I have a letter from Jimmy Lin in San Francisco. He wants to talk to us about some kind of cross-marketing agreement. He sent us a catalog before. We were going to look into it further, but we never did.
Who´s he again?” Saul asked.
Anne said, He´s the guy who sent us his catalog of Asian erotica, bought a few pieces from us. Here´s the catalog from our files.”
More than a few, Anne,” Sigrid said. I put a watch on that account and they´ve bought quite a few more Erotics and Explicits.”
When I first saw the catalog, I liked what they had,” Will said, leafing through it again. Very high quality, pricing like ours, and a lot of the stuff was totally different. Gave me a few ideas, but really, it´s a different kind of thing.
Different how?” Saul asked.
The drawings are very oriental. Totally different from my work, all of it imported from the Far East. The jewelry and sculpture doesn´t seem to be imported, at least not much of it. But it is outstanding, very sensual and if the pictures are accurate, outstanding quality. Some of it is really museum quality.”
Anything there we can use?”
Oh, yes. Certainly. We could sell quite a bit of it. It´s just nothing like ours.”
Doesn´t really compete, then.”
I don´t think so. If we could sell some of it, it would just expand our range.”
Anne said, That´s what I was thinking. Saul, how about a trip to San Francisco?”
.oOo.
Saul wore his blue suit, Anne, a tan gabardine suit with a mid-thigh skirt. Her blouse was translucent white cotton that showed the dark tips of her breasts. It had short sleeves, a wide-bordered jewel neckline and ended in an elastic cuff at her waist. With her jacket buttoned, she was the essence of professionalism. On the plane, she took the aisle seat and kept flashing Saul.
They took a cab to Chinatown. The address was off the main tourist and shopping streets, but in a neighborhood that catered to the well-to-do. The entrance was a little hard to find, and when they did find it, Saul had to push a button and announce themselves before the door buzzed and let them in.
The shop was lit by windows from the rear of the building and was tastefully done, everything of excellent quality, though not quite luxurious. Certainly not ostentatious. There were erotic drawings in the Chinese and Japanese traditions on the wall, and a broad case of jewelry at one side, lit by halogen fixtures. A low table and chairs in a corner by the high window overlooked a pleasant garden that was neither Japanese nor Chinese, but oriental. Jimmy was a good-looking Chinese man who met them, shook Saul´s hand delightedly, paid the same attention to Anne.
I´m so glad you were able to come. Please, sit down and have some tea.”
They sat, talked about trivialities, and drank green tea.
I have asked my wife, Mei-Ling, to join us shortly. If you agree, I would like her to show Anne our selection of jewelry while you, Saul, and I look over the drawings you have brought. Then, perhaps you can look at our own drawings and sculpture and see what agreement we can come to, if any.”
In a few minutes, the curtain to the next room swung aside as Mei-Ling entered. Seated on the low chair, Anne first saw small feet in scanty sandals, sinuous legs in a black leotard, a prominent mons, a taut, slightly rounded tummy. After a stretch of golden skin and the start of the rib cage, a black bolero embroidered with gold and silver. The golden skin led unbroken to the face of an oriental fairy queen.
Anne felt her eyes widen and her smile grow as her eyes moved upward. She stood up as the tiny woman walked toward them.
Thank you,” Mei-Ling said, extending her hand.
Anne managed to get her mouth closed. You are exquisite, Ms. Lin.”
Please call me Mei-Ling. May I call you Anne?”
Of course.”
The men rose also. Saul´s chair crashed to the floor, but appeared unbroken. Anne laughed. Please excuse Saul, Mei-Ling. When he meets beautiful women he gets clumsy.”
No harm done, Saul. Thank you for the compliment.” extending her hand. He shook hands with Mei-Ling before Jimmy drew him, despite his obvious reluctance, into another room.
May I show you some of our jewelry? Jimmy and Saul are going to be a while, and we can join them later.”
The case at the side of the room held rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets of excellent craftsmanship and considerable value. None of them held Anne´s eye for a moment. Still, she took her time looking at them, not wanting to be rude.
After a few moments, as Anne began a second round of the display, Mei-Ling said, I can see that you are disappointed. You´re right. There is nothing interesting there. I buy this stuff and sell it to our more conventional customers. It pays a lot of the bills. Would you like to see my own work?”
