Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 The Rendezvous,

   an erotic tale by AchtungNight.

   Celebs: Keri Russell, Alicia Witt, Evan Rachel Wood, Erika Christensen.
Codes: FF, FFF, F+, cons, reluc, oral, fist, mast, exh, voy, viol.
Disclaimer: This story contains graphic sexual situations and adult
themes and is therefore not suitable for those under age 18 or the
close-minded.  It may be illegal in some areas too.  :( Please also note
that it is not a true story, instead merely a fantasy.  Real events may be
referenced and real names, likenesses, and other personal details of
celebrities and other real people may be part of the story- however they
are used in a fictional manner styled to the author's liking that may be
satirical at times.  The author has never met any of the celebrities used
herein, so he has no way of knowing if they really act the way they do in
the story, and is confident that they probably don't.  One hopes that these
facts do not keep you, the reader, from enjoying the story.
Acknowledgements: Thanks as usual to all who have aided in the creation
of this story, even those who have done so without knowing it.  Thanks also
to those who maintain sites for stories like this, and to all those who
write for them, read them, and otherwise keep them alive.  Thanks
especially goes out to those who have sent this author feedback.  If after
reading this story you desire to do the same, please email feedback to me
at the address in my profile (DougElder21@yahoo.com).  All feedback, with
the exception of flames and spam, will be answered and appreciated.  I hope
you like this story.  If not, please tell me why you didn't so I may learn
of my mistakes.
Copyright: This story is my creation.  All other stories which are
referenced or otherwise paid homage herein belong to their respective
creators.  This story may be posted anywhere on the Internet that is free
to access and has my permission- please email me for such.  The inclusion
of this disclaimer and proper credit will be all that I ask.
Notes: This story takes place during the making of the 2005 movie "The
Upside of Anger." You may want to see that movie to get some of the
in-jokes.  It's also a pretty good movie, so you might be entertained, who
knows?  The story is related to the movie, but it is not based on it. 
Instead it's just a story where four young actresses begin a project
together, resolve their differences, and then do some other things.  ;D
Special thanks to Nero, Victoria, and others for help with the story when
needed.

   That said, on with the show! 
*********************************************************

   "Anger and resentment can stop you in your tracks.  That's what I know
now.  It needs nothing to burn but the air and the life that it swallows
and smothers.  It's real, though - the fury, even when it isn't.  It can
change you...  turn you...  mold you and shape you into something you're
not.  The only upside to anger, then...  is the person you become. 
Hopefully someone that wakes up one day and realizes they're not afraid to
take the journey, someone that knows that the truth is, at best, a
partially told story.  That anger, like growth, comes in spurts and fits,
and in its wake, leaves a new chance at acceptance, and the promise of
calm. Then again, what do I know?  I'm only a child."

   - Lavender "Popeye" Wolfmeyer (Evan Rachel Wood), The Upside of Anger.

   ********************************************************

   The Rendezvous.  London, England.  Late September 2003.

   "Hey!  Ain't you that girl from..."

   "Felicity," Keri Russell completed, grimacing at the familiar question.
She sighed and extended a hand to the young blonde man staring at her as
she stepped off the elevator.  "I'm Keri Russell.  Nice to meet you."

   "I love your show," the man said, shaking her hand and grinning like a
satyr.  Keri smiled back and tried to keep from rolling her storm-gray
eyes.

   "Thanks," she said, looking around the studio lobby.  She was just
heading back to her hotel after a successful audition for a new movie that
would be starting filming the next day.  From critically acclaimed
writer/director Mike Binder, The Upside of Anger was set to premiere
sometime in the next year or so.  Keri, who was just breaking back into the
acting business after several months off, was glad she had gotten a
significant role in the film.  Now, though, she was feeling a little
out-of-sorts.  Would she ever escape the shadow of her most well-known
character?

   "Um..." she said to the man as he released her hand after pumping it
enthusiastically.  She could feel his dark eyes running over her slim
curves under her jeans, black shirt, and tan duster.  "Uh..." The man
looked back at her fresh face framed by shoulder-length golden brown curls.
"You do know my show's over, right?" Keri asked.

   "Yeah," the man sighed, shaking his head at her.  "I miss it, don't
you?"

   "I don't miss it," Keri snapped, crossing her arms.  Seeing the
chagrinned look on the man's face, she dropped them and shrugged.  "I was
done with that character.  It's over."

   "Sorry," the man said, looking away from her for an instant.  Then he
turned back to her, grinning again.  "It's good that you're growing back
your hair."

   "Please," Keri held up a hand, now unable to keep from looking upset. 
Why did I accept that dare during the second season?  she wondered again,
then shook off the question.  "What'd you say your name was?"

   "Sorry.  It's Dave.  Dave Shaw." He gestured around the studio lobby. 
"You, uh, gonna be in a movie here?"

   "Yeah," Keri nodded, wondering if he worked in the building.  "It starts
filming tomorrow.  The Upside of Anger."

   "Hey!  My girlfriend's in that one!"

   Keri frowned.  "Your girlfriend?"

   "Yeah," he laughed.  "Amy Safir." Keri raised her eyebrow, not
recognizing the name.  "Hope Mercey." Keri shook her head.  "Zoey
Woodbine."

   "I don't know any of those girls," Keri shrugged in apology.  "You're
dating three different people?"

   "No!" Dave gasped, throwing up a hand.  "They're all the same girl,
they're just characters she's played." He smiled.  "You'd know her better
by her real name, I guess.  Alicia Witt."

   "Oh." Keri had heard of the actress, read about her in magazines, and
seen many of her movies and TV shows.  "You mean the girl from Urban
Legend?"

   "Yeah," Dave said.  "And Mr.  Holland's Opus.  Also Dune, and Ally
McBeal, and..."

   Keri cut him off.  "I know who you're talking about.  I heard that she
was in the movie with me.  I haven't met her yet, though."

   "Oh," Dave paused, then shrugged.  "She's playing Hadley, the snobby
bitch oldest daughter- a natural role for her, if you ask me.  Which one
are you?"

   "Emily," Keri said, grimacing at the insult in his statement.  The man's
deep Mockney accent made it seem all the harsher.

   "Ah, the second youngest," Dave said.  "The dancer with anorexia.  I
thought that Lauren Ambrose was gonna be her."

   "She backed out," Keri replied, looking for a way to exit the
conversation.  The man's words and expression were making her very
uncomfortable.  "I auditioned, I got hired.  Filming starts tomorrow."

   "Right, right," Dave chuckled.  "I think Alicia told me about that, I
just forgot.  Sorry."

   "It's okay," said Keri.  "It's a good part, I'm glad I got it."

   "Oh yeah, I agree," Dave said, looking her over again.  "Uh, ain't you a
little old for it, though?"

   "I can do it," Keri insisted.  She'd been telling herself this for the
past several weeks.  The role was a good one, her second movie role since
coming back to acting.  It had meant a long trip to London- the movie was
set in Detroit, but of course it was being filmed elsewhere- and a lot of
catchup dance courses, but it would all be worth it.  The role was a good
one.  It would get her notice, help her career.

   "I ain't saying you can't do it," Dave said.  "I just..." He shrugged.

   "What's going on here?" a harsh voice interrupted before Keri could
answer.  She turned to see a tall redhaired girl in a blue dress and black
coat approaching them, arms crossed.  She had prominent cheekbones and a
dimpled mouth.  Medium length cherry red hair framed her pale face nicely.
Her figure was lanky and well-muscled.  Every trace of the girl bespoke
deep elegance.  The only thing spoiling it was the glare in her dark brown
eyes.

   "Ali!" Dave quickly reversed the angle of his lips.  "Hey girl!"

   "You know I don't like being called Ali, David," Alicia Witt said.  She
waved a hand at Keri.  "Who's the bimbo?"

   Keri's mouth fell open.  "Bimbo?"

   "Don't you recognize her?" Dave asked, his mouth once again agape. 
"It's Felicity!"

   "Felicity?" Alicia raised an eyebrow, turning to regard Keri, who was
grimacing.  "The girl from that dumb WB show to which you're _so_
addicted?"

   "What are you talking about?" Dave asked, starting to wave his hands
rapidly.  "You're the one who turned me on to that show.  We watch it
together all the time."

   "Please excuse me," Alicia said to Keri, an insulting smirk on her lips.
"Dave's been catching your show since it came out over here and dragging me
into it.  I didn't recognize you with all the hair."

   "Uh, it's okay," Keri grimaced.  She had liked Alicia Witt in all the
movies in which she'd seen her, and looked forward to working with her. 
Now, though, she wasn't so sure.  "I've been growing my hair back since the
show ended."

   "Thank goodness," Alicia said, looking her up and down and smiling
fetchingly.  "You looked like a shaved rat!"

   Keri frowned, seeing Dave's mouth fall open again.  "Uh, you don't like
my show?"

   "I hate it," Alicia declared, putting a hand on her hip and glaring down
at Keri from four inches of added height, six counting her heels.  "You
play the most vapid little hussy I have ever seen on television."

   "Uh..." Keri was again looking for a way out.

   "Ali, what is with you?" Dave asked, looking shocked.  "You like her
show!  We watch it all the time.  And now the two of you are doing a movie
together."

   Alicia looked at Keri, her face sliding into a suddenly shocked
expression.  "What?"



   "Upside of Anger," Keri supplied nervously.  "You're Hadley.  I'm
Emily."

   "Oh," Alicia gulped, putting a hand to her lips.  "I'm sorry.  I...  I
didn't know."

   "It's okay," Keri said.  "I just got the part today." She looked at
Dave. "Um, your boyfriend was just telling me all about you."

   Alicia's hand dropped, the glare coming into her eyes again.  "He was
talking to you?"

   Keri nodded and took a step back from her, fearing another explosion. 
"We were just talking."

   For a moment, she thought the other girl was going to lose it.  Alicia
was glaring daggers at her, arms tensed, fists clenched at her sides.  Then
the redhead spun and raised a finger, pointing it at Dave.  "You were
talking to this bimbo?!"

   "Ali, baby," her boyfriend protested, waving his arms and talking
rapidly.  "Relax.  I recognized her and introduced myself, I was just
having fun.  You know me!"

   "Yes, I know you, Dave!" Alicia waved her finger at him.  "I know you
too well!"

   "Baby, please," Dave begged her.  "You know I wouldn't..."

   Sensing that their attention was focused on each other, Keri seized the
opportunity to hurry quickly across the lobby and out the studio's front
door.  Damn it, she thought to herself.  I hope that tomorrow she's calmed
down and we can avoid a repeat of this.  Otherwise my new film is
definitely not off to a great start.

   ***

   "So, Keri," the film's writer/director said to her the next day as they
walked through the studio hallway, "are you excited about the film?"

   "Yes, Mike," Keri Russell nodded at Mike Binder.  She felt better today,
having rested and relaxed all of the previous evening.  "It's a good
script."

   "Yes, it is," Mike agreed, stroking his black beard and tapping his
fingers on his arms as he walked beside her.  He was wearing a black suit,
while Keri was today dressed in a white T-shirt, green jacket, and light
gray khaki pants that hugged close against her legs.  "It's full of juicy
lines and great moments of emotion, especially for Joan and Kevin."

   "Yeah," Keri said.  He of course meant the film's stars, Kevin Costner
and Joan Allen.

   "They're looking very forward to working with you," Mike smiled. 
"However, you won't be meeting them today.  I want you to spend all of the
next two days or so rehearsing with the actresses playing your sisters. 
Get to know them, get close, build some rapport for your action before the
camera.  Do you think you can do that?"

   "Um..." Keri frowned suddenly, remembering her encounter with Alicia
Witt yesterday.  If the redhead still remembered it, and she probably would
if Keri's luck was running as usual, things could be bad.  She didn't even
know the other girl, she'd made a dismal first impression, and now they
were going to have to spend the next few days working on chemistry.  Not
good!

   "You remember who they are, right?" Mike asked her.  "You're playing
Emily, Alicia Witt is Hadley..."

   "Yeah," Keri cut in.  "And Erika Christensen is Andy, the third sister."
She frowned as she remembered what she knew of that actress.  They had
never met, but just as with Alicia Keri had heard of Erika Christensen,
read about her in magazines, and seen a few of her films.  She thought the
girl had great acting skill and was looking forward to meeting and working
with her, but she was also worried.  Erika Christensen had played a
psychotic serial killer in her most well-known role, the title character of
the teen slasher movie Swimfan.  Keri was certain that anyone who could do
such a part with the skill Erika had shown at it might very well be a crazy
person in real life.

   It didn't help that Keri had also heard Erika was a devoted lifelong
member of the Church of Scientology.  That religion was very popular in
Hollywood, Keri reminded herself.  Many celebrities followed it.  John
Travolta, Anne Archer, Tom Cruise, and several others.  They all seemed to
consider it a way of life, and Keri was afraid Erika would be just like
them.

   Maybe she won't be, Keri told herself for the hundredth time.  I
shouldn't be worried.  It's just...  I don't like religious people. 
Scientologists I'm especially not too fond of, thanks to all their strange
customs and the scandals they've been involved in.  Lawsuits, frame-ups,
con games, mysterious deaths.  Yeah, they've done charity work, too, I
know. And their founder wrote many good things, wise things.  I've read his
books.  They were okay.  Really, I don't know why I'm worried.  It's
just...

   It's your secret, her inner voice whispered.  You're afraid what will
happen if someone religious, someone like Erika, finds it out.  You were
worried about the same thing with Mel Gibson during the last movie you
made. That turned out alright, though, didn't it?  Maybe this will too. 
Yeah, sure, whatever.

   "Yes, Erika," Mike laughed.

   Obviously, Keri thought, he's thinking about their scenes in the movie.
Erika's character, Andy, had several moments of emotionally charged
interaction with the character Mike was playing, a radio producer named
Shep.

   "I'm looking very forward to working with her," Mike said with a grin.

   "Uh, me too," Keri said.  "Have you cast the fourth daughter yet?"

   "Popeye?" Mike shook his head.

   Of course he hasn't, Keri thought.  That character is one of the most
important in the film- the narrator and the youngest daughter.  Naturally
Mike's going to be agonizing for a long time over who to cast.

   "I'm down to three candidates," said Mike.  "They're upstairs in my
office waiting for me.  As soon as I pick the right girl, I'll send her
down.  It shouldn't take long."

   "Good luck," Keri told him.

   "Thank you," Mike said.  He then turned to a door they were approaching
and twisted its handle.  He walked through, and Keri followed him into the
small sitting room within.  Alicia and another girl were already there,
sitting beside each other at a table.  A plate of cookies, a plate of
sandwiches, and a bowl of fruit were set out before them.  There were also
several glasses and pitchers of water, soda, coffee, and juice.

   "Scripts are on the table," Mike pointed at a pile of papers.  "Take a
copy." Keri noted that Erika and Alicia were each already holding one. 
"Your dressing room is down the hall," the director went on.  "You remember
where it is, right?" Keri nodded.  "Good.  The restroom is in the corner at
the west end."

   "Right," Keri said, grimacing as she regarded her co-stars.  Alicia was
looking back at her, the expression on her face showing she did indeed
recognize Keri from yesterday.  Great, Keri thought, looking over the
redhead, who now wore a white dress and black suit jacket.  Luck's running
true to form.

   The other girl was an inch shorter than Keri, her figure lusher in the
hips and upper torso.  She was dressed in a dark blue polo shirt,
stonewashed jeans, and white sneakers.  Long reddish-blonde hair framed her
face, one curl of it clamped between her wide lips as she flipped through
her script, highlighting lines in orange.  Keri recognized her hair,
dimpled features, and deep blue eyes from Swimfan, Banger Sisters, and all
the other films she'd seen her in.  It was Erika Christensen all right.

   Okay, Keri told herself.  Don't treat her like a jerk.  Remember
devoutly religious people can also be amazing people worthy of admiration,
not to mention fun pranksters.  Mel Gibson proved that to you in your last
movie.  Maybe Erika will prove it again.  Yeah, right!

   "Alicia, Erika," Mike coughed.  The blonde looked up from her script. 
Mike waved at Keri.  "This is Keri Russell.  She's taking over the part of
Emily from Lauren Ambrose."

   "Hey!" Erika put her script down, stood up, walked over, and extended
her hand.  "You were on Roar, right?  The girl Heath Ledger dreamed about?"

   "Yeah," Keri felt her heart clench at the other actress's smile.  It had
been a small role in a show that didn't last too long, one not many of her
fans remembered well, especially in the days since Felicity.  It surprised
her that a girl she'd never met would remember it now.  "You watched that
show?"

   "My brothers have it on tape," Erika said.  "They're big into fantasy
stuff.  I've watched it with them a few times." She took Keri's hand in her
own, staring directly at the brunette and widening her smile as she shook
hands with Keri.  Keri frowned and raised her eyebrows, noticing the
softness and warmth of Erika's skin.

   "Uh, that's neat," Keri said, trying to make her face welcoming.  "You
might know me better from Felicity."

   Erika grinned, nodding.  "I watched that show almost every chance I got
when it was on.  Great depiction of college life." She turned and waved a
hand at the other woman in the room.  "This is Alicia Witt.  She's playing
Hadley.  You may know her from a lot of movies, most recently Two Weeks
Notice."

   "We've met," Alicia snapped, still glaring at Keri.

   "Is there something wrong?" Mike asked, looking back and forth at
Alicia's expression and Keri's nervous frown.

   "Nothing," Keri shook her head.  Better get things out in the open, she
then decided.  "Alicia and I just had a bad encounter in the lobby
yesterday.  Alicia, I'm sorry about what happened.  I tried to apologize at
the time, but..."

   "It's okay." Alicia waved a hand nonchalantly, though her eyes still
spoke acid.  "It was Dave's fault.  For some reason, he insists on flirting
incessantly with every female celebrity he meets."



   "Oh," Keri raised her eyebrows.  That would explain a few things. 
Suddenly she noticed Erika was smiling at Alicia and tracing a circle with
her finger in the air beside her head.

   "Don't do that," Alicia snapped at the blonde.  Erika giggled and
increased the speed of the gesture, causing the redhead to roll her eyes
and let out a deep sigh.  Great, Keri thought, obviously they're old
friends.  Wonderful.

   "That young man is forbidden to be in the studio, Alicia," Mike said. 
"You should know that.  After what he told Joan yesterday..."

   "I know, Mike!" Alicia spun to regard him.  "That 'Pat Nixon could have
been a contender' joke he made up about her was very uninspired.  Dave
won't be coming back here."

   "See that he doesn't," the director replied, emphasizing the command
with a gesture.  "Your dating life is not my business, but this film is."

   Alicia rolled her eyes higher.  "Yes, Mike."

   "You ought to date a nicer man," Erika said.  "Like Rosey."

   Keri raised an eyebrow, not knowing who Erika was talking about. 
"Rosey?"

   "Michael Rosenbaum," Erika answered, smiling again.  "He's starring as
Lex Luthor in a Superboy remake show on your old network.  We've gone out a
few times.  Rosie's a dumb pet name I have for him."

   "I know Michael," Keri said, thinking back to the many times they'd
encountered one another at the WB and various theater productions.  Michael
Rosenbaum was a nice guy, if a bit too bald and sarcastic for Keri's taste.
If Erika likes him, she thought, and vice versa, maybe she can't be all
bad. Hmm.  "He's okay."

   "He's a dish," Erika said.  "A real Jettero Heller." Suddenly she
grimaced and looked away, then back at Keri.  "I'm sorry.  You probably
don't know who that is."

   "Actually I do," Keri replied, recognizing the name of the dashing hero
of Mission Earth, L.  Ron Hubbard's most prominent science fiction series.
Typical Scientologist, she thought to herself.  Totally into the writings
of her religion's founder.  Just like Travolta.  Great.  Stop yourself,
Keri.  Say something she'd like.  "Those books are pretty good.  I've read
them."

   "Oh," Erika said, looking relieved.

   "I'm glad you girls are getting along," Mike said, nodding at Erika. 
"If you'll excuse me, I have three other girls waiting." He nodded at each
of them again, then turned and walked out.

   Keri watched him go, then sat down across from the other two actresses.
Alicia was no longer frowning at her, she noticed.  Erika was still
smiling. Gotta open myself up to them, Keri thought, break the ice.  "Are
you excited about the movie?" Damn it, why couldn't I think up a better
question?

   "I'm not that excited," Alicia said, grimacing in the direction of her
script and then looking back at Keri.  "This role isn't like me at all. 
It's neither memorable nor interesting.  Stereotypical almost.  If I didn't
know better, I'd say I was being typecast."

   Keri frowned.  "Typecast?"

   "Yeah," Alicia said.  "There's a lot of typecasting going on in this
movie.  Just look at who's in it.  Kevin Costner is a washed-up ball
player- again.  And he's not the only one doing something he's done before.
Joan Allen is a woman who lets herself become the object of scandal."

   "I respect Joan Allen," Keri said, her grimace deepening.  "She always
prepares for her roles so intensely.  I've been looking forward to working
with her."

   "We are too," Alicia said, looking at Erika.  She frowned at the script
in her hand, then put it down.  "Joan Allen's great.  I loved her in
Manhunter, the Contender, Ice Storm..." She shook her head.  "I just wish
she and I weren't doing the same role for the hundredth time.  You can
relate, right?  Your character's pretty dumb."

   "No, she's not," Keri countered.  "She's just too caught up in herself
and her own issues.  Like Joan Allen's and yours, Erika."



   Erika nodded in agreement.  "Tell me about it.  The girl I'm playing has
a serious attitude problem."

   "You're becoming well known for that role, you know," Alicia told her.
"Smart girls with serious attitude problems." She counted roles off on her
fingers.  "You've played that role in Traffic, Banger Sisters, Swimfan, a
dozen TV shows.  You even played it in that MTV movie you just did, The
Perfect Score."

   Erika rolled her eyes.  "The roles are different if you look at them
closely." She looked at her script, then frowned.  "No, wait, you're right,
this role sucks.  I keep telling my agent to give me roles that challenge
me, mean something to people.  This role isn't very challenging."

   "You could make it interesting," Keri said.  "Find challenges in it.  I
certainly found it challenging the first time I had to be in an on-screen
relationship with an older man."

   "I've already done that a few times," Erika replied.  Keri could tell by
the blonde's expression she wasn't exactly looking forward to repeating the
experience.

   "Then why are you doing this movie?" Keri asked her.  "If you don't like
the role..."

   "I'm mostly here for my brother Dane," Erika said.  "He's in the film
too.  It's his first big role."

   "Your brother's getting into acting?" Keri smiled.  "Good for him. 
Who's he playing?"

   Erika smiled back.  "Gordon Reiner."

   Keri thought for a second, remembering the role.  Suddenly she felt a
pallor coming over her.  "You don't mean the dumb kid who thinks he's gay
and smokes marijuana?"

   Erika nodded, grimacing.  "I know, I know.  I told Dane, he needs to be
careful with even the hint of doing drugs.  But he said playing around with
drugs worked great for me, gave me a breakout role.  Our parents agreed. 
So he's going through with it."

   "That's not what I meant," Keri said.  "His character's gay.  Isn't it a
little early for him to be doing something so..." She shrugged, unable to
think of the right word.

   Erika shrugged.  "Dane's like me, he loves a challenge.  He's up to it,
too- he's got potential."

   "I'm not saying he doesn't," Keri insisted.  "It's just, well..." Damn
it, say it, she told herself.  You have to know.  "You're a Scientologist,
right?  Your family raised you that way?" Erika nodded in response, and
Keri took a breath.  "You have to forgive me.  It's just whenever I see a
big Scientologist actor asked whether or not he's gay..."

   Erika cut her off with a wave, smiling.  "I know.  That's the big
challenge Dane's going for, he wants to break the stereotype.  Of course to
do that, he needs support.  That's why I'm here."

   "It's good that you're doing this for him," Keri said.  Then she frowned
again.  "Aren't you afraid, though?  You know, of backlash?"

   Erika laughed.  "What, you think someone might disassociate themselves
from us over this?  Please.  Dane's acting, it's not like he really is gay.
Smart people will know the difference.  And if anyone's dumb enough to
disassociate themselves from us based on this...  well, they can go visit
Xenu."

   Keri was confused again.  "Xenu?"

   "Xenu is what Scientologists call the Devil," Alicia explained.  "He's
an alien space god sealed in a volcano, the enemy of humanity."

   "Oh," Keri said.  She turned back to Erika.  "So I guess you're saying
they can go to hell?"

   "Exactly," Erika nodded.  "You don't know much about my religion, do
you?"

   Keri shook her head.  "I really don't want to know." She caught herself,
frowning.  "I'm sorry, that kind of came out wrong."

   "It's okay," Erika said.  "I know what you mean.  The media gives some
people way too many opportunities to make asses of themselves on the air.
You know what happens when you ride an ass in search of an ass."



   "Yeah," Alicia smiled.  "Or when you ride an ass refusing to dismount."

   Keri laughed at the words, then frowned, not getting them.  "Um, was
that in Hubbard's Dianetics or something?"

   "No," Erika replied.  "It's from something Bruce Lee wrote.  What, did
you think L.  Ron was the only philosopher we could look up to?"

   Keri blushed.  "Well, I..."

   Erika threw up her hands.  "Damn the media!  There they go again,
ruining things for us!  Don't they know religious debates are never worth
it?  People are going to believe what they want to believe, and if you ask
them to comment on their religion, they can't help but do so favorably.  It
leaves little room for tolerance and makes us all look like stupid jerks."

   Alicia shook a finger at her.  "Well, maybe if so many of you didn't
have such a problem with having your religion satirized..."

   "Who doesn't have a problem with that?" Erika asked, glaring at the
redhead.  "People just need to remember to laugh about it.  Our founder
laughed every time he kidded people about our religion being started just
for money.  He even satirized the way people saw us when he wrote Mission
Earth."

   "He did?" Keri asked.  "I thought he was satirizing Earth in general."

   Erika nodded.  "And Scientology's part of Earth, and it was a big
influence on L.  Ron, so naturally it crept in.  Read the books again,
you'll see how."

   "It's been a long time," Keri said, thinking hard and realizing she
could only slightly remember the books.  "Maybe I should re-read them."

   "Do it," Erika encouraged her.  "Ignore the bad stuff." She smiled. 
"Look, I'm sorry about all the scandals, okay?  I'm not in the habit of
denying them.  I've even tried to do what I can to rectify a few.  I
support my friends who visit psychologists.  I hang out with followers of
other religions.  I've appeared on shows like Touched by an Angel.  I
donate portions of my earnings to funds like the Lisa McPherson Trust."

   Keri stared at her, mouth falling open.  "Wow.  Your religion lets you
do all that?"

   Erika waved a hand and giggled.  "They don't control me.  Some people
have given me grief about it, but I don't care.  I snipe right back.  Every
religion has things it's done in history people shouldn't forget.  The
Muslims have al-Qaeda, the Jews have Palestine, the Catholics have the
Spanish Inquisition."

   Keri's face went aghast.  "The Spanish Inquisition?" she repeated.  She
definitely had not been expecting Erika to bring that up.

   "Yeah!" Erika threw up her hands in a pout.  Then she put them down and
sighed.  "I'm sorry, it's just sometimes when I read what people are saying
about me online, they lash out at me purely based on misunderstanding of my
religion.  I don't like it when people do that.  I try to get revenge on
them by showing them how wrong they are about me.  You can understand
revenge, right, Keri?"

   "Sure," Keri said.  "I suppose."

   "Revenge is a sucker's game," said Alicia.

   "Not if you do it the right way," Erika snapped, then turned back to
Keri.  "I get revenge with roles all the time.  When I played Madison in
Swimfan, I was showing all the people who said I couldn't do the role that
I could.  I'm doing it again here, telling off a director on camera.  I
couldn't believe Mike was going to let me do that at first, but once I
realized how much he likes to laugh at himself..."

   Keri smiled.  "Everyone should be able to laugh at themselves." Suddenly
a thought occurred to her.  "So is your brother doing revenge too?  For all
the flak Travolta and Cruise have created about the possibility of their
being gay?"

   Erika laughed.  "You might say that."

   Alicia grinned and looked at the blonde.  "What are you rebelling
against, Erika?"

   Erika grinned back and gestured with her marker.  "Whaddaya got?"

   Keri raised an eyebrow, looking at each of them.  "Is that from a movie
or something?"



   "The Wild One," Alicia said.  "It's a classic."

   "Oh." Keri rolled her eyes, remembering how many actors she knew liked
to frequently imitate great moments in the movies.  Erika and Alicia
weren't the first she'd met.  She liked to do such imitations herself
sometimes.  They could get annoying, though, when one didn't know the line.
Keri blushed.  "I remember that movie now."

   "I love that movie," Erika said.  "We all need a role like Brando's role
in there.  A breakout performance, a great role that wakes the public up to
us.  My role was in Traffic, Alicia's was in Fun..."

   Keri nodded.  "And mine was in Felicity."

   "Right," Alicia said.  Then she frowned.  "Listen, Keri, I owe you an
apology.  I kind of assumed you would be a bimbo because of your show
and..."

   Keri stopped her with a raised hand.  "It's okay.  You aren't the first
fan who's done that.  I'm guilty of making stupid assumptions myself."

   "Me, right?" Erika asked her.  "You assumed I was going to be an uptight
religious jerk because of everything negative the media's shown you about
Scientology."

   Keri blinked.  Wow, she thought, she saw right through me.  "Uh, yeah, I
guess I did.  I'm sorry about that."

   "It's okay," Erika said.  "I've made mistakes too." She looked down at
her script, then back up at Keri.  "You know Scientology's not really a bad
religion, it's just misunderstood.  People call us a cult and accuse us of
brainwashing, but they forget we're also the ones who said things like 'On
the day we can fully trust each other, there will be peace in the world.'
We try to foster tolerance, understanding, self-knowledge.  If you want to
know more, I have some pamphlets."

   Keri shook her head.  "I'm not here for a religious debate.  I already
know what I believe.  I'm just here to do a movie."

   Erika smiled.  "That's fine.  If you ever want to talk about it,
though..."

   "I don't," Keri cut her off, then grimaced again.  "I'm sorry.  It's
just, I went through something just like this on my last film."

   "Mel Gibson, right?" Alicia asked.  She shook her head.  "The big
Christian evangelist."

   "He's not all bad," Keri said.  "He pulled some fun pranks on the cast
and crew while we were making our movie.  I hated it at first, but then I
laughed, and well..."

   "Laughter is good for the soul," Erika said with a smile.  "Anybody can
agree on that." She closed her eyes, then reopened them, looking mirthful.
"So you know Mel Gibson," she said to Keri.  "Could you introduce me to
him?"

   "Maybe," Keri answered, confused.  "Why?"

   "I'm thinking of trying out for that film he's doing about Jesus," Erika
said.  "I have this role I want to play, and..."

   Keri gulped and cut her off quickly.  "Mel's very protective of that
movie.  He's already very worried about what people are going to think of
it.  I'm not sure he'd be open to other people's suggestions."

   Erika blushed.  "Sorry.  Let me guess, I'm not the first person who's
asked you that."

   Keri shook her head.  "No."

   "Sorry," Erika repeated herself.  "It's just, well, if he's worried
about building religious tolerance, I could help him.  I've thought of a
way.  I'll admit it's pretty radical, but if it works right..."



   "Do not ask her about it," Alicia interrupted Erika, glaring at her and
then looking at Keri.  "It's a very dumb reckless idea.  Erika gets a lot
of them."

   "I'm not the only one!" Erika shot back.  "Look at all the dumb movies
you've been in!"

   "We've all been in dumb movies," Keri said, knowing she wanted to stop
that debate before it got started.  Damn it, I need to stop all these
debates, she thought in the same instant.  Religion, movies, so many other
things in life do too much to divide people unnecessarily.  I can't let
them do it here.  "Can we talk about something else?" she asked the other
two girls.

   "Sure," Alicia said.

   Erika nodded, smiling.  "What do you want to talk about?"

   Hmm, Keri thought, where to begin?  You've already begun, she reminded
herself.  And you didn't do so well.  Oh well, such is life.  Now's the
time to do better.  She thought for a minute, then shrugged.  "How long
have you two known each other?"

   "Tom Cruise introduced us a few years ago at the premiere of Vanilla
Sky," Alicia said.  "He's a nice guy.  A little crazy and full of himself,
but a good person.  A very inspiring actor."

   Keri smiled, glad the new plan was working.  "Mel was like that too."
Suddenly one of her fantasies flashed into her mind, a stupid one that
hadn't worked out.  There was an ache between her thighs at the memory.  Oh
no, Keri told herself, gotta think about something else.  Think of a famous
guy who has been nice to you.  Tony, think of Tony.  That didn't help. 
Tony Lucca was her best friend, and more besides.  Thinking about him and
their last night together, so long ago, was not the best thing to do.  Keri
knew this as she felt the ache and feeling of wetness between her thighs
increase.

   "And Kevin Costner will be the same," Alicia said.  "I'm looking forward
to meeting him."

   "Yeah, so am I," Keri said, smiling and trying to push down another
fantasy.  Stop it, she ordered her mind.  I swore I wouldn't have such
thoughts anymore!

   As Keri declared this to herself, there was a knock at the door.  "Come
in!" Alicia called out.

   The door opened to admit Mike Binder and another girl.  A young blonde,
her skin tanned and creamy.  Her blue eyes were wide, her long hair combed
back from her face.  Keri looked over her figure and found it slim but
still developing.  She was dressed in a violet sweater, red T-shirt, and
pale blue jeans.  Keri thought she knew her from somewhere but couldn't
place it.  She's a teen idol, I think.  TV?  Movies?  Music?

   "Everyone," Mike caught their attention, "this is Evan Rachel Wood.  She
will be playing the part of Popeye."

   "Hey!" Erika stood up and grinned.  "You're that girl from Thirteen,
aren't you?"

   Thirteen!  Keri thought.  Of course!  Once & Again too- she played
Jessie.  How can I have forgotten?  She noticed Alicia was frowning deeply
at the young girl.

   "Yeah," Evan Rachel Wood said, extending her hand to Erika and smiling.
"You're Erika Christensen, right?  The role you played in Traffic was a
major part of my inspiration for Tracy."

   "That's me," Erika shook her hand and laughed.  "You did a teenage drug
addict very well, even better than I did.  Or at least my brothers thought
so." She rolled her eyes, then smirked.  "Good to meet you."

   She seems nice, Keri thought.  Best introduce myself.  She stood up and
extended her own hand.  "Hi, I'm Keri Russell."

   "You starred in Felicity, right?" Evan said.  Keri nodded and the young
girl smiled again.  "I watched your show a lot when it was on.  I had one
on ABC at the same time.  Once & Again?"

   "Yeah," Keri nodded.  "I remember that show." Boy, do I ever remember
that show, she thought to herself.  Most realistic depiction of divorce and
teenage life I've ever seen.  And that ratings stunt they did in the third
season- oh, I've watched it a thousand times.  How often did Amanda and I
want to do the same thing on Felicity?  JJ would never dream of letting us,
even if he knew.  And now I'm meeting that girl in real life, doing a movie
with her.  "You were Jessie, right?"

   "Yep," Evan replied.  Her eyes took on a wistful look as she spoke.  "I
miss my show.  Yours too.  Mike tells me you're going to be Emily.  If you
need any tips on playing an anorexic teenager, let me know." She glanced at
the other woman in the room.  "Hey, you're Alicia Witt, right?  You were on
Twin Peaks and Cybil."

   The redhaired girl nodded, still grimacing.  "More recently, Ally
McBeal."

   "And Sopranos," Evan added.  "I really liked you on there."

   Keri gasped, pushing down another sudden fantasy.  That was her favorite
Sopranos episode too- she had watched it more than any other.  Damn it, she
thought to herself.  Why can I not quit thinking about sex?

   "Is everything alright, Alicia?" Mike asked, raising an eyebrow.

   "I thought you were getting Mandy Moore for Popeye," Alicia said.

   The director sighed.  "Her schedule didn't fit ours." Then his
expression changed to a prideful smirk.  "Evan totally blew away my other
two candidates.  She's a veteran actress who's recently worked with Al
Pacino and Ron Howard.  I worked with her myself a long time ago, back on
American Gothic.  She's very precocious for her age.  Perfect for Popeye."

   "Thanks," Evan beamed at him.  "I look forward to working again with
you. Mind of the Married Man was so hilarious."

   "You really think so?" Mike asked.  Evan nodded and grinned.

   Alicia rolled her eyes.  "Oh boy." Keri felt herself agreeing.  That
show stunk to high heaven, she thought.  I didn't see much of it, but I
couldn't watch it, the jokes were so dumb.  What is wrong with Evan?  Does
she feel the need to suck up to people?  Why would she, with all the great
work she's done?

   "I'll leave you four to get to know each other," Mike smiled at them. 
"Please call my office if you need anything.  Take all the time you like."
Bowing, he turned and walked out.

   "Great guy, isn't he?" Evan chuckled as the door shut.  She took a seat
beside Keri and looked at each of them.  "It's nice to meet all of you.  I
love your work."

   "Likewise," Erika said.  "So you're playing Popeye."

   "Yeah," Evan said, then frowned.  "Hey, have any of you been able to
puzzle out why she has that name?  I've read the script over a dozen times,
but the explanation's not in there."

   "I think it's supposed to be a dumb family nickname," Keri shrugged. 
She didn't like the name either, but what could you do?  She looked at
Alicia, noticing the redhead was still frowning at Evan.  "Is something
wrong?"

   "I hope not," the redhead grimaced.  She pointed her finger at Evan.  "I
just...  Erika, are you sure you want your brother working with this girl?"

   "What do you mean?" Erika asked.  She looked at Evan.  "My brother's
playing your love interest."

   Evan nodded, looking confused.  "Mike told me.  Is there a problem?"

   "No offense," Alicia said.  "It's just, that, well, you know about the
scene where he tells you he's gay, right?"

   "Yeah," Evan said, grimacing.  "What about it?"

   Alicia shook her head.  "You're typecast as a lesbian."

   "What do you mean?" Evan asked.  Her face and body language carried a
strange expression.  "I'm not typecast!"

   "You kissed another girl in Thirteen and on that show of yours," Alicia
replied, pointing her finger pointing at Evan.  "And I also heard you have
that movie coming out.  You know, the one where you play the schoolgirl who
gets the lesbian reporter to frame her teacher for sexual harassment?"

   "Pretty Persuasion," Evan said.  "That won't be out for a while.  I
can't start filming it till I'm done with this."

   "Yeah," Alicia scowled.  "That one.  I hear it has a lot of blatant sex
jokes."

   Oh gosh, Keri thought.  Not another one of _those_ movies.

   "There are some good parts," Evan shrugged.  "I like the climax." She
grinned and then quoted a line.  "'It's like this world is the orchestra
and I'm the conductor.'"

   "Oh yes," Alicia rolled her eyes.  "Good line, great line.  But then
there's all the porno jokes, the masturbation bits, the bestiality, the..."
She stopped, seeing Evan's darkening expression.  "I'm sorry.  I was given
a script for the film by Myron, my agent.  He thought I'd be as good as the
reporter."

   Evan smiled.  "Jane Krakowski got that part.  You know Jane, right?  You
were on Ally McBeal with her."

   "Jane?" Alicia gaped at the young girl.  "Jane Krakowski is playing
a..."



   "Yeah, she's playing one."

   Alicia stared at her.  "But your lovescenes..."

   Evan shrugged.  "They're just brief scenes.  No nudity.  I wouldn't mind
if there was, but the director said it wasn't necessary." She shook her
head, then smiled again.  "Hey, what's your problem?  You've been a lesbian
in a few films."

   "I was acting," Alicia said.  "I really don't care for lesbians."

   Obviously, Keri thought, trying to keep from looking disturbed.

   "Then I guess you weren't acting in Playing Mona Lisa," Evan said.  Keri
felt a flush coming over her, remembering that comedy and Alicia's funniest
running gag in it.  Her character told men she liked girls and guys, then
always left them in disgust, realizing the truth.  Keri had liked the role
and the movie.  The running joke had bothered her, though, in part because
of her attraction to Alicia.  In the end Keri had decided to hope the joke
was just really bad overacting.  If it was sincere, though...

   "I wasn't acting," Alicia said.  Her voice carried a strange tone.  "I
wasn't acting at all."

