were admitted through the stage door 15 minutes before the

performance. Garin, in costume, welcomed both guys very warmly and

immediately escorted them to the dressing room where all the dancers

were in the final moments of getting ready.

"Guys, can I have your attention just for a minute," Garin said loudly.

The dancers turned to Garin and looked curiously at the two strangers.

Most were dressed in formal black pants with sequins running down the

satin stripe, gold vest and a white collar/black tie arrangement around the

neck. A couple of the guys stood wearing just a black sequined thong.

Jeremy assumed the thong was for the opening number. He made eye

contact with Charlie and the two smiled at each other.

"You've seen his picture and name on the bulletin board. Allow me to

introduce the newest member of our group and the new Joe College –

Jeremy Sloan." Garin stepped back and pointed his arm to Jeremy.

"Go, Jeremy. Welcome," Charlie called out with a few whoops.

The rest of the group yelled similar greetings and applauded.

"I invited him to come in tonight to see how the show works. Jeremy

starts rehearsing the week after next. He's brought a friend, Robert, and

they'll be in box three. If ya get a chance, stop by for a minute when you

visit the rest of the boxes. Okay, gentlemen...ten minutes."

Garin, despite his costume, took the time to lead them to their secluded

seats on the second floor. The chairs had been placed slightly away from

the railing so the audiences in the other boxes couldn't see them. But the

guys would be able to absorb everything on the stage and runway. Garin

wished them well and told Jeremy that they'd talk next week. Before he

left, Garin mentioned that the photographs were everything he'd hoped

they would be...and more.

This opened the door for more questions that Jeremy didn't necessarily

want to discuss. However, until the lights went down, he gave Robert a

brief rundown on the photo shoot at the studio, the fabulous

photographer, June, and his first adventure wearing a thong...one size too

small. After a little teasing and cajoling, Robert got Jeremy to promise

he'd give his best friend a private modeling of the thong very soon.

From the opening dance number to the final encore, the guys were

completely entertained. Robert's expression was priceless when he

observed how the dancers worked for their tips at the end of each dance.

They laughed during the intermission when they re-capped the various

dancers routines and how many times both got hard. In addition to

Garin's 'Mr. Leather' and the current 'Joe College', the other characters

included a fireman, cop, construction worker, military man, cowboy and

football player.

Robert was impressed and Jeremy was grateful that each of the dancers

made it a point to stop by their box during the show for a brief chat.

Charlie was particularly charming and gracious when he visited the guys.

He ruffled Jeremy's hair and said they were already becoming good

friends. Robert remembered Charlie from high school and took note

when he was told Charlie was a sophomore at Northwestern.

As soon as the final number was finished the guys left the box and went

down the front stairway and out into the street before the women had a

chance to exit. They had found street parking a couple of blocks away

and were able to start the drive to Sam's house in short order.

"I gotta tell you I'm a little overwhelmed,' Robert said as they headed

north on Halsted Street. "Before I saw the show, I thought this whole

Barecats thing was bizarre...ya know, goofy and maybe close to

hardcore porn. But after the show and getting to meet all the guys, I feel

ya did the right thing. It's a hell of an opportunity that should work well

for you."

"It's gotta work. This is for my college fund and extra money for mom.

The only bummer is that it puts me outta commission socially on

weekends cuz I'll be working."

"Just consider the hours similar to a bartender or waiter; the good ones

always work on weekends because of the big tips. I'm sure that you'll

find time for a little socializing."

"Yeah, I suppose. But I'll be busy rehearsing as well as keeping up with

my grades and working at Bally's for the next couple of months. Probably

I'll only be able to get a little nooky on Sundays," Jeremy said with a

laugh.

"I assume we're talking about 'nooky' in the generic sense?"

"Generic as in guys...I'm not going to lead on any more women. I look at

Tommy as a friendly little fling - that's all - and I hope that you and I can

continue to, you know...do stuff?" Jeremy reached over and rubbed

Robert's neck.

"Remember what you said about us being fuck buddies in addition to

everything else? I'll hold you to that."

"I will definitely...oh, shit." Jeremy suddenly remembered he was now

groomed differently than the last time Tommy - or Robert, for that matter

had seen him. 'Will this present a difficulty?' he wondered.

"What's with the 'oh, shit'?" Robert looked at Jeremy for a second and

raised his eyebrow.

"Okay, confession time. Remember the dancers and you mentioned how

trimmed they looked?"

"Yes?"

"I've had a makeover," Jeremy said with a nervous laugh. "Ah, one of the

guys was assigned to be my buddy and help me get groomed to the

Barecats standards."

"And that means...?"

"No chest hair, smooth legs and trimmed pubes."

