Red Carpet Surprise

They both laughed as Erin playfully slapped his butt and said, "How typical of a guy. All you want to do is come on my boobs." And with that she pulled off her top and threw it in a trash can at the side of the garage.

Jim shook his head in amazement. Three hours ago, the idea that his gorgeous wife would have willingly stripped off her top and appeared bare breasted, even in the relative privacy of their own driveway, would have been unthinkable. He wondered to himself just exactly what had he set in motion. The thought made him excited, and he found himself eager to get Erin inside and return the favor that she had just given him. "What," Jim said in a shocked tone, "not saving it as a souvenir of your adventure tonight?"

"No, I don't think so," Erin replied wistfully, hugging him tightly as they walked toward their front door. "I'm thinking we'll be seeing some pictures of tonight and that will be my souvenir." She paused, and then added, "I love you so much, Jim. You're the best."

He smiled warmly, determined to resume their lovemaking the moment they were inside the house.

*****

The following afternoon, Erin was sitting on their deck sipping a glass of chardonnay and gazing absented-mindedly off into the distance when she heard a familiar ringtone. "Jim," she yelled into the house. "Can you answer that? Sounds like my agent."

"Got it hon," he replied.

"Hey Marcus," he said as he picked up the cell phone. "Erin's out on the deck? Wanna talk to her?"

"Hi, Jim. Actually, I was checking to see if I could stop by. There's something I'd like to discuss in person."

"Anything wrong," Jim continued. Out on the deck, Erin picked up on his more serious tone of voice and started to get up from her chair.

"No, actually I think it's good news. One of the websites has approached me asking for confirmation that it's Erin in some pictures they just purchased from a freelancer. Donny's out of town this weekend so I was just sitting around the house by myself and thought I'd drop by to talk this through with Erin."

Jim shook his head as his wife approached, signaling there was nothing to worry about. "Great, Marcus, we'll see you in a few minutes" and put down the phone. He smiled at Erin. "Seems like your pictures may be showing up on the internet. Marcus is stopping by the talk with you about it."

"My pictures?" she coyly asked. "From last night? Oh my, wouldn't that be embarrassing," she added with a smile.

Twenty minutes later they were seated at the dining room table looking at a series of photographs on Marcus's iPad. "A guy I know at Celebritybuzz sent these to me this morning. They just bought them from some local paparazzi who typically peddles shots he's taken outside bars and clubs. Says he was tipped off that Erin was wearing something newsworthy last night."

Indeed, for an actress who had never posed in anything more revealing than a bikini, the pictures were likely to attract attention. In the bright glare of the photographer's flash, the tight red top was almost totally transparent. Not only could the generous swells of Erin's breasts be clearly seen, but in roughly half of the pictures her large areolas and nipples were prominently on display. He had several close-ups taken from the side that provided evidence of the effect of the cool night air, clearly showing her protruding nipples straining against the thin fabric.

"I don't see any pictures where you're trying to cover yourself or push the photographer away," Marcus commented. "So should I assume you're not particularly worried about these going public?"

"It would be too late even if I was concerned, wouldn't it?" Erin asked. "But if Jim's okay with this, then I'm fine too."

"Like I told you last night," Jim said reassuringly, "I couldn't be more proud of you. They're actually not bad pictures. You know, you really look sexy." He grinned, and then continued. "OF course, not as sexy as the other pictures I was just looking at."

Erin looked at him with a puzzled look, and Marcus raised his eyebrows. "Other pictures?" the agent asked. "There are more?"

"No there aren't, Marcus," Erin explained. "There were only the photographers at the restaurant. After that, Jim and I went home. Jim's just kidding."

"Actually, I'm not, honey." It was interesting, Jim thought to himself. In the past, Erin might have been worried or concerned if there was a hint that some revealing pictures of her had surfaced. But as he looked across in her eyes, he saw only curiosity. "After Marcus called, it occurred to me to check our security cameras. I copied a few minutes of video from last night. Anyone want to see them?"

A slight blush spread across Erin's face, and she giggled softly. "You bad boy." She paused, recalling what was likely to be on the video. "I guess we might as well see them. I don't think Marcus is going to see something he hasn't already done himself."

