Debutante (14 page)

‘What?' Marion topped up everyone's glass and, with an expression of regret, set aside the now empty wine bottle.

‘This whole preoccupation with anal sex,' replied Emily. She'd spent the day at the patio table, writing until it was too dark to see. It'd been a relief when Gary's car pulled up and she'd come inside to find a decent meal prepared and friends to dine with. If she'd had a glass or two too many of the Cabernet, well, who was counting? Besides, it was her wine, at least, it was from the wine cellar in her house, so she was entitled to drink as much of it as she liked. And she did like.

The other girls laughed but, likely noticing the serious way in which Emily looked from one to the next and the next, leaped on the topic with the kind of sincere gusto that girls-with-wine are apt to do.

Jillian went first. ‘I've done it. I can't say I'm crazy about it, but my ex-boyfriend was desperate to give it a try. So I did.'

‘Didn't it hurt?' Emily peered over the rim of her wine glass at the little brunette.

‘Yes. We did it three times and it hurt three times. So I said I'd had enough. By then we were sort of falling apart, though. If we'd stayed together I might've tried again, but I don't miss it.' Jillian shrugged. ‘Don't miss him, either.'

All four laughed together.

‘It just seems so painful. And degrading. Why would anyone want to do it?' asked Em.

‘Because it's painful and degrading,' said Kara. ‘My favourite!' She blew out a candle that was about to start dripping on the tablecloth. ‘Gary and I are into that sort of stuff. He spanks me, too.'

‘If you're bad?' asked Jillian.

‘Sometimes if I'm very bad. And sometimes if I'm very, very good,' said Kara.

Emily shook her head. ‘I don't get it, but it'd make a great little porn movie. What do you say?'

‘You'll have to ask Gary. He's the boss, with a capital B.'

‘I wouldn't have guessed you guys were D/s,' said Marion. ‘Dominant/submissive,' she added, when Emily and Jillian gave her uncomprehending looks.

Kara shrugged. ‘Only in bed. We're not into the “lifestyle”, if you know what I mean. I couldn't do it twenty-four-seven. But sometimes it's fun to be ordered around. You know, I'm always thinking, thinking, thinking. What's next for me? For us? Will I stay in LA? Will Gary and I stay together? Get married? Do I want kids? Blah blah blah. I tell you, a good caning drives all that stuff right out of your mind. You're free to just do what you're told, without thinking, or deciding, or even reciprocating. You just be. He does everything. You're just the … the object, the precious object, of his attention. It's good.'

‘I don't find anal sex painful at all, any more,' said Marion. ‘But caning? That's gotta hurt!'

‘Like a bitch, dude,' said Kara. ‘For a few strokes. Then it changes, something just changes, you know?'

The other three girls shook their heads.

‘I guess it's the endorphins kicking in,' said Kara, ‘and it doesn't hurt at all any more. You want it. You ride it, the way you ride a wave on your board. Then –'

‘Then?' prompted Marion.

‘Then either you come like a fucking house on fire or it starts to hurt like a bitch again. If that happens, if it starts to hurt, I just call out my safe word and he stops.'

‘Hmm.' Marion sat back in her chair. She lit a cigarette from the pack the four girls were sharing. ‘I might get off on that.'

‘My mind could sure use clearing,' said Emily. ‘I've got half a dozen scripts half finished. Vito's doing a great job of distribution but we need to shoot them all before September if we want to pay off the fee hike for everyone's first semester.'

‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown,' said Jillian sympathetically. She rose from her spot at the table and circled round behind Emily's chair. Jillian started massaging Emily's bare shoulders. ‘You're as tight as a … a …'

‘Virgin asshole?' prompted Marion.

Emily grinned ruefully. ‘I think that's the way mine is going to stay. But Luke …'

‘Mmmhmm,' muttered Marion.

‘I know you and Luke were lovers before I came along,' said Emily. Her grey eyes focused sharply on Marion's face.

Marion's green eyes widened. Her face turned as scarlet as her hair. ‘You do not. We weren't … did he say … where'd you hear that?'

Emily snorted in a very unladylike manner. ‘I deduced it, Doctor Watson.'

‘Is that so?' Marion frowned. ‘How did you come to this conclusion, Sherlock?'