"Oh, that sounds so hot...plus the thong. When do I get to see?" Robert

asked with a giggle. "Can I feel?" He reached over and playfully

massaged Jeremy's thigh.

"Seriously...what's Tommy going to say?" Jeremy asked as he held

Robert's hand in place.

"Buddy, my guess is that he'll say nothing. Ya gotta remember that he's

on the swim team and the star diver. They all shave. Shit, remember that

Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps. Did you ever notice the photo on the

cover of Time magazine and the Olympics five-circle tattoo on his groin?

Ever wonder about the absence of any hair down there? It's part of their

culture."

"I suppose you're right. We'll see what happens." Jeremy chuckled and

added, "With the lights off, Tommy will be more interested in other

things."

"If Tommy wants hair, he can always trade you in for me."

"Hands off. Find your own guy." Jeremy lightly punched Robert on the

arm and they both laughed.

"Maybe I'll hook up with Sam, again." Robert turned off Halstead onto

West Dickens and traveled down Sam's street for a few blocks and

circled a few times before finding a parking space. At 11:30 p.m., the

neighborhood was fairly quiet except for the area immediately in front of

Sam Agosto's house. Several of the guests - mostly couples - were

leaving as the guys walked up the stairs to the entrance of the old

limestone townhouse. Everyone wished each other a Happy New Year

before Jeremy and Robert entered the large, gentrified home. Inside, they

saw other friends who were saying final goodbyes.

"Hey, guys. Great you could make it," Sam said with a big smile. He

shook hands and said quietly, "The second-half of the party is getting

underway downstairs in the kitchen. I'm really happy to see you again."

Sam directed the last comment to Robert. "I want to get together, ah, like

we did last week.

"Hmm...me, too. See ya later," Robert replied as he winked. He led the

way to the circular stairway and walked down, with Jeremy close behind.

"Well, I think that answers my question about Sam's interest in you,"

Jeremy said with a chuckle, as they reached the kitchen. "Although I see

a few others who may be qualified for a good..."

"Cool it, horn dog." Robert nudged Jeremy gently with his elbow.

Jeremy saw Tommy's back in the corner of the kitchen. The ground floor

consisted of a large, Martha Stewart-style open kitchen and a spacious

dining room. He also noticed three other members of the swim team, a

couple of football players and a sophomore basketball player mixed

amongst a few other guys whom he didn't recognize. 'Maybe from other

schools?' he wondered.

"Better late than never," Tommy said from across the kitchen, as he

turned and noticed the two newcomers. "Welcome, guys." He walked

over and immediately kissed both friends lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, is it okay kissing like this...in front of the others?" Robert asked

with concern. His eyes nervously darted around the room.

"With this crowd? Yeah, we can be ourselves. The hard-core heteros are

gone." Tommy gestured to indicate no one was concerned about his

intimate greeting. "Didn't even cause a ripple."

"Yeah, I can see." What caught Jeremy's sight was one of the swimmers

rubbing the buns of one of his teammates and the football player tight end

with his hands wrapped around another guy's waist while they were

talking. 'Tight end, for sure,' he thought with a wry smile.

"You're right; being open like this is a very new experience for me,"

Robert replied.

"That's cool. A couple of the guys over there have just been out for little

while...and only to the team and like-minded friends. Jeremy, let's grab

something to drink and do a little dancing. Sam's got the den upstairs set

up for boogying."

"Dancing would be fun. Robert I'll see you upstairs...or later," Jeremy

said. "Is that okay with you?"

"Don't worry 'bout me. I'm going to shoot the shit down here. But, from

the looks of it, I think 'later' is going to be in the morning. Be good."

"I plan on being very good." Jeremy turned on a confident grin and

followed Tommy.

______________________

TO BE CONTINUED

ジャック・スクライブ

いつもと同じ。18歳以下の人は読んじゃ駄目。

コメントは大歓迎だよ。　jack.scribe@gmail.com

―――――――――――――――

第十章、古い友達と新しい友達

次の2日はDVDの早送りみたいな感じで過ぎていった。チャーリーは紳士的な態度のまま、ジェレミーの最後の仕上げをすませ、ジェレミーも彼を丁寧に剃ってあげた。それからは木曜日の夜に会って、同じようにすることに決めた。そうやって二人で会うことで、チャーリーとの友情が深められそうだって、ジェレミーは思った。

次の日、ジューン･スティルマンのスタジオに着いた時に感じていた戸惑いや羞恥は、彼女と会うと直ぐに消えてしまった。フォトグラファーが誰かのお母さんって感じの背の高い年上の女性だったことにジェレミーはちょっとびっくりした。彼女はカーゴ･パンツにデニムのシャツ、ベストを着て、ブーツを履いた、外見はラフだけど、中身はソフトっていうタイプの典型みたいな女性だった。

