The Brownstone: Untold Stories

Chapter One

Wally - 2004

Wallace Reginald Cooper Smith took his wallet out of his pocket and looked inside. It contained his college ID, an expired New York State driver's license and three one dollar bills. Closing the wallet he returned it to his back pocket and sighed deeply. There was nothing that he could buy for three dollars that would fill the ache in his stomach. It would be another two days before he could sell his blood plasma but he needed that money to pay the rent on the shithole room he lived in.

Wally hated his life right now.

He was hungry, cold and frustrated. There were only four fucking months left of school and without a job lined up he knew things wouldn't change. He had worked so hard for four years and was about to graduate from Columbia with honors and a solid 4.0. The bubble bursting downside to his happiness was that twenty five hundred other hungry students were graduating also.

*

Wally took his coveted three dollars over to the Columbia library. It was the only place he could get free internet access. He pulled up CL and started looking for work. It had been over a day since he had eaten and he had passed the hunger stage and was moving into starvation mode. All day he had been fighting back the urge to cry but knew that tears wouldn't put food in his empty stomach.

Persevering, he concentrated on the task at hand, finding a way to get some money. He'd been doing it for so long he knew exactly where to look and what key words he needed to type. He didn't want a full time or even part time work. He needed to devote himself to school and graduating. He couldn't afford the distraction. He was looking for a one time gig; weekend dog walker, moving furniture, painter, just something that would pay him enough money to put food in his belly and a couple of more bucks in his wallet.

He'd been doing this long enough to know how to read the ads, deciphering which ones were legitimate and which weren't. Unfortunately ninety-eight percent of the ads were either bogus or sex for pay and he refused to lower himself to that level.

After an hour of searching he came up empty. Sadly this wasn't the first time he went a day or two or even three without food. It was the crappy reality of his life. He flipped over to his email to see if there were any bites on his resume, only to find more disappointment when there wasn't. He was about to log off and call it night when took one last look on CL and saw a new ad had posted. It was the first time he had seen this ad and clicked on it to read more.

'Male Model Wanted. Legitimate Photographer is working on an art project and needs a male model to pose for black & white pictures. This is nude photography that

WILL NOT

be sold to magazines. They are art photos for portfolio use only. Pay is $100 per session – six sessions maximum. Interesting parties please contact me at .....'

Wally read the ad again. And then again. This was something he had never even considered but six hundred dollars would buy a

WHOLE

lot of food and maybe even a warmer jacket. He had a decent body that he was vigilant about keeping in shape but was it good enough to model?

Then there was the matter of taking his clothes off. He was comfortable walking around his room with no clothes on but had no idea what it would be like to be naked around someone else. Other than his college entrance physical no one had ever seen him without his clothes on. The nitty-gritty reality was that he was so hungry and the money would last for so long, how could he consider not doing it? He logged off the computer and walked to Janine, the librarian on duty.

"Hey babe" he said smiling at her.

Wally had become a master of disguising his painful existence.

Janine was the stereotypical librarian who was in her late fifties, had never married and most likely had an apartment full of cats. She had worked at the library for more years than anyone could remember, including her, but she wouldn't ever consider retiring. As long as there were students that wanted to learn she would be there to give them the tools they needed.

Every few years there was one student that brought out her maternal instincts. Wally was the latest in the never ending line and she happily helped him out whenever she could or whenever he allowed her to.

"Good evening Wally" she said formerly. She hadn't seen him since the holidays but knew better then to ask him how his were. "How are this semester's classes going?"

"Last one Janine. I'm in the countdown mode now." He paused and smiled at her again. "I was wondering if I could borrow the phone for a quick moment."

"Of course Wally" she opened the low half door that separated them and let him behind the desk to the phone. "Take your time. I'm going to put some books away and give you some privacy. There are also some home baked cookies on the back counter, help yourself to as many as you want."

"Thanks Janine, you're the best" he said winking at her. He went for the phone, bypassing the cookies. He knew if he had one he would never be able to stop and the last thing he wanted was for her to know just how desperate he was for food.

