Today is the eve of my L.A. departure; a city that I have yet to see. The objective of my trip, I should say our trip since Martin will be with me, is to meet and take pictures with other models and photographers. We’ll touch down in L.A. tomorrow at around 1pm and we’ll have to find a hotel room near Gwen Media’s studio, where we’ll be doing most of our photo shoots. Once settled in, we’d like to visit the studio and get in touch with Masuimi Max, a model with whom I’ll shoot at 5pm on the 3^rd. On the 4^th, I have an audition with the Playboy Channel to possibly be part of their sports team on the Naked News show. Then on the 5^th we had planned to do a shoot with the model Eve Ellis but it seems that we waited a little too long and that she’s no longer available. Maybe next time. The 5-6-7^th will be kept for some R&R checking out the sites for future trips. There’s also a chance that Martin will get to shoot the queen of queens, Julie Strain. On March 8, we plan on shooting with Emily Marilyn, and on the 9^th I’ll take it easy because I’ll be doing a shoot with Pinup Glam the next day with the photographer hoping to get roughly 1500 photos + a video all in one day! Oof!! I’ll then take a break on the 11^th only to do a shoot with Marla Rutherford, a very talented photographer, on the 12^th. We fly for Las Vegas on the 13^th and we’ll be there until the 16^th; the day of our departure. I’m not a 100% sure but there’s a possibility that I’ll shoot again for Playboy Special Edition in Las Vegas…. All in all, a business trip that promises to be quite interesting!

Tuesday March 2^nd, 2004
PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES

Since our flight left at 6am, we had to get up at 3am. The airport was quite empty so we didn’t have the hassle of line-ups. We were a bit anxious at customs. Do you remember a few years back I was hired to be the MC at Manray’s Fetish Bal in Boston. We never made it through customs because the officer thought we were going to sell latex without a visa. It was the year after 9-11 so the officers we pretty aggressive, frustrated and paranoid. It seems that everyone was a suspect until proven innocent! Anyways, we tried the next day without success. We were even threatened to be banned from the States for 10 years! Freaks! So I wasn’t able to be the MC that year… pity. All that to say that, as we were getting closer to the officer our fear of being denied entrance grew. Luckily, he was very nice and we didn’t encounter any problems. Oof!

We dropped off our entire luggage a part from the camera and the laptop that we took with us on board. The flight left on time and we arrived in Atlanta at 9:30am to transfer. All went well. It’s crazy how American and European airports are huge compared to our little Montreal hub. And since our Delta flight didn’t serve a meal (we had to pay to eat! I’ve never seen this before. That’s really cheap!)  we took advantage of our ½ hour to have a bite to eat at a nice bistro. Once in the plane we caught a few Zs. It was a 4 hour flight so might a well sleep a bit and since the plane was far from being empty, we took rows of 3 seats and got comfortable. Yeh! L.A. here I come!

We arrive at LAX at around 12:30pm. Once we got our luggage, Martin rented a car since Bob, the owner of Gwen Media studios, informed us that it would cost us a fortune in taxis. And since we also wanted to check out Las Vegas we decided to fly back home from there. A car would give us the freedom to go anywhere anytime including the ride between L.A. and Las Vegas. Instead of wasting 4 hours at the airport, might as well see the desert and take a few shots! We packed the car and headed to north L.A. to the Van Nuys neighbourhood via the 405 (that’s where Gwen Media Studios are located so we wanted to be as close as possible to avoid traffic). Once in Van Nuys, we had a bite to eat and tried to get a room at the Holiday Inn, the only big hotel in the area. Unfortunately, they were out of non-smoking rooms. Even though I’m a social smoker, I prefer not sleeping in an ashtray! So we found a street with lots of small hotels. Some were dreadful! There’s even one of them that we nicknamed “Hotel Hell” it seemed so frightening! But after lots of patience, we found one that was OK. It was already 5pm when we finally found a room and not long after Bob gave us a call to let us know that he was almost done shooting his movie (he’s a photographer and producer of fetish films) and that we could come and see his studio.

The studio is in a big building in an industrial part of the area. The ceilings are very high; perfect for big decors. But since Bob just moved in, the studio isn’t well set up and at a first glance, I wondered if we could create a minimum number of sets to offer good scenarios. It’s a bit stressful not being in your own environment. And we wouldn’t get the studio to shoot with Masuimi until 5pm since he was shooting a movie during the day. We’ll at least try to create some sort of décor when he’s not shooting. Might as well leave the stress at the door for now… but I have to say that Bob’s latex collection is quite impressive. That’s because he’s also the owner of Whiplash USA, a fetish clothing store. Even though I brought a lot of clothes with me, I’ll certainly have some fun wearing is stuff knowing that I won’t have access once I’m gone…

There you go. Tuesday ended nicely with a light dinner with Martin and Bob followed with a 9pm bedtime (12am Montreal time). I just hope that we’ll be able the make good with what Bob has available at his studio for all of my shoots…