   "Well, okay, that's fine," Evan shrugged.  "For the record, I'm not a
lesbian either.  It's just fun to mess around with it." She looked at
Erika. "You can agree, right?  I saw you in Home Room.  Busy Phillips
kissed you."

   Keri frowned.  She had heard of the movie but had not seen it.  "You
kissed a girl onscreen?" she asked Erika, noticing the other girl's face
was red.

   "She didn't like it," said Alicia.  "She didn't kiss her back."



   Erika had a strange look in her eyes as she nodded in confirmation. 
"That's what the script said."

   "It was different in reality, though, right?" Evan asked her, smiling.
Her hands gestured as she added details.  "The first time I kissed Mischa,
I thought I wasn't going to like it either, but then..." She grinned and
Erika frowned.  Keri felt her thoughts tumbling.  Why was Evan bringing
this up?  If she...  Better jump in here.

   "Uh, Evan," Keri said, guessing the source of Erika's discomfort, "did
you know Erika's a Scientologist?"

   "Oh!" Evan's mouth fell open.  "I'm sorry.  I didn't realize..."

   "It's okay," Erika told her, blushing.  She frowned at Keri, then turned
back to Evan, hand waving as she spoke.  "We had this conversation earlier,
about unfair stereotypes.  For the record, I have no problem with gays or
lesbians.  Most people in my religion don't, the ones who do get most of
the press.  Really, the vast majority of us aren't against people of
alternative sexualities.  We even have a network of people into them called
Clear Rainbow."

   "Oh," Evan said.  "I didn't know that.  Sorry."

   I didn't know that either, Keri thought.  Another stupid assumption
shattered today.

   "So did you like doing that scene?" Evan asked Erika.  "You did, right?
You had fun with it."

   "Lots of fun," Erika nodded, a strange look on her face.  "That movie
was great for a lot of reasons.  I really challenged myself, acting against
type.  I try to do that with all my roles."

   "Right," Evan said.  "They all mean something to you."

   "Yes," Erika replied.  "They're all me, a part of me.  Every time I take
on a role, I have to look at truths about myself, some of which are scary.
I like doing it, especially when I get crazy.  So you're the same way?"

   "Yes," Evan said.  She looked at Alicia.  "And you too, right?  I've
seen all the films you've done for David Lynch and John Waters."

   Alicia stared at her.  "Your parents let you watch all those films?"

   "I'm eighteen," Evan shrugged.  "I can watch whatever I want." She
grimaced, then looked back at Erika.  "I think it's great your brother's
doing something like this so early in his career.  I did something similar
on my show.  If he needs help..."

   Erika smiled.  "That's very kind of you."

   Evan grimaced at the line.  Keri did too, realizing Erika was quoting
her brother's character Gordon Reiner.  This girl is terrible, Keri
thought, and yet so...  interesting.  Beautiful too.  I wonder if...  Oh
no. Stop that.  Stop it right now.

   "I'm sorry," Alicia said again, shooting Erika a glare.  "I just want to
get away from doing dumb crazy things on screen.  It's hurting my career,
or so people have been telling me."

   "Oh, come on," Erika said, glaring back at her, "it's fun!" She looked
at Keri.  "What's the craziest thing you've ever done when acting?"

   Keri paused, having to think for a moment.  "Probably that whole time
travel plot on Felicity's last season."

   "That was crazy," Evan said.  "Mine was Thirteen, everything in there.
And yours, Erika?"

   "This movie," Erika smiled.  "I actually tell a guy I fake orgasms."

   Evan frowned.  "That's not that crazy."

   "It is for me," Erika laughed.  "I don't fake orgasms.  I don't fake
anything.  Whatever it is, I do it true.  Life's better that way."



   Keri suddenly felt the ache in her belly deepen.  Obviously Erika was
talking about her biggest scene in the film, the part where she broke up
with Mike Binder's character, told him she had been faking every time they
made love.  It was a good joke, but in this context...  Suddenly she felt
confused.  Erika didn't fake orgasms?  But come on, every actress had to if
they wanted to do extended lovescenes!  "You never...?"

   "Nope," Erika shook her head, smile deepening.  She shrugged.  "It's an
acquired talent, one I'm not that great at.  There was a time when I tried
it, but I sucked, so I gave it up."

   "She's the only actress I know who can't do it," Alicia said, rolling
her eyes.  "Erika can't even do that scene from When Harry Met Sally."

   "The guy I'm sitting across from always has to get me hot with footsie
under the table," Erika said, keeping her smile.  "Otherwise my face just
looks all wrong for it.  I am terrible at faking lovescenes."

   Keri stared at the blonde, feeling her insides shake.  But she's done
great lovescenes!  The ones I've seen, anyway.  If she can't fake, how can
she...?

   Evan seemed to agree with Keri.  "But..." she stammered at Erika.  "Your
pool lovescene in Swimfan looked so real."

   "That's because it was real," Erika said.  "We kept trying to get it
right and it didn't work, so finally I talked to Jesse and John about it
and we decided we had to film actual sex.  I had a live one night stand."

   Keri stared at the other girl, her gray eyes wide with surprise.  Inside
her mind, memories of the scene were raging.  Inside her body, a strange
yet familiar feeling continued to grow.  "You actually..."

   Erika grinned, then nodded.  "It took a few takes, and we had to cut out
quite a bit of the really good action, but in the end it worked out.  Don't
you agree?"

   Keri grimaced, trying to calm her insides.  The scene had been one of
the hottest things she'd ever seen on film, a high point to an otherwise
really bad movie.  She remembered it well.  "You're pretty dedicated," she
told Erika, unable to think of anything better to say to her.

   "I try," Erika smirked.  Then her expression changed.  "Jesse's a
dedicated actor too.  Any of you ever seen him in Presumed Innocent?  King
of the Hill?  Bring it On?"

   "I liked him in Hackers and your movie," Keri said, then blinked.  "You
dated him on the set?"

   "No," Erika replied, sighing.  "He has a steady girlfriend.  He was so
nice to me, though.  He told me he took the role in Swimfan just so he
could kiss me and Shiri.  It was so romantic, I thought.  I tried to get
with Jesse, but he turned me down.  I was mad at first, but then he kept
treating me nice, and..."

   "You used your feelings with your character," Keri said.  Many times
she'd done the same thing herself.

   Erika smiled again.  "Yeah.  It worked out great.  We settled our
feelings, got to be friends.  Not good friends, but friends.  Then when I
proposed the idea of our actually having sex on camera, Jesse was shocked
as hell.  But then he was into it." She chuckled.  "I can be very
convincing."

   I bet, Keri thought, looking at the other girl.  She looks like a
porcelain doll, Keri mused.  Her face is so nice, especially with those
beauty marks and dimples.  Devilish purity.  I...  Oh no, she caught
herself.  Not this, not again.  She turned her gaze to Alicia, thinking the
other girl and their enmity might calm her trembling insides.  It didn't
work.

   "I would never lower myself to do anything like that," Alicia said,
rolling her eyes noticeably.  "I can get nude on camera, but there are some
places where you have to draw the line."

   "Yeah," Keri nodded, feeling her brain quake again.  Desperately she
again tried to keep her thoughts off seeing Alicia naked in her favorite
episode of the Sopranos.  Alicia had been so hot in there, such a memorable
character, and in real life she was so...  Before Keri could complete the
thought, more words from the other actresses in the room caught her
attention.

   "That's shocking," Evan said to Erika, looking both surprised and
amused. "You're telling me that's not the craziest thing you've ever done?"

   Erika grinned.  "It was until this movie."

   Alicia rolled her eyes.  "Erika does crazy things like that all the
time," she told Keri and Evan.  "Real on-screen sex, naked interviews and
photo shoots, hanging out with Playboy models." She blushed as she waved
her fingers.  "I've posed nude, too, I know.  I've done roles like Erika
has.  I'm not like that, though.  I am not a crazy sex fiend.  I just used
to like to play the vamp a lot."

   "Right," Keri grimaced, the words instantly bringing on more memories of
Alicia's Sopranos character.  And her Ally McBeal character.  And her
movies.  So many of them she had hot scenes in, so many of them with
lesbian or kinky overtones, so many of them showed Alicia so hot...  Alicia
was hot, Keri realized.  That long crimson hair, those freckles, that
figure.  Oh no, Keri realized, shaking her head.  Get a hold of yourself,
you ditz!

   "You okay, Keri?" Erika asked, raising an eyebrow at her expression. 
Alicia was also looking at her.  The brunette immediately stopped gritting
her teeth.

   "Fine!" Keri looked away from them.  "I'm fine.  I'm just not used to
talk like this."

   "Better get used to it, Felicity." Alicia rolled her eyes, then smiled
and pointed at Erika.  "This girl is quite well known for such talk."

   "Hey," Erika glared at her, spreading her hands.  "What's wrong with
liking sex?  Nothing!" She turned back to Keri.  "You agree, right?  You've
done lovescenes."

   "Not in a while," Keri said, shaking her head and trying to clear it. 
"I'm just getting back into acting."

   "Right," Evan said.  "I remember hearing you wanted to back out after
Felicity went belly-up.  I was pleased when I saw you in that war movie
last year."

   "I was glad too," Keri agreed.  "I tried getting out of acting, but I
decided I liked it too much to quit.  I'm still getting back into it, still
doing small roles, but maybe I'll find something I can star in again one of
these days."

   "I hope you do," Evan said.  "You've done it before.  If you need help,
just ask me.  I know I haven't been an actress that long, but I've done a
lot of things."

   "So have I," said Erika.  "If you need help, just ask."

   "Thanks," Keri told them, shaking her head at the words.  She looked at
Alicia.  "And you?"

   Alicia frowned, then shrugged.  "Of course.  Just don't expect me to do
anything stupid or crazy.  I'm through with that stuff."

   "Right," Keri nodded, memories of all the things she'd seen Alicia do
flashing in her mind again.  Crud, stop thinking about them.  She looked at
Erika, trying to get her mind on something else.  The blonde's expression,
though, made Keri think again of the Swimfan pool scene.  That scene was so
hot, Keri remembered.  I wanted to reenact it with Tony, but he wasn't into
the idea, darn it.  Oh crud, stop thinking about it!  Pushing her legs
together to contol the ache there, she looked at Evan.

   The young girl looked back at her with a strange expression.  Warmth,
interest, and something else.  Something Keri could not define.  It shone
in Evan's eyes, and flashed through to the center of Keri.  "So," Evan
asked her, "are you excited about being in this movie with us?"

   "Excited?" Keri repeated, staring back at Evan.  "Uh, yeah, sure, of
course."

   I am excited, she told herself.  Just not about the movie, not now.  Why
did we have to talk about all that we just did?  Now I'm looking at these
other girls and thinking about them, even though I just met them.  Oh crud,
what is wrong with me?  Oh crud!

   Keri Russell's secret was simple yet dire- she was a slut.  A wanton
minx who loved sex way more than any of her TV or movie characters.  She
had first achieved orgasm hiding in a closet between auditions for the
Mickey Mouse Club, way back in her early teenage years.  She'd been feeling
unusually tense that day, weak in the knees and stressed with the effort of
singing and dancing.  Touching her body in private had seemed to be the
best way to relieve that tension.

   Then she'd gotten onto the show, to her great delight, and met her
fellow Mouseketeers.  In particular there had been Ilana Miller, who had
become Keri's first real best friend.  Once they each found out what the
other liked to do between skits, Ilana also became her first masturbating
companion.  Keri and Ilana had explored their sexuality together and both
found many things they liked.  Ilana hadn't been the only Mouseketeer Keri
had gotten with either.  Not even a year later, Keri had lost her virginity
to a nice guy in the same closet.  She had been wild for sex ever since.

   Her escapades and experimentation had continued long after she left the
Disney Channel.  She'd gotten together with some of her co-stars on Malibu
Shores and other projects.  Keri found having sex with people made for a
great way to get to know them, an excellent method for developing chemistry
and friendship.  It was fun too, there was nothing better for letting out
the tension of a hard day's work.  Despite all this, though, she feared
what damage it could do to her reputation if her secret got out.  That was
why she was so very careful about her secret, and rarely told it to anyone.
The only people Keri shared herself with were people she found genuinely
attractive and trustworthy first.

   Her Felicity castmates had ranked highly among those people.  She'd been
lovers with both Scott Speedman and Scott Foley, on and off camera.  Amanda
Foreman had been someone she'd developed quite a rapport with, too, and
Tangi Miller.  Amy Jo Johnson had also been a good friend of Keri's during
her years on the WB, especially after Keri found out AJ had shared similar
experiences to Keri's with some of her castmates on Power Rangers. 
Jennifer Garner, though, was the woman Keri had found most memorable. 
Jennifer had liked their relationship enough to start something similar
with some of her co-stars on her own JJ Abrams show Alias.  Keri still got
together with Jennifer now and then, just as she did with all her other
friends with benefits.  She missed them so much the rest of the time- sex
was often hard to fit into all their mutual schedules.  They hadn't seen
each other in weeks.  But it was great when they had time, always worth it.
And now, thanks to her present circumstances, Keri was thinking about it
all again.

   "I'm excited too," said Evan.  "This movie is going to be great.  Very
emotional."

   "Yeah," Keri agreed, thinking back to how emotional some of her friends
had gotten with her in the past.  The feelings she'd soothed in them, the
passions she'd aroused.  For a moment she found herself longing for another
similar experience, a new one, possibly with Evan, Erika, or Alicia.

   No, Keri immediately discarded the idea.  When I decided to get back
into acting, I swore I would never do that again.  And even if I were to
consider it, I couldn't do it with these girls.  Evan is too young.  Erika
is too crazy.  And Alicia is...  she looked at the redhead's frown, trying
to control her thoughts.  All of a sudden they were racing for some unseen
finish line.  Oh crud!  Oh crud!

   Keri had not gotten together with anyone new in a long time.  The last
new lover she'd added to her list was Vera Farmiga, whom she'd bumped into
by surprise at a Manhattan sci-fi fan convention four years after their
show left the air.  Oh, if only the crazed fanboys who'd surrounded the two
female stars of Roar demanding autographs had known what happened between
Keri and Vera later that night when they discussed all their regrets that
the show hadn't gone on.  A mutual attraction had been confessed, and what
followed had been yet another memory Keri would always treasure.

   But that was over two years ago now, and Keri wasn't sure she wanted to
ever do something so spontaneous again.  Especially not with someone like
Alicia.  Someone whose intelligence and vibrant beauty intimidated her,
someone Keri had barely known for two days.  Doing something like that with
Evan was even more unthinkable- yes, Keri had been three years younger than
Evan was now when she'd started having sex.  Ilana had too.  But that
didn't mean she should corrupt the young.  Right?  And Erika was even
worse. Even with all the blonde girl had just done to shatter Keri's
prejudgements of her, she was still...

   Oh no, thought Keri.  Her legs were shaking.  Between them, there was an
undeniable ache and dampness.  She stood up, knowing she had to get out of
the room fast.  "Excuse me," she said to the other women.

   Alicia frowned at her.  "Are you okay?"

   "I'll be fine," Keri said, standing up and trying to stop herself from
shaking.  Thinking about all her lovers had combined with the conversation
to bring on an all-too familiar sensation in her- the hope and longing for
her secret favorite activity.  She had to push it away, take a few private
moments to calm herself.  Then maybe she could speak to the other girls
again without thinking about them.  Or maybe...

   "I'll be fine," she repeated, seeing Alicia's frown deepen.  "I just,
uh, need to take care of something in my dressing room."

   "Can I help?" Evan asked, standing up with a smile.  "If it's your lines
you're worried about..."

   "Uh, no, thanks, Evan!" Keri waved her off quickly, feeling her insides
shake again at the expression in the young girl's eyes.  The emotions in
it, the emotions inside her...  Oh crud!  She frowned and looked at Erika,
hoping the chill she still felt when near the blonde would help.  Erika was
frowning, though, and looking away.  She didn't even seem to be paying
attention to Keri.

   "I can handle things fine on my own," Keri said, trying to keep from
showing disbelief.

   Can you?  her inner voice asked her.  Can you really?  It would be so
much better if...

   Shut up, you twit!  she screamed silently at the voice.  Shut up!  Be
quiet!  Keri noticed the other girls were staring at her again.  Quickly
she changed her expression.  "I'll be fine," she repeated.

   "Okay," Alicia said nervously.  She waved at the door, then turned back
to her script.  "We'll see you in a while."

   Keri nodded.  "I'll just be a few minutes." She turned on her heel and
headed for the door, not daring to look back at Evan, Erika, and Alicia as
they stared after her.

   "Is she okay?" Keri heard Evan ask as she walked out.

   "She's a weird girl," Alicia replied, her tone carrying deep derision.

   "She's nice, though," said Erika.

   Keri didn't hear any more as she headed down the hall, shoes clicking on
the tiles.  Her legs were shaking, her head heavy, her knees weak.  But her
private dressing room wasn't far, she told herself, it was just a few turns
in the hallway, a few doors away.  She'd checked it out earlier, she knew
it was fine.  She just had to get there.  She just had to get there.  She
just...

   "Excuse me!" a thin man in a custodian's blue uniform said as Keri
nearly bumped into him.  Keri's mouth fell open as she realized he was
coming out of her dressing room with a trash bag.

   "That's my room!" she gasped.

   "Yes, I know," said the man, whose nametag read Ted.  "I'm the janitor
on this floor.  Is there a problem?"

   Keri gaped at him.  "Problem?  I don't have a problem.  I've got fucking
problems!  Plural!"

   She shoved the janitor aside and stepped into the room, resolving to
call Mike as soon as possible, get the man off their floor.  First, though,
she had to take care of her tension.

   "Actresses..." Keri heard Ted mumble, sighing in relief as his footsteps
died away around the corner.  Catching her breath, she slammed her door and
turned the deadbolts.

   Keri spun and looked around her dressing room, quickly checking it for
other intruders.  None were visible, everything looked just the same as
she'd left it.  Bare walls, books and clothes neatly arranged on the racks
and tables.  Chair in front of the full-length mirror, couch for catnaps
against one wall.  Suitcases still unopened left at the foot of the couch.
"Phew," she breathed.

   Quickly Keri checked the door again, nodded, then unplugged the room's
phone.  There was something she had to do now, quickly.  A hunger was
rising within her, up from her nethers, through her loins, and into the pit
of her stomach.  There it rumbled and grew, surging to her heart and then
out through her every pore.  Images were flashing in her mind, delicious
visions of hope and lustfulness.  All the lovers she'd known in her life,
and the hundreds more she'd known only in her fantasies.  This was strange
for Keri- usually she was able to keep her mind off such things.  Maybe it
was the tension on the set, the daily travails of her new movie.  Maybe it
was that she missed the activities she'd enjoyed with her past co-stars so
much.  Maybe it was that she regretted not being inclined to get to know
her new co-stars in a similar manner.  Maybe it was something else.

   "Phew," Keri gasped, running a hand through her hair and grimacing. 
What is wrong with me?  she wondered.  Why am I thinking about Evan, Erika,
and Alicia like this?

   You really shouldn't blame yourself, her inner voice countered.  Just
imagine them.  Alicia, for example.  That halo of red hair, those perfect
breasts, and the two of you alone in one room...

   "Stop it," she commanded herself, turning and staring at her image in
the mirror over the vanity table.  "Stop it."

   What's your problem?  the mirror image grinned back at her.  Taking on a
devious smile, she spoke in a voice only Keri could hear.

   Damn it, Keri thought.  Here comes my idiot imagination, already going
crazy.  Why does it have to do that so often when I feel this way?  It was
a phenomena she'd long experienced, and she knew it wasn't unique to her.
Other people experienced it too.  They'd talked to Keri about it.  She'd
come to terms with it a long time ago, so it didn't disturb her that much,
but still...

   You know Alicia meets all your criteria, Keri's doppleganger laughed at
her.  She's in good health, every actress has to be.  You have time, Mike
said he'd give you all the time you need today.  Alicia's attractive, you
know she is.  You've seen her movies, and the Sopranos episode she was in
is your favorite.  You've watched it over a dozen times.  Now you've met
Alicia in person and you're in a movie with her.  I bet she's probably fun
to be with- you've seen her emotions, you can guess how they'll play out at
the proper time.

   "Yes," Keri nodded at the voice, staring at her face in the mirror and
trying to get ahold of herself.  But do I want to do that?  she asked her
image silently.  Should I?  How could I?  How do I know Alicia would even
like me?

   Just look at yourself, the other Keri answered.  Her face changed and
she reached out a hand.  Those long golden brown curls, that angel's smile.
Your eyes, oh your eyes, your eyes.  kHow many people have fallen victim to
their stare?

   As the thoughts echoed through her mind, Keri felt her qualms
disappearing, her inhibitions fading away.  Other feelings were bubbling up
from her inner reaches.  Soon her mind was awash with them.  "Damn it," she
cursed, slipping her jacket off and tossing it to one side of the room. 
She then grabbed hold of her shirt and pulled it over her head.  A quick
reach of her hands behind her, a quicker snap of her fingers, and her bra
fell open and tumbled off her shoulders.  Another movement of her hands and
her pants were open, then pushed down to the floor.  Quickly she removed
her socks and shoes, then kicked everything away.

   Keri stared at her naked body in the mirror, smiling as she looked it
over.  It was incredible, anyone who'd seen it when she exposed herself in
her second widescreen release definitely knew that.  So many times she'd
considered showing it to the world again, but each time she'd dropped the
idea.

   Why?  she wondered now, looking at it.  All my lovers like it.  My pale
skin with its obvious but complimentary freckles and tan lines.  My
breasts, small but hard-tipped, already flushed and shining with
anticipation.  My stomach, tight and sculpted.  My legs, slim and coltish.
My backside, curving and well-rounded.  And between my legs, my lower lips
standing open and inviting, framed by a mass of cinnamon curls I regularly
tangle and trim.  Surely Alicia would like it too, Keri thought as she
stared at her body, eyes roaming over herself.  The fingers of one hand
went to her breasts, fondling and tweaking her sharp brown nipples and
aureolas.  Her other hand's fingers disappeared into the forest of curls
between her legs, pushing them around and setting them to writhing.  "Oh my
God," she gasped, feeling their moisture and heat.

   I have to, she told herself.  I have to do something about these
feelings.  Get control of them, push them away.  She fell onto the couch
face down and closed her eyes, her hands staying in place on her breasts
and pussy.  Her fingers kept pinching and wiggling.  Images flashed into
Keri's brain, and she let them linger, concentrating on her most treasured
fantasies and memories.  Scott Foley and Jennifer Garner, one pressed
against her front and one against her backside.  Hot bodies pressing and
gyrating into each other, mouths and fingers roaming.  Their tongues
licking across her face, lips nuzzled in her hair, mouths moaning into
Keri's own.  Her heart beat faster, and she could hear theirs echoing. 
Keri gasped and cried out, thrusting her body against the couch.

   A flash in her mind, and there was another memory, then another.  First
there was AJ pressing a clenched fist deep inside Keri's snatch, showing
the other girl a technique she'd learned from her Power Rangers stunt
double.  Keri let out a deep moan of ecstasy, remembering the sensation.

   Another flash, and she could see and feel Amanda licking at her.  Their
thighs were locked around each other's heads, arms encircling each other,
the older woman's fingers twisting Keri's nipples the way Keri was twisting
them now.  Both were smiling at the other's gyrations and cries.

   Another flash, another memory.  Tangi's dark cunt on her face, gushing
as Keri licked at it, shaking and erupting with warm scent and jungle
juice. The smell and taste were overwhelming.  Keri gulped down the
feelings, letting them intensify.  Then there was another flash.



   Vera was there, confessing feelings she'd had for years but denied. 
Keri smiled and confessed the same feelings.  Then suddenly they were
embracing, kissing, undressing, and then...  Stop!  Keri told herself. 
That was so good, too good for me to remember it well.  Think of something
else!  Something...

   Another flash in her mind, and there was Ilana, eyes alight with wonder
and anticipation.  She and Keri touched each other for the first time, then
moved closer and embraced.  Their lips met, fusing with hunger and
curiosity.  They pulled back, staring at each other.  Each said words Keri
couldn't hear, then embraced and kissed again.  Yes, Keri thought, this is
good.  No, wait, I can't remember it.  It was so long ago.  I need a better
memory.  I...

   Another flash, and there was the dark shadow of her first male lover,
his face somehow obscured.  Keri shook her head and discarded it.  Instead
she called to mind the faces of Scott Speedman and Tony Lucca, the two men
she loved the most out of all those she knew.  Their strong words, softly
spoken in her ears.  Both men's hands touching and caressing her body, lips
warm and teasing her to the heights of pleasure.  Their hard organs
thrusting inside Keri, thrusting like her fingers, urged on by her caresses
and passionate moans.

   Yes, Keri thought, stroking herself faster.  Oh yes.  Suddenly her mind
popped again, memories vanishing.  Other images came to her mind now,
things Keri had never done but only wanted to do.  She was grabbing Melissa
Joan Hart in the photos they'd posed for together at the Teen People
concert they attended in 1999, kissing the other girl and making her
explain just why so many people found her so attractive.  Casting her spell
over Sabrina the Teenage Witch, taking her back to her hotel room and
enjoying each other.  Both girls gasping as they cavorted in bed.  A black
cat staring at them, then running out of the room.  Yes!  Keri thought,
kissing Melissa.  Her fingers thrust in the same motion.  Then her mind
flashed again.

   Now Keri saw herself getting together with Vera on the set of Roar,
doing what they had done at the earlier point they should have.  First they
were both getting with Vera's husband Sebastian Roche, then they were
jumping Heath Ledger and double-teaming him, making him scream out like he
did on the show so often.  "Augh!" Keri screamed in unison with the young
actor.  "Ah!!!" She held the fantasy for a while, thinking about it and
rubbing herself.  Then there was another flash.  She was tracking Scott
Speedman down on the set of his new movie Underworld.  They were talking,
reconciling.  Then she was finding Kate Beckinsale and teaming up with
their mutual co-star to strip the British beauty of that black leather
bodysuit and find out what, if anything, was underneath.

   "Yes," Keri smiled, her eyes blinking rapidly.  Her fingers flicked back
and forth on her pussy and nipples, her imagination continuing to run wild
and call random images to mind.  She saw other men and women she'd met and
enjoyed spending time with.  Then others she'd seen but never met, dreamed
about but never dared to get close to.  In her mind they were there with
her, touching and rubbing her body.  Their images flashed in her mind's
eye, and their hands seemed to fuse with hers.

   "Yes," Keri moaned, feeling her juices welling up within her.  Her
fingers ached slightly but kept moving, tracing and hitting the paths they
knew so well.  Her breasts grew tighter and harder.  Her legs started
shaking, her labia swelling, and her clitoris thrusting into her palm.  She
grabbed the organ and squeezed it, then rubbed her pussy lips.  Her other
hand kept twisting her hard brown nipples.  "Yes." She tried to concentrate
on her current thoughts, but then more arose.

   A new parade of images flashed into Keri's mind, images different yet
familiar.  She saw herself in a hotel room.  Alicia was there, standing in
a circle with several other naked women, only this time she too was
topless. Keri was in the center of the group, and the whole coven of
witches was cackling and giggling.  The black cat was there again, also
smiling.  He urged the witches on with jokes as they touched Keri's naked
flesh.

   "Yes," a gray-haired witch said.  "She's ripe."

   "Let's dress her up," grinned another, who looked disturbingly like
Madonna.  Wait, Keri thought.  She is Madonna.  Why am I thinking about
Madonna?

   "Yes, mother," agreed the witch who resembled Alicia.  "Yes.  Let's do
that!" Her fingers moved towards Keri's pussy.  Just before they reached
her, Keri shook off the fantasy and called up another.  Get control, she
told herself.  Think of something good.  Something that can actually
happen. Something...

   A flash, and Keri saw herself in the backseat of a car.  Alicia was
there, smiling and shaking her red hair back, then leaning in to kiss Keri.
Keri kissed her back with no hesitation.  They made out feverishly, lips
touching lips and necks.  Their hands were moving across each other's
bodies.  This is good, Keri thought.  This works!  This..  Just then a
sharp metal hook started scratching on the car window.  Oh no!  Keri
thought, hearing the noise and recognizing it.  Not this!  Not this! 
Something else!  Something else!

   Another flash, and then she saw an image of Alicia standing in a steamy
shower with another girl, this one purple-haired and slimmer.  For some
reason they both looked cartoony and animated.  The steam was clearing,
revealing both their naked bodies.  They smiled and extended their hands to
Keri, beckoning her to join them as she stared back, then began to step
near.  Her fingers moved faster, thrusting harder as she moved, then faster
as she recognized the characters in her fantasy.  Caitlin Fairchild and
Roxy Spaulding laughed, embraced Keri, began kissing and stripping her as
her clothes got wet from the shower they all shared.  Yes, Keri thought. 
Oh yes...  Suddenly her mind was flashing again.

   Now Keri was sitting across a desk from Alicia dressed in an Italian
suit.  Her mouth fell open in a gasp as the redhead stood up and started
taking her dress off.  "This is part of the deal," said Amy Safir.  "You
want to be involved in a movie with me, you have to prove yourself.  Just
relax, Keri.  It's all part of the deal."

   The theme music from Sopranos was suddenly in Keri's mind, loud and
rapid.  "No," Keri moaned, seeing Alicia lean close and smile at her in her
fantasy.  "No no no!"

   As if in answer to her pleas, the image was gone, replaced by another.
Keri's mouth fell open as she recognized this girl too.  Younger than
Alicia, shorter and slimmer.  Hair long and blonde, skin alight and creamy.
Dark blue eyes smiling, mouth open in promise and invitation.

   Where am I?  Keri wondered, then recognized her imagined surroundings.
She was back in her dressing room and another girl was on the couch beside
her, telling her of forbidden secret longings.

   "I want you, Keri," Evan Rachel Wood's voice whispered.  The same
expression she'd had in the sitting room was on the young girl's face now.
"I want you," she repeated.  "Take me.  Touch me.  I want you to be my
first."

   "No," Keri shook her head, gritting her teeth.  But her eyes did not
open.  The door of the room she imagined she and Evan were in did, though,
and another girl was standing there.  Tall and busty, her long red-gold
hair hanging damp over her shoulders.  Her clothes soaked to the point of
see-through, her skin wet and smelling of chlorine.

   Erika Christensen gasped as she noticed Keri and Evan.  A copy of L. 
Ron Hubbard's Dianetics was held in one of her hands.  Her fingers were
stuck in the middle along with several bookmarks.  For a moment Erika stood
frozen, staring at Keri and Evan.  The other two girls were frozen too,
their hands no longer moving.  Their faces were fearful in anticipation of
a religious tirade.  Oh no, Keri thought.  What is wrong with me?

   Then her fantasy Erika shrugged, smiled her trademark wide dimpled grin,
and tossed the book away.  She moved forward, laughing and joining Evan and
Keri on the couch.  She sat between them, and they made room.  Then she was
letting their lips begin to touch hers, their hands grab at and start to
remove each other's clothing.  She kissed Evan, then Keri, over and over.
Keri's hands were moving agains now, fingers aflutter and pressing strong.

   "Oh fuck!" Keri screamed out.  Opening her eyes in shock, she bit her
lip, hoping no one had heard.  Her fingers were still moving, though, her
mind concentrating on her latest fantasy.  Again she closed her eyes,
thinking about it.  Evan and Erika were leaning in close to her now, their
tongues slipping out of their mouths and licking at her neck.  Erika's was
salty on her skin, trailing blood and white powder.  Evan's was young and
learning, a hard metal bud in the middle pressing into Keri's throat.  They
moved almost too fast for her to believe, every touch knowing and soothing.
Their hands were on Keri, squeezing at her breasts, fondling her curves,
thrusting and wiggling deep inside her pussy.  Their voices whispering in
her ears, both girls saying they'd never dreamed what they were doing would
be this good.

   It is good, Keri thought, her fingers moving faster and thrusting
harder. It is good.  It's...

   Then there was another flash, and the two girls were gone.  Alicia was
there again, only this time she was looking angry.  Keri was frowning as
she stood next to Alicia's boyfriend Dave, trying to insist that they were
just talking.  Then, before she could blink, the redhaired actress stepped
close, grabbed the sides of Keri's head, and kissed her full on the lips.
Her arms came up, wrapping around Keri and pulling her closer.  Keri's arms
came up too, grabbing Alicia's shoulders and rubbing the other woman's body
against her own as their tongues met.  Dave took a step back, his mouth
wide in surprise.  Then he opened his fly, took his dick out, and started
whacking off.  The black cat and Keri's doppleganger were standing behind
him, both smiling.  Evan and Erika were there too.

   "Yes!" Keri gasped out, keeping her voice low as the images all suddenly
flooded together in her mind, flashing back and forth one after the other.
Her mind seized each memory and fantasy, taking it to the next level and
mixing it with all the rest.  Suddenly her lovers were all coming together.
"God, yes!"

   The screams and moans of her lovers, their juices blasting out and
splashing all over her skin.  Some she remembered, and some she could only
imagine.  Keri's own fluids flared up inside her and then rushed out in a
storm, soaking her fingers and the cushion beneath.  Her body shook all
over, her heart and lungs trembling, her lips letting out breath after
heavy breath.

   "Yes," Keri smiled one last time, her fingers stopping their frenzied
movements for now.  I'm satisfied, she smiled, then withdrew them.  She
took a few more deep breaths to calm herself, then opened her eyes.  For a
moment she frowned, disbelieving the normal sight of her dressing room
around her.  It's okay, Keri thought.  Just a fantasy, nothing more.  It's
over now.  She looked down at the couch and grimaced, knowing she would
have to clean up the small mess she'd made on the center cushion.  Thank
goodness she always carried plenty of vinegar, salt, and kleenex with her
whenever she traveled.  Then Keri remembered, and she sat up and gasped.

   "Alicia," she said.  "Evan.  Erika.  Damn it."

   Saying the other actresses' names brought back memories of her
predicament.  Could she work with these girls?  Keri wondered.  Could she
do something more also?  Make her fantasies real?  Part of her wanted to,
another part cried out that she shouldn't even contemplate trying.  Do I
want them?  Keri asked herself.  Do I want to try to be with Alicia, Erika,
and Evan?  That barrage of inconceivable fantasies I had just now certainly
would make one think so.  But could they be real?  Could they possibly?  No
way.  No fucking way.

   Shaking her head, she stood up and put her clothes back on, then turned
her attention to cleaning up the wet spot on the sofa.  The menial task
enabled her to calm down, get her mind off what she had just done and on to
what she had to do next.  By the time the spot was gone, Keri Russell had
made a decision.

   Maybe it can happen, she thought.  Alicia's been in films with lesbian
overtones, right?  So has Evan, and Erika's been in at least one.  In my
experience, that usually means a girl has some latent desires for other
women.  Yes, Evan's young, Alicia's frigid, and Erika's just plain crazy,
but maybe...

   "I've got to play this right," Keri reminded herself.  "It might not
work." She looked in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair.  She
smoothed and twisted it, then picked up a brush.  She repeated the words as
she began combing out her curls.  "It might not work."

   Yes, she nodded at that sentence, staring at her reflection.  It might
not work.  I certainly haven't gotten with every person I've ever wanted to
be with Charisma Carpenter turned me down flat back on Malibu Shores, said
she wasn't interested in other women.  I didn't press the issue.  Sometimes
things have turned out bad too, even though I got what I wanted.  I
remember Susan Ward.  She was so nice, so interesting.  Then Tony and I got
it on with her, and before long she was ditching every aspect of the good
girl image that had attracted us.  She was going nuts, getting cosmetic
surgery, and giving lots of provocative interviews.  Then she went on to be
in those orgy movies.  I still don't understand why that happened.  I just
know I don't want anything like it happening in my life again.  She
shuddered at the thought.



   "But it can't happen again, right?" she asked herself, looking in the
mirror.  Keri flicked her curls back from her face, smiling at her image.
The idea was unthinkable, but enticing.  If she could do it today, or even
this week...

   "No," she ordered her mind, staring into her own eyes in the mirror. 
Forget it.  I'll just go back in there, talk to them, see what develops. 
I've relieved my feelings, I can handle them.  We're going to do this
movie, get close so we can better act the part of sisters.  That's what
matters.  Nothing else does.

   Even despite all that, her doppelganger asked her, if the right
opportunity came up, would you...

   "Maybe," Keri smiled back at the image, her fingers and insides still
shaking.  Then she shook her head.  Damn it, no!  I can't think about it!
Catching her breath and pushing the image away, she turned to unlock the
dressing room door.

   ***

   "Your father is a small man," Evan read one of Joan Allen's lines from
the movie script.  "A very small man."

   "I hope you don't mean that the way I think you do," Erika snapped,
reading Hadley's reply.  "I hope you're not referring to his genitals,
because that would be just gross!"

   "Aw, dude!" Evan grimaced.  "I was about to eat a string bean!" Lowering
her script, she looked at Keri, who had just stepped back into the sitting
room.  "Dumb joke, isn't it?"

   "Very dumb," Keri agreed.  Then she smiled and shook her head.  "One
still has to laugh at it, though, I guess."

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "I can handle it.  It's good prep for all the even
worse jokes in Pretty Persuasion."

   Worse jokes?  Keri thought.  Worse jokes?  Why is this girl lowering
herself to be in a movie like that?  Why...

   "Great to see you back!" Erika exclaimed, startling her out of her
thoughts.  "You were gone a long time.  Did you take care of whatever it
was?"

   "Yes," Keri replied, pushing away an instant rush of memories.  She
smiled at the lack of effort it took her now, then walked up to the table
and resumed her seat.  She checked her watch as she sat down and noticed
that she hadn't been gone that long, only just under an hour.  Maybe it
just seemed longer.  Keri ran her hands through her hair, still trying to
calm herself down.  She looked at the other two girls, noticing they were
both frowning at her.  Oh crud.  Better get my mind on something else, keep
it there.  "You've been reading lines?"

   "Yep," nodded Evan.  "Gotta know our own and each other's." She looked
at the script again.  "People don't know how to love.  They bite rather
than kiss, slap rather than stroke.  Maybe it's because they recognize how
easy it is for love to go bad, to become suddenly impossible, an exercise
in futility.  So they avoid it, seek solace in angst, fear, aggression.  Or
maybe sometimes they just don't have all the facts." Evan grimaced at
Erika. "Am I saying that right?"

   "Try putting more emotion into it," Erika recommended, then looked at
her script and read a line.  "I don't want to go to college." She stopped,
frowning at the delivery.  She repeated the line.  "I don't want to go to
college."

   Keri smiled.  Her own lines were pretty cliched and troublesome too. 
Maybe not as bad as Erika's, but then they weren't as profound as Evan's
either.  She just hoped to say them well when the time came.  "Where's
Alicia?" she asked, wondering why the other girl wasn't in the room with
them.

   "She left," Erika said, not looking up.

   Keri felt an ominous feeling come over her at those words.  Was it my
fault?  she wondered.  Was it those arguments we got into?  I thought we
had resolved them.  They were stupid anyway.  I've been thinking about it.
Yes, I have differences with my fellow actresses, but in some ways we're
similar.  Evan's young, but I was young too once.  Still am.  And I've
gotten angry and frustrated with the world, like Alicia.  I've also gotten
reckless and full of myself, like Erika.  I can handle these things.  It
helps that none of these girls are the kind of people I thought they were-
I've realized that now.  But if Alicia left before I could tell her...

   "What's the matter?" Evan asked her.

   Keri looked at the young girl, frowning.  She paused, then answered. 
"Why'd Alicia leave?" she asked.

   "Some guy called her and they got to arguing," Evan said.  "We asked her
to take it outside.  That was about ten minutes ago."

   Wonder where she went, Keri thought.  Then she remembered a loud
conversation she'd heard on the way back from her dressing room.  It had
been coming from inside another dressing room two doors down.  She hadn't
made much of it at the time, Alicia's voice had been too distorted by the
walls and her emotions to recognize.  Not that Keri had really listened of
course.  Who could have called her?  Keri thought.  There was only one
possible answer.

   "Was it Dave?" she asked.  "We met yesterday."