He dialed the already memorized number and waited patiently as it rang. Mid-way through the second ring a deep baritone voice said

'Hello'

.

"Hi, I'm calling about the ad on CL" Wally said.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Well...what would you like to know?"

"Tell me about your body type."

"I'm six-two and weigh probably one seventy, one seventy-five. I work out and take good care of myself."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty, almost twenty-one years old."

"These are nude photographs...are you...well built in that area?"

For a moment Wally was concerned that maybe this wasn't such a good idea, but the rumbling in his stomach was forcing him to go on. "I think so. I guess you as the photographer would be a better judge since you know what you are looking for."

"When can you be here?" The voice was cold and distant but it didn't put Wally off, in fact it was the opposite, he was drawn to it.

Wally hadn't realized he was going to do this so soon. He shrugged and silently said why put it off. "I'm at the Columbia Library right now, are you far from here?" Sadly he didn't have the money for bus fare and hoped that the voice on the other end lived close enough that he could hoof it.

"About a fifteen minute walk"

"This is for real, isn't it? I'm a student and can't afford to be involved in anything illicit."

The man on the other end laughed lightly. "Why don't we do this? There is a coffee shop called

'Lucy's'

two doors down from my studio. I will meet you there in twenty minutes. We can sit and have a cup of coffee. If I think you are a good match for what I'm looking for then I will pay you up front and we can walk over to my studio."

"Sounds okay to me" Wally said. The man gave Wally his name, Adam Clark and the address of the coffee shop.

*

The cold winter weather slapped Wally in the face the moment he left the library. His thread bare coat did nothing to protect him from the bone chilling weather and only exacerbated his hunger pangs. By the time he reached the coffee shop he was wiping tears from his eyes cursing everything about his putrid life. He backed away from the entrance to take a minute to get himself together before pulling the door open and walking in.

The coffee shop was warm and filled with appetizing smells making Wally want to start crying all over again.

'So close to food and no money to eat.'

Shaking his head to ward off the bad thoughts he looked around until his eyes landed on a lone clean cut looking man staring at him. He walked over to the booth and slipped into the seat across from him.

"Adam?" He asked after the fact.

Adam was quiet for a minute looking at Wally, sizing him up, debating if he was what he was looking for. "I don't think you are right for the job." He said flatly dismissing him before Wally even had a chance.

"I'm really a lot different without my clothes on." Wally found himself saying, selling himself.

"I'm looking for a man that my camera will see the things I don't see." He said cryptically.

Wally looked around. No one appeared to be interested in their conversation. He slowly unbuttoned his coat and lifted his shirt, trying to turn away from anyone that might be looking. Adam's eyes opened widely at the same time a shocked expression washed across his face.

"Okay. We'll see." Adam said cautiously after Wally let his shirt drop.

The waitress came to the table and placed an oversized steaming cup of coffee and a piece of pie in front of Adam. Turning to Wally she asked what she could get him. He was salivating at the huge slice of pie and hoped that neither she nor Adam could hear his stomach grumbling.

"Water please." Wally said.

"Please, eat something, my treat." Adam said softly, the gruffness from his voice gone. Wally simply shook his head no. Pride was the monster that constantly haunted him. He just couldn't accept anything from anyone, no matter how hungry he was. Adam leaned forward and looked at Wally. "I know where you're at, I've been there too. Just take a piece of pie and coffee. You can pay me back after the photo shoot."

Wally could see the intensity of pleading in Adam's eyes and relented giving him a half nod. Without tearing his eyes away from Wally's, Adam motioned to the waitress to bring another coffee and pie.

The monster aptly called hunger was salivating and pleading to inhale the pie in one bite but Wally refused to give in and took small bites, savoring every forkful, wanting to make it last as long as possible. The rich hot coffee that he decadently added extra sugar and milk to warmed and revived him awakening his senses that had been dulled by the lack of eating over the last thirty-six hours.

