Loving an Artist

Chapter 5

Four years have passed since the auction at the School of the Art Institute. Richard and John live in the same condo. John was never able to find the kind of paid consulting work he wanted so he joined the Chicago Executive Corps. The organization made up of retired executives provided free consulting to struggling non-for- profit organizations. His team provided strategic planning for Opus Dei and a Catholic food panty. His team included a retired university vice president, a banker and a bored socialite who, like him, had too much time on their hands.

Richard’s seniority as a flight attendant was improving. He was able to successfully bid and get the flights he wanted. He usually bunched his trips twice a month so he had time to concentrate on his art which had become a flourishing business. Our second bedroom became a busy studio where he spent hours each day when he wasn’t traveling.

Their relationship hadn’t changed much. They lived together and slept together. While Richard could be warm but more often he was emotionally aloft. He was focused on his art. John did the shopping and housekeeping. Richard didn’t like to hold hands or be affectionate not only with John but also with their friends. John had never seen him kiss a man on the lips in public. They never discussed whether they were a monogamous couple but John thought they were. At least he was. As they had been from the beginning they weren’t shy around each other whether painting, eating, showering or toileting. They were easy with their bodies. John continued his regular workout routine. Richard didn’t have the time to work out but stayed in shape and got more handsome. John worried that Richard rarely seemed happy and jovial. John had no reason to think he wasn’t happy he wasn’t a smiley person.

After Richard started getting commissions he came to the attention of gallery owners. One gallery owner, who Richard met the night of the auction, became more than a representative of Richard’s art. He became a friend and a regular at their house. His name was Richard Clarke. He encouraged Richard to do more painting and held two showings where Richard’s work was shown in conjunction with some well known Chicago artists. Richard’s work almost always sold out.

Richard’s portrait commissions took the bulk of his time. He usually did couples and he didn’t mind whether the couples were two men, two women or a man and a woman. He regularly refused doing family portraits. His process was simple. He would meet the couple at a bar, restaurant or at the Richard Clarke Gallery. They would discuss poses and settings. They would decide whether they wanted to be nude or clothed. He’d invite them to his studio to have them pose since he was better able to control the lighting. Most agreed.

When a couple came to the condo for their first visit Richard was usually wearing his paint splattered grey running shorts and an equally messy tee shirt. The gay couples more than the others preferred to pose nude. They often asked to use the same pose as his picture of Terry and John. Many of the bodies he was painting were not as sculpted as the original models but he strived to make his subjects look better than they really looked. After getting their poses the way he wanted them he started taking pictures long before he touched a brush to canvas. When the subjects asked him to be naked he was happy to accommodate. The second posing session happened usually within a month depending on his travel schedule and the other paintings he was doing for Richard Clarke.

Clarke had a lovely condo in Lincoln Park but spent more nights on South Michigan than he did in his own home. That started one very snowy night a couple of years ago when he asked if he could sleep on the couch because the weather was so bad. Richard said, “Oh, just sleep with us. It may be crowded but we can keep each other warm.”

Richard Clarke said, “Fine with me. What about you John?”

“Fine with me. I sleep naked as does Richard.”

“When in Rome…” unashamedly he stripped off his clothes and crawled into our bed. Richard was in the middle and I was on the window side. We were crowded and neither John nor the Richards slept well. After the night Richard Clarke slept over regularly. At breakfast one morning John’s Richard said, “We need a king size bed.” There was mutual head shaking. John went online to find mattress stores that carried Thermapedic mattresses. A couple of days later the three of them went shopping. Each one wanted to try out the mattress since the cost was going to be split equally. The next day the mattress and bed frame were delivered and the old one taken away. From Macy’s John ordered new sheets, pillows, shams and pillow cases. He also bought a thin down comforter with a violet cover to match their accent wall. He figured he needed the comforter on the nights he had to sleep by himself.

One early night of our new sleeping arrangement John noticed Richard Clarke holding his Richard close when he woke early. That morning John’s Richard was much more lovey than usually. John said, “Is the elephant in the room that you want to have sex with Richard? I can excuse myself, no problem.”