"Now I definitely want to see them," her agent chimed in as Jim left the room to find the laptop that contained the files from the security cameras.

Like many homes in their neighborhood, Erin and Jim had installed a couple of cameras focused on areas where any intruders might try to break into their house. That included a camera positioned above the garage door pointed directly down at any car sitting in the driveway; a second camera was focused on their front door.

Jim clicked open the first file, and the image of a car stopped in front of the garage door was clearly visible. At first, it appeared to be a single image, but slight changes in the shadows made it clear that the video camera was capturing images every second or two producing a jerky motion as a few dry leaves blew across the field of view.

After thirty seconds or so, it also became clear that there was motion being captured within the front seat of the car. At some point, movement that appeared to be the lowering of the seatback on the driver's side was observed while a figure from the passenger seat leaned over the reclining form. Then, a distinct bobbing motion could be observed, and Marcus smiled broadly.

"Someone was having fun last night. And while I'm glad to see that you kids were enjoying yourselves, that could be anyone in that car. Maybe even Donny and me," he added with a chuckle.

"I think the next shots are a little clearer," Jim offered. With that, he stopped playing the one video and opened the next file. This one contained footage from the camera focused on the front door. And although it featured the same several-frames-per-second motion of the garage footage, this was shot from a camera mounted on a window and offered an eye level view of a well-lit Erin as she moved toward the front door.

Jim let the video run for about two minutes, during which time Erin stood there, removed her top, moved back to the garage to toss it in a trash can, and then returned to the front door. Throughout she was talking to someone out of view of the camera, but the soundless tape didn't reveal what she was saying. It did, however, reveal her stripping off her top, which provided an unobstructed view of her breasts jiggling slightly as she walked back to the door.

"There's no doubt who that is," Marcus said with a smirk, and then looked hurriedly at Erin to see how she was reacting. To his surprise, she appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the situation. Observing that, the agent felt embolden to make a suggestion.

"You know," Marcus said, "I could arrange to leak these to my friend at Celebritybuzz. Not from me, of course but, you know, from an anonymous source. You add some stills from this sequence to the restaurant photos and you'll have a story that's going to get some play."

Jim interrupted him and began by saying, "I wasn't suggesting we go public with these pictures. I just wanted..."

Erin cut him off. "How much play, Marcus? Other sites?"

"I think it's very likely some of the big ones will pick it up - Perez, Huffington, some of the print sources possibly. And tons of websites and blogs; I can guarantee that."

"Jim, I think you should make a copy of that video for Marcus." She smiled at the two men, then turned to her agent.

"Last night helped to convince me that I'm willing to change some of my rules. I'd like to drop the "no nudity" clause from my standard contract language, and I'd like to make sure that the producers I auditioned for this week are aware of that change. I think these pictures might help." She paused, and then looked coyly at Marcus and Jim, "Don't you?"

They both nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. Jim, if you can give me the files, I'll get to work." While the files were being loaded onto a jump drive, Marcus quickly texted his contact at Celebritybuzz and got an almost immediate reply. "Looks like this can move quickly," he said as he got up to leave. "I'll also put in a call to the casting director to make sure they line you up for a callback. I'm sure if I explain that you've altered your basic terms, they'll be intrigued."

"That sounds good," Erin replied. "And let's figure out what else we can make happen. Sounds like we've got a week to convince them that I'll be perfect for the part."

"A part, by the way, that they described to me as calling for substantial nudity throughout the second half of the film. Are you sure you're okay with that?"

Erin looked over at Jim. "I don't know. Are we okay with that babe?"

Jim grinned and held her hand. "More than okay."

As Marcus headed out the door and got into his car, the couple waved goodbye and Erin leaned close to her husband, whispering in his ear, "I love you so much."

*****

Two days later, Erin arranged to stop by the workshop of one of her favorite designers, Antonio Rivetti. "You're the only one who can help me land a starring role in a new film, Antonio," she had explained in a phone call. "I need your most magical outfits to make this work. No one else could possibly do it. "

He willingly obliged. "Anything for my favorite fashionista," he said in response to her not-so-subtle flattery. "You know that my clothes always look best on you."