"I'd like to take some test shots tonight. I'll pay you for your time. If I think it will work we can set a schedule that is convenient for you to do the rest of the sessions. We'll have a proper contract stating clearly what the pictures will be used for, to protect both of us."

Wally nodded in agreement. He was more relaxed then he had expected he would be. In his self-contained private little world there were very few people he trusted. He kept to himself with no friends. There were the one or two professors over the years that mentored him. He respected them but because of his negative self-worth he never trusted their intentions were innocent. Janine at the library treated him more fairly than any of the half dozen foster families he had been forced to live with over the years. He knew that she wanted nothing more from him then making sure he was okay. He looked across the table at Adam and for the first time in as long as he could remember something inside told him to trust this man.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Adam said after a long period of silence. Wally merely shrugged. "I understand. I live by myself and socialize very little. Sometimes I think my camera is my best friend."

*

After the warmth of the coffee and sitting in the restaurant for thirty minutes it felt even colder outside when they left the coffee shop. Snow had started falling and the streets of New York were eerily quiet. If the snow kept up Wally knew that classes would be cancelled the next day, which he didn't mind at all. Fridays he had his least favorite class - Business Ethics.

Adam wasn't lying when he said he lived two doors away from the coffee shop, they hadn't even taken five steps and Adam was unlocking the door to his studio. "My studio is on the first floor and I live on the second floor."

"Nice place." Wally said looking around.

"You're not going to believe this...but almost eight years ago I was a struggling artist practically living on the street," Adam laughed loudly, "I was walking past a smoke shop one day and decided, for some unknown reason, to go in and buy a lottery ticket - a fucking quick-pick to boot. I don't know why I wasted two precious dollars but I did...two days later I was thirty million dollars richer. Talk about dumb luck!"

"Wow...that's pretty cool." Wally said envious at someone else's good fortune.

"Thanks...so now I spend my time trying to perfect my art."

While Adam set up his camera he gave Wally the simple contract to read and sign. He wanted Wally to be at ease and comfortable. They sat quietly in a small seating area at the back of the studio. Wally was being hypnotized by a faux fireplace that looked like it was burning wood keeping the large space nice and warm. Warm enough that Wally felt relaxed enough to take his coat off.

"I have this dream of taking my photography to the level of a fine Rodin sculpture. It's the body I'm looking for. Headshots...the face...they aren't important. I want to be able to capture the essence of man like I created the piece myself."

"But?"

"I haven't found the perfect model yet. I've taken thousands of pictures of all types of men but they are all flat. I can't find that depth I'm looking for."

Wally shrugged. He didn't understand most of what Adam was saying but he was not being paid to understand. Right now he was warm and his stomach wasn't howling. Anything was better than how he was feeling less than an hour ago. Plus after tonight he would be a hundred dollars richer.

"Would you like me to undress now?"

"Whenever you are ready...I think what I'd like for you to do is stand against that white wall over there...I want to concentrate solely on you...no props or background to distract from the art. When you are comfortable I'd like for you to just take your shirt off...I want to take progressive shots as you undress."

Wally didn't hesitate to shed his shirt leaving Adam's jaw dropped opened. He hadn't even looked through the lens of his camera but knew this man was the model he'd been searching for. Every aspect of his upper body was defined and pronounced. His washboard abs had a depth to them making the eye focus as the shadow and light of the room surrounded him. His nipples were taut, from the little bit of chill still in the room, and a deep blush color against his flawlessly white skin.

Adam raised the camera and took a few shots as Wally leaned against the white wall his fingers coiled in the belt loop of his jeans. Adam imagined that if he had a cigarette dangling from his mouth he would be a perfect twin to the famous James Dean poster.

"Will you take your hat off too, please?"

Wally didn't understand why he need to take his baseball cap off, since he wasn't taking head shots, but it wasn't his place to question. He dropped his cap and shook his long dark brown, almost black hair as it fell loosely past his shoulders.

"You are gorgeous." Adam whispered in a low, almost shocked voice. He couldn't take his eyes off of Wally. He also knew that anyone looking at the pictures he was about to take wouldn't be able to either. "Why do you hide yourself?"

