Debutante

by Madeline Moore

  ‘Desperately.’

  ‘Emily, it’s simple. Is it or is it not time for your close-up?’

  ‘I need a minute.’

  Luke shrugged. He stood, hooked his thumbs into his belt loops and ambled off to confer with his crew.

  Emily sank into his director’s chair, then quickly jumped up. Nobody sits in the director’s chair but the director. So. Pros and cons. That’s the way to make important decisions. On the pro side, the show had to go on. On the same side, she’d been wondering about her own sexuality ever since NAIL had started. If she was bi, this would be one way to find out – in a movie, though, which was definitely a con.

  That goddam mind-blowing ass-fuck between Marion and Luke had practically driven Emily insane. How did she feel about making love to a girl who’d fucked her man, on camera no less? Was that a downer, or did it add spice? The only way to find out would be to try it.

  And then there was Luke. She’d kinda, accidentally, not meaning to, encouraged him to screw that useless cougar Gloria, and then she’d done it again, pushing him into screwing Marion, in public no less! That just wasn’t reasonable. Now, Luke was challenging her to appear on camera, in an all-girl scene that featured Marion as one of the players. Was he just trying to punish her? Or would that make it even-steven? One thing was for sure, if Luke got to watch her make out with another girl – two other girls, actually – it’d drive him crazy, in a good way. Would his lust heal their relationship? If he wanted her badly enough, would that make him forgive her?

  Goddam right it would!

  Emily called, ‘OK,’ quickly, before she could change her mind.

  Luke returned, thumbs still hooked in the loops of his jeans.

  Emily almost laughed. Yes, dear, I see your scary black belt.

  ‘You’ll take direction from me?’ he asked.

  ‘Of course.’

  Luke grinned.

  It melted her heart. Her eyes filled with tears, but he wasn’t looking at her, he was looking at the script. She blinked hard. Time to put on a new hat – that of the actress.

  Luke explained the scene to her in detail, even though she’d written it. She nodded and asked questions as if every word he said was liquid gold.

  ‘So I’m playing Abby?’

  ‘Yes. Marion is Connie. Jillian will be Babs. How come their names start with A and B and C?’

  ‘Writers’ reasons. Movie Magic Screenwriter remembers names for you. If they all have different initials, a name becomes a single keystroke.’

  ‘Huh. Saves time.’

  She willed him to look at her but he kept his eyes on the script.

  ‘Abby gets the shirt, right?’ Emily asked.

  ‘It’s waiting for you in the make-up–wardrobe room, not that you need make-up.’

  ‘On screen, we all need make-up.’ That was nice, what he’d said, especially since he knew better. He had to be warming to her already.

  Marion and Jillian were doing each other’s make-up when Emily walked in. Jillian took off, powder puff in hand. Marion’s face blushed neon pink.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You can hit me if you want but I’m supposed to be on camera any minute. Unless I’m fired.’

  ‘You don’t have anything to apologise for,’ said Emily. ‘Everything that’s gone wrong is my fault.’ She handed Marion a contract with a cheque clipped to it. ‘This is long overdue.’

  ‘Thanks, Em.’ Marion glanced at the cheque. ‘Wow. Thanks again!’

  Emily shrugged. ‘You earned every penny.’

  Jillian peeked around the door. ‘Is it safe?’

  ‘Silly,’ said Emily. ‘Get in here.’

  She handed Jillian her paperwork. Now everyone’s fee hike had been covered, except her own. But they didn’t need to know that.

  Twenty minutes later, Luke called, ‘Action!’

  The three girls giggled off camera for a count of three and then ran onto the set to throw themselves on to the double bed. Emily, playing Abby, wore a man’s crisp blue shirt, buttoned most of the way up. Marion, as Connie, sprawled in a pair of pink satin pyjamas. Jillian, as Babs, was a throwback to the 50s in a peek-a-boo babydoll made of chiffon and lace. She was the only one who was showing much skin, apart from Abby’s long slender legs. The top was transparent and cropped, so her nipples were almost visible and there was plenty of midriff on display above her frilly panties.

  Babs said, ‘Abby, it’s so good of your folks to let us a have a sleepover while they’re gone. When will they be back, anyway?’

  ‘Not till morning, earliest. They’ve gone to see Turandot.’

  ‘An opera,’ Connie explained when Babs drew a blank.

