'OK, I'd like some shots of Damian first, then it would make my life complete if I could take a few of the pair of you together.'
The men both laughed. 'Ah, well, we wouldn't want to ruin your whole life,' said Phil. 'I suppose we'll humour you.'
Damian stood and stripped down to his boxers, striking numerous poses for Maddie while she clicked and flashed away. Maddie was exhilarated by his naturally photogenic quality and she began to lose herself in her work, ordering him to smoulder, to be sexy, to thrust out his hips, to push back his shoulders, to lie full-length on the bed, to look at the camera as if he wanted to fuck it or fight it or kiss it tenderly.
'God, you're good, Damian,' she praised. 'I knew I was right about you having modelling potential. Listen, would you mind if I asked you to take off your boxers?'
'Thought you'd never ask,' said Damian, smouldering for her benefit rather than the camera's this time. 'No kinky stuff, though.'
'Kinky? I don't know what you mean,' said Maddie innocently, causing Phil to guffaw from the bed. 'I think I'd like to start with a back view, maybe at an angle so we can see your face in profile. Yes.' Maddie stood transfixed by his perfectly curved arse for a few seconds before remembering to adjust the depth of field. She used an entire roll of film capturing his lean, hard frame in every possible configuration. She did not want to miss a single muscular ripple, shady hollow or flat plane of his body.
Eventually, he began to grumble, tiring of the endless click-flash and running an irritated hand through his dark hair. Maddie realised it was time to move things on.
'Sorry, Damian, I was getting carried away. Call it a compliment. Seriously, I'll be finished soon. I just want a few shots of you and Phil together.'
'What for?' Damian was suspicious.
'My personal satisfaction,' she said, smiling sweetly. 'Just maybe the two of you sitting back to back . . . that's it.'
Phil had stripped naked in advance of her request and was happy to comply. Damian huffed a little, bored with modelling now.
'She'll make it worth your while,' said Phil, trying to fit his spine somewhere that did not clash with Damian's.
'Oh yeah? How?'
'Name your price,' said Maddie, thrilling at the thought of what he might demand, pressing the button over and over again in a photographic rapture. '
Could you just sort of recline a bit . . . facing each other . . . Phil in front a little bit . . . yeah. Oh! I know! Damian, why don't you get some grapes from the fruit basket and pretend to be feeding Phil.'
'You're bonkers,' griped Damian, trudging over to fetch a handful of black grapes, as requested.
'OK,' he said, once he was seated a little behind Phil, dropping the purple-black ovoids into his friend's mouth. 'Here's my price. We've sacrificed our dignity for you. You have to do the same.'
'Meaning?' Maddie frowned, not sure this was what she had had in mind.
'You get to see us in the buff. It doesn't seem fair that you're the only one allowed to keep your clothes on. I want some nudie pictures of you.'
'Oh, I never pose for photographs – I just take them,' objected Maddie. 'Besides, you wouldn't know how to . . .'
'I'm not a photographer, no. I'll just use my camera phone.'
'And send them to all your mates?'
'No. Just for my personal collection.' He grinned at the repetition of Maddie's own phrase. 'I promise. Nobody will see them but you, me and Phil.'
'It's only fair,' contributed Phil, his mouth full of fruit.
Maddie took a deep breath and replaced the lens cap on her camera.
'All right,' she said. 'Shoot me.'
Damian leapt gleefully to his feet and went over to his jacket to fish out his mobile phone.
'Right then!' he said. 'Scene one, take one, action!'
'You're not making a film, you dweeb,' said Phil, laughing, as he settled down on one of the twin beds to watch the show.
'OK, Maddie, I want you to take off that top.'