N.B. Spellings (if correct) are in UK English. All the characters in this story are fictitious, any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The author neither condones or endorses any of the activities detailed in this story, which could well be illegal in certain jurisdictions. I'm adding (for legal reasons) that apparently if you're under-age you mustn't read this, so if that's the case go away and grow up.

Author's Note.

Unlike the first time this story was posted, I'm not desperately scratching away with my Quill in order to keep a few chapters ahead of my readers, for those who stay the course it's 86 chapters long, and I've recently had former readers bug me for those last six, but I thought with a total repost more people could follow the entire adventure, only this time to it's conclusion.

If or when readers from the old days find this story, please drop me a line, Chris can pass forward your email to me without attaching it to your comments posted about the story.

Okay here are Chapters 26 to 30

Chapter 26

The girls invent 'arousal' in a tin, Anna shoots a set and make plans to up output, Igor plays for high stakes, and Marta comes face to face with the harsh realities of street life.

On Saturday Anna had introduced some models who were amongst the more advanced English pupils to the 'models forum', running through many of her own early sessions, using those saved records to help the new girls. They were now doing individual, or group sessions each day after school, Anna as the pioneer was now free to pursue other goals.

Getting home Wednesday afternoon, the girls quickly swapped backpacks, grabbed some fruit, and then disappeared out the door on their way to the Studio for Anna's booking.

Since that first occasion Marta accompanied her sister to the Studio, Valya had officially been both chaperone and make-up artist, but as the girls were so often in one part of the Studio complex or another, it was now a mute point, although on the other hand many times they were not visits to shoot videos or picture sets. Marta was disappointed that her detour via the IT dept was wasted, as Karl was in with Boris, but she did stop to speak with a few other people there.

Returning to the salon, Anna's hair had now been set in several braided pig tails, stylised with coloured beads and clips, the worksheets the ladies followed had notes and pictures of hair and make-up, with sketches of how the designer expected the model to look in full costume.

They found Valya at studio five where the backdrop was painted to look like a building site, this was the last shoot using it, as it was to be replaced the next day. Marta looking around at the real tradesmen's tools on the set as props saw scratched or painted initials which she recognised as those of the men working in the set building shop.

As Valya did Anna's make-up, they talked about the future stock banking scheme, and how feedback from both the models and staff had so far had been positive, as they didn't feel the sort of rushed atmosphere that pervaded the weekend shoots this time of year, that were often in disarray due to travel problems. Giving Anna a final inspection, Valya turned her attention to Marta complimenting her on how subtle she had become in applying her own make-up, saying it took many girls her age time to learn that light touch.

The costume consisted of a short jacket with long sleeves designed to just cover Anna's gently budding chest, and trousers that stopped below the knee worn with white boots, and a cap. The outfit was two tone, blue fabric and white, seen from a distance, but on closer inspection the white panels were a sort of see-through net, there were no panties included with this outfit.

Marta joked that if Anna sat down she would have a grid pattern imprinted on her bum so they could play noughts and crosses, chess would be too hard as the pieces would fall over on a curved board. While waiting for John to arrive the three continued the jokes and banter, noting the time Anna slipped off to the toilet for her final preparations.

Since investigating her older sisters wetness, they had made a careful study of the close-ups of girls on their collection of disks, deciding that the Vaseline could be improved upon.

Mostly with girls a little older, the appearance was more a translucent pearlescent glaze rather than just a clear gloss, so they had experimented making additions to the Vaseline base, to produce the effect they wanted, but not so far as to look like those girls who so evidently showed a lack of personal hygiene.

Marta told Valya about the new improved formula, saying how Anna would swap out the tins, and could she look after the new style preparation, and bring it to future shoots as she had done with the ordinary Vaseline. Why am I not surprised thought Valya, these two girls are pushing new boundaries in every other direction, so now they have a new line in intimate make-up, instant arousal in a tin. Her musings were were interrupted as John arrived, eager to try out his new camera, but aware that the ladies present were unlikely share his enthusiasm for all the latest technical innovations of his new toy.

Soon John and Anna were engaging in their usual repartee, John saying if she turned up on a building site dressed like that the accident rate would shoot upwards with men falling off ladders. Anna moved about the set posing, enabling John to capture the unique quirks of this particular outfit, as the net panels gave tantalising glimpses of her lean taught body with each change of stance. Anna loved all the fancy costumes, this one showed the skill of the seamstresses at the studio, the way so many panels of different fabrics had been sewn together, along with all the trim and detailing. Odd to think if it were not for the see through aspect, it would be at home in any high end boutique around the city.

As shooting progressed Anna made use of the tools and other props, before she began to disrobe, first getting some 'down the top' shots, as the lapels on the jacket allowed it to gape enough to show her reddened nipples that had been rubbing against the lining, then releasing the fasteners. With the top open her barely budding chest was in turn displayed then hidden, playing peek-a-boo with the camera. Anna was rapidly becoming John's favourite model, not just because of the percentage he earned from her sales, but that she had a wonderful natural talent, and her enjoyment of modelling shone through in all the resulting pictures. He had to limit himself, it would be so easy with this girl to create another overly large set that he would have trouble pairing down.

When they took their break, John and Valya talked of the few banking scheme shoots they had each done so far, and the response they had heard of from the other photographers, make-up artists, salon staff, and models. Where before, term times had been fairly lazy with the exception of the hectic weekends, there was a general consensus that a few extra after-noons or evenings of work now, with the potential of a nice financial gain just a few years away was a very pleasant prospect for everyone.

Once back on set, Anna started toying with the straps and buckles holding up her trousers while asking John about her top. It was agreed she would keep on the open jacket for the effect it provided, and he said to keep the cap on as well, because it looked cute on her.

Some shots were taken with the fitted trousers pulled down around her thighs, then realizing they wouldn't come off over the boots, she removed both then put the high heeled boots back on for the remainder of the set.

Anna sat on the fake fluffy grass pretending to add more bricks to the wall, as she rose to assume a new pose she looked down to see a little of the green fluff had adhered to the wet sheen of her labia, picking it off, she heard a flurry of clicks from John's camera, as she looked up John was pleased to capture the faint blush that suffused her face and chest, she then poked her tongue out at him. Marta sitting in the background thought the resultant laughter now seemed like an ongoing soundtrack to their new lives.

Although John hardly thought it possible Anna seemed to bring something new and fresh to each session, regaling him with stories of her guitar lessons, the drama club at school, and the latest mischief of her brothers. Her animation and excitement about all the things going on in her life transmitted itself into her work. Drawing to a close her signature shot was included, as she knelt down on all fours, wagging her rear end at him, like some crazy puppy, the set concluded with a blown kiss and a wave.

At the completion of the set Marta noted the time, wondering if in future they could fit in two sessions back to back if they could access two costumes, and hopefully use backdrops across two studios, after all it was her scheme, so Anna should gain the maximum benefit.

Voicing her tentative suggestion, both John and Valya agreed as nobody had placed a firm limit on the number of sets a girl could hold in reserve, therefore Anna together with her manager rightfully deserved any additional profits from their initiative and hard work.

As the pictures from this set were not due to be aired until some unspecified future date Marta asked if John could burn them a disk of the images, as they liked to review all of Anna's work so she could make improvement's. John readily agreed, saying it might not be until the following week as editing sets for imminent release came first, and although he didn't mind them looking for any mistakes Anna had made, he wanted to weed his ones out before anyone could see them. They teased him that if he removed all the mistakes he had made there wouldn't be many pictures left.

John went off smiling, as Anna tried to sit still with Valya removing her make-up, somehow she always felt so bubbly and alive at the end of a shoot, her head floaty as if she had just had a glass of wine. Popping into the toilet to pee and clean up before getting dressed Anna was certain she was wetter now than when she had first started the set, taking a sniff confirmed her own body had reacted to the situation, posing and displaying herself in front of a man, she would talk this over with Marta later.

The girls helped Valya clear up, load her trolley, and return the costume, when they got to her office and store, she asked if the girls needed any top-ups for their make-up bags, and Marta came away with some more of the concealer she had been taught to use.

Due to the time, in order to avoid the commuter crush, Valya called up a cab for the girls to get home, and Marta called to inform their mum they were about to leave the Studio.

Back home they discovered that their father must have visited the Studio while they were on set, as he showed them the computer that Karl had set up for him that afternoon.

When they'd eaten, he asked if either of the girls knew anything about setting individual ring tones for some of the people that might call him on his mobile phone. It was a silly question, all the girls at school who owned mobiles, that was mostly the models and some from more wealthy backgrounds, all knew how to do basic stuff like that.

It turned out Igor wanted to be forewarned if the property agent called, he had the idea of having one of his work colleagues answer pretending to be an assistant before handing the phone back to Igor stating -“If you look the part and feel the part, you can be the part; some smart girls I know told me that.” The two girls in question then came up with a better plan, which actually came into play the following day.

Just before lunchtime the alternate ring tone announced a call from the property agent.

Melenki, one of the three men who had done the night job for Igor had been well briefed.

“Hello Melenki speaking.”

“No he's not here, he's in London on business for a few days, he may be back tomorrow, I'm only one of his assistants looking after all the current projects in this region until he returns.”

“No the address is unfamiliar, he didn't mention that one to me, you will need to speak to him yourself, unfortunately I'm not allowed to give out the number for the London office.”

“OK, I'll tell him you called, goodbye.”

The two men stood grinning, Igor had been standing close enough to hear both sides of the conversation, picking up on the disappointment and frustration of the caller, and he congratulated Melenki, joking he could get a job in TV drama if he got tired of working in the building trade.

During the school lunch break Marta was browsing through one of the well thumbed teen magazines, that had just been returned to her, when she had a sudden revelation, flicking back and forward she found what she was looking for, marking each place by folding the corner of the page. With a cynical eye she saw the publisher had deliberately included several articles, whether made up or real, that coincided with a large advertising campaign which purported to offer the answer to the very problem highlighted on the other pages.

Seeding was the seed of Marta's next big idea, Alina had reported back to her that trawling the members forum for set ideas had produced spotty random comments, but no really positive themes to show the direction for future output. If passive sampling of the members was not working, she would try active participation, having Dmitri's use his on line persona, or by getting Alina to pretend to be a member. By placing an idea on the forum they could stimulate a debate to gather feedback from the members, as to whether or not it was likely to be successful.

