Strange New Things

[DrStein]

To say that Rex O'Crowley was an eccentric was an understatement. The youngest of three, he was the only artist in a white collar family. Just how much of an artist became apparent when people saw inside his house. Every room was decorated in a different theme based on destinations from around the world. And today he was doing the last work necessary to straighten up for a guest. "Phantom! Come here, boy!"

Phantom, Rex's French bulldog with a two-toned face, came scampering up out of the basement at the sound of his dish being refilled in the kitchen. Even the dog's things were themed to match. Since Rex had turned the kitchen into a Tiki paradise, Phantom's food dish was an actual wooden bowl. For water, Rex had bought a pet water tower and painted the body with a faux stone finish and painted fake vines onto the bottle.

Rex raked a hand back through his long blond hair and surveyed everything to make sure the house was ready. He loved to entertain, but this wasn't a party. He had a model coming over. He'd had an inspiration for a new series of fantasy paintings and needed a model for a recurring character of an enchantress. He thought he had lucked out. The model had sent him her picture and he immediately wanted to paint her. Effortlessly beautiful, slender, fit and with just a touch of the otherworldly about her.

He heard a knock at the door and Phantom immediately scrambled to the door, snorting and woofing excitedly as he wagged his stumpy little tail. Rex walked over into his Japanese-themed living room, picked up the squirming bulldog into one arm and opened the door.

 

[Mayu]

Eden had never really been able to model because her breasts were not big enough, she was four inches to short. But she had read the article in the paper and decided to try it out, so she sent him the information he needed. And she was rather happy and excited when he said he wanted to use her. Eden was a simple girl but had features that most women would kill for, which made her rather comfortable in her own body. She would not make her breasts double C's to get the kind of modeling she looked into.

But she had drove up in her simple little car and knocked on the door, but the minute she did she heard barking and could not help but chuckle. Eden loved animals she probably donated over the years a good fifty thousand to the local animal shelter. It was rather nice to be able to do something different, Eden was looking for excitement perhaps. But she was also looking to perhaps gain a friend here. It was not all just for the pay or anything, since she had money. Sure she was not rich.

But she had more then enough to live the way she did, since she was simple. By the time the door opened up Eden's back was to him. From the back of her body she had an ass that would not quite, hips that were nice and curvy. And she had black silky curly hair that went about the middle of her back. When she turned she had a little makeup on but nothing that would choke a horse. She had black eye liner that made her eyes look cat like, her eyes a very stormy color. Like a mix of blue and grey.

She smiled as she saw the dog in his arms wagging his tail. "Well hello there little man" She said in a baby voice and slowly moved her hand, she learned long ago that it was always nice to be friendly to dogs. But to move slowly as not to scare them or anger them in some cases. Her stormy eyes looked at Rex and smiled. "And you must be Rex I'm Eden, though I am sure you knew that any way" She chuckled a bit. She had on a short black skirt and a black blouse, with thick heeled ankle boots.

 

[DrStein]

Rex smiled brightly at the sight of Eden. She looked even better than her pictures. Perfect! "That I am. And this is Phantom." He hefted the dog in his arm a bit. The dog responded by snorting enthusiastically. Rex put him down and Phantom circled Eden's legs for a moment, sniffing, before taking off at top speed back to the kitchen and his food dish. He skidded out on the bamboo floor and came to a halt before the bowl with his legs splayed out beneath him.

Rex ushered Eden in and closed the door. The living room walls were painted a soft white with molding used to create vertical beams that gave the illusion of paper walls and doors like the kind seen in Japanese shrines. Standing bookshelves were packed to bursting with books, DVD, CDs, video games and a collection of replica swords and genuine antiques. Hanging from the ceiling and sitting on the end tables were Japanese paper lanterns for lighting. The big screen TV had two game consoles hooked up to it, an expensive sound system, and was set in front of a black sectional sofa with red throw pillows with a black and white club chair on one side. The coffee table was decked with candles and art books. "Would you like a drink?" Rex asked.

 

[Mayu]

Eden smiled as she hard the name, watching the little guy sniff her up and down and giggled when she saw him take off for the kitchen. It was nice to see dogs, she always had to big of a heart perhaps. Eden's stormy eyes looked at Rex and she followed behind him, her shoes did not make that much of a sound when she stepped down. She looked around as they walked, this place was rather nice. She could get an idea how he was, and seeing all the Japanese stuff she began to wonder if he knew the language.