   "It was Dave," Erika confirmed.  "He and Alicia have been going out for
a while, even though they've never really gotten along.  Lately the
arguments have been getting worse."

   Keri frowned, thinking back to all the arguments she'd witnessed.  Some
of them had been bad.  If this one were creating the wrong kind of
feelings, it could upset any plan she might have for living out her recent
fantasies.  That is, if she really wanted to live them.  Then again, if she
was able to play things right, this could work to her advantage.  She'd
used things like it before.

   "Hey, Keri," Erika said, and Keri looked back at her.  "I wanted to tell
you I'm sorry about all the uptight bellyaching I did earlier.  Alicia is
too.  We've both been going through a lot of crap."

   "I kind of guessed that," Keri said.  "I met Dave and Alicia yesterday,"
she added to Evan, seeing the young girl's confused look.  "It didn't go
well."

   "She got in the middle of one of their arguments," Erika filled Evan in
further.  "Dave and Alicia have been dating about six months.  I've only
met him a few times, and only after they started having problems.  Alicia
said he was sweet in the beginning but then..." She shrugged.  "I don't
really have all the details."

   Keri grimaced.  "Did he remember you from all the movies and TV shows
you've done?"

   Erika nodded.  "Most of them.  He remembered I was Stacey on That 70s
Show, Cassie on Freaky Links..." She rolled her eyes.  "Almost any
character I've been on screen, he knew.  It was impressive at first, but
then I thought about it and I realized there's a word for guys like Dave in
our world.  Stalker."

   Keri had to agree.  "I hate stalkers."

   "Me too," Evan said.  "They're the reason I practice taekwondo."

   Keri looked at her, blinking.  "You know taekwondo?"

   Evan smiled.  "I'm pretty good at it.  I've been taking classes since I
was four."

   Wow, Keri thought.  Another friend who knows martial arts.  AJ,
Jennifer, and now Evan.  Wow.  "I've never really gotten into martial
arts," she said.

   "You should," Evan said.  "They're great.  Tons of fun, excellent stress
relief, and you can be ready for anything with them.  You could probably
work with JJ Abrams again if you got good enough."

   "Right," Keri said, thinking back to all the times JJ had asked her to
guest star on Alias.  She had laughed at him every single one, always
telling him she didn't know how to do action shows.  So learn, Keri
remembered her mentor saying.  But I've never really had the need, she
reminded herself.  Maybe Evan has.  Again she shook her head, then looked
back at Erika.  "Is Dave in the movie business?"

   "No," Erika replied.  "He's just a guy Alicia met in a bar.  She meets a
lot of dumb guys that way.  Alicia has a lot of problems and alcohol's one
of her ways of dealing with them."

   Oh boy, Keri thought to herself.  That never helps.  I hope she didn't
smuggle booze into the building somehow.  If she did...  Shut up!  her
inner voice screamed.  How many times have you used alcohol for the same
reasons?  Yeah, she countered, but I've joked about it a lot more than I've
actually done it.  And I don't do it anymore.  "Have you ever told her she
doesn't need to do that?" she asked Erika.

   "Many times," Erika said.  "She doesn't listen to me.  I've tried to
turn her around, and I know part of her wants to, but..." The other actress
sighed.

   "What are her problems?" Keri asked, remembering her own battles with
alcoholism in real life and on Felicity.  "Dave?"

   Erika shook her head.  "Dave's a jerk but he's not that big a deal to
Alicia, not really.  Mostly, it's just her life."

   "She was telling us about it while you were out," Evan said.  "Alicia's
done a lot of weird movies, but lately people have been telling her she
needs to get into roles that are more wholesome, less out there.  I don't
know why she cares- I love her work, and I know I'm not the only one."

   "I like it too," Keri said.

   "She's going through a dry spell right now," Erika said.  "A lot of her
films have either bombed, or her role's been so small she's just not
remembered that well by the fans.  I've been suffering some of the same
problems.  I know I'm just starting my career, though.  Naturally I'm going
to be outshined by bigger stars.  But Alicia's been in the business longer,
so it's been hitting her harder, especially recently.  And her latest
boyfriend's not making things any easier."

   Keri raised an eyebrow.  "_Latest_ boyfriend?"

   Erika nodded.  "Alicia dates a lot of guys.  She's disgusted with them,
but she still likes them."

   "She just needs to find a good one," Evan said.  "Or keep him, I
suppose."

   "Alicia has problems with guys?" Keri frowned.  She shouldn't, Keri
thought.  A girl that beautiful, with all her talent and acting experience?
Most men would gladly die to be close to her.  Right?

   "Lots of problems," Erika replied, her hand waving.  "It's a common
story.  I've been through it a few times myself.  First, the guy goes ga-ga
over meeting someone famous, and then goes nuts again over getting the
chance to date her.  But once the real Alicia shatters his preconceived
notions..."

   Okay, Keri thought.  I can see that.  "Maybe she just needs help."

   "Tell me about it," Erika agreed.  "I've set her up a dozen times, it's
never worked out.  Some of the guys I've tried to get her with have stopped
speaking to me because of it."

   "She has a problem with girls too, I'm guessing," Keri said.

   Erika nodded.  "Big problems.  We've discussed her sexual fantasies, and
often she mentions girls.  I keep telling her it's okay to have thoughts
like that about girls, but she gets pissed off whenever I do.  I think
she's just afraid.  You know how it goes, right?  Fear leads to anger,
anger leads to aggression..."

   "Aggression leads to the dark side," Keri completed, smiling at the
line.

   "Yeah," Erika said.  "Exactly.  That's why Alicia feels the way she does
about lesbians.  I talked to her about it while you were out, and she
calmed down, apologized to Evan.  We kept talking.  We were warming up to
each other.  Then Dave called."

   Keri nodded, looking at Evan.  "Did you accept Alicia's apology?"

   "Of course," Evan said.  "It was easy once she explained why she went
off on me like that.  She thinks I'm still a little kid, that I shouldn't
be doing the roles I've done.  I pointed out that she's done similar films,
but she told me she was older, and well..." Evan sighed.  "I think a lot of
her problems stem from the fact that she's been isolated most of her life."

   Keri frowned.  "Isolated?"

   "Alicia was home-schooled, like me," Evan said.  "I think a lot of
people were probably mean to her when she was a kid.  That kind of
isolation doesn't lend itself well to developing relationships." Evan
shrugged and scratched her head.  "She probably tells men things that
aren't true to get close to them.  Makes them think things they shouldn't
so they'll like her.  You know, like her Playing Mona Lisa character?"



   "Yeah," Keri said, thinking back to the movie.  Damn, I need to cure her
of that, she thought.  How I'm not sure though.  Even Mona herself would
probably have trouble.

   Wait a minute, Keri thought suddenly.  Memories were flashing in her
mind again, and ideas were taking form.  Maybe, maybe...  no, wait, I... 
damn it, you just need to be their friend.  Stop thinking about your
fantasies!  She took a breath, then calmed herself and repeated several
facts to herself in her mind.  A plan appeared, a good plan.  This might
work, Keri decided.  I just have to try it.

   "Telling lies never helps in relationships," Erika fumed, interrupting
her thoughts.  She picked up an apple and started chewing on it, talking
between bites.  "Alicia's got to be herself.  I keep telling her that, but
she never listens."

   "As if you have all the answers," said Evan.  "Some guys just can't
connect with you, even when you've known them for the longest time.  Me and
Frankie Muniz, for example."

   "I know a lot about communication," Erika shot back, smiling at her. 
"My acting has helped me with it."

   Oh sure, Keri thought, grimacing.  Yeah right.  "What we've got here is
a failure to communicate," she quoted, putting on a bad Southern accent.

   Erika turned to her, mouth open.  "That's a good line, Keri, but..."

   "I didn't mean anything by it," Keri cut her off, holding up a hand. 
"I've just been thinking about our arguments earlier and I had some ideas.
I think Alicia is really mad at her life for some reason.  And you too,
Erika.  You both use your acting as a defense mechanism."

   "And your religion too," Evan said.

   Erika looked at her agape, then smiled.  "You trying to psychoanalyze
me?" She shrugged.  "Go ahead, you're not the first.  I should warn you,
though.  I'm a real head case."

   "Sorry if this offends you," Keri told her.

   "It doesn't," Erika said.  "I've studied psychology.  I know it's helped
people, contrary to popular belief.  Working with all the shooting victims
who helped me research my role for Home Room opened my eyes to it.  I know
people say it fosters brainwashing, disassociation, corruption, and things
like that, but I know they're wrong."

   "They say things like that about your religion too," Keri couldn't help
but point out.

   "I know that," Erika replied, shaking her head.  "You're not the first
person who's told me I use my religion to cover up my anxieties.  I don't
always like hearing it, but I'm not offended.  Go on."

   "Alicia gets angry too," Evan said.  "She resents that people aren't
supporting her in the roles she's enjoyed.  Also with her sexuality.  Am I
right?"

   Keri nodded.  "Where'd you get that idea?"

   "Just now," Evan shrugged.  "After you left, we kept talking.  We talked
about a lot of things.  Alicia asked me how my parents let me do all the
roles I've done.  I tried telling her I've been on my own since I was
sixteen, but it didn't help.  And then Erika jumped in and..." She frowned,
looking at the other blonde.

   "I reminded Alicia of similar discussions we had when we first met,"
Erika picked up the thread.  "She asked me how my parents could let me be
in a movie like Traffic, I asked her how hers could let her be on a show
like Twin Peaks.  It turned into one of our most ongoing disagreements."
She stopped, frowning.  "Do you really want to know about this?"

   "Go ahead," Keri said, feeling interested.

   Erika glanced at Evan, who shrugged.  The older blonde nodded and turned
back to Keri.  "We each hold a different opinion on the subject.  Alicia
thinks if you do a role that's not like you, it's only acting.  You can
push it away, tell yourself you're not like your character and everything's
fine.  I, on the other hand, think that there has to be something inside
you that is like that character.  If you're interested in the role, can
imagine yourself doing it, and then do it well, there's got to be something
of the character in you.  That's both sides of the issue, basically.  My
parents are in Alicia's camp, and hers are in mine, so naturally we've both
had a lot to say to each other about this."

   "I see," Keri said.  "My parents have been pretty upset about some of
the things I've done too." She looked at Evan.  "What about yours?"

   Evan shook her head.  "Mostly they let me make my own decisions.  They
just make sure I'm aware of all the possible consequences first." She held
up a hand.  "I know what you're thinking- that's unusual."

   Keri nodded.  "Yeah." Her own parents didn't know about most of the
stuff she'd done, let alone the stuff she wanted to do.  She often
shuddered to think what might happen if they ever found out.

   "My parents are pretty ordinary," Erika said.  "They didn't want me to
get into acting.  I had to convince them it was what I wanted to do." She
frowned, then went on.  "At first, we compromised.  I only did small roles.
Commercials, TV show cameos, that kind of stuff.  Then I got my first big
role in Leave It to Beaver, and I started wanting to do tougher roles.  Get
harder, edgier.  You know what I mean?"

   "Yes," Keri said, remembering going through the same process herself. 
Oh my gosh, she thought to herself, realizing what that meant.  Erika and I
have something in common.

   Perhaps sensing her thoughts, Erika smiled at Keri before continuing. 
"I discussed this with my parents.  They were worried, especially when I
told them I wanted to be Countess Krak."

   "The heroine of L.  Ron Hubbard's Mission Earth series," Evan supplied,
seeing Keri's frown.  "Classic satirical science fiction."

   "Right," Keri said, remembering their earlier discussion.  "I read those
books a long time ago."

   "Travolta was making Battlefield Earth at the time," Erika said.  "It
looked like it was going to be good, and I thought maybe the Mission Earth
books could be next.  I knew it was a role I would have to grow into, but I
was interested in it.  Then the movie really sucked, and..." She threw up a
hand.  "Bye bye dream.  Oh well, one might say I at least got to be Teenie
Whopper."

   "I would not want that role," Keri said, recalling the deranged
drug-addicted diva from the series.

   "I didn't want it either," Erika grimaced.  "But once I saw the script
for Traffic, I really got interested.  Then I started working with Narconil
and I saw how much a role like that could mean to people."

   "I did Thirteen for similar reasons," Evan said.

   "Roles like that help people," Keri agreed.  "I did several episodes on
Felicity related to drugs, alcohol, and other issues.  Sometimes I think I
can't help but psychoanalyze people because of it." She frowned.  "I don't
want to get into things too deep, but I just want to say this- we all have
our fears, our differences.  We shouldn't back down from them, we should
face them, get them resolved."

   "That's what a lot of people have told me," Erika laughed. 
"Psychologist and otherwise.  Facing fear is a long standing belief of
mine." She sighed.  "The world tries to trivalize our fears, or distort
them.  They do the same to our identities.  They typecast all of us, assume
we're just like the parts we play for most of the world.  We may not like
it, but it happens.  And we're not immune from it either.  Thus is the
world."

   "No," Evan said, shaking her head.  "Thus have we made the world.  Thus
have we made it."

   "The Mission," Keri smiled, recognizing the exchange.  "That's a good
film."

   Erika grinned in agreement.  "It rocks.  One of the movies that got me
into acting." She smiled, then continued.  "Another one was the Breakfast
Club.  You've seen that, right?  What the characters in there did reminds
me of what we're doing now.  They all sat in the same room, talked to each
other, realized they were more than their respective roles and
stereotypes."

   "Yeah," Keri smiled, recalling the film.  "They broke the rules, bared
their souls, touched each other in ways they never dreamed possible." God,
I want that again, she thought to herself after speaking the words.

   "They resolved their differences," Evan said.  "Like you and Busy
Phillips's character in Home Room."

   "We resolved a lot when we did that movie," Erika smiled.  "We never
really resolved the central plot issue, but it was one of those things that
can't really be resolved, so...  What's the matter, Keri?"

   "I didn't see the movie," Keri said.

   "You need to then," Erika replied, emphasizing her words with the apple.
"It's really good.  It should be required viewing in all high schools."

   "I heard lots of high schools banned it," Evan said.

   Erika rolled her eyes.  "Idiots.  Just because a movie has young people
facing issues that are hard to take doesn't mean it should be banned."

   "Issues like that always happen between people," said Keri.  "They're
why we're in this room.  We've got to air our issues out, settle them. 
Otherwise, how are we going to work together?"

   "Yeah," Evan nodded.  "How else are we going to make a movie, especially
one with so bad a script?"

   "The script isn't that bad," Erika said.  "I've done worse.  You've both
seen Swimfan."

   Evan looked down at her script, then looked back up and smiled.  "Yeah,
this movie is better than that one, but they were both bad.  You had fun
doing Swimfan, though, right, Erika?  You've said so in all your interviews
about it."

   Erika nodded.  "I did enjoy myself doing Swimfan.  Probably for the same
reasons I enjoyed being on Punk'd after the fact.  I like surprising myself
and others, proving there is nothing I can't do.  That, and it was good for
the resume."

   "I like doing roles like that too," Evan said.  "It's why I became an
actress.  What about you, Keri?"

   Keri shrugged.  "I'm the same, I guess," she said.  "Mostly I just like
my work.  I read scripts, I think about whether I can be the people in
them, and then I act out the roles.  I've had fun with all of them, some
more than others."

   "Yeah, me too," Erika agreed.  "I especially had fun with Swimfan.  I've
never really killed anyone, and I could never think up schemes like Madison
did, but getting the chance to act like I could..." She laughed, again
looking at her script.  "This movie will be fun too, I know it."

   "Oh yeah, lots of fun," Evan grimaced.  "Again I offer myself to a guy,
and he rejects me." She rolled her eyes.

   Keri found herself frowning at Evan's expression.  "What's the matter?"

   "It's her bedroom scene with Dane," Erika said.  "We talked more about
it while you were out."

   Evan nodded.  "You told me how important it is to your brother.  I get
that.  I'm perfectly willing to do it with him.  I just..."

   Keri thought about the scene, the young girl's words, and what Erika had
told her about it.  Then she remembered a certain aspect of her fantasy. 
Whoa, she thought, could that much be true?  I have to know, she decided.
"Evan, can I ask you a personal question?"

   The young girl shrugged.  "Sure, go ahead."

   "Are you a virgin?"

   Evan paused before answering.  "Yeah," she said, her tone carrying a
deep disappointment.  "I haven't found the right guy yet.  I'll know him
when I do.  I like to think so, anyway.  I've kissed guys, made out, done
love scenes, but nothing else.  Nothing serious."

   "Interesting," said Keri.  Right, she thought to herself.  Of course she
hasn't.  Evan's still just a child.  She's not supposed to make big
decisions about her sexuality yet.  Yes, Ilana and I did at an age younger
than hers, and we came out alright, so did Tony, but we were lucky.  So
many people we've known haven't.  To come out of it alright takes a certain
maturity, responsibility, wisdom.  Some of Evan's characters may have those
qualities, but can I be sure she does?

   "What about you, Keri?" Evan caught her attention.  "Are you a virgin?"

   "Oh no," Keri said, noting Erika's raised eyebrow.  She smiled.  "Not
me. Not for a long time.  And she's definitely not." Keri pointed at Erika.

   "Of course I'm not," Erika laughed.  "I adore sex more than anything. 
You will, too, Evan, once you have it."

   "I already like it," Evan grinned back at her.  Then she frowned again.
"The idea of it anyway.  I've thought about it so much, but..."

   "Don't worry, Evan," Keri gave her a knowing look.  "I'm sure you'll
find the right one someday."

   "Wake me up when I do," Evan grinned, her blue eyes locking on Keri's
gray eyes.  Then she looked away.  "I will admit, there have been a few
good candidates.  No one's lasted, though.  What about you?  Have you been
with a lot of guys?"

   "A few," Keri said, smiling back.  She shook her head, clearing it of
memories.  Damn it, get down!

   "And you?" Evan asked Erika.

   "Plenty," Erika chuckled.  "Alicia has been with far more, though.  You
want to hear some stories about assholes..."

   "Don't tell me," Evan said.  "I have enough stories myself." She looked
at Keri.  "You too right?  Things that didn't work out, stupid fantasies?"

   "Yeah," Keri laughed, recalling them.  "We all do." She looked back and
forth at each of the other two girls, smiling.  Wow, she thought, why did I
ever doubt I could be friends with these girls?  Why?  Oh yeah, I
stereotyped them.  It kept me from seeing how beautiful they are, how... 
Damn it, that was just a fantasy.  I need to stop thinking about it.  No
way it could possibly come true.

   "You were scared you away by our discussion like this earlier, right?"
Evan asked her.  "And now you've calmed down?"

   "Yeah," Keri shrugged, shocked by how much had changed between her and
the other girls.  They had lashed out at each other before, but now... 
Things have changed, I guess.  Maybe those thoughts I had changed things.
Before I was so shocked by them, but now...  She shook her head.  "They
were just stupid arguments.  They're over now."

   "Good," Erika said, then put down the apple core and grimaced.  "I wish
Alicia wasn't so scared by them."

   Alicia, Keri thought.  Right.  She knew what she had to do next.

   The brunette pushed her chair back from the table and stood up.  "I'll
be right back."

   Erika frowned at her.  "Where are you going now?"

   Keri turned around.  Both Erika and Evan were looking at her, their
expressions confused.  Oh crud, she thought.  Damn it, you can't give your
plan away, not if it's going to go right.  Think of something fast.

   "I'm just going to find Alicia and check on her," Keri told the other
actresses.  "She's supposed to be bonding with us, but she can't if she's
not here."

   Evan raised an eyebrow.  "And you think you can get her back in here?"

   Keri shrugged.  "I can try.  If I'm going to make friends with her, the
way I have with you..."

   "Do you want some help?" Erika asked, starting to push her own chair
back.  "I know Alicia better than you."

   "No, that's okay," Keri held up a hand quickly.  The idea was tempting,
but no.  She still didn't know the other girls well.  Until they were
closer, it was best to keep things one step at a time.  Communication was
better on a one-to-one basis, at least until you could be sure of your
allies.  Right now, she couldn't be.  First she had to get all the girls
back in the same room.

   "You two just keep getting to know each other," Keri told Evan and
Erika. "I can handle this."

   "You're sure?" Erika asked her.  "Do you know where she is?"

   Keri nodded.  "Her dressing room.  I heard her in there on the way over.
She's where every actress goes when they're cornered.  I'll find her there,
I'll bring her out.  Trust me."

   "You're taking a lot on yourself," Erika said.  Evan nodded in
agreement.

   "Comes with the territory," Keri smiled at them, then turned and headed
into the hallway before they could protest further.  The other two girls
shrugged as they watched her go, then resumed looking at their scripts. 
Still trying to think up her own, Keri walked back the way she had come.

   ***

   Keri Russell tapped on the door of the dressing room two doors down from
hers, still thinking about the feelings in her mind.  They were calm, but
their echoes remained.  New worries were there, too, worse ones.  Could she
do this?  Could she play it right?  If she could...  If she couldn't... 
Shut up!  she ordered her inner voice.  I've been thinking about this on
the way over.  I can do this.  I have to do this.  It's necessary.

   "Yeah, what?" she heard Alicia Witt's voice ask from the other side of
the door.

   "It's me, Keri," Keri said, running a hand through her golden brown hair
and trying to calm herself.  "I wanted to talk to you.  Erika told me what
happened."

   "That bitch!" Alicia yelled back.  "Can't she let people solve their own
problems?"

   "Can I come in?" Keri asked, putting her hand on her hip and trying to
quell the sudden feelings the other woman's voice produced in her.  Stop
it, she ordered her subconscious.  I calmed you, there's no reason for you
to be acting like this now.  I have my jeans and shirt back on, my shoes on
my feet.  Yes, my jacket and underwear are back in my dressing room, but I
don't need either of them for this.  I'm just going in to talk to Alicia,
let her pour out her feelings about her latest argument with her asshole
boyfriend and get ready to come back and talk to the rest of us.  Anything
more that could happen isn't important right now.  I can't think about
Alicia like I want to, not if I want to help her.  Not intially anyway.

   "Fine, come in!" Alicia called out.  Keri smiled in relief as the other
girl's sharp voice made her worries fade.  She put one tanned hand on the
door's handle and turned it, then pushed the door open and entered.

   Alicia's dressing room was a lot messier than Keri's.  Clothes, books,
and other stuff were tossed around haphazardly, sitting in piles next to a
large stereo, a discarded piano practice keyboard, and a flute with a bent
mouthpiece.  The vanity table was overstocked with makeup, the trash can
overflowing with candy wrappers and wadded-up Kleenex.  Only the couch was
bare.  The dresser drawers, clothes racks, and suitcases were all full and
bulging.  Alicia sat in the middle of the room before the vanity table, her
dark brown eyes flicking from her image in the mirror to the droning phone
handset lying in the table's center.  Keri felt sadness welling up in her
own storm-gray eyes at the redhead's dejected expression.  Shit, she
thought.  Well, at least the jerk obviously already hung up.

   "Um, Alicia?" she asked, stepping into the room and closing the door
behind her.  Noticing Alicia's bare feet and all the shoes lying beside the
door, Keri slipped off her sneakers and kicked them into the pile.  "Are
you okay?"

   "I'm fine," Alicia said.  Her long red hair accented the deep pout on
her flawless features.  Her hands shook as she spoke.  She looked at them,
then used them to smooth her white dress.  The black coat she'd been
wearing earlier was flung in a corner.  "Lock the door, please."

   Keri did so, then walked over to Alicia and picked up the phone on the
vanity table.  She put it back in its cradle, then disconnected the wire.
Unplugging the phone always helped when one needed to talk directly to
people, and it also got rid of interruptions.  "Erika told me your
boyfriend called you," she prompted Alicia, crossing her arms and leaning
back against the wall.

   The taller actress shook her head, the room's lights catching her hair
and shining in it.  "We broke up," she told Keri.  "Apparently he's found
someone else.  He didn't say much about her.  Probably some floozy bimbo."

   "Yeah," Keri nodded, letting her fresh features settle into an
expression of concurrence.  She had found people going through emotional
storms often liked to insult and put down the objects of their anger, and
it was best to agree with them initially.  "Don't worry, you'll do better.
How long were you together, six months?"

   "About that," Alicia answered, turning her tear-streaked eyes to Keri.
The other girl gave her a comforting smile, then took a clean handkerchief
out of her pocket and extended it.  "Thanks," Alicia said, taking the cloth
and wiping at her face.

   "It's okay," Keri told her, regretting there wasn't another chair in the
room to sit on.  "I know we haven't known each other that long, but I can
empathize.  I've had a few bad breakups myself."

   "That werewolf guy, right?" Alicia asked her, turning back to the
mirror. Her face was dry now, so she put down the handkerchief.  She picked
up one of several brushes and started combing her hair out as she talked.
Keri looked around the room and spotted a stool lying beneath several
records and music sheets.  She pushed them to the floor and grabbed the
stool, then stepped closer to Alicia and sat down on it, putting her hands
on her khaki-clad legs.  Alicia's eyes watched her for a moment.  Then she
nodded in permission.

   "Scott Speedman," Keri answered her query.  "His name's Scott Speedman."

   "Yeah, you were on that show together," Alicia said, brushing out an
especially bad tangle.  "You're also on and off again with that musician,
right?  What's his name?  Tommy?"

   "Tony," said Keri.  "Tony Lucca."

   "Right," Alicia nodded, smiling.  "I have a couple of his CDs here
somewhere.  He's pretty good."

   "Thank you," Keri replied, beaming as she remembered that music wasn't
the only thing Tony was good at.  She pushed the thought away,
concentrating on Alicia.  "He's trying to stay independent for now."

   "More power to him," Alicia said, putting down the hairbrush.  She
frowned, looking in the mirror and seeing the evidence of anger and sadness
still present all over her features.  She shook her head and some of it
disappeared.  "I've been trying to stay that way myself for the longest
time," she said.  "I like doing diverse things, surprising people."

   "Right," Keri said, thinking back on all the movies in which she'd seen
and heard of Alicia acting.  A lot of low-distribution indie films, their
directors ranging from John Waters to Alexander Payne to Matthew Huffman.
Then of course she'd been in all those cult classics directed by people
like David Lynch and Cameron Crowe.  Keri had been in far fewer films, but
at least her TV career was longer.  Malibu Shores, Roar, Felicity, and
several TV movies, some better than others.  Thinking back on all of them
brought a collection of memories to mind, both good and bad.

   "Can't do it anymore, though," Alicia said, picking up some eyeshadow.
"Lousy critics keep putting me down, saying I need to be more wholesome."

   "You don't need that," Keri told her, leaning over and pushing away the
makeup.  It never helped to let the target of your counsel try to hide what
they were feeling.  "You look fine."

   "Really?" Alicia frowned at her face in the mirror, then looked at Keri,
who smiled and nodded.  "You think so?"

   "You look great," Keri assured the other girl, tapping her on the
shoulder.  "Definitely enough to charm the pants off any guy, including
that idiot Dave."

   "Don't remind me of him," Alicia said, her face turning dark once more.
"I'm glad he's gone.  I just hope whoever's playing my boyfriend in the
movie isn't like him."

   "He won't be," Keri said.  Get her mind off Dave, she decided.  It's the
best way to finish this quickly.  "I'm sure you'll get along fine once he
and the rest of the cast start working with us.  Which reminds me- we gotta
get back in the practice room.  Right?"

   "Yeah," Alicia shrugged.  "Sure.  Whatever." She sighed and stared at
herself in the mirror.  "God, this movie is driving me mad.  That fucking
asshole Binder, and now my stupid ex..."

   "Hey," Keri waved a hand in front of her eyes.  "It's over.  Judging by
the way you're talking to me, it's been over for a while.  Having things
out in the open will free you to concentrate on the filming, right?"

   "I guess so," Alicia mused, running her hands through her red hair and
smoothing it.  "Dave was no Charlie Brown anyway."

   "Your oft-quoted fantasy," Keri remembered, smiling.  This she could
use.

   "Right," Alicia said, her lips tight against her teeth.  "I'm coming to
Peanuts land, dancing with Snoopy, saving everybody.  Charlie Brown is
swept off his feet.  Peppermint Patty is bitter and jealous."

   Keri nodded.  She'd read the words so many times in Alicia's interviews.
"Charlie Brown always did love the little redhaired girl."

   Alicia smiled, looking down and pressing her hands against her
well-proportioned bust.  Her tone deepened as she pushed her breasts up
"Well, she grew up, she filled out, and she's looking for him." She dropped
her hands to her sides, frowning.  "But I don't know if I'll ever find him,
or if he'll like me when I do.  I've done so many things, Keri, so many
awful things.  Sometimes I wonder if even Pigpen would like me."

   "Pigpen...?" Keri grimaced in confusion, then recalled the Peanuts
character.  "The dirty kid, always followed by an enormous dust cloud."

   "Yeah," Alicia laughed, pushing her hair back.  "He was always my other
favorite, him and Schroeder.  Gotta love my fellow pianists." She looked at
the keyboard in the corner briefly, then turned her eyes back to Keri. 
"Are you okay?"

   "Fine," Keri answered.  "Are you?"



   "I'm okay," the other actress said.  "I've just been thinking.  Maybe my
life would have been better if I had done a few things differently."

   "Oh no," Keri shook her head, thinking back to all the tactics shared
with her by the psychologists she'd worked with on Felicity.  Once again,
it was best to use them.  But which ones could she use?  "You've done
great," she told Alicia.  "You have legions of fans.  Your films are all
good, even if they haven't all been classics."

   "I'm not that good," Alicia countered, tapping each of her fingers. 
"I've been in too many small roles.  Rarely the lead, almost always the
cameo.  I've played strippers, whores, drug addicts, trailer trash.  One
time I even had anal sex with a gerbil."

   "You what?" Keri's mouth fell open.

   Alicia frowned at her.  "You didn't see that movie?"

   "No," Keri shook her head, trying to keep disgust out of her eyes. 
Alicia smirked.

   "Cecil B.  Demented," she replied, chuckling slightly.  "John Waters
indie film, dark comedy about the movie business.  I play a porn star who
helps a deranged director kidnap and brainwash the lead for his next film.
I did a lot of things in that movie I would never even think to do in real
life, including that awful scene.  It was fun at the time, I won't deny it.
I love satire." She laughed again.  "And he was one very special gerbil."

   "Uh, sure," Keri gulped, putting a hand to her lips to hide her
expression.  "Okay.  Let's not talk about that anymore."

   "No problem," Alicia said.  "I'm not surprised you didn't see the film.
It bombed at the box office.  I've done a lot of other dumb things too. 
Have you seen American Girl?" Keri shook her head.  "The Reef?" Another
head shake.  Alicia's face and tone darkened.  "Urban Legend?"

   "I did see that one," said Keri.  She raised her fingers and started
counting.  "Also Dune, Mr.  Holland's Opus, Playing Mona Lisa..."

   "Oh right," Alicia cut her off, "the good ones.  I'll always remember
the good ones.  Not the guys I date, though.  They always think I'm going
to go crazy and be like the girls in my bad movies.  The exploiter, the
vamp, the nympho.  They're not ready when I show them how smart I really
am, how talented.  They get pissy, then they go away."

   Keri raised an eyebrow.  There's another side to this girl, she
realized. One I never expected.  "You're bragging."

   Alicia shook her head.  "It ain't bragging if it's true.  I'm a prodigy.
I got my high school diploma when I was fourteen, started reading when I
was still an infant.  Acting's not my only skill." She waved at the piano,
then the flute.  "When I worked with Rick Dreyfuss, I actually had to learn
to play badly."

   "Must have been tough," Keri said.  She had never been that good at
singing or instruments.  She hadn't known all this about Alicia either.  It
was interesting to find it out.

   Alicia picked up a pencil from the table and started chewing on it.  "It
was.  Fortunately Rick was there to help me.  He wasn't just acting, you
know.  He's really a good teacher."

   "Yeah," Keri agreed.  "He deserved that Oscar."

   "Right," Alicia sighed, putting the pencil down.  "I'm never gonna get
one of those."

   "Oh, I don't know," Keri shrugged.  She tapped the redhead on the
shoulder playfully.  "You have a good varied resume, a lot of skill. 
Sooner or later someone will see it."



   "Not someone whose work means anything to the Academy," Alicia
countered. "Not for me, not for you.  Evan and Erika have a chance, but
they're different." She made quotes in the air with her fingers.  "They
have 'connections.'"

   "So do we.  You know David Lynch, I know JJ.  And lots of other people
too.  We're making more connections on this film."

   "You mean we're trying.  Binder's not exactly encouraging us." The
redhead put on a prissy air and started waving her hand around.  "'The
Wolfmeyers are supposed to be a close family,'" she mimicked their latest
film's director.  "'Never mind what the script says.  You must get close to
each other, bond.'"

   Keri giggled, her gray eyes shining.  "Good impression."

   "Thanks," Alicia laughed, then turned back to her.  "You know, I really
can't repay you for coming and talking to me.  I don't have even a spare
nickel to my name right now."

   "I'm not here to play Lucy," Keri said.  "I'm just here because I feel
your pain, even though I haven't broken up with anyone in some time." She
frowned, looking around the room.  No sign of alcohol or drugs, but they
could be hidden.  "You want me to get you some water?  Coffee?  Anything?"

   "I'm fine," Alicia said, picking up a cup from the table and sipping at
it.  "Got Red Bull right here." She took another gulp and smiled.  "Good to
know that unicorn didn't put him entirely out of business."

   "Right," Keri grinned.  That was one of her favorite animated movies
too. Good, she thought.  No booze, no direct evidence of a hangover.  Big
relief.  "So you'll be okay then?"

   Alicia put the cup down and was silent for a moment.  Then she shook her
head.  "I don't know.  This is my fourth boyfriend so far this year.  I'm a
zillion for naught on guys that have lasted.  I have a lot of good
memories, but nobody has ever stuck around."

   "You've been with a lot of guys?" Keri asked her, remembering the
conversation she'd had with Evan and Erika.

   "A few," Alicia shrugged, smoothing her hair again.  "I've made out with
far more people on camera than in real life." She smiled, then shook her
head.  "Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed everything I've ever done at the
time I did it.  I just wish things had turned out differently, you know?"

   "Maybe the critics are right," Keri tried another tactic.  "Maybe you
should get away from playing the sexpot."

   Alicia nodded, then laughed and slapped her knee.  "No way!  I like sex
too much for that." She smiled at Keri, then at herself in the mirror. 
"Every time I have it, even when I have to fake, it's great."

   Good grief, Keri found herself thinking.  This woman is worse than Mona.
One minute a raging bundle of emotions, the next a down-to-earth funny
girl. What is with her?  How can I play this?  "Is there something wrong
with you?"

   Alicia shrugged.  "I think so sometimes.  All geniuses have this
problem. Massive amounts of ideas and emotions in their heads, brimming up,
struggling to escape, constantly breaking the surface.  Sometimes they come
out wrong, but they always come out.  Have you seen Amadeus?  Man on the
Moon?  Practical Bohemian?"

   "I did see Young Einstein," Keri chuckled, thinking back to her
adolesence.  That movie had been very influential to her.  For a while
she'd wanted to grow up to be just like the hero.  Other dreams had got in
the way, though.  Dancing, acting, and...  She pushed the thought away. 
Concentrate on the now, she told herself.  Concentrate on the now.  "I bet
that makes it hard for you to get with guys sometimes."

   "Quite often," Alicia sighed, looking down at her body.  She looked up
and smiled, batting her eyes.  "Of course, I do have other attributes."

   "Right," said Keri, mind flashing on her earlier reminsces about them.
Not now!  she screamed at her inner voice.  Not now!  Get your mind out of
the gutter!

   "I've dated so many men," Alicia smiled, obviously pleased with the
memories.  "They always consider me a conquest, the inaccessible smart girl
who the minute she's with them opens up and turns wild.  Then they find out
what I'm really like, and they go away."

   "Have you tried other alternatives?" Keri asked, her past thoughts
suddenly filling her mind again.  Damn it!  she implored them.  Get down!
I'm working on this.  Get down!

   "What?" Alicia grimaced, looking at her.  "Real gerbils maybe?  Dildos?
Vegetables?" She shook her head.  "Please.  As if any girl in real life
would be into that stuff."

   Keri leaned close and waggled her fingers.  "There's always..."

   "I do that all the time," Alicia laughed, pushing her hand away.  She
dropped her hand, then grimaced.  "It's not the same though.  Sex is so
much better when you're with a man."

   "What about a woman?" Keri asked.  She smiled, staring at Alicia.  "Have
you ever tried them?"

   Alicia paused for a moment, looking at their faces in the mirror.  Then
she shook her head, turned and glared at Keri.  "No, I told you.  I don't
do that."

   Right, Keri remembered.  Okay, gotta get her off that prejudice.  Now.
It shouldn't be too hard.  Erika already showed me how to shatter
preconcieved notions earlier today.  I can do it here.  Keri shook her
head, realizing she still had qualms about the idea of getting close to the
other girl, but they were fading.  Rising in their place was a desperate
need to reach out to Alicia, show her what she'd been denying herself, make
her happy.  Damn it, Keri thought, what is wrong with me?  Nothing, she
told herself.  Nothing!  This is going great!  Evan and Erika told me a lot
of things about Alicia, I can use them here.  I just have to be careful,
take it one step at a time.

   "But you've been a lesbian in so many movies," she reminded Alicia. 
"Four Rooms, for example.  You were a lesbian witch alongside Madonna."

   "Have you ever met Madonna?" Alicia asked, turning to the other girl
with a raised eyebrow.

   Keri shrugged.  "A few times." They'd never had any long conversations.

   "Ever notice how she just sucks all the energy out of a room when she
walks in?" Alicia asked.  She picked up the pencil again and started making
gestures with it to emphasize her words.  "How she twists and perverts the
atmosphere with her very presence?  How she's an egotistical bitch who
lords it over everyone around her, thinks she knows best and damn what
anyone else thinks?" She frowned, then turned away.

   "Madonna intrigued me at first, but then when I met her, I found myself
hating her.  Even today, I often find myself wanting to take revenge on her
for picking me to do that part.  Fly down to Argentina, grab the Material
Girl by the hair.  Teach her how to raise her kid right and that there are
so many things more important than money.  Then maybe I'll freeze her
solid, chop her up into little pieces, and feed her to a giant worm."
Alicia smiled, while Keri tried to control her disturbed expression.  "You
ever feel that way about anyone?"

   "Uh, sure, I guess," Keri said.  Keep your composure, she told herself.
Everyone has revenge fantasies, including you.  You don't usually get that
detailed, but...

   "Not Madonna," Keri told Alicia, grimacing.  "Some people, though, yeah,
sure, I guess." She shrugged, then spoke again.  "It was a good role for
you, though, right?  I remember reading about it.  You were young, and it
got you interested, got you wondering." At the time, Keri added to herself,
I even saw several parallels to my own thoughts on such roles.

   "Yeah, I guess it did," Alicia said, a slight laugh in her voice.  She
looked away from Keri, then back at her.  "I was that way at first.  It's
impossible not to be around other naked girls all the time when you're
dressing, especially in this business.  I was going through a weird phase
back then.  Sometimes I would look at other girls' bodies, find myself
having weird thoughts.  You ever have weird thoughts, Keri?"

   Keri nodded.  "Everyone has weird thoughts."

   Alicia smiled and continued.  "Back when my agent at the time told me
about that movie, I read the script and liked my character.  Soon I was
starting to have such thoughts regularly.  The idea intrigued me.  But then
I met Madonna, and well..."

   "Brrrr," Keri said, moving her hand to mime an airplane going down. 
"Boom."

   Alicia nodded.  "Exactly."

   "But you did another lesbian movie," Keri prompted her.  Surely her
thoughts didn't disappear, right?  "Gen 13, that adult cartoon flick."

   "Sarah was the lesbian, not Caitlin," Alicia grimaced, then waved her
hand.  "Besides, I was just a voice in there.  I wasn't the part, not
really.  I was never really in that shower with Roxy."

   "Well, you've showered with other girls, right?" Keri continued, fully
into the game now.  "You've continued being close to them, acting
alongside."

   "Tara Reid, Rebecca Gayheart, and I did get pretty close during our work
on Urban Legend," Alicia said after a moment of thought.  For an instant,
she smiled.  Then she shook her head.  "But nothing happened.  They weren't
my type anyway.  Tara's a bubbly blonde bimbo, and Rebecca, well, she's
pretty, but she needs to pay more attention to her influence on people. 
You heard about that kid she ran over, right?"