  Abby continued, ‘They’ve gone with another couple and are going back to their place for “drinkies” after. They’ll sleep over and come home tomorrow.’

  Babs gave her a knowing look. ‘Two couples, sleeping over? I wonder who will be sleeping with who?’

  Abby slapped her friend’s thigh. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. They’re way past that sort of thing.’

  Connie raised an eyebrow. ‘Past it, in their forties? Don’t you believe it, Abby.’

  ‘Change the subject,’ Abby snapped.

  ‘OK.’ Babs giggled. ‘How about Truth, Dare and Consequences?’

  ‘That’s a kids’ game,’ Abby complained.

  ‘It doesn’t have to be. You play ping-pong, don’t you, Abby?’

  ‘Ping-pong? What’s that got to do …?’

  ‘Get me a paddle and I’ll explain.’

  Abby leaped up and out of shot, deliberately flashing her legs at the static camera. She returned with a paddle in her hand. ‘So? Now what?’

  Connie gave the paddle a knowing look. ‘I think I can guess.’

  ‘Chicken?’ Babs asked.

  ‘Not so far.’

  ‘Explain, one of you,’ Abby demanded.

  Babs took the paddle from Abby. ‘This makes me Queen. I pick one of you and ask her “Truth, or dare?” She takes the paddle and asks a question of the last of us, or makes a dare. For example,’ she told Abby, ‘truth. Now you ask Connie a question, a good one.’

  ‘I get it. Connie, did you ever kiss a boy?’

  The other two laughed. Connie said, ‘Me? Never!’

  ‘I don’t believe you.’

  ‘Me neither,’ Babs added, ‘so you have to take the consequences, Connie. On your tummy.’

  Connie rolled over.

  ‘Bare your tush!’

  Giggling, Connie hooked her thumbs into the waist of her pj pants and eased them down.

  Babs took the paddle and gave her friend a whack on the left cheek of her bottom before passing it to Abby, who followed suit on Connie’s right cheek.

  ‘Now Connie is Queen,’ Babs explained.

  Connie took the paddle and said, ‘Babs. Truth.’

  Babs asked Abby, ‘How many girls have you kissed, real kisses, not pecks? French kisses, with tongues?’

  ‘Two. I was a bit tipsy both times. It was quick, both times. Hardly counts. My turn as Queen?’

  Over the next few turns it was established that all three of them had kissed other girls at least twice, had enjoyed it and would do it again, with the right girl. Connie was accused of blatant, deliberate lies, twice, and got paddled each time. The second time she didn’t pull her pants up, after, though she stayed on her tummy.

  Dimly, past the glare of the lights, Emily saw Luke signal for them to move it along. She also got the impression that he had an enormous erection trapped in his jeans.

  Connie dared Abby to take her panties off.

  ‘Gotcha! I’m not wearing any.’

  ‘Then you won’t?’

  ‘Can’t.’

  ‘That’s no excuse. On your tummy.’

  Emily, in her role as Abby, obeyed, both acting and feeling reluctant. She’d written this scene so she could hardly chicken out but …

  Someone lifted her shirt at the back. She closed her eyes. ‘Ouch! That hur
t.’ It did, too. The second smack came down even harder. Fuck! It burned, but it wasn’t unbearable. In fact …

  As she’d written it, when she got the chance, she, as Abby, dared Babs to unbutton Connie’s pj top. Connie sat up with her top loose and open. She had really cute tits. With them bare and her pj pants pushed halfway down her thighs, she had a sexy dishevelled look that Emily had hoped would turn the viewers on. It certainly seemed to have that effect on her, that is, Abby, her character … Focus!

  Next round, Connie dared Babs to take Abby’s shirt off. That left Abby naked, Connie half-bare and Babs still covered by her see-through babydoll. The dolly camera tracked and dipped, coming in for close-ups that would be intercut with the relatively static shoot from the tripod camera.

  In the script, Emily had written: ‘BY NOW, THE GIRLS ARE REALLY TURNED ON. THE GAME IS BEING USED AS A FLIMSY EXCUSE FOR GETTING IT ON IN EARNEST.’

  That was true, not only of the characters but of the actresses playing them. Emily’s question about her own sexuality – was she bi or not? – had been pretty much answered. Was that going to complicate things with Luke? Or was watching her make out with two other girls turning Luke on so much that he’d forget their quarrel?