Yes, of course. But I hope you don´t feel offended that I´m not interested in these pieces. They are very good, just not what I´m looking for.”
I know that, and I´m not offended at all. It confirms my hope that you can help us reach wider markets for my work. Please, come in here.”
Anne followed Mei-Ling´s perfect buttocks through the curtain into another room, also lit by a window to the garden. There were no cases here, only small stands on shelves around three sides of the room. Each stand held a piece of gold or silver. A table before the window separated two simple chairs. Anne began to look at the pieces on the stands.
There were earrings, necklaces, bracelets again, but of a sort Anne had never seen before. Each piece was incredibly erotic, subtly arousing, and exquisitely crafted. Anne exclaimed over the beauty and uniqueness of many of them. After a while, Mei-Ling took something from a drawer.
I think you might find this interesting.”
The necklace was gold, with a pendant of two bodies engaged in the act of love. The forms were perfect, the act unquestionable, yet in no way obscene. Only tremendously exciting.
Mei-Ling lead Anne to the table. They sat down.
If you remove the chain, Anne, and twist them like this ...”
The lovers broke apart.
. . . You can wear them as earrings.” She held the male and female bodies at her ears, each ready, yearning for the act of love.
Oh, my God. I can´t believe how beautiful these are. Show me more.”
First, Anne, put them on. I want to see how they look on you.”
Anne replaced her gold knots with the two lovers. She turned to the mirror on the table beside her..
Fantastic. I´ll bet we can sell quite a few of these. You limit your editions, don´t you?”
Yes. This one especially. I only made two. Most of the rest I make many more of, but a maximum of one hundred of any piece.”
Anne grew thoughtful, then got up and took off her jacket, hanging it on the chair. She began a systematic review of the displays. They were uniformly beautifully made, each in its own way extremely erotic. Several were explicit enough to be a complement to Will´s sexual drawings.
When she came to these, Mei-Ling said, Last year, when I saw Will Spector´s drawings, I got the idea to do these. I hope you don´t mind.”
Not at all, I think they are wonderful. I thought this one was familiar.”
That was the first one I tried. It´s a copy of the drawing, really. I´ve gone beyond that now.”
I´ll say. We´ve tried to do something of the sort, without success. You´ve got it right. But, what are these?”
It was a tray with pairs of pieces in gold and silver. Each was highly worked, with filigree, cutouts or carvings of an erotic nature. Some were simply erotic objects in themselves, usually in a circular form. They were deceptively light in weight, though often massive in appearance.
Those are nipple rings.”
What? You´re kidding.”
Mei-Ling smiled and took off her bolero. Her firm breasts were tipped with dark nipples, each supporting an apparently massive gold disk carved in deep relief with an erotic motif. The disks covered her aureoles, appeared virtually weightless. Her nipples supplied a dark rose center to the design.
Oh, my. That is gorgeous. May I touch them?”
Please.” Mei-Ling looked Anne directly in the eyes. It will give me pleasure, too. I am very sensitive.”
Gently, and with a caress, Anne ran her fingers over Mei-Ling´s breast, tracing the edge of the disk. It was very light, having been carved on both sides to reduce weight, the rim heavier for rigidity. She looked at the other disk as well, caressing and cupping the supporting flesh. When she had seen enough, she ran her thumbs across the nipples. Mei-Ling shivered.
Beautiful. And thank you. You are lovely, too.”
Well, I knew we´d get along, Anne, especially when you took off your jacket. You´ve got me really turned on, now. Would you like to try some of these?”
I´ve never pierced my nipples, Mei-Ling, and I don´t think I want to. I want to nurse my children when I have them.”
I´ve had my nipples pierced since my breasts matured. I nursed both my children.”
You have two children?”
Oh, yes. They are the love of my life ... But for most of these you don´t need to be pierced to wear them. They stay in place by themselves. I only have these fastened for safety´s sake.” She pointed to tiny gold pins through her nipples. Would you like to try them on?”
You bet!” Anne took off the earrings, pulled her blouse over her head and put the earrings back on. Meanwhile, Mei-Ling slipped the retaining pins from her nipples and placed the disks on the velvet-covered table. Anne slipped one disk on her left breast, pushing the nipple through the hole. It remained, held in place by gently constricting the flesh. Anne looked in the mirror.