   "That was an accident," Keri said quickly, trying to stop Alicia from
changing the subject.

   "Right, like the time you almost drowned."

   "I didn't almost drown," Keri snapped, not wanting to think about that.
Why did people have to bring it up with her so often?  "There was just a
stupid over-protective lifeguard."

   "Oh, whatever," Alicia sighed, putting the pencil down again.  "I'm not
a lesbian, Keri.  I like guys.  Nice handsome serious guys." Again she
smiled, then it changed to a frown.  "I just wish there were more guys like
Charlie Brown out there, you know?  Assertive and determined, stoic and
sensitive.  So many guys just expect too much from you, or they're not
willing to give back when you give it all for them.  Then there are the
three Ims.  Impolite, Immature, Impotent."

   "And the four Ins," Keri picked up the thread, grinning as she
remembered similar conversations with past girlfriends.  "Insensitive,
Indignant, Inattentive, Intolerant."

   "Right," Alicia nodded, smiling at each of them.  "And the Uns. 
Untrusting, Untrustworthy, Unappreciative.  Not Understanding, though,
that's the good Un."

   "You sound like you've known a lot of guys," Keri repeated herself.

   "Many," Alicia said, smiling once more.  Then she sighed.  "Many more on
camera than in real life, though.  And in books." She waved at the piles in
the room.  "I read a lot.  Fiction, nonfiction, comics too.  Peanuts,
Calvin & Hobbes, Gen 13, Preacher, Love & Rockets, Batman, Spiderman."

   "Spiderman," Keri said.  She too was a fan of that one.  With great
power comes great responsibility.  "Weren't you up for the part of Mary
Jane once?"

   Alicia smiled back at her.  "I almost got it.  Then that bland blonde
Kirsten Dunst appeared and stole one of my most-desired roles.  That's
something Evan and I have in common.  I wanted the role, I was excited
about it, then Kirsten came in and got all the producers interested in her
instead of me.  I had to back out, I just couldn't take it." She grimaced,
shaking her head as she stared at herself in the mirror.  "What do people
see in It Girls?"

   "I don't know," Keri shrugged.  She liked Kirsten's work, and thought
she was pretty.  They had never really connected, but...  "I hear a lot of
people like her."

   "I can't imagine why," Alicia frowned, flipping her hair back.  "She had
to gain weight and dye her hair to play Mary Jane, and she and Tobey had
zero chemistry.  I liked her in Drop Dead Gorgeous, and that cheerleader
movie, and the vampire flick, and Virgin Suicides.  But Spiderman?  Nope,
sorry.  She just doesn't have the talent or the figure to play Mary Jane,
not like I do."

   Keri smiled and eyed said figure, thinking back on how it had brushed
against hers just over an hour ago in her imagination.  She had to agree
with Alicia.  "Well, there's always the Black Cat."

   "There you go," Alicia laughed, waving at a collection of wigs piled up
near the vanity table.  "I think I have the right hair here somewhere." She
paused, staring at the wig collection, then grimaced and turned back to
Keri.  "I've tried so hard, you know, to be someone else.  That's why I got
into acting- it lets you strip yourself of your fears, step into another
person's shoes for a while.  That, and I'm good at it."

   You don't have to tell me, Keri thought, remembering all the roles she'd
seen Alicia play.  Just now, on TV, and in the movies.

   "I've tried to be so many different people," Alicia went on, her eyes on
Keri but constantly straying to her wigs, clothes, and makeup.  "Tried to
make critics like me, guys like me, me like me.  Whenever I get up every
day, I feel I'm in over my head.  Sometimes I lie awake at night and wonder
'Where did I go wrong?' Then a voice comes back to me, saying, 'That's
going to take more than one night, girlie girl.'"

   I can't stand it, Keri thought, taking in her words and thinking over
them.  I just can't stand it.  I have to help Alicia, soothe her any way I
can.  Forget that I've barely gotten to know her before now.  God help me,
she's beautiful.  And smart, warm, funny, open.  Why was I ever scared of
her before now?  Why did I worry so much she wouldn't like me?  Why did I
have to go through all that angst?

   "There are so many times I've just wanted to give up," Alicia declared,
looking back at herself in the mirror.  "Forget acting, settle down, find a
nice guy and pander to him till he marries me.  Make some babies, live life
in the suburbs and forget all the edges I stood at and looked over."

   Keri grimaced, remembering all the times she'd had similar thoughts. 
For one reason or another, she'd never given in to them.  From her bemused,
then pleased expression, surely Alicia had done the same.

   "Let's talk about something else, okay?" Alicia said, turning away from
the mirror and back to Keri.  "I think I'm about ready to go back out
there." Then she paused, raising her eyebrows.  "Wait a second." She looked
at Keri.  "You were the one who brought up lesbians.  Does that mean...?"

   "It does," Keri answered quickly, fearing Alicia's reaction.  The moment
had arrived, though.  She had to seize it.  If Alicia exploded, she could
handle things.  She would just take them as they came.  "I get with girls
as well as guys.  Sometimes both together."

   "Really?" Alicia smiled, then quickly looked away from her, expression
changing again.  "I've never done that.  Some guys have wanted me to.  I've
been tempted, but no." She shook her head and repeated the last word.  "No.
No.  It just isn't me."

   Something in her voice and expression, as well as the long conversation
they'd just had, made Keri doubt the truth of her words.  "Haven't you ever
thought about it at least?" she asked, leaning in and putting her hand on
Alicia's shoulder.  "Looked at another girl, let yourself contemplate what
it might be like?  Or have you always rejected the thoughts in your head?"

   Alicia stared at her.  "What are you talking about?"

   "You know what I'm talking about," Keri replied, smiling.  "I know
something of what you're going through.  I had weird thoughts too, when I
was young.  However, I didn't deny them.  I explored them with my best
friend, one thing led to another, and..." She waved her other hand.  "I
think I'm a happier person in retrospect."

   Alicia's eyes locked with Keri's, emotions warring behind them.  Then,
looking at the hand on her shoulder, she broke into a ready grin.  The grin
faded quickly, though, and when she spoke, her voice was again hard. 
"Keri, this conversation is getting a little strange.  I'm going to cut
right to the chase.  Are you trying to seduce me?"

   "Yes," Keri said, not surprised in the least Alicia had seen through
her. Time to amp things up, she told herself, then put her arm around
Alicia and leaned closer.  "Am I succeeding?"

   Alicia stared back at her for a long moment, smiling and then frowning.
Keri stayed quiet too, knowing she couldn't help anymore with this barrier.
Alicia would have to figure out in her own mind whether she wanted girl sex
or not.  God, Keri hoped she made the right decision.

   "You want to have sex with me?" Alicia asked, staring at Keri.  Then her
eyes roved around the room, looking at the wigs, the clothes, the books,
the flute, and the piano.  Finally they settled on the couch, lingered
there for an instant, then turned back to Keri.  "You want to have sex with
me?" the redhead repeated, raising her arms and putting her hands on the
brunette's shoulders.  "Right here, right now?"

   Keri shrugged again, widening her smile.  "Why not?  You need something
to get your mind off that asshole who just dumped you.  Don't worry about
the others, they'll keep themselves occupied.  We can take all the time we
need.  And no, no one else is going to know about this.  Not unless you
want them to.  I'm not going to tell anyone."

   "Okay," Alicia said, blinking.  She dropped her arms and looked around
the room.  Her expression showed a frown, then calm, then a growing
interest.  "Uh, you did lock that door, right?"

   "Right when I came in," Keri reminded her.  Good, she thought.  It's
working.  Good.

   "Good," Alicia repeated her thoughts, nodding.  "I'm pretty sure this
room is soundproofed.  That's good too." She looked around again, then
locked her eyes on Keri's and smiled.  All trace of rage was gone from her
face now.  "What the fuck?  Let's do it."

   "Are you sure?" Keri asked, putting her hand on Alicia's warm cheek for
emphasis.  She wanted this, but she didn't want either of them regretting
it later.  "Really sure?"

   "Why not?" Alicia echoed her earlier words.  "I like you, and you helped
me just now.  Sometimes I've really enjoyed your show, even if I did
badmouth it to you yesterday.  I like more about it than I don't like. 
Mostly I was just pissed you cut all your hair off like you did."

   Keri nodded, remembering the stupid dare she'd accepted.  "A lot of
people didn't like that."

   "I was one of them," agreed Alicia.  She reached a hand up and toyed
with Keri's curls.  "Thank God you've grown it all back.  After it was
gone, there were times when I was barely able to keep watching your show. I
did, though, right up until they canceled it.  And since I moved over here,
I've been watching it again.  This isn't the first time I've had weird
thoughts about you." The redhaired actress smiled all of a sudden.  "I've
seen you naked, you know.  That obscure teen comedy that parodies Cinema
Paradiso?"

   "Eight Days a Week," Keri smiled, recalling it.  "My second big
feature."

   "Right," Alicia laughed.  "You were good in there.  I remember being
surprised to see you posing nude on camera so early in your career."

   "It wasn't that brave," Keri said, looking down at her body.  "I just
thought I might have to do it someday, so why not get things over with?"

   "And millions of people everywhere are glad you did," Alicia replied
with a smile.  She looked the brunette up and down, then grinned.  "I'm not
going to lie anymore- I have thought about girls.  You especially.  When I
heard you were replacing Lauren, I found myself wondering if anything would
develop between us.  But I always pushed it away.  I thought it was stupid.
Now, well..." She beamed.

   "Am I the only girl you've fantasized about?" Keri asked her,
remembering she hadn't just thought about Alicia.  She had to include the
other girls too if she wanted to live out all her fantasies.  Not only
that- if she was going to get this one, she couldn't let it be exclusive
and cause problems.  They were supposed to be getting close.

   "No," Alicia shook her head, blushing.  "You're not the only one about
whom I've fantasized.  But you will be the first I've been with." She
paused.  "We need to make this quick, I don't want anybody getting too
suspicious about how long we've been in here."

   Keri nodded.  "I have experience with that," she assured the other
actress.

   "You'll make it fun, right?"

   Keri nodded again, recalling another good film with lesbian overtones
she'd seen Alicia star in.  "Fun is number one."

   "Amen to that," Alicia laughed, shaking her hair and fingering Keri's.
Then she frowned again, staring at the other girl.  "Uh, I may not be very
good.  I've never done this before."

   Keri grinned.  "I'll guide you around the curves."

   Alicia smiled, looked around the room again, then back at Keri.  "Uh,
don't expect me to like it, okay?" she said nervously.  "I've thought about
it, but until you try something..."

   "It's okay," Keri reassured her, remembering all her past experiences
with lesbian virgins.  Some had liked girls, some hadn't.  She always
respected their wishes, gave them their choice.  She continued to give
Alicia a speech similar to the ones she'd given all the others.  "Neither
of us are married, and right now I don't plan to ever get married.  We can
do it as often as our schedules allow, or never again after this.  It's
your choice."

   Alicia nodded in thanks, silent again for a long moment.  Then she
shrugged, leaned close to Keri, and kissed her.  Keri gasped at the taste
of her lips, warm and salty.  "Different," Alicia said, pulling back and
smiling at her.  "Sweeter."

   "You too," Keri replied, thinking for a second.  In reality, she
couldn't find anything to compare Alicia's taste with.  There was a
sweetness there, but also a roughness.  A hint of the new and the familiar.
It was like nothing she'd tasted in a long time, not since Ilana.  Oh my,
her inner voice whispered.  This is going to be good.

   Alicia smiled and kissed her again, then jerked her head at the couch.
Keri nodded and stood up, Alicia rising beside her.  Alicia had been
talking a lot up until now, but suddenly she was quiet, a strange look in
her eye as she contemplated what was coming.  Her hands dropped to her
sides, then moved to her back and undid her dress's top button.  "Help me,"
she implored Keri, turning around and presenting her backside.  The other
girl nodded, took hold of, and pulled down her zipper.  Keri smiled as
Alicia's pale back was revealed, its curves slim and unbroken by bra or tan
lines.

   "No underwear," she pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

   The redhead nodded.  "I usually don't wear any.  I find it chafing." She
turned around and looked Keri up and down, stepping back and smiling. 
"Hey, take your clothes off.  I want to see what the camera didn't show."

   Keri nodded, took a step back, then reached down and lifted her shirt
up, pulled it over her head, and tossed it away.  Alicia's gasp and smile
told Keri she was not disappointed.  Another movement of her hands, a flick
of her wrists, and her pants fell to the carpet.  Keri kicked them off and
turned around, drawing on her modeling experience to show Alicia her body.
Alicia's eyes remained on her all throughout, focusing on and taking in
every detail.  Keri wondered if Alicia was noticing the remaining hints of
her earlier play, her still-present and rising arousal.  Musing on this,
Keri stopped and posed before her, putting a hand on her hip and smiling
suggestively.  Alicia nodded and shrugged her dress off her shoulders,
letting it slide into a pool of white satin at her feet.

   "Wow," Keri grinned, looking her over.  She was even more beautiful than
the brunette had imagined.  Slim hips, long pale legs, skin shining alight
with arousal and freckles.  A thin strip of peach-colored curls between her
loins, lips engorged and gleaming beneath them.  Belly slim and toned,
breasts firm and pink-nippled.  Above that, her elegant neck, supporting
and accenting her smiling cherubic face.  "You have a great body."

   "Thank you." Alicia looked down at herself for a moment, then back at
Keri.  "Yours is good too.  I wish I had your stomach."

   "You look better now than when I saw you on HBO," Keri declared,
grinning widely and stepping closer to Alicia.  "It's so much better in
real life."

   Alicia nodded in agreement, her expression changing as she looked back
at Keri.  "There's this London play, you know- The Shape of Things.  In a
couple of scenes the female lead appears on stage nude.  I bumped into
Rachel Weisz at Inside Out a while back, she told me about doing the role
and got me interested.  I'm thinking about it.  I had Myron pick up a copy
of the play for me last week.  Critics might not like me doing such a
thing, but..."

   "Stop talking," Keri put a finger on her lips, smiling at the thought of
Alicia starring in the play- she'd read it and seen it off Broadway- but
not wanting to think about such things right now.  She then lowered the
finger and stepped even closer to Alicia, extending her arms and smiling in
welcome.  The redhead stepped into the shorter brunette's embrace, their
arms pulling their bodies together.  Alicia leaned down and cuddled Keri's
body against hers, gasping at the sensation.  Both their bodies started
tingling, alive and warm, new feelings rising in them and increasing. 
Their nipples brushed against each other, swelled and lengthened.  Then
Alicia moaned, pressing her thigh against Keri's labia.  Keri shook at the
sensation, feeling her arousal and wetness welling up inside.

   "The couch," she caught Alicia's attention as the other girl pressed her
lips against Keri's hair.  "This will go better if we lie down."

   "Right," Alicia said, breaking their embrace and stepping back.  Keri
grimaced as the feeling of the other woman's warmth left her, then smiled
again as Alicia lay back down on her couch and opened her arms, one hand
making a come-hither gesture.  Keri stepped forward, then turned and
tumbled down on top of her, letting Alicia's hands touch her backside, then
turning so they could hit her front.  The other girl's caresses were soft
and warm, the sensation new and incredible.  As Keri moved, she felt
Alicia's heart hammering.  Her own heart was also beating stronger.  A
thump sounded from somewhere just then, possibly the other side of the
wall. What the...?  Keri wondered for an instant.  Then Alicia's roving
fingers touched her arms and all thoughts of anything else fled her mind.

   "You're so s-soft," Alicia said, her voice full of nervous stammer. 
Then she smiled and let her hands wander over Keri, rubbing her arms, then
her chest and shoulders.  The movements were brief and hesitant at first,
then grew more trusting.  Keri nodded and smiled, letting Alicia keep
control at first, letting her learn.  Then she moved her own hands to rest
on top of the other girl's.

   "Relax," she suggested.  "Just relax.  Go slowly." Alicia nodded in
understanding.  Keri leaned in and kissed her lips, breathing into the
other girl's mouth with her own.  Alicia kept her lips closed for a moment,
then opened them.  Her tongue came out, licked between Keri's lips, stroked
over her tongue.  Their hearts beat against each other and their breaths
clashed as their tongues sought each other's flavor and warmth.

   Keri's hands continued to stay on Alicia's as they roamed over her upper
body, guiding them as they flicked at her neck and throat.  Then a downward
movement, and they touched her breasts.  "Oh my," Alicia gasped.  Her lips
left Keri's open mouth, her face agape.  Her fingers moved quickly,
touching and stroking the other girl's hard nipples.  Keri pulled back,
then took her hands off Alicia's, looking at her in inquiry.  Alicia
stopped moving for a moment, then nodded, her hands suddenly moving again,
bolder and faster.  Keri smiled and leaned in to kiss her once more.

   "Please," the redhead moaned into her mouth.  "Please." Another thump
against the wall echoed the timbre.

   What is that?  Keri wondered, then shook off the feeling of worry.  It
didn't matter.  The door was locked, no one could enter.  They could stop
any time they wanted to, explain things if necessary.  But not now.  She
didn't want to stop now.  Not when Alicia's fingers were just learning
their strokes, making her melt, hitting her every nerve like the keys on a
piano.

   "Here," she said, leaning in and moving her own fingers, brushing them
over Alicia's shoulders and then down onto her breasts.  Keri teased each
pink nipple under her palm, gently squeezing the flesh beneath it.  Alicia
moaned and pulled back, then leaned in again, her arms leaving Keri's
breasts and moving against her backside, cuddling the other woman close and
into her.  Their legs met and tangled, rubbed against each other as their
cunts filled rapidly with slick warm secretions.

   For a time that seemed endless but was in fact only a few minutes they
lay still, rubbing each other's bodies.  Playing with each other's nerves,
stroking, pulling, pinching.  Learning what caused the right reaction in
the other girl.  Lips sighing, letting out moans.  Bodies shaking,
shivering and tingling under each other's caress.  Alicia's hands were
still hesitant, but they were moving faster now, surer and more passionate.
Keri's hands were unsure too, then trusting as the pleasure inside her
eased the few qualms she still had about seducing the other girl.  They
took turns leaning forward and into each other, kissing and sucking at each
other's lips.

   "Salty," Alicia hissed, kissing each of her cheeks.  "Warm.  I want
this. I want this."

   "Are you sure this is your first time?" Keri asked, feeling their hearts
pound.  Alicia smiled, then nodded, moving one hand forward.  Its fingers
caressed downwards, stroking Keri's neck, then across her left breast and
its underside.  They lingered for an instant, then moved on over her
breastbone, belly, and then her waist.

   Alicia's other hand remained on Keri's right shoulder, rubbing and
squeezing.  Keri continued to stroke her breasts, smiling at the feel of
them.  The growing warmth and confidence in the other girl, the taste of a
new experience and the joy as she reveled in it.  She's obviously a fast
learner, Keri mused.  Then that thought vanished as Alicia's fingers
stroked over her legs, teasing the nerves there, moving onwards and
inwards. They paused for an instant, then Keri nodded at Alicia and they
moved on.

   Keri gasped as the redhead's fingers brushed against her pubic curls,
toying with them for a moment, then pressed at her outer lips, through
them, and into her inner lips.  For a moment they moved back and forth,
pausing here and there, touching each nerve and feeling each spot of
increasing warmth and moisture.  Keri nodded each time the other girl's
fingers hit a key point, her gray eyes constantly broadcasting messages of
comfort and encouragement.  Her fingers meanwhile stroked down across
Alicia's sides, rubbing her thighs and then stroking back to squeeze at her
buttcheeks.  "Yes," Alicia moaned, leaning up and again kissing Keri on the
lips.

   Gaining new confidence, Keri moved against the other girl, kissing and
rubbing her way down her neck.  Alicia's fingers remained in her cunt for a
moment, teasing the edges, thumb flicking against the clitoris.  Then they
withdrew, moving around and up Keri's back as she moved down, matching and
caressing up to meet Alicia's other hand on her shoulder.  Pleasure was
building inside them both, and it was better than Keri's fantasies.  She
paused as she neared Alicia's breasts, stopping and looking at her.  The
redhead stared down for a moment, then nodded.  Keri smiled back, then
leaned in and started tonguing her breasts.

   "Oh wow," Alicia moaned at the rough feel of Keri's tongue on her skin,
her lips tugging and nuzzling.  Her hands came up over Keri's shoulders,
felt her neck, then tangled in her hair, pulling at the curls and
straightening them.  Good luck getting them all out, Keri chuckled to
herself, thinking back on how many of her lovers liked to do the same
thing.

   Then she was licking Alicia's cleavage, moving down, slurping her belly.
Her tongue flicked through the redhead's navel, remained there a moment. 
Then she paused and pulled it out, in the same motion placing her hands on
the sides of the other girl's hips.  Keri looked up, smiling, staring at
Alicia's happy face, gray eyes imploring.  Brown eyes closed for a moment,
then opened as their owner let out another moan.  "What the fuck are you
waiting for?" Alicia asked, smiling.  "Go on and do it."

   Keri nodded, then moved her fingers in and grabbed the sides of the
other girl's pussy.  They touched the flesh there and pulled it wide open,
lingering for long instants to take in the heat.  Then Keri leaned down and
flicked both her thumbs against the top of Alicia's snatch, moving the
flesh there away from her clitoris and letting it pop out of its hood,
erect and gleaming.  She moved her lips in, kissed the hard bud, then
encircled it with her tongue.

   "Oh my!" Alicia moaned at the sensation.  Keri's tongue reached out and
wrapped around her clit, tickled it.  The other girl's hands rubbed the
sides of her pussy, then grabbed her thighs, squeezing them, pulling
Alicia's wetness up and into her.  Her legs started shaking, ache and
moisture increasing, passion coming in a storm now.  Her moans were greater
in number and volume.  "Yes!" Alicia threw her head back.  "Yes!  Keep
doing that!  Don't stop!"

   Keri shook her head, feeling a response in her own body.  Her emotions,
sated earlier, were coming back now.  Alicia's hands were moving against
her hair and shoulders, teasing her, arousing her to higher and higher
plateaus.  Keri felt her own lust, again present, calling out to her.  She
put her hands on Alicia's to stop them, then turned her body around, moving
and rubbing it against Alicia once more.  The redhead shook and moaned at
the repeated new sensations.  Keri's hard nipples stroking against her
belly, her arms touching and wandering.  Then her legs turned around on the
couch, the mass of curls between them pressing against Alicia's chin. 
"Please," Keri implored, stopping her movements and looking down at Alicia.
"Please." The other girl looked hesitant, then smiled.

   "I can do this," Alicia declared.  She grabbed Keri's thighs and pulled
her cunt up, fingers tracing and rubbing at the lips again.  Keri smiled
and moved her hands over Alicia's lower lips, teasing them back to their
earlier state of arousal.  Both girls' hard nipples pressed into their
bodies, their clits also thrusting and teasing under each other's fingers.
Keri waited a moment, then gasped and added her tongue to the probing
digits inside Alicia's pussy.  The redhead's tongue had entered her snatch
just a second earlier, and now its licks were creating a vast well of
sensations at her core.

   "I like this," Alicia moaned, tongue lapping and sucking at Keri's
vulva. The organ moved slowly at first, then faster.  Its every touch sent
off a crescendo inside Keri.  So did Alicia's words.  "This is good.  I
like it."

   Keri smiled in agreement, rubbing and licking at the redhead's pussy. 
Their bodies moved nearly in unison, fingers twisting and legs shaking. 
Mouths moaning, tongues probing.  Teeth nipping, clits and nipples
thrusting.  Faster, then slower, then faster again.  Passion rising, juices
shaking and increasing in volume.  And then with a rush, something
exploding inside.

   Alicia came, then Keri came seconds later.  Both girls shook and spasmed
against each other.  Juices flooded out of their pussies.  They pressed
their mouths deep into each other's core, tongues lapping and teasing at
each other's flesh.  Emotions flared inside them again, and then they
pulled back, too sensitive to keep going.

   "Wow," Keri gasped out as Alicia stopped, feeling her heart shaking and
quaking.  The thumps on the wall had stopped now, and so had Alicia's
fingers.  She withdrew her hands from the other girl's crevices, turning
over and moving against her.  Alicia, once liberated, was calm now, frozen
and frowning.  Keri grimaced at her expression.

   Oh shit, said her inner voice.  The inevitable result of all this.  She
tried it, but now she's not sure what to make of it after it's over.  What
is she going to do?  Scream at me, tell me she's never been so disgusted?
Lie to me again, tell me she didn't enjoy it?  No no.  Please God no.

   Alicia stared at Keri, breathing heavily, her expression changing as she
looked over their still naked and aroused bodies.  "Thank you," she said
finally, grabbing and pulling Keri against her.  "I should have tried that
years ago."

   "No problem," Keri said.  "I guess you're not mad." She kissed the other
girl.  Alicia nodded, then after returning her kiss, pulled back and looked
at the door.  What was she thinking?  Keri wondered.  Oh!  "Right, the
others," she said, remembering the sitting room, Evan, and Erika.  "Are you
ready to go back there?"

   "Very ready," Alicia laughed, then pushed the other woman away.  Keri
rolled off her, smiling as Alicia stood up and stepped away from the sofa.
She froze as she got to her feet, then turned and looked back at Keri. 
"Thank you again.  I enjoyed that."

   "I did too," Keri said, moving into a sitting position and rubbing
herself, trying to calm the residual sensations inside her as she watched
Alicia get dressed again.  Her thoughts wandered back over the act, the joy
they'd both taken in it, all the noises they'd made and heard.  For a
moment Keri's thoughts lingered on the thumps she'd heard echoing from the
wall.  What could they have been?  Could someone have been listening to
them, bothered by them, maybe even...  No, that couldn't have been it, she
realized, feeling the sofa move beneath her.  She looked down and saw it
was missing part of a leg, that one of its corners had slipped off the
books supporting it.  That was it, Keri decided, that was the thumping I
heard.  Thank goodness.

   "Do you think you want to do it again sometime?" she looked up and asked
Alicia.  The redhead was now brushing her hair in front of the mirror,
nodding as she applied makeup and perfume.

   "Maybe," Alicia shrugged, looking back over her shoulder and smiling at
Keri.  "Let me think about things.  We'll see." She turned and fluffed her
hair out, straightening her dress and spinning to face Keri.  "How do I
look?"

   "Glorious," Keri said after regarding her for a moment.

   "Good." Alicia smiled, then pointed a finger at Keri's discarded
clothing.  "You better get dressed.  Thanks again.  I'll see you in a few
minutes."

   Keri nodded.  "See you."

   She stood up and moved to put her clothes back on, smiling as she
watched Alicia leave the room looking pleased and eager to get back to
rehearsal.  That was good, Keri mused.  I relieved her tension, and taught
her something new, something she'll hopefully want to repeat soon.  Two
great experiences so far today, and it's not even noon yet.  I wonder if
anything else is going to happen.  It has to, she thought, remembering Evan
and Erika.  One down, two to go.  Shaking her head to clear it, Keri nodded
at her dressed self in the mirror, then moved towards the door.

   ***

   "There's something you all should know," Alicia Witt read from the
script.

   Evan Rachel Wood smiled at her.  "You're pregnant and you're getting
married."

   Alicia gaped at the young girl.  "How did you know that?  Who told you
that?"

   "I guessed?" Evan said, her face full of surprise.  "Really?  I guessed
that?  I was right?"

   "You know," Erika said to Keri Russell, "this movie is kind of
confusing. It skips around a lot."

   Keri nodded in agreement.  It was a few hours now since she and Alicia
had returned to the sitting room.  They'd been talking with Evan and Erika
Christensen, rehearsing lines, getting to know each other.  She was still
coming down from her high points earlier in the day, trying to build her
energy up again.  She had eaten several pieces of fruit and a sandwich,
taken restroom breaks, gone back to her room and replaced her underwear. 
Most of all, she'd paused several times and thought about things.

   What had happened with Alicia was good, she'd decided, but she knew it
wasn't all she wanted to do.  They'd been talking since then, but the
subject of what happened between her and Alicia had not been discussed
openly.  Keri thought maybe it was because of the other girls with them, or
maybe something else.  She really didn't know.  Whatever the case, an
opportunity to bring Evan or Erika into things had not arisen as of yet. 
Even if one had, Keri wasn't sure she would have taken it.  For now she was
just glad they were all getting along.

   "There's a lot of subplots in the movie they don't develop," Evan said.
"Some unrealistic things too.  I mean, her husband disappears and she
doesn't even look for him.  None of them do.  One girl writes a letter, but
she wouldn't even know where to send it.  They don't go looking for their
father.  They don't even call the police."

   "The mother's reaction is hurtful and disgusting," Alicia opined,
putting the script down.  "I can't believe anyone in real life would act
like she does."

   "Oh, I don't know," Erika said.  "You've gotten that bad sometimes."

   "Don't you try psychoanalyzing me, girl," Alicia snapped, smiling. 
"There's a lot of things about me you don't know."

   "Whatever," Erika shrugged, looking back at the script.  "Really, this
movie isn't all great.  I mean, it's going to be fun, there's no denying
it, but are we going to learn anything from doing this?  Are we going to be
remembered?"

   "We might be," Evan shrugged.  "We might not get any awards, but you
never know."

   "Bigger things will come later," Keri smiled, picking up on the line. 
"Right now, fun and new friends is all I want."

   "Amen," Alicia beamed at her from across the table.  Both Evan and Erika
caught the look, their faces slightly confused.  Keri smiled, thinking
things were shaping up nicely.  Then Alicia broke the glance, frowned, and
pushed back her chair.

   "Why don't we break for lunch?" she said.  "It's already almost two.  I
need to call Myron."

   "Alright," Erika said, standing up.  "Meet back here in an hour?  I need
to make some calls myself." She looked at Evan.  "Did you want to join me
for lunch?"

   "No thanks," Evan said, looking at Alicia and then at Keri.  A strange
look was on her face, something hidden behind her eyes.  "Keri, can I talk
to you for a while?  I don't think I've really gotten to know you this
morning."

   Keri smiled, glad for the question.  Another opportunity, here already.
She hoped she was ready for it.  "It's my fault," she told Evan.  "I keep
seeing problems."

   "And don't think we're not grateful for your insights," Erika said. 
"You've helped us all today, Alicia especially."

   "Yeah," Evan chimed in.  "You got her back in here, and she's been
smiling a lot.  You must really be a good breakup counselor."

   "I try," Keri shrugged, thinking back to the experience.  This one had
thankfully been better than most.

   "You did good," Alicia told her.  Then she looked away, her expression
changing.  She turned back to Keri.  "I just need to think about it a
little more, okay?  I'm not sure about everything yet."

   "That's fine," Keri replied, ignoring Evan and Erika's confused looks.
"Just let me know if you need anything else."

   "I will," Alicia said, then looked away again.

   "I'll tell you what you need to do, Keri," Erika said, shoving the
script across the table.  "Go tell Mike to work a little more on this
thing. Get a better premise, cut out some of the opportunities for
over-acting.  It's a good script, but it needs revising, or it's not going
to deserve many awards."

   Keri blinked at her.  "You really think so?  I didn't think it was that
bad."



   "It is bad," Evan said.  "It contradicts itself a lot.  In the
beginning, my character says her mother is the nicest sweetest person. 
Then everything in the movie shatters and denies that image, especially
what we see of Terry and her relationships with the people around her.  She
never appears sweet or nice, she's always angry.  She even says niceness is
not in her nature.  What is this woman really like?"

   "I don't think any of our characters know what she's like," Alicia said.
She picked up a banana and started chewing on it.  Her face grew darker as
she spoke.  "We all have some ideal of a person, and we ignore things that
don't live up to that.  Dealing with anger shows us the truth of people.  I
think that's the point Mike is trying to make."

   "Then why doesn't he just make his point?" Evan asked, flipping through
her script, looking back and forth at her lines.  Her face grew colder as
she looked at them.  "Why does he keep dancing around, leaving things out
and drawing allusions?  You can't push three years into two hours and leave
out all the stuff he does here.  It doesn't work.  There are some good
scenes in here, but overall..." She dropped the script on the table and
frowned.

   "Hey," Erika said, waving her hand.  "We're just actresses.  We don't
write, we don't critique.  We just do what they tell us.  And for that we
get our rewards."

   "And we're insulted," Alicia said.  "Insulted by scripts like this." She
picked up Evan's copy and flipped to the back.  "Just look at this
implausible ending!  They think their father ran off to Sweden with his
secretary, but lo and behold, all these years he's really been dead! 
Meanwhile the children are all grown up and trying to move on.  My
character's married with babies.  Keri's is hospitalized.  Erika's has a
career and lives through, then rejects, a bad relationship.  Evan's... 
what happens to your character anyway, Evan?"

   The young girl shrugged.  "Not much, really.  She gets a best friend,
but he's kind of an idiot.  He can't even do bungee jumping right." She
rolled her eyes.  "And he rejects her advances.  Why does she stay with
him?" Suddenly she dropped her eyes, then looked at Erika.  "Sorry, I
forgot I was talking about your brother."

   "It's okay," Erika shrugged, frowning herself.  "You make good points.
This role is important to Dane, but he could have a better one." She stared
at her script, then put it down.  "He needs a better one," she declared.

   "Hey," said Keri.  An explanation for Evan's earlier behavior was now in
her mind.  A rather obvious one, now that she thought about it.  "How many
roles did you have to take before Traffic, Erika?  How many good roles have
you had since?"

   "You're right," Erika said, glaring down at the script before looking up
and sighing again.  She turned to Evan.  "Sometimes I'm surprised at the
awful concepts that get turned into movies, aren't you?"



   "They inspire some people, right?" Evan pointed out.  Keri nodded in
agreement.  She still wondered why some of them inspired anybody, but
obviously they did.  Otherwise such movies wouldn't keep getting made.

   "I suppose," Erika frowned.  She looked at her lines again.  "Still,
Mike does need to work on this script.  It's good, but your friend Nikki
could probably have done a better job of things."

   "Maybe," Evan grinned, thinking happily back to Thirteen.  "I agree the
script could use some ediitng.  But I'm not sure Nikki would take out the
drug stuff.  I did that once, and now I want to get away from it.  I don't
like it."

   "Amen," Erika said.  "If there's one thing Traffic taught me, it's that
drugs destroy lives."

   Amen, Keri thought to herself.  Better get them off this subject. 
Rachael Leigh Cook can talk about it, but not me.  "Guys," she said, "the
ending to this movie is tacked on.  There's no denying that.  None of our
characters really develop.  But there's not much we can do about these
things.  Except of course write a better script ourselves."

   Erika chuckled.  "I've thought about doing that a few times.  I'm not
just sure I could come up with anything that would get past the censors."
She sighed.  "Maybe someday.  In any case, let's get back to this after
lunch.  See you guys later?"

   Alicia nodded and stood up.  "See you." She brushed past Evan and Erika,
looked at Keri and smiled for an instant, then turned away and headed out
the door.



   "What's with her?" Erika asked.  Keri thought over her response, then
shrugged, deciding to play the fool for the moment.

   "I have no idea," she said, hiding a bemused grin.  Erika stared at her,
looking confused.  Evan, however, was raising her eyebrows, staring at
Keri. Crap, Keri thought.  I'm not that great an actress after all.  "Maybe
it was something I said or did," she quickly amended.

   "Whatever it was, thank you," Erika said, smiling again now.  "I can't
think of the last time I've seen Alicia get over a breakup so quickly.  See
you two later." She stood up, walked past them, and out of the room, not
looking back.

   "See you," Keri said, then turned to face Evan.  The young girl was
looking strangely at Keri, a pensive look in her eyes.  Keri frowned as she
noticed it.  "Don't get me wrong, Evan.  I don't think she's out of it yet.
Alicia's just taking her time."

   "Yeah," the young girl said.  Then she suddenly smirked.  "Look, Keri, I
think I know what happened."

   "What do you mean?" Keri asked.  Suddenly her emotions were rumbling
again.  She can't know...  Oh crud!  She can't know.  She has to have
guessed the wrong thing.  Explain it to her!  "I do things like this all
the time," she said, trying to keep from breaking out in a rush.  "You've
heard about them, right?  Earlier you were telling me how our shows had so
many crew members in common."

   "They told me about you," Evan nodded, crossing her arms.  She looked
around the room, then back at Keri.  "They said you often brought drinks to
the set, made friends with everyone, let people cry on your shoulder. 
Inspiring tales.  I don't think I ever got the truth of them, though.  Not
until now."

   "What do you mean?" Keri frowned at her.  Had Evan guessed?  Did she
know what had happened?  How could she possibly?



   Evan shrugged again.  "As an actress, I'm a good observer of human
behavior.  I notice things." She looked around the room.  "Can we take this
somewhere private?"

   "Sure," Keri said.  "How bout my dressing room?" Evan smiled and Keri
stared at her, still feeling a bit confused.  Let her take the lead, her
instinct decided.  She may be young, but maybe...  She pushed the thought
away.  Best to take things as they come, play it by ear.  Maybe they could
work things out, maybe...  Oh wait, she realized, remembering the other
girl was only eighteen.  What am I doing?

   Evan smiled at her expression, then stood up and walked past Keri
towards the door.  Keri followed her, thoughts racing.  "Evan," she said.

   The other girl looked back at her but kept walking.  "Yes?"

   Keri hurried after her, turning a corner and walking around a catering
lady pushing a snack cart.  "Your parents," Keri said.  "There's something
we discussed earlier that I'd like you to expand on.  How can your parents
let you do all the movies you've done?"

   "You mean the weird stuff?" Evan replied, smiling.  "The things that
aren't 'normal' for girls my age?  Keri, can you even define normal?"

   "That's not what I meant," Keri frowned at her as they walked along. 
She looked away, then at Evan again.  "Look, I don't know much about you,
okay?  But the typical family life the media tells us about..."

   "Isn't very typical," Evan cut in.  "At least not in my house.  My
parents own a theater, they've been active in the movie business a long
time.  I have been too, ever since I was a kid.  My parents know about all
the weird things that go on behind the scenes.  They're into a lot of them.
They're different from most parents.  They don't encourage decadence, but
they're honest about it.  They say as long as I'm aware of the consequences
and remain ready for them, know when to look for help when I need it, I can
do whatever I want."

   "Unusual parents," said Keri.  I wish mine were like that, she added to
herself.  "So they're letting you do the lovescenes you got coming up in
that, what was it, 'Pretty Persuasion'?"

   Evan laughed.  "Those aren't my first lovescenes." She shook her head.
"And don't worry, I'm not insane like Erika.  I'll never actually have sex
on screen like she did."



   "Right," Keri laughed.  She was still shaking her head about that too.
"So what was your first lovescene, Evan?"

   "Down in the Valley," the young girl answered, smiling fondly.  "I did a
lot of kissing in my show and on Thirteen, but nothing else was ever
actually shown.  The sex was left to the viewers' imagination.  This movie,
though- well, it's the same thing, only a little closer.  Makes the fact
that sex happened between the characters a little more obvious."

   Keri frowned.  "I haven't heard of this movie."

   "It won't be out for a while," Evan dropped her hand and sighed.  She
stopped walking as they reached the dressing rooms, looking around as she
talked.  "The director wanted to wait till I was eighteen to release it,
and then put it out in Europe first, just so there'd be less chance of
people saying the wrong things about me being in there.  When we were
making it, there was a lot of flack about them possibly using older
actresses.  Some auditioned, but the director preferred me.  My co-star did
too.  The movie's about a delusional cowboy in a relationship with a much
younger woman.  Edward Norton's playing the guy."

   "Norton," Keri smiled, thinking back to the few times she'd met the
actor.  "He's good."

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "Real nice.  We got real close during filming.  I
almost wanted him to be my first, but then he turned me down, saying he was
too old for me.  Thinking back, I have to agree.  He's cute and nice, but
he is old.  He's a good man, though, a real gentleman.  So was the
director. They helped me out with the scenes, using shadows and moleskin.
It was fun, but just too unlike the real thing.  You can probably say the
same about most lovescenes, I guess."

   "Yeah," Keri nodded, thinking about the few she'd done.  Definitely not
like the real thing.  Sex, like life, was often better left unscripted. 
"Is the film any good?"

