Author's Notes:

I don't own Rose, Lissa, Dimitri, or any of the other characters. Arguably, I probably wish (a little) that I owned Dimitri. In a very physical way.

This short story is not kid stuff. Be grown-up (in more ways than one) if you're going to read it.

Special thanks to TheBasicBitch for beta-reading this chapter. If you haven't already, go read her stuff. She's THAT good.

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The advertisement in the employee break-room sat alone on the bulletin board, a somber reminder of all that we had gone through in the past nine months since COVID-19 had hit. The vaccine had finally been created and delivered a month ago, so our lives were beginning to get back to 'normal' - if you can call it that -, but there was a big gaping hole in the wake of those who had perished with the course of the virus.

- =o0/&\0o=-

PHOTO OF THE MONTH CALENDAR FUNDRAISER

ATTRACTIVE FIRST RESPONDERS WANTED

Must be willing to bare all before a camera

Call or text (212)234-5678 for more information

*Proceeds go to benefit the families of other NYC first responders who died from COVID-19, including:

Firefighter Mason Ashford

Emergency Medical Technician Shane Reyes

Nurse Abby Badica

Nurse Ryan Aylesworth

- =o0/&\0o=-

It had been months since Mason had died, but the pain of losing him had stung. Mason had been one of my best friends since childhood. Though we had tried to make a go of it as a couple several years ago, Mason and I were content to be just friends and he had moved on to start a family with a fellow classmate of ours by the name of Mia. Mia was a nurse, too, but she was eight months pregnant right now with Mason's baby and had been off work while the risk to the baby was too high. The money for her to take care of herself and Mason's child was just not there.

It was a Tuesday morning, so someone was nice enough to bring a box of donuts to the break room. I had managed to snag the last chocolate one, which was my favorite.

Just before I sat down with my donut, I texted a picture of the flyer to my best friend, Lissa, who was a pediatric nurse in the ICU, with the message:

Are you going to do it?

As soon as I hit send, my cell phone rang. It was Lissa.

"Hey, Liss," I answered between bites of my donut, "are you calling about the flyer?"

"Yes. I already signed up a few days ago. They actually hired a professional photographer who works taking promotional pictures for lingerie companies and does photo shoots for a few magazines for the whole thing. He already called me this morning."

"Oh? What did he say? Did he sound legit?"

"He sounded very business-like, but he was anxious to get the pictures taken soon. He told me that he would do everything he could to make us feel comfortable with the pictures, trying to keep it tasteful and not showing anything we weren't comfortable with, but he also said that he wanted to take peoples' pictures before they got cold feet and changed their minds. He offered me a copy of all of the photos he takes and final approval on whether or not they are used in the calendar after he shows them to me. I set an appointment with him to take the pictures tonight after dinner. Are you signing up?"

"Of course, I will," I told her, only half-meaning the bravado I voiced. I fooled around a lot when I was younger and had more than a few dates in my lifetime. A lot of guys had told me I was hot or sexy in that time, but not many had actually seen me naked. "I just haven't called yet."

"Rose," Lissa said, "I can see right through you. You're scared; aren't you?"

"No," I told her, "Well. Yes."

"Just talk with the photographer. It can't hurt to have a conversation. Let him know what you're feeling and you can see if what he says puts you at ease," Lissa comforted, "He doesn't seem like a bad guy. You could always wait until after I have my photo shoot tonight so you can get the details from me. If you want, you could even tell him you need a few extra days to get waxed or something - and then you'd have more time to think this over."

"Okay, fine, I'll do that," I told her.

"Good," Lissa said, "Mia needs this."
"I know, Liss," I told her, "I better get going. I'll talk to you later."

As soon as I hung up the phone, I texted the number on the flyer before I could talk myself out of it, saying:

Hello I'm Rose Hathaway. I'm an EMT and would like to pose for the calendar.

The terse reply asked for a picture of my face, so I snapped a quick selfie still wearing my EMT uniform. After I sent it, the reply back was almost instant: Perfect. What time should I have the photographer call you?