"Tell me do you know Japanese? I learned it fluently by the time I was sixteen. I always enjoyed different cultures and their languages. I even know Spanish and French, decided to do something different with my life, part of the reason I responded to your ad. It is rather nice" Eden said happily and when he asked if she wanted a drink she nodded to him. "Anything is fine thank you Rex, I do have something I would like to give little phantom. Always had a thing for animals" She took out a dog biscuit. "I would have offered but prefer to ask his owner first" She chuckled "it's made of pheasant"

 

[DrStein]

"Japanese? No. Bits and pieces from when I visited in '06, but that's it. I know some conversational Portuguese, though. I trained in capoeira for four years." At the offer of the dog biscuit, Rex called Phantom back to the living room, who came scrabbling wildly to see what was being offered.

Rex moved to the kitchen to mix a pair of cocktails. The Tiki theme of the kitchen had required a lot of work. The countertops were all butcher block for a more natural look. The walls were covered with bamboo fencing he had glued on. The ceiling was painted like the sky with only a couple of clouds and a sun painted on around the ceiling light. "Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable."

He came back a minute later with two glasses. The drink was strong, but fruity and a bright blue color. He brought with him a set of sketches showing some of the images he was planning to paint. All of them featured the enchantress character. Two of them showed her in flowing robes or a gown. Another three had her in more provocative wear. The last one was a nude. "At some point, I do want to work on a nude portrait of the character you'll be modeling, but first I want to get the simpler, less risque ones finished. If you have any reservations about modelling nude, I understand. Just let me know up front so we can work around it."

 

[Mayu]

Eden was rather impressed by what he knew and smiled a bit, she never left the country though she was suppose to. But things got cancelled on her, which was rather sad in her opinion. But figured one day it would happen. She just had to be patient and wait for everything to come to her in time. And she remembered about what she heard about with Japan it was nice to even think about it. She got nice and warm inside and sighed silently, her stormy eyes looked at Rex with a comfortable smile.

But then when he called in phantom she chuckled and knelt down "Hello baby" She said in a baby voice again and pet the dog god he was adorable. And she reached into her bag to take out a dog biscuit that came in its own package and opened it up and offered it to little Phantom the bone was perfect for his mouth since it was something to gnaw on it would last him a couple of days at least.

When he said what he did she smiled a bit and could not help but smile a bit seeing what he had to show her. "I actually like my body so I feel comfortable posing nude I have no problems with that, you will just have to tell me ahead of time how you want me natural or uh guess you could say unnatural" She giggled a bit and sipped the drink. It was very strong but enjoyed it, sitting down she was curious about things. "has anyone else saw any interest in this? I mean its a fun sounding job"

 

[DrStein]

Phantom carried his new prize off to a dog bed in the corner where he laid on his side, clutching the biscuit between his paws and steadily gnawing on it. Rex meanwhile was taking sips from his drink like it were cold lemonade. The man could hold his alcohol. "I've had a couple other models show interest, but they didn't have the look I was going for. Put it this way: implants are a deal breaker. On that note, if by natural vs unnatural you mean trimming the hedges, some basic maintenance would be best. I'm not going to ask you to go in for a Brazilian waxing, that's a bit overkill."

Rex shotgunned the last of his drink and stood up. "Would you like to take a look out back? I had something specific in mind for the first painting."

 

[Mayu]

Eden smiled seeing his dog taking his price and giggled a bit, but as she sipped her drink. She smiled at him as she honestly paid attention. And she smiled a little bit, making a mental note. So she would not forget things. "Yeah I personally never understood boob jobs, I had a little breast surgery I will admit but it was just to make my breasts on the same level. I know one breast can be a little longer then the other so I just had that fixed. But my breasts are one hundred percent my own, and really I saw this one woman with double E's and that scared me. I mean sure to each there own. Thankfully what I had done you can't even tell"

She heard what he asked and nodded, slowly standing up and looked at him. "I have to admit I have wanted to be a model of any kind. But was told my breasts were to small and I was four inches two short. When they said and I quote "You would be drop dead stunning if you had bigger tits." I almost slugged him" she smiled. "I am proud of my body which is why I decided even before I gave you my interest I decided I would do nude if that is what you wanted. I was always thinking ahead you know? and on a lighter note you have a beautiful home" Eden said in a respectful tone.

 

[DrStein]

Rex shook his head at the story of the modeling agency. "Agencies can be pretty strict. Trouble is that certain looks go in and out of fashion. Anyway, let's go." He led her through the kitchen and out the back door. The backyard was open and decorated with a certain fantastical element. A tulip garden ringed the fence, which was arranged in such a way the yard was invisible to the neighbors. The patio had a nice table, chairs, and a grill. A few sculptures and a willow tree decorated the green. Toward the back was a structure like a large shed.

Rex opened the door and gestured for Eden to go in before him. The inside was a single room, but the furnishing was very rustic and reminiscent of a woodland cottage. The air smelled of dried flowers, which were hung up on the walls, and the decor with glassware, drams of botanical specimens, and a few other exotic odds and ends made it feel like an alchemist's lab from a fantasy novel.