「いらっしゃい。私はジューンよ。どうぞ入ってちょうだい。」日焼けが染み付いた笑顔は、長い人生経験を物語っているように見えた。

「ありがとう。約束してたスローンです。ジェレミー･スローン。」

「こんにちは、ジェレミー。待っていたわ。君はギャリンの最新の掘り出し物だもの、よく見せてちょうだい。」彼女はジェレミーがコートを脱ぐのを手伝うと、時々「ああ。」とか、「ふん。」とか「そう。」って言いながら、時々一歩下がってみたりしつつ、ジェレミーの周りを歩いた。そしてチェーンのついた眼鏡を取ると首から下げた。

「審査に合格したんでしょうか？」ジェレミーが笑いながら尋ねた。

「君が踊れて、お客さんを乗せられるなら…もちろん。ところで、私が君の素晴らしい肉体とか、君が持ってるモノに欲情してるんじゃないかなんて心配しなくていいからね。私の恋人のスーザンとは15年一緒にいて、彼女だけで私には十分だから。」

「あなたといられるなんて、スーザンはきっとラッキーな人なんでしょうね。」

「そういうお世辞にはいつだって効果があるものよ。」彼女はバックドロップとライトの裏にある、スタジオの隅にスクリーンで仕切られた場所で、コスチュームに着替えるようにジェレミーに指示すると、まずTバックをつけるように言った。

ジェレミーはちょっと混乱した顔をしてみせた。“これってどういうことだろう？”そう思った。“Tバックで写真を撮るだけだと思ってたのに。”

「ギャリンがキャラの衣装を着た写真を先に撮るようにって頼んだのよ。宣伝用に新しい写真が欲しいんですって。まず服を着て、順番に脱いだ方が時間の節約になるの。それに、君も穿き慣れない下着に慣れる時間が欲しいでしょ。」

「ああ、分かりました。」ジェレミーが口篭った。「そういうことなら。」

「心配すること無いのよ、ジェレミー。私は今まで何度もこういうことしてきてるし、君がどんなにいい男でも、私にとってはただのビジネスだから。そうだ、Tバックは一回り小さいサイズを穿いてね。普段Mサイズの下着を穿いてるなら、Sを穿くこと…その方がカメラ映りがいいのよ。」

「それで逮捕されたりしないなら。」ジェレミーは神経質に笑って答えた。

「心配しないで。ちゃんとその辺のバランスは分かってるから。信用してちょうだい。」

大きな衝立の裏にコスチュームと、サイズの違うTバックがいくつか用意されていて、ジェレミーが衣装を着ける時の参考になるように、クラブの前にディスプレイされていたのと同じ、ジョー･カレッジの宣伝用の大きな写真の小さなコピーも置かれていた。部屋の温度はかなり涼しかったから、ジェレミーは服を脱ぐとサッと衣装を着始めた。裸になると、まず小さな肌色のTバックを試着してみた。“ああっ、もう。”自分の姿を鏡で見て思う。“ティッシュを当てた方がまだマシなくらいだよ。”自分の先端が袋の間に収まるようにモノを押し込んだ。見ただけで人より大きいのが分かるんじゃないかって心配になったけど、剃ってもらったところは完璧で、タイトでちっちゃな下着から、陰毛は一本もはみ出していなかった。

その後、素早くいつものMサイズに穿き替えて、違いをチェックしてみた。お尻に変な紐が食い込むことを除けば、８割程度に穿き心地はよくなったけど、Sサイズと比べるとモコッとしてみえた。“しょうがない、我慢しなきゃ。”Sサイズにまた穿き替えながら思った。“これはただのビジネスなんだから。”モノを左に…右に動かしてみた後、元通りど真ん中の位置に戻した。どうせマスクをするんだから、誰にもバレないはずだって自分に言い聞かせた。残りの衣装はどうってことなくて、写真の通りにタイを少しカラーから外して緩めに結び、ブレザーを着ると、鼈甲ぶちの眼鏡を掛けて鉛筆を耳の後ろに挟んだ。

「ああ、とっても無邪気な感じ。」衝立の後ろからジェレミーが出て来るとジューンが言った。「女性がすっごく妄想を掻き立てられそうね…それに男も。」

「Tバックになっちゃったら、そう無邪気な感じとは言えないんだけど。」

「それは後。まずは、マスクをつけて、髪をちょっとグシャってして。この写真は、知ってると思うけど、クラブのサイトとか、プログラム、ポスターやチラシなんかに使われるの。そこに立って、私の言う通りにしてちょうだい。」

ジューンはジェレミーを黒幕の前に立たせると、ライトを点けて、大声でジェレミーにポーズをつけながら、ハンドカメラで撮りまくった。１５分後、今度は三脚の上に固定された大きなカメラで撮影が始まると、今度は色々注文が多くなって、撮影も長引いた。