Marta was so revved-up that her opponents that day in the chess club meet after school didn't stand a chance, on arriving home, she found Anna had gone round to Eve's house that afternoon, so her news would have to wait. She spent the time before supper with her brothers on school work and reading, until the arrival of their father caused a rush for the door to greet him.

When later the whole family was sat round the table eating, Igor casually dropped into the conversation, how an anxious man had called wanting to discuss house sales, but Melenki had handled the call as they had suggested, and tomorrow he was expecting a follow up call, where he would continue with phase two of their plan, the reluctant buyer who might get away, so he could squeeze for the lowest price. The few hours he had spent using his new toy had been well spent, crunching the numbers with both minimums and maximums for the various costs where there was room for uncertainty, he knew the top price it was viable to spend with a guarantee of a reasonable return.

Friday morning Igor was nervous, on the turn of a card he was about to launch the family on a scheme entailing a large financial commitment, by eleven o'clock the agent had not called, and Igor had to visit another job site. He told the site foreman, he would need to borrow Melenki for the rest of the day as he needed the guy's knowledge about the next site he was visiting. In the car on their way to lunch the phone rang, it was 'that' ring tone, Melenki answered, thinking on the fly he told the man he was on route to pick his boss up from the airport, and he could try again after three that afternoon.

During lunch Igor outlined the plan for taking the next call, explaining what he knew of the vendor, and how although he had spent some cash on phase one, causing Melenki to smile about the cash he and the others had received, the deal was only worth proceeding with if he could squeeze the purchase price.

At three thirty the phone rang, Melenki waited, “Hello, Oh you again, no I haven't had a chance to speak to him about it, there's just been one meeting after another since he got back, I haven't even got round to giving him this local phone back yet, I'll see if he's free.”

“Sir there's some property agent been calling up about a place he showed you on Monday, he seems to think you might be interested.”

“I just had some time to kill before the London flight, it wasn't a great prospect, bit of a wreck, toss up between major refurbishment, or knocking the place down, pass it over I'll speak to him, it would be rude for me to ignore the guy, besides next time he could have something worth looking at.”

Hearing the exchange between the developer and his assistant gave him a sinking feeling, the vendor had taken the news badly about how dilapidated his property had become, but had made it plain he wanted it sold quickly, before things could deteriorate any further.

“Hello sir, I hope your visit to London went well, I've recently spoken to the vendor, and I'm sure he would be willing to negotiate over the price.”

“I'm always happy to negotiate, but the problem on that listing is I would either have to take men off of another project to patch up the roof until we can deal with the place, the other alternative is to knock it down, then there's the hassle for building permits on a plot I have no plans for yet.”

“I'm sure the owner would be very accommodating as he is keen to sell, would you care to make an offer I could pass on, it wouldn't do any harm the man can only say yes or no.”

Igor kept the smile out of his voice, as he gave the man the lowest figure he thought he could get away with, realising the sum could well be rejected, to add to the pressure he said after the next two weeks he would be travelling abroad a great deal and wouldn't be available to sign off any purchases in this region during that time.

When Igor rung off, Melenki sat there stunned at the 'take it or leave it' attitude that Igor had projected during the phone call, though on closer inspection it was clear the man was perspiring, reliving the tension Igor said he could do with a large vodka, but would settle for a strong coffee instead; now it was back to waiting.

Shortly after getting back from school the girls were off out again, having spoken with Eve on the Metro journey home, they were all going to meet at the park riding their bikes, bringing along their respective siblings so they could enjoy the open space for an hour or so on such a nice afternoon. Returning Marta went upstairs to bathe, then change, as she had a date this evening, with her curfew extended to nine-thirty, while Anna helped in the kitchen, and the boys set the table. Karl turned up to whisk Marta off for a meal and an evening of sight seeing around the city to view Kiev by night.

Though Marta had seen some parts of the city during previous evenings, on this tour she was nevertheless astonished by the harsh contrasts, because the vibrant and bustling areas catering to the wealthy, often seemed to be so close to the pervading squalor of the homeless and destitute people of which she had become so aware. She felt safe with Karl, nerd he may be, but he was tall with a nice build, she felt a little tingle, the thought of being wrapped-up in his arms later gave her a warm feeling bringing a glow to her cheeks.

They had eaten in a smart Chinese restaurant, where they had chosen a meal served up in many small portions, the variety of dishes enabling people unfamiliar with the cuisine to sample the exotic eastern flavours. It had been fun as they tried to eat and to feed one another using their chopsticks, neither of them willing to give up, and use the standard cutlery also provided.

The oriental girl who was serving them had been so helpful and attentive, probably aware of how excited Marta was to be dinning out in such style, when she presented Karl with the bill, she also served up two complimentary drinks. She assured them they were not strong, just a regional digestive drink from where her family came from, the small glasses held a rich clear sweet liquid with some unknown white fruit floating in it, Marta had almost been tempted to ask for another.

Now the light had faded the air was cool, Karl walked with his arm round her, in response she put her arm around his waist, slipping her hand into his back pocket as she had seen some older girls do with their boyfriends. Karl had a case of instant wood with her hand on his backside, his groan was accompanied by a giggle from Marta, he wondered if she knew what she did to him.

Many of the historic buildings were picked out in subtle coloured lighting to display their detail and grandeur, and he was able to tell her about a few of the more obvious buildings, like some of the museums that he knew well. They stopped a while to sit on the edge of a fountain in one of the squares, to play people watching, making up little stories of those people they saw about them.

Karl stopped mid sentence, aware that Marta's attention had been elsewhere, “What is it you look worried.”

“Do you see that girl in the striped top over near where that ally leads off the square?”

“Yes I saw her begging a short time ago.”

“Karl, I don't think you understand, she's only approached men on their own.”

“You can't,.... No you don't mean, she cant be any older than you are!”

“I'm going over to speak with her.”

Karl's objection was cut off by a stern look, “Watch, but stay back, if I can get her to go with me you can follow, but stay well back or she might run off”, she kissed him then walked off across the square.

“Hello.”

“Look rich bitch, go away, I don't need you messing things up for me.”

Marta was taken aback by the fierce outburst, but felt sure the girl was making a show of bravado, to cover the fear and panic she saw lurking just below the surface.

“My name's Marta, I don't think you want to be here doing this.”

“You don't know shit, you don't know nothing about my life.”

Marta could see the strain, the girl was at the end of her tether, tears waiting to well up.

“Five months ago my life changed, if it hadn't I would be where you are now, the only difference, is it would have been in some small no account run down town.

I think I can help you, we could sit down and talk,... I could buy you a meal.”

At last a flicker of interest, she did look a bit thin, how many meals had she missed?

”You think I haven't seen your pimp hiding over by the fountain?”

Marta shook her head, “That's Karl my boyfriend, probably annoyed I've come to speak with you, if he doesn't get me home by nine-thirty my dad promised to tear his arms and legs off.”

At last Marta felt she may have connected, had the fear and anger receded, she tried again, “Look I don't know how much you expected those men to pay, but I will give you some money, and we can go down to that burger place over there, and I'll buy you a meal, whatever you want.”

“Look I'm not trying to trick you, cash in your pocket for your time, that's better than you've done so far this evening,” at which point Marta was interrupted, “Okay, anything I want to eat and you'll buy it? And you'll spot me the rate for a bj?”

Karl was worried, Marta had been speaking to the girl for some time, he kept scanning the area, the last thing he needed was for the police to show up, thinking that both girls were working the street, Igor really would kill him. He had just decided to call her home number when he saw they were moving off, as per instructions he followed staying well back.

Seeing them enter the burger bar he screwed up his courage and rang Igor's mobile number hoping he was doing the right thing.

“Karl?, Is Marta okay? Is there some problem?”

“She's fine sir there is no problem, but she's just met someone.......”

He went on to explain the strange turn of events, and how Marta was sitting in a burger joint talking with a young girl who had been trying to sell herself on the streets.

After Igor had confirmed Karl hadn't let his daughter out of his sight, he told Karl this was possibly the strangest call any father had received as to why his daughter might be late home from a date, and to call him back later if they needed his help, or a lift home.

Igor told Ella what had happened, at a loss as to why his sensible logical daughter would reach out to offer help to some random girl on the street, what did she think she could do, there were just too many. Following news and current events, a recent term used in the papers was how 'compassion fatigue' had set in due to the large numbers of homeless. Anna came and snuggled up against his side, he had been unaware she had overheard him telling Ella of the events in town, but looking at her father she could see that he had missed what was apparent to her and her mum.

“Daddy I don't think you understand, you said Karl told you Marta was talking to a young girl, I don't think he meant late teens or twenties, I think literally he meant a girl in our age group.”

Igor was stunned, a girl barely more than a child forced by circumstances into prostitution, it was something too shocking to contemplate.

“I think Marta looking back on our old life could have seen her own fate in that girl.”

Horrified Igor tried to speak but couldn't get the words past the lump in his throat.

“Do you think Marta or me or mum could see the boys go hungry?”

The three held each other tightly, openly crying.

Chapter 27

Marta fulfils her role as fairy godmother more than she had originally imagined, with many surprises in store for Irisha.

Irisha was thirteen, it was only her and her mum Yana who had worked as a waitress, but she'd been very sick, her boss having no sympathy, after she took time off for doctor and hospital visits he told her not to come back; she had been replaced. Although still unwell she had been out every day looking for work, but so were thousands of others, unskilled jobs were not to be found, the rent was weeks overdue, and they had nothing left to sell.

This was Irisha's third night on the street, another working girl had given her some advice but warned her off to find her own patch, she had thrown-up the first time, and had been stiffed once, now she always asked for the money up front, but with so much competition the money she could charge was a pittance, she had only come to this because she had given up on begging as such a hopeless cause, she may just as well have been invisible.

The girl had asked for two burger meals, one she had eaten ravenously, while the second had remained in the box untouched, once Irisha had began to talk her whole sorry tale seemed to tumble out.