Richard snapped, “Hell, no. Richard is a horny bastard. No sex for him without your participation.”

Richard Clarke responded, “I’ll take it any way I can have it.” Since Richard had check-in at 11:00am he was gone before ‘C’, as John began to call him, was dressed. With Richard gone Richard C. said as they stood having our first cup of coffee, “Well, no sex today. I’ll be over Thursday night.”

Boldly John said, “Why wait? Let’s have sex this morning so we get used to each other.”

C looked surprised, “I never considered that you would want to have sex with me. You are so in love with Richard and he is with you.”

“I don’t think he loves me but I know he likes me.”

“Fuck man, I look at how he looks at you. He is totally into you.”

“If you say so. How do you want to proceed?”

“Let’s shower together and start our exploration.” That is exactly what they did and were both solid in a matter of minutes. Fingers found rigid dicks and welcoming assholes. C guided me behind him after he had thoroughly soaped me. John and C didn’t leave the shower.

“Push in.” John hesitated. “No, problem, man, no disease.” He proceeded to push into C’s tight hole because he was taller than John he had to bend his knees so John could get all the way in. He loved doing C but all he could think of was doing it with Richard. It didn’t take long before John deposited his cum in C’s butt. He responded to John’s fist around his cock by sending a giant milky blast against the shower wall. After they came down C kissed John softly, “Man, I loved that.”

When Richard came home a couple of days later John told him what he and C had done. Richard was disappointed but didn’t say much as he took off his uniform and put on his painting clothes. He went into his studio for a while before coming out as John was fixing salads for their lunch. He had a serious expression on his face. John said, “What’s on your mind?”

“Why didn’t you wait for me? I wanted to see you with Richard C.”

“He’ll be over this evening. Do you want just you and him?”

“No, I want the three of us. That’s the way I always wanted it to be. If two of us go for it the other can enjoy watching.”

“We’ll let C know how you feel. I am sure he won’t mind.” That is how our regular threesome started. C loved to bottom. Richard and I were more versatile but enjoyed being tops. Richard and C both knew John loved to kiss and cuddle. Neither resisted his romantic overtures. Our group encounters became once or twice a month since C and Richard were so busy.

Thursday nights when Richard didn’t have class C was usually over. Richard said, “C why don’t we move into your condo it’s bigger than ours. We could save a lot of money.”

“Can’t because mine’s not mine. George, my ex-partner, owns it.”

“You live with you ex?”

“Yes, and he is extremely jealous of my relationship with you two.”

“You told him about us.”

“Well, he asked me where I’d been. He regularly travels internationally and hadn’t noticed my absence. One Thursday he came home and I wasn’t there. He confronted me the next time we were together with, ‘Who are you fucking?’” C told us that George blew up even though the two of them had not been sex partners in four or five years. George thought C had been unfaithful. “I told him to fuck off and I’d be happy to leave. He said he didn’t want that but he didn’t want to know who you guys were. I’m not going to stay with him much longer. I wasn’t sure what you guys were going to do”

C’s conversation with George took place in May shortly the three of them decided to find a rental for the summer on or near a lake in Michigan. The house they found near Saugatuck was an older summer cottage built in the 1950’s. Richard liked it because the rooms were sunny. The kitchen and bathroom had been updated probably twenty years before. The house was dated but everything was in good working order. After conferring with the two old gay guys who owned the house they agreed to purchase a king sized bed only if the three of us would buy the bed if they couldn’t sell it. Richard’s studio was an enclosed porch with light coming in from all sides. He had Chicago commissions lined up that he had to rearrange.

John’s teaching of a beginner’s computer class at Saugatuck Community College started the Monday after they moved in. Richard C moved to Michigan after he and George had a big fight. C said he initiated the fight to get away from his ex-lover. Richard moved his painting to Michigan but they didn’t totally close up their place because Richard needed to be close to the airport some nights. He let his Chicago customers know they could come to Saugatuck or wait until fall. Two couples both mixed race couples of a man and a woman delayed giving him a lighter schedule.