  Damn fucking right it was!

  Babs had barely got her dare to Abby to kiss Connie out before the two girls had their tongues in each other’s mouths. The paddle was tossed from hand to hand. Everyone got to kiss everyone and admit the truth, that they loved it. Breasts were caressed; nipples were tweaked and sucked.

  Emily became lost in her character; she was Abby, a little scared and very intrigued. She enunciated her scripted lines for the benefit of the sound man and posed for the cameras but the emotions she expressed, with those words and her body, were real.

  She was dared, by Connie, to kiss Connie’s navel. If she had any doubts left about making it with girls, this was approaching the ultimate test. Abby had barely twirled the tip of her tongue into Connie’s intimate dimple when Babs pulled Connie’s pj pants the rest of the way off and pushed down on the top of Abby’s head.

  Here goes!

  Connie fell back and spread her thighs. Abby’s head nestled between them. Mm. Pussy didn’t taste at all bad.

  Abby was distracted by Connie toppling sideways and raising her thigh so as not to trap Abby’s head. From the corner of her eye, Abby could make out why. Babs had sprawled out the same way, offering the inside of her thigh to Connie as a pillow. All that left was …

  Abby’s own thigh was urged up so that Babs’ warm wet tongue could squirm into the folds of her pussy.

  In that erotic triangle, the three girls followed the script, sighing, moaning and softly squealing. They flexed and twitched as if electrified with lust.

  Luke signalled.

  Their reactions grew wilder. Emily discovered that faking being turned on uncontrollably actually turned her on.

  Luke signalled, emphatically.

  Damn! Another few minutes and she’d have got there, but the shoot comes first. She screamed into Connie’s cunt. All three shook convulsively before falling apart, onto their backs, looks of utter bliss on their juice-drenched faces.

  Luke said, ‘Cut. Well done, people. That’s a wrap. Emily, we need to … um … talk. Come with me.’

  He took her hand and pulled her up. His erection brushed her hip. Talk? Yeah, right!

  As he tugged her down the stairs, presumably to Bobby’s bedroom, he used his free hand to begin undoing the buckle of his thick leather belt.

  No! Despite herself, Emily broke free and leaped downstairs two at a time, with Luke close behind. ‘I’m not ready!’ she shrieked. She hit the landing and ran through the living room, dancing nimbly over the cables that led to the back yard. ‘Lukey, wait,’ she cried, laughing so hard her words were barely words at all.

  ‘I know what I’m doing!’ Luke was in hot pursuit. He tugged the belt free of his pants. ‘Gary gave me lessons!’

  ‘Help!’ was Emily’s response.

  The tip of the belt connected with the bottom swell of her ass. It stung like a bitch.

  ‘Help!’ Emily shrieked at the top of her lungs as she fled to the back yard.

  She flew into the arms of the first person she saw, hitting the woman so hard both she and Bobby tumbled into the pool.

  Bobby?

  Chapter Twenty

  ‘Fuck me!’

  Luke barely had time to put his belt back on before Bobby, drenched and furious, ascended the ladder from the pool and came at him, her long nails curled into claws.

  ‘Bastard! I will kill you!’ Her thin shift clung to her curves.

  Fuck, what a bodacious babe. ‘We were just fooling around. Honest!’ Luke backed away from his assailant. He covered his face with his hands, elbows out to deflect his attacker.

  ‘My baby does not run about naked and screaming. You sadistic rapist!’ Bobby raked her claws down his bare arm.

  Despite himself, and the pain, Luke started to laugh. What a fucking disaster!

  Bobby curled her hands into fists. She popped him a good one on his left temple. ‘You think it is funny to try and kill my Emily? I will kill you!’

  ‘I can explain!’ Luke, dizzy from the blow to his head, tripped over a patio chair and fell. ‘Emily! Help!’

  Bobby, poised to leap on top of him, glanced at the pool, where Emily had yet to surface.

  Luke took advantage of the diversion to leap to his feet and run. He raced around the pool as fast as he could, given that he was dizzy and the poolside area was crowded with NAIL members in various stages of déshabille.

  ‘Emily!’ Bobby screamed at the pool. ‘What are you doing?’

  Probably trying to grow gills. Luke laughed again. At least he’d die a happy man.

  Emily surfaced at last. She stayed in the middle of the pool, dog paddling her heart out while coughing and sputtering. ‘B-Bobby! What are you doing here?’