Marta knew that it happened, there were streets in her old home town where women and girls sold themselves, if the whispered rumours at her old school were true, which she suspected they were, some girls possibly even from her year, were out there looking for trade. Looking at the sad and desperate girl sitting across the table Marta decided she couldn't save the world, but she could help one girl, it wouldn't matter that everyone else thought she was mad, this was something she could do.

“I'm going to help you and your mum get back on your feet.”

Irisha stared back across the table, “Are you crazy? Do you think you can just magic up a living wage until my mum gets better, then perform some miracle and find her a job?”

“Yes, and yes, but first I really must phone home it's nine-twenty, and I can't make it back in only ten minuets.”

“Hi mum can I speak to dad, I don't want him to break any bits off my boyfriend.”

“Karl phoned me earlier, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“See, he is a good responsible boyfriend, telling you how I abandoned him so I could talk to someone else, but I can see him outside he's been watching out for me.”

Irisha found it hard to believe, like some fairy godmother, only they were like supposed to be older, not a girl the same age as her, she listened as she spoke to her father, asking him to get the cash that would keep the building supervisor off their back, and where to come and meet them, also asking for him to bring her sister. When the call ended Marta explained that she felt Irisha would be scared to get a lift with her dad and boyfriend in the car, so her ten year old sister would be there as well. When Marta offered to let her phone home to speak with her mum, but Irisha said how their service had been cut off.

Marta got out one of her ever present notebooks and started a new page, name, age, date of birth, address, and so on, then saying how difficult it would be to keep in touch until the phone was reconnected, she then wanted to know which was her nearest Metro station.

“Okay, rent, phone, money for groceries, utilities, any other debts?”

Soon Marta was on the phone again, this time calling her sister, “Hi Anna are you on your way? I called you as I didn't want to disturb dad if he was driving could you ask dad to get double the cash I asked for, there's utilities to be sorted, they both need to eat properly if her mum is to get well.”

“Anna and mum must have been thinking ahead, she's brought one of mums pies with her, much better for your mum than that greasy burger you were saving for her, probably the box would make healthier eating.”

It was the first time Marta had seen the girl smile, with a little work and a good diet she could look quite attractive.

“Wow, you must be like mega rich or something.”

“No way, at the start of summer dad heard rumours he would lose his job, we could really have been in the same boat you are, then things changed, my sister got a job, then we moved to the city, my dad got a new job, better than his old one, then I got some work, and soon mum is going to be working part time.”

“You all work, but ...”

“I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you,” Marta said with a big grin on her face.

“Your boyfriend is waving to get your attention.”

They stepped outside, Irisha clutching the burger box, with the crisp new banknotes folded in her pocket virtually on the point of panic, it was almost surreal, could she trust this girl, would she wake up tomorrow trapped in some brothel. She looked on as Marta hugged and kissed her boyfriend, until a younger girl ran up gleefully saying their dad was coming up the street and could see them. As tall well built man approached, the two teens separated, but Marta kept an arm round the boy, as she told the man it wasn't Karl's fault.

She watched the byplay between the group in front of her, an unlikely bunch for white slavers, could it be as Marta said, a family sharing their sudden change in fortune.

Lost in the moment, she was startled out of her reverie, the young girl had appeared at her side introducing herself, and asking if she was Irisha.

It was an odd evening for all concerned, the girls sat in the third row of seats talking in hushed tones, as Karl sat up front talking with Igor, who'd taken on the roll of cab driver, first delivering Irisha outside the building where she lived, they waited until she was safely inside before moving on. Next stop Karl, he said he would like them to meet his parents, but it was a bit late this evening, Igor tongue in cheek said he would look out of the front windscreen while they said goodnight. As Marta stepped out of the car to see Karl off Anna chided her dad for embarrassing them, though she too was grinning.

There was an awkward silence on the remainder of their journey home, Igor not knowing what to say to either of his daughters, how did you speak about the subject of prostitution with two girls that young. He chickened out going to bed early, leaving Ella talking with the girls, unable to say what time she eventually got to join him. At breakfast Igor was still at a loss as to how to talk about yesterdays events, but with the boys there, what could he have said. Instead he brought Marta up to date on the last call concerning the house purchase, and the low bid he had made, and how if the man came back with any kind of offer, it would confirm his position that the owner needed to sell, so he would not shift on the price he was prepared to pay.

Mother and daughters had talked long into the night, Marta had been deeply affected by what she had witnessed, seeing Irisha outwardly coming on to the men as they walked by, yet even from a distance, she could sense the girl's fear and loathing, perhaps aware for the first time how blind men were to the body language of those around them.

Both her mum and Valya had said men were fairly simple creatures, on whom subtlety was usually wasted, now she had seen how they were immune to Irisha's conflicting signals.

The envelope of cash Anna had given over the night before would hopefully put the pair on an even keel for the moment, relieving the stress her mother had been under, the plan was to meet Irisha at ten, at their favourite café near the International school.

The girls ordered fruit flavoured teas as they sat down, both anxious as to whether or not the girl would show up, they'd both brought magazines with them to peruse during their uncertain wait. By quarter past neither spoke aloud, but each kept checking the time, so it was with relief when they saw Irisha heading towards them, a gaunt looking woman with sunken eyes followed in her wake.

The two sisters hugged her in warm greeting, although they could feel the girl's reserve, as her mum reached the table introductions were made all round. Marta called for some medivnyk honey cake, together with fresh drinks for her guests, keen to know if bills had been settled to keep the wolf from the door, Irisha said the back rent had been paid, they planned to sort other debts during the coming week. Yana hardly spoke at all, still unwell and suspicious of why these strangers were helping them, but she'd already spent part of the money to ensure they didn't get kicked out this week, if they asked for it back again they could join the queue.

Marta had given up trying to draw Yana into their conversation, instead asking Irisha what kind of work her mum would like when her health improved, as she was sure one of their contacts would help her find a job. This was like pulling teeth, slow and painful, as Marta paused to eat some cake, she saw Irisha's attention drawn by the magazines on the table, and asked if they interested her.

“I was just thinking how these foreign students coming to school here just leave these magazines lying about, they must each cost far more than those burger meals last night.”

“It's not the foreigners, Anna and I get them.”

From then on the whole tone of the conversation changed, in the neighbourhood where Irisha had previously lived, an English family moved in, she had taught the kids Ukrainian, and she had in turn perfected her English, as English was just one of several languages that she spoke, she had always loved learning new languages.

A look passed between the sisters and they switched to English, true to her word Irisha was able to join in without hesitation, then Marta asked if she could read it, opening to a random page, next they wanted to know if she would be able to write in English as well.

Irisha wondered at the sisters growing excitement, after all it wasn't as if she could work in a big hotel, or get a job with the tourist office at her age.

The sisters switched back to their native tongue, “I don't know what to do Anna, I think I need to call Ivan, another fluent English speaker could bring the programme forward.”

Marta moved to a far table to make her call, meanwhile even Yana's curiosity had been roused by the excitement shown, and she wanted to know what was going on.

“I can't say much until Marta has spoken with Ivan, but I think he may offer Irisha a job.” Mother and daughter looked at one another with puzzled expressions, “I thought you were going to help me find a job when I get well.”

“Yes we can still do that, but Irisha may be offered a very good job, then you can be fully recovered before you need to worry about starting work.”

“Marta said last night you both worked, when I asked she laughed and said, 'I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you', why so secret, is it something illegal?”

“No it's fun, I wish I could say more, I really do, but it's not just my secret, I don't know what Ivan will say, but he's nice and he trys to help everyone.”

The waitress showed up asking if they wanted anything else, so Anna settled the bill saying they would be going as soon as her sister finished her phone call.

Ivan wanted the girls to bring Irisha and Yana to the park by the Studio's apartments so he could meet them, not having anything else to do they went, grabbing the nearest cab.

When they arrived the sisters immediately saw Ivan strolling across the grass, and ran over each giving him a kiss, then introducing him to the newcomers. They moved to a picnic table with fixed seating where Ivan began, “Thank you for coming to this mystery meeting, I first met Anna here just over five months ago, she came along to an audition in a large public hall in the town where she used to live. She came in response to a notice like this one, at which point he gave Yana a flyer for her and her daughter to see.

Top modelling agency looking for attractive girls from eight to fourteen................etc. etc.

“Before I go on, you have met Anna, and I believe Irisha met her father Igor, does Anna strike you as someone who is in any way unhappy or exploited, or do you think her father is the kind of man who would allow that to happen to her?”

They both shook their heads.

“Long story short, Anna became a model, in fact she is now in the top three, from a fairly substantial catalogue of girls spread right across the Ukraine, but here in the capitol she is unknown, anonymous, as her work is only ever seen abroad, the same for all our girls.

The output from our Studio is aimed mainly at an American audience, on membership only internet web-sites, which is why Anna is unknown here other than to friends and family.”

“You look at me with a wary eye, but this is a legitimate business enterprise, admittedly a new type of venture, catering to those who appreciate the ephemeral nature and beauty of a young girl's transition and her emergence into adolescence.”

Irisha asked the question that was also on her mums lips, “Are the pictures like naked?”

“Our Studio enterprise runs two main web-sites, on one the girls show no more than a flash of underwear, whereas the other has girls in fancy costumes, which they remove during the course of the set. The style isn't blatant or crude, nor do we have any dealings with child pornography, this is just about young girls having fun in a safe environment, it's merely artistic nudity based in fantasy settings.”

Ivan paused, letting it set in, waiting for the inevitable questions that would follow, as both mum and daughter voiced their thoughts, Ivan went through much of the information prospective models and their parents wanted to know. It was soon fairly clear they had no weird hang-ups about nudity or body issues, therefore giving the whole idea a favourable consideration, when Irisha suddenly made a link.

“Marta was trying to help us by finding mum a job, it wasn't till they knew I spoke English that they got all excited, and said they might find a job for me, what has that got to do with taking pictures of me?”

“That my dear girl is a good question, when our models have done a few photo sets, we are soon able to spot those girls that have reached a certain level of confidence, and then we give them a chance to produce a video in a similar vein to the stills sets. That said we have recently embarked on a new series, where a girl might enact a simple scene from daily life while engaging in a foreign dialogue. These new videos have proved exceedingly popular with our members, but so far we have too few girls available with the language skills needed, although many are now taking several lessons a week, that is where you could have a massive head start over the others.”

