Today I conquered my greatest fear!
We drove to Port Angeles together and returned to the community college where we had taken our pottery class. Today's task was far more intimidating: life drawing.
During my medical degrees I averted my eyes or closed them altogether when confronted with the female form. This did make my stint in obstetrics particularly challenging, but I muddled through and managed to make up my grades in other specialties.
As such I have never really laid eyes on a nude lady before today.
Alice had briefed Bella thoroughly before we set out, handing her a paper bag and wishing her godspeed. About a mile outside of Forks we had to pull over and make use of the paper bag as I started to hyperventilate most furiously.
After some calming from Bella (a soothing hand on my back! Heaven!), we were back on the road.
I managed to enter Port Angeles on the forth pass having bypassed it completely and turned towards home the three previous times. Bella was growing quite frustrated by this point and threatened to drive herself if I didn't behave. I quite like it when she's strict. Anyway, it did the trick and soon enough I was going for a second round with the paper bag in the community college parking lot.
A battle of wills ensued between Bella and myself over locking and unlocking the car doors, a feeble attempt on my part to avoid the inevitable and keep us sat in the car for the full three hour session. Bella fiendishly extracted me from the car with a promise of holding my hand. Of course I greedily accepted this most splendid offer and then found myself, duped by my own adoration, installed in front of an easel in the classroom.
Bella wouldn't let me hold her hand for the duration of the class, which resulted in a small scuffle as I bolted for the door. Eventually she won out by using a very firm tone with me which I was utterly powerless to refuse. It was most intoxicating! I should very much like to hear her speak to me like that again!
What Bella did not realise was that it was my forcible arousal and the ever-familiar accompanying shame, that kept me rooted to the spot before the easel for the next three hours.
There was nothing for it but to draw.
I began with several detailed studies of the models hands, but the teacher suggested I draw the entire form and Bella shot me a sour look from across the room. She sent me a text message saying 'I know what you're up to Cullen, stop avoiding it and draw *all* of the model'
Had we had a male model, I should have been able to render the entire form. Without incident, but alas, I was confronted with a most intimidating sight. A naked lady!
Bella focused on her own easel, and managed to get very messy, she was covered in charcoal and graphite by the end of the three hour session. Somehow even her ears and the back of her neck were dirty.
Though I had seen her across the room furiously dashing off sketch after sketch. Sadly she refused to let me see any of them after class, saying today wasn't her challenge and that she was there for moral support not constructive criticism.
She had said before that she could not draw, but she was most prolific today. She did wear holes in several sketches through repeatedly erasing though, so no doubt she lacks confidence. I do wish she had let me see her artwork. I'm sure anything she turned her hand to would bear the mark of her inner beauty. Such beautiful hands must surely produce beautiful sketches.
I would very much rather have drawn Bella, but it is forbidden.
I managed to escape for twenty minutes into the bathroom. Another scuffle ensued and I was dragged out when the janitor unlocked the door from the outside because a queue of pregnant ladies from the lamas class had formed. Bella had told him I was having a panic attack. As if I would! Well. I probably would actually...
She frog marched me back to that cursed studio and I forlornly accepted my defeat with dignity and only minimal hissing. The hours trudged by and several dozen snapped pencils and pastels later I had triumphed!
I am now the proud owner of three most splendid works by my own hand, rendering the female likeness in perfect detail!
On the way home Bella grumbled something about me being 'a fucking nightmare' and owning her a pizza, then fell asleep, exhausted no doubt from her creative frenzy and snored deeply for the whole journey home. The drive was accompanied by the most marvellous symphony of snuffles and snorts!
I shall have to get the Volvo detailed to clean up all the charcoal dust and smudges Bella left behind, somehow in the back seat too?! But of course I do not mind, because they were left by her celestial self.
What a coup today has been. I cannot wait to conquer my next challenge!
A/N: Please leave a review! Thanks so much to my wonderful beta wh1teow1, please show some love and read Moirai, a reimagining of Twilight for the new decade! There are pictures of Edward's drawings on my Deviant Art page, just search for LogLadyJ, they're in the featured gallery.