A Bigger Stage

[Blase]

"We've really got to start you on videoconferencing, kitten," Sarah remarked.

There was an indistinct sound from Cindy that sounded suspiciously like she too was enjoying the conversation.

"You're developing quite a portfolio of nudes, you know," Sarah went on. "Cindy and I are both collecting them."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"Hopefully the pictures tell a story, when taken in sequence?" Rosi replied, relaxing naked and partly satisfied on top of her bed.

She liked that they were collecting her photos, and hoped some of them were worth looking at a second time.

"So videoconferencing, what do I need to do?" Rosi trusted Sarah and her judgement, assuming this was part of the gentle education her two Mentors were treating her to.

It sounded like it might be a fun development.

 

[Blase]

"There's an app you can download called Spacetime," Sarah said. "Then we could watch you in real time."

"Uhn!" Cindy agreed.


"Cindy," Sarah asked suspiciously, "are you...?"

"Uh!," Cindy responded.

"Ah! Huh!"

"Oooohhhh!!"


There was no sound at all on the line for a few seconds until Sarah spoke into the gathering silence.

"I think Cindy likes the idea," she said evenly.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"Oh Cindy! Love you!" and Rosi giggled, delighted that one of them could join her in satisfying themselves.

"I love you too, Sarah, you know that, right?" Rosi paused a moment tapping her phone, "ok, so I'm downloading the App, it might take a moment ... oh, it's done .. it's searching my contacts .... adding you both .. but only you .. ok done!"

A note of triumph in her voice, Rosi could hardly wait to start.

"So am I ok just having you two on the App for now?" still on the voice phone.

 

[Blase]

"Well, we won't tell you who you can or can't add to your contacts," Sarah said, "but I do advise you to be careful who you add to any given call. We wouldn't want your mom to suddenly get the idea that you were growing up too fast."

"For now, though, we should probably all get some rest."

"Tomorrow's looking like another busy day."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"Yes, Sarah, of course. Goodnight, goddesses, love you both!"

Rosi waited for them to end the call then signed off herself.

Sighing happily, she went a found a long t shirt to sleep in, and after completing her bathroom slipped into bed, turning out the light.

Tomorrow might be busy, but today had been eventful.

Her biggest decision was going to be what to wear.

With that thought traipsing around where it would, she fell asleep.

 

[Blase]

The next morning

"I can stand in for Shirelle," Sarah told Bob. "I did choreograph the routine, after all."

"Fuck," Bob said with real feeling. "Your people too? Half the fucking crew called out!"

"Something tells me there was a party last night that I didn't know about." He heaved an exasperated sigh and stalked off to whip his remaining crew into shape.

Sarah, Rosi and Dane had already spent some time going over the abbreviated version of (I Wanna) Be Dane's Girl that Rosi would be performing with Dane the day after the competitive round.

It started with Dane actually singing the first two verses in slightly modified form, followed by Rosi doing the next two, then proceeded with the second, rather than the first chorus.

(Dane)
She has a dream that
she's never told
not to her sister
It's just too bold

Not even her best friend
can know the state she's in
playin' at solitaire
Knowin' she can never win

(Rosi)
I dream that I go to him
I tell him all my pain
Ask if he thinks I'm pretty
Ask if he thinks I'm lame

Dane sits and looks right through me
His glance says all he knows
I go and stand before him
Then I take off all my clothes

(chorus)
I wanna be Dane's girl!
I wanna be Dane's girl!
(Dane)
Just do a naughty twirl
(Rosi)
and dance naked in his world!

(Dane)(spoken)
I'll be the lion to your gazelle
I'll show you Heaven, then show you Hell
I'll tell you never to feel to blame
I'll teach you not to have any shame

(chorus)(Rosi)
I wanna be Dane's girl!
I wanna be Dane's girl!
to offer him my pearl
(Dane)(spoken)
and live naked in my world


"So, let's review," Sarah was saying. "Rosi, the choreography starts off more or less as you remember it: When you shrug off your wrap, Rita will whisk it away."

"At the second line of the first chorus, I step in behind you to get the ruffled part of your top, then just as you sing and dance naked in his world!, Sandra spins in behind you and takes the ruffled part of your bottom."

In a lower voice, she said, "I don't think we're quite ready, at this first run-through, for all of the embellishments that we've discussed."

