A Turnip for Your Love

I licked his turnip grinning roguishly; and tipped the peppermint-striped hat that was tilting slightly on my head.
“Jonny, please be still.” Ewan asked quietly, “Sorry.” I pouted and placed the turnip between my teeth again and looked to the left wall. I watched him through the corner of my eye accidentally meeting them. They were so very blue, and seemed to spear me straight through. A wave of heat shuddered through my body making me jump slightly in the stool. Panicked, I looked down again staring at the rough flesh of the turnip. He was recording me on the canvas he had prepared this morning mixing brown with turpentine giving the cloth an uneven, natural tan wash. His stained wooden palette was a flurry of fleshtones. I felt his eyes on me again.

“That’s all I can do today. I need this to dry before I can go on.”

I relaxed pulling the turnip out of my mouth, and put the tall red and white striped hat on the counter behind me standing up.

“Can I see it?” I asked wondering if he would allow me to before it’s completion.

“Yeah. Sure. Come on over here.”

I walked around the easel and regarded the painting. The brush strokes were small and intimate with brilliant accuracy. I was sitting on a tall studio stool with a Seussian hat much like the one the Cat in the Hat is known to wear; and a large white turnip held by one hand with the tip between my teeth. It was most certainly me, every detail perfect, including the small mole on my left hip. Despite the silly pose, I was beautiful. Drawing back I blushed and felt a joy in my heart knowing that this was the creature I was. I had never realized it before; and the revelation was staggering to me. This painting was the fingerprint of my beauty. There would be a day when it would all fade into old age, ugliness, and sickness. I felt tears well in my eyes at the thought to think that face, that aspect, would fall at the cruelty of the clock.

Ewan stared at me curiously. Quite suddenly he laughed, “Having a Dorian Gray moment are we?”

I glowered at him and denied it. “No Ewan. It’s just very good. That’s all. It’s wonderful in fact.” I felt the tear run down my face and I caught it quickly with the back of my hand.

“I’m glad you like it Jonny.” Ewan flashed a grin befitting the local used car dealer. Absentmindedly I reached to stroke his hair. “I…I’ll put in th-the background later…I thought blue tones would look very nice…wi-with your skintone.” His stammering always had an effect on me. I was ready to pin myself on him right then. His idiosyncrasies only made him seem more vulnerable; and would reduce me to a melting pool of water.

Then I realized something truly horrific. Every human emotion makes a ripple on a person’s body. A feeling of joy will elicit a smile. I however, was feeling true lust; and I was standing completely nude in front of the object of that lust. I looked over at him horrified who was looking utterly terrified and nervous sitting stiff in his stool trying not to look at the erection that had formed. I cried out in shame and ran to the corner to fetch my clothes. I pulled my pants on quickly, grabbed my shirt and was ready to escape to the upstairs and through the front door. He yelled, “Jonny!”

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End of Part 1....
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