Now the interest really ramped up, and Ivan suggested they move their discussion to the adjacent apartment building, once settled they were shown the red and blue albums, the blue one now included some samples of Natasha's work, seeing these Irisha did a double take looking back and forth between fantasy and the reality of the girl sitting at the same table.

“This is your job?... This is why you're rich? ...Are you in here too?” the last question was directed at Marta.

“No, I don't have Anna's confidence, but I do work for the Studio, I sort of do research and try to think up new ideas, oh and I do scripts for the videos.”

After more talk it finally came down to the question of did Irisha want to be a model, and would her mum agree, Yana was worn down by life, a single parent struggling to get by and her recent illness had been the final straw, sapping her strength and her will, she fully expected to end up on the street selling herself as soon as she was well enough, it had hurt to see her child reduced to begging. In truth she did not know the full extent of her daughter's effort to put bread on the table, and Irisha had only agreed to meet the sisters again if they never told her mum of her awful degradation.

Irisha was keen to sign up with her mother's resigned agreement, before producing the forms Ivan stated they had never signed on a model who hadn't done an audition shoot in front of the camera, but he could sense Irisha had the same can do attitude the sisters had shown with each challenge they'd faced. The deciding factor for Ivan had been this girl's ability to read any passage he asked of her, and that she could hold a conversation with him in English without any stumbling or hesitation.

When they started going through the standard terms and conditions of the contract, along with the payment rates, any reluctance Yana had felt about her daughter becoming involved were swept aside, they would be raised from they very margins of society to a position of wealth only enjoyed by people with high status managerial jobs. Even if Irisha were to be only moderately successful they could expect considerable changes in their life, Yana could not begin to imagine the outcome if Irisha were to do the videos as well.

Ivan explained each document before the woman signed it, model exclusivity clause, then the confidentiality agreement, and so on as the two piles grew, he smiled as he became aware Anna was showing Irisha a tour of the web site using her own laptop, and was now running the cup cake video.

When all the paperwork had been completed, Ivan turned to address Irisha asking now that she had seen the other models, if she felt confident enough to face the camera.

“Easy-peasy”, Irisha blushed slightly, feeling she had given a somewhat childish reply, not currently thinking of her recent more adult pursuit, sucking men's thingies in a dark ally, and when it did come to mind later, with a shudder it would be an episode she wished to forget.

“Okay then, I'm parked up outside, we can go over to the Studio, sort out some passes, and get a late lunch, next you two can give our newcomers the tour, I'm sure they'd love a salon visit if there's a slot free, I know it always cheers up my Mira when she's feeling low.

I'll see if we can't book you both in for a doctors visit Monday, Yana you need to get well to look after your daughter; Irisha, listen to the doctor, you may need to take some dietary supplements, and ensure you eat the right things, you can't go in front of the cameras as you are. In a few weeks you'll be all rosy cheeked, we have standards and a reputation to maintain, you only need look at those pictures to see it's part of our ethos, what you see there are happy healthy girls.”

The rest of the afternoon was the usual newbie experience, awe and wonder, plus they both got pampered in the salon, Ivan was right, it was almost as good as any tonic known to man. They got to meet and greet, and see the sets, more than that they experienced the pervading friendly attitude, nobody shunning them for their down at heel look – many of these folk had been there at one time.

At last they were about to be driven home in a cab that had been prepaid, her mum with paperwork, health centre appointments, plus a sign on fee, Irisha turned ran back to the girls, hugging them tears streaming down her face.

“Thank-you, ..thank-you , I,...yesterday, ..(sniff)”

Marta gently grasped her shoulders, “I know, less than 24 hours, but a long time ago, and now in the past, forget it, move on. As those religious types are always saying, - there but for the grace of god,- Irisha it could well have been me out there, or even worse, Anna.”

As the car pulled away they could see Irisha hugging her mum, Marta felt a kiss on her cheek, “You're a good person, and the best-est big sister ever.”

Marta thought she'd best go and check her make-up.

Chapter 28

Marta visits the 'other house' her first meeting with Karl's folks, she also learns how dumb men and boys can be, plus more set up and background for future chapters.

As the sisters made their way home on the Metro, Marta bemoaned the fact they hadn't done any of the things they'd originally planned for the day, not even a trip to the shops, but Anna looking her in the eye said what had happened was far more important, and she should be feeling proud of herself. At home there were three boys playing in the garden, Ella agreed to have Victor for the day to help out Magda, as the coast was clear the girls updated their mum on the day's events, Ella holding back the tears was united with Anna that Marta's selfless act had saved that poor girl from another night on the streets, and in all likelihood an increasingly bleak future.

Marta was a little embarrassed by the fuss, stating she needed to get on with some work in her room, plus she wanted to phone Karl, when she called and tried to apologise about how she'd ruined their date, he was very understanding saying there was really nothing to apologise for, she was a heroine of the first order and how brave she had been. To change the subject she asked if they could go out tonight or spend Sunday together, they spent time talking about various ideas, eventually the consensus was for another cycle ride this time in the local neighbourhood as she wanted to become more familiar with the area.

As per normal Marta also had secondary reasons for this plan, but then so did Karl, when he had said the previous evening he would like Marta to meet his parents, the truth was his mum had been constantly badgering him to bring his girlfriend home, so he hoped to get her off his back by telling her Marta would join them for Lunch the next day.

Boy did he have things to learn about females, when he spoke to his mum, his dad sat back grinning as she complained of the lack of notice, and how she had nothing in, though Karl knew there was loads of food in the house, next she was all in a flap about what she was going to wear. Karl's dad then got it in the neck for slinking behind his newspaper, at which point Karl wished he could say 'beam me up Scotty', or maybe start the day again with a reset button.

When the family had brought their bikes a couple of weeks back Igor had gone all out, taking advice about all the possible extras, the boys had knee and elbow protection, for when the training wheels came off. The girls being older felt they were too cool, besides they were so much better coordinated, and therefore didn't need them. Igor did insist that everyone got helmets, and the girls also got panniers as Marta said Karl had those on his bike, but she had only just got around to attaching them this morning for their day out.

Karl showed up early to find Marta sitting on the ground legs astride the back wheel as she made the last adjustments needed to fit the panniers, with tools laid out neatly by a small box at her side. The open leg stance was reminiscent of so many site photos which he had seen, and even though a layer of denim blocked the view, he still sprung a woody at her pose.

He quickly moved to kneel down beside Marta giving her a kiss hoping she hadn't seen the movement in his jeans. Faces close Marta spoke quietly, “We're girlfriend and boyfriend right?” at his nod she went on. “Last week you shook me up, changed my view about me, about those marks, the ones that aren't important any more. So now it's my turn to help you out, I know how guys react” she said looking down between them, “I know a lot of the time they have no control over it, so don't worry, I'll take it as a compliment, Okay?”

Karl knew she must have felt it before, when they were pressed together kissing, but the red faced boy was somehow tongue tied that she had spoken openly about the 'elephant in the room' so okay it wasn't that big, but her statement had nevertheless surprised him.

He stood as Marta tidied away the tools, he then helped her up, and earned another kiss as she bumped against the subject she had spoken of, he thought she looked cute with a smudge of grease on her forehead, but he told her, as he didn't want to get in trouble later. When they were ready to set off, Marta said how she wanted to get a digital camera, as the day before hadn't worked out the as planned, she wanted to take some pictures while they were out today.

Karl pointed out they would need to go right into town, besides it would need charging before she could use it, then he said she could use his camera, as he had it with him, pleased Marta kissed him again saying what a practical boyfriend she had. Marta checked the local area street atlas she had conned out of the house agent, tracing the route for the first stop of the day.

They stopped at the T junction, it was BIG, she couldn't guess how many rooms, the garden, no on second thoughts – make that the grounds, were in a sorry state, weeds had taken over, totally unkempt, the lawns hadn't been cut all summer, and stuff was dumped on the driveway - perfect.

Her father had taught her, being in maintenance was a bit like being an emergency doctor, triage your patient to determine the superficial from the life threatening, but the vendor's agent had seen what they wanted him to see, although he should have known better, but of course he wasn't an expert, he was merely a salesman when all said and done.

Karl was given his orders, wide angle shots from all four sides of the house, then shots showing the view outwards across the grounds as seen from the house, overlap the shots so he had everything. Then she wanted each wall, next every door and window close up, focus on capturing any of the architectural details, and anything that looked damaged, she even wanted pictures of the driveway, the gates, and the paths around the house.

After placing their bikes out of sight of the road, Marta began her own snooping, at one of the smashed rear windows she looked in to see the carnage, the puddles had dried out though they'd left impressive stains, and the water pistols Anna had suggested had made a nice job of the ceilings above, a little coloured water went a long way.

She went to find Karl, then dragged him back to the smashed rear window, asking him for a demonstration of how to use the camera, before he had a chance to say anything she was up on the sill and in through the window. He tried to get her to come out and was about to follow, but was again told what to do, act as lookout and guard their bikes.

Marta went from room to room taking shots of anything and everything, glad that these digital cameras did not have the limited capacity of old film cameras, she even took shots of the views from the bedroom windows, noting that the closest neighbour was a small bungalow that could be seen through the trees to the back of the house. She thought the house must be really old, from the style it could have been built in the early 1900's though it had to have been updated, with extra bathrooms added at some point, she could tell some parts had been changed about, her dad would know for sure, that is if the owner was as desperate to sell as it seemed he was.

A relieved Karl grasped her waist and helped her down, she kissed him once again before pulling the window closed, mission accomplished they rode off to Marta's next port of call, the local parade of shops, to visit the newsagent which their family often used.

Greeting Marta he asked what he could do for her today, perhaps she wanted some more sweets for her brothers, but no, today she was after more magazines, only this time life - style ones for the well to do set, with those beautiful colour spread features on house and gardens which were so popular with the bored wives of the executives living in this area.

The new panniers proved useful as she had a nice haul, now it was Karl's turn, his route took in a local library, then on past a private sports centre which had a pool, there were other small local parks, and then she found they were at the block where Karl lived.