「いいわ、一休みしましょう。予定より順調に進んでるし、次は衣装を脱いでもらわないといけないから。お水はどう？」そう言うと、ジューンはジェレミーの返事を待たずに、冷蔵庫からエビアンのボトルを何本か取り出した。

「割と早く済むんですね。」ジェレミーは冷えたボトルを受け取ると水を飲んだけど、マスクはつけたままでいた。

「衣装を着たままの撮影はそんなに難しくないし、君はよくやってくれたから。じゃあ衝立の裏に戻って、衣装を脱いでしまってちょうだい。Tバックでここに戻ってきてくれたら、それからが本番ってことになるかな。」

衝立の裏で、ジェレミーは衣装を脱ぐと注意深くそれをハンガーに掛けた。もう一度自分自身を調整すると、黒幕の前に戻る。プロの写真家であるジューンは、彼を怯えさせるようなことはしなかったけど、つい手を股間の前に持ってきてしまった…男が不安がってる時の、古典的な、そして世界共通のポーズで立つ。

「思ってたよりずっといいわ。」ジューンが熱心な声で言った。「君、ちゃんと自分の身体を鍛えてるのね。」

「自分が特に筋肉隆々とかって思わないんだけど…そういう奴もいるけど。ただ健康に気をつけてるから、エクササイズはしてるけど…でも、正直言って、見掛けも気にしてるかな。そういうのって見栄っ張りだと思います？」

「全然。身体を鍛えとくと、年取ってから違うわよ。」

「それも大事ですよね。」ジェレミーは一瞬、おじのことを考えた。

「言った通り小さ目のTバックをつけてくれたのね。」

「見え過ぎですか？鏡で見たら…その…股間が大きく見えて。」

「私に任せておいて。君は凄く素敵に見えるわよ。いい子なのに、ちょっぴりエッチな感じ。この撮影はきっと上手くいくわ。床に印があるところまで下がって、私がライトを調整する間ちょっと待っててね。」ジューンはライトを直してしまうと、スプレーの缶を掴んだ。「君の身体にオイルを吹き付けるから、その間はリラックスして立ってて。皮膚を引き立てて、筋肉がはっきり見えるようにするだけよ。」

「こういうの初めてで、ちょっと恥ずかしくて。それにこのTバックもきつ過ぎるんじゃないかって。」

「きついのにはちゃんと理由があるの。信用して頂戴。君はこれで売れっ子になるから。君が１００％男なんだってお客さんに分かるだけの膨らみが、そこにあるってわけ。ジェレミー、この写真、凄い出来になるわよ。君はハンサムだし、身体も素敵に鍛えられてるけど、デカ過ぎて怖い感じってほどじゃないしね。私が男に興味があったら、襲っちゃうところよ。」ジューンが笑いながら言った。「ほんと、ギャリンはスターを見つけるのが上手いのよね。」

「僕、ただちゃんと仕事して、大学に行くお金を稼ぎたいだけなんです。」ジューンが彼の身体にオイルの霧を吹きかける間、ジェレミーはじっと立っていた。

「さあ、いいわ。」ジューンはマスクを直すと、ジェレミーに色んなポーズをつけ始めた。時々、腕や足を曲げて筋肉を強調したり、息を止めたり、お腹を引っ込めるように指示される。ハンドカメラで撮られた最後の写真は、床に座ってストレッチするジェレミーの写真だった。ジューンはその間、何回かライトを調整して影を作り出し、それから、お終いに固定された大きなカメラでもう少し姿勢を正した写真を撮った。

「これで終わりですか？」ライトが消されるとジェレミーが尋ねた。

「終わったわよ、まだ１１時半。ほら、身体を拭いて服を着なさい。」ジューンがジェレミーにタオルを投げると、衝立の裏に行くように指示した。

Tバックを脱ぐと、ジェレミーは安心して溜息を漏らした。ショーで着る衣装は小さすぎないものにしようって誓った。衣装をきちんと掛けてしまうと、自分の服に着替え、スタジオに戻ると、ジューンがポラロイドの写真をチェックしていた。

「いい写真、撮れました？」

「２代目のジョー･カレッジは凄く人気が出るわよ。見てみて…君の個性が良く出てるから。」ジューンが写真を広げると、ジェレミーに傍によるように合図した。「若いけどしっかりしてる、君の性格がよく出てるわ。」

「これが僕？つまりその、僕だっていうのは分かるけど…でもこの写真だと別人みたい。」ジェレミーは特にTバックの写真を注意深く眺めて、ジューンのカメラやライトが、彼の体の線をよく捉