Thursday and Friday were a merry-go-round of activity for Scott. He built the backdrop of sheet rock by himself and set it up. He briefed the art student from SMU on what he wanted and then approved the charcoal sketches the student worked up.
Kathy arrived at the Merrill plant after school and, after a fifteen-minute delay to get her cleaned through security, set to work helping Scott lay the Astroturf and set up the lights.
They borrowed a black tarp from the factory and covered the skylight. Then Kathy painted all of the windows black to darken the room.
Harry Halliday visited the area several times and approved of their progress. He ordered the plant electrician to set up an independent source for Scott's lights and had several men help Scott build a small platform to use for his cameras.
Kathy worked like a trouper both afternoons and Scott told her how much he appreciated it. The fourteen-year-old girl glowed with his praise.
When Sandra arrived Saturday morning, they had everything almost ready.
"Where's Kathy?" Scott asked when Sandra arrived alone.
"She's furious, positively livid," Sandra replied with a smile, "but she had to go on a field trip with her class at school. She'd planned to cut it, and I didn't know about it until her teacher called last night. I insisted she go."
"Well, we'll get along without her, but I want you to know that she's been a real help in all of this."
"I'm glad to see her get out of that damned apartment," Sandra remarked. "But I think we'll have to be careful of the crush she's developing on you, Scott."
Sandra delivered this with a light laugh, but Scott's heart jumped to his throat. So Kathy's mother could see it!
"Of course, I can't say I blame her," Sandra added with a bright smile. "But even in today's liberated world, I think she's just a year or two too young for you."
Scott laughed, hoping his laughter would cover his interior panic and nervousness.
"Say, you look absolutely smashing!" he remarked, changing the subject.
Sandra had chosen a subdued tartan plaid skirt and vest with an off-white blouse. It not only looked very elegant, it showed off her attractive figure. A mature replica of her daughter, Sandra was slender, had long, shapely legs, heavy, full and pointed breasts, and an attractive face surrounded by light gold hair.
"Thank you," Sandra returned with a smile. "I must admit that I feel like Liza Dolittle, though."
"Liza Dolittle should have looked so good," Scott said.
"Thank you, Mister Higgins," Sandra laughed.
"Let's get started," Scott said. "Now, I warn you, Sandra, that this is going to require all the patience you have. It will be long, dull, boring work. So just relax in the golf cart while I work on the lights."
"Say, it's a cute little thing, isn't it?" Sandra commented as she walked up to the golf cart and climbed into the seat.
"It may look cute to you, Sandra," Scott replied with a laugh, "but at this moment it's a monster to me."
Scott climbed up the ladder to his makeshift platform and began studying the angle and the lightning with Sandra in place. He had her change positions a half a dozen times until everything began to shape up in his viewfinder.
"Lean forward just a bit. No, the other way," he called down. "To be honest, I want your… your breast to cover the dash."
"Do you want me topless?" Sandra laughed.
"I'd love it," Scott replied, "but it might detract from the product."
"Gee, thanks," Sandra chuckled.
"Okay, relax now," Scott said. "I have to change about half the lighting."
Scott climbed one ladder and then another, changing the angle and intensity of the green lighting. After each change he had to climb back to his platform and check the results in his viewfinder.
"My, you really do work, don't you?" Sandra remarked as she sat patiently watching him scurry up one ladder and then another.
"Only because I'm so stupid I can't do it right the first time," Scott returned. "Just one more light and we'll have a coffee break."
Scott made the adjustment and then checked his viewfinder. He was moderately satisfied with what he saw. Sandra asked if she could look through the camera to see what he had accomplished and he had her climb up to the platform.
"Golly, it looks great!" she said. "I never realized there was so much work involved in photography."
Scott was very much aware of Sandra's voluptuous body as she brushed against him on the small platform. He couldn't get over how much she was like her sexy daughter.
"What say we take a break?" Scott remarked. "I need a breather."
"I'll bet you do!" Sandra laughed. "You're a working fool."
They climbed down and had a Coke and chatted casually. Scott found out that Sandra was thirty-three years old and that she worked as a secretary for an insurance company. She had been divorced and lived alone for ten years. She had been so bitter over her experience with her husband, she had only begun dating again about a year ago.
She told him how difficult it was for her to manage on her salary and Scott said that he was certain she'd be paid for this session.
Subtly, Sandra drew Scott out and learned about his long, unhappy marriage, his work as an accountant, and his long dream of becoming a successful commercial photographer. He explained that this could be his big chance and he told her how anxious he was to make it work for him.
Sandra Marsh was generally reserved around strange men, but she somehow felt at ease with Scott. By the time they finished their Cokes, she felt that they were old friends of long standing. They talked so easily and Scott was so natural. He didn't try to impress her like so many other men did, and Sandra liked that.