   "Not really," Evan sighed, running a hand through her hair.  "It's
better than another perverted cowboy movie I heard Ang Lee's making,
though. The emotions are nice." She looked back and forth at the dressing
rooms.  "Which one's yours?"

   "This one," Keri caught herself, pointing at a door and remembering
their surroundings.  Thank goodness I cleaned up in there earlier, she
thought.  Wait, she told herself, then looked back at Evan.  The other girl
was still looking contemplative, her young cherubic features wearing an
expression of hope and shame.  Her long blonde hair hung loose over her
shoulders, the flourescent light overhead catching and accenting it.  Evan
was still dressed in the blue T-shirt and jeans she'd worn all throughout
the day, though the lavender cardigan was absent.  It had been discarded
earlier when Evan said the sitting room was too warm.  She was sweating now
too, Keri suddenly realized, looking her over.  She found herself frowning
at the flush on the young girl's skin, the patient look on her face.  And
those eyes.  It was like they were seeing right into Keri, pulling out each
of the thoughts in her mind and evaluating it, then setting it aside.  What
could she be thinking?

   Concentrate on the now, Keri reminded herself.  Keep the past in mind,
and the future, but mainly the present.  Concentrate on the now.



   Opening the door, Keri stepped into her room, Evan following.  The young
girl shut the door and, after a gesture from Keri, turned the deadbolts. 
Keri sat down on the couch and motioned to Evan to sit beside her.  The
young girl did so, then gave Keri a smile.  My goodness, Keri thought,
there's that look again.  No, stop it.  That was just a fantasy, it can't
happen.  Concentrate on the now.

   "Why do you do those scenes?" she asked Evan, thinking over the
conversation.  "Usually actresses wait till their twenties or thirties to
get into that stuff."

   "What are you talking about?" Evan asked.  "You did lovescenes with an
older man in your first big TV movie.  You weren't much older than me back
then."

   Right, Keri thought, but I still went through a lot of angst over it. 
Just like now.  "But people say things.  Aren't you..."

   "There's the things they say and the things they don't say," Evan
sighed. Her expression turned wistful as she started counting on her
fingers.  "The young girl's a slut, but the man isn't.  Young actresses
need to do these scenes for their careers, but actors don't.  Never mind
all the movies out there where actors do similar stuff."

   Keri nodded.  Thinking hard, she could remember seeing a few.  She'd had
thoughts like this herself many times.  She never could put them into
words, though.

   "The woman has pain but the man doesn't," Evan continued, her hands
aflutter.  "Or vice versa.  The sex is there, but is it really necessary to
the story?  How much of it is really necessary?  Could they have shown
less? Could they have shown more?  Did I make the decision to do the role
or was I forced into it?  For the record, I don't think I was with these
roles, but it doesn't really matter.  People are going to think what they
think.  You know what I think, though?  I think I'm mature enough to make
my own decisions.  My parents do too- they supported me when I took the
roles." Her expression changed again as she turned back to Keri.  "And you
know what else?  I'm not doing these role for career or for publicity.  The
main reason is practice."

   Keri gasped, wondering how many people would think of such a thing. 
"You're a virgin," she said, staring at Evan.  "You don't really know what
it's like being with guys."

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "Most people can only think, read, imagine, and
improvise.  As an actress, I have some other things I can use to my
advantage."

   "I see," Keri mused, looking back at her.  "Wow."

   Evan paused for an instant, then smiled again, looking directly at Keri.
"I'm not a complete virgin though."

   Keri felt her mouth fall open.  Her eyes locked on Evan's, which flashed
with another strange look.  What the heck?  Keri thought.  Not a complete
virgin?  "What do you mean, Evan?"

   "I haven't gone all the way with a guy yet," Evan explained, her eyes
shining as she stared back at Keri.  "I've just come close a thousand
times, thought about it." She smiled.  "But, girls, now that's different."

   Keri felt her eyes widening.  Evan was totally blowing away her
assumptions.  "What?"

   Evan paused, then began speaking rapidly.  "I get deep into my
characters.  That's what you're supposed to do in acting, right?  Let
yourself go.  You become the character, and the character you.  People
forget, though, that life is different from acting.  In acting, there's
always a script, always things you have to remember.  Life, though, has no
script.  You never know what will happen next.  You can imagine, but you
never really know.  Acting also has props, things to help you imagine what
it might be like to do something like cut yourself, or take drugs.  Even if
you're opposed to such things in real life, or you've never wanted to do
them, using the props, reading the scripts, taking direction- they all make
it easier to change yourself into someone who could do such things."

   "Go on," Keri said.  She found the discussion fascinating.

   "Emotions, though," Evan continued, still talking fast, "they're
different.  You can't fake them, not if you want to do them right.  You
have to be able to shut yourself off, embrace the role, feel what the
character would feel.  Then you have to stop acting, change back into
yourself.  Some actresses forget that, let themselves get too changed, too
into character.  Sometimes that's good, but most of the time it's not.  You
agree?"

   "Yeah," Keri nodded.  Thoughts were flashing into her mind, many
Hollywood stories suddenly making more sense to her now.  But Evan didn't
give her time to contemplate them.  Instead she kept talking.

   "The people you play on screen are so different from the person you
are," the young girl said.  "You play your roles for brief hours and
yourself for the rest of your life.  Your true self is fully you, but each
of your characters is only one side, one set of emotions.  Playing such
characters can teach you a lot about limits, a lot about yourself and
others.  But there are some things you can't learn from scripts."

   "Right," Keri agreed.  Like sex, she thought, remembering her own
experiences.  Unless, maybe in porno movies, and even then...

   "You can be hesitant at first," Evan went on, her hands waving.  "Then
you get more confident as the scripts get more complicated.  You challenge
yourself.  That's the way it happened with me.  I threw myself into acting,
did all I could.  I started with small parts- extras, cameos.  Then, before
I knew it, I was up for Claudia."

   Right, Keri remembered, realizing a comment Alicia had made earlier to
her made sense now.  "Interview with the Vampire?"

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "Good book, good role.  I could do the part, but
Kirsten Dunst got it." She frowned, then shrugged.  "She did good, though,
so I'm not that mad.  She used her experience and was a great inspiration.
The script, though, that was the real star.  It usually is." She paused,
sighing.  "People forget that, you know.  The writer of the movie is the
one who has to have the vision.  Put it down, create it.  All we do is act
it out."

   Keri nodded at each point.  True, she thought.  So true.  And there are
so many good visions...  Shaking her head, she turned to the mini-fridge
next to the couch and took out a bottle of water.  "Here," she handed it to
Evan.  "You might need this." Evan nodded in thanks, took the bottle,
opened it, and drank deeply, smiling.  Keri smiled too, deciding to draw
her back to the main subject.  She took out a bottle of water for herself,
opened it, and drank.  "You were talking about getting with girls," she
prompted Evan.

   "Yeah," Evan said, taking another drink.  She thought for a moment, then
smiled, words coming back to her.  "So many of us just play our roles.  We
step into the vision, but we don't embrace it.  We try to ignore its effect
on us, or deny it.  Meanwhile we each live out thousands of different
visions, again and again.  As Erika might put it, each of them becomes a
spirit in our mind."

   Keri blinked.  "Excuse me?"

   "Sorry," said Evan.  "Erika and I had an intriguing discussion while you
were talking to Alicia.  Erika was telling me she hopes you can introduce
her to Mel Gibson.  I'd forgotten you and Mel did a movie together."

   "We did," Keri replied, remembering.  "Erika and I were talking about
this earlier.  She told me she wants to be in Mel's Passion of the Christ."

   Evan nodded.  "She told me that too.  She wants to play Legion."

   Keri stared at Evan.  "The Gadarene demon?"

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "I asked Erika why that role, and she started
telling me about her religion.  They believe in something called
Body-Thetans, spirits in a person's mind that one must either reconcile
with or cast out.  Erika's theory is that the real Legion was someone who
was having particular trouble with their Body-Thetans, and Jesus was there
to help him."

   "I suppose I can see why Erika would be interested in doing such a
thing," Keri mused, thinking back to their earlier conversation on
religious tolerance.  She shook her head.  "I'm not sure if Mel would want
to put anything like that in the Passion though.  It's going to be
controversial enough as it is."

   Evan's eyes widened.  "You've seen the script?"

   Keri grimaced.  "Just rough drafts.  Mel was starting to work on it when
we did our film and once we got to be friends, he showed me his ideas.  It
was a little..." She paused, then shook her head again.  "I don't like
everything about the film, but I do plan on seeing it.  It should be
interesting."

   "I think so too," Evan smiled.  "The discussion really got interesting
as we went on.  Erika was going on and on to me about how every person is
sometimes named Legion.  We all have voices in our heads, and for some they
speak louder than for others.  Actors especially, and writers, directors,
artists, scientists, scholars- every kind of visionary there is."

   Keri rolled her eyes.  "That sounds like something a Scientologist would
say."

   Evan bobbed her head in agreement.  "Right.  And Erika's not your
typical Scientologist, of course, but..." She paused.  "We have to work
with her, I guess."

   "Right," Keri agreed, glad her frown was mirroring Evan's.  "I think we
might be able to," she said after pausing to take another sip of water.  "I
was apprehensive about her at first, but now I think we can get along.  The
differences don't matter." Keri felt a momentary disturbance at her words,
then smiled, realizing their truth.

   "Yeah," Evan nodded.  "And some of the things Erika says make you think.
This discussion especially.  It brought to mind some things I've wondered
about before." The young girl's voice got lower and her hands stopped
moving.  "How do you live your life living out other people's visions?" she
asked Keri.  "How do they change your own, especially when people write
things for your characters for which you yourself aren't sure you're ready
yet?"

   Keri pondered the questions for a moment.  "Are you saying your roles
have had you dealing with issues you never really thought about before?"

   Evan smiled.  "Exactly.  If I wanted to do the roles, I had to think
fast.  At first, I was just playing them, trusting the directors and my
fellow actors, the crew, my parents, myself.  Then as I got older, I
started thinking deeper.  It was hard not to.  Did I really want to do
these things, keep doing them?  It often got to the point where I wondered
if I was really living my life."



   "If someone wasn't writing it for you," Keri surmised.

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "That's why I started taking charge of my life.  I
asked my parents to take me out of school so people would know less of the
truth about me.  They could talk all they wanted, I thought.  Sooner or
later they'd lose interest.  Meanwhile I could move on, live my real life.
And the events of that life became very important to me.  That's why I'm
waiting to get with a guy.  I have to find the right one.  I don't want to
get hurt.  So many times I've seen or read about it happening.  You know
what I mean, right?"

   Keri shook her head, still confused.  "But girls, that's different for
you?"



   "In some ways, it's the same," Evan shrugged.  "In others, though, yeah,
it's different.  Society teaches us we're not supposed to like members of
our own gender that way, meanwhile some of us do.  History so often denies
it, shoves it under the rug.  But still people talk, and some of them have
ideas.  Some people have actresses act out those ideas.  But how do we know
when we're doing it right?"

   She paused and took a drink.  "We have to do it right, you know. 
Otherwise the people who really have gone through what we're acting out
will resent us.  When I did my show, I was thinking about that a lot.  I
was twelve, and Jessie was going through so much I'd never gone through. 
Divorce, an extended family, anorexia..."

   Keri broke in.  "And I'm guessing kissing other girls."

   Evan nodded.  "I wanted to get things right, it was important to me. 
The show's writers kept doing things radically, taking them to a realistic
extreme.  It was unusual for a TV show to do that, still is.  It scared me
and excited me all at once, then again and again." She smiled.  "Eventually
I got used to it.  When they had me kissing a girl, though, I got really
scared.  I had thought about that, but never done it.  Never even really
considered it.  And then suddenly here I am kissing Mischa Barton, one of
my good friends, right in front of the world."

   "Yeah." Keri felt herself shaking at Evan's words.  It had been hard
enough for her and Ilana to embrace and kiss in private, she thought, same
for her and Tony and all the others.  If someone else were writing their
lives, though, making them act out their feelings in public, she could
easily see how it could have been worse.  So many times it had been, in
scripts and in life.

   "And she's a friend," Evan went on, "but we're not that close.  Not
really.  There's so much we're still learning, so much we're keeping to
ourselves.  We were both interested in the scene, but we weren't ready for
its effect on us.  We were scared when we read the script, scared yet
curious.  Then when we did the first rehearsal, we liked it so much,
and..."

   "You got together," Keri completed, guessing where she was heading.

   "Yeah," Evan said.  She smiled for an instant, then took a drink and
started talking again.  "We talked about it afterwards and we decided we
had to.  Mischa was more ready to deal with things than I was.  She came
from a family a lot like mine, and she'd been in a couple movies that dealt
with sex and its effect on society before being on the show.  You may have
seen them.  Lawn Dogs?  Lost & Delirious?"

   Keri paused, thinking for a moment.  Foreign films, she thought. 
British and Canadian.  I've seen them.  It's just been a long time. 
"Didn't the first one deal with a relationship where everyone thought there
was sex.  but there really wasn't, and then it happened?" she asked.  "And
the second one there was sex, but people thought there shouldn't be, so the
couple broke up?"

   "Basically," Evan replied.  "Lost & Delirious was about lesbians, so it
was particularly relevant to our situation.  Mischa also did another film
called Skipped Parts.  It was about teenagers having sex for the first time
and all its effects on them.  Jennifer Jason Leigh was with her in that
one."

   Keri nodded, recognizing the name.  "Good actress."

   "Yeah," Evan agreed, sipping at her water.  "Anyway, when Mischa did
that movie, she wanted to get things right too.  She was tired of just
doing parts that were written for her.  She wanted to actually have the
real experiences, not just act them out.  So she went out and had sex with
a guy, then came back and did the movie.  She was still doing the script,
but she was into it now.  The emotions were more settled."

   Keri nodded again.  She could see how such a thing might happen.  Back
on Malibu Shores with Tony, something similar had happened to her.

   "So anyway," Evan summed up, "we wanted to get things right, so we
actually did the relationship our characters were having between ourselves.
We were upset about it at first, afraid, but then we decided to make the
best of things.  We thought maybe there'd be some value in the experience.
There had to be, right?  Real people go through it."

   "Yeah," Keri agreed, thinking about how many film audiences and critics
forgot such a thing.  Or worse, tried to deny it when they saw the
evidence. Pass it off as a phase, or just a movie, not something that could
be real.

   "We had to get things right for those people," Evan said, "and for us
too." She smiled.  "So we decided what the hey, let's do it, see what it's
like.  And we did it.  I wasn't Mischa's first, but she was mine, and it
was great.  I liked it, kept wanting to do it again.  Can you see what I'm
saying here?"

   Keri thought about it for a second, then nodded.  She wondered how often
Evan told such a story, how much it had been for the young girl's benefit
as much as hers.  "I think I can understand what you're saying," she said.
"I went through something a little different myself.  Acting was hard for
me in the beginning, still is.  There's lots of tension, and I found having
sex was the best way to relieve it.  First I just masturbated, then I got
with Ilana..."

   "You mean Ilana Miller?" Evan interrupted.  Keri nodded, marveling again
at how precocious the young girl was.  Evan smiled.  "I watched you and her
dancing on MMC when I was a kid.  She's pretty good, and hot.  I thought
she had a bright future."

   Keri beamed, thinking about the life Ilana had now.  Still good, even
though it was outside the spotlight.  Sometimes Keri wished she could live
a similar life.  "We all have bright futures," she sighed.  Seeing Evan's
expression, she resumed talking.  "After her, there was Tony, and then
others.  I liked what I was doing, so I kept doing it.  That's how it was
for you too, right?"

   "Yeah, kind of like that," Evan grinned.  "I know all about tension.  I
agree, sex is good relief.  Mischa thought so, and Nikki did, too, when I
did it with her."

   "Nikki?" Keri asked, then remembered.  "Nikki Reed." She pointed at
Evan. "Your co-star on Thirteen.  You and her...  your closeness wasn't
just acting."

   "Nope," Evan laughed.  "I felt a lot of tension doing that film, Keri,
more than I ever did on Once & Again.  I've never been the slightest bit
inclined to really do anything like what Tracy did to herself and her
family.  Most people aren't, thankfully.  But they do exist.  If we deny
them, forget them..." She paused, then gulped, dropping her arms.  "Doing
it was something I had to do, but it was hard.  I needed a friend to talk
with, and maybe because of what I had gone through with Mischa earlier,
that wasn't enough." The young girl sighed, then smiled again. 
"Fortunately Nikki was very understanding."

   Keri returned her smile and nodded.  This girl was so different from
her, but now she was finding out they were so much alike.  Wow.

   "So," Evan finished, "now you're doing it with Alicia, right?"

   Keri stared at her.  "How did you..."

   "I'm not blind, okay?" Evan cut her off.  "I told you, I observe
emotions.  I wasn't completely sure, I made some guesses.  Before, you and
Alicia were talking civilly but with hostility under the surface.  Friends,
but not really friends, you know?  And then you left the room, then she
did, then you came back alone, then you came back with her.  The way you
looked and talked together each time, you seemed closer, happier.  People
don't get that close that quickly unless they've really connected, and
there's no better way to connect instantly than having sex.  Before now, I
wasn't sure I believed the possibility.  I didn't think Alicia really was
into girls.  I thought she said she wasn't."

   "She's unsure," Keri said, smiling.  "I was her first."

   Evan smiled back, taking another sip of water.  Keri stared at her,
still surprised by her confession.  She was even more shocked when Evan
lowered the bottle, then shrugged.  "Okay, maybe she needs reinforcement
then.  I know I did.  It's hard to get that in this business a lot of the
time.  We play so many different roles."

   "Yeah," Keri agreed, thinking deeper.  "And people can hear about us,
read about us, meet us a few times, but they can never really know us.  Nor
can we know them." She thought back on all the projects she'd done, all the
stages of her life, how little she'd seen her friends in each stage after
that stage was over.  "We move on so much too, don't see people anymore."

   "Exactly," said Evan.  She put down her empty bottle.  "It's hard to
latch on to one person in this world, especially in lives like ours. 
Mischa and I were pretty exclusive back on our show, but since it ended
we've moved on.  She has another show now, and I have my own career.  I
developed other relationships.  I got with Nikki, and other girls, and..."
She stopped, then started talking again, her hands waving.  "We still get
together now and then, but a lot of the time we can't really connect.  It's
hard.  Busy schedules."

   "And you have to be careful," said Keri.  "There are dangers.  If the
truth gets out..."

   "Exactly," Evan cut in.  "You can plan all you want, think carefully
about what you're going to say, but in the end you're improvising, acting
on instinct.  You can't predict everything." She took a breath, then gave
Keri a deep smile.

   Keri shook her head.  She couldn't believe so many deep statements were
coming from a girl so young, a girl she hadn't known before today.  Yet
here they were.  "Why are you talking to me like this?" she asked Evan,
thinking about the wonder of it.

   The young girl shrugged.  "I want to get close to you, become friends.
It will help our characters bond for the movie, and teach me more about
people.  You too.  We'll both become better actresses.  And," she smiled at
Keri, "if you want to get together sometime, we can also do that."

   Keri stared at Evan.  She had fantasized about this, thought about it,
but the reality...  once again, it was different.

   Evan smiled as she stared back.  "You thought I was just a little girl,
right?  Just playing my characters."

   "Yeah," Keri said, laughing inside now.  "I guess I did."

   "So often people do that," Evan grinned at her, gesturing.  "They think
someone is how they picture them, and they refuse to accept the reality. 
They assume age and maturity are the same thing.  They're wrong, you know,
especially about us.  We're celebrities.  We have to be some of the most
mature people in the world.  If we're not, it's more than our own lives
we're risking.  That's what my mom says." She dropped the finger she'd been
using to emphasize her words.

   Keri put down her empty bottle.  Thoughts were raging in her mind.  No!
she screamed, then stopped herself.  Her curiosity had to be satisfied. 
"Do you really want to do this?" she said.  "Is it just because you want
tension release, or...?"

   Evan shook her head.  "No.  I like doing it, and I think I like you too.
I've fantasized about you before, watching Felicity and your movies." She
paused, then smiled.  "And sitting in that room, when we were next to each
other." The young blonde blushed.

   Keri felt her heart shake inside her.  The lust in Evan's eyes, the
emotion in her words and expression.  She had anticipated this, but nothing
so overwhelming.  "So you want to do it now?"

   Evan shrugged.  "Why not?  We have time.  Nothing's expected of us today
but to get close to each other.  We'll be doing that, right?"

   "Yeah," Keri laughed.  I'm not sure Mike intended for us to get this
close, she thought with a smile, but I guess the joke's on him!  She put
one hand in the palm of the other, reminding herself of her fears.  "We
have to be careful.  We can't tell anyone."

   "Of course not," Evan agreed.  "I'm safe.  Are you safe?"

   "I'm safe," Keri smiled at the question.  "We still have to be careful,
though.  This room isn't completely soundproofed."

   Evan shrugged again, smiling wider.  Her tone got serious.  "Then we'll
have to control ourselves.  No one will enter without knocking, right?"

   Keri nodded and stood up, her fresh face breaking into a happy look.  "I
guess not," she said.  Yes, she thought.  Oh yes!  Two down!  Then she
remembered something else.  Evan was almost ten years her junior.  Oh stop,
her inner voice broke in immediately.  She's three years older than you
were when you started doing it.  This is her choice!  Besides, what about
Amanda?  You and Evan have about the same difference in age, it's just
reversed.  You can handle this.  Can I?  Keri wondered with a frown.

   She ran her hands through her hair, then turned back to Evan.  "Are you
sure about this?"

   Evan nodded, then stood up.  "Yeah," she said.  Then she stepped close
to Keri, put her hands on Keri's face, and kissed her.  The brunette
gasped, shocked by the suddenness of it, the release of all their buildup.
Evan's arms encircled her, and Keri belatedly realized that the other girl
was not only younger but taller than her.  Just like most of her lovers,
including Alicia.  Not that much taller, but there it was.  Then her
thoughts were banished as Evan leaned in and again kissed her on the lips.

   The sudden shock, the taste of her, was incredible.  There was an
innocence there, and yet the wisdom of experience.  Something very like
Keri, something of which she had sorely needed to be reminded existed in
her.  The emotion washed through her mind, and she pulled back from Evan,
meeting the young girl's eyes with her own.  She opened her mouth again to
ask Evan if she was sure about this, but then her inner voice took over. 
Why not?  the voice asked.  What is your problem?  I have none, she
decided, leaning towards Evan, reaching up, pulling her face close, and
kissing her back.

   The two girls pulled away and looked into each other's eyes after the
kiss, marveling at the wonder they each saw in the other.  Then they kissed
once more.  Lips touched lips, then started moving rapidly.  They kissed
each other's cheeks, chins, necks, and noses.  Their tongues came out and
licked each other.  Their arms squeezed tighter and pulled each other
closer.  Their hands probed their bodies, working the tension out of
muscles and nerves.  The girls' fingers ran through each other's long hair,
pulling and straightening it.  Their bodies rubbed against each other. 
Keri could feel her heart beating faster, and between her legs, the ache
again starting to increase, the wetness starting to rise.

   "The couch," she told Evan, breaking their liplock.  "Let's get on the
couch."

   Evan smiled back.  "I was hoping you'd say that." She dropped her arms
and stepped back from Keri, then kicked her shoes off and laid down on the
sofa.  Keri sat down beside her, breathing heavily.  She took off her own
shoes and socks, then turned and stared at Evan, who was opening her arms
and smiling.  Keri turned and got on top of the young girl, moving up on
her.  Their hands grasped each other's heads, pulling one towards the
other. Again their lips met, and then their mouths opened, tongues came out
and licked at each other.  Hands moved down, rubbing across shoulders and
chests.

   "I need to see you," Evan said, grabbing the bottom of Keri's shirttail.
Keri nodded and raised her arms, let Evan pull her blouse off.  The other
actress tossed it aside, then looked down and smiled, enjoying the sight of
Keri's freckles and tan lines.  She reached behind the other girl and
pulled her closer, rubbing their bodies into one another.  Then she moved
her fingers behind Keri and unsnapped her flesh-colored bra.  Keri remained
quiet, smiling at Evan as the younger girl pulled back, taking the bra off
her.

   "They're beautiful," Evan said, staring at Keri's hard brown-nippled
breasts.  Her fingers came up hesitantly, then touched them, rubbing and
caressing.  Keri enjoyed the feel of Evan's young yet knowing hands.

   Keri sighed in rapture, feeling her aureolas pulse and lengthen.  She
leaned down and kissed Evan again.  The young girl licked at her lips,
moaning as she did so.  Her hands continued to rub Keri's breasts.  Their
groins rubbed against each other as well.  Keri could feel the heat of
Evan's legs, the wetness between her legs, even through both their pants.
Her wetness was increasing too, soaking the fresh undergarments she'd put
on after what she'd done with Alicia.  Damn it, I am going to have to do
extra laundry this week, she thought.  Oh well, at least it's worth it. 
She ran her fingers through Evan's hair, rubbed her arms and shoulders,
then kissed her once more.

   "Let me," Evan said, pulling back.  Keri nodded, then lay her head down.
She watched as Evan leaned in and started planting kisses along her neck
and throat.  Yes, Keri thought.  No, wait, something's missing.  She
stopped Evan by placing her hands on the young girl's sides, squeezing at
her lower ribs and stomach.  Evan frowned, then smiled when Keri grabbed
hold of her shirt and looked at her.  She nodded and Keri pulled the shirt
up, then off over her arms and head.  The brunette looked down at the
younger blonde's chest, smooth and lanky.  Her breasts were small, but very
obvious, still developing, held tightly in black lace.

   "Just a second," Evan said, moving back from Keri and standing up.  She
unfastened her bra, threw it aside, then unbuttoned her jeans.  Keri
watched her, enjoying the exposure of the other girl's body.  Long slim
legs, firmly rounded buttocks, tight stomach, large pink nipples.  Her
muscles were firm and evident, like Keri's, built up from the efforts of
dancing and working out.

   "You have a scar," Keri said, looking at Evan's belly as she turned back
to face her.

   "Souvenir of Thirteen," Evan nodded with a grimace.  "My piercings
weren't real, but Nikki got a little carried away when we were supposed to
fake making that one.  Fortunately it helped the scene work." She looked
down at her red cotton panties, smiling at the growing wet spot evident on
their crotch panel.  "Take your pants off," she told Keri.  "I don't want
them getting in the way of this."

   The older girl nodded and sat up, then reached down to unbutton her
khakis.  She was still feeling a little overwhelmed by all this, and thus
was willing to let the younger actress take control.  Remaining on the
couch and keeping her eyes on Evan, Keri pushed her pants off her legs and
threw them aside.  Both girls stared at each other, now naked except for
their panties and Evan's socks.

   "Beautiful," Evan repeated, looking Keri over.  Still seeming a little
hesitant, but growing in confidence, she moved forward and embraced Keri,
kneeling down and pressing her back against the couch.  Keri hugged Evan
back and let Evan roll on top of her, pulling the young girl close and
rubbing her shoulders.  Their legs moved up onto the couch, clashing and
twitching against each other.  Their breasts touched as well, small globes
moving rapidly, points getting sharper and harder.  Then their groins
touched, moister now, the panties covering them soaked and tight.

   Keri pulled Evan's face and body down into hers, caressing her spine and
shoulder blades.  Evan's hands swept across her sides, then up over her
belly and onto her breasts.  Her fingers remained there, flicking and
pinching at the undersides of Keri's breasts and her nipples, touching and
rubbing them against Evan's as the two girls continued to make out.

   Keri could feel her wetness increasing, her heart beating faster along
with Evan's.  Evan's groin seemed smooth under her panties, she noticed as
she felt the lips there growing harder, pressing into her pussy lips.  The
other girl's clit was prominent too, a sharp bud thrusting and throbbing
against Keri's own.

   Evan moaned and gasped, shaking in her arms as their tongues clashed
against each other.  Keri, having already experienced several orgasms that
day, felt the familiar sensation of another rising inside her.  She bit her
lip and pushed Evan's groin away, continuing to kiss and rub against her in
the meantime.  She didn't want to come yet, she wanted the pleasure to be
prolonged, more intense.  It was hard, though, with this eager young thing
shaking against her.

   "Please," Evan gasped, running her hands down Keri's sides.  Her fingers
found the edges of Keri's panties and started sliding them down her legs.
Keri stopped rubbing Evan's back and moved her own hands down, seeking the
edges of the young girl's panties.  They were soaked now, but still in the
way, just like hers.  Evan took hold of her hands all of a sudden, sitting
up and moving back.  She sat up on Keri and took hold of her own underwear
with her hands, then pushed her panties down her legs and off them.  Just
as I thought, Keri smiled, looking at her pussy.  Shaved recently, clit
large and pointing right at me.  Her skin's more flushed now, her eyes
brighter as she stares at me.  Evan looks like she's been wanting this for
some time.

   "You don't shave," Evan said, looking down at Keri's pussy.  Belatedly
Keri realized it too was exposed.  Her panties had been pushed down by
Evan's fingers while she was distracted.  She could feel the cold air of
the room on her skin.

   "I tried it once," she said, pulling her legs up towards her and pushing
her panties all the way off.  She smiled as they hit the floor, then turned
back to Evan.  "It didn't work for me."

   "I like it," Evan said, then moved her body back down over Keri's. 
Their groins touched, their legs rubbed, and they kissed again, tongues
dueling and embracing.  One of Evan's hands moved to the older girl's
breasts, rubbing and teasing at the nipples.  The other trailed down over
her belly, then across her waist and into her snatch.  Evan's thumb and
forefinger captured Keri's clit and stroked it between them, pinching and
caressing.  Her other three fingers pressed between Keri's lower lips,
twitching back and forth, hitting the points of sensitivity.

   "AHH!" Keri gasped out, locking her left arm around Evan and pulling her
closer.  Her right arm moved down the younger girl's back, hand squeezing
at her hips and buttocks.  Then she moved her fingers around Evan's waist
and over her cunt, enjoying the rough scratchy feel of it.  Evan moaned
harder and faster as Keri's fingers entered her.  One, then two more, then
the others.  Keri grinned, feeling the deep tightness and growing moisture
of Evan.  She moved her fingers slowly, letting her pores soak up the other
girl's essence and sweat.

   "Careful," Evan said, moaning as she felt Keri's digits press into her.
Her legs moved, thigh muscles clenching and squeezing around Keri's
fingers. "Nikki broke it," she stammered, "but I'm still..." She gasped and
screamed as Keri suddenly grinned and locked her fingers together into a
fist.

   "You're going to love this," Keri told her, scratching her nails against
the other girl's clit.  Then she clenched her fist again and started
rubbing the sides of Evan's pussy with her knuckles.  Evan paused in her
caressing of Keri as the older girl enacted her sudden burst of creativity.
Evan's face was hesitant, her movements slowing, muscles locking around
Keri's hand like a vise.  Keri smiled at the added tightness, pulling her
fist in and out, rubbing it against Evan's clit, then her vulva.

   "Whoa," Evan breathed out, looking aghast at the sensations Keri was
bringing on in her.  Then she smiled, enjoying and getting used to them. 
"I'm going to have to try that with Nikki and Mischa," she moaned at Keri,
who grinned wider.

   "I've liked it ever since AJ first did it to me and Jen," she told the
young girl, rubbing harder at the points of tension.  Evan's tightness
increased as she did so, her body redder and throbbing faster now.  She
moaned again at the sensations, then grinned and resumed her caressing of
Keri's body.  The fingers of Evan's left hand rubbed Keri's breasts,
continuing to pinch and fondle the nipples.  Her right hand remained in
Keri's pussy, rubbing the labia and stimulating the clit.

   Keri moaned and continued to pump her fist back and forth inside Evan,
her other hand rubbing her neck, her back, her shoulders.  Then Keri moved
that hand around Evan's body and touched her breasts, pulling and tweaking
each of the hard long points that topped them.  She gasped in pleasure,
feeling the nipples poke into her palm.

   "AAAAAH!" Evan moaned, suddenly pulling back and moving down on Keri. 
Her soft hair tickled the other girl's face and neck.  Then her lips sucked
on one of Keri's breasts, then the other.  Back and forth, one then the
other.  Their bodies bent slightly, their hands moving softly and rapidly
over their skin.  Evan's left hand, which had been rubbing Keri's breasts,
moved up and tangled in her hair, yanking and pulling at it.  Keri gasped
and ran her fingers through Evan's hair, letting out several moans and
sighs at its feel.  Both girls kept a hand on the other's pussy, thrusting
and fingering.  Harder, then softer.  Slower, than faster.

   Suddenly Evan ceased her caresses.  She looked directly at Keri, her
expression changing.  She spoke one word.  "Stop."

   Keri paused in her movements, eyes widening.  You got me into this!  her
mind screamed.  You started this.  You can't back out now!

   Evan stared at her for an instant, then laughed and shook her head. 
"Don't stop," she corrected herself, blue eyes shining down at Keri.  Her
face was full of mirth and impishness.  "Don't stop.  Don't stop it."

   Whatever, girl, Keri grimaced.  Evan wasn't her first lover to pull a
trick like that, but still she hadn't expected it.  Her gray eyes shone in
relief as she resumed her fisting and caressing of Evan.

   The young girl meanwhile started sucking and licking at her breasts
again, fingers in Keri's hair and pussy moving harder and faster.  Keri
threw her head back and gave in to the sensations, letting her sensitivity
increase, her passion rise.  Then, letting out a deep sigh, she felt
herself tingle.  Her cunt was aching deeply all of a sudden, juices washing
out and over Evan's fingers.

   Before Keri knew it, she was exploding, shaking into Evan, her
floodgates open wide.  Evan smiled, then increased her tempo, her face full
of joy as she moved her fingers in and out of Keri's cunt.

   Then suddenly she clenched harder around Keri's fist, her body rapidly
tightening and contracting.  Keri clenched her teeth and willed her orgasm
to subside, letting out a deep breath.  It's time, she told herself, then
started moving her hand faster and harder inside Evan.  Her other arm
grabbed the young blonde and pulled her up and hard against her.  Her lips
whispered moans and urges.  It only took a few seconds, then Evan gasped
and erupted on Keri's hand.  Keri unclenched her fist and moved her fingers
around, soaking in the juices, smiling as she felt Evan twitch in her arms
and listened to her moan.  She cried out once, then once more, then
collapsed smiling against the other actress.

   Keri smiled at the feel of her.  Evan's head on her breasts, hair
tumbling to the side, soft on Keri's skin.  Boy, am I glad we did this,
Keri thought with a chuckle.  Briefly she wondered why she had thought it
could never happen before now, but she discarded that thought immediately.
No use considering it.  The moment had happened, and it was good.

   "Thank you," she said, looking at Evan.

   "No problem," the younger girl laughed, sitting up suddenly onto her
knees.  "Sorry I freaked you out a little there."

   "It's okay," Keri shook her head.  "It was fun." She let out an
additional breath, still coming down from her powerful orgasm.  She stared
at the young blonde.  "I can't believe you..."

   "I know," Evan grinned, putting a finger against her lips.  "I can't
believe you did it either.  I was hoping, but you never know how people
will react.  I wanted to get with Julia Whelan, I thought she liked me. 
But she wasn't into girls and..."

   "I'm fine with this," Keri cut her off, taking hold of Evan's hand and
smiling.  "I'm completely fine with it."

   "Me too," Evan said, then looked down at Keri's cunt.  "Can I suck you?"

   Keri frowned, letting her breath slow and heart calm.  She was
sensitive, she judged, but still aching.  If Evan wanted to...  "Okay."

   The younger girl smiled, then moved her head down, planting kisses along
Keri's belly and cleavage.  Keri relaxed and lay back, enjoying the feel of
the young girl's soft lips and blonde hair touching her skin.  Then she
moved her hands down, meeting Evan's hands on her sides.  The two girls'
fingers interlocked, rubbing and caressing at each other.  Keri smiled at
the sensations, gasping as her body began to shake again.  Then Evan jabbed
her tongue deep into Keri's core.  Keri let out a shrieking moan at the
intrusion.  Her still sensitive insides trembled with pleasure as Evan's
tongue licked deep into her vagina, then moved up and flicked at her clit.

   "Ahh!" Keri gasped out, feeling the young girl's tongue twitching and
squeezing around her most sensitive organ.  Evan's breath was flowing into
her too, loaded with heat and promise.  Her fingers rubbed Keri's thighs,
sweeping and circling.  Keri kept her fingers in pace with them, rubbing
herself to increase her pleasure.  This girl is wonderful, she thought to
herself.  Sensual, amazing, with a talent that belies her age, and not just
for acting.  Why did I dread doing this before now?  she asked herself for
the hundredth time that day.

   It didn't take long, she was still aroused and sensitive.  Evan's touch
was knowing, her lips warm and sweet.  Soon Keri was shaking again,
spasming out another orgasm.  Evan sucked at her cunt all through it, then
moved up on her, rubbing the older girl's body against her own.  "My turn,"
she said, and Keri grinned.

   "This will be good," she told Evan, rolling them both over and pushing
the young girl back into the cushions.  She kissed Evan's lips, then rubbed
and licked her way down her torso, pausing and concentrating on every spot
she felt Evan twitch.  The young blonde gasped as Keri sucked at her
breasts, then let out a wail as the brunette licked across the scar on her
belly.  Evan's hands moved with Keri's, rubbing her breasts and shoulders.
Her fingers entangled in Keri's soft hair, pulling and tugging at it.  Keri
paused and smiled just as she reached Evan's waist, enjoying the sight of
the younger girl shaking and gasping at her attention.  Then she moved her
lips down and pressed them against Evan's rough open cunt.  Her tongue
slowly came out, then moved inside.

   "Yes!" Evan wailed, her body shaking.  Keri immediately increased the
speed of her laps.  She locked her arms tight around the young girl's
thighs, licking and rubbing at her erect clitoris.  Her fingers moved too,
squeezing and probing.  Evan gasped and twitched, muscles growing tighter.
Then she closed her eyes and let herself go, sending a small amount of
juice out and into the mouth of her lover.  Keri swallowed the juice down,
then moved up on Evan and kissed her once more.  They repeated the kiss
several times, enjoying the taste of each other on their lips.  Their
tongues flicked back and forth at each other, spreading their mutual sweet
taste.

   After a few seconds, Keri stopped, feeling her heart calm once again. 
The ache between her legs was gone, her thoughts now empty of fear and
tension.  "Thank you," she again told Evan.

   "Thank you too," the younger girl smiled, cuddling close and putting her
arms around Keri.  Then she pushed her away and sat up, reaching for her
clothes.  Keri watched as she put her bra back on, then picked up and
dropped her panties, grimacing at the wet spot on them.  Then Keri saw Evan
nod, pick up her jeans, and pull another pair of panties out of the back
right pocket.  She planned ahead, Keri thought.  I need to do that.



   "I'm glad I could help you like you helped Alicia," Evan said, slipping
on the undergarment and smiling at Keri with her eyes.

   Alicia.  The other girl's name reminded Keri.  Crud, she thought.  Oh,
crud.  She reached out and put a hand on Evan's arm.  "Hey." Evan turned
back and gave her a questioning expression.  Could this work?  Keri
wondered.  Best try it.  "I need to tell you something."

   "Go ahead," Evan said, dropping her shirt.  She smiled at Keri.  "What?"

   Keri hesitated, planning her words carefully.  Just say it, she decided
finally.  "When I left the rehearsal room the first time, I came back here
and masturbated.  I had this fantasy.  Alicia was there, and you were
there, and..."

   "And Erika?" Evan guessed, smiling wider.

   Keri nodded, grimacing.  "Yeah.  Erika."

   "I'm not surprised," Evan laughed.  "I've thought about her too.  She's
amazing, isn't she?"

   Keri rolled her eyes.  "She's a little nuts, but yeah, she's cool.  I
think we could be friends." The idea still seemed ludicrous, but she had
got with Alicia and Evan, so maybe...  She returned Evan's smile.  "Do you
think she would..."

   Evan shook her head, standing up and turning away from Keri.  The
brunette frowned, pulling her legs up against her and sitting up as she
watched Evan get dressed.  First Evan put her shirt on, then her jeans,
then her sneakers.  All throughout she remained silent.  Keri guessed she
was probably thinking about all they had said and done.  Whether or not
things could go further, if she even wanted them to.  Similar thoughts ran
through Keri's mind.