Golly. That´s fantastic. But I´ve got it on the wrong side. They should face each other.” She removed the disk and put it on her other breast. She grinned at Mei-Ling. Thanks for warming them up for me.” She mounted the second disk on the other breast.
Mei-Ling laughed. You´re welcome. Now, come. Let´s look at the rest of them.”
The two half-naked women went through the rest of the collection, discussing materials, prices, availability. Mei-Ling stopped and fitted two elaborate dragons to her breasts, pinning them in place. The beasts circled each breast while appearing to devour the nipple. Later, she took Anne´s disks and replaced them with two snakes of mingled gold and silver. Each snake coiled around Anne´s breast. The heads, of course, engulfed her nipples. Mei-Ling fitted them on.
If you had pierced nipples, there are gold pins that go through the jaws of the snakes to hold them in place.”
I´m not sure I´d want to have to wear something in my nipples all the time.”
You probably wouldn´t have to. Many women who pierce their nipples find that, after a few months, they don´t close up again. Others simply wear gold pins like these when they aren´t wearing jewelry.” She showed Anne two tiny pins that served to keep the passage open with gold balls on the ends to keep them in place.
But you´d be surprised how many of our customers get in the habit of wearing something all the time. Seems to turn them on.”
It´s turned me on, Mei-Ling, let me tell you that.”
Mei-Ling cradled Anne´s snake-wound breast in her hand. That´s only fair, I think.” She grinned lasciviously as her thumb rubbed Anne´s nipple. Turnabout is fair play.” Anne responded by pulling the little woman tight against her and kissing her hard.
Anne took off the earrings. I can´t wear these with the snakes,” she said, laying them on the table. What´s involved in piercing? Does it hurt much?”
Rather like ear-piercing. We use an antiseptic spray that is also a topical anesthetic. Want to go for it?”
Anne took Mei-Ling´s hands in hers and drew her to sit across the table. The sunlight glinted from their golden trappings.
You and I are going to do a lot of business, Mei-Ling, no matter what Saul and Jimmy decide. I want to buy the snakes for myself. There are two other pieces I want for myself as well. I´ll be taking some other things for stock, too, because I know that I can turn this stuff over like hot cakes. I´m going to put some of it in our catalog. That´s a promise. Okay?”
What are you trying to say, Anne?”
Sorry, I´m not being clear. There´s a business thing here, of course. But there´s something more. I think these are some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. So are you. And you make these. I like them and I like you. I want the things I just asked about for myself, not just for the business. And, there´s something else.”
She took a deep breath, touched the woman´s hand.
Mei-Ling, I want to buy The Lovers. I think they mean something special to you. I know you only made two sets. But, I want one of them.”
Mei-Ling paused for a long moment, looking wistfully at the figures on the table. No, Anne. I won´t sell them to you.”
Damn.”
I won´t sell them to you, Anne.” She looked in Anne´s eyes, her own eyes moist. They are a gift from me to you. May they bring you joy.”
Anne took a deep breath, swallowed. Thank you, Mei-Ling.”
She reached across, drew Mei-Ling´s face forward and kissed her lips. She sat back in the chair.
There´s one more thing I want, Mei-Ling. I want to give you a commission. Do you take commissions?”
Of course, unless it´s something I don´t want to do.”
I want a full edition of these earrings ... Hear me out, Mei-Ling, you seem to have a lot invested in this, but hear me out. Okay?”
All right.”
I want a full edition of these earrings, but with a difference. They won´t fit together. And, I want a full edition of the pendant, only it won´t come apart.”
Let me think about that.”
Here´s my reasoning. These are wonderful, beautiful pieces. They will sell like hotcakes at practically any price we put on them, and you know it. Will it make enough difference that only you and I know about the originals, The Lovers?”
Mei-Ling looked out the window at the garden. A ray of sun glinted from her jet-black hair, from the dragons feasting at her breasts.
She turned back to look at Anne. Yes, it does. You´re right. I´ll do it.”
Wonderful. Uh, ... can you tell me why you hesitated so?”
Mei-Ling looked down at the table where the earrings now lay, next to their chain. She joined them together, touched them with a finger-tip.