He decided to do some male erotic art of younger men. He advertised in the local throw away paper. He auditioned five young men by having them all come to our backyard and strip naked together. Their sizes went from buffed to tall and slender. None were too fat but one had full breasts. He told them to fluff each other because he wanted to see hardons. They laughed and smiled as they complied with his request. He told them to pick a partner and suck his dick. There was one extra guy who was a slightly plumb fellow who stood behind the cutest guy and licked his asshole. The guy turned around surprised but then returned to sucking the other fellow. Richard thanked everyone for coming and told them he would contact them when he was ready to start his project. C and John were curious what Richard planned to do. He told us that rather than paint or sketch he was going to photograph them with his new digital camera.

C immediately said, “I’ve got an idea how you can make some money. Let me talk to the owners of the Dunes Resort to see if they might be interested in hosting a show of your erotic art. That’s what happened. Rather than inviting all the boys over at once Richard decided to photograph two boys at a time. Some came early in the morning, some came midday and other groups came in the late afternoon toward evening.

Since there was no longer a public nude beach on Lake Michigan near the Dunes C inquired at the Dunes Resort about private owners who might be willing to allow the photo shoot. He was able to get Richard permission to shoot in a secluded area near Lake Michigan.

Shortly before the exhibit at the Dunes John was introduced to a matronly woman named Miriam by one of his female students, Jessie, who felt the two of them should meet. The meeting took place at the local coffee shop. Miriam was a slim, diminutive woman in her 70’s dressed in a flowing, slightly faded summer dress with spaghetti straps the only things touching her body. She wore a floppy straw and had a sweet smile. John explained Richard’s need to find a place to privately photograph.

After they finished their coffee John followed her to her place. He expected a small weather beaten cottage and was completely surprised. Her place couldn’t have been five years old. It was modern with a long dock that extended out into a clear blue lake. There were no other houses around. She told John Richard could shoot inside or out.

He said somewhat sheepishly, “Miriam, The photo shoot is of young naked men doing all manner of things with and to each other. Is that a problem?”

“Not a problem for me. I hope they aren’t shy having someone their grandmother’s age watching.”

“We are going to assume not but we’ll find out.”

The shootings on Lake Michigan had gone well but I could tell Richard was not completely happy. He invited two boys to come and play in the backyard of our rental place but still he didn’t seem totally happy until he saw Miriam’s house and yard. He texted all five boys and gave them her address.

Miriam was working in her garden as Richard and John drove up. John introduced Richard and C. She said, “Where are the boys?”

“They’ll be here.” And they arrived together at 7:30am in Art’s red pickup.

They stood before the four of us. Art asked the obvious, “Are we going to be naked in front of that lady?”

Richard said, “Yes, is that a problem for you?”

“Well, I guess not. I’ve never been naked in front of a woman as old as my grandmother.”

Miriam spoke up, “Art, I raised five boys so you don’t have anything I haven’t seen.”

“Richard asked us to do erotic, even kinky stuff. Are you OK with that?”

“If I’m too distracting Art I will leave you alone but you are attractive to an old woman like me. Get undressed and do what Richard tells you to do.

The shoot started outside with C and I applying makeup to the boy’s blemishes. He had two boys literally fake fucking on Miriam’s sun porch. He moved three boys onto her white sofa which he draped with a beautiful handmade quilt. The light ash-finished wood gave the place a Scandinavian appearance. He had them bring in extra lights to the study where he staged some clothes ripping and semi-bondage activities.

No one noticed a delivery truck pull up until voices could be heard in the kitchen. Miriam was speaking to a young man with long blond hair shaved on the side like Richard’s. He was delivering food but had noticed two of the boys sitting naked out in the yard. John heard him ask, “What’s up?”

Miriam said, “Oh, they’re doing an exotic photo shoot.”

He said, “I’d like to do that. Can I talk to the photographer?”

Miriam came into the living room, “John, the delivery boy thinks he wants to pose. I think you should meet him. He is cute and I suspect could add something.”