- =o0/&\0o=-

I had just gotten home from my shift at work a few minutes ago. I was reheating leftover pizza for an early dinner, when my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but it was almost time for the photographer to call, so I answered.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm calling for Rose Hathaway. My name is Dimitri Belikov," the heavily-accented deep voice said, "I'm the photographer responsible for shooting the first responders' calendar. Do I have the right number? I was told that you wanted to pose."

That voice was like nothing I had ever heard before, sending arousal through my whole body. For a moment, just hearing my name in his accent made me want to ask him to repeat it. I couldn't be this excited by a guy I'd never actually met. Could I?

"Yes, this is the right number. I think I want to," I told him, "but I'm honestly a little bit nervous. I've never done anything like this before."

"Miss Hathaway, is there anything I can do to ease your concerns?" he asked.

"Could I have a week or so beforehand, to think about it?" I asked, "I could use that time to set up a hair and makeup appointment, and even maybe get waxed."

Dimitri laughed, then said, "As appealing as I have no doubt the calendar purchasers would find it to have you waxed, Miss Hathaway, if I give you a week, that's enough time to talk yourself out of it. I would never be able to take pictures like this if everyone had a week to change their minds. I can give you a couple of days, but that's it. Is there anything else I could do to help you feel more comfortable? As long as I'm sure you're on board for this, there's very little I won't do for the perfect shot of the right subject."

I frowned. "What if I'm not sure I want to do this?"

I could actually hear the smile in Dimitri's voice as he said, "I understand you're nervous, Miss Hathaway. That's only normal. Right now, I just want to secure a shot of you, since I have no doubt you will be our cover model. Maybe it would help if you could ask me some questions."

"Have you been doing this for long?"

"I have been taking pictures since I was a child, but I have my degree in photography. I really only started professionally about six years ago, but since then, I have taken photos for several lingerie companies, a few fashion magazines, Playboy, and Hustler. We wouldn't do any of the really explicit shots like Playboy or Hustler for this camera shoot, but I will need all of your clothes off at some point during the shoot. If there are specific things you don't want shown, we will keep them out of the photos, but we can go over that when we are setting up. I'm taking photos for two separate calendars; one of women and one of men, so my schedule is entirely open for the calendar shoots the next few weeks."

"So they must be paying you a pretty penny to get the big-shot professional photographer to do both of these calendars, then?" I said, before I could stop myself from saying it.

"Actually," Dimitri replied, "I'm donating my time and materials for the photo shoots. It's a cause that is close to my heart. Some people gave their lives for others. The least I can do is give a few hours of my time and some of my supplies."

"How does this all work? Can you explain it to me?" I asked.

"We will set up a time and I will meet with you for the photos. I'll have you sign a waiver stating that you are taking the pictures by choice and not being coerced. Once I have taken your pictures, you are entitled to a copy of all photos and then get final approval on which photos can be used in the calendar, which I won't share without your signature on another document confirming each picture. Ivan, the calendar organizer, said that he already got a photo of you, so once I receive that picture from him, I can use it to decide what kind of backgrounds and poses I want to put you in on the day of the shoot. We can -"

I couldn't help it. I cut him off at that. "You don't even know what I look like yet and you're going to take these photos of me? What about all that 'I have no doubt you'll be our cover model' stuff? What if I'm hideous? I could be a complete cow!"

Dimitri laughed. Not a small chuckle, but an out and out laugh. "If it makes you feel better, you're welcome to send me the same picture you sent Ivan right now, but I usually trust his judgement when it comes to my subjects."

I shook my head, already pulling up the photo to send him. I sent the photo, then put the phone back to my ear and told him, "Sent."

"Let me take a look, then," Dimitri said. A moment later, I heard a sharp intake of breath, which shouldn't have been possible since the phone was probably nowhere near his face. I held my breath and waited for his reply.

"Normally," Dimitri said, "I would need about an hour for a session with a subject, but for you, Rose, I might need two or three."

I thought to myself, Am I really that bad that you have to take extra time to get flattering pictures?

It almost escaped my notice that, up until then, he had only addressed me as 'Miss Hathaway'. Suddenly, he was using my first name.