   Finally Evan smiled.  Fully clothed, she turned back to face Keri.  "You
want to get all four of us together, right?  Alicia, Erika, you, and me?"

   "Yeah," Keri said.  She looked at Evan and frowned.  This was awkward,
especially with the younger girl dressed and herself still nude.  She put
her legs down.  "Have you ever done anything this big before?" she asked
Evan.

   The young blonde shook her head.  "I've thought about it, but no.  I've
just done one person at a time." Her expression was interested, though. 
"You?"

   "Not in a long time," Keri mused, thinking.  There really wasn't a time
in her life when she'd had such a relationship that was ongoing.  Yes, she
and Ilana and Tony had gotten together with a lot of other people.  She had
done the same with both Scotts, and AJ, and Tangi, and Jennifer, and all
the others.  They had shared few partners in common, though, except for
her. And eventually they had all drifted apart- it had been so long since
she'd seen any of them.  And thinking about it, she knew things back then
had not happened anywhere near as fast as things had happened today.

   "This is going to take some planning," she said, turning back to Evan.
"We have to do it carefully.  Alicia liked what she and I did, but I don't
think she's entirely sure about doing it again.  And Erika, well,..."

   "We don't even know if she's into girls," Evan said, and Keri nodded. 
Evan smiled, then sat back down beside her.  "She gave us lots of hints,
though, don't you think?  Everything she said about acting and her religion
and..." The young girl paused after saying all this, then grinned at Keri.
"I thought it was just because Erika really wanted us to like her, so we
could work well together, but now..."

   "Yeah," Keri nodded, laughing to herself.  There was definitely a
possibility.  Evan was right.

   "Things could go either way," Evan said, putting a hand on her chin and
frowning.  She pushed her hair back, then looked at Keri.  "I guess we
won't know until we try, huh?"

   "Right," Keri nodded in agreement.  The next stage of the plan was
coming to her now.  She'd gotten with Alicia, but to keep what they had
going, she would probably need help.  Evan seemed willing, and that was
good.  However, she needed another ally.  Erika could be it.  The girl was
smart and pretty.  She knew Alicia too.  Keri was still apprehensive,
though.  She'd heard so much about Erika, but she still knew so little.  So
many of her assumptions had been proven wrong.

   She looked at Evan.  "You've talked to Erika more than I have today.  Do
you think she's into girls?"

   Evan shrugged.  "She could be.  I never thought to ask her.  I never
even thought you might be into girls until I saw the way you and Alicia
were acting after you came back.  Then, well..." She smiled.  "You know
what happened next.  As for the four of us, well, until you brought it up,
I honestly wasn't thinking about it."

   Keri nodded.  "I know.  It's tempting, but..."

   Evan cut her off with a wave.  "Let's try it, okay?  If we think about
it too much, we'll find a reason for it not to happen.  That's not what we
want, right?" She moved up next to Keri, then started counting on her
fingers.  "Facts- Erika likes us, she wants to be friends.  She's kissed a
girl on screen, so maybe she's thought about them." She shrugged.  "If she
has, she's probably bi though.  Unless all her talk about guys was some
kind of cover."

   "I don't think it was," said Keri.  "If it was, I'm not sure I could be
attracted to her.  Girls like that just aren't..."

   "I know," Evan agreed.  She paused for a moment, then shrugged.  "It's
not a problem, though, whatever she's like.  I like guys and girls.  What
about you?"

   Keri grinned at her, raising an eyebrow.  "You know the answer to that!"
she laughed, cuffing Evan on the arm.  She shook her head, then looked at
the clock above the vanity table.  Oh no, she thought, realizing something.
"It's been more than an hour."

   "We're fine," Evan said, looking at the clock and shrugging.  "We'll
just get back late."

   "I guess so," Keri said.  She then stood up and began putting her
clothes back on, Evan watching as she continued talking.  "Erika told me
she's dated Michael Rosenbaum."

   "You mean the guy who plays Lex Luthor?" Evan asked with a frown.  "On
Smallville?"

   "Yeah," said Keri, fastening her bra and taking a fresh pair of panties
out of her dresser.  Without thinking, she put them on, then deposited both
her old pair and Evan's in her laundry hamper.  "He has a show on the same
network I used to, and he's done a lot of stage work, so I know him a
little.  I've also heard a lot of things about him.  He's into the club
scene, he dates a lot of Playboy models..."

   Evan snapped her fingers.  "Alicia said Erika hung out with Playboy
models too.  Erika's Swimfan scene was in a movie sex documentary done by
Playboy.  Are you thinking that...?"

   "It's possible," Keri said, slipping her shirt over her arms.  "Everyone
knows what goes on at that mansion.  Erika likes doing reckless things, so
maybe..." She pulled the shirt over her head and shrugged.  "Erika's also
dated Jesse Bradford.  He's a swinger.  That's the rumor, anyway."

   Evan stared at her.  "You're thinking Erika might be a swinger too."

   Keri nodded.  "Yeah.  I wouldn't have accepted the idea before, but now
that I've actually met her..." She shook her head.  "I can't afford to
speculate much anymore, not about things like this.  That's one thing I've
learned today." She pushed the shirt down and bent back over, reaching for
her khakis.

   "Why don't we just ask her?" said Evan.  "If she says no, then oh well.
If she says yes, then..." She smiled, leaving the rest of her words
unspoken.

   "Okay," Keri chuckled, pulling her pants up and fastening them.

   Damn, that was easy, her inner voice laughed.

   ***

   "Ah, there you are," a man's voice caught the two girls as they exited
the dressing room several minutes later.  Both had straightened their hair
and clothing, carefully erasing all the evidence of their activities that
they could.  They had remembered they were supposed to be rehearsing, and
now here was another reminder.

   "Hey, Mike," Keri smiled, turning to face the director.

   "Hey," Evan said.  "What's up?"

   "A lot of things," Mike Binder grimaced, looking back and forth at each
of them.  "I wanted to talk to all of you over an hour ago, so I came down
to the sitting room.  I found no one there.  I called Erika, and she told
me you'd all gone to lunch.  I said that was fine, just to get back to me
the minute you all returned.  Then, well..." He paused, staring at both of
them.  "Erika was the only one who showed up an hour later."

   Keri's eyes widened.  "Uh, sorry," she said.  "Evan and I went out, then
we came back here, and we got to talking." Evan's eyes were also wide with
shock.

   "It's fine," Mike assured them quickly, his voice carrying a low
chuckle. "I said I wanted you to get close to one another, didn't I?"

   "Yes," Evan nodded.  She looked at Keri.  "Yes, you did."

   "And you are, obviously," Mike laughed.  "That's good.  Better than I
expected.  I hope you'll keep that chemistry for the movie.  Take it slow.
You'll have plenty of time to fortify things.  We're not even breaking out
the cameras till next week."

   "Good," Keri said, feeling something settle inside her.  She was glad
for her new closeness with Evan and Alicia, but she knew she didn't want
their director finding out how deep it really was.  They would have to be
very careful.  Mike can help us, though, she realized.  Even if he doesn't
know.  "Have you talked to Alicia?" she asked.

   Mike frowned.  "I called all three of you.  There was no answer at
Evan's phone or yours."

   "Mine's unplugged," Keri said, belatedly realizing she had never
reconnected it after her earlier masturbation.

   "Well, plug it back in," the director ordered.  "I need to get in touch
with you." He looked at Evan, raising an eyebrow.  "I also tried your cell
phones and pagers."

   "We were busy talking," said Evan.  Keri guessed that like her pager and
cell phone, Evan's were set on vibrate.

   Mike looked away from them, scratching the back of his neck.  "Yes,
well..." he said, "pay more attention, okay?" He dropped his hand.  "In any
case, I did get through to Alicia.  She said she wanted to take the rest of
the day off, think about something.  She didn't say exactly what it was,
but I gathered it was very important."

   "She broke up with Dave," Keri supplied, improvising.  "They had an
argument.  There was a lot of yelling."

   "Oh." Mike's eyes widened.  "I see.  Good.  I never did like that boy."
He smiled.  "Oh, by the way, I also found out someone assigned a male
janitor to this area.  I'm sorry about that, it was an oversight.  He's
been transferred."

   "Thank you," Keri said, realizing she had forgotten about Ted.  Damn it,
she thought.  What else was she forgetting?

   "I gave Alicia the rest of the day off," Mike shrugged.  "She wanted it,
I was upset at first, but then she told it was important.  I can give it to
you as well, if you feel you need it.  It's late and since you've obviously
made so much progress already..."

   "Mike," Evan interrupted, and he looked at her.  Evan smiled, then asked
a question.  "You remember how back on American Gothic you somehow used to
give the whole cast a personal day or two to go outside the studio, get to
know each other on their own?  And when they came back, they had better
chemistry?"

   "Yes," the director nodded, musing.  His fingers tapped his chin.  "I
started doing that on Blankman.  Another director suggested it to me. 
Scorsese, I think it was, or Spielberg.  I had to do it a lot on Londinium
and Sex Monster.  Both times it worked well." He frowned, then looked at
them.  "I'm not sure we should do it this soon, though.  You haven't even
met Joan yet, or Kevin."

   "We can meet them later," Keri said, catching Evan's train of thought.
"Just give us the rest of today and tomorrow off.  Then we'll come back and
meet the whole cast, and things will be great.  Right, Evan?"

   "Give the same time to Alicia and Erika too," the young girl put in. 
"We'll tell them for you, and we'll get Alicia back here okay.  We
promise."

   Mike looked back and forth at each of them for a long moment.  Keri felt
her mind racing.  Would it work?  Would he really...

   "I don't know that Erika needs..." the director began.  Then he
shrugged. "Oh well, perhaps she does.  She was a little miffed to be the
only one who came back.  She was upset over her brother's plane being
delayed too, it won't be in till tomorrow.  If you think a personal day
will help you...  alright, take it.  Just be back here on Friday at ten,
all of you.  We'll have a full cast meeting in my office, discuss the
film."

   "Sounds like a plan," Keri nodded, smiling gratefully at Evan.  "Uh,
where is Erika anyway?  Do you know?"

   "She went back to her dressing room." Mike waved at a door next to the
room they had just exited.  "She said she wanted to practice on her own.  I
went to my office, made some calls.  Then I decided to come find you,
discuss all this and what to do next.  I guess now I know." He grinned.

   "We'll take care of things," Keri said, grimacing.  She did not care for
Mike much, though she knew she could still work with him.  Maybe if they
worked long enough together, things could improve.  She'd gotten along fine
with Mike's brother, who had been a director back on Felicity.  Evan also
seemed to get along fine with him, and Alicia and Erika.  They could make
things work.  If, of course, they could keep what they had begun doing
hidden from Mike.  And everyone else other than the four of them.  It would
be difficult, yet easy.  They would just have to take things one step at a
time.

   "Good," Mike said.  "See that you do." He frowned then, raising his
hand. "Listen, I'm glad you're making so much progress.  This is rather
quick, but good.  I'm almost inclined to ask what exactly it is you've been
doing together."

   "We've just been talking and rehearsing, Mike," Keri said quickly,
recalling several similar moments with JJ Abrams.  She waved a hand at
Evan, noticing her wide eyes.  "That's it."

   "Oh," Mike laughed, massaging the back of his neck again.  "Well, then,
perhaps you can help some of my other actors with their parts.  I'd love to
work with people like you more often." He grinned, gesturing with his hand.
"Good luck with Alicia and Erika.  I'll see you on Friday at ten."

   Keri nodded.  "See you." She waited till the director had walked away
and disappeared around the corner before letting out a deep sigh of relief.
"That was close."

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "Do you think he..." She paused.  "Suspects
something?"

   "Maybe," Keri frowned, clenching her teeth.  Mike did strike her as a
pretty smart guy, even if a lot of his writing wasn't too great.  He might
have guessed what was going on, maybe even...  No, she decided.  Best not
to think about it.  He can't know everything.  Until he brings it up, and
he probably won't, we best not worry.  "For now, let's not worry about it,"
she voiced her thoughts aloud.

   "Okay," Evan agreed.  "You're right.  I never worried with Mischa, or
Nikki, or anyone else- not much anyway." She frowned and looked at Keri,
then at the door to Erika's dressing room.  "You still want to talk to
Erika about this?"

   "Yes," Keri said after a moment of thought.  "Yes, I do." She walked
over to the door and knocked softly on it.  "Erika?  Are you in there?"

   "You talking to me?!" a voice called out from the other side of the
door. "You talking to me?!  Well, I'm the only one here!  Who the hell you
think you're talking to?"

   Keri stopped, looking at Evan.  "What the..."

   "Taxi Driver," Evan said, smiling.  "I do it too.  It really helped me
become Tracy and Jessie.  I'm sure it will help even more when I do Pretty
Persuasion.  Kimberly Joyce is so different from the person I really am."

   "You talking to me?" Erika's voice rang out from behind the door again.
"You talking to me?  Of course you're talking to me!"

   "Taxi Driver," Keri said, thinking back to the classic film.  She'd only
seen it a few times, didn't particularly like it.  It was too brutal, too
disturbing.  De Niro was good though.

   "Why, yes," Erika's voice came from behind the door again, a bit softer
but still audible.  "I would be Andy.  Andy Wolfmeyer.  I've just graduated
from high school and I work at a radio station.  I do not want to go to
college.  I date and sleep with an older man.  It's fun.  It's naughty.  My
mother says I can't do it, that it's wrong."

   Erika paused, then repeated her earlier statement.  "I can't do it, it's
wrong.  I know it's wrong, that's why I'm cold and distant with the man.  I
fake my orgasms.  It takes me over a year to get up the courage to tell the
man this.  I am a coward.  I do not suffer the little death.  I fake
orgasms.  I fake enjoying sex.  I fake orgasms."

   Keri raised her eyebrows at the words, looking at Evan with a disturbed
expression.  The younger girl shrugged.  Clearly she did not know what to
make of things.  Keri raised her fist and tapped on the door again, harder.
"Erika!  Erika, it's Keri and Evan!  Are you in there?!"

   There was a pause, and the words stopped.  "Hey Keri!" Erika's voice
called out after a moment of silence.  "Sorry, I was getting into
character. Come on in, the door's open."

   Rolling her eyes at Evan, Keri reached for the knob, then turned it and
entered.  Evan followed behind her looking a bit hesitant.  Keri roved her
eyes around the room, noting its similarities to hers and Alicia's.  Same
furniture, same amount of clothes, suitcases, and other stuff strewn about.
The room was cluttered, but in a way that looked organized.  Probably only
Erika knows exactly where everything is, Keri thought.  That's usually the
case with people like her.  She's nuts, once again I am seeing evidence of
that...  I...  She stopped, noticing the centerpiece of the room.

   Erika stood there, her back to them as she faced the mirror on the
vanity table.  Only her chair was between her and the other two girls. 
Erika was completely nude, her clothes discarded in a pile by the side of
the vanity table.  Her pale skin shone with the flourescent lights of the
room and its own inner radiance.

   Oh my, Keri gasped, a hand coming to her mouth as her eyes instinctively
roamed over Erika's body.  Skin white and mostly clear, figure voluptuous
with curves and muscles.  Large breasts, topped by hard pink nipples.  Legs
supple, a fertile V of blond wisps between them.  Hair hanging loose,
reddish blonde and curly.  Mouth smiling over her shoulder at them, blue
eyes slyly alight.  "Hey," Erika Christensen grinned.

   "Hi..." Keri grimaced, realizing Evan was staring too.  "Uh..."

   Evan blurted in, talking rapidly.  "You do Taxi Driver naked?"

   Erika shrugged.  "It helps me concentrate." She spun to face them,
waving her hands and smiling.  She looked down at herself, then at them,
then down at herself again.  A blush came over her.  "You want to close the
door?"

   Keri tore her eyes away from the blonde actress, looking at Evan.  The
young girl slammed the room's door quickly, flicking its deadbolts shut in
the same motion.  Keri turned her eyes back to Erika, then quickly looked
away at the wall, thoughts racing.  Erika's smart, she realized, and with
this dressing room's geography, she could have heard a lot of things,
depending on how often she's come in here today.  This dressing room is
right next to Alicia's, and on the other side is my dressing room.  Where
Evan and I just...  oh my.  She may know.  The way she greeted us just now,
she may know.

   Evan elbowed her in the side, and she turned to face the young girl. 
Evan shrugged, then jerked at her head at Erika.  Right, Keri nodded,
catching her new friend's thoughts.  We best take this as it comes.

   Letting her breath out, she turned back to face Erika.  Keri let out a
sigh of relief, seeing the blonde had picked up a gray silk kimono covered
with designs of bamboo and tigers from a rack beside the vanity table and
slipped it on over her naked body.  She was still smiling though, that
sensual knowing look in her eyes.  She turned the chair and plopped down in
it, grinning and then crossing her legs.  The hem of her robe rode up as
she did this, reminding Keri of the most famous scene from Basic Instinct.
Damn it, Keri's mind raced.  The hottest scene in that film, and Erika's
way prettier than Sharon Stone.  Younger, a better actress, not a smoker,
hopefully not as crazy.  I pray that she's not as crazy anyway.  If she
pulls some strange Scientologist trick on us...

   Erika's voice caught her attention as the other girl grabbed her knee
and pulled it up against her body, smiling at them over her clenched hands.
"Hey," she said again.  "You stood me up, you know."

   "Sorry," Evan said, stepping around Keri, moving to the couch and
sitting down.  Her voice was nervous, but growing in courage.  "We got
involved with something." She tapped the cushion beside her and Keri
nodded, hurrying over and sitting down.

   "Alicia did too," Erika grinned, shrugging and flicking a hand
nonchalantly.  "It happens.  Did Mike talk to you?"

   "Yes," Keri said, trying to keep her words short.  "Yes, he did." Better
explain everything, she thought.  "Mike put us on personal time until the
cast meeting in his office at ten on Friday.  We're supposed to do whatever
we want till then, just get to know each other."

   "Steve Soderbergh did that with the cast on Traffic," Erika smiled. 
"Bob Dolman did it too when I was on Banger Sisters.  I wasn't expecting it
here, but it's good."

   "It's a common practice," said Evan.  "We did it all the time on Once &
Again and Thirteen."

   "JJ had us do it on Felicity too," Keri said.  "Aaron Spelling is also
known for it."

   "Hey," Erika shrugged, "I'm not denying that it works." She looked back
and forth at them, eyes blinking rapidly.  "Did you want to talk to me
about something?"

   Keri and Evan paused, looking at each other.  How much did Erika know
about them?  Keri wondered.  How much had she guessed?  How much should
they really tell her?  What should they do?  Blurt out everything all at
once?  Forget it, leave the room quickly?  Take it slow, she decided,
remembering that people best learned on a gradient.  One step at a time.

   Keri took a breath, then turned back to the others.  "Um," she began,
gesturing with one hand, "this is going to sound weird." Erika raised an
eyebrow, her lips turning down a bit.

   "We've been talking about you," Evan jumped in.  "And we think you may
have been hiding things from us."

   Erika frowned, putting a hand to her breast.  "Hiding things?  You mean
with acting?"

   "Yeah," Keri replied with a grimace, hoping she and Evan were on the
same wavelength.  "Before Evan and I met you today we had preconceptions
about you.  We'd heard a lot about you, and people like you, but now we're
getting to know you, and well..."

   "I'm different, aren't I?" Erika smirked.  "That's the problem we've all
had.  You typecast me before you even met me, isn't that right?"

   "Yes," Keri nodded, shocked by the truth of the blonde's words.

   "We have," Evan said.  "We're sorry.  It's just..."

   "I know," Erika interrupted.  "The media, my religion, my roles,
everything." She rolled her eyes.  "Look, all those little details about
me, all those little facts, they're important but they're irrelevant.  I'm
someone different.  Can you understand what I'm saying?

   "Yes," Keri nodded.  They could now at least.

   "My religion's helped me a lot," Erika went on, "especially as an
actress.  I don't like the bad stuff about it, though.  If I had the
choice, I'd do away with all of it.  But I can't, it's there.  I have to be
aware of it, see things as they are.  You will never solve any problems if
you refuse to see things as they are."

   Keri and Evan both nodded.  Very true, Keri thought.  But how many
people really look at who they are, what they're doing?  I know I don't do
it that often.  Does Erika?  Evan?  Alicia?  Mike?

   "Things take a lot of work, too," Erika went on, her eyes roaming over
them.  Keri felt she was assessing them, looking deep into their souls and
smiling at what she found there.  "Especially relationships.  People have
to work up the courage to come together and then they have to talk,
connect, before they can do anything else.  There are so many barriers,
especially labels.  No one likes being labeled, especially not me.  That's
the reason for a lot of my angst, a lot of my anger.  If you think about
it, though, labels can apply to all of us equally." She paused, expression
changing as she looked at them.  "This isn't what you really came to talk
to me about, right?"

   "No," Keri shook her head.  Better get to the point, she told herself.
Remember, she may know everything already.  "It's you.  You told us about
how you like sex and..."

   "And you're wondering if I like sex with girls as well as with guys,"
Erika replied, smiling knowingly.  She pointed a V of two fingers at them.
"Because you two are that way.  Right?"

   "Uh..." Keri's mouth fell open as she realized Erika was confirming her
fears.  Evan too was looking aghast.  "How did you...?"

   Erika shrugged, then put her hands together and resumed speaking.  "I
notice things.  I've also been sitting in this room for most of the past
hour while you two were in the room next door.  I couldn't help overhearing
a lot of the things you said and did in there.  I wasn't giving it my full
attention, that's reserved for my lines, but..." She blushed again, then
smiled.  "I almost got myself off a couple times listening to what I could
hear.  I hope you don't mind."

   Evan and Keri stared at each other, their thoughts in a rush.  "Oh,"
Keri gulped, looking back at Erika.  "Well, uh, how much do you know?"

   Erika shrugged again.  "Not a lot, really.  More guesses than facts.  I
don't know everything." She looked back and forth at them.  "I did hear
part of that plan you made, though.  The one to get together with me and
Alicia."

   Keri raised her eyebrows, knowing what she had to ask next.  "And are
you interested in this plan?"

   Erika smirked, and Keri felt her heart collapse.  "Why not?" the blonde
chuckled.  "You're both hot, fun people.  This is a little faster than I
usually go, but okay." She looked back and forth at them again.  "Yes," she
said after another moment of silence, "I am occasionally into women.  Not a
lot, but it happens now and then."

   Evan beamed at her.  "So I was right, wasn't I?  About your kiss with
Busy Phillips?"

   Erika nodded, her face shining with warmth and confidence.  "That was
where it began." She gestured as she spoke.  "I had thought about women
before that.  Pondered, fantasized.  You talk about sex a lot in my
religion, we go to our ministers and get audited about things.  You have to
choose who you go to carefully, though.  A lot of people don't believe in
keeping silent.  We need a seal of confession, like the Catholics have."
Once more she smirked.

   "We can agree on that," Keri said.  "We've seen everything in the media
about how religious people don't like homosexuals." Keri frowned at the
words.  "Or bisexuals."

   "Bisexual," Erika said.  "I'm definitely in that group.  You two also,
right?"

   Keri nodded, and so did Evan.  "I haven't been all the way with a guy
yet," the young girl clarified, "but yes.  I think I'm bi."

   "Good," Erika smirked.  "Then we can understand each other." She turned
back to Keri.  "You're right, Keri, most religious people aren't too
thrilled about the strange aspects of their sexuality.  But then, that's
true for a lot of people in general." She paused, then started speaking
again.  "Strange is subjective anyway.  So are a lot of things.  When I
first started having sexual thoughts about girls, I thought they were
strange too.  That's why most of the time, I didn't really concentrate on
the thoughts I was having.  I just pushed them aside.  But then there was
that kiss."

   "Yeah, that's how it was for me," said Evan.  "I didn't really think
about my sexual orientation, I just thought I was normal.  Then a couple
writers thought I could play a different person, and well..."

   Erika smiled at her.  "One affected the other, became part of your
world. That's how it was for me.  You too, Keri?"

   Keri shook her head.  "Things just kind of happened," she said.  "I
found I liked having sex for various reasons, and so did Ilana, and Tony,
and..."

   Erika cut her off with a wave of her hand.  Again she was smirking.  "I
don't need to know who all you've been with.  I'm in the swinging lifestyle
too.  It's fun.  Things were hard for me at first, but they changed once I
found the right people."

   Keri and Evan nodded at each other.  We were right, Keri smiled.  Thank
goodness.  We were right.  "Busy?" Evan asked.

   "No," Erika frowned.  She dropped her hand.  "Busy was disturbed by our
kiss, very disturbed.  I think she was mainly going along with it because
the writers wanted us to do it.  I was doing it for the same reasons, at
first.  That, and I was curious whether I'd like it or not.  It was very
hard for me, harder than my Traffic lovescenes.  Swimfan was different, by
then I was a little more confident.  Things were more detailed."

   "Let me guess," Keri said.  "You lost your virginity late."

   "Yes," Erika confirmed, looking reverent.  "I was young, just getting
finished with Traffic.  I was alone a lot of the time growing up- acting
can help you connect with people, but you can still be alone doing it, you
know?  Acting has also exposed me to a lot of things I've never considered
doing before.  That film was the first to really do that for me, especially
with all the research I had to do for my role.  I got curious about a lot
of things I hadn't yet gotten around to doing."

   Erika paused, then spoke again.  "After doing the lovescenes and acting
my way through them, I got with my boyfriend at the time and told him I was
ready.  I needed to do it.  We did.  He wasn't very good, it was his first
time too.  Then we practiced, got better.  Eventually, though, we drifted
apart, broke up.  When I did Home Room, I didn't have a boyfriend."



   Evan smiled.  "And you had to kiss another girl."

   "Yeah," Erika laughed.  "I had never done that.  I'd thought about it,
but no one had ever asked me.  I hadn't considered..." She dropped her hand
after tucking a curl of hair behind her ear.  "I got through the scene,
then tried talking to Busy about it afterwards.  She didn't want to talk to
me.  She was just glad things were done." She sighed, then smiled once
more. "Victor did want to talk to me, though.  He'd watched the scene and
our faces while we did it.  He guessed some things.  He wanted to make sure
we were okay with our feelings about doing what we did."

   "Victor Garber?" Keri guessed, remembering that Jennifer Garner had told
her about the actor who played her father on Alias starring in Home Room as
a detective.  She also recalled Jennifer telling her about similar
conversations she'd had with Victor while working on their show.  Like the
characters they played, both Jennifer and Victor worked hard at building
relationships.

   "Yeah," Erika smiled, nodding.  "If you're going to ask, no, I'm not
sure whether he's into the lifestyle.  It's not something you just ask
someone." She frowned for an instant, then resumed speaking.  "If he is,
though, well, it would make a lot of sense."

   Yeah, Keri mused, remembering the things Jennifer had told her about
Victor and Lena Olin.  The woman was only his wife on the show, not for
real, but the friendship they had that Jennifer had told her about...  No,
best not think about that now.  "You talked to him about swinging, right?"
she asked Erika.

   "Yes," Erika replied.  "He told me some things no one else would. 
Encouraged me to explore my feelings further, be sure of them.  I resisted
at first, but then I got interested.  Victor gave me some names of people
who he thought could help.  The first was a shock to me.  Geena Davis."

   Evan smiled and snapped her fingers.  "You did that TV show with her."

   "Yes," Erika said.  "I only did a few episodes.  Geena and I got along
okay, but I never thought..." She grinned.  "Geena was an exchange student
in Sweden when she was growing up, she got into the lifestyle over there.
Then, when she was modeling, she got further into it.  I tracked her down,
told her about what I was feeling, and that Victor said she could help me.
I thought I needed someone to teach me more about being with women, and
well..." She paused, suddenly blushing again.  "Uh, you two are going to
keep this a secret?"

   "Of course we are," Keri assured her.  "Everyone has secrets."

   "I'm good at keeping secrets," Evan laughed.  "I did a movie about it."

   Erika smiled back.  "I remember that one.  It was funny." She paused,
then started talking again.  "Geena had a lot of female partners before me.
None as far apart from her in age as I was, but that didn't stop her from
being attracted to me, or vice versa.  She taught me everything she knew
about pleasing women, and also introduced me to Susan.  That led to Banger
Sisters, my next big movie."

   "Susan?" Evan frowned, confused.  Then her eyes widened.  "You mean
Susan Sarandon?  But she's so..."

   "She was Janet!" Keri cut in, remembering the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Somehow learning these new facts about Susan Sarandon didn't surprise her,
maybe because of that.

   "Yes," Erika smiled.  "Susan and Geena of course got together while they
were acting as Thelma & Louise.  Susan hides well the fact that she's into
the lifestyle, we all have to.  You two know about that, right?"

   "I'm not really into swinging," Evan held up her hand, grimacing
noticeably.  "I've just heard about it, working in our industry, and I've
thought about it, and well..." She looked at Keri, then at Erika, blushed,
then smiled.

   Keri smiled back.  She felt the same way.  "I've heard about it a lot
more than I've gotten into it too.  I'm not really a swinger, I just have a
lot of partners."

   "So do lots of people in Hollywood," Erika laughed, extending her
fingers one by one.  "Susan, Geena, Goldie, Rosey, Jesse after we got
together, Shiri, Kate..." She paused, closing her hand with a grimace. 
"I'm not going to name all the names.  I've heard far more rumors than I've
been able to confirm.  It's fun finding things out, discovering the truth
of them.  Isn't it?"

   "Yeah," Keri agreed, looking at Evan.  They both were smiling.

   Erika stared at them for a second, then smiled and pointed a V of her
fingers at them again.  "You know, I'm surprised you two are into the
lifestyle.  All I've heard about you makes me think such a thing is crazy.
Then again, the media doesn't show everything, right?"

   "No," Keri said.  "It doesn't."

   "My parents are into the lifestyle," said Evan.  "We visited this nudist
camp every summer when I was a kid, lots of things went on there, and
well..." She grinned and shrugged.  "I asked, they told me.  Sometimes I
still can't believe everything they told me."

   "I see," Keri smiled at the young girl.  A lot was making sense to her
now, the blanks filling in.  She turned back to Erika.  "Are lots of
Scientologists swingers?"

   "Some more than others," Erika frowned.  "The vast majority of us
aren't, but that's true for most people.  Every person is different."

   Keri nodded.  "Especially your people," she said before she could stop
herself.

   Erika smiled, taking no offense.  "We're still finding our way," she
said.  "All of us.  That's what I've come to believe.  Some of us are
finding the wrong way, or the really wrong way.  It helps, though, if
you're frank about yourself, up front, don't cop out or hold back.  That's
what a lot of us know and believe, that we really can change the world,
mold who we are.  It's what scares so many people about us."

   Keri was quiet for a second, taking in her words.  "That's..."

   "Radical?  Different?  Totally crazy?" Erika smirked.  "I think so.  The
funny thing is, believing in it works.  For me anyway.  You know how it is
in acting.  You do so many roles, but over time they all blend together. 
They all feel so similar, so fake.  I hate feeling fake more than anything
in the world."

   "Your Banger Sisters speech," Evan said.  Keri smiled, also recognizing
the words.

   "Yes," Erika said, grinning as she continued.  "Everyone has such high
expectations for you, a role they want you to play.  The media helps them
do it with all of us.  You wouldn't believe the ideas some people get about
you.  People plan everything for you, with high expectations, but what if
it has nothing to do with you?  You lose track of yourself, and that sucks.
We're in the world, and there's so much out there.  So many new things,
too. I have little idea about a lot of them.  Sometimes I'm scared to
death, sometimes I'm excited.  I know this, though- whatever you do, you've
got to do it true.  I'd rather fail doing my own thing than do what someone
else wants me to do and succeed at it."

   "Amen," Keri said.  Evan nodded.

   "That's why I don't do things in a regimented way," Erika said.  "That's
why I get random, reckless.  It keeps me alone, but at the same time it
keeps me happy.  Lots of people don't agree with me on this, but I do it.
It's my thing.  You've got to dare to do your thing.  You've also got to
dare to make friends and to keep them, no matter what you fear they might
think of you, no matter how different from you they are.  If they're true
friends, they will accept you.  No matter what."

   "Yeah," Keri said, smiling at Evan.  The young girl nodded again,
smiling back.

   "It's the same way for you two, right?" Erika asked.  "We all do our own
thing.  All of us, all in different ways." She fingered the fabric of her
kimono, smiling.  "We all live in the gray.  Everyone forms different
perceptions of life and each other.  Meanwhile, deep down, we're all the
same.  We all have similar hopes, fears, things we have to settle.  Until
we realize that, we can never really know the truth about people, or
ourselves."

   "Yeah," Keri nodded.  That's very true, she thought.

   "And even then we don't fully know ourselves," Evan added, breaking her
silence.  "Some of us are still learning."

   "We all are," said Erika.  "Movies help, especially the ones where you
do things you've never thought about doing, try to explore the different
ways people see you.  Like Tom in Eyes Wide Shut, de Niro in Taxi Driver,
or Mel Gibson in Man Without a Face." She smiled at them.  "Can you think
about a movie or a show where you've done that?  Explored how your life
might have been different?"

   Keri paused for a second, then smiled.  "Every one of them."

   "Every one of mine too," Evan agreed.

   "And mine," Erika nodded, then fell silent.  Keri stared at her for a
long moment, wondering if she should get up and leave.  No, she reminded
herself.  I like this girl.  I came here for a reason.  Erika seemed to
sense this because she paused and shrugged.  "Look," she said, "this is a
little too much for me right now, okay?  I don't want to talk about it. 
Let's get back to what we were talking about before.  The two of you wanted
to do it with me."

   "Yes," Keri said, pushing away all they'd just thought about and
remembering her fantasies.  She looked at Evan, who was nodding gratefully,
then at Erika, smiling.  Could they really put aside their differences? 
she wondered.  Embrace each other, no holding back?  Could her fantasies
really come true?  So many had already, but...

   I have to try this, she decided.  I have to try new things, find out
whether they can happen.  That's what living life is about.  And friendship
too, now that I think about it.  Finding common ground, embracing and
settling the issues that divide you.  Everything else is just details in
the same big game.

   "Do you want to do it with us?" Evan asked Erika, her voice full of
fearful anticipation.

   The other blonde smiled.  "I've fantasized about it, I won't lie.  I'm
just not sure, though.  That's one thing that's different between me and a
lot of people in the lifestyle.  I think carefully about who I get with.  I
try to get to know them first, make sure we're compatible.  I think it's
better in the end that way."

   "It is," Keri said.  "Sometimes things don't work out.  It helps to be
ready." Evan nodded in agreement.

   "Very true," Erika replied.  She folded her hands together and frowned.
"I tried getting Scarlett Johansson into the lifestyle while we were making
our MTV film The Perfect Score.  She wasn't into it, though.  I got that
from her when we talked, and later after I thought about things.  She's
more of a one person at a time kind of girl, not really polyamorous." Her
expression changed to a smile.  "She was fun, though.  She did still want
me."

   "You got with Scarlett Johansson?" Evan asked, eyes wide.  "How was she?
My brothers are big fans of hers, me too."

   "She was great," Erika grinned, bemused.  "Almost too great.  I pursued
her, I did her once, then I knew I had to stop.  We just weren't
compatible, it wouldn't have worked.  That, and she cried out the name
Jared during one of her orgasms.  I thought it was unconscious, but I
couldn't be sure.  I didn't want to think about what might happen if it
wasn't."

   Keri grimaced, thinking that the other actress was recalling her most
well-known character.  "That won't happen with us," she assured Erika.

   "Good," Erika said.  "I would hope not." She looked at Evan for
confirmation.

   "Don't worry," the young girl said.  "Mischa and Nikki have both moved
on from me, they're seeing other people now.  They know they can come back
to me, though, whenever they like.  I'm sure it will be the same for you."
She looked at Keri.  "It already is for you.  You know that, right?"

   "Thanks," Keri smiled, realizing she too could say the same about most
of her lovers.  It was good that she could say it again.

   "Then there was Lauren," Erika's voice broke into her thoughts.

   "What?" Keri raised her eyebrow.  "You and Lauren..."

   Erika sighed and looked at the floor.  "Actually, no.  I got attracted
to her, made a move...  next thing I know, she's accusing me of religious
harassment.  I try and correct her that it's sex I want- not my fault she
mistook the object of the sale- but of course that's even worse to her. 
Thankfully Mike talked her out of getting too angry, but she still quit the
film.  That's why you're here now."

   "And why Mike is so worried about us getting along with each other,"
Keri realized.

   "And why you were embarassed when I brought up lesbians earlier," Evan
put in.

   "Right and right," Erika said.  "And of course I promised Mike there'd
be no more hanky panky.  But I've gotten around nosy worrywart directors
before.  On both my last two movies with multiple co-stars as a matter of
fact.  So if you two are really interested..." She raised her hands at
their frowns.  "Don't worry, the negative reputation of my religion is
greatly exgaggerated, and as you should know by now, I'm not really that
fanatical about it.  We won't do anything you don't want to do."

   Will I have to hold her to that?  Keri wondered.  Won't know until I
find out, was her next thought.  And I don't want to pass up this
opportunity.  Of course things can still go wrong even if I take it...  She
pushed such thoughts aside.  Given all that had happened today, she was
already in much too deep.  Might as well go all the way, she decided, hope
for the best, and take things as they come- no pun intended.

   "I'm game even if you're not," Evan said, making her decision all the
easier.

   "Oh, I'm game," Keri said, eyeing Erika again and recalling what she
looked like naked.  "I'm definitely game." She hoped the slight bit of
reluctance she still felt was not evident in her voice.

   "Then enough dancing around already," Erika laughed, uncrossing her legs
and standing up.  "Let's go on and do it."

   Keri frowned, looking at the other two girls.  Her earlier encounters of
the day had happened in similar surroundings, but this would be more
involved.  It might also be more noticeable.  She raised her eyebrows. 
"Here?  Now?" Evan's face showed she was pondering the same questions.

   Erika shrugged and made a gesture.  "You want to go to my hotel room
instead?  We can, but someone might follow us.  I've already been spotted
by a few paparazzi here, and had them trail me.  I like swinging, but I
don't want too many people finding out I'm into it, you know?  At least
here we're in a controlled environment.  Security's in the building.  We
all know what's here."

   "What if Mike comes by again?" Evan asked her, frowning.  "Or someone
else?"

   "We'll take precautions," Erika said.  Her smile and upraised finger
showed she had some ideas.  The blonde turned and grabbed two other kimonos
off the rack next to her dressing table.  One was red with cranes and
lilies, the other purple with white cherry blossoms.  "If someone comes
knocking at the door, we'll stop, compose ourselves, put these on, then
answer it.  If the phone rings, we'll do the same.  If anyone asks what we
were doing, well, you already know about me and Taxi Driver."

   "Yeah," Keri smiled, standing up.  It actually sounded like a good plan.
It was turning her on.  She reached out and took the red kimono.

   "Okay," Erika said, eyes flicking over the brunette's body.  She then
turned to Evan and extended the purple kimono towards her.  "Are you ready
for this?"

   Evan paused for an instant, staring at her.  Then she stood up, nodded,
took the kimono from the other blonde, and tossed it onto the couch.  "I'm
ready."

   "Good," Erika smiled, hands moving to her own kimono's sash.  Keri felt
blood rushing to her head as the blonde undid the sash, then pushed her
robe back and off her shoulders.  Keri took in a deep breath, again viewing
that perfect expanse of naked flesh.  Erika smiled, putting her hand on her
hip.  She then waved at them, prompting.  Keri looked at Evan and smiled,
glad the younger girl was smiling back.  She dropped the kimono in her
hands, then reached for her belt.

   "Wait a second," Evan's voice caught her attention.  "I haven't done it
with more than one person before now.  I've heard about it, thought about
it, but..." She blushed, running a hand through her hair and looking back
and forth at them.  "Can we go slowly with this?" she asked, her hand
coming down and grabbing her opposite arm.

   Erika smiled, stepping towards the younger girl and reaching up, taking
her face in her hands.  "Of course we can," she said.  "Whatever you want."
She leaned in and widened her grin, then kissed Evan.  The young girl
gasped into her mouth, breathing deeply of Erika's scent and essence.  Her
hands came up as Erika's arms went around her, moving straight for the
other blonde's naked breasts.

