DWB The Sequel

M stood back up at the makeshift stage. She turned to address them all, as I watched on in the next room. I wanted to turn it off. To run. To do anything but be reminded of where I was. What just happened. And who was out there...

'Ladies, thank you again for coming and thank you for watching our little performance.'

'As you have probably guessed by now, there is somewhat of a theme to tonight's proceedings, although you might not agree with me on what it is, at least not at first.'

'Freedom.'

Pause for dramatic effect.

'You see I've been on somewhat of a journey of late, in fact since my eighteenth birthday I suppose. Gosh. And that journey has been probably the most rewarding of my brief, but rather hectic life.'

'But why tell you all this when I can just show you? I have prepared a little video. It is at once, a descent into my true sexual self, and ascent towards finding what I can only describe as an overwhelming sense of freedom having done so.'

'Now of course, one, some or all of you might very well have already gone on a similar type of journey. But it occurred to me some months ago that I couldn't risk the chance that any of you haven't, and as such remain trapped by our gilded cage. Prisoners to fame, to fanboys. Fucking Fanboys.'

'Amen.' Someone uttered, to which M smiled. They were all, apparently, on the same page on that particular point.

'The video I am about to show you has been heavily edited. We would be here all night if I played it all unfortunately. And you will very likely recognise the other player in it; none other than my partner in the prior performance Will.'

'Now, on that point, I must say a few things. Firstly he had no idea what I had planned for tonight. He still doesn't know, although hopefully he is watching along in the next room. Hi Will!'

A few turned around to regard the camera, smirking with amusement at the thought of my watching on in my self-imposed embarrassed exile. All I felt was yet more rising dread at the thought that M was going to go and show them our videos. As if I hadn't been embarrassed enough for one night, one lifetime, already.

But no. M carried on.

'So Will I'm sure you can all agree, was quite brave in what I just made him do, to admit to. Not very many men would be so willing. So honest. But I knew I could trust him on that point. Just as, in what you about to see, that despite however 'wrong' you might think or what he does, to me, that I trusted him absolutely. And I would like you, if not do the same, at least give him the benefit of the doubt.'

'Now before I hit play I must warn you all that this is not a Disney film. It is as graphic as anything you can find on any porn site. So if you're squeamish about such things, now would be the time to step outside.'

'No?' She asked the room.

'Ok then. Then without further ado. I give you. My Journey.'

She took up the remote and hit a button, and soon the scene of the hotel room was replaced, with, what I realised in shock, was my bare arse on my bed, all those years ago. It was the very first time that M and I did anything. And it was being watched by some of the most famous women on the planet. For fuck's sake. Kill me now.

Obviously I won't give you a frame by frame rundown of what was played. But it included just...a lot, as in things that I really wish she had left out, plus there was a running narration by M filling in any missing gaps.

The editing, it must be said, actually did a really quite good job of make the best of what was some pretty bloody shoddy camera work at times.

And while I was absolutely fucking mortified to see some of the, well, fucking weird things that I had said and done in those first few crazy days, and it felt as if it went on forever, it was probably all over in not more than about ten minutes. The crescendo, if you recall, was M dressed as HG getting railed by the fanboys at the comic bookstore, and ended with a new shot. Of M, still dressed as HG but back home in her room, addressing the camera with her head on her pillow, whispering a final message;

'Thank you B. I am, finally, free.'

My bruised ego recovered ever so slightly at that.

It almost made up for the absolutely wild betrayal of trust of the last hour. Almost.

That was until I saw that there was a post-credits scene of me taking a bollocking from that fucking 12 inch black strap-on. Surely she could have left that out! I suppose it did bring home the point though that M was in fact the one in control. Still. Mortifying.

When the video finished it cut back to the casting of the room. The angle was such that I could see M left of screen, and the ladies to the right. Their looks, were a mixture.

Most of them just looked shocked by what they had just witnessed. Others, somewhat less shocked and more bemused. Only one looked decidedly unhappy about it, evidenced by a distinct frown and crossed arms and legs. It was Brie Larson. She looked like someone had just killed her cat and made her watch.

'Fucking aye!' Were the first words to ring out. It was Kate Mara, who stood up and clapped wildly.