She followed round to the back where he could lock both bikes in a small shed, pleased with his surprise he told Marta they were having lunch with his parents.

He didn't expect the shocked reaction, or to be told he was an idiot, first his mum now Marta, saying how she was only wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, not a nice dress, and how she would have made an effort if he had warned her. Knowing she was expected, she couldn't back down, she hadn't even brought a gift of any kind, what would his parents think. Digging through the panniers she opened her make-up bag to find a small mirror in order to touch up her appearance, before facing his family.

With her rapid heartbeat she wondered if this is how new models felt, the first time naked in front of a camera as Karl fumbled for his keys to unlock the door. After initial greetings Marta apologised for the way she was dressed stating how she hadn't been told about the lunch, she had only found out about it two minuets ago, giving Karl a pointed dirty look.

Elena, Karl's mum put a sympathetic arm round Marta's shoulder, saying her son needed a lot of training, it had taken her years to train Denys his father, with that she lead Marta off to the kitchen where they could talk leaving the dumb males behind.

It seemed only a short time later they were chatting away like old friends, Elena confiding she'd been a little worried her son had been so shy, especially when it came to meeting girls, and Marta said she had been pretty much a wallflower until recently. Elena broached the subject of the Studio, saying how at first they'd been shocked, but having seen a few of the pictures and realising the employment it created, saw it as a power for good in the lives of all the girls who joined, and it also created employment for so many other people.

Soon Marta was pouring her heart out, telling the tale of the desperate girl they had found on the streets two nights ago, and how Karl had played his part watching over her, while not complaining about how she had abandoned him part way through the evening.

Elena had not been aware of what had happened on Friday night, saying perhaps her son wasn't beyond hope if he was prepared to help with her mercy mission. Marta then told her about how their meeting had progressed the following day, and that Irisha had been signed-up without even an audition, Ivan having then arranged for them both to have the medical care they so obviously needed, and hopefully Yana would be well again soon.

Under other circumstances Elena might have been embarrassed to have a guest helping in the kitchen then serving up, but she was just so taken with the girl, it made her think how nice it must be to have a daughter. Talking over the men as if they weren't there, Elena said it had only taken eighteen years to train Denys, and he was very nearly house broken as he'd managed to set the table without being told. As Karl was about to speak his father interrupted him saying not to steal the merit points he had just gained with his wife.

She liked Karl's parents, and the meal was great, Karl must only have been complimenting her mum, to say she was a far better cook. Marta found Elena worked in a department of local government, she described herself as a paper pusher, and Karl's dad was a technical writer, a job she had never heard of. He explained how when you made any complicated device, somebody had to write the instructions on how to operate it, the do's and don'ts, and on how to look after and maintain it.

When Marta said it looked like Karl got his academic genes from both parents, his smart reply was to say he got his jeans at a designer store in town, earning a jab in the ribs for such a poor attempt at humour. It was amazing where the time went, as after they had eaten the conversation flowed easily, and she found Karl's parents knew so much about her family, and they were all up to date on the happenings at the Studio, aware of Anna's rising popularity, and about many of her own contributions.

Karl teased that he must be the best teacher as Marta was learning a lot about computers, while she said it was his own fault for being too slow if he was having trouble learning any English, for she was having no problems teaching her younger brothers. When he talked about his night school workload, she conceded he had a point, then said with a smirk she would place him in the remedial class, or work out a reward scheme, suddenly realising how that sounded Marta, began to stutter and went bright red.

There was laughter all round, as it began to settle Marta peeped out between her fingers, and it started up again. Elena grasped Marta's hand giving her a brief friendly squeeze, “Sometimes the most innocent lines cause the biggest laughs as they are unintended, but don't worry next time you come round we can upset Karl, I'll get out the baby albums, and then it will be his turn to be embarrassed.”

On the way home Karl pointed out the Metro station he used to get to her house when not cycling, then he showed her the most direct route for biking back. They arrived to discover Igor had just finished washing his shiny new MPV in front of the house, the boys had been sent in after getting soaked in their efforts to help. Seeing Karl, Igor had some questions about using spreadsheets on his new toy, so they both went off to the study, a short while later when Ella came out, she found Marta putting away the hose and cleaning kit, saying her dad had left her to do all the work, and stolen away her boyfriend into the bargain.

They went to the kitchen to talk, Anna was upstairs supervising the boys in the bathroom, it had been amazing that in cleaning the car, they had managed to get both wet and dirty.

On hearing about how Karl had pulled off a stunt to upset his mum and girlfriend by not considering how they would like more notice of an important lunch date, Marta said he was probably not beyond redemption, he just needed training. Ella said at least her boys had the guiding influence of three females, so they might grow up to be more civilised.

It was not difficult to persuade Karl to stay for supper as it involved eating and spending more time with Marta, he had retrieved the required cable while he had been home so they could transfer that day's photos to Marta's laptop, then they loaded them up to Igor's and Anna's laptops as well. When Anna arrived the trio ran through all the pictures, then studied the various magazines to see how houses of a similar style appeared when done up to look their best.

A subtle two tone paint finish seemed in vogue, but then Anna found one example that also had some fine detailing in a third colour causing the architectural features to stand out more vividly, just raising it above the rest. After choosing two or three possible colour schemes, the girls started on the pictures of the grounds, when Anna asked them about the bungalow which was surrounded by a low hedge of shrubs. Marta remarked it was their nearest neighbour and with the mature garden could only really be seen from a few of the back bedroom windows, the other adjoining properties were much better shielded behind high walls and the massive mature planting around the boundary edges.

The girls then discussed how to improve the visual appeal of the grounds which would involve the minimum effort or outlay, impatiently Karl asked why they were so keen about paint colours or landscaping, surely the soundness of the house was more important.

From the looks he got from both girls he had the sinking feeling he had just asked a dumb question, Marta patting him on the head said it was all about first impressions, therefore they were 'set dressing' to sell the house.

“Look we 'helped' the house agent think the place was in an awfully bad way, it does need some work and dad's got plans for that, but when it's finished we need to sell it quickly. When a rich family come to view it, the wife will be impressed that it looks nicer than the ones she's seen in these magazines, then she will make her husband buy the house.”

From Marta's smug grin he couldn't help feel she had it all sewn up, apparently it was all to do with the term 'kerb appeal', whereby somebody would take an instant liking to the place, so before they even took a look inside, they'd already formed a favourable opinion.

When he voiced his concerns they might be wasting their time if the sale didn't work out his fears were eased as Marta said the research they were doing cost very little, therefore if it came to nothing this time, they could use it when their next opportunity showed up.

When Karl asked how she always had an answer, Marta said it was because girls were just naturally smarter than boys, Karl for once showed his maturity by biting his lip rather than coming back with a reply, realising whatever he said, it would only get him into trouble.

About eight that evening Karl said his goodbyes, and Marta went with him to open the garage so he could retrieve his bike, and they could say goodnight together properly, then returning she found Anna showing their dad the pictures Marta had taken. Igor with raised eyebrow asked about the pictures from inside the house.

“I, er,.. dropped the camera through the open window, and it must have gone off?”

With a rye smile Igor claimed how odd that it should have bounced right through each room before she managed to retrieve the errant device. They were joined by Ella so the adults sat in front of the screen with the girls looking over their shoulders as Igor paged through the images. Often in teaching mode with his kids, he pointed out original features of the house that were worth emphasizing, and others where the reverse was true such as the inset hollows of some bricked up doorways.

Marta said he was thinking with his old head on, not his new entrepreneurs head, the men who painted the boys room could do a trick painting so it looked like the door was open to the garden. That would change a negative feature into a special one, though she couldn't remember what it was called.

“Trompe l'oeil”, Anna stated confidently, “It's an effect so it looks like you can step into the painting, we covered it in drama, you see it in the backdrops at the Studio quite often.”

“That would add a touch of class and raise it above the 'ordinary' executive house, to have works of art as part of the fabric of the interior could add a 'wow' factor, a term I've heard used these days, and I think maybe my daughters know where to find the right people.”

With the images and the magazines for inspiration a whole slew of ideas poured fourth for the transformation of a house they didn't yet have, Ella even suggested various scented plants, plus a herb garden beside the kitchen window, so the place would smell homely.

When the girls talked about the exterior colour schemes, Igor said he knew a man with a paint warehouse, to whom he had passed a few orders in the past week, and he was sure they could get a reasonable price for all the decorating products they would need.

Marta had been scribbling notes during their brainstorming session, she would type them up later when she had ruminated upon them, ideas often gelled a lot better if she slept on them, plus she had thoughts about any number of things she wanted to investigate on the internet. It was great that her sister along with the other girls made an income from their pictures being on the internet, but it did have other uses too.

Chapter 29

On the way to school before they reached the Metro station, Eve was discussing how well the forum practice sessions had been going over the past week, with several girls joining in with the fake members, it gave them a real goal, pushing them to improve their skills.

Another topic was those girls that had managed to take part in the banking scheme, each pleased to have a chance to extend their career, and their potential earnings. Once they came to the more crowded streets nearer the station they switched to the more mundane issues of the day such as which pop stars were hot and which were not, and the normal intrigues of the social scene at school.

Everything about their current school made their previous one look dated as if they had stepped through a time warp, coming forwards ten years or more, there had been only two computers available for the pupils to use, so most kids only experience was looking over the shoulder of someone else at the keyboard, even then the machines were so old as to be virtually useless. The girls at least faired better because some of them got to use a bunch of old typewriters that must have dated back from the 70's, the school ethos being the most any girl could hope for was to be a secretary or a waitress, up until the time they got pregnant or married.

There were no typewriters at their new school, there was a computer lab with enough machines to go around, even those too were a bit dated, and it was frustrating not to be able to have the speed or functionality they were used to at home. They had considered actually taking their school-work laptops into school, but the risk of having them stolen once it were known they owned such expensive kit meant it was a non starter. Fortunately other than the 'Studio girls' there were a sufficient number of other students from wealthy families, therefore it wasn't uncommon for the teachers to be handed neatly printed-out homework assignments.