They were the first erotic piece I ever did. Sometimes I think they are the best thing I´ve done. That was in college. I kept this set for myself. The other set I gave to my roommate and lover. She was killed in an accident last year, and now I have her set back again.”
She looked back at Anne, her eyes glistening. These are my connections, Anne. They fasten me to people I love. I can´t say why I have fallen for you so quickly, but I have. I hope they bring you more luck than they did her.”
Anne went to her, held her close until the tears stopped.
Now, come on. Do my nipples before the guys come back.”
.oOo.
Saul and Jimmy went through the portfolio of drawings Saul had brought with him. Jimmy selected several for his stock and some for specific customers.
Jimmy said, Saul, the reason I asked you to come is that I can see you have a feel for the market in erotica. I could probably develop the catalog business you have mailing lists are only mailing lists. But, our business is at a size where Mei-Ling and I have all we can do to meet demand for our traditional lines. With her as our only artist and producer and me to import from the orient and re-sell into that market, we just don´t have enough time.”
And we do,” Saul pointed out. There are eight of us, two of them artists. That makes a big difference. I´d like to offer you our whole line, if you want it. Consignment, usual terms. We have our catalog items, of course. And I can send you digitized versions you can show as samples. That would be of new items Will does and any speculative things he produces.
In return, Jimmy, I want to sell anything in your catalog your collection of drawings and the sculpture to our markets. I want to use your expertise in the East. I´m certain many of our customers will be interested in your line of oriental exotica. Maybe you can move some of our work as well.”
Oh, I´m sure we can do all of that. We have quite a lot of stuff that will fit your market, as well as a few special things for serious collectors. I´ll show you some of those shortly.”
Saul said, Jimmy, I know you bought several of our Explicit drawings in the past few months. Were you able to re-sell them?”
Yes, indeed. But the real reason we bought them was as models for a new range of work Mei-Ling has developed. Come in the show-room and take a look.”
In the next room, the walls displayed the oriental erotica that were the house´s mainstay. A small area was devoted to Will´s work.
We have met at the right time, Saul. Our Asian customers are fascinated by your Erotics and your Explicits, of course, but there is also a brisk demand for the nudes of Anne and Mary.”
Yes, just as we expect to find interest in your oriental erotica and nudes. Great opportunity for cross-cultural marketing.”
These are the new items we have developed, based on your Explicits.”
There was a shelf of Mei-Ling´s sculptures based on Will´s explicit drawings. They followed the same idea of explicit modeling combined with erotic relationships. They were not copies, but new works of great originality, taking Will´s ideas a step further into another medium. They were in stone, metals and wood, in each case drawing additional splendor and erotic power from the materials.
Saul looked at them, picked them up, turned them to and fro in the light. Wonderful stuff. You say, your wife does these?”
Yes, what with the store, making this and her jewelry and the children, she´s a very busy woman.”
I´ll bet. Jimmy, these are fantastic. I´m going to take some with me, if I can.”
I´m sure we can work that out, Saul. You´ve been very accommodating to us, I´m sure we´ll be able to make a deal.
What do you say we go find Anne and Mei-Ling?”
.oOo.
When the four met again, it was in the jewelry inner show-room. Mei-Ling again wore her bolero. Anne wore her jacket, though her blouse was tucked away in her bag. Saul pretended not to notice. The Lovers dangled from her ears.
The four of them sat at the velvet-topped table and went over the terms of their cooperation. Anne took notes. They agreed to cross-market their collections, supplying some items on consignment.
When they had finished, she said, As soon as we get home, I´ll write a letter of agreement, setting all this out. I´ll send it to you by snail-mail, you have your lawyer check it and send us signed copies.”
I hardly think we need a lawyer,” said Mei-Ling.
Mei-Ling,” said Anne, it never hurts to be certain. I´m going to have our lawyer check it before I send it to you, so you might as well do the same.”
Jimmy said, That´s good advice, Mei-Ling. We´d do well to follow it. I´ll have the merchandise ready for you before you go.
The sun had set, and the garden was dim in the dusk. Jimmy reached behind a curtain and lights came on around the area.
Now, how about a drink? Do you have time?”
Yes,” said Saul. We aren´t leaving until tomorrow.”
