Expressions

Laura sat in the chair and was surprised by how comfortable it was. The heavyweight in her lap made him wonder if he was doing the right thing. She opened the cover and read 'Expressions of ...' on the cover page. With a frown, she turned the page. At the top wasn't a name, but a description:

'Blonde subject - debt - 21'

Laura looked through the four pictures. A petite woman with short blonde hair sat on the granite counter of the kitchen, wearing ripped jeans, a tube top without a bra, and chunky, platform shoes. She looked like she'd fit in at a rave. The girl sat on the counter, her chest puffed out a little, and her arms covering her chest, as if she were preserving her modesty. The next photo was of her without the top, her small breasts on full display. Laura found the shot alluring but not pornographic. She wished she looked that good at the model's age. The subject's next photo was her laying across the island, her legs open just enough to hint at what was between them. She wore only her panties. The last shot was of the blonde clothed again. She had an expression of... almost ****. She had a ****, almost child-like expression. The expression resonated with Laura.

It was then Laura realized what he'd been missing. She'd been focused on her body and composition of the photos and not the model's face. The young woman in each shot had a different expression. In the first photo, she had a rebellious, almost petulant look. In the second, she looked confident, proud of her body, as if she were teasing the camera. The third... Laura didn't have the exact words to describe the look on her face. It was a mixture of sadness and... something more. She looked through each photo again, trying to find a clue to what Amanda wanted to capture. It was the last photo she kept being drawn back to.

She flipped through each page slowly. Each showed a different person, male and female, old and young, but none underage. They were clearly adults. Each subject had a different expression, a different emotion. Their poses changed and were in varying degrees of undress. Before she realized it she was at the end.

"You seemed to like what you saw," Amanda said as she entered the studio a few minutes later. "I didn't want to disturb you."

"What are you capturing?" Laura asked. "Maybe collecting."

Amanda was quiet for a time. "That will cost you something," she said into the silence.

Laura felt the tension in the room. "Why did you say you'd like to take photos of me?" she asked. After looking at the album, she wasn't sure what to expect.

Amanda laughed. It had a musical quality that tickled her ears. "Few interest me, I wish to ask you a few questions and take your picture. I demand honest answers, no matter how... troubling they might be. You know what I do for a living, so I will not judge you, even for the most heinus crimes. However, if you turn out to be a serial killer, which I don't think you are," she joked. "I'd have to simply have Mack escort you out."

Laura tried to smile. "What... sort of questions?" she asked.

Amanda looked her in the eyes. "I want... for three hundred dollars, three shots of you. All three shots will be as you tell me your story," she prompted and drew closer.

Laura frowned. "My story?" she laughed. "There isn't much to tell."

"There is," Amanda pressed. She stopped in front of Laura and took a deep breath. "Who is Dan's father?"