At the end of another normal busy day at school, the three girls liked to meet up as they did every day at last bell, being a Monday they would head their separate ways, Marta off to her traditional dance class, Anna had Drama, but Eve had no extra-curricular activities other than to rush home to join in the forum practice session that night. Anna and Marta both found they'd had missed calls from Valya, Marta returned the call while the other two waited, news was a girl scheduled that afternoon had cancelled due to a nose bleed, so if Anna wanted the now vacant studio time, Valya would hustle-up some costumes.

Discreetly Marta asked if Anna wanted to visit their friends Valya and John that evening as they unexpectedly found their evening free. Both Anna and Eve understood that message, so Eve said she would look after their bags while they rushed off to make their excuses for the after school activities they would now miss.

With a rapid mass exodus being the norm, the streets between their school and the Metro station had become mostly devoid of their fellow pupils, and Eve mentioned she'd had her first bank-job visit planned for Thursday, and was looking forward to the opportunity, even if it meant missing out one evening of forum practice. At home the sisters discovered their mum had their Studio backpacks out ready, along with two snack boxes she had prepared for them, so they were soon on their way.

The receptionist greeting the girls said Valya was waiting for them at the salon, all those ladies were in, busy and fussing over two models that they recognised who both went to the other popular city school, but they were in their final stages of preparation en-route to being recorded for their future audiences. The salon was arranged so they could work on five models at once, though the girls in question had a staff member on almost every limb in order to hasten the procedure.

They kissed in greeting, Valya showing the girls two style sheets she had picked out, with the hope they could pull off a double as they had talked of last week. The plan was that they would try and shoot the first set on the Aztec backdrop with Anna's hair hanging in loose ringlets, wearing the mauve iridescent outfit. Then for a quick makeover, gathering Anna's hair up on top of her head using some pins and feathers as shown on the second sheet, with the pink outfit shown, by then studio one would be free, and they could use the monastery tower background.

A grinning Marta remarked on the incongruity of naked girls against such a setting, and although Valya agreed she said she didn't know which joker in the set building department had christened the backcloth with that title. Anna was next up in the chair while the salon ladies performed their magic, referring to both the sheets they needed to work from.

One of the stylists offered to call in on set after the first shoot, to help set Anna's topknot as it would easily fall apart if not expertly fixed, as they knew how much the girls tended to cavort about in order to add some spontaneity to their presentation.

It was decided to forgo any nail varnish, to avoid clashing with the two different coloured costumes, and Valya was intending to go for a fairly simple minimalist make up regime for a subtle effect which she could alter quickly. When the heated tongs and hair spray had been set aside, the large decorative clasps were clipped on to hold the style in place.

The complex had a greater capacity than they currently used on a regular basis, sets were most often shot in studios one through to four, because they had the latest lighting rigs, numbers five and six were not that far behind, and the last two were fairly spartan, used for experimental work or shoots that might be messy. Soon they were walking down the central corridor past the studios they usually frequented, opening No.5 to find a painted backdrop and floor.

The painted background was in muted colours, a sort of stylised temple, walls festooned in carvings, their were polystyrene rocks on the floor, and the set had been dressed with real vines and exotic artificial blooms. Next to Valya's make up table was a second one where the costume was laid out, a short pleated skirt and a simple blouse, but the material was a strangely almost transparent, an iridescent material with a hint of mauve, the top also had the addition of a fine chiffon in some areas making it marginally less transparent, but this costume did include a pair of thin flowery pastel coloured panties to match.

When Anna stripped off to sit in the make up chair, Valya noted her lack of underwear, and asked if they had come directly from school. Anna said they had called home first, and she had removed her panties then, but it had felt exciting travelling to the Studio bare under her skirt on the Metro, wondering how the other commuters would react if they'd known. Of course being a professional Anna was aware that the marks elasticated undies left took a while to fade. That comment reminded Valya about Ann's FAQ, that she had been given to review a few weeks ago, opening a draw on her trolley where she kept paperwork she handed two sheets to Anna.

Along with her original, was a second sheet of the scribbled notes and comments people had made about Anna's list, there was more about how each point was written out on the paper, rather than much in the way of changes to her basic concept. Anna was pleased that the experts liked her FAQ, but now it was time for her bathroom visit before shooting.

While Anna was busy Valya asked Marta to later move Anna's 'special' make up to the next studio's bathroom in case her sister needed to freshen up, providing of course they got around to shooting the second set they were hoping to manage that day.

While they were alone Marta came to a decision to tell Valya of the outcome of her recent doctors visit, unaware that she had been instrumental in arranging the visit in league with her mother. Valya did not let on that she already knew, but agreed that it had been a sensible and mature decision to make, and that she was sure Marta would be responsible and not act rashly. Marta confirmed that she wasn't ready to have sex yet, but with a sly grin, that didn't mean she hadn't thought of learning more about boys, though on her own terms. When Marta said Valya was the only person she'd told other than her sister, Valya said she was honoured to be her confidant and would keep the secret to herself.

Anna's emergence from the bathroom was well timed as John entered at the same time festooned with all his usual kit, looking forward to an afternoon with Anna. He hoped that she would not find two sessions back to back to be too demanding, it would be a pity if she found her normal energy flagging in the second set. He teased her he would make her work all night until he filled every memory card that he owned, but as always she came back with a smart remark.

While the process of recording Anna's charms was in progress Valya and Marta conversed quietly at the back of the studio, Marta now curious as to if the girl who had been booked in today had really had a nose bleed or had it been a euphemism for another problem.

“No fooling you, the girl due to show up is eleven, today at school she had her first period, unfortunately she didn't realise until someone else pointed out the evidence, I don't know any details but the poor girl was distraught, in no state of mind to come in today. I did tell you some girls have horror stories, she must have been very upset, I hope she had some supportive friends to help her.”

“Valya, you said she was too upset to come in, but if she was having her period surely she wouldn't be able to work anyway.”

“Okay, many girls don't want to work at that time, mostly because they aren't feeling their best, but others will work any day of the month. Before you ask, they fold the string a bit shorter then tuck it away, after-all it says on the box you can go swimming or do your gym class, so why not your normal nude modelling session?”

They moved onward to other topics including boyfriends, Marta enquiring about the hunky Alex, which elicited a smile and some eye raising details, which had Marta squirming in her seat, to think both Valya and her mum were so informative, and willing to treat her in an adult way, sharing their insights into how the male mind worked, together with how best to deal with her relationships, it was a minefield but at least she had more pointers than most girls of her age.

Rather than break the set as they normally did John and Anna wanted to do a straight run from beginning to end, but that didn't mean they weren't going to have fun getting there, for the joking behaviour that seemed to be their hallmark was evident throughout.

By the time Anna had disposed of her top, John was certain this would be another brilliant set, the skirt, the type that Valya called a 'pussy pelmet', hid nothing, her panties on clear display, making for some great shots. Every time she got in front of the camera she would have some new trick, this time it was the coy upward look with her head lowered as she sucked on the end of one of her hanging ringlets, which was twirled between her fingers.

Anna's attempts at some handstands nicely inverted the skirt, while John told her she had no hope of joining the gymnastics team this year. The skirt remained for the entire set, but as soon as she lost the panties he could see her little pussy was just as wet as he'd ever seen it, on an older girl he might've suggested she was constantly aroused, but then he was only a man, what did he know? They worked well together, at times almost seeming a subliminal level, Anna choosing a pose or prop, as John thought to propose the change, so they soon had all the shots to please her fan-base, including the inevitable signature pose.

With the first set 'in the can' the girls were now ready for their snack boxes along with the drinks raided from the fridge, the canteen staff ensured they were restocked each day as it wouldn't do for the girls to become dehydrated under the hot lights. Valya offered to share some fruit from her trolley, but John made a quick trip to the canteen returning with some cereal bars. When asked why those instead of chocolate, he said how whenever he'd brought chocolate with him previously it would mysteriously vanish, but models with strange brown smudged lipstick, would deny any knowledge of it's sudden disappearance.

John had checked in on studio one on the way back, and found they were packing-up, so that set was free if Anna was game, she knew John was baiting her, so she just stuck her tongue out at him, saying he would tire out before she did because he was old.

Marta caught off guard ended up snorting her drink through her nose, which caused even more laughter.

Valya called the salon to say they would be in studio one soon, being was told somebody would be along within the next fifteen minutes to rework Anna's hair.

Anna helped repackage Valya's trolley for the move placing the as yet unopened garment box that held the other costume on the top. Marta made a bathroom stop before offering to help John move and set up in the other studio.

Anna thought how strange it was that she felt naked and vulnerable walking down the corridor between studios wearing some flip flops and a fluffy white bath robe, yet just a short time before she had been naked, or at least more exposed than she was right now, and she had been totally at ease. As she held the door open for Valya's trolley she heard her sister shout excitedly across the studio to come and look at the set, Anna gasped, she saw immediately the cause of Marta's exclamation.

The set was fronted by an arch held up by two marble columns, and winding away into the distance was a path of stone slabs leading to a church like stone tower, with shrubs and trees leading on to distant hazy vistas. It was a prime example of the subject they'd discussed just the previous evening,“Trompe l'oeil”, they both said aloud at the same time.

“That's a fantasy version” said John, surprised at the girls knowledge and obvious interest, “But a more lifelike version can be achieved by cheating, you project a slide showing the view you want, trace the outlines and then simply paint by numbers.”

“Great you can tell Marta all about it while I'm in hair and make-up” and with that Anna headed to the back table to prepare for her next shoot, showing her professional side not allowing anything to interfere with the task at hand.

John had very little to do but wait, so he discussed the subject with Marta who was also taken with the painted marble columns, John said how these were a bit rushed, but often you saw better examples in hotels or galleries where it was difficult to tell a well painted fake from the real thing unless you touched them, as they never felt cold like stone would. Marta made copious notes in one of her ever present books, as well as Trompe l'oeil, she also needed a specialist in 'decorative techniques' to paint fake stone.

Anna's look was transformed as Valya and the lady from the salon used their skills to perform her second makeover of the day, when the hairdresser left they unwrapped the new costume. The voluminous skirt was a dusky pink seen through a very fine white patterned fabric, the small matching bodice with eyelets was laced together at the front with just a frill of material like a slipped shoulder strap around each arm, the outfit was completed with a ladies fan and some feathery accessories. She also had a pair of tanga briefs with strings tied at both sides, plus a pair of high heeled shoes.