John went into the kitchen to meet the guy feeling quite sure he wouldn’t be right. When John saw him he changed his mind. He had sparking blue eyes, a beautifully tanned face. “Hi, I’m John and you are?”

“Archie. Do you need another model? I’ve done some modeling.”

“Nude modeling?”

“Everything is nude?”

“Yes and erotic.”

“I’m not shy. I’ll take off my clothes and show you what I have.” Miriam and John looked at each other.

“Go ahead.” He pulled his tee shirt over his head to reveal a nicely sculpted chest with minimal hair except for armpits and the central trail down to this belt. He unbuttoned his pants and they fell to the floor covering his sandaled feet. Before them was a flaccid, uncut penis six inches long. John smiled, “You might fit right in with some of the shots. Let me get the photographer.” John walked into the den as the boys were getting up sweating from the exercise. He said, “Richard, come with me I have someone I want you to see.”

He hesitated, “What? Give me a minute.” He picked up a camera and followed John into the kitchen. There stood the naked boy smiling and talking quietly to Miriam. He was completely relaxed.

“Archie, this is Richard, the photographer. He will make the decision whether he can use you or not.”

Richard said, “I want to see you hard. Do you need some help?” Without waiting for an answer Richard called Art. “Come in here, please, we need your help.” When Art arrived he said, “Archie, what the hell are you doing here?”

“Delivering food for your lunch.”

“But you’re naked.”

As if the three of them weren’t there Archie said, “They want to see me hard. Will you help?”

“Sure, let me get Tommy.”

“He’s here too?”

Tommy and Art began to tickle Archie’s cock and balls and in minutes his monster cock was a full nine inches.

Richard said, “Enough. You three come outside and we’ll try a few shots.” In the meantime the other three guys had come into the kitchen as Miriam was laying out the food. The boys took plates and filled them with pasta salad, meat from a mixed meat and cheese tray, pickles and relishes and went outside to a picnic table. Twenty minutes later Archie, Art and Tommy returned to fill their plates. After they left C asked, “How did it go with new kid?”

“He is totally photogenic and totally into what we are doing?” Buzzing was coming from Archie’s cell phone in his pants which lay on the kitchen floor where he dropped them. Miriam called, “Archie his phone was buzzing.”

He came running, “Shit, shit…Oh, sorry.” He pulled the phone out of his pants. “Hello”, he listened, “I got way laid, sorry. I delivered the food to Ms. Miriam like you asked. Yes, the other food was delivered.” There was a long pause as he listened. “No, I’m not able to come do another delivery this afternoon. OK, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As the sky was turning gray Richard told the boys to get dressed and he would call to schedule another shoot by Ms. Miriam’s lake. Later in the week the weather was clear and bright again. Richard sent an email to the boys including Archie. Two of the boys were working and couldn’t make it. The boys including Art and Archie arrived at Miriam’s promptly at 8:00am on a cool morning. Richard decided it was too cool for the water play he had envisioned. He stood looking puzzled before he said, “Art, I’ll pay you $50 if we can use your red pickup for some shots.”

“Fuck, yes. Fine with me. I love my truck.”

“Ever been fucked in your truck?”

He looked at the ground and said quietly, “Yes, but it was a girl. I suppose it’ll be Archie? Oh god, I don’t know. Will it be real or faking?”

“The real deal if Archie is up for it?”

“Fine by me. We’ll have to loosen him up. I bend if there is too much resistance.”

Richard continued to give directions: “Tommy can you do the honors?”

“Asshole, did you shower good after your morning crap?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I did.” Miriam, Richard and I stood listening to this conversation. The boys didn’t seem to notice or care.

Richard turned to Miriam, “Can we use the quilt on the living room couch?”

“Sure, it washable.”

