Page 52 of Their Courtesan
“Butdon’t let her ruin your personal life. There’s no point to having a great art career if a woman’s breaking your heart and wallet.”
“I can take care of myself, thanks.”
Seth had considered telling him about the bidding and possibly becoming Judith’s patron. He would’ve played along had Seth been accepted for the starting bid. Knowing that his friend was offering more money, though? Preposterous.
Now he knew better. Best that Zack didn’t know about what went on at the Château, aside from Judith being his friend’s new model, anyway. Joy had yet to get back on any possible gallery shows, but they were hopeful. Until then… it should be Seth and Judith only.
How unfortunate. For the first time in a long time, Seth had a woman to brag about. So what if he paid for her? That was a detail. Judith may not have been his real girlfriend, but she wasreal.A real conversationalist. A real intellectual when she was allowed to be. A realhottiewhen Seth let lust overcome him.
Zack left, still shaking his head and mumbling about going down to the marina to play on his boat. Seth turned back to a painting he was finishing up. He was due to see Judith that afternoon for fresh sketches, but wanted to finish this up first. Yet the longer he stared at his own work, the more he thought of Judith, and how great it would be existing as her #1 man. A privilege worth paying for.
I wonder if she gets any say in it.Could Judith choose him over the other man? Or was she at her madam’s whim?Today I can show her what a real man I am.After business, of course. Except Seth’s brain was already overran with every naughty thing he wanted to do to her. Everything he would tell her to do to him, to herself. The more he was around her, the more he wanted to assert himself – and she responded how he desired.
No wonder he was willing to throw tens of thousands of dollars at her a month.
***
The first thing Seth saw when he walked into Judith’s room later that afternoon was his painting hanging above her vanity.Looks good there.For some reason he hadn’t expected to see it – almost as if he had forgotten all about it, which was funny, because he had been in such a tizzy when told to send a gift along with his bid.Wonder what the other guy got her.Probably something a lot more impersonal.
“Glad you liked it,” he said, standing in front of her vanity as Judith rested her chin on his shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if it would be good enough.”
“It’s touching. Can’t say a man has ever given me a portrait of myself before. Let alone one as nice as that.” She smiled at their reflection. “One of the other girls said it made me look egotistical hanging it up… but I like to think it shows I know what my worth is around here.”
That only inflated Seth’s ego. “How are you doing?” He tipped her chin up with the end of his sketching pencil. “Keeping busy?”
She still smiled. “Always. A girl has to make a living.”
Does that mean she’s seen a lot of other men?For some reason, Seth didn’t want to think about that. Until then, the idea of her being with other men didn’t bother him. It was her living, after all. Even if she hadn’t delivered sexual services to these other supposed men… and he didn’t delude himself into thinking at least thatotherman bidding on her didn’t know how good she was in bed… she still had entertained them. Made them feel big and important. She was a courtesan first, paid sexual partner second. If she didn’t do anything else, she was at least making men feel good.
He couldn’t think about that, though. She was with him now, was she not?
“How do you want me today?” She was wearing her usual silk robe, the one that always teased him with flashes of her breasts and nether lips, perfectly groomed, always. “On the bed? By the window? We could even go outside, if you want…” She glanced at the clouds outside. “Or perhaps not. Weather isn’t super up here lately.”
“It’s nice down in the city.”
Judith sighed. “Isn’t it always?”
“Have you been recently?”
“It’s been about three weeks since I last left the grounds.” She caught the look of concern spreading across his face. “By choice. We’re allowed to leave as long as it doesn’t affect work. We’re so far out here in the middle of nowhere, though, and none of us have cars… we have to borrow the madam’s car or have a friend come get us. Suffice to say, that opportunity doesn’t come up much.” She laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed, robe opening to show a peaking nipple.Focus, dumbass.Seth went back to setting up his easel and canvas. “We usually go down together for shopping or whatever. Reminds me, I need to go into town. Cheaper than having my beauty supplies shipped up here… especially since we have a good relationship with one of the boutiques downtown. They give us discounts because the owner is a regular here.”
“I would offer to take you down myself, but I know that’s not allowed.”
Judith batted his eyelashes at him.She has such beautiful hazel eyes.They were nearly impossible to capture with his paints, but he tried. Judith’s eye color was the only thing about her that changed from painting to painting. Sometimes they were bright gold. Other times they were an earthy brown. Today? A pale green. “You could take me if you were my patron,” she said with a saccharin edge. It made Seth laugh.
“I’m working on it. Not my fault some other man has his eyes on you too.”
“I’msopopular.” Judith rolled on her back, robe falling open and revealing her breasts without a care in the world. “You men fighting over me in the hopes of winning my heart and body. Ooh la la.”
Resist. There is work to do.She would definitely be naked for today’s modeling gig. “How about we start with you lying on the bed? I mostly need the poses. I can come up with different backgrounds later, if pressed.”
Judith got into position. Not the one he necessarily wanted, but he could adjust her limbs and head later. For now, she was fine lying on her side with her elbow propped up. Naked, of course.I can’t wait to have her.Have her? What was he? A Neanderthal?Quickly turning into one, yes.Soon he would be rutting on top of her, grunting, happy to be there and watching his money fall out of his wallet.
“If you become my patron,” Judith said, still too sweet for words, “you can do whatever you want to me. Whenever. Put me naked in the middle of the park to pose for one your nude portraits. As long as you buy me a pretty dress afterward.”
I would love to spoil you like that.Strange. Seth had never thought that about a woman before. His old girlfriends often goaded him to spend money on clothes and jewelry. Bags. Perfume. He never understood why he should do that outside of the usual gifts. Wasn’t it enough that he often bought dinner or price of admission to anywhere they went? That made sense. Why should he have to buy a woman a Givenchy dress? What did that have to do with him? Now, if she wanted a pretty bra or something…
“I’ll take you shopping wherever you want.”
