CHAPTER II
"I want you to slide your sleeves off of your shoulders."
She stared at him blankly if not incredulously. An instinctive reaction for a
woman such as herself to such a strange if not inappropriate request, especially
coming from someone like her brother.
He stared back until he saw her slowly twist her head to her left and pinch the
long, soft, black sleeve of the blouse and reluctantly begin to peel the
dramatically open neckline off of her flesh.
He bowed his head towards the sketch pad in preparation to draw, yet slowly
raised his eyes to watch his sister.
"Bra straps too. Shoulders bare," he said sharply.
She hooked her left thumb under the shiny, black bra strap and pulled it down
off of her full and freckled shoulders, then gingerly tucked it inside her
blouse. She went through the same procedure on the right side. Placing her arms
rigidly along her body and grasping the chair's seat, she stared back at him as
if awaiting approval if not further instruction.
None came. Instead, he simply began to draw.
From the vent above her, the cold breeze of the air conditioner chilled her
shoulders, their sensitivity being exaggerated by the fact that they were the
only part of her body that was bared. Despite his instructions, at this point
she couldn't help but to cast her glance upon him as he drew her. He made
gentle, curved motions with the pencil. He was drawing her bared shoulders, she
was convinced. She physically felt the attention upon them, upon her exposed
skin. She shivered at a phantom touch.
Bandying the bangles around her arm clear of her heavy Rolex, she nervously
glanced at it.
"I'm going to have to go very soon. I have things to do before-"
He handed her the next sketch.
"Oh my God. How do you make me look like this?"
"Like what," he replied as he lit a cigarette.
"I don't know. Glamorous. Alluring." She almost didn't say it, and it was
obvious in her tone,"sexy."
"I draw what I see."