‘Elementally – elementary, my friend. When I asked you to try to seduce him, to see if he really loved me, you said you “even kissed the side of his neck”. Only a lover would know about his secret weakness for that.'

‘Oh.'

Everyone was silent for a moment. Emily could feel all eyes on her. She laughed. ‘I don't care. He wasn't my first, either.'

‘We weren't lovers,' said Marion. ‘We were friends with benefits. Seriously.'

Jillian kneaded harder. Emily's neck emitted an audible pop.

‘Fuck, girl, you are uptight,' said Kara. She shot Marion a warning glance.

‘Don't worry, I'm not going to freak out,' said Emily. ‘Just be honest, please. What the fuck is the difference between friends with benefits and lovers? I want to know.'

Marion sighed. ‘OK, but remember, you asked. I'm a size queen. I like a big dick. The bigger, the better. I like sucking a big one, I like fucking a big one and I like a great big dick up my ass.'

‘They say only about ten per cent of women like anal sex but the ones that like it
really
like it,' offered Kara.

‘Go on,' Emily prodded Marion.

‘So, Luke, you know, he has a big one. And whether you do or don't agree with it, he likes anal sex. We're friends. We're housemates. When we met, we were both single. But we never went on a date or sat out on the porch talking about the stars or any of that stuff. We didn't flirt. We don't have that kind of attraction.'

Jillian piped up. ‘So yours is more like an animal attraction?'

Marion shrugged. ‘We liked to fuck. Luke met you, Emily. He stopped fucking me.'

‘How much do you miss him?' asked Em. She gave Marion a challenging look.

‘I don't. We're still pals. We live in the same house. We work together. I don't miss him, but I am overdue for a big dick up my bum!' Marion threw back her head and laughed. ‘Oh Gods of Film, send me a big dick to fuck my blooming arse.'

‘Something tells me you're a long way from becoming a “fair lady”, Marion,' said Emily. She groaned as Jillian dug her thumbs up into her shoulders. ‘What happens if I don't do it? If I just can't?'

Jillian was the first to reply. ‘I'm going to make sure my next boyfriend isn't a freak for it. He can stick a finger up there if he really wants to and I'll do the same for him. But I'm not interested in anal sex and I'm going to make that clear from the start.'

‘You mean like, “Hi, my name is Jillian and I hate anal sex”?' Kara asked.

‘Pretty much,' said Jillian. ‘I might as well. If a couple doesn't have complementary sexual desires it's pretty much doomed, don't you think?' One hand flew from Emily's shoulder to her own mouth as she realised what she'd said.

Em's eyes filled with tears. ‘Luke's not coming back here tonight,' she said. ‘I think I … I think maybe Executive Producer Emily doesn't attract him the way plain old Emily did.'

‘Don't be crazy. He's mad about you,' scoffed Marion. ‘And you've never been plain.'

‘I think you're very beautiful, Emily,' said Jillian. ‘You and Marion, too,' she said to Kara. ‘I mean it. I'm so happy we're friends.'

‘I'd like to propose a toast to friendship but we need more wine,' said Emily. ‘Jillian?'

Jillian was on her way to the basement door when it opened and the boys came trooping up.

Gary leered at Kara. ‘C'mere, me saucy wench. I've sailed the seven seas and yours is the finest treasure chest I've ever laid me deadlights on.'

Kara rolled her eyes. ‘Playing pirate pool?'

‘Avast,' proclaimed Tony. ‘Tis th' best game in th' whole world.'

Marion rose. ‘There's a demonstration against the fee hikes tomorrow in the quad. We should all go. All the students on campus, not just the film students, have promised a show of solidarity. You know, today the Film Department, tomorrow – who knows? Medicine? Arts? Business?'

Emily motioned Jillian back from the door. The fun was over. She stood up, weaving a little, as much from weariness as from the wine. She felt heavy, as if there'd been a shift in the gravity of her personal space.

‘We don't have any cameras any more. Luke says he's turning them in tomorrow.'

‘Shit! What happened?' asked Paul.

‘Ol' whatserface, Patricia, who by the way will not be returning this fall, dumped Professor Whatsisface as soon as she got her marks.'

‘Simmons,' said Jillian. ‘But don't worry about that, Em. I'll go visit Simmons tomorrow. When I'm done with him, he'll let us keep the cameras until school starts.'