"This is where I want to set the first two paintings. I want a sense of isolation, peace, and sensuality. I only just had this installed last month and it's where the inspiration came from."

 

[Mayu]

Eden followed him and as she did there was a lot going on in her mind, curious as to how he would use her as a painting. She thought it was a nice idea to paint her, though she was just glad that he showed interest in her. Eden had no idea how this would go, but the more she saw of his place. The more she wished this was a place she could call home. It was really nice and could smell dried flowers in the area. It was nice to feel free here, which was a feeling that came easily to those who lived like this.

But hearing what he said she stood beside him and nodded, she placed a hand on her hip and looked at him. "Well you have a nice idea in doing this, and I so love your place. It is rather peaceful here. And peace is always good, especially when you live in a city and you just want to get away. Live a more peaceful life, something I have always wanted to do. But I also wanted to thank you for accepting me. Will be nice to work for someone who actually has the artistic eye. Rather rare"

 

[DrStein]

"Well thank you," Rex said to the compliment. "Would you like to get started?" He gestured to one of the walls where a velvet cape was hanging up on a hook. "I need a few sketches before anything else, and whenever I get inspired I'm always chomping at the bit to get started." His eyes shone with a boyish enthusiasm. Art was his passion and he was always at his most alive when the subject came up. The lighting at this time was right, he was eager to get started... Eden had been very positive so far. He hoped she had the time to spend on this today.

 

[Mayu]

She nodded a bit "Sure I don't mind Rex, how do you want me to sit or lay or which ever you like" She said. Sitting down crossing one leg over the other as her skirt managed to ride up her thigh, trying to think of a sexy pose but could not come up with anything. But her shirt was showing some cleavage and Eden's eyes looked into Rex's she would be cool with anything. Sighing softly everything was nice and she was rather calm. Not as nervous as she thought she would end up being now.

 

[DrStein]

For a moment Rex got lost staring into her eyes. She was gorgeous, there was no denying it. He blinked and came back down to earth. "For now, just take your shoes off, put on the cape over there, and I'll be right back."

He left the bungalow and went back to the house. Phantom was now taking a nap with his treat still clutched in his little legs as he snored slightly. Rex grabbed a sketch pad and charcoal from his studio in the attic and came back down. "Okay, for this I wanted something relatively simple." He took down one of the bunches of dried flowers, handing them to Eden. He then took a glass bottle with a cork stopper. Inside was a collection of dried rose petals that had turned a blackish-purple. "Have a seat here..." He was very gentle in his direction, being a gentleman and holding her hand as he sat her down. "In your left arm, hold the flowers close to you... And in your right, hold the bottle and look at it like it represents something you lost recently. That feeling of mourning is still fresh. I'm not looking for tears, but just a quiet look of longing for something gone."

With one last positioning of an unlit candle on the end table on Eden's right, Res pulled up a seat and began furiously sketching.

 

[Mayu]

Eden watched as he looked into her eyes, and she gave him a rather nice smile. She liked him he was very different then other men she had ever dated. She ran her slender fingers against the back of her neck and cracked it a bit. She had been under a lot of stress and posing for him would be a nice and welcomed change. She was glad she did not have to spend the day alone, since she had no family or friends. Though with Rex she did have a feeling that they would become good friends, he was down to earth and was cute as well. Though it was his heart and personality she enjoyed the most.

Since how a person looks meant nothing to her, he could be three hundred pounds and as long as he had the personality and heart that he had. It would not matter to her, she tilted her head to the side as she began to think about things. But then he said what he did and she nodded, slipping right out of her shoes and put them out of the way so no one would trip on them. She was rather respectful in that sense. She smiled back at him as she was thinking about everything that had been going on.

But when he said what he wanted she nodded to him, and did exactly what he wanted of her. Hanging onto what he needed and was thinking. "I think I know what the perfect birthday present would be, me being the character you want holding onto Phantom" She giggled a little bit and then had a look he needed. I looked like she was going to cry but of course didn't, smiling a bit as she sighed silently. "So tell me how did you think of Phantom's name? It's rather cute, and how old is he?"

 

[DrStein]

"I'd like to work him in, but he wouldn't sit still long enough." Rex spent equal time looking up at Eden and looking at his work. He flipped over a page and began working on the next.

He smiled at the questions about his dog. "Near as we can figure, he's a little more than a year old. I got him from a shelter when he was 7 weeks old. Some sleaze left him tied to a guard rail on the interstate when the shelter workers found him. Couldn't stand hearing the story, so I adopted him right then and there.

"As for the name, did you see how his face is half black and half white? I've never seen a dog with a face like that before. I thought the white part made him look like he was wearing a Phantom of the Opera mask. Hence, Phantom."

