For many years I had worked as a travel writer, selling articles to magazines and newspapers. But when I realized there was more money to be made in travel pieces for TV, I studied video techniques and switched to that. I had filmed travel pieces in many countries around the world and this time was just finishing up on one to be called "Hiking the Grand Canyon." But it had been a tough and grueling job, and I was glad to see it come to end.
When I got ready to leave the Canyon area, more than anything else, I wanted to stay in a luxury hotel with a lot of hot shower water, a good restaurant, a good lounge, and I didn't want to have to drive very far to do it. The nearest town to the Grand Canyon of any size was Flagstaff, Arizona, about 75 miles away, so I drove there. I would start heading back to New York the next day. I had a phobia about planes, so I never flew, only drove.
I picked out the most luxurious-looking hotel in Flagstaff and checked in. The room was quite nice, and yes, it provided a lot of hot water. I took a long shower, put some clean clothes on and prepared to go down to the lounge for a nice cold and wet beer. I decided to take the video camera with me in case I wanted to get any shots of "the nearest luxury accommodation," other than the lodge actually in the park of course. That was often booked up.
The lounge also was large and luxurious-looking. I ordered a draft beer but was only there for about fifteen minutes when a young couple came in. It was pretty easy to tell what they had been up to. He was dressed in one of those silly-looking pearl-gray tuxedos, and she was dressed in a white satin bridal gown.
But what a looker she was! About five-foot-eight, I guessed, with long and curly blonde hair and a face more beautiful than I had ever seen in Playboy.
They sat down at the table next to mine. When the waitress came over, he ordered a double Jack Daniels on the rocks, and she ordered a white wine.
"Don't you think you've had enough for one day?" she whispered to him after the waitress left. "You had a lot to drink at the reception."
"Ish my wedding day," he said, slurring his words and winking over at me.
I tried to ignore them, but I could not help overhearing some of the subsequent conversation.
He was talking to her in a whisper, but she leaned back and said: "No way!"
"It would be a keepshake, a memento," he said.
"I'm not going to do that in front of a complete stranger."
"Please? Pretty please with sugar on it," he whined. "Just for me?"
"He wouldn't do it anyway."
"Let me ask him."
"You can ask him, but I'm not saying I'll do it."
"Okay!" He got up, crossed over and sat down at the chair next to mine. "Can I ask you something?" he said.
"Sure."
"We jus got married."
"No kidding."
"My wife's shister took a lot of video of the wedding, but the video I would really like to have would be of the wedding night. You know what I mean?" He winked again.
"I think I know what you mean."
"Are you staying here at the hotel?"
"Yes, for the night. Then I'm heading east."
"We're staying here too. We have the bridal suite."
"Good for you."
"Are you a pretty good photographer?"
"I'm very good. I do it as a profession."
"Fantashtick! Would you be willing to take pictures of our wedding night if I paid you for your time?"
I looked over his shoulder at the bride. She just lifted her hands in the air to indicate a "whatever." But that was not a "No way." And I must admit the idea intrigued—and aroused—me. As I said: She was a real looker.
"Well, I'll tell you what," I said, "I'm not doing anything tonight, and I'm sure whatever's on TV would be boring. So why don't I do what you ask—and give it to the two of you as a wedding present?" I looked over at her and spoke loud enough for her to hear. "And as a professional, I can promise you that it will be beautiful and not obscene." Actually, I did not give a rat's ass what it was; I just wanted to see her naked and watch her get fucked. And I wanted to figure out a way to get the tape back to my room and make a quick copy of it before turning it over to them.
"Great!" he said. "Just a minute."
He went back to his own table and talked to her in whispers. To my delight, I could see that it was not taking much persuasion to get her to agree. Perhaps she was a bit of an exhibitionist. Most pretty girls are. Then he came back.
"Okay, we're not gonna have any dinner cause we had enough to eat at the reception. So how would seven o'clock be?"
"Works for me. Where are you?"
"What room are we?" he asked her.
"Two forty six."
"Two forty six," her repeated.