"Oh, Antonio," she gushed in reply. "You are an absolute sweetheart."

The plan that she, Marcus, and Jim had formulated was now coming together. Marcus had talked to Christopher Mann, one of the producers of the film Erin had auditioned for the previous week, and managed to secure another reading for Erin. But the offer had been made begrudgingly and Chris seemed skeptical when Marcus informed him that the no-nudity clause could be dropped. "We're not talking about a flash of tits or a quick ass shot," he explained. "The script has several extended scenes where our girl has to be completely naked. We're definitely going for an R rating here. That's gonna be a big leap for Erin."

Marcus had worked hard to reassure him that Erin indeed understood what was called for, but he could tell the skepticism remained. "Still, it would be great to showcase her in this type of role, something the public has never seen her do." Chris paused, and then concluded, "What the hell, have her come in."

Knowing the uphill battle she faced, Erin decided that she needed to mount a campaign outside of just what she could convey at the table read. Fortunately, the photos from the restaurant had already appeared on dozens of websites and blogs by Tuesday morning. In addition, Celebritybuzz had also included a few stills from the video clip of Erin stripping off her top and discarding it at her front door. The resolution wasn't perfect, but it was good enough to make it clear that it was Erin and that she was indeed topless. Marcus was using his connections to make sure that one of Chris's assistants got a link to the website before the next audition. Erin's task was to now enlist Antonio's help in making sure she was memorably dressed for the occasion.

So, when she was warmly greeted by the designer, she immediately adopted her best pleading, little girl voice. "I have such a wonderful opportunity, Antonio. But can you believe, they don't think I'm sexy enough for the part. I'm so hurt," and she lowered her eyes, as if ready to cry.

"They must be blocks of stones," he replied in a voice of exaggerated shock. Putting his arm around her, he smoothly added, "Antonio will help you show them that you are the most beautiful woman in Los Angeles."

"Oh Antonio," she sighed, playing her part to the hilt. "I know that only you can help me. You must help them to see the real me." She paused, "and I do mean the real me. They don't think I am right for this part because there may be a few scenes where I am not fully dressed." She blushed.

After fifteen years of helping to design outfits for celebrities, Antonio immediately understood the situation. He smiled brightly. "Ah, so perhaps you are ready to consider some outfits that in the past you have resisted? See, you should have listened to Antonio."

"You are so right," she sighed. "If only I had listened to you. But it's not too late, is it?" She noticed he shrugged his shoulders as if to say anything is possible with him. "But I think I may need to look at some things that you have been afraid to show me in the past. Some things that will reveal the real me."

She smiled wickedly, and the designer nodded, showing full agreement. "Let us get to work immediately."

They quickly agreed that what she needed were two different outfits. The first, something that could plausibly be worn in public but in fact was designed to create a lasting impression at the callback that afternoon. Second, an outfit for a red-carpet event that Erin would be attending that Friday night that would push the limits of acceptable fashion. "I have something in mind," Antonio hinted, "for your walk down the red carpet, but first we must see what you are comfortable wearing when you leave here."

He pulled a number of outfits off his racks and from his back room, allowing her to look through a wide array of tops, skirts, dresses, and pants. Erin narrowed it down to several dresses with a number of transparent panels, then selected two that could best be described as sheer black dresses with only a minimal number of strategically placed panels that covered certain key parts of her anatomy.

"I was thinking," she grinned, "of something along these lines. But somehow a dress doesn't seem right for the afternoon. Do you any pants like this?"

"Hmm, I might have something, my dear. At first glance, it will look like simple black pleated pants that accentuate your height. But then, a closer look reveals more. With heels, a white top, and the right belt - voila! Let us see."

Antonio disappeared and for a few minutes, sounds of tables being moved and racks pushed aside, punctuated by muttered curses in Italian, emanated from the back room. Finally, he reappeared with a pair of pants draped over his arm. "Let us look at these," he pronounced, and held up a pair of elegant sheer dark black pants.

"You can see," he demonstrated by turning back the waist, "inside they are lined only at the top so the effect will be one of stylish black shorts under the seductive black mesh. But," he hesitated, noting the look of displeasure on Erin's face, "perhaps my friend has something else in mind?"