   "Wait!" Erika commanded, pulling back from Evan just before the young
girl could touch her.  "Just a minute, okay?" she said, dropping her arms
and turning to face Keri.  She crooked a finger.  "Come here."

   Keri dropped her arms, then stepped hesitantly towards Erika.  The
blonde reached over and embraced Keri, pulled her close, then kissed her
lips.  Keri gasped again at the warmth and taste of her.  Three new girls
in one day, she thought.  This is a record for me.

   "There," Erika said, licking at her lips and then pulling back.  "Feel
better now?"

   Keri nodded, glad for the gesture.  She dropped her arms and for the
fourth time that day pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it away and to
the side.  Her bra went next, then she unfastened her pants and dropped
them, kicked them and her shoes off.  She could feel the chill in the air
increasing her heartbeat, arousing her.  Her nipples were drawing into
distinct points, her pussy opening and starting to shine.  Her body was
glowing with anticipation now, just like Erika's was already.  Evan was
shimmering too, her clothes only slightly hiding the inner light.

   "'Erica,'" Erika quoted with a smile, looking over Keri's exposed body.
"'It sounds just like 'Erotica.''"

   "'Suits her too,'" Keri smiled, completing the line from her movie. 
"'The girl's a walking wet dream.'" That line applies to this Erika also,
she thought, her smile widening.  And Evan.  She turned to the younger
girl, raising an eyebrow.

   Evan was looking joyful, again running her eyes over the other two
girls, taking note of what she saw and liking it.  Seeing their interest,
she grinned and started disrobing.  Blouse was discarded, followed by bra,
bra by shoes, shoes by jeans, jeans by panties, panties by socks.  The
girls' faces were flushed with sexual excitement as they stood naked before
each other.

   "Gosh, you're beautiful," Erika said in an awed voice, reaching out to
stroke Evan's blonde curls.



   "Come on, let's do this," Evan said, waving at the wall-to-wall blue
carpet on the floor.  Erika nodded.  For a moment, Keri wanted to suggest
they use the couch instead.  Then she remembered that there were three of
them now, not two.  More room was necessary.

   The three girls sat down and Erika arranged them so they were lying on
their sides, their heads at opposite ends, close to each other in a
triangle.  Evan was lying opposite Erika, Erika Keri, and Keri Evan.  Each
girl had their bottom leg out straight, their top leg bent slightly so that
the girl facing them had easy access to their pussy.  Erika reached out
first, pushing one finger against and into Keri.  She added another, then a
third.

   "Ahh," Keri gasped at their entrance, clenching herself tight around the
fingers.  Soon she was moaning as Erika smiled and pumped her digits in and
out rhythmically.  Keri gasped again, then reached out and touched Evan's
pussy.  Two of her fingers entered and starting moving, then a third joined
them, then a fourth.  They probed deep, seeking moisture and warmth.

   "Hey, no fisting this time, okay?" Evan whispered, her cunt muscles
locking around Keri's fingers.  "This is new enough as it is." She smiled
at Keri's nod, then reached over to Erika and started stroking her channel.
One finger slowly entered, then another two together, then the last. 
Evan's thumb moved along the top of Erika's snatch, probing, questing.

   "Find it," Erika prompted her.  "Find the clitoris."

   Evan returned Erika's grin, then moved her thumb, rubbing it against
Erika's bud, stroking.  She popped the other blonde's clit out of its hood
and then pushed it back in.  Erika moaned at the sensation, transferring
the spasms into her fingers on Keri.  The brunette gasped, increasing the
motion and tempo of her own fingers on Evan.  The girls whimpered as they
found each other tight and uncomfortable at first, then more open and
lubricated.  They could smell each other's arousal, see the love juices
glistening on their fingers as they pulled out, only to be pushed back in
again.  In and out, over and over.

   Each girl rubbed at her partner's snatch, varying the speed and
intensity of their movements.  Their hands that weren't rubbing pussies
reached up and captured their partner's upper thigh, holding the other
girl's leg in place, squeezing and massaging.  Their moans sent warm air
over their heated pussies and they started bucking their hips, inspiring
each other to greater heights.

   Suddenly Keri felt Erika's hand pushing deeper into her, fingers
grabbing for the inner flesh of her pussy while the blonde's thumb flicked
at her clit.  Inside her sensations were rising, inhibitions disappearing.
She couldn't think about whether what they were doing was right or wrong,
only about the passion rising in each of them.  She pressed her fingers
harder into Evan, circling and caressing.  Then she felt Evan's thighs
clench harder around her.  Keri looked over and saw that the young girl's
blond head was buried between Erika's legs.

   "Yes," Erika urged her on, smiling.  "That's right.  Use your tongue. 
Ah!" She bucked and twisted, her face sliding forward into Keri's cunt. 
Erika started licking Keri, mouth moving and nipping at her labia.  Two of
her fingers pulled out, but the other two and the thumb remained, sliding
in and out of the brunette in time with Erika's nimble tongue.  Faster they
moved, then softer, tempo fading and then rising.  High points of sensation
increasing, deepening.  Each thrust of Erika's fingers was matched by a
long lick at Keri's clit.

   "Ahhh!" Keri gasped, increasing her own rhythm and feeling something
tighten inside her.  She leaned forward, extended her tongue, and stuck it
into Evan's pussy.  Her fingers stroked the interior of the young girl's
cunt and her tongue joined them while her lips concentrated on nipping at
the upper lips and the hard bud thrusting between.

   Keri's other hand stroked up over Evan's body as the young girl relaxed
and collapsed, rubbing across her belly and breasts.  Keri could see Evan's
free hand making similar motions on Erika through her clenched eyes.  Then
she felt a series of long soft touches sweeping across her torso.  She
looked down and saw it was Erika's free hand.  The other girl had picked up
on their gestures.  Her breasts were tightening, nipples getting harder and
redder.  Her flesh was flushed with tingling and perspiration.  Evan shook
hard against Keri, Keri against Erika, and Erika against Evan.  All were
moving together, their movements and moans joining in a chant.

   "Switch!" Erika called out suddenly, pulling back from Keri.  The
brunette frowned at this word, not knowing its meaning.  Then she felt
Erika's hand pull out of her pussy, soon to be replaced by her other hand.
The fingers of that hand, which had been rubbing at Keri's breasts, were
now inside her, stroking her labia.  The difference in their touch and
texture was shocking, new and unexpected.  Erika's other hand came up
across Keri's body, her fingers wet with the other girl's juices.  The
sensation was deeper, the lubrication increasing the smoothness of the
digits.  The fingers stroked faster, then slowed down as Erika's tongue
once again joined with her fingers inside Keri's cunt.



   "Ahhh!" Keri moaned out, then switched her hands on Evan in the same
manner.  The feel of the contrast between her wet fingers and Evan's
flushed skin was amazing.  Digits moved faster, tempo building and
increasing.  Slow at first, then rising to a fever pitch.

   Evan stopped moving her hands on Erika's body, looked down at Erika's
hands on Keri and Keri's on her.  She watched them for a few seconds,
nodding and smiling.  Then she moved her own hands, pulling the left out of
Erika's pussy and inserting the right.  Her wet fingers moved across
Erika's breasts, tweaking the nipples and pulling at them.  The other
blonde's breasts grew with the sensations, heaving and hardening.  Keri
felt her own body responding too, and Evan's.  Their fingers were grasping
and caressing, trailing wetness.  Their tongues licked and writhed, Evan's
having pushed back into the core of Erika.  Keri smiled as she felt Erika's
tongue shove deeper into her core in reponse.  The other girl's fingers
joined it, drilling and probing.  Keri tried hard to concentrate on the
motions, duplicate the sensations within her and pass them on to Evan.  It
was hard, though.  Feelings inside all three girls were increasing in
fervor.  Their moans and heartbeats built up and flowed together, their
fears fading and disappearing one by one.

   Keri felt something inside her sparking and flaring.  A tidal wave,
pushing up and breaking the surface.  Its wall was rising, but not quite
strong yet.  Erika's skilled fingers and tongue brought her to the peak of
nirvana, then backed off, preventing her from actually arriving.  Keri felt
herself growing desperate, longing for release.  The emotions inside her
caused her to intensify her own tempo of caresses on Evan.  This bled over
a little more slowly into the younger girl's rubbing of Erika.  Erika saw
this and increased her movements, clenching tighter around Evan's fingers
and pressing herself deeper into Keri.  She too was full of need, drive to
build up the tempo, bring all the feelings inside them to fruition.

   Suddenly there was a shaking against Keri.  Erika's body was gyrating
like a dervish.  Her face pulling back, screaming out an anthem of lust and
release.  "Yes!" she shouted.  "Don't...  ever...  stop...  fucking... 
me!!!" She smiled and bit her lower lip to stop the cries, remembering
where they were.

   Keri smiled at the words, knowing they were not fake.  They sounded that
way, but Keri had confidence it was not so.  Everything about Erika
convinced her of this.  She pressed her face deeply into Evan as Erika
shook, sucking and moaning with passionate intensity.  Evan was sucking
deeply at the other blonde's cunt, drinking down the deluge of juices
flooding out.  The sweat on her skin added to the overall beauty of the
sight, as did the smile on Evan's face.

   Keri smiled at the vision, rubbing Evan faster and harder.  Fire was
dancing around them, invisible yet present.  Its etherealness was rising,
rhythm building, the odors and cries of arousal igniting in the air.  The
three girls breathed hard, each contibuting oxygen and energy.  Heat flowed
from their bodies.  Their caresses and licks added fuel, as did their
gasps. The mixture kept building inside them, increasing and exploding. 
Evan came, shaking in a frenzied motion against Keri's tongue and fingers.
Keri licked at her faster, taking Evan through the orgasm, adding her
saliva to Evan's spurting juice.  The young girl's cum flowed into Keri's
mouth, and she smiled as she lapped it up.  Keri breathed into Evan, then
felt herself shaking too, exploding under Erika's tender ministrations.

   "Yes!!!" Keri gasped out, pulling back from Evan and letting Erika's
movements take over, guide her.  "Yes!!  Fuck it, make me come!!"

   Erika paused, pulled out, and smiled up at her.  Keri smiled back, glad
for the new connection between them.  She had doubted it could happen
before, but now things had changed.  They had dared to get close to her,
all of them.

   Evan smiled as she watched Keri come and gasp, then moved her own hands
faster on Erika, wanting to spark her again.  Erika grinned, accepting her
caresses.  She then resumed her rubbing of Keri.  Keri smiled at her, glad
for the new relationship between them.  The faith, the friendship, the
trust.

   As she thought about this, Keri felt something inside her rushing again.
She felt Erika's mouth sucking deeply of her essence, fingers frantically
digging at her loins.  Evan too was shaking, smiling down at Keri.  Keri
smiled back, then let herself go.  Her passion rose and took flight, her
soul ascending to a higher plane as her pussy exploded with sweet nectar.
Evan watched her soar, transfixed and stimulated.  Then she went back to
work on Erika, hitting the other girl's spots hard now that she knew them,
setting her ablaze.

   "Yes!" Erika cried, pulling back from Keri.  Keri rolled aside from
them, sated now, content to let the other two girls explore and discover
one another.  Evan's thighs locked around Erika's face, her tongue and
fingers continuing to thrust inside the other girl and arouse her to new
discoveries.  The other blonde returned each gesture, hands locking around
Evan and pulling her pussy against her mouth.  Keri smiled, taking deep
breaths as she observed them, still shocked at how far things had come
since the beginning of the day.

   This thought fled Keri's mind as Evan moaned once more, her breath
catching and spurting as she orgasmed.  Erika smiled at this, eyes alight
with an inner madness.  Then she too shook, quiet this time, her passion
flowing out like a receding tide.a Both girls gasped, then stopped, pulling
apart from each other and turning their bodies so their faces could touch.
Lips met, again and again.  Tongues came out and licked at each other,
teeth nipping.  Keri let out a deep sigh as she watched them, then rolled
over and crawled towards Evan and Erika.  They smiled, pulled her close and
embraced her, each kissing her in turn.  Then the three girls looked at
each other, smiled, and again pulled closer.  This time all three pairs of
lips touched.

   "Wow," Evan laughed when they broke the kiss, smiling at the other two
girls.  She looked at Keri, then at Erika.  "What planet did you learn that
on?" Erika only replied with a grin.

   Taught to her on another planet?  Keri frowned, remembering the blonde's
weird religion.  Maybe what we just did was something alien.  Or maybe not,
she shrugged.  It doesn't matter.  Nothing matters.  We've come together
now, and we're friends.  We've built up familarity and affection, bonded,
done each other charity.  I can see the truth of it now, what Erika said.
People are different, but deep down they're really all the same.  They have
the same needs.  They all need acceptance for who they are, love, human
contact.  They have the same fears too, fears that need to be settled.  Why
do people let their fears dominate them?  Why can't we just forget them,
put them aside?  Oh well, at least I can do that now.

   She smiled at the other two girls, enjoying the sight of their panting
faces.  Skin pink, tickled with the fading flush of arousal.  Nipples and
labias puffy, lewdly displayed and sensitive.  Their passion was subsiding
now, and Keri grimaced, feeling hints of confusion and shame creeping in
afterwards as she sometimes did.  She pushed them away with a silent snarl.
Get out!

   Smiling at the declaration, she leaned over to Erika and kissed her
again, then kissed Evan again.  The girls moved into each other, hugging
and embracing.  Soon their bodies were moving against one another once
more, feelings rising and exploding inside.  They exchanged kisses and
caresses, their moans once more building and uniting.  It's glorious, Keri
thought, what we have.  I hope we can keep it.

   "We're doing this again?!" Evan gasped out a rhetorical question.  "We
must be out of our minds!"

   "Yeah," Erika laughed, trading kisses with her and Keri.  "Ain't it
cool?" She smiled again, then started to go ballistic in her movements. 
Keri grinned back, moved close to her, and did the same.  Evan laughed,
then joined in, again touching the other two actresses.

   Suddenly a knock at the door interrupted them.  Hard and rapid,
shattering the moment.  The three girls stopped and pulled back, looking at
each other with frowns.  It's okay, Keri thought, I'm satisfied.  Whatever
that is, it can't affect this, right?  It's not important.  It's not...

   "Who is it?" Erika called out, looking at the door.

   "It's Alicia!" Alicia Witt's voice came back.  Oh, Keri thought, right.
Her.  My first new lover of today, and the one I'm still not sure I really
have yet.  Crud.  "Is something going on in there?"

   "Just a second!" Evan called out, grinning at the other two girls and
seperating herself from them.  She grabbed the purple kimono, shook it out
as she got to her feet, then slipped it on and pulled it around her, tying
shut the sash.

   Erika looked at Keri with a mischievious twinkle in her eye, then pulled
herself into a panther's crouch.  Right, Keri thought, reaching for the red
kimono Erika had offered her earlier as she watched Erika pick up and don
the gray one.  The precautions we agreed on before this happened.  I need
to remember them, and the reasons for them.  I want Alicia to share in this
with us, but she probably can't do it yet.  She may not be ready.  And, I
can't forget that she doesn't have all the facts of this either.  She's
been the outsider in this relationship for most of today, even more than
me.

   "Mike said I could probably find you three in there," Alicia said, her
tone low and irritated.  "Is everything okay?"

   "We're fine!" Erika said, looking at Keri.  "We were just doing Taxi
Driver!"

   "Yeah!" Keri added, tying shut her kimono's obi.  She grinned and
spontaneously mimiced de Niro.  "You talking to me?"

   There was a pause from the other side of the door, a long uncomfortable
silence.  Keri realized Evan and Erika were staring at her, emotions
warring on their faces.  Keri's hand went to her lips.  Oh crud.  That idea
was a very stupid one, she realized.  Really dumb.  It made sense at the
time, but now it's not working out.  Why am I so surprised?  From their
expressions, Evan and even Erika, who had proposed it, had also realized
how ridiculous the idea now seemed.

   "Look," Alicia broke the silence, "I'm sorry I ran out on you guys like
that, okay?  I had some things to think about.  I think I'm clear on them
now.  I'm ready to bargain.  Erika, Keri, I need to talk to both of you."

   "Just a second, okay?" Erika cut her off, standing up and straightening
her garment.  She walked over to the door and unbolted it, looked back and
nodded at Keri and Evan.  The other two girls nodded back, then Erika
pulled open the door.

   Alicia was standing there, dressed in a black shirt and white leather
pants.  Her red hair hung loose about her shoulders, her pale elegant
features frozen in confusion as she looked at them.  Then her brown eyes
flashed in sudden insight and understanding.  She looked at Keri, then at
Erika.  "Oh my," the redhaired girl gasped, staring at Keri, then Erika,
then Evan.  Her eyes locked on Evan for the longest moment, her face aghast
with surprise and disbelief.

   The other girls stared back at her, remaining silent.  A million
different words were forming in Keri's mind, a thousand reasonable
explanations, but none of them would come out.  None of them made sense. 
Alicia clearly saw right through to the truth of their circumstances. 
Preconceived notions were no longer getting in the way.

   "Oh my God," Alicia breathed out, shaking her head and looking again at
each of them.  "I know what you use those robes for, Erika," she said after
another pause.  "Tell me you didn't..."

   "We did!" Evan interrupted her, smiling.  "And we're glad!  We want you
to join us!"

   "Evan," Keri snapped, glaring at the young girl.  Evan shut her mouth,
nodding sheepishly.  Good, Keri thought.  Glad I could remind you this
can't happen too fast.

   Alicia was still staring at Erika.  "You..." She spun and pointed a
finger at Keri.  "Did she put you up to what we did earlier?"

   "I..." Keri's mouth fell open.  Conjectures were coming to her mind
again, appearing and being reflected on.  Alicia must know Erika's a
swinger, she realized.  They've been friends for years, she has to know. 
Maybe Erika's even tried to draw her into the lifestyle, and failed.  That
would explain a lot of things.  Oh crap, what did I do?

   "What are you talking about?" Erika asked, looking at Alicia, then Keri,
with confusion.  "Did you and Alicia...?"

   "We did," Keri confirmed, seeing Evan open her mouth and wanting to
avoid another blunder.  She looked back and forth from Alicia to Erika to
Evan as she spoke, filling each of them in.  "The first time I left the
sitting room, I went back to my dressing room and I had a fantasy.  Since
then I've been trying to act it out." She looked straight at Alicia.  "When
I heard you needed help, I went to you.  You know what happened then.  Then
when lunchtime came, Evan and I got together, and just now we joined with
Erika.  That's all that's happened."

   Alicia was quiet for a moment, staring at her.  Erika was smiling,
guessing at the gaps and filling them in.  Her eyes shone with fascination.
Evan meanwhile was crossing her arms, looking fearful.  I know what she's
going through, Keri thought to herself.  She's wondering whether we can
really have everything we want from this.  I'm worried about that too.  She
turned back to Alicia, waiting for a sign.

   The redhead looked at each of them again, eyes racing.  Then they
stopped on Keri.  She raised a hand and gestured as she spoke.  "Are you
saying what we did meant nothing, Keri?  You just took advantage of me? 
Acted out some stupid little game?"

   "No," Keri shook her head, eyes full of shock that Alicia would even
consider the possibility.  She could see how such a thing could happen, but
still she dreaded it.  "I told you, I have lots of partners.  I don't feel
the same way about all of them, but I'm still with most of them.  Everyone
I've gotten with has meant a lot to me.  They always do."

   "You bitch!" Alicia glared at her, starting to turn away.  Her eyes were
full of tears and embers.  "You goddamn bitch!!"

   "Alicia, wait!" Erika commanded, stepping forward and grabbing her
friend's arm.  Alicia stared at her, then grimaced.  She stepped into the
room, and Erika reached around her, pulling the door shut.  She motioned to
Keri, who nodded and reached around her, then turned the deadbolt.  What's
going to happen now?  she silently implored.

   Erika stared at Alicia for a long moment as they stood in the middle of
the room.  Her eyes roamed up and down the redhaired girl's body, her
nostrils sniffing.  Keri looked at Evan, wondering what was going on.  The
young girl shrugged, still seeming surprised by all that had happened
today. The feelings she'd confessed, the things she had done and had did to
her.  Keri realized part of her also felt overwhelmed.

   "Good," Erika said, finishing her assessment and looking at Alicia. 
"You haven't been drinking.  You just went out and walked around, right? 
Tried to talk things out with yourself?  Am I right about that?"

   "You bitch," Alicia raged at her, waving a finger.  "How could you?" She
waved at Evan.  "I know you're into some goddamn crazy shit, but how could
you?  A girl this young..."

   "Hey!" Evan interrupted.  Alicia spun and stared at her.  "It was my
choice!" Evan declared, smiling.  "It's always been my choice.  Everything
I've done!  Okay?  You may not believe it, but it has.  So stop thinking
I'm just a kid!"

   Alicia looked at her for a long moment, then shook her head.  She waved
a hand at Evan.  "Fine, whatever.  If you say so." She turned back to
Erika. "So you didn't put Keri up to doing what she did to me."

   "No," the blonde replied, smiling slyly.  "I didn't even know Keri and
Evan were both into the lifestyle, not until just now.  We've been talking
a lot about things.  We've also been missing you."

   Alicia stared at Erika.  "And now you expect me to..."

   "No," Keri stepped in.  "Nothing you don't want to do, remember?  That
was what I said back when we did it.  I said it again to Evan, and then to
Erika.  I'm also saying it now."

   Alicia looked at her, crossing her arms and frowning.  Then she nodded.
"Alright."

   "What's the matter?" Erika asked her, smiling.  "I've told you about the
lifestyle a thousand times.  Sometimes you've expressed interest.  Still,
though, you're one of the few friends I have who I've never done." She
laughed, blushing.  "And now you and Keri..." She waved her hand at each of
them.  "Maybe you just needed a stranger.  I should have figured that out."

   "Shut up," Alicia snapped, waving a finger at her.  "Shut the fuck up."
She pointed the finger at Evan, glaring.  "And you.  What's your
explanation for this?  I guess you really are a lesbian."



   "No," Evan shook her head, grimacing.  "I'm waiting for the right guy. I
haven't found him yet."

   "And meanwhile, you're having your fun, hmm?" Alicia crossed her arms,
turning her head coquettishly to the side.  She glared at them, shoulders
shaking.  "You make me sick.  All of you."

   "Alicia!" Erika gasped, gesturing.  "It's not how you think, okay? 
We're just trying to show you our part of the world, reach out to you!" She
put her hand on the other girl's arm, smiling.  "Come on, listen to us, for
Christ's sake!  Open your eyes!"

   Alicia stared at her again, eyes flickering between Erika, Evan, and
Keri.  They turned to the ground, then rose back up.  "I have a lot more to
think about," she declared, turning around and shrugging off Erika's grip.
Keri stared at the redhead as she unlocked the deadbolt, then opened the
door.  Evan stepped towards her, but Keri caught the young girl's shoulder.
Evan turned, and Keri shook her head.  Evan frowned, then nodded.



   "Alicia!" Erika called out, but the redhead did not turn around. 
Instead she walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. 
"Alicia!" Erika called out again, then spun to face Keri.  A dejected look
was on her face.  "Damn it."

   "I'm sorry," Keri said, addressing both Erika and Evan.  "I didn't plan
any of this.  I just kept going with the flow.  I mean, I had some general
ideas, but..."

   "You don't have to explain anything," Evan interrupted her.  "We've both
been doing the same thing." She looked at Erika.  "Right?"

   "Yeah," the third girl nodded.  She paused for a second, looking at Keri
and Evan.  "We should have communicated about this more, I guess.  Thinking
back on things, I'm not sure how we could have, though.  Something like
this is never something you just do."

   Keri smiled in agreement.  "It's an ongoing process.  It has to be, if
you want to do it right."

   "Yeah," Erika sighed, looking at her and Evan.  She crossed her arms and
sighed, eyes on the floor.

   Oh crud, Keri thought.  Damn it, things went from good to horrible in a
few minutes.  How could this have happened?  I had such high hopes...  I...

   Erika suddenly looked back up at Keri.  "Do you still want that
fantasy?" the other actress asked her, grinning slyly.  "You, me, Alicia,
all of us?"



   "Of course," Keri said, answering without thinking.  Do I?  she wondered
immediately after speaking.  Can it happen?  Is there a way?

   "I want it too," Evan said, demanding to be included.  "I want to help!"

   "Good," Erika chuckled, holding a hand up in assurance.  "Then let's sit
down and talk things over." She waved at the couch.  "I've known Alicia for
a long time.  I know her buttons, her patterns.  I think I have a cunning
plan."

   "Better not be something like your Taxi Driver idea," Evan glared at
her. Keri nodded, grimacing.

   Erika frowned in shame and looked away, then turned back to them. 
"Don't worry," she said.  "If luck holds, this will work better."

   Not my luck, Keri thought with a sigh.

   ***

   The man scratched two vertical lines in the wall with his knife, then
connected them with a horizontal line across the top.  "Door," he said,
smiling at his work.  Then suddenly he started banging on the wall with his
hands.  "Door!  Open!"

   "Who is that guy?" Evan Rachel Wood frowned at Keri Russell.  The two
actresses were watching the man from across the street.  Several hours had
passed since the end of their talk with Erika.  Keri had gone back to her
hotel, settled herself, taken a nap, eaten dinner.  She had showered,
called Evan and Erika and confirmed that things were in motion, then gotten
dressed.

   Now it was nearly midnight, and she was wandering through a part of
London she had never really explored before- Soho.  The neighborhood was a
strange place, full of odd lights and sounds.  Nightclubs abounded, and
coffee bars, and restaurants.  Keri had been walking the streets for the
past hour and a half, taking roundabout routes, making sure she was not
being followed.  Several times she'd ducked into record stores, clothing
shops, and bookshops.  She'd paused to examine the merchandise, checked the
street in the window.  She'd bought a few things, but not much.  Nothing
she couldn't tuck into her purse or her pockets.  She knew where she was
going, and every stop she made on the way there was only a waste of time.

   "I have no idea who he is," Keri grimaced at Evan, then turned the
corner and kept walking.  "I'm not sure I want to know."

   Soho was an odd place, she thought, the buildings old yet new.  Light
fog was on the streets tonight, hiding most of the details.  It wasn't
raining, but it was dark and humid.  Strange people walked in and out of
the fog.  The man making a door in the wall wasn't the first odd sight Keri
had encountered on her walk through the area.  The people who fall through
the cracks...

   "Hey, wait up!" Evan called, low heels clicking on the pavement as she
hurried after Keri.  Both girls were dressed now in simple felt gowns. 
Keri's dress was green, Evan's light purple.  Both wore low heels and
carried purses.  Neither wore a watch.  They had met up in a bookstore
fifteen minutes ago, and were now together tring to find the place where
Erika had suggested they all meet.  Neither was really sure where it was,
but they were sure they'd find it eventually.



   "I think we're close," Keri said as they turned a corner.  Then she
stopped and Evan stopped beside her.  Both girls stared at the odd sight in
the middle of the square.  A memorial statue of some kind, probably to do
with the Battle of Britain.  An old RAF Spitfire carved in stone, the
figure of a pilot inside the cockpit.  Two other figures stood on either
side of the plane, arms extended, one on the left and one on the right. 
They looked human, but also like ferocious beasts.  Both had great sweeping
wings and long tails.  Their hands were curved into claws, their faces
somber.  The one on the left looked like a griffin, its face topped by a
large mohawk and dominated by an eagle's harsh beak.  Its tail was tuffed
like a lion's.  The figure on the right was similar, yet different.  Long
black hair framed a face that looked dangerous and also noble.  Unlike the
left figure, who wore a leather jacket and pants, this figure was
bare-chested.  Naked except for a loincloth, its muscles were very much in
evidence.  Keri frowned, thinking she had seen a shadow like the statue
somewhere before.  Maybe in New York, she thought, against a building or
the moon.  She turned her face away from the memorial and started walking
around it.

   "Gargoyles," Evan said, catching up to her and pointing at the statues
flanking the Spitfire.  "I think that's what they're supposed to be anyway.
I've never seen them before outside a church."

   "Where are we supposed to meet Erika again?" Keri asked, slowing her
step as they rounded the memorial and turned onto a new street.

   "Inside Out," Evan recalled, frowning.  "Erika said it was a nightclub
of some kind."

   "That has to be it," Keri said, looking across the street and catching
sight of yet another strange thing.  The wall of a building painted white,
festooned with lamps and couches in the middle of the sidewalk.  A large
number of people milled around the couches, talking in small groups.  More
people were standing in a line, waiting in front of a velvet rope.  A huge
black man stood at the door behind the rope, his head bald and gleaming. 
He was taking money from the people in line and checking their IDs. 
Bouncer, Keri surmised, remembering Erika's advice to her about the place.

   Just as the other girl had told her, there was no sign over the door. 
Even without one, the club was obvious.  Keri thought back to what Erika
had told her and Evan.  "What's in there?" Evan had asked.

   Erika had smiled before answering.  "Only what you need and what you
take with you." Keri and Evan had had to press her for more details.

   Grimacing at the lack of cars about tonight, Keri crossed the street. 
Evan followed, frowning as they joined the line before the club.  They
looked at the people around them.  A lot of Goths, Keri noted.  Some other
strange folk too.  Preppies, punks, bikers, gang members.  People wearing
trenchcoats, sunglasses, and black fedoras.  A few people looked really
strange, dressed in costumes and masks.  Most of the line looked like
normal everyday partygoers, though.  She and Evan fell in with the latter
group.



   "Do you really think we should have let Erika plan all this?" Evan asked
Keri nervously.

   Keri shook her head.  "I don't know.  Erika's okay but crazy.  I think
we have to trust her, though.  She's known Alicia longer than either of us.
And she did think all this up."

   "Right," Evan nodded, then frowned.  "Anybody follow you on the way over
here?"

   "No," Keri said.  "I don't think so." Then again, she frowned, until
Evan, I haven't recognized anyone else so far tonight.  Probably for the
best.  The day had been good, pretty much, but now...  She let out a sigh.
"What do you suppose Erika's talking to her about?"

   The younger girl shrugged.  "Life, the universe, everything?" She
laughed.  "They're probably not making much progress.  This is something
we're all going to have to talk out together.  The four of us.  None of us
can handle anger alone."

   "Right," Keri said.  "At least Erika got her here." She stopped as they
reached the bouncer.  He looked them up and down, appraising the actresses
with his large eyes.  Keri felt bewildered by his frown, then his smirk.

   "Ten pounds," the bouncer said simply, holding out his hand.  Keri and
Evan gave him a note each and flashed their IDs.  He shook his head, then
let them pass through the door.  The two girls' eyes swept over the area
behind, taking everything in.  It was easy to see why the club was called
Inside Out.  The interior was decorated to look just like the street
outside, with asphalt covering the dance floor and cars in the middle. 
Multicolored spotlights were flashing around, and hard techno rock music
was playing.

   "I burn, burn like a wicker candle.  Chalk white and oh so frail.  I
think our time has gotten stale!  The tick tock of the clock is painful, so
sane and logical.  I want to tear it off the wall!"

   Eve 6," Evan identified the song, and Keri nodded.  Appropriate to the
club, she thought, and to my mood today.  Nice touch.

   She hummed along as the chorus came up.  "I could swallow my pride, I
could choke on the rinds, but the lack thereof would leave me empty inside.
I could swallow my doubt, turn it inside out, find nothing but faith in
nothing..."

   Taking Evan's hand, Keri started to walk slowly across the club's dance
floor.  A large number of people were moving against each other there, and
more were gathered around the bar along the club's west wall.  Keri smiled,
noticing the bar was cleverly made up to look like an outdoor cafe.  Only
two of its stools were vacant, obviously being saved.  Sitting on the
stools next to those, she could see two girls she had never really known
before today, but now knew well.  Alicia Witt and Erika Christensen.

   "There they are," Evan said.  "Do you suppose they've been waiting
long?"

   Keri shrugged.  "Probably." She moved forward, Evan at her side.  They
moved around the dancers, instinctively shaking with the music, which
changed its tone as they neared the bar.  Keri looked over Erika and Alicia
as they got close.  Erika was wearing a strapless dark blue dress, its long
skirts divided at the knee.  Her long blonde hair was bound in a ponytail.
Alicia was wearing a bright red dress, her matching hair hanging loose
about her shoulders.  Like Keri and Evan, they both wore low heels and
purses, but had left their phones, pagers, and watches at home.

   A constantly smiling brown-bearded man in a dark blue silk shirt and
jeans was working the bar, but didn't seem to be paying Alicia and Erika
any more attention than he was anyone else.  Glasses of a clear liquid were
set out before the two actresses, but both looked pretty untouched.  Both
girls looked like they had been at the bar a long time.  From the streaks
on Alicia's makeup and the looks on their faces, Keri guessed that the
redhead had been doing most of the talking.

   "Hi, you two," Erika turned and greeted them, gesturing at the empty
stools.  "Good to see you."

   "Yes," Alicia said.  "Did Clarke let you in okay?"



   Keri returned her frown.  "Clarke?"

   "The guy at the front door," Erika answered.  "We told him you were
coming."

   Evan smiled slyly.  "So you come here often?"

   Erika nodded, grinning.  "Alicia showed me this place soon after I first
arrived here.  It's one of the hottest clubs in Soho.  I'm not sure when
they opened, but I hope they never close.  They have dancing, drinks,
everything.  That, and they don't seem to care whether or not you're a
celebrity.  We all need places like this, places where we can be normal for
a brief time."

   "They have some damn fine vodka," Alicia added, reaching for her glass.

   Erika stopped her with a hand on her arm.  "Hey.  I've been reminding
you about that."

   "Right," Alicia nodded.  She mimicked Erika for a second. 
"'Self-medication clouds the mind.' Yeah, whatever!" The blonde glared at
her.  Alicia took another look at the glass, then pushed it away.  Keri
frowned as she and Evan sat down on their stools.  Erika and Alicia have
been talking for a while, Keri mused.  Alicia seems more open now, and
that's good.  But she also seems a little more down in the dumps.

   "How long have you been here?" Evan asked the other two girls.

   Erika shrugged.  "About an hour, give or take." She looked at Alicia. 
"We've just been talking.  Alicia's been telling me a lot of things about
herself I didn't know.  She probably told you some of them earlier today,
right, Keri?"

   "I don't know, maybe," Keri said, looking around for the bartender. 
Seeing her glance, he smiled, then ambled over and set down two more shots
of vodka.  Keri frowned, wondering if she really should drink any tonight.
Then she picked up her glass, shrugged, and took a sip.  Hmm, she grimaced
at the taste.  There's a lot of soda water and lemon juice in this, far
more than alcohol.  I taste cinnamon too.  Cinnamon vodka and tonic? 
That's unusual.  I wonder if...

   Before she could inquire as to the drink's recipe, the bartender moved
on to his next customer.  Keri shrugged, then sipped her glass again. 
Good, she thought.  Very good.

   "Careful, Keri," Erika cautioned her.  "You get enough of those in
you..."

   "I'll be fine," Keri told the blonde.  Taking another sip, she put her
drink down, then looked at Alicia.  "You look like you're still pretty
depressed."

   Alicia nodded, tapping her fingers on the bartop.  "Basically Erika and
I have been arguing about acting and life," she said.  "What you should do
with your gifts, and what you shouldn't.  I've been coming to terms with
facts about myself, things I've long been denying." She looked at Evan.  "I
need to apologize to you.  You're not a child, not anymore."

   "Thanks," Evan said, her eyes alight at the praise.  She glanced at her
untouched drink, then shrugged, picked it up, and sipped it.  Grimacing,
she put it down and pushed it away, not even looking at the bartender. 
"Thank you," she told Alicia again.

   "I need to apologize to you too," Alicia added, turning to Keri.  "You
weren't playing a game with me.  It was something we both needed.  I
realize that now.  It took me forever, but...  I guess I'm really not that
smart." She reached for her glass.

   "I told you," Erika stopped her.  "That stuff blocks understanding."

   "Yeah," Alicia said.  She pushed the drink farther away, then looked
back at Erika.  "It is good, though, when life is too hard to figure out on
its own."

   Keri frowned, pondering that for a moment.  Then she sighed, knowing
they had to get to the point.  "Have you made a decision?" she asked
Alicia. "About us, I mean?  You know everything."

   Alicia shook her head.  "I'm still not sure.  Can we talk it out?"

   "Girl, what have we been doing for the past hour?" Erika asked, looking
abject at her.

   "Hey, you said it yourself," Evan cut in, waving her hand at Alicia. 
"She needs a stranger, not an old friend.  And we all needed to be here."
The young girl turned and looked around at the club.  "Why don't we dance?
The music's nice."

   Keri frowned at Evan.  "I don't feel like dancing."

   "Me neither," Erika said.  "Usually I like dancing, but..."

   "Not tonight," Alicia agreed.  She looked away from them.  "Listen,
whatever happens, thank you all.  I'm glad to know you, and I look forward
to doing this movie with you.  I'm just not sure there can be anything
else."

   "Oh come on," Erika touched her arm.  Her eyes shone with mirth and
promise.  "We just want to make you happy.  You know that."

   "You can't," Alicia replied.  "I want to live my life, not just drift
through it like you do." She frowned, looked at them.  "Drifters, that's
what you are."

   Evan stared at her.  "Where the hell do you get off saying that?  We're
just the same as you." She gestured around the club.  "We're all women,
we're all actresses."

   "And we're all alone," Alicia cut in, looking down at her glass. 
"Always alone." She picked the glass up again.

   "What do you mean?" asked Keri.

   Alicia took a sip before answering.  "Why do you think you continue to
live out your stupid little fantasies?" She turned to Erika.  "Why do you
think you live this 'lifestyle' of yours?"

   "Hey!" Erika protested.  "I..." She stopped.  Keri guessed she was
realizing Alicia was making a valid point.

   "And you," Alicia pointed at Evan.  "You too are alone.  Everyone is. 
At the end of the day, everyone must come home and face themselves.  And if
the people you've been are greater than you are, it's that much harder."

   "What are you saying?" Keri said.  "That our characters are better than
we are?  Alicia, we are the ones who have to play those characters.  We are
the ones who give them life."



   "Yeah," Erika smiled in agreement.  "And the characters you've played
are part of you.  You need to realize this, come to terms with it.  Open
your eyes."

   Alicia nodded, then shook her head.  She stared into her glass.  "I
think I've been someone else too long and too often for that.  Some of the
people I've been have really messed up my life."

   "Then forget them," Evan suggested.  "Concentrate on yourself.  Maybe
you should do fewer roles for a while.  Choose more carefully."



   "What about the play you mentioned to me?" Keri said.  "Why don't you do
that?"

   Alicia was quiet for a moment, then smiled wryly and put her glass down.
"I think I will.  I skimmed through the script, it looks interesting. 
Myron said he could introduce me to Neil LaBute, the writer.  If I make a
good enough impression..." She shrugged.  "I don't know, but I think it's a
good idea to go into theater for a while.  Maybe modeling too.  I've been
being so many other people so long, I've forgotten about myself.  I still
need to find out who I am.  Concentrating on something besides movies
should help." She looked at Keri.  "What about you?  What are you going to
do after this film is over?"

   "I don't know," Keri shrugged.  "I'll probably take whatever project is
offered to me that looks good.  Maybe I'll be in a Western.  I've always
wanted to do one."

   Erika smiled.  "There are things I've always wanted to do too," she
said. "I want to rob a bank.  I want to meet Jodie Foster.  I want to go to
Moscow." She counted them off on her fingers, smiling.  "Fortunately, when
you're an actress, it's very easy to do those things."

   "Yeah," Evan said.  "Much easier than when you're just a normal person."

   Alicia frowned.  "We're all normal people, Evan.  You can't forget that.
We can't keep acting forever."

   "Says who?" Erika asked.  She waved a hand around.  "We all make our own
destinies, create our own worlds." She looked back at Alicia.  "We just
gotta do it carefully, respect ourselves and each other.  Strive for
excellence, but don't forget to have a little fun."

   "Fun," Alicia echoed, sighing.  "Fun is number one."

