Free Skin Deep by Timothy Hallinan Page A

from behind me. "At least twenty minutes," she said.
    "I asked you which side," Toby said to Betsi as if Janie didn't exist.
    "Really, Toby, it doesn't matter. You're the boss."
    "But you're the genius, darling. Come on, just pick your favorite side of old Toby."
    Betsi looked flustered. Then she took a vehement drag on her cigarette and said, "Left."
    "Left?" Toby's eyes widened in surprise. "What's the matter with you today, Betsi? You want to shoot my left side?"
    "Okay, okay, then, the right." Betsi was blushing deeply now and fiddling with the teddy bear pin. Bert had stepped away from the camera, staring down at the grass as if it hadn't been there a minute ago.
    "Watch this," Janie whispered. "It may be educational."
    "Just a fucking minute," Toby said to Betsi. "There's a principle here. I'm giving you this session because you need it, right? And I expect a little protection in return."
    "Left," Betsi said desperately. "Wait, I mean right."
    "Do you see this lip?" Toby demanded, tugging at the swelling. "Courtesy of my buddy Simeon, here, I might add. You donate your contact lenses to Greenpeace or something? Shit, if you can't see that, how do I know you can see the best shots? How do I know this isn't going to turn up in the Enquirer?" He framed a headline with his hands, " TOBY VANE GETS TRASHED AT LAST. I've got a little puffiness here, to put it charitably. What're you going to do, Bets, put it on the cover?"
    "Toby," Betsi said desperately, "you know I'd never print a bad shot of you."
    "Yeah, right. And I promise I'll pull out in time. The check is in the mail." The photographer had stepped back up to the camera and pulled the black cloth over his head to work on focus. "Just a minute, you—Bert—you, whoever you are. We shoot when I'm ready and not before."
    "I'm sorry," Betsi said. "I'm double sorry. It's just that you look so good right now. . . ."
    "I look like fucking Rocky Graziano," Toby said.
    "No, no, we'll only get the right side. Only the right three-quarters, right, Bert? Only the right, okay, Toby?" She sounded as though she had something caught in her throat.
    "Okay, okay, okay," Toby parroted. "You sound like a machine gun. You know what? You used to be prettier."
    "Toby," Dixie said, "the public is here."
    Toby looked at Betsi for a long moment and then turned toward the crowd of onlookers and made the thumbs-up sign. People clapped. Toby's grin broadened, and he still had it in place when he looked down at Betsi.
    "Honey," he said, "I'm tired of these clothes."
    Janie whispered something that sounded like "Shit."
    Betsi swallowed. "You look great, Toby. You always look so nice."
    "Not as nice as when you help. Come on, Betsi. You know how much I like your taste." He made it sound truly disgusting.
    "I can't," Betsi said. "Please, Toby, not today."
    "It's either that or no more watch the birdie. And with this puffiness, I may have to kill the whole session."
    Betsi glanced around jerkily, as if she hoped no one was listening. She looked drawn and five years older. She picked up her cigarettes and pulled one out. Her hand was shaking.
    "Now come on, Betsi," Toby said. "Even you can only suck on one thing at a time." He put his arm around her and led her to the trailer. The unlit cigarette dangled forgotten from her fingers. Bert managed to look very busy. At the door to the trailer, Toby waved at the crowd and said, "Be right back, folks." They went in, and Big John took up a stance in front of the door, his arms crossed like an Arabian genie who wanted to keep his hands near his scimitar.
    "Congratulations, hero," Janie said.
    My mouth tasted foul. "What happens now?"
    "You want my best guess?"
    "I suppose so."
    "He makes her go down on him. He pulls her hair a few times to keep him interested. Then he makes her swallow it."
    "There's nothing she can do?"
    "Sure, she can get her pictures. No pictures, no job."
    "This is what you meant when you said he had something to look forward to today?" I