A Quarter Dirty Dozen Stories by James Wood

 
The Art Walk
     
    “We’re bridesmaids,” the girl says, smiling
at Evan who is standing in front of a free standing doorframe
adorned with a veil, behind which is a dress back covering the
whole frame. Down the middle of the dress are a series of small
closely spaced buttons.
    “Move the veil and unbutton the dress,” the
other bridesmaid says.
    Evan begins to unbutton the dress. “Is this
performance art?”
    “It’s more of an installation, with a little
performance.”
    “It feels quite erotic; I mean, undoing the
dress.”
    The girls smile. As he unbuttons the dress,
Evan sees a corset – at least the suggestion of a corset –
stretched across the door frame.
    “Unlace it,” the girl says. “Then you step
through the door frame.”
    “Is that a metaphor?”
    “If you want it to be.”
    “I’d rather there was a woman wearing this
corset.”
    “Use your imagination,” the girl says.
    There are other people in the room looking at
other installations and photographs.
    “I’m getting quite turned on,” Evan says,
dropping his voice, unlacing the corset.
    “Did you make this?”
    “We both did.”
    The girls are both wearing identical
turquoise dresses. They are tall, one with long blonde hair, the
other with short dark hair.
    Evan looks from girl to girl. The blonde girl
looks at Evan, then at her friend, then at Evan.
    “Come for a drink with us after the Art Walk.
Our place. 84 Main. Just down the street. Apartment 4. Eleven. I
don’t want to go out dressed as a bridesmaid.”
    “Sure, I’ll pick up some wine. I’ll get some
bread and cheese, too.”
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    “That was fun,” Evan says.
    “The Art Walk?”
    “All of it: the exhibitions, the video
portraits, your installation.”
    The blonde girl, Sadie, is sitting on the
couch opposite Evan in her bridesmaid’s dress. Evan can hear the
shower. The other girl.
    “Kim said she was all sweaty,” Sadie says,
smiling.
    They’re drinking wine. It’s a large studio
apartment at the top of an old building. Very arty. Lots of photos,
mini-sculptures, wall hangings, soft lighting.
    Kim comes out of the shower. She’s naked.
    “Sadie, hon, can you put some moisturizer on
me, I’m beat.”
    “Kim is very European, all nakedness around
the house.”
    Evan looks at Kim’s body in the soft light.
Her skin is smooth and white, her legs long, and her breasts full.
He feels a stirring.
    “On the bed. Be a dear,” Kim continues.
    “I’ll have to take my dress off, to kneel,”
Sadie looks at Evan, “I hope you don’t mind.”
    Evan pours himself some more wine. “Not at
all.”
    Sadie unzips her dress and lets it drop to
the floor. She’s wearing lacy panties and a lacy bra. Evan
swallows.
    Kim puts on some music, ambient and
instrumental. She turns off one light and throws a light red scarf
over the lampshade next to the bed, so the light is even softer,
just a red glow. She lies on the bed. Sadie kneels and begins to
rub moisturizer into Kim’s back.
    “Mmmmmm, that’s nice.”
    Evan watches. He feels his cock begin to
stir. He takes the moisturizer from the bed and squeezes some into
his hands, and slowly but firmly begins to massage Sadie’s
shoulders.
    “Niice,” Sadie says softly. She’s beginning
to moisturize Kim’s thighs and calves. Evan continues to massage
Sadie, working her muscles firmly. He undoes Sadie’s bra and works
her breasts from behind. Sadie’s nipples are hard and Evan hears
her gasp slightly. She’s massaging Kim’s buttocks, slipping her
hands between Kim’s legs.
    “That’s good,” Kim says. “Get the rabbit and
some lube.”
    Sadie gets up and gets the dildo and lube
from the bedside drawer. Evan takes off his T-shirt and pants and
holds his cock. He’s feeling very excited. Kim turns over and looks
at Sadie, then at Evan. She opens her legs.
    “Lube my pussy, Evan.”
    Sadie gives the lube to Evan and he squeezes
some onto his fingers, then kneels down and begins to gently