Raising her voice again to compensate for the ambient noise of the decimated crew doing the best that they could, she went on. "Now for this spoken part, Dane goes on the attack, so to speak, stepping towards you while you back up. Until you get to the second chorus: That's when you stop, stand your ground, and Sandra and I lift you while you sing your last three lines."

"Are we about ready to try it?"

Rosi was already wearing the "official" near-nude suit meant for the actual televised duet. Cindy's more risque version had, for the moment, become another victim of the morning's general confusion.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Taking up her position, Rosi nodded her agreement and looked at Dane for him to say he was ready. Although the duet was supposed to be about her as the Contestant, there was no doubting that Dane was the Star and would dominate their performance. She could already feel his power despite him clearly turning down the wattage.

She had been surprised that they were rehearsing the duet today, having got it in her head that it was Solo Rehearsal. But it made sense to get this done first and concentrate on the Competition version nearer Performance Night.

The other thing that put her on edge was the change to the song.

Again it made sense to edit the lyrics for the duet, but she now had two versions to learn, and mustn't mix them up.

And just to add to the pressure, something was off with the Crew. One of the dancers was missing and it seemed so were others, which meant people must have been covering for absent colleagues and might not know the job they were supposed to be doing.

It all added to the nerves Rosi was feeling. At least it was just a first costume run-through, not a broadcast, but it was still recorded like everything else on this Reality Contest, and footage of a rehearsal disaster or blunder by Rosi would make Good Television, and she was not so naive as to think the Producers wouldn't use it.

At least the Costume was ok. She could dance in the shoes, and Cindy's department had done a great job with the wrap and the bikini. The two-piece top was just like it should be; a strapless subtle bra-top part with detachable ruffle. And the bottoms were as conservative as Rosi expected under their detachable fringe. It was actually quite a pretty ensemble. If she did well in the competition maybe a clothes store would copy the design?

 

[Blase]

The lights came up. The music started.

Dane started to sing.

He sang in a lower key than Rosi, of course, and just a bit more slowly, as though teasing at and savoring the words; the picture of a girl feeling trapped by her life until she had nowhere to go - except to him.


She has a dream that
she's never told
not to her sister
It's just too bold

Not even her best friend
can know the state she's in
playin' at solitaire
Knowin' she can never win


Dane stood a few paces from Rosi, waiting for her to come to him.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Rosi came in on cue, her higher pitch contrasting with Dane's, emphasising her femininity against his masculinity, her frailty against his strength,

"I dream that I go to him
I tell him all my pain"

She stepped towards him, one deliberate pace at a time,

"Ask if he thinks I'm pretty
Ask if he thinks I'm lame"

Her head tilted like she was genuinely questioning him, actually wanted to know thew answer,

"Dane sits and looks right through me
His glance says all he knows
I go and stand before him"

Rosi loosened the wrap,

"Then I take off all my clothes"

It slipped away smoothly, straight into Rita's waiting hands, the whole action stylish and slick thanks to Cindy's clever design and Sarah's dance moves.

Rosi was right up to Dane, in the ruffled bikini and heels alone, feeling suddenly more vulnerable than she had expected, feeling like a gazelle before the scary lion.

Without losing a beat she turned to the camera and sang the start of the Chorus,

"I wanna be Dane's girl!"

The ruffle surrounding her top disappeared as if by magic as she sang again,

"I wanna be Dane's girl!"

She looked at dane as he began his line, feeling even more exposed.

 

[Blase]

Somehow managing to sound dark and wry at the same time, Dane sang

Just do a naughty twirl

and took a challenging half-step towards Rosi, remembering Sarah's choreography: Neither of them was backing down, just at that moment.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Dane was so close, it almost made the breath catch in her throat, giving a hoarse quality to her voice as she sang,

"and dance naked in his world"

Despite his almost overpowering presence, Rosi stood firm, her line delivered.

 

[Blase]

That was when the duplicity of Cindy's stitchery was revealed.

Sarah and Sandra both spun in behind Rosi, and just like that, there were no more ruffles.

Neither was there any top or any bottom.

All gone.

Rosi stood stark naked.


Through her earpiece, she heard Cindy's voice say, "Remember, predator" just as Dane took a quarter step closer and began to speak.

I'll be the lion to your gazelle...

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Rosi almost gasped, a sense of being hunted compounding her sudden unexpected nakedness.

She thought she had heard Cindy's voice .. that this wasn't an accident .. what else had they planned?

Her face and body flushed, but she kept to the choreography, the song, the Truth now revealed in her nudity. Rosi glowed.