  ‘What am I doing? This is my home. What are you doing? Who are these people? Get out of the pool, right this minute, or I will come back in and get you myself.’

  ‘I’m … I’m coming.’ Emily swam as slowly as possible to the ladder. ‘Don’t hurt me.’

  ‘Me?’ Bobby pointed at Luke. ‘He is chasing you and you are naked and screaming for help and you ask me not to hurt you?’

  ‘I can explain.’ Emily reluctantly climbed out of the pool.

  ‘Everybody can explain but nobody does!’ Bobby grabbed a towel and threw it at Emily. ‘Cover yourself!’

  Luke cowered behind Eric. ‘Hurry, Em! She’s trying to kill me!’

  Kara, clad only in a skimpy bikini bottom, coolly observed the goings-on. She broke into a smile as some of the Sleepover cast and crew cautiously stepped through the open doorway. ‘Gary! We’ve got drama. Real drama!’

  ‘Cool,’ said Gary. He walked around the poolside to Kara’s chaise longue and slid in beside her. To make matters worse, he nonchalantly kissed each of her nipples.

  Marion and Jillian, still in their costumes from the shoot, gaped at Bobby.

  ‘Is this our new cougar?’ Jillian asked.

  ‘No! This is my mommy,’ cried Emily. She threw her arms around Bobby and hugged her hard. ‘I figured out why I’ve resisted all your hugs and kisses, Bobby.’

  ‘Oh my God!’ Bobby’s eyes rolled heavenward. ‘Daniel, it is my fault. I made you move her from her happy home in Philadelphia, her friends, her school, even the grave of her real mother, so I could be gawking at movie stars.’ She tried to beat her breast but Emily was wrapped around her so tight it was impossible. Instead, she stroked the wet girl’s blonde hair.

  ‘I don’t remember it,’ said Emily. She gazed into Bobby’s eyes. ‘I don’t remember her. You are my mother.’

  ‘I try to hug and kiss you, like my mama hugs and kisses me. But I am from Brazil, where every mother and daughter behave like this. Even when I go there, this time, I put my head on my mama’s big bosom and cry. It helps me. It is j
ust our way, my darling. But it is not your way. Forgive me.’

  ‘I’ve always loved your hugs,’ said Emily. ‘It’s just that they made me feel … strange. But now I know why! It’s not because your behaviour was inappropriate. It’s because I wasn’t ready to face the truth about myself.’

  Fuck. Luke almost regretted the call he’d made to Aileen, telling her to put off her return to LA for a few days. He’d been trying to help Emily realise something he’d long suspected. He’d hoped it would help their future as a couple to accept that it was OK if they couldn’t give each other everything, sexually, as long as they were honest and careful and open about it. Although maybe not this open?

  ‘And what is this truth?’

  No, Emily. Luke peered around the barrier of Eric’s beefy back. He focused on Emily, trying to send her a telepathic message. Not now.

  ‘I’m bisexual!’ Emily announced gaily.

  ‘Oh my God! And these are your bisexual friends?’ Bobby made a sweeping gesture with one hand, still clinging to Emily with the other.

  ‘Well, they are,’ said Emily, indicating Marion and Jillian. ‘But most of these people are part of my – don’t freak out, now – my film company. NAIL Productions Limited.’

  ‘Nail? Like a nail to hang a picture on. Or a fingernail?’

  Like the ones that scratched my arm. ‘Em? Sweetheart?’ Luke risked attracting attention to himself. ‘Why don’t we all settle down with some drinks, maybe whip up some nachos? Have a little break before –’

  Emily shook her head. ‘She has to know, Luke.’ She stepped back from Bobby as Jillian approached with a short pink terry cover-up. For a moment, as Emily dropped the towel and slipped into the cover-up, she was nude. ‘Naked and In Love,’ she said. ‘I’m the executive producer of a porn company.’

  Bobby swayed on the spot. She pressed the knuckles of her left hand to her forehead.

  Richard stepped through the doorway. He carried a stack of plastic glasses and a pitcher of sangria on a tray, which he almost dropped when he spotted Bobby.

  ‘Hey,’ he said. He put the tray down on a patio table. ‘The Rose of Brazil! We’re supposed to meet tomorrow. What are you doing here?’

  Bobby stared at him.