Wally shrugged embarrassed by being put on the spot. Slowly Adam raised the camera to his face and started shooting pictures again. He told Wally to relax and just lean against the wall like he was waiting for the bus. "Don't think about the camera, get lost in your own thoughts. Try and forget that I'm here..." he said moving around him. Wally looked away, like he was looking out a window and tried to think about anything but the camera but the damn clicking keep drawing his attention.

"Now I want you to unbutton the top button of your jeans...uh huh...that's right...unzip your jeans...just let it lie open like that...good...tease me with a little peek...yes...that's it...not nasty ...teasing...let me know you have a secret and you can't decide if you want to share it with me..." Adam's tone wasn't at all lascivious. He was trying to create an image for Wally to portray, a way to let the viewer try to imagine what he was going to do next.

Wally didn't have the luxury of being able to afford underwear and with is jeans open all Adam could see was a thick patch of dark pubic hair. Reaching down Wally touched the outline of his cock as it was growing towards the right side of his worn jeans. Adam, still behind the camera was clicking away. If Adam wanted teasing, Wally was more than happy to give it to him. Slipping his middle finger inside his open jeans he coaxed his erection to grow more letting just the tiniest bit of his bulbous head peak out at the line of his zipper. Adam tried his hardest to keep the camera clicking frame after frame of this

'dance'

Wally was doing but he was mesmerized by the raw sexuality this man was exhibiting.

"Oh I do have a secret." Wally whispered. He loved feeling his cock growing harder. Hunger had eradicated his sexual appetite over the past couple of days. Closing his eyes he leaned his head against the wall and touched himself, his cock was hard and his balls were full.

Wally savored every feeling he was experiencing and for the first time ever imagined someone, and by default it was Adam Clark, on his knees in front of him mutely begging him to let him suck his cock. Instantly his cock got even harder and he felt the first drops of pre-cum staining his skin. Slowly he pulled the entire length of his cock from his jeans letting Adam see the reason why Wally knew he would be the perfect model for the job. It was the first time in his life he let another human being see his secreted treasure.

Adam's mouth dropped open when the mushroom capped head snaked out of Wally's jeans. The words sheer perfection came to mind. It was the most perfectly proportioned cock Adam had ever seen. He allowed himself the briefest moment to imagine this delightfully long, not too thick, not too thin, cock glistening with lube stroking in and out of his wanting ass. His anal muscles responded a moment later with that all too familiar twitching sensation when he wanted to be filled, silently begging him for this cock.

Remembering his promise of professionalism Adam ignored his desires and brought the camera back up to his face and resumed taking pictures. For over an hour he shot pictures of Wally in various states of dressed and undressed. When he was done Wally just sat back in the chair by the fireplace completely at ease with being naked and not at all shy about subconsciously stroking his cock.

"I got some very good shots." Adam said trying to divert his eyes from Wally. "I will work through the night to see if the camera loved you as much as I did."

Wally looked at his watch. It was just after eleven. Still naked he rose and walked over to the window that overlooked the street and pulled the curtains apart to see if it had stopped snowing. It hadn't and at least a foot had fallen since they left the coffee shop. The snow plows hadn't even been through yet and Wally didn't relish having to walk home in the drifts that littered the sidewalks.

"You can stay here. I have a spare bedroom." Adam said like he could read Wally's thoughts.

"I would appreciate that." Wally said turning back to Adam. "Classes will be cancelled tomorrow. I'll leave in the morning as soon as the plow comes through."

"It's fine, really. I don't have company very often. It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Why's that?" Wally asked.

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. For a long time, before the money I didn't feel worthy of having people in my life. Now that I've got money I'm scared people will only like me because of my money."

Wally walked over and sat down across from Adam. "I grew up a ward of the state, I didn't do anything wrong, it was my mother that couldn't care for me. I was shuffled from foster home to group home until I graduated high school. When you grow up like that you learn to your mouth shut and disappear into the background." It was the most Wally had ever told anyone about himself.