"In fact, I do, Antonio." She fingered the material and held it up against her bare arm, noting the appearance of her pale skin through the sheer black. "I think perhaps that shorts are not in fashion this season."

"Who am I to disagree," he conceded gracefully. "The lining is easily removed. But then we must consider what should be worn under it if you will be wearing this in public."

"I was thinking," Erin continued with a gleam in her eye, "that sometimes a little can go a long way. Perhaps just enough to keep me out of trouble. You know, I had brought along a few accessories just in case," she continued, and picked up a small dressing bag she had brought with her. "Here," she said, plucking an adorable and very small item of silky black underwear from the bag, "how about this g-string?"

"As always, your taste is impeccable. And we can complement this with a white top with ties at the bottom. That will eliminate the difficulty of the unsightly shirttails. And allow a bit of bare midriff. That will heighten the contrast between top and pants. Do you not agree?"

"I do agree," Erin smiled. "You are the master as always."

"Then allow me to suggest the second part of our wardrobe, our red-carpet surprise," he exclaimed. "Something I have held back for the right model and the right occasion. But you wear Antonio's clothes better than any other woman. So, allow me to show you what I call my Salome outfit. The shade of green will be perfect for you."

"I'm intrigued," Erin said excitedly.

*****

Several hours later she emerged from the limo that had taken her to the studio lot where the second reading was to be held. After her visit to Antonio's, she had stopped by her favorite lingerie shop to pick up just the right g-string for her new outfit, then returned home to prepare. She was disappointed that Jim was not at home, but she snapped a few selfies in her new pants, including a shot in the bathroom mirror that displayed the view from the rear. She texted them to Jim but didn't get his response until she was already in the car.

"Going out in public that way, baby? Wow!! Wish I could be there." She chuckled softly to herself as she read his reply, more confident than ever that she was doing the right thing. And, more excited than ever. A warm glow spread over her as she leaned back in the seat, eyes almost closed. She noticed the limo driver adjusting his rear view mirror and occasionally checking on her in the back seat. Her fingers played with the sheer fabric over her hips, pulling slightly at the elastic strands holding her g-string in place. "I am so ready for this audition," she thought to herself.

The limo paused briefly at the studio gates while the guard called ahead to make sure their visit was authorized. Hanging up the phone, he leaned in and said, "Welcome Miss West. They're expecting you in Bungalow F, straight ahead to the stop sign, then turn left." Erin crossed and then uncrossed her legs, allowing the security man just the briefest glimpse of the triangle that was covering her most intimate area. She could hear him gulp, as he hurriedly added, "Uh, it's nice to see you again."

She flashed her best camera-ready smile at him and said, "It's always nice to be seen." With that, the car proceeded through the gate and into the studio grounds.

Leaning forward, Erin lightly tapped the driver on the shoulder and asked, "What's your name?"

"It's Greg, Miss West."

"Well Greg, you could be a big help to me. Do you mind pulling over when we get to that stop sign and parking there?" she suggested, noticing several groups of people approaching them on foot. "I'd like you to walk with me for the last block or two before Bungalow F."

"My pleasure," he said with absolute sincerity.

"That's very kind," Erin replied coyly. As the car came pulled slowly to the curb, the driver turned off the ignition and popped out to open the back door for her. She emerged just as a cluster of four or five people approached, so she turned to him. "Do you have your cell phone with you? Perhaps you'd like to ask one of these nice folks to take a picture of the two of us together. A little souvenir?" she teasingly asked.

The driver couldn't believe his good luck. It was one of the unwritten rules of his business that you remain invisible and never intrude yourself on the personal space of your passengers. And here was this gorgeous woman wearing pants that concealed almost nothing from the waist down giving him the chance to pose with her.

"Why that would be fantastic. My wife is always asking me who I drive around all day. Wait until she sees it was you." He approached one of the guys coming toward him, talking in a soft voice. She could see the man do a double take as he looked quickly at her, then turned again for a longer look. Erin was pretty sure he mumbled something like "are you sure she's willing to do this, man" while the driver vigorously nodded "yes."