Dane stepped closer .. she backed away, her hands slightly behind her and to her sides, matching step for step, her eyes fixed on Dane's as if mesmorised, her body half turned towards the cameras, the crew, expecting to hear 'Cut' any second; she was his prey, his every word getting nearer to devouring her ..

 

[Blase]

Dane followed, speaking his lines as Rosi backed away

I'll show you Heaven, then show you Hell

<step>

His voiced lowered to a half-purr

I'll tell you never to feel to blame

<step>

I'll teach you not to have any shame


That was when Sarah again appeared behind Rosi, whispering "Sing!" into her ear even as she grasped the girl's waist and lifted her smoothly off the stage, presenting her to Dane entirely unadorned.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Rosi had stopped, stood her ground as directed, and was lifted into the air, no longer in control of where she was or what direction she faced.

She was now in Sarah's hands. Literally.

Again, smooth as glass without hesitation she sang on cue,

"I wanna be Dane's girl!
I wanna be Dane's girl!
to offer him my pearl"

She was being offered up to Dane totally completely stark naked .. in heels.

Waiting for his final line.

Despite her concentration, random thoughts flitted through her mind .. will Dane like what he sees? Has Doctor Yes managed to get a good view? Are the crew enjoying this? Did Sarah and Cindy arrange this Bob, with Dane, with everyone except herself knowing?

And worse, when could they do it again?

 

[Blase]

There weren't many people Sarah would have trusted to do the next move with no preparation beyond a brief discussion that the third party involved had not been privy to, but Sarah had seen enough of Dane's athleticism onstage to be confident he'd do fine.

As Rosi sang her last line, Sarah stepped forward and handed Rosi to Dane, who grasped her with outstretched arms, then turned towards the main camera even as he spun Rosi to face in the same direction before setting her lightly onto the stage, then drawing her back against his black-clad body; the two of them facing the camera as one.

And live naked in my world


Then the lights went down and Sarah was there with a trench coat for Rosi to put on. (Yes, a trench coat. Cindy had thought of everything.)

 

[AndreaSubbie]

Rosi was out of breath as she struggled into the coat and wrapped it tightly around her body.

When the lights came back up she was shaking, finding it difficult to stand, and had to hold on to Dane with one hand.

She was exhausted. The whole experience had drained her, and she felt her legs give way lowering herself gracefully to sit on the floor.

That had been a truly mind blowing experience. And that last sequence where Dane received her from Sarah and spun her effortlessly, her back pressed into him, both facing the camera, her hands gripping his hips.

She had been almost spread eagled against him as a backdrop, emphasising her total nakedness, full frontal nude, nothing hidden.

Wow. She waited for some reaction. Anything. From Sarah, Dane, Bob, the crew, Doctor Yes.

She was suddenly very fragile, and needed to know it was ok. More than ok.

 

[Blase]

As with her first impromptu duet with Dane, there was a moment of silence, and then the applause began, first from the limited crew (disguised by the supposed rash of call-outs), then with everyone else joining in.

Slowly, the explanation came out: Knowing that Rosi was okay with full nudity but unable to actually do that for the show, or even in rehearsal without someone stopping things, Sarah and Cindy had turned to the only two people in a position to make it happen: Bob and Dane.

Not surprisingly, Bob had taken a bit more convincing than Dane, but in the end, the four professionals working together had managed to pull off a trick that was impressive even by show business standards.


Rosi had several people congratulate her on not compromising her vision: Or anyone else's.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

It started small, but built higher and higher, a delayed yet spontaneous applause.

Lifting her head, Rosi looked around at everyone present, overcome with gratitude for their honesty and support. Raising her hand to Dane, since he was nearest, she rose to her feet, and tears began to run down her cheeks.

She did the obvious thing. She turned to Dane and buried her face in his chest.

Yes, she turned to him.

She didn't sob, just allowed the tears to flow; a release of tension with so many varied ingredients.

"I guess that was a reasonably honest interpretation of your song?" She asked the Legend. "Were you happy with it? Was it acceptable?"

She looked into the eyes of her Singing Coach searching for the truth. For his approval, his disappointment, or something in between.

Once she had her answer she wanted to hug Sarah and Cindy who must have worked hard making possible what had seemed impossible.

Before moving though, she faced everyone and made silencing motions with her hands. The noise quieted.