Anna seeing Marta leave the bathroom and nod got the hint, saying she had better drain the tank before dressing for this set, taking the panties with her as she could sit on the closed toilet lid to tie them - after using her new patent make-up. Returning she was soon dressed-up and ready to go, laying on the faux grass and peeping out from behind the splayed fan, she was more conscious of the weight of her brown tresses now gathered and pinned on the crown of her head.

Posing Anna made use of the accessories, playing with the fan and lifting up the fine voile fabric of the over-skirt and peering through it at the camera, and the top she wore looked as if it were constantly on the verge of slipping off. She deployed the mass of fabric in the skirt lifting it to reveal her slender legs, enhanced by the high heels, first hiding behind the volume of material, then with the skirt's waist band lowered partway down her thighs it high-lighted the slightly darker panties, with the tall narrow front panel which made her legs look even longer.

She teased her audience with the ties on her panties, when at last the strings parted she tried to position herself so the front panel barely stayed in place, her unseen fans would be willing it to drop from her body, till eventually she held up the prize for their delight.

The foreground archway lent her a method of support as she now stretched out in various ways ensuring all the views John needed to record, though done in such a way as if it was simply a climbing frame and the views she gave were incidental rather than blatant.

At the completion of the set Anna true to her word, was feeling energised more than tired, she found the sensation of showing-off on set invigorating, and was sorry the session was over, though she did have school tomorrow, so it wouldn't do to have that late a finish. After bidding everyone goodnight John stopped on his way to the door saying he'd burn the girls a disk, certain that Marta was just about to ask him for copies of those two sets.

As Valya cleansed Anna's face of all traces of make-up, Marta thanked her for thinking to offer Anna the studio time, and asked about how she had sorted out costumes for Anna at such short notice. Valya said that the choice had been limited, but instead of going to the design department to see if any new costumes were ready, she'd seen the two youngsters who looked after all their existing stock of outfits kept by their wardrobe department.

The two outfits that they'd found were not model critical, as they were not body hugging, and both had stretchable waist bands and tops which allowed adjustment.

The girls arrived home in a cab, Anna still buzzing from the double header they had pulled off, and Marta was keen to tell their father what she had learned that day about specialist decorative techniques.

On Tuesday and Wednesday – nothing happened, well nothing noteworthy, but Thursday morning was a whole new ball game.

Chapter 30

While Igor and Marta focus on the new house, Anna learns a LOT about the backwaters of the internet, that she introduces to Marta, she shows Irisha her FAQ for new models, and she dabbles in masturbation.

It had been with some trepidation that Igor had approached the regional manager who was his direct boss, although he got on well with the man right from the initial interview, he was still unsure how this meeting would pan out.

“Stepan, thank you for agreeing to see me at such short notice, I have a difficult subject I want to broach with you this morning.”

“Please don't tell me you have received an offer from someone else, you've been getting on so well here, in such a short time you have become a great asset to our team.”

“No, nothing like that I'm very happy working here, the issue is a delicate one, but I would hate for it to affect our working relations, if you'll hear me out I will explain the situation.

My children have a fund set aside for their future, for both their education and for if they wish to travel, with the uncertain state of the economy we were concerned about the cash just sitting there. An opportunity has arisen for a local property deal which would involve some refurbishment work, that would help increase the value of their nest egg.”

“I would very much like to do this for them, so I will ask your indulgence, if I could bring forward some of my holiday time, not in one big chunk but arranged so that I could work reduced hours for the next four or five weeks it shouldn't cause disruption to the projects I'm currently running. The other issue is you have many skilled men working for the company who have holiday time owing to them for this year, which they have yet to take.

In truth I think they are trying to bank good will with the company, as well as not wishing to spend any cash by going away anywhere for a break just now.”

“They will need to take that holiday at some point for there's rarely any overtime available, my scheme could give these men the possibility of taking the holiday due to them, and to earn a little extra cash for their families. I'm asking if this would cause a problem, I hope I haven't shot myself in the foot.”

“I have had staff in the past who would rob me blind, if I didn't watch out for every scam, but you have plainly stated your case, in similar circumstances I would do the same for my family, so provided there is no conflict of interest with anything this company is involved in I can see no reason we can't be flexible. Providing company interests come first, you can hire who you like on their days off and I'll have no problems with this, - so tell me about your refurbishment project.”

That afternoon in a lawyers office all the documents that were required had now been verified and all the interested parties looked on as Igor slid across the certified bankers draft, the legal equivalent of real money, if he had held it above the table the quiver in his hand would have been plain to see, just thinking about such an enormous sum.

The only reason he didn't stop for a stiff drink on the way home was the draconian drink driving laws, and the reason for not having a stiff one at home, was they didn't have any!

Their father was a little late, a brief greeting and he was off upstairs to wash and change, saying to call him when supper was ready, Marta thought he had been wearing his best jacket, so perhaps he had been to a meeting that afternoon. Greg called his dad when super was ready, instead of going straight to the table he got out some glasses pouring juice for the boys, the other glasses he filled with wine. Bringing them to the table he proposed a toast. “To the success of our first house refurbishment.”

Ella and the girls were wide eyed, but they knew about toasts, and solemnly repeated the last part of the toast, the girls barely able to keep still from the excitement, after taking a ritual sip they put down their glasses and bombarded him with questions.

He had kept quite over the last few days, the tension had risen as the owner had replied saying the offer was too low, and seeking a higher price, but Igor stated his highest offer was already on the table, take it or leave it, as he would be withdrawing the offer by the end of the week. The title searches had been done, all the documentation sorted and ready, with the bank loan approved, at last that morning the call had come prompting his meeting with Stepan, an hour later he called back to confirm the deal then he contacted the bank to say he would need the bank draft for the title transfer that afternoon.

Igor said that if he hadn't been aware of the house owners liabilities, and his need to liquidate some of his assets, he would never have dared place such a low bid on the table last Friday, on the other hand a higher bid would have made the deal less attractive.

“So do we own the house now Daddy?” Anna asked.

“Well us and the bank, if all goes well by the time we finish working on the house it will look very different, then the sooner we can sell it the less we need to pay the bank for the loan. I really want the outside cleaned-up and painted before the end of the month, come November there's too much risk of frost for outdoor work, so then we can knuckle down to the inside jobs.”

Playing with the numbers he was sure the girls would still see a twenty percent rise in the size of their pot even if it took till late spring to sell the house, but much depended on the deals he could do, or if he could make a quicker sale.

Rather than the usual diverse subjects at the meal table, that evening the only topic was of building work and how to market their renovated masterpiece. The girls thought it odd that their father went out that evening after making a swift phone call, because they had expected to move into the study for more planning, but then Igor had some plans of his own. He didn't go that far just down the road, turning at the park into a nearby road, Yuri invited Igor into his little home office, where he leaned of his new friend's project.

Igor was both observant and astute, on his tour of Yuri's premises he noted that the turn down in the economy meant only the cheaper brand products were shifting, and Yuri had shelves stacked with premium quality paint, which could only sit there for so long before it was unsaleable. Yuri soon found Igor's deal very appealing, to sell a bunch of frozen stock that would become worthless in another six months at a low profit rather than take a total loss, this would please the bean counters at head office. Partly due to their common bond Igor felt he wanted make a fair offer, and not squeeze his new brother.

As their dad was out Marta got on with her own scheme which involved calling Karl to help her out, yes he did know about the little sports trophies that Dmitri had got engraved as awards for her and Anna, and he was certain the same shop printed team shirts and the like, and yes he would get off early to meet her after school tomorrow.

Her tall handsome reliable boyfriend was standing outside the gates as school let out, he even offered to carry her backpack, saying it made it easier to give her a hug, and she was happy several of her classmates witnessed the encounter. Then they took the Metro heading into town, soon arriving at the shop, where she explained her requirements, and found they could do simple letters or numbers from stock transfers there and then, it was only the fancy stuff or pictures that would take time. Marta placed the order on condition she could take one set now and pick up the others today before close of business, the fact she would pay cash half now and half later was a fine incentive. Just a couple more stops, then they made for the nearby park.

Marta had been working on the idea for the past week, sitting across the table from Irisha, the girl had asked Marta if she was crazy, that she could magic up the money, or find her mum a job. Maybe it would be hard finding jobs for grown-ups, but she was going to try to help a few more youngsters, now she needed to pick her team, resting on that choice the scheme would sink or swim, she'd been on the lookout with this in mind each time she saw groups of young teens in the city, now she had both a project and a purpose.

Those youngsters that were in need were plain to anyone with eyes in their head, the state of their clothes, holes in their shoes, the look in their eyes. She had been watching this group, there were five of them, unlike some others, they had merit, they didn't just stand about begging, one had a mouth organ, another a tin to beat out a rhythm, while the others would take turns dancing to entertain passers by. They made an effort, which is more than could be said for most of those she had seen hanging around, but despite this their pickings seemed slim.

She had not been sure how they would view her approach so she had Karl start with the opening gambit, as they stepped forwards holding hands.

“Excuse me guys, but my girlfriend and I would like half an hour of your time to talk something over, to show good faith that we aren't wasting your time there's 5 hryvnias in it for each of you.”

This perked up their interest, they were unlikely to earn this much if they were out all day busking, any US tourist may have been surprised that the promise of about 65 cents each would gain their attention. They moved on to one of the empty picnic tables nearby in the park, as Karl handed out the cash Marta delved into a large shoulder bag to produce sandwiches which she handed around, fed and paid they were all ears when Marta spoke.

“Several months ago I was very nearly in the position where you find yourselves, but I've seen that unlike some others you are at least trying to improve your life, so I decided I would try to give you a helping hand; not charity, but a boost to help you out.”

Marta seeing she still had her audience continued.

“If my guess is right I'm sure you would all like to find a way to help your families in these hard times, but with even adults having trouble finding work, you probably think there is no work to be had. In the wealthy suburbs there is work to be found, like washing cars, weeding driveways, clearing leaves, even in the bigger houses where they have staff I'm sure there are still minor jobs to be found.”