Anne and I have talked it over and made an executive decision, Jimmy. They´re staying for dinner.”
Uh, I´d better call the hotel, Anne ...”
No, Saul. I already did that.”
Great. Thanks.”
They went through the shop, turning out the lights, and went across the garden to the Lin´s home. There they met Mei-Ling´s two children, who came running to her and Jimmy with cries of Mommy, Daddy”.
They met Mei-Ling´s mother, the children´s grandmother, a lovely older woman in a cheong sam, who spoke with them briefly and disappeared with the children once the greetings were over.
Mother takes care of them, just as Jimmy and I were raised by our grandmothers. It´s the Chinese way.”
That´s wonderful,” Anne said. I´m afraid I´ll never be able to get my mother to do more than keep mine for an afternoon when I have them. Damn shame.”
They sat with wine and snacks for a while, talking. Then, another Chinese woman came and spoke quietly in Chinese to Mei-Ling.
Dinner, guys. Come on.”
In the dining room, they ate hugely of delicious dishes that seemed never to stop coming.
How do you keep so slim with food like this around?” Anne demanded.
Same way you do, Anne. I work hard, and so does Jimmy. And, we´re still young. Later on, it will be harder.”
Finally, dinner was over. They left the table and went back to the living room. The children came in for kisses before bedtime, made polite good nights to Anne and Saul, and left.
Anne said, Saul, you and Jimmy talked so long and successfully, I´m glad to say that you didn´t get a chance to see Mei-Ling´s collection of jewelry. It´s really quite remarkable, and I´ve ordered several pieces and commissioned two new series.”
That´s great. Maybe I´ll see them next time we come. Of course, you missed seeing the sculpture Mei-Ling has done, based on Will´s Explicits.”
I´m not sure I really missed anything, Saul. Did you notice these earrings?”
Saul leaned closer, looked carefully, and whistled.
I´ve commissioned a complete edition almost like them and some other things as well. Mei-Ling has a whole line of explicit jewelry.”
Actually, Saul, I do the sculptures first, so I can re-create them in miniature.”
Anne continued, And, there´s a whole range of other things I know you´ll just love.”
What´s that?”
Anne stood up and took off her jacket. Her snakes shone in the subtle light of the room. Gold pins gleamed where her nipples protruded through the snakes´ mouths. Mei-Ling stood next to her and took off her bolero. She still wore the dragons.
I ordered a lot of these, Saul. I hope you don´t mind.”
Saul choked and sputtered on his drink. It was several minutes before he could speak.
Mind? Why would I mind?” he managed to get out as the others grinned.
Now, you two, come with us, please. It´s time we relaxed,” Mei-Ling announced.
I was relaxed until you took your jacket off,” Saul muttered sotto voce in the direction of Anne´s ear.
Mei-Ling led them into another room. It was the anteroom to a large room dominated by a huge bed.
First, we´ll soak in a warm tub for a while, then we´ll see what else we can think of.”
Saul´s eyes widened. Oh, my,” was all he could find to say.
The women were soon naked, walking into the wide, warm tub. The men were close behind. They all snuggled in one corner of the tub, which was large enough for at least four more.
Oooh,” said Anne. The warm water does neat things to my snakes and my nipples.”
So will cold water, Anne. Wait till you try it,” grinned Mei-Ling.
Anne, what did you tell the hotel?”
I told them we wouldn´t need their silly room. What else?”
.oOo.
At home they told everyone the whole story, showed them the wonderful things they had brought back and began planning the integration of the new products into their collections.
A few days later, a package arrived from the Lins. Anne opened it in her office. There was a note.
Anne,
When I saw you are bald, I thought of this.
Hope you enjoy it,
Mei-Ling.
Anne looked into the box. She studied its contents carefully, then closed it up.
Later, when she entered Will´s studio to pose for him, she stepped out of her wrap and hung it up. She went to the stand and faced where he was working. When he looked at her again, his jaw dropped.
She wore the snakes at her breasts. From her right hip, a third snake swooped across her abdomen, ending at her mons, its head set with a jewel where the others consumed her nipples. It was held against her body at the cleft of her lips by an almost invisible mono-filament that disappeared under her groin.
Mei-Ling sent it. What do you think?”