 

[Mayu]

Eden listened to him and smiled "Could always drug him" She said seriously it seemed but she giggled some. "Naa I would never hurt any kind of animal, I had a big pitch black mastiff with blue eyes. He was named Thor and he grew up around me, my parents bought him when I was three years old. By the time he was seven months old, he was pretty much a horse so I actually use to ride him. He was my protector, he was the only friend I ever had. He was everything to me, but it was not to last.

When I turned fifteen some ass was shooting off there gun trying to hunt deer, the man hunted behind where we lived but he was not suppose to. He thought he shot a deer and come to find out he shot my dog, he was rushed to the vet hospital but by the time they saw him. He lost to much blood and died on the operating table. So it is nice to hear you adopted him, Thor was adopted as well. He had a lot of behavior problems which was why people would not adopt him, but he soon stopped. I ended up donating well over ten thousand dollars over the years"

 

[DrStein]

Rex paused as he was drawing toward the end of Eden's story. "We're getting into downer territory. Let's try to pick the mood up a little. What do you do for fun? You have a favorite bar or anything?"

He moved on to the next sheet of paper. She had a very expressive face and he considered asking her to do some work for him just sketching her with different looks and expressions. For now though he really wanted to get all this done.

 

[Mayu]

She chuckled at his comment and just nodded thinking for a moment "Well not much I write music mostly, I have never had any friends or boyfriends so I just stick home. I went to a bar few months ago on my twenty first birthday but I old men pretty much throwing themselves at me. And me I don't sleep with someone I don't know, course I am old fashioned in that. But I also spend a lot of time at the pound as well, just doing some volunteer work. Something I really enjoy, I love to help out where ever I can"

 

[DrStein]

Rex arched a brow at her response. She didn't have many friends or date much? He found that hard to believe. A thought crossed his mind. "Tomorrow's Saturday. You have anything planned?" Not a subtle invitation by any means, but subtle wasn't what he was going for. Nor was ordinary. He had something in particular in mind. Something a bit unorthodox.

 

[Mayu]

Eden smiled at him and shook her head "no, but there is kind of a reason why I never had boyfriends or friends. I had what you called Ugly duckling syndrome. I was considered ugly I did not always look like I do know, I was horrible over weight and in high school I lost all my weight and grew into my new face and body. I mean to me how someone looks isn't what I pay attention to, more like heart and soul of someone. And dad well he was to protective of me, would have killed a guy who hurt me" She smiled. "You asking me out Rex?"

 

[DrStein]

Rex smiled right back as he finished the last sketch. "I might be. Tell you what: give me your address, I'll pick you up at 2 o'clock tomorrow. Bring a gym bag and a bag of gym clothes. That's all I'm going to say."

He took a moment to look over the sketches he had finished and looked for pleased with the results. He picked up a digital camera and quickly took a few shots of Eden still posing on the sofa for reference and stood up. He stretched out with his hands over his head, unintentionally showing off his lean frame. "That's about all for today."

 

[Mayu]

Eden smiled when he said he maybe asking her out, it would be nice to spend some time with him. Rex seemed like a wonderful guy, when he said that was it for the day. She sat down and reached into her purse, grabbing a pen she wrote down her cell number and also her address. She handed it to him and nodded. "Well what ever you are up to, sounds fun and sweaty" She giggled a bit and looked up at Dear Rex, she was happy and liked how nice he was to her. It was something she did not see much, which was nice guys.

 

[DrStein]

They parted ways for the day after Rex handed Eden the check promised for her work that day. The next day he didn't bother much beyond a very quick shower and a shave. He'd be getting another shower later that day anyway.

He dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt. This particular shirt was an old Ramones shirt he quite liked. He pulled his hair into a ponytail, threw his gym bag in the car and drove over to pick up Eden. He pulled in front of her place and dialed the number she had given him. "Afternoon, gorgeous. Guess who's waiting outside."

 

[Mayu]

Eden had a wonderful time and even though it was not thousands of dollars, it was more then fine with her. It actually was the right pay for what she did for him, she enjoyed the rest of the day. Then when the day arrived that they would be having a nice little date, she got into the shower and put her hair in a bun. Letting her bangs cling to the sides of her face, she was so happy they were doing this. Though being the first date she was ever on, it was a little stressful. Then her phone rang and chuckled. Grabbing her keys and wallet, she walked on the porch.

"Hmm Rex perhaps?" She smirked.

 

[DrStein]

Rex hopped out of his car and waved her over. "Miss me?" He crossed over to meet her halfway and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Alright, you ready for the big surprise? We're going to go down to the Warriors Club and have a training session with my capoeira group." Rex loved capoeira. Not just the fitness it granted him, but the sense of camaraderie, the social aspect. "You told me you didn't socialize much. I thought this might be a fun way to give you a little nudge out the door."