‘You'd do that? For the Movie Mob?' Marion looked shocked.

‘Yeah, plus I think he's cute,' said Jillian. She giggled. ‘And bad. It's not that easy to find a professor who'll exchange hand jobs for favours these days.' She wiggled her eyebrows. ‘I think it's sexy.'

Tony looked at Jillian like he'd never seen her before. ‘I reckon that ye thinkin' that be sort o' sexy,' he said. ‘Avast.'

With that he headed for the stairs.

Paul followed.

Gary tried and failed to pick his girlfriend up in his arms.

‘I need a moment, please,' Emily said to him.

‘I'll wait for ye in the cabin,' he growled at his girl.

When the four girls were alone again, Emily asked the question she'd been hoping to ask all day. ‘I have one script finished. Vito wants girl on girl on girl. How do the three of you feel about that?'

‘I'll do it,' said Marion.

‘Me too!' Jillian's eyes shone. Obviously, the attraction Emily had fancied Jillian felt for Marion was real.

‘Absolutely not.'

Three pairs of astonished eyes focused on Kara.

‘I don't do chicks. God, Emily. No fucking way.' Kara turned on her heel and marched to the stairs.

Once she was out of sight Marion, Jillian and Emily risked exchanging glances. As one, they clapped their hands over their mouths to stifle their giggles.

‘Well,' said Emily, when she could trust herself to speak, ‘I guess now we know what Kara means when she says she doesn't do kink.'

Luke and Richard sat at the kitchen table in their house. With the window open, they could hear the noise of the crowd protesting the Film Department's fee hike.

‘Think it'll do any good?' Richard asked.

‘Too little, way too late,' replied Luke. He took a swig from his coffee cup and, finding it empty, rose to fill it again. He wasn't hungover or even especially tired. He just felt a little … old.

‘We should probably go,' said Richard.

Luke sighed. He sat down at the table once more. ‘Maybe. Not much point in trying to turn in the cameras today, even if we wanted to.'

‘Which we don't.'

‘Dunno. Em wants me to hang on to them for a while longer but I'm getting major heat from the Department.'

As if the mention of her name had summoned her, Emily's face appeared at the window. At the sight of her, Luke's heartbeat accelerated until it was pounding a tattoo in his head.

Paul and Emily came in through the kitchen door.

While Paul fetched himself a cup of coffee, Emily made a beeline for her boyfriend. ‘I missed you last night,' she said.

‘C'mere.' Luke patted his lap. She obliged. Luke cuddled her close, inhaling her fresh scent as if he were asthmatic and Emily the antidote. His heart stopped racing. Everything was going to be fine.

‘So, did you get us a cougar?'

‘Sure did,' said Richard. He leered at Emily.

Asshole
. Luke gave his companion from the night before an evil look.

Richard said, ‘I'm out of here,' and left by the back door.

‘What's with him?' Emily wriggled in Luke's lap.

‘He's going to the demonstration. I guess we should go, too.'

‘Marion's there,' said Paul. He stood at the kitchen counter, sipping his coffee. He laughed. ‘I asked if she'd be turning in the portable Olympus LS-100 she's always carrying and she practically tore me a new one.'

Luke smiled. ‘Yeah, it's hers. She bought it as soon as it came out.'

‘Nice,' said Paul. ‘I dropped Jillian at the campus as well. She's gone to give the Department Head some head. Or something. So we can keep the cameras until the semester starts.'

‘Jesus. She hasn't even been in a porn flick and she's already whoring herself.' Luke frowned. ‘Whose idea was that?' He gave Emily a piercing look.

‘Hers.' Em helped herself to a sip of his coffee.

For some reason, it annoyed him. He took the mug from her hand.

‘Everybody's a whore for something, sometime in their lives. Don't you think?' asked Paul. When he received no answer he picked up his cup and started to leave the kitchen. ‘OK, lovebirds, if you need me I'll be –'

He was interrupted by the ring tone of Emily's cell phone. She answered. ‘Hi, Marion. What? Speak up! Really? You think? OK! Yeah, I got it covered. Good idea, girlfriend.' She hung up. ‘Marion says it's fantastic. She's right at the front, at the barricade set up between the protesters and the administration. It's pandemonium and she's catching it all on sound.'