When they went back to work, Scott tackled the problem of the background. The artist had created a reasonably realistic scene, but Scott's lightning on the backdrop was too intense and detracted from the reality.
Disconnecting that particular light solved the problem immediately. The background faded into an impression, which was what Scott wanted. Then he used the light to pick up the intensity on the front of the golf cart.
At four in the afternoon, Sandra called out, "Hey, boss, I'm tired! And I think the lights have ruined my makeup."
"I'm zapped myself," Scott admitted, climbing down from his platform. "Maybe we'd better knock off for today and shoot in the morning when we're both fresh."
"That sounds fine to me," Sandra sighed.
"I'm sorry it took so damned long," Scott commented as he began turning the lights off. "I think I've got it about right now, though."
"Don't apologize," Sandra laughed. "Just remember that you're working with a rank novice."
The security guard helped them lock everything up and agreed to meet them at the building at nine in the morning.
"And, boss, as long as you're not paying me yet," Sandra said with a laugh as they walked out to the parking lot, "I'll let you buy me dinner. I'm famished!"
"So am I," Scott laughed. "Hey! We forgot lunch!"
"Not 'we'," Sandra smiled. "'You'. I thought about it all afternoon."
"Okay, I'll make it up to you now," Scott said. "How about some Italian food? Know a good place?"
"The best. Jardee's," she replied. "Follow me."
Scott followed her through Dallas, wondering how she managed to drive like she did without getting tickets. She zipped around corners and raced down busy streets without concern, and he had all he could do to keep up with her.
They sat smiling at each other across the small table in the picturesque little Italian restaurant and drank a bottle of Chianti with their delicious meal.
Sandra remarked about how relaxed they were with each other and Scott said that they were two of a kind. They talked about their past lives and their dreams for the future. Sandra told him that she was certain that he would become a famous photographer.
Both of them were tired and the wine made them surrender to pleasant, relaxing laughter. Scott held Sandra's arm as they walked out of Jardee's. When they reached her car, Sandra turned to face him. Scott knew that she would not resist being kissed, but for some reason he could not take her in his arms at that moment.
Kathy joined them at Merrill's plant in the morning and after a few minor adjustments to the lights they began the serious business of shooting the photographs. After two shots, Sandra had to adjust her makeup. The heat of the lights was causing her to perspire and Kathy remained close with paper towels.
Scott posed Sandra in a variety of positions and with different expressions. Sandra was a willing student and performed patiently while he snapped a total of forty exposures of her.
Shortly before noon, Scott snapped the final photo. He had intended to develop them that afternoon, but after the way both Kathy and Sandra had worked he didn't have the heart to dismiss them so quickly.
"Time for a treat," he announced as he began turning off the lights. "I'm taking the three of us to Six Flags Over Texas."
Kathy squealed with delight and Sandra smiled. They drove back to the apartment and the girls changed while Scott stored the exposed rolls of film in his refrigerator. Then they drove to the popular amusement park in Fort Worth and spent the afternoon enjoying the exhibits and rides.
Sandra relaxed and had as much fun as her fourteen-year-old daughter. Their favorite was the ride over the waterfall in the hollowed-out-log. Kathy insisted they go down the river three times.
For dinner, they ate hot dogs and french-fried potatoes and finished with spun sugar. It was almost ten o'clock when they arrived back at the apartment house. Having all she could do to stifle her yawns, Sandra thanked Scott from the bottom of her heart for one of the best days she'd had in years.
The next morning Scott was in his makeshift lab by eight o'clock. He changed the chemicals and set the temperature on the machine and then crossed his fingers as he loaded the rolls. Thirty minutes later, Scott Nelson's face broke into a beaming smile as he examined the transparencies.
Sandra had moved in several, blurring the image, and there were some obviously bad angles, but at least a dozen of the photos were excellent. Scott whistled happily as he dried them, cut them into separate slides and slipped them into cellophane sleeves.
Whether these pleased Merrill or not, Scott knew that he had turned out some top photography that only a handful of photographers in the country could equal. He hummed happily all the way down to Harry Halliday's office.
"My God, Scott!" Harry exclaimed as he looked at the transparencies. "These are fantastic! They're better than I even imagined they'd be!"
"I'm not going to play humble for you, Harry," Scott laughed. "They're great! Damned few photographers could hand you something like that."
"Wait until the board sees these!" Harry beamed.
"When's the meeting?"
"Tonight," Harry replied. "And I strongly suspect that I'll have some good news for you in the morning."
"I certainly hope so," Harry laughed.
"Leave it to me, Scott. And, once again, your work is nothing less than fantastic!"
Scott basked in Harry's praise as he drove back to his apartment house. His life was on the verge of the big change he'd dreamed of!