“Tommy get it.” He ran into the house and returned with her beautiful star quilt. In the meantime Art moved the truck, per Richard’s direction so the tailgate was facing the sun. He draped the quilt on the bed and let the end drop over the edge of the tailgate. He directed Art to undress completely but for Archie to leave his wife beater tee shirt on and his shorts. “Tommy, here is some lube. Get to work.” Tommy slowly lubed the fingers on his right hand and cautiously slipped one finger in Art’s pink asshole. Art squirmed. Tommy continued with two fingers and then three slowly twisting. Richard said, “Enough. I want Art to get dressed.” Art looked puzzled. “Now I want you to lean against the tailgate.” Richard had his camera in his hand and began to shoot close-ups of Art’s face and torso. He motioned for Archie to start by walking up to Art. Archie moved too quickly. Richard directed him to start more slowly. He did it correctly the second time.

When he reached Art he forcefully placed his hand behind Art’s head and pulled him into a full mouth kiss. Art responded as if he had done this before. They continued to make out as Richard took picture after picture. The rest of the group looked on and the only person without a bulge was Miriam. The scene was hot and sexy. Archie without direction pushed Art onto his back on the tailgate. Richard moved to get a better angle. The group moved so as not to create shadows. Art wasn’t totally ready for Archie’s full mouth kiss as his verbal signals suggested. Richard climbed a little step ladder and shot Art’s facial expressions. After no more than two minutes Richard said, “Enough.” He put his camera down. Miriam left and returned in a few minutes with a tray of cookies and lemonade. Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the cookies which tasted different.

After the break Richard said, “This time I want Art to stand in the same place but I want Tommy and Archie to slowly undress you. Look interested but don’t help. When they’re finish I want Archie to push you back on your back. Each of them will fuck you.”

Archie looked toward Richard, “Am I supposed to finish?”

“No, I need that energy for some other shots.” The action proceeded as Richard directed. Tommy had no trouble slipping into Art’s anal cavity. Their expressions suggested they liked what they were doing. We saw a pained expression on Art’s face as Archie’s substantial member penetrated him.

“Art grinned and looked at Archie, “Ouch, your thing is really big. It feels fantastic.”

Archie said, “My pleasure.”

Richard said, “I can see the pleasure in your face.” Archie pulled out still hard. No one got dressed and moved to the boat dock.

The sun was out full and the boys were ready for water action. The remainder of the shoot took place on the dock or in the lake. Richard was on the dock or in the water with his waterproof camera shooting. Miriam and John pulled lawn chairs down near the water to watch. She said, “I am having so much fun watching these boys play with each other. I can’t wait to see what Richard is going to do with all these pictures.”

“Did I tell you he’s going to have a showing in a couple of weeks at the Dunes. I’ll let you know the exact date. Will you come?”

She laughed, “Of course, I’ll come. I want to see my house.” John smiled as she continued, “When Ralph, my first husband and the father of three of my boys, was alive we lived a Bohemian life. We had a big old log house in the woods across the lake. We taught our boys that being naked was natural. Unfortunately, Ralph had a heart attack and died when my oldest boy was only thirteen. I loved Ralph but was determined to find another man as open minded as he was. I wanted my boys to have a father. I was fortunate that Ralph’s cousin, Alfred, who had recently divorced brought his two boys to live with us. He and I were attracted to each other but we didn’t get married in the formal sense. That is how I came to have five boys.

“Alfred thought it was healthy that the boys see me naked. We even took the doors off of the bedrooms so the boys could come and go as they pleased. He openly talked to the boys about masturbation. I guess you could call what we did communal. Girls came out and played with the older boys. The younger boys got to watch. It was interesting.”

“I see why Richard’s photo shoot is not that unusual for you.”

“Well, we have some pictures but I have always kept them private in deference to my boys. Only four are alive – Jacob was killed in a motorcycle accident five years ago.”

“Would you show Richard and me the pictures? I have an idea but I want to discuss it with him first.”

“Sure, but don’t we have to do it soon. Isn’t your rental of the Snyder house over soon.”

“You are right, but Chicago is close. I know Richard is going to be busy getting ready for the exhibition at the Dunes over Labor Day. I am sure it will be after that.”

“Let’s plan to do it when the fall leaves turn. Richard may want to do some more shooting.”

NEXT CHAPTER