Wednesday March 3rd,  2004
MASUIMI MAX PHOTOSHOOT

------- It was dark and I couldn’t see anything. Suddenly, an image of my dad appeared. But was it really him? I could see cruelty in his gaze and his smile seemed evil. I had to run away from him, run and not see him again. Run to escape him. Find help… but where? A carpet store. Yes, I could surely find help there. Or at least I would find a beautiful carpet. Turkish style carpets… “Yes daddy, that carpet is lovely”, telling him with an impatient voice. He was taking his sweet time to find a bloody carpet! Masuimi would arrive soon. I had to be there to greet her. And wouldn’t you know it, Knock, knock, knock! It was her. I can’t see her face but I know it’s her. She’s accompanied by her baby tiger that’s always with her. Two seconds later we’re naked in the doorway our bodies entwined, sitting on a charcoal platform laughing. And then we hear a noise coming from the chimney. Boum ! Boum !  Bang ! Bang ! Bang !........----------

Bang! Bang?? What??? I woke up with a start. It was 6am and all we could hear were a woman’s sounds of pleasure and a bed hammering loudly on the wall of the neighbouring room. Bang! Bang! Let’s hope they’ll finish soon! After all, it’s only 6am. “We’re sleeping here!” Bang! Bang! And then a deep masculine sigh , and silence returned allowing me to fall back asleep where all was dark, no father, no carpet, no tiger, no Masuimi… exempt of dreams this time.

I finally woke up at 9am, the neighbours going at it once more. At least I had my 12 hours sleep and felt in top shape to get ready for today’s shoot. A nice shower and breakfast and off we go! We arrived at the studio at around noon and Bob was in the middle of filming a fetish scene. Silently, Martin and I went to the room full of latex outfits. There were so many on the rack that it felt like we were in a store! Hooray for shopping and trying on clothes! So I tried on a short and a long purple dress. Both of them fit me very well. I also tried a pink skirt and top but they were too small… pity. Then a small purple maid dress (also available in blue and black), a white catsuit made for a man (too big for me), a black and blue corset, a leotard, laced gloves… it felt like my birthday!

Then during a break in the film, Martin and I started our setup with big silver panels that we had spotted the day before. It was a bit heavy but Bob also came and helped out. We had 2 panels for the floor and 3 to create a wall that would be divided by another panel. It’s a little hard to explain but you’ll see.

The second setup was a lot easier to create. We simply used large wooden doors as the background. To soften the mood and get less of a “dungeon” look, we framed them with ancient looking drapes falling all the way to the floor. Since there were some drapes left over, we put them on the floor and also placed on top of them a black latex sheet. There you go! Our second setup was done.

It was around 4pm when I started my makeup and hair. Masuimi was scheduled to arrive at 5pm with her husband Allen. At 5:30 I was done but still no sign of Masuimi. They called at around 6pm apologizing for being late and that they were in a huge traffic jam. Since we were going to start later than scheduled, why not shoot some photos with Martin. I even went back to the outfit room and found a siren’s tail, a top and a corset adorned with latex scales, all green and purple. A siren’s tail! Of course I would’ve loved to have a bath in my setup but where else would I have the chance to where a siren’s tail? Might as well take advantage of it. I slipped it on and we did a few shots on the sofa in front of the doors. It was quite difficult to pose with it and I have to say that it was pretty heavy to lift up but I think that the results are interesting! 15 minutes later Masuimi and Allen arrived. It was around 7pm.

Masuimi was very pretty with her round face, her Asian eyes and her luscious lips. She had 2 pigtails and for the shoot wanted to add blond add-ons making her look 5 years younger. After a bit of chit chat, Martin and I went back to the fitting room to try on new stuff. As soon as Masuimi walked in, she spotted a pink, transparent catsuit with nipple holes. That’s when we found out that Masuimi had a breast fetish and loved to show hers off. J We tried on quite a few outfits before deciding on catsuits. She wore the pink one and mine was a smokey transparent color with the breasts fully covered. As for shoes, I wore an 80s style cut and Masuimi put on some transparent boots. Both catsuits were from Simon O and unfortunately a bit too long for me since I’m only 5’2” (yup! I look a lot taller in pictures eh?) which made it ripple at the hips. But nonetheless, we were both gorgeous decked out in transparent catsuits on the silver setup. It was awesome! We looked like 2 comic book heroes.

We took lots of photos on the set; standing, sitting, Masuimi sitting on me, me on Masuimi… We had lots of fun and there wasn’t any shyness between us. Our facial expressions almost always complimented each other. You never would’ve thought that this was our first shoot together and the atmosphere was very laidback.