"Thanks, everyone. That was how I wanted to do this song, and I know it went beyond what we were probably supposed to do and must have taken a lot of extra work. But I have it now forever, and it's really special. You have no idea how much it means to me. So again, thank you. Everyone."

A little embarrassed by how emotional she was, she leaned up to kiss Dane's cheek, waved a 'thanks' to her principal Coach, Doctor Yes, and went over to Sarah, throwing her arms round the taller woman.

"Thank you so much," was all she could put into words, but hoped that everything else that needed saying was understood, too.

 

[Blase]

That afternoon

"Here's to artistic integrity," Sarah toasted.

She was only drinking seltzer as the three girls once again sat at a table near the buffet, but it was the thought that counted.

Rosi had received complimentary texts from both Dane and Doctor Yes, but surprisingly little was being said out loud in public. It seemed that, stereotypes aside, people in show business really did know how to keep a secret when it seemed in their best interest to do so.

That didn't prevent the three friends from chatting quietly amongst themselves, however.

It turned out that the reason for having Shirelle be "out sick" was mostly because Sarah couldn't trust anyone else to have a light enough touch to just whisk the fringe off Rosi's top without getting the whole thing, which would have made the whole surprise a bit less surprising.

Dane had even gotten the producers out of the way for a bit by bribing their driver to call out and replacing him with his own long-time chauffer, a black man named Jacques.

Cleverly disguised, lest anyone recognize him, Jacques had proceeded to drive the producers around half the city while pretending to speak only Haitian Creole, even though he'd been born and raised in a Southern state and spoke English as well as anyone else.

It had only taken fifteen minutes until the producers, none of whom had known any French, were shouting Merde! every time Jacques took yet another wrong turn.

"You know, you'll never know just who sees that tape, Rosi," Cindy mused. "It's too bad you won't see the ejaculations you inspire."

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"Oh my! Imagine that! Watching men ejaculate watching me, ha ha!"

Rosi was on a high. She had wanted to do the song like that for a number of reasons, not all of them artistic, and the humour and irony of Sarah's toast to artistic integrity was not lost on her.

But she had been surprised, and delighted of course, with just how positively her performance had been received, and with the sincerity of the congratulations. She wasn't stupid, and knew that some of it was because men like looking at a girl with none of her clothes on, but it seemed to go deeper than that. Though she smiled again at the 'not compromising anyone else's vision'.

Since The Choice owned the tape, and since they had such strict rules about nudity on the show, she had no worries about the tape 'getting out', and had laughed at the misdirection of the producers. Presumably they would never know about either the tape or their driver? She'd told the girls that she'd like to meet Jacques and say thanks. But from the lack of gossip, it looked like her tape was going to end up deep in some archive, never to be seen again once the editors had finished with it, and Bob buried it.

The messages from Dane and Doctor Yes had been really nice, and whether or not she won the competition, Rosi hoped that she had earned at least a little professional respect. The more she knew of Dane's role in the Trick, the more she liked him.

While they relived the whole episode Rosi laughed with her two friends, at the shock of the complete stripping, at the clever costume Cindy had made allowing for Sarah to work yet more conjuring. She told them how impressed she was with the way Dane handled everything, including her, and how she was sorry she'd never perform with him again after their televised duet.

It was a happy, joyful, celebratory moment, tinged with the sadness of nostalgia.

Rosi was well aware that she would never do anything like it again.

 

[Blase]

"Rumor has it that Dane's private collection of video trophies would rival anyone's," Sarah said. "God only knows what he has all those girls doing."

"Well, I'm just guessing," Cindy said, picking up a celery stick from the buffet and dipping it quickly in ranch dressing, "but probably..." She popped the celery halfway into her mouth, making closed-mouthed mm... mmm... mmph!!... Mmmmnn... sounds accompanied by urgent in-and-out motions before drawing it free, sans dressing.

 

[AndreaSubbie]

"I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing to be part of the World's Largest Video Trophy Collection, " Rosi wondered out loud.

"Do you think he films himself, you know, doing the girls, or just films them?"

Rosi's youth, inexperience and naivety were showing, but also her enjoyment of Sarah and Cindy's company, and her very non-judgemental attitude.

She was more curious than anything else.

 

[Blase]

"Well, males being what they are," Sarah said thoughtfully, "I can't really picture a guy making tape after tape of sweet young things without wanting to be in any of them."

She smiled at Rosi. "You know, you actually fit our tall, dark serial seducer's vic profile."