As if reading my mind, Dimitri said, "In my experience, my clients tend to like a few extra photos of the truly beautiful women. If it's okay with you, I might also like a few shots of my own to add to my portfolio. I'd be willing to compensate you for your time for those, if you'd be willing to do so."

"Reeealllly … ?" I asked, surprised that he would take such an intense interest in photos of me, "If I decided to do this - and that's still an 'if' - how about you donate whatever you'd pay me for my time to the COVID-19 victims' fund?"

"That works," he said, his smile audible in his tone of voice again, "We can meet either at my studio or at the location of your choice. Wherever it is, it has to be somewhere you're comfortable undressing. If we're meeting somewhere that you choose, I will need at least an hour of additional time to set up lighting, backdrops, and my equipment before we start. Wherever we are, it will just be the two of us, so there won't be others watching. I'll be candid and let you know that my studio is also my apartment, so that's at your discretion."

I looked around my apartment and cringed at the cluster-fuck of clutter around me. "Better do it at your place. So, I'm just going to show up at your place and strip off all of my clothes?"

"Actually, I'd like to have you choose some appealing lingerie and come with it on under your uniform. I have a privacy screen you can change behind if we need it, but we'll have you strip down as we go through taking the pictures."

"And then I'll be naked. With you. Alone in your apartment? How do I know I can trust you? Are you gay or something?"

Again, Dimitri gave that deep, hearty laugh. "No," he said, "If I'm honest, just seeing your picture, I've never seen a woman I've been more attracted to than you, Rose. But I promise to be honorable and respectful of you; that's the way my mama in Russia raised me. I can provide references if you're concerned about being alone with me. And if it helps, I can do things to make you feel more comfortable, so that it's not as bad."

I smiled at that. "Things to make me feel more comfortable? Like what?"

"I can show you some of my previous work. I can also choose music that you like and set the thermostat to make it more comfortable for you. Offer you some liquid courage before you get started, or foods you like for when you are done posing. Or just tell you more about myself or have some conversations together first so that I seem like less of a stranger to you. I'd even be willing to spend some time on the phone getting to know each other before your shoot, if you'd like. Is there anything you'd like me to do that could help you feel less self-conscious about it?"

"What's that thing they always say about giving a speech? Imagine the audience is in their underwear? What if you get in your underwear?"

"I've never done that before. It seems highly unusual."

"So I have to get naked in front of you, but you can't even be in your boxers for me?"

The line went quiet. I almost considered asking if he was still there, but I hadn't quite gotten that far yet. After a few silent moments, Dimitri finally said, "If it's really necessary to make you feel comfortable, I'd be willing to consider it."

Oddly, it seemed like such a weird thing to push, especially not knowing if the guy was so wretched I'd ralf up my breakfast when I saw him, but knowing how uncomfortable I was with posing and how reluctant he was to reciprocate the clothing removal, I wanted him to feel that same degree of discomfort. "It's really necessary," I told him.

Dimitri let out a sigh and then said, "If that's really the way you feel, Rose, then I will see to it that I undress when you do. But I may need some liquid courage, myself."

I chuckled at that. "So you can take the pictures of other people undressed, but you couldn't be on the other side of the camera?"

"You know the saying, 'Those who can't do, teach'? Maybe those who can't pose take the pictures."

I pulled up my calendar and told Dimitri, "How about Friday morning at ten? I'm not working that day and if you're offering to feed me, that would put us as lunch time by the time we're done."

"Friday at ten works, but that is a little longer than I'd like to wait. What kind of lunch would you like on Friday?"

"How about pizza? Main Street pizzeria is my favorite. And I'll also need some wine for my 'liquid courage' before the pictures. Something sweet."

I could once again hear the smile in his voice when Dimitri said, "Sure, Rose. I'll text you the address. See you Friday morning. If you'd like, you can even let me know what time works for you and then call me over the next few days so that we have a chance to get to know each other a little more before the shoot."

Just as I was getting ready to say goodbye, Dimitri said, "Oh, and Rose? Do you know what color your lingerie will be? That will help me choose the colors for your backgrounds."