 Then we both put on maid outfits. She wore the blue and I, the purple; each our favourites. Unfortunately, one of her shoe straps broke which meant she had to shoot without straps removing all ankle support. As for me, I wore my brand new black schoolgirl shoes. Once ready we went back to the silver set for a few more shots, also because Masuimi had some ballet shoes and she wanted me to put them on for her. They would be better highlighted on the silver set than on the other one with the black latex sheet. We then moved to the second set and sat down on the sofa. The mood was more sensual and affectionate. Masuimi enjoyed showing her breasts and so did I. During this shoot Allen took some shots with Martin’s camera while he filmed with the video camera.

Getting tired of the maid outfits, and still having a bit of energy, we got changed once more. I lent her my dress from Especially Rubber (no website), the red one with the black dragon and some black opera gloves. As for me, I wore a short black dress with multiple buckles along the stomach, laced on the bum and adorned with a high collar. Since we were going to shoot in a more SM setup (a blue wall with a red bondage table), I thought that this dress would be perfect. Masuimi’s shoes were red with average heels and I wore knee-high boots with 5 inch heels putting me at her height. Once dressed we went to the table were Masuimi wanted to do a few solo shots spread out full length on the table while Martin took some shots from above to get a good view of the dragon that melded perfectly with her Asian traits and tattoos. I then joined her for a few shots and video sequence (Allen was filming this time). We were a bit tired but we were having fun…

The shoot ended at around 11pm which isn’t bad considering that we started at 7pm and that we got changed 3 times. I have fond memories of the shoot with the beautiful Masuimi.

Tomorrow, I have to meet someone at Playboy T.V. for an audition for the sports segment of the naked news show. Quickly, it’s time for bed.

Thursday March 4^th,  2004
SOME TIME OFF...

This morning I got up in top shape. After breakfast, I straightened my hair, put on light makeup and we drove to North-East Hollywood where some of Playboy TV’s offices are. I had a 2pm interview. Once there, Martin waited for me at reception and I waited for the interviewer in a different room where I could browse through various Playboy magazines including the one featuring my cover. I met the interviewer and chatted briefly. Once he found out that I was on the cover of the 2003 Fall Special Edition, his eyes were full of surprise. I was then certain that I would get chosen until he asked me if I lived in the USA. It seems that I needed a work visa. Funny how this wasn’t a factor for Playboy magazine… anyways, the interviewer said that he would check up on the laws and invited me to his office. He then told me that if I were to take part in the show it would be on the 9^th (one of my free days! Yeh!) and That I would be with other girls dressed as cowgirls. We would be doing rodeo on mechanical horses. Of course we would be naked… at least partially I think. After the run down, he need to take a few Polaroid nudes and waited for another person to show up (probably as a witness not to get sued for sexual harassment). It didn’t take long to take the shots. A couple of smile and it was all over. Finally, I signed the cover of my magazine for one of their friends and left. Now, all I have to do is wait. I should know tomorrow if I’m chosen or not.

Martin and I had the rest of the day off to do a bit of sightseeing. So we headed to Hollywood looking for the Walk of Fame. But beforehand we wanted to get a closer look at the famous Hollywood sign. We drove to the foot of the mountain and, by chance, we found a road leading up. It was a dirt road and we weren’t sure where it would lead us but we still decided to go. After a turn we saw a fabulous landscape of mountains and hills. The sun was hitting on their sides, the earth a tint of red... it was magnificent. We might come back here to shoot a bit. Who knows?

After a quick sandwich, we drove to Hollywood boulevard to find the Walk of Fame. Our main objective was to find Farah Fawcett’s star, my best friend and hair dresser Richard’s favourite fetish model. Since we didn’t have a clue where she was, Martin went in to buy a map showing everyone’s star but couldn’t find one. As for me, I went to the store next door to get a 70s poster of Farah for Richard hoping he wouldn’t have it. I have my doubts but what’s done is done. We then walked and walked down the boulevard snapping shots here and there of various stars (especially Martin taking self portraits. He was so cute). We then went shopping in a sex shop where I bought a tiny skirt and a pink and white chequered top (unfortunately not latex). We then went to Frederick, a large lingerie store where I bought 3 sets of bras and panties and a lot cheaper than in Montreal. Finally some luxury: I bought 4 pairs of the same shoes at Lady Studio! Yup! A black & orange, black & red, black & fuchsia and pink & white. They’re so cute! Each were $45 except for the 3rd pair at $40. Super! I would’ve paid a lot more in Montreal if I would’ve been able to find that style. I might even go back and get the red & black and white & red pairs this week…

Hollywood boulevard is fantastic! With all those people taking pictures, the tourist shops, the famous Chinese Theatre where all the Hollywood premiers are held, the stars, sex shops, wig stores… it’s all great! I felt like coming back here tomorrow for a photo shoot. Wouldn’t it be a great shoot, me in a catsuit on Hollywood boulevard. Martin even proposed to do the same route and take photos with some of the stars. Not much of an original idea but in latex it sure is! J