   Keri smiled, hearing the repeat of her earlier words to the redhead. 
"Exactly," she said, stepping to Alicia's other side and leaning close in.
"Didn't you have fun doing what we did today?"

   Alicia paused for a long instant before answering.  She looked at Keri,
then at Erika, then Evan, and back to Keri again.  Her expression changed
with each movement.  Finally her eyes locked on Keri, and she smiled.  "I
did," Alicia gasped, then repeated her words.  "I did.  I did enjoy it."

   "Then why not do it again?" Erika asked her.  "I've wanted you for a
long time.  You know that."

   Alicia turned back to her, frowning.  "You've been a good friend, Erika.
But I'm not sure I want that from you."

   "What about me?" Evan asked.  "I want you."

   Alicia shook her head.  "You're still young.  We all are." She looked at
each of them.  "This could be fun for a while, but we all know it won't
last.  When this movie's over, we'll move on, probably rarely if ever see
each other again."



   Erika grimaced.  "And we can't enjoy those brief moments?"

   "I have plenty of people I do that with," Evan said.

   "Me too," Keri said, looking at Alicia.  "And you obviously need some."



   Alicia shook her head.  "I'm not a lesbian."

   "None of us are," Erika snapped.  "And even if we were, what would be
wrong with that?" She put a hand on the redhead's shoulder, then stroked
her hair.  "Look, can you honestly think of any good reason why we
shouldn't do this?"

   Alicia stared at her, frowning.  "I..."

   "You want it as badly as any of us," Keri said for her.  "Don't you? 
You're just so angry at yourself for wanting it you're afraid to admit it."
Remember the plan, she reminded herself.  We have to bleed all her anger
out of her, settle all her fears.  And then maybe we can get through to
her. That's what Erika said.  It made sense at the time.  But now I don't
know.  Now...

   "I..." Alicia repeated herself, then stopped speaking.  She stared into
her glass, then looked at each of the other actresses.  Then she laughed.
"You're right.  I do want it." She smiled at them, then looked away.  "I do
want it.  Just not forever.  When all is said and done, I still want my
Charlie Brown."

   "You're not the only one," Keri laughed, looking at Evan.

   "Definitely not," the young girl agreed.

   "As if we could ever find a guy like that," Erika rolled her eyes.  Then
she frowned, looking over her shoulder.  "Can I help you?"

   The girls all turned to see that a grinning man of indeterminate age had
walked up to their stools.  He was fat, his hair was prematurely gray, and
his face was covered with pockmarks.  He pointed at Erika and grinned
wolfishly.  "Are you Julia Stiles?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.

   "No," Erika glared at him, her face suddenly growing dark.

   The man laughed.  "Come on, you have to be!  You look just like her!"

   "Well, I'm not her," Erika snapped, crossing her arms.



   "Oh," the man grinned, reaching out suddenly.  "So you changed your name
then, right?  Along with your diet and your boob size?" He brushed his hand
against Erika's chest.  Erika's mouth fell open, and she immediately jumped
off her stool and moved back from the man.

   "What the hell are you doing!" Erika gasped.

   Evan, Alicia, and Keri, suddenly realizing what was going on, each stood
up and took a step back.  "Bouncer!" Alicia turned to the door and yelled.
"Clarke!" The bartender was also waving for the bouncer, and several
patrons were quickly moving away.

   "Come on, you wicked bitch!" the interloper sneered, grabbing the
frightened Erika's arm and pulling her towards him.  "Let's dance!"

   "Hey, get your hands off her!" Evan ordered, moving around the
interloper and kicking out at his knee.  Keri moved up too and raised a
palm to slap at him, trying to remember what little she knew of
self-defense.

   "You'll get your chances, girlies!" the interloper sneered, ducking
Keri's blow.  Then Evan's foot connected and he winced, doubled over, and
fell back, letting go of Erika's arm.  The blonde quickly moved away from
him, Evan stepping between them as she did so.  Her foot lashed out again
and hit the interloper in his other knee.  He fell back against the bar. 
"What the hell!" he sprang back up, pushing off it.  "You want trouble?"

   "Me thinks you do," Evan snapped, then exploded.  Her right hand smashed
out first, chopping hard into the man's wrist as he grabbed at her.  The
man instantly dropped his arm, letting out a yell of pain.  Evan's left
hand came up in the next instant, hitting the man's nose with a palm
strike. The interloper screamed and fell back, blood streaming from his
face.  Evan next hit him with a snap kick in the stomach, knocking him into
the bar again.  The larger man fell back, then got up, fists swinging in
retaliation.  Evan blocked his blows, though, and followed up by slamming
her foot into one of his shins, then the other.  The interloper screamed,
then collapsed to the floor.  Evan stood over him and grabbed his hair,
yanking hard on it.  "Black belt, asshole," she growled.  "Do not mess with
me."

   The interloper gasped and dropped his hands, looking pleadingly at Evan.
"I'm sorry!" he moaned out, blood streaming from his nose.  Keri, Erika,
and a hesitant Alicia had all surrounded him by then.  They were staring at
the man and at Evan, amazed by the viciousness of the fight.

   "Evan," Keri caught the young girl's attention.  Evan looked up at her
and frowned, then let out a breath.  She grinned, letting go of the
interloper's hair.  His head lopped forward on his neck.  His hand flew up,
grabbing and supporting it.  His fingers went to his nose, trying to
staunch the bleeding.

   "I've never had to do that before," Evan said, letting out a breath as
she looked at the others.  "I knew how, but..."

   Keri shook her head, again remembering all the times JJ had asked her to
guest star on Alias and she'd laughed at him, reminding her mentor she
didn't know how to do action flicks.  Maybe now she'd finally met someone
who could show her.  Jennifer or AJ probably could too, Keri thought, they
have similar skills.  But I've never seen them actually fight anybody
outside a training room or a movie.  I guess I didn't really believe they
had such skills.  Evan, though...

   "Hey!" a voice yelled, and Keri turned to see the bouncer from the door
approaching.  A crowd was following him, and more had gathered.  Most of
the club patrons were looking worried.  The bartender was also frowning as
he refilled their drinks, not looking at the actresses.  Keri raised an
eyebrow at him, then turned to face the bouncer along with her companions.
"What's going on here?" Clarke asked, giving them a stern look.

   "I saw the whole thing, Clarke!" a young man in a dark suit yelled,
stepping out of the crowd before any of the actresses could answer.  Keri
noticed he had a scruffy look about him, short dark blonde hair and intense
eyes.  He looked a bit familiar, too.  She couldn't place him, though.

   The young man pointed at Evan and Erika, then at the interloper.  "They
were talking, then he came up and tried to grope one of them.  She was
defending her friend!" The bartender and several patrons voiced their
agreement.

   The bouncer let out a deep growl, turning to the interloper and bending
down.  Clarke pulled the interloper up with one large hand on each of his
upper arms.  "Is that so, punk?" Clarke asked, standing the interloper on
his feet but still holding him tightly.



   The interloper stared back, raising his hands and then dropping them. 
Sheepishly he nodded, not speaking and looking scared as hell.

   "You're out of here," Clarke snapped.  He dropped his arms from the man
and shoved him away.  The interloper nodded, then walked quickly towards
the door, still speechlessly holding his nose.  The bouncer watched him
leave, then spun to face Evan and the others.  "You all need to cool off,"
he told them.



   "Thanks, Clarke," Erika said.  "We will." Keri, Alicia, and Evan nodded
as the bouncer looked at each of them.

   "See that you do," he said, then waved at the crowd.  "Well, what are
you yaps waiting for?  Get back to the party!" The crowd nodded and moved
away from Keri and the others, resuming their dancing and conversations now
that the action was done.

   The girls looked back and forth at one another, each smiling as they
realized they were all alright.  Keri spoke first.  "You weren't kidding
about being good at taekwondo," she told Evan.

   Evan smiled, raising her fists.  "A girl has to know how to protect
herself."

   "And others," Erika agreed, shaking her head.  "I'm going to need to
learn that stuff."

   Keri smiled.  "Yeah, me too.  You know, you do kind of look like Julia
Stiles."

   "You think?" Erika rolled her eyes.  "Nah, no way.  I don't even like
Shakespeare." She let a breath out and laughed.

   "Excuse me," a voice broke into the conversation.  The girls turned to
see the young man who had spoken up in Evan's defense.  He was smiling
sheepishly, looking them over.  Keri frowned, trying to remember where she
knew him from.  Meanwhile the boy spoke to Erika.  "You're not really Julia
Stiles, are you?"

   "No," Erika shook her head.  "I'm someone else."

   "I thought so," the young man nodded, gesturing as he spoke.  "I think I
may have seen you in a movie without Julia, though.  Something she
definitely didn't do.  Something about swimming, or drugs, or rock music."
He shrugged.  "I can't place it." He looked at Keri, then Alicia.  "I think
I've seen the two of you somewhere too, but I can't remember where
exactly." Finally he stopped, staring at Evan.  "You, though, I know you."
He smiled.  "You're Jessie, right?  From Once & Again?"



   "Yes!" Evan gasped out, staring back at him.  "And you're Billy Elliot!"

   "The name is Bell," the young man grinned, extending his hand.  "Jamie
Bell.  I love your show.  We've just started getting it over here.  You're
very good in it."

   "Wait till the third season," Evan smiled back, grabbing his hand and
pumping it.  "That's when it really gets good."

   Jamie smiled wider.  "Really?" He looked at the others, then back at
Evan.  "So you saw my movie?"

   Evan nodded.  "My parents thought it improved my vocabulary."

   Jamie laughed, dropping his hand and slapping his knee.  "Mine too," he
grinned, looking back at Evan.  "I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name."

   "It's Evan," Evan said, still staring at him.  "Evan Wood." Her voice
was hopeful yet hesitant.

   "Evan," Jamie smiled, looking straight at her.  "I like that.  And are
these your friends?"

   "Yes," Erika cut in before Evan could reply, stepping forward.  "We're
having a girls' night out.  No boys allowed.  Sorry."

   "Oh," Jamie said.  He took a step back, looking at them.  "You're a fox,
Evan," he said wistfully, then turned and walked away.

   Evan's hand went to her mouth.  She turned and stared at Erika, eyes
full of hurt.  Erika cut her off before she could speak, looking at the
other three girls.  "I'm sorry," she said.  "I just need all of you here
and concentrating on this tonight if we're going to make things work, okay?
I hope you don't mind." Evan, seeming to calm, nodded in understanding.

   "It's okay," Keri said, looking at the retreating young man.  "Billy
Elliot?  I don't think I saw that."

   "It was about dancing," Evan said.  "It had a lot of swearing, but it
was good." She raised her eyebrows, noticing Jamie Bell had stopped just as
he reached the dance floor.  He smiled at Evan, then vanished into the
crowd.  The young girl gasped, letting out another breath.  "He's dreamy,"
she said, then grimaced.  "I forgot to get his number."

   "You can come back here and get it another time," Erika told her,
smiling.  "I've seen that kid in here a lot.  I agree he's cute."

   "You really think so?" Evan frowned, turning to face her.  "You aren't
planning to steal him?"

   "Oh no," the other blonde chuckled.  "He's too young for me.  Way too
young." She giggled and took Evan's arm.  "Come on, we can still have fun
tonight without him.  Right, Alicia?"

   The redhead had been silent since calling Clarke over, moving and
looking around hesitantly during the encounter and its aftermath.  Now, in
response to Erika's question, she stood stock-still.  "I..."

   Oh crud, thought Keri.  That idiot jumped in on us at exactly the wrong
moment.  All the planning we did, ruined!  First we went to our hotels and
rested, let Alicia have a little time alone while we got ourselves
prepared. Then Erika called her cell phone and invited her here, a place
where she hasn't been too often yet still feels at ease.  A place with
secrets.  The dancing and drinks are only part of what's offered here. 
Upstairs there are a number of VIP rooms, Erika told us, used for many
forms of covert meetings.  Not all these meetings concern trysts, but most
do.  Not all the people who use the rooms are celebrities either.  Erika's
been inside the rooms many times with many different people, but she
doesn't know if Alicia ever has.  We were hoping she would go in there with
us.  That's why we came here, started talking to her.  We got her calmed
down, to admit she enjoyed what we did and wants more of it, and maybe we
could have even popped the question.  But now...  Oh well, no plan survives
the battlefield, right?

   Those words, much in her mind since her last movie, echoed in Keri's
thoughts.  Right, she said to herself.  Why am I doing this anyway? 
Alicia's a good person who needs it, but if she doesn't want it, it's her
loss, right?  I still have Evan and Erika as friends, regardless of what
happens here.  I've had Alicia once, and that was enough.  She's a major
bitch anyway, Dave was right.  I don't need her.  In fact, now that I think
about it, having all four of us together was never really part of my
fantasy at all.  And even if it was, that wouldn't make it possible.  It
was just a stupid idea.

   "Come on, guys," she said, looking at the other three girls.  Erika was
looking at Alicia, expectant.  The redhead was staring back at her, face
warring with hidden emotions.  Evan had stared at the door for a long
instant, but by now had turned back to Alicia.  Her face was expectant too,
sensing the tension in the air.  Keri walked over and took her hand, eyes
locking on Evan's.  The young girl looked at her, then nodded, realizing
what Keri was thinking.  Her eyes said she was thinking it too.  Keri
looked at Erika.  "Come on, let's go."

   "Right," Erika agreed, sighing as she turned away from Alicia.  She had
proposed the idea of introducing Keri and Evan to the club's secret rooms
tonight, Alicia or no Alicia.  They would use them and other private places
for their meetings now- no more risks in the studio dressing rooms where
anyone might hear and guess what was going on.  They had all hoped to
include Alicia in their meetings- they all felt compassion for her and
wanted to be her friend.  But if she was so angry at herself for wanting it
too that she couldn't make up her mind about it...

   "Wait!" Alicia called out as they started to walk away.

   The other three actresses stopped, looking back at her.  Keri felt
something rushing inside, a pleasant feeling.  Alicia smiled at them,
waving at the bartender over her shoulder.  "We need room 3-G, Doug," she
told him calmly, eyes remaining on Keri, Erika, and Evan.  "Four of us, at
least two hours."

   "We'll pay upon leaving," Erika added, her face alight with happiness.
"Put it on our tab."

   The bartender nodded, took a key from one of his pockets, and dropped it
on the bar.  He made a sweeping gesture, pushed up his glasses, then
grinned and turned away to serve other customers.  Alicia picked up the
key, then turned back to the others with a grin.



   "You already told her the plan?" Evan asked Erika.



   "Yep," Erika said.  "I told her about it ten minutes after we got here.
She demanded to know what was going on.  She wasn't too excited about it at
first, but she stayed and..."

   "And now I'm saying 'what the fuck,'" Alicia interrupted, stepping
towards them.  "Let's do this." She smiled and took Keri's arm.  Keri said
nothing, still amazed by all the sudden changes of the day.  She merely
smiled at Alicia, then at Erika and Evan.  It's going to work, she knew as
they stared back.  My God, it's going to work.  Oh yes!

   Alicia smiled at her again, then dropped her arm and walked over to take
Erika's.  They headed across the dance floor, barely touching, only
smiling. A few eyes followed them, then lost interest and looked away. 
Alicia led the way, taking directions from Erika.  Keri took one long sip
of the cocktail the bartender had given her, then moved to follow them. 
Evan stared at the door again for a long moment, then looked at Doug, who
shrugged and smiled strangely.

   "You'll meet him again," he said.

   "You're probably right," Evan softly whispered.  "There's always a
chance." Keri barely heard her because her voice was so low.  Then the
words were gone, lost in the click of heels on pavement as the young girl
hurried to catch up with her friends.  Doug stared after them, smiling for
a long moment before turning back to his customers.  Not looking back, the
girls walked on.

   They headed through a door at the back of the club, up two flights of
stairs, past a couple of smiling doormen to whom Alicia and Erika said
hello and flashed their key.  Three other girls walked past them as they
turned a last corner and found themselves facing a long row of doors.  A
brunette and two blondes, smiling and laughing at each other.  Keri thought
the blondes' accents sounded Australian, while the brunette's was very
British.  They looked familiar, but again she couldn't place them.  She
thought she'd seen the brunette in a movie.  Something about pirates,
maybe? Oh well, it wasn't important.  She shook her head and continued
walking along behind her friends.

   Alicia found the door marked 3-G, then pushed it open.  The other girls
followed her.  It was a simple room, covered with soft angora carpet and
furnished with a few chairs, couches, and tables.  The room's lights were
dim, the air cool and calm.  There was a shelf at the door where people
could leave their belongings.  Alicia put her purse there, and the other
girls did the same.  They then all took their shoes off and left them in a
pile by the door.  Alicia smiled at the others and moved around the room,
arranging things so that there was a wide space in the center.  Evan, Keri,
and Erika helped her, continuing to exchange brief words and smiles as they
cleared a space for themselves.

   "Do you always use this room?" Evan asked Erika.

   "Most of the time," Erika laughed.  "I like its location." She reached
back, unsnapped the top of her gown, then turned to Evan.  "Can you help me
with this?"

   Evan smiled at her, then reached over and pulled down the zipper.  She
then turned around, her eyes repeating Erika's query.  The other blonde
nodded, then started unbuttoning the back of Evan's dress.

   Keri unfastened the top of her own gown, still looking at Alicia.  The
redhead kicked one last cushion out of the middle of the room, then
suddenly stopped.  She looked at each of the other three girls for a long
moment, then at the floor.  Letting out a hesitant sigh, she looked up
again, then beckoned with elegant fingers.  "Keri?"

   The brunette smiled and walked over, unzipping her dress and shoving it
off her shoulders as she did so.  Alicia embraced her and they kissed
feverishly, confirming to the others the truth of their relationship. 
Erika smiled at Evan again, taking the other blonde's hand and pulling her
near.  They watched the other two girls as they kissed, smiling in rapture.
Alicia's hands remained on Keri's cheeks, pulling the other girl close and
kissing her again.  Keri kissed Alicia back, but her fingers were busy. 
One flick, and the top catch on the redhead's dress was unsnapped.  A
downward movement of Keri's hand, and the zipper was lowered.  Hands then
moved to shoulders, and the dress was pushed to the floor.



   "Ah!" Alicia gasped, locking lips with Keri.  Evan and Erika smiled at
them, then turned and embraced each other.  Erika's hands moved to the
young girl's shoulders, slipped her dress's sleeves down her arms and
pushed them off.  Evan's hands came up in almost the same motion, grabbing
hold of the bodice of Erika's dress and shoving it over the humps of her
heavy breasts.  The young girl's hands fell onto the other blonde's bosoms
as they were revealed, grabbing and pulling at the nipples while their
dresses fell to the floor.  Erika moaned at the sensations, running her
fingers through Evan's long hair and kissing her on the lips.  Evan
returned her kiss, smiling and rubbing at Erika's cleavage.

   Keri and Alicia continued to kiss and cuddle close, their naked bodies
now rubbing against each other.  Keri briefly reflected on the fact that,
like all of them, the redhead had not been wearing any underwear.  Maybe
she had found it chafing again, or maybe not.  Perhaps, like the other
three girls, she'd made up her mind about this long before coming to the
club.

   "Please," Alicia said all of a sudden, hands moving up to Keri's
shoulders, pushing her down.  Keri nodded and knelt along with Alicia.  She
let the redhead take her down to the floor, leaning over and rolling away
from the piled cushions and their discarded clothing.  Alicia fell over
Keri as the brunette lay on her back, rubbing against Keri's body with
hers. Hands moved to fondle cheeks, breasts, arms, and shoulders.  Alicia
leaned down and kissed Keri again, her red hair falling in curtains about
their faces and mingling with the other girl's brunette curls.

   Evan gasped too, embraced by Erika.  Their dresses were kicked off and
thrown away, their hands tangling in each other's long blonde hair.  Evan
pushed the rubber band off Erika's curls as she ran her fingers through
them, smiling and kissing her.  Lips touched tongues, teeth nipping at each
other's mouths.  Blue eyes shone, the girls smiling at each other as they
sank to the floor, arms around one another.  The two blondes kissed once
more, then Erika pushed Evan down and bent over her, kissing and licking
her way over the young girl's neck and chest.

   Alicia pulled back from Keri and looked her up and down.  She smiled,
running her fingers over the brunette's face and then her chest.  Keri felt
a tang of loss for a moment, wondering if they should roll over to Erika
and Evan, try to include them.

   But no, that wasn't a good idea just yet.  Alicia's fingers were still
hesitant as they touched her, unsure but growing more daring as they felt
the familiar.  Keri urged her on with passionate looks, her own hands
smoothing the redhead's hair and caressing her shoulders and the curves of
her backside.

   Alicia returned Keri's smile, then moved in, kissing her lips and
throat. Her mouth moved on, lower and lower.  Over Keri's neck, then to the
cleavage between her small breasts.  Lips touched one nipple and sucked it
to full hardness, then repeated the motion with the other.  Keri gasped out
her pleasure, rubbing her fingers over Alicia's shoulders and hair.

   Erika meanwhile was tonguing and sucking at Evan's nipples, the young
girl squealing and moaning as she moved back and forth.  Their bodies
twitched and shook against each other.  Evan's fingers massaged Erika's
shoulders, then moved upwards, cradled the other blonde's face as Erika
moved back up from her nipples to kiss at her neck.  Evan gasped again,
then took hold of Erika's shoulders and rolled her over.  Erika tried to
throw her off, but Evan shook her head, pushing her down.  Erika nodded in
submission.

   Evan moved on top of Erika and kissed her lips, then her neck, then
moved on down to her breasts.  Her mouth sucked and nibbled, hands rubbing
in counterpoint, squeezing and raking nails across Erika's shapely curves.
There was a tenderness to her touches and also a savagery, as if Evan was
both adoring and angry towards the other blonde.  Erika moaned at each
caress, mouth spewing dirty words of encouragement, lips smiling as Evan
rubbed and licked.



   "Keri," Alicia moaned her lover's name, looking up from between her
breasts and smiling.  Keri grinned back, then waved her hand at her pussy,
prompting Alicia to turn her attention towards it.  The redhead smiled,
then kissed and rubbed her way down Keri's torso.  Her lips moved across
Keri's stomach, her hands along her sides.  Keri moaned and gasped as
Alicia's tongue flicked across her navel, then her waist.  Alicia's fingers
moved onto her hips and then around them, pushing open Keri's legs and
lower lips.

   The redhead's fingers moved on, pressing into the forest of curls
between Keri's loins and parting their growth.  Alicia's expression changed
rapidly as she ran her nimble digits through Keri's folds for several
seconds.  First she frowned, then she smiled, then she frowned, then she
smiled again.  At last she took hold of one of Keri's inner thighs in each
of her hands, pushed them apart, and held them steady.  Then she smiled,
leaned in, and put her face between them.  Keri gasped, feeling the soft
touch of Alicia's hair and skin against her as the other actress pressed
her lips against Keri's core.  Keri gasped again as Alicia's tongue came
out and entered her, then looked at the other two actresses.

   Erika was gasping also, screaming out her pleasure as Evan growled and
pinched at her breasts.  The young girl's nails slashed down Erika's sides,
leaving red furrows.  "Yes!" Erika cried, her hands rubbing with abandon
over the other blonde's shoulders and through her hair.

   Evan slowed her movements to a stop, grinning up at her lover.  Then she
resumed her tonguing of Erika's breasts, her teeth pulling and twisting at
their edges.  Erika moaned and rubbed at the sides of her head, taking
pleasure in her lover's savagery.  Evan kissed her way onwards, sucking at
the undersides of Erika's breasts and then down across her belly.  Lips
moved slower now, tenderly yet passionately, Evan's fingers strumming in
accompainment.

   Erika gasped and threw her head back, moaning and screaming out passion
as Evan touched and kissed her navel, then her waist, then the hard nubbin
of flesh topping her groin.  Evan looked up and grinned at her, then moved
again.  Her fingers pushed into Erika's pubic curls, probed and journeyed
amongst the blonde hair and the folds of skin underneath.  Then Evan took
hold of the other girl's legs and pushed them apart, rubbing her hair
against Erika's thighs as Erika moaned and urged her to keep going.  "Yes!
Yes!  Show me you love me!!" Evan paused and smiled at her for a second,
then looked back down, opened her mouth, and stuck her tongue into Erika's
cunt.

   Keri moaned, hearing Erika's screams, gasping and shaking herself as
Alicia licked and lapped at her pussy.  The redhead's tongue curled around
the brunette's clit, squeezing it while her lips applied suction.  Alicia's
fingers meanwhile continued to move across Keri's thighs, hammering the
nerves there and tapping out a symphony of ecstasy.  Keri threw her head
from side to side, running her fingers through Alicia's hair and across her
own hips and belly, increasing the feelings raging within.

   She flicked her eyes over and watched the other two girls for a minute,
smiling as she saw Evan take hold of Erika's clit, then snap it out of its
hood with a sharp upward motion.  Her fingers darted in, snatching the
pebble and holding it prisoner.  The edges of Evan's fingers rubbed and
prodded at Erika's clit, then her tongue moved in to join them.  Her other
hand continued to hold down and massage Erika's thigh.  Erika's other thigh
moved back and forth, its pale surface caressing against Evan's soft blonde
hair.

   Keri smiled, noting the contrasts between the blondes.  One young, one
experienced.  One creamy, one pale.  One small, one shapely.  Different
just as Alicia and she were different.  Yet here, like them, giving each
other as much pleasure as they could.

   Alicia's tongue jabbed deeper into Keri as she thought this, licking
back and forth at her clit and labia.  Keri let out another chorus of
moans, feeling its rough touch on her most sensitive inner folds.  Then,
biting her lip, she closed her eyes and abandoned herself to the
sensations. Each of her hands moved to and closed on one of her breasts,
pulling and twisting her nipples to heighten the feelings Alicia was giving
her.

   The redhead's tongue and fingers jabbed into Keri, nails pressing and
slicing into her thighs.  One more squeeze, another lick, a few more flicks
across her nerves, and Keri was wailing, gasping out her pleasure and
shooting juices into Alicia's waiting throat.

   Erika cried out only seconds after Keri, spasming under the touch and
caress of Evan's mouth and fingers.  Keri smiled as her contractions
subsided, feeling the soft touch of Alicia's hair move up on her skin.  The
redhead smiled as she bent over Keri, then kissed her lips.

   Reveling in the sweet taste of her own essence, Keri wrapped her arms
around Alicia and pulled the other woman hard against her, kissing her back
and caressing.  Her hands moved over Alicia's body, trying to arouse the
same passion.  For a moment she could feel her lover shaking.  Then
suddenly Alicia grabbed her hands, pushed them aside, sat up, and started
to move away on bent knees.

   "No, wait, I..." Keri gasped out, eyes turning to follow Alicia.  The
redhead was crawling toward Evan and Erika, eyes intent and focused.  Evan
was licking Erika through her orgasm, rubbing at the other blonde's breasts
as she did so.  Erika's chest was heaving and she was continuing to gasp,
tingling with repeated sensations.  Keri felt her heart hammer inside her
as she watched, a smile coming to her face.  Erika's deep blue eyes lit up
as she stared back at Keri, smiling herself and running a hand through
Evan's hair.  She cradled the young girl's head and pushed it into her,
then stopped suddenly, catching sight of the approaching Alicia.

   The redhead smiled at Erika as the blonde's expression showed hesitance
at first, then joyful expectation.  Feeling the other woman's presence,
Evan pulled her face out of the well between Erika's thighs.  She stared at
Alicia and grinned a wide dimpled smirk.

   Keri shook her head and pulled herself to her knees.  I have to get over
there, she told herself, help Alicia through this.  She's still unsure
about everything, I could tell that when she was touching me.  Now she's
over there facing the idea of fucking a girl who part of her still thinks
should not be here.  Or another girl who is so psychologically different
from her, despite their being friends.

   Erika's way more into this than Alicia, probably always will be. 
Alicia's still not sure who she is, let alone what she wants, and we've
just opened so many new possibilities to her.  So many things she's barely
considered before now.  Can she really let herself embrace them?  And if
she does, just how far will she go?

   Pondering all this, Keri moved up behind Alicia as she stared at the
other two girls uncertainly.  She looked at Erika, then Evan, then Erika
again.  For a moment Keri thought she would reach out to her old friend,
once again embrace the familiar over the new.

   Then, just as Alicia started to reach out her arm, Evan spun around in a
movement almost too quick to follow.  Her hands grabbed Alicia by the
shoulders and pushed her down into a nearby pile of cushions.  The redhead
opened her mouth to protest, but was met by Evan's lust-filled smile.  The
younger girl's hands grabbed Alicia's wrists and held them captive.  Her
lips plunged forward and smacked into Alicia's open mouth, tongue thrusting
inside and cutting off all words.



   "Whoa," Keri breathed, watching as Evan's lips again met Alicia's.  The
young girl rolled on top of her in the same motion, pushing her back into
the cushions.  Evan's leg came between Alicia's, her knee nudging the
redhead's legs apart and rubbing against her pussy.  Alicia moaned at the
touch, then moved her hands back and forth, trying to shake off Evan's
grip.

   The young girl pulled away, smiling as she released the older actress.
Alicia's arms shot up immediately, grabbed Evan by the shoulders and pulled
her back down.  Their lips met, teeth nipping at each other.  Each girl's
arms moved around the other, rubbing her breasts and the curves of her
back. Evan's knee rubbed against Alicia's cunt again, then slipped down as
they moved closer together.  Their legs and thighs started moving against
each other, their lips continuing to meet while their hands caressed.  Keri
remained still and smiled, watching them, fingers going to her own pussy.

   Suddenly she felt a change in the air behind her.  A sudden feeling of
chill, quickly replaced by a deep warmth as Erika grabbed Keri from behind
and pulled her close.  Keri gasped, feeling the touch of the other girl's
voluptuous naked body against her own slim one.  Large hard nipples
pressing into her back muscles, wet folds of still-sensitive cunt touching
and rubbing against Keri's rear.  Erika's hands moved around her, massaging
her breasts and belly.  The blonde's lips pressed against her neck, then
traveled through Keri's curls to her left ear.

   "We're not going to let them have all the fun, now are we?" Erika
whispered with a grin.

   Keri only gasped in answer, turning her head to meet Erika's lips with
her own.  Their mouths closed on each other, then opened, tongues coming
out and seeking union.  Keri pushed her body back against Erika and turned
around, helped by her new friend's hands.

   This morning I thought you were going to be such a stuck-up bitch,
Erika, Keri chuckled to herself as they rubbbed their bodies against each
other.  And you proved me right.  But surprise, surpise, I liked you for
it. And now that I have you here, naked and writhing against me, I like you
even more.  To hell with your religion, with all our differences- I don't
give a damn.

   The brunette chuckled as all these new thoughts flashed into her mind,
sparking new waves of energy inside her.  Her hands came down and grabbed
at Erika's breasts, fingers pinching and probing deeply.  Erika moaned at
the touches, her body shaking and tossling against Keri's.  One of her
hands locked around Keri's back, pulling and holding the other girl tight
against her.  Erika's other hand continued to rub across Keri's breasts,
back and forth.  Fingers squeezed and played with the nipples.  Knuckles
rubbed up and down the cleavage between.

   "Ah!!" Keri gasped, feeling Erika thrust her belly up suddenly, grinding
her cunt into Keri's.  Their pussy lips touched, wet lips rubbing each
other.  Keri grinned at the sensations, feeling her pussy once more
increase in warmth and tingling.  Erika's clit, sprung erect from its hood,
rubbed into Keri's, hardening both.  Their pussies were still sensitive
from their recent orgasms, but they were growing in lubrication as they
continued to rub one another.  Their breasts pushed hard into each other as
well, slapping and rubbing.  Each girl's hands moved around the other,
massaging and cuddling.  Lips met in impassioned kissing, tongues caressing
one another as below them clit mashed into clit.

   Keri kissed Erika again, then stole a quick glance at Alicia and Evan.
The two other girls were still lying among the cushions, side by side now.
Their lips were touching, pulling back, then touching again.  Each had a
hand on the other's breasts, caressing and rubbing at them.  Alicia's other
hand was on Evan's belly, fingers tickling the nerves there and setting
them to vibrating.  Evan was smiling and gasping in passion, her own
fingers moving and rubbing across Alicia's thighs.

   Keri frowned for an instant, noting the suggestive curl in Evan's
fingers as they approached their destination.  Oh no, she thought, she
can't do that.  AJ told me it takes practice, and not everyone's into it.
This is still new for Alicia, we can't do too much too fast.  We...

   Keri let out a relieved sigh as Evan pressed two fingers into Alicia's
crimson snatch, leaving the others free and dangling.  Alicia moved back
and forth on Evan's fingers, humping them, tightening and contracting the
muscles of her thighs.

   Keri felt a hand touch her cheek and turned her eyes away from the other
couple, smiling as she felt Erika's lips touch her own once more.  The
blonde's arms locked around Keri, their bodies moving hot and hard against
one another.  Their clits, recessed now with increasing eroticism, were
still rubbing together.  Harder, then softer, their tenderness building. 
Each girl caressed the other's body, fingers pinching nerves and unlocking
new waves of pleasure.  Their lips continued to meet and clash, emotion
flowing between them with every touch.  Keri felt her heart shake inside at
every deepening of their connection.  Enough, she told herself.  I have to
end this now.

   She grabbed hold of Erika's shoulder with one hand, rubbing and
squeezing at her bicep.  Her other hand moved down, over the blonde's back
and around her upper thigh.  Keri ran her fingers through Erika's pubic
hair, smiling at its depth and soft texture.  Then she pushed one finger
down, over Erika's clit and into her tight pussy.  Erika shook in Keri's
arms at its entrance, gasping out.  Keri smiled at her and slowly added a
second digit, then a third.

   Erika screamed and quaked against Keri just as the brunette's third
finger pushed inside, her pussy clenching hard on the others and twisting
them with the motion of her orgasm.  Juices flooded out of Erika's pussy
and onto Keri.  Keri smiled at their touch, feeling a dam break inside her.
The thumb of her hand in Erika's pussy shot out, flicked once against her
clit.  That was all it took.  Keri shook and moaned against her new lover,
then flung her head back and let out a scream as she came several times in
a rush.

   "Oh God yes!" a voice caught her ear just then, echoing.  "Rub me,
little one!  Sweet little one, oh yes!" Alicia was vibrating her pussy back
and forth on Evan's thrusting fingers, squeezing them with her cunt
muscles. Evan pulled her fingers out, then pushed them back in, shaking
them up and down as she did so.  The young girl's thumb was on the
redhead's clit, probing and pressing.  Evan's other hand was resting
between Alicia's breasts, rubbing their sides and flicking the nipples. 
Her lips were smiling, her face alight with joy and pleasure.  Alicia's
hands continued to move over her thighs and belly, fingers hitting key
frequencies and urging them forth.

   "Come for me," Evan said, laughing as she and Alicia tickled each other.
"You know you want to.  You're the orchestra, I'm the conductor.  Here
comes my baton."

   She punctuated her words with a thrust of her middle finger deep into
Alicia's pussy.  The redhead cried out in shock, tightening and contracting
around the invader.  Keri and Erika stopped their motions and watched,
enthralled as Alicia gasped and moaned, her body moving in a long spasm. 
Evan rubbed her all through it, pushing her middle finger up and deep into
the older girl's pussy.  Her index finger joined it, then her ring finger.
Her pinky and thumb remained outside, tapping against Alicia's thighs and
yanking at her cunt's red curls.  Alicia shook repeatedly, throwing her
head back, face flushed with heat.  She grinned and thrust herself back up,
smiling at Evan and letting out a crescendo of moans.

   "Let me..." Alicia gasped out as she stopped shaking, hands moving up
and touching Evan's shoulders.  "Let me do you."

   Evan nodded and smiled, pulling back and withdrawing her fingers from
the redhead's pussy.  She lay down on the cushions and grinned, eagerly
awaiting Alicia's caresses.  Alicia bent over her, kissed Evan's lips and
then moved southward, her hands following her mouth closely and playing the
young girl's nerves.

   Evan, already heavily aroused from all she'd done to Erika and then
Alicia, was longing for release, and now it was close.  Alicia, awakened to
her long-buried urges and now fully comfortable with them, was licking and
caressing her with abandon.  The young girl shook as Alicia's tongue went
across her belly scar, then let out a long scream of ecstasy as it dove
over her clit and into her shaven cunt.

   Alicia flicked her tongue back and forth, vibrating it like a metronome.
Every movement sent another flare of emotion across Evan's body and mind.
She cried out every one, her hands rubbing her own breasts to heighten the
sensations.  Alicia held her thighs down and lapped at her cunt with every
gyration, reveling in the young girl's sighs and squeals.

   After Evan expended one last flare of energy, Alicia moved back up and
kissed her for a long moment, sharing the young blonde's own flavor with
her.  Evan let out one last gasp, smiling as the redhead pulled away.  For
a moment she looked regretful, why Keri could not guess.  Then she leaned
back and sighed, letting her body shake in recovery.  Alicia meanwhile got
back to her knees, let out a long sigh, and turned to smile at Keri and
Erika.

   The other two girls, aroused from their coupling and what they had
watched, pulled back from each other and returned her happy look.  What
next?  Keri thought, then decided.  She put a hand between herself and
Erika.  She wanted to touch Alicia again, but more than that she wanted to
see her fully give in to her desires, deny them no longer.  To do that the
other girl had to join with friends both old and new, release all her
desires and theirs.  Erika must have guessed this as well, because she
smiled widely at Keri, then sat up on her knees and turned to Alicia with
open arms.

   Alicia stared back at her, frozen for an instant.  Then she shook her
head, said "Why not..." and moved forward, extending her arms and wrapping
them around Erika.  The girls pulled each other's bodies close, rubbing
against each other as their lips met, adding new intimacy to their
relationship with fingers and tongues.

   Watching their faces and movements, Keri found herself reminded of how
it had been with Vera.  Old friends with hidden desires they hadn't known
they shared, coming together and discovering each other.  Their differences
forgotten, every kiss of their mouths and caress of their fingers pushing
them farther away.  Erika and Alicia smiled at each other as they parted
lips, then pulled back, seperated.

   "I..." Alicia began, staring at Erika.  "Look, I don't know about this,"
she said, smiling.  "I'm still not sure I really want to be part of your
lifestyle."

   "That's fine," Erika replied.  "Just know that I'm here whenever you
need anything." With that, she took hold of Alicia's shoulders again,
leaning back and pulling the other girl down to the carpet.  Alicia smiled
as she accepted the gesture, kissing Erika and then turning around on her,
hands taking hold of and seperating the other girl's thighs.

   "Beautiful, isn't it?" a soft voice said.  Keri turned to see Evan
moving up beside her, still flushed and gasping.  The young girl gave her a
smile, took Keri's hand and pressed it against her stomach, then moved it
lower.  Keri let a deep breath out as she felt Evan's body, sensitive but
still alight with lust.

   "Thank you for this," Evan told Keri.  "It's more amazing than anything
I could imagine."

   "Same here," Keri agreed, beaming as she turned back to watch Erika and
Alicia.  Their faces were buried in each other's pussies now, licking and
sucking while their fingers massaged and ran across each other's heaving
thighs.  Red and blonde hair shone as it moved back and forth, the lights
of the room also reflecting off the girls' sweat-engulfed skin.  Keri
smiled as she regarded them, rubbing Evan and shaking as she felt the young
girl's hands begin to touch her too.

   This place better have good showers, she thought with a chuckle.  We're
really going to need them before we leave.  I just hope we can bring
ourselves to use them for their intended purpose.

   Laughing at the thought, Keri leaned towards Evan and pulled her down,
kissing and rubbing against her.  Their bodies were throbbing, emotions
flashing through their minds.  Like the other two girls, they knew this was
only the end of the beginning.  Their relationship was close now, closer
than they or anyone could have hoped for.  They would have to keep it
hidden, but that would not be impossible.  They were all actresses,
well-versed in cloaking their true selves from the world.  They would go on
with their lives, continue to make movies, and whenever possible get
together for more moments like this.  They would all be enjoyable, and the
memories of them would be treasured forever.  They had all gotten to know
each other, had seen past the stereotypes, and were now friends.  Good
friends.  Keri knew it would continue.

   Smiling at the knowledge, she again pumped her fist into Evan's snatch.
   *** The End.