I did a quick mental survey of what I had on hand. Nothing had really screamed 'extra-sexy photo-shoot lingerie'. "I might need to buy something. Is there a color you'd recommend?"

"One second," Dimitri said, "Let me look at your picture again and decide what color would look best on you."

Dimitir's sexy-sounding accented voice was suddenly huskier than I had noticed it before he replied, "Wear something red."

Dimitri and I hung up and I immediately texted Lissa to let her know when my shoot was and then made an appointment for waxing first thing the next morning. I saved Dimitri's number into my phone and texted him to let him know I'd call around the same time the next day.

By the time I had finished my now-cold pizza, Lissa should've been starting her photo shoot, so I sat down to watch a couple of shows and then texted Lissa.

Me: How'd the photo shoot go?

Lissa: Good. You wanna see my pic that I chose for the calendar?

Me: Is it super slutty?

Lissa: No, it's very tasteful!

Before I could tell her I wanted to see it, she sent me a photo. The picture showed Lissa laying on her stomach on some cream-colored satin sheets that highlighted her pale skin and hair, from the side. She had a long string of pearls around her neck that was dangling on the edge of her lips. You could see just her profile. It wasn't as revealing as I had feared, but you could see a portion of a nipple and the cleft of her ass. Instead of making it look like Lissa should be a street-walker, it made Lissa look like she should have been a model.

Me: This is a really good photo, Liss.

Lissa: IKR?

Me: How's the photographer?

In another moment, my phone was ringing. It was, of course, Lissa.

"Hey, Liss," I answered, "Is he that bad?"

"The photographer is actually pretty nice, Rose. He was really patient with me and seemed to know exactly how to get me to feel comfortable. And he was very, very respectful. I had trouble even getting him to use my first name. He made me feel about a billion years old calling me Mrs. Ozera, but he insisted. He said he grew up in a house full of women and he talked to me about his sisters and mother."

I thought about the fact that I had asked him to be in his underwear, partially feeling guilty if he's truly this honorable guy, and partially wondering what I have in store for my eyes.

I asked, "Liss, what's he look like? Is he old and fat?"

Lissa laughed. "No, actually. What would have given you that idea? I know your type well enough to know that you'd think he's actually really hot. And not that much older than we are. Maybe thirty? Great hair. He looked like he was one of those guys with a visible six-pack, too. I didn't see a ring on his finger or any pictures of a girlfriend. Maybe after all this, Rose, you could go out with him. I sort of suggested it to him at the end of the shoot tonight."

Suddenly, my phone chimed again. Another photo from Lissa. It was a tall man, tan, with a strong, chiseled jaw, dark shoulder-length hair, deep chocolate eyes, and a seriously beautiful muscular build. Altogether, he was mouth-watering.

"What's this, Lissa?"

"That's Dimitri," she replied, "I took a picture of him with my phone while he was getting his camera set up."

I had asked an extremely attractive single man, who admitted he was attracted to me, to be in only his underwear alone with me while I'm wearing sexy lingerie and then naked in front of him in his apartment on Friday morning. For three hours. And Lissa told him to ask me out.

It's going to be a long day.

"Would you go out with him if he asks?"

"Maybe," I said, "Is there anything else I should know about this photo shoot?"

"Well, actually," Lissa burst into near-hysterical giggles as she said, "You might need to ice your nipples."

"What?!" Suddenly, all sorts of kinky BDSM things with ice are popping into my head about this guy I haven't even seen in real life yet.

"He said that they need to stand out. It makes for a better photo. He let me do it in privacy behind a partition, so I wasn't standing there doing it in front of him."

Suddenly, thinking about him being in close proximity to me and both of us being near naked, it seems like that might not be a problem for me.

- =o0/&\0o=-

Author's Notes:

Well, I had originally planned for this story to be a one-shot, but once I started writing, it just took a lot longer to develop than I might have hoped. I figure this is about 3 chapters and chapter 3 should be downright filthy. Right now, I've got chapter 2 more-or-less done and possibly part of chapter 3, depending on where I end up breaking it apart.

If you read it, please review.