The boy who she assumed to be the leader of the group pointed out if they showed up in that sort of neighbourhood knocking on doors they would likely get dogs set on them, or somebody would call the police to move them on.

“I agree with you, but suppose you spruced up a bit had matching shirts and caps, politely enquired about cleaning their cars, and had your own supplies, do you think that would get a better response?” After a moment of silence there was a cacophony of conflicting comments each lad trying to be heard at once.

Marta rapped on the table, a hush returned as they all faced her.

“I've thought about this, so if you want to give it a go I've got your first customer lined up, a large house is being refurbished, the gardens need to be tidied, the shrubs trimmed, and the grass cut, tools will be provided. Next on the roads nearby cars will be getting dusty due to this building work, so you will be paid by this customer so that you can offer these neighbours a 'free' car wash, so the next time you call round, having had a free sample they would probably be up for paying you, if you did a good job the time before.”

Marta reached into the bag placing a new green sweatshirt on the table, along side she placed a matching baseball cap each bore an MMC logo, before even finishing the question each boy had raised their hand. Each would be given two shirts and one cap, they needed to wear their best jeans, and there would be rules. They had to be polite and respectful, and swearing would not be tolerated, they were also expected to arrive for work clean and tidy, in a freshly washed shirt each day.

“When people living near this first project see a bunch of youngsters who are keen, hard working and polite, they will answer the door without setting the dogs on you, and some of them may have other jobs that need doing, and they may have friends with jobs too.”

A lot more talking ensued, all thoughts of busking forgotten, as Marta picked out each fly that was thrown into the ointment, until Taras the leader of the group admitted she must of actually spent time on this idea. She told them for the first job she would ensure they got a set hourly rate, for new customers they gained, there would be a scale of charges they could quote for set tasks, or they could quote an hourly rate. The prices were set low as it was a buyers market, the idea being when they put on a good show by working hard the customers would feel guilty enough to include a good tip.

Marta gave each of them a small map showing the route from the nearest Metro station to the job site where they were to meet early the next day, where she would issue them their uniforms. The final pleasant surprise was an additional handout to cover the fare on the Metro the next day, followed by her parting words.

“Don't let me down, and don't let yourselves down, you have a chance – use it.”

Marta was there an hour early, she had walked, it wasn't that far, she had placed all the kit and clothing in the house for her 'work crew' - if they arrived, Karl said he would be along early to lend his support, but her main worry was if any of these boys would even bother to show up. Had she been foolish wasting the money, she had ordered twenty shirts across three sizes so there would be spares, in theory she could double the crew, but....

Her doubts had been for nothing, there at the end of the road she could see her rag-tag team approaching three-quarters of an hour early, were they really that keen, or was it poor time keeping? Marta took her own advice to heart - If you look the part and feel the part, you can be the part, it didn't matter that all of these boys were older than she was.

She took charge shaking each boy by the hand starting with Taras, she would need to remember the others names, but for now she welcomed them, leading them up the drive and into the house, she waved to Melenki and some of the other men who were gathered round a table looking at drawings in a room off the main hallway. She lead them straight to the kitchen, knowing that a boy's second main interest was food, portable gas rings were set up, with a water urn and a big pot of Borsch, the aroma of which filled the room.

Watching them devour the thick soup and bread, confirmed her sad suspicions that they were probably undernourished, just then Karl turned up asking if that was her mum's recipe, then ladling himself a bowl while greeting the other lads.

Later as the shirts were being tried for size and sorted out someone asked about the logo.

Karl was quick to tell them it stood for “Marta's Magic Crew”, which came about as a joke for what to call the team when she thought up the idea. They were less amused when they heard Marta's next idea of play acting, she and Karl gave a demonstration, each of them taking turns to be the householder and job seeker.

On their first tries they were awkward and wooden, but the practice proved worth while, as soon they showed more confidence, then Marta upped the anti, by being rude, but as she had taught them, their responses remained polite. Her small foray as a director and play-write was finding an application in real life, but now they'd covered the rules, and how she expected them to behave it was on to more practical matters.

Igor had not just considered his fellow workers and contacts, but through them he had also found others who had a wealth of experience, those that had been cast aside due to age or some other perceived shortcoming. These past few weeks he had been very busy cultivating this vast network, and had found some real gems, one of them was about to meet Marta's work crew.

Yaroslaw was only fifty-six but all his working life he had loved the outdoors, working in parks and gardens all that time, there was little he didn't know about the care of plants, so it had been a bitter blow to loose his job to a younger man at half the pay who could barely mow a straight line in the grass. With the state of the country everywhere cuts and cost savings, tell that to the dead plants he thought, but now for a short time at least he had work and his self respect back.

She introduced the boys to Yaroslaw, he looked them over, then began telling them of the jobs to be done, the tools they would use, and how to stay safe by using them properly.

As she looked on, the older man passing on a few grains of his own arcane wisdom made her think warmly of the time Gramps first acquainted her with the chessboard, and all it's fascinating carved pieces, each with their own strange dance.

Yaroslaw explained how it was too late in the season to prune some plants, so they would trim those they could to improve their appearance, others they would tie back especially a couple near the house walls, to ease access for the painters. Outside they were each given tasks with words of encouragement under his watchful eye, so that within a few hours the visual aspect of the area where they were working was markedly improved.

Mid morning a truck delivered several large items of building site machinery, including two cherry pickers, for Stepan on hearing Igor's audacious plan had said he could borrow any kit he needed from the company depot that would speed up the job. By lunchtime two men had started to pressure clean the walls while others followed on behind making good any small defects. As the day wore on what at first looked to be chaos, was in fact a well choreographed mechanical ballet, as slowly things took shape and order reigned. Before the day was over they had received many pallets of materials, some were covered with tarpaulins, others were unloaded and hauled inside.

With her MMC team safely in the hands of that day's mentor, Marta went to find her father, who was talking with Melenki his now de-facto deputy, as they were refining the long list of jobs to be done, and which men they would assign to the various tasks. Other than updating the kitchen the whole place needed a good clean, a few minor repairs, and a lick of paint after being neglected for so long, but the final package required that wow factor in order to catch the eye and clinch the sale. Taking a breather from their planning Igor introduced Melenki to his daughter and her boyfriend, but he said they'd met earlier that morning when she arrived with two big bags of sweatshirts.

Igor smiled at the parallel, him with his team, and his daughter with hers, proud that she would even attempt to help some more disadvantaged youngsters. As he'd moved about the house several times he had paused to look out and see them diligently following instructions from the old gardener, as the beaming Yaroslaw oversaw the start of the ground's transformation.

Karl had witnessed what a strange dichotomy his girlfriend posed, at times she seemed a whirling dervish, her quick alert mind, the connections she made, the can do attitude, then there were the insecurities that she had harboured for so long, hopefully those fears would diminish with her ever growing confidence.

Seeking a brief change of pace Igor toured the house with Marta and Karl, to review some of the ideas they'd discussed over the past two weeks, there were three places where it was evident doors had been bricked up in some previous remodelling, though he was at a loss to say why the finished areas were inset instead of flush. Marta opened one of her little notebooks where she had sketched out a rough idea for the Trompe l'oeil deception at each location, one of which would require a little more effort, but Igor thought it added a brilliant touch. With her father's blessing now all she had to do was visit the Studio, find the painters, then choose some pictures to perform this artful makeover.

Igor's new toy - a laptop, with the Gantt chart running on it, had enabled him to organise plant, labour, and materials, with a level of efficiency he would've found hard if he'd been juggling that schedule on paper as he had done before. When he had asked a few of the men he worked with if they were interested in a little private 'off the books' work he had been inundated, it seemed each man had a brother, cousin, or son who'd also be eager to work on this job. In consequence he even had a bunch of night-watchman, as those guys who'd arrived from out of town were bedding down on site for the work's duration.

At home Anna had her own list of tasks while supervising her brothers, as her mum was doing her first big baking job for the catering company. Once Anna had the boys settled, and bribed to stay out of the kitchen, Anna called the Studio to make some enquiries, four names were put forward as the most capable, and eventually she managed to catch each of them on their home numbers, as none of them were on standby over the weekend, all had agreed to meet at the work site the following day.

With additional bribes and threats Anna ensured the boys wouldn't come round the side of the table where she was working in the study, so she was still able to watch them as she worked on her secure Studio laptop, she didn't want them to see those images she was reviewing. There was one last disk they hadn't yet viewed, Anna loaded it up then looked through the directory, going down the listings, it was all the same old stuff, similar to what they had seen on so many others, until she came to a folder that held only text files.

She couldn't make any sense of the cryptic folder or file titles, but opened the first to see what it held, it was a list of web addresses, long gobbledygook letters and numbers that gave no clue what the web site might be about, only one way to find out, she would go online and paste them into the browser. She did the first two, then a couple at random from the list of twenty or more, though she couldn't understand them it was plain these sites were run by people like Boris, the words security and hacking were both prominent.

The next file was more interesting, Boris and Dmitri had both talked about back-doors into sites, and it looked like she had thirty or more on this list. She now had access to many of the sites that she'd seen on disk, and was able to view new sets that had been released since her copies had been made. Progressing down the list she found some of the links no longer worked, but it was fun to sneak into those web-sites that were still open.

There were still several folders left, the next file had named web-sites which seemed to have a common theme, big boobs and stockings, and it was again more back-doors, just this time though it wasn't teens, it was all grown up ladies, very grown up.

Another file had lists of web-sites that gave out lists of other web sites, looking at those she thought she could soon get lost as the choice was just too much, so she moved on to the next file to see what that held. Nudists, lots of clubs, beaches and lakeside scenes of families enjoying their sunny holidays, it was educational to see naked men, these grown ups had big thingies, penises that was the grown up word she had been taught, anyway they were well bigger than her brothers, but most of the pictures concentrated on the ladies, the teenage girls or girls who were even younger.

With all the sites she had visited so far, she began to wonder if there was room on the internet for any stuff that wasn't about naked people, and she still had quite a few text files left to check through.

The next list she found was something called bulletin boards, so she loaded the first URL into her browser, as the page loaded she stared at the screen in disbelief. “OMG”

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For the next installment of the A New Model is Discovered franchize, see Chapters 31 through 35.

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