LLP-108 The Underground Model by Jean Sifton ... - OpenDrive

Patricia was dressed and out of the beach cottage by ten o'clock on Monday morning. She steered her
MG convertible along the hot black asphalt highway that led to the Santa Monica turnoff, grateful for the
openness of the car ... as usual the day was heavy with smog and humidity. The sweltering morning had
been in the nineties and would probably go much higher before noon. She drove leaning slightly forward
in the seat, so that her back would not touch the hot leather of the car seat; but even so, she could feel
sweat gather at the back of her neck and run down the ridge of her spine.
The skirt of her dress was pulled up around her hips to take advantage of the air rushing through the
ventilators, but the air too was scorching, like the day, and gave little relief. Vehicles jammed the wide
highway, even though the morning rush hour had long past, and Patricia tried to concentrate on her
driving, deftly switching lanes to keep up an even speed so that she would not be late for her
appointment.
She had deliberately spent Sunday down on the beach, cultivating her tan in a state of blank-minded
apathy, refusing to speculate on the experience which was in store for her. It was best to go into it with a
completely open mind, she had decided. The important thing to remember was that she was conducting
her own life now, moving of her own free will into a possibly exciting ... and certainly financially
rewarding modeling job.
* * *
At the studio, Ellen impatiently checked her watch for the third time, any second now the new model
should be turning in at the gate. She was alone that morning because Larry had been forced at the last
minute to go down to the printing company and straighten out a few technical problems, leaving Ellen to
interview and appraise the now eagerly anticipated Patricia. He had left her alone with the new model
with great reluctance, warning his sister repeatedly that she was on no account to make advances that
would scare the new girl off.
She lit up a fresh cigarette and poured herself a tall screwdriver, adding a double shot of vodka to calm
down the excitement building up in her stomach in anticipation of the new arrival. She was aware that for
the last year her "afternoon cocktails" were starting earlier and earlier in the day, until like this morning,
she usually began her drinking right after breakfast ... sometimes she would even skip breakfast and start
her daily liquid diet soon after awakening. She still managed to preserve her fresh beauty by eating
expensive health foods and getting plenty of exercise before the fattening alcohol could build up in her
system.
For her birthday last year, Larry had a sauna bath constructed out by the pool where they both
frequently perspired in the nude, jumping back in the cool chlorine water when the heat had been more
than they could stand. Twice a year, Ellen spent a week or two, depending on her time schedule, at a
luxury health spa near Palm Springs. Here, she was pleasantly starved on a diet of lean meat, broth and
vegetables, most of them raw, for the price of four-hundred dollars a week.
The amazing thing about the Spa and its sublime dietary tortures was that she always felt so "fit" and
relaxed when she left. The warm circulating baths, massages, and daily exercises were conducted on a
rigid schedule, toning and trimming every muscle of the body into a supple firmness. Now, as she studied
her well-toned body in the full-length mirror, she decided the money was a good investment after all, for
one of her greatest fears was that someday she would lose her attractiveness to other people.
She took another sip from the tall, chilled glass, and quickly pushed the ugly thought from her mind. The
present ... the here and now was what really mattered to her ... and right now Ellen could safely state
that she was probably one of the most attractive women in town. She almost purred with self-satisfaction
as she continued to pose in front of the mirror. She knew her body and beautiful face could be used in a