'Hermione fucking Granger! You little minx!' She followed up with.

Natalie spoke next.

'Ms Emma Watson! Who knew?! That was quite the journey! And brave of you to show us all. In all its raunchy explicit detail!'

She laughed, and the others, notably save for Brie, seemed relieved at her comments and began laughing along too.

'I don't know where to even start with all of that!' Kate said, still standing, clearly amped. 'Play it again!'

More laughs. M politely shook her head to the suggestion, absurdly managing to come off as modest in the face of what she'd just shown them all.

'B? Will you please come out now?' She said to the camera, to me.

Fuck. I sighed. I had nowhere else to go. I could have simply walked out and went straight out the door the elevator, but somehow cutting and running would have been even more mortifying.

And so, I downed the last of the available champagne, straightened my (crusted) clothes as best as I could, and stepped out into the main room.

I looked over at them all over there, barely able to keep my eyes off the floor. M looked over at me and held out her hand, gesturing for me to come over to her. I, surreally, put one foot in front of the other and made my way over there.

'Take a bow!' Kate sang out, clapping me in. I just stared at my feet in embarrassment.

Someone handed me a drink.

'Here he is. The man of the hour.' Someone else said.

'Will, I'd like you to meet Natalie, Brie, Alicia, Kate, and Daisy.' M introduced me as I stood just inside the door, dumbstruck/starstruck.

My head was spinning and truth be told I had a fairly severe case of stage fright; it's more than a little bit intimidating being in the presence of, and the object of attention of a coterie of the most beautiful women that I could imagine.

M sat me down on a barstool gently such that the others were all sat in front of me like a panel of judges. It must be said that at least they were all smiling. All except Brie who seemed to be wholly unsure what the fuck was going on.

'So I thought now we might have some sort of Q & A.' M tendered. 'Like any good premiere.'

'Oh we've got questions!' Kate remarked, rapidly becoming the comic relief of the group.

'I have a question.' A voice cut through the dark. It was Natalie. She looked notably serious, as if they had just watched some oscar-worthy high-drama.

'Don't you think he's been through enough for one night?' Alicia interjected, looking at me with a concerned look upon her face. Bless her cotton Swedish socks.

'Oh don't worry.' Natalie replied. 'I'm not going to attack him. Actually the question is for M. I just want to know a little more is all.'

She went on:

'So if I can try to summarise what we have seen thus far...you M have come (to slight giggles from Kate and Daisy) to discover that acting on all the things that you had hitherto believed yourself unable to, for reasons of personal shame and risk to professional reputation, and come out the other side feeling better than ever, or as you say...'free'?'

'Yes!' M replied emphatically, clearly delighted that someone had 'gotten it' so quickly.

'And you brought us all here because...' Nat went on. 'You wanted to share in your discovery...in case any or all of us were similarly trapped by our fame, contractual obligations, and the psychological toll of being female, famous, and forever in the spotlight.'

That one went Harvard. You could tell.

'Yes exactly!' M replied happily, giddily.

Alicia was the next to speak, joining in on the train of thought;

'But it wasn't just doing what you wanted though was it? It was that specific thing of being treated specifically for who you are that brought the greatest relief? To embrace your fame, instead of run from it, and especially the Fanboys like Will here, that are our...captors?'

M nodded, happily, like a teacher that had just shown a class how to do something difficult and they were actually getting it!

Alicia continued:

'And so you having forgiven...this Fanboy, Will, you're suggesting that we are supposed to do the same...for all of them?' She asked.

The group bristled at this. Clearly that was possibly a bridge too far. They all looked at me as if I was still the scum of the earth's lead representative. I began to wilt into my chair.

M stepped in to save me.

'Not at all. I suppose though that I am trying to bridge the gap of understanding though.'

She looked across at me and my uncomfortable visage.

'He can't control the way he thinks, he's just like all the other fanboys out there. His, their apparent cruelty, it's not intentional, and while they should damn well know better, it's just the reality I'm afraid.'

'What matters is whether we all continue to fight what is an absolutely certain losing battle, or change the game..?'

No one said anything, until Alicia, apparently blunt to a fault, decided to skip to the end;

'So is this evening a gift to us all, or to him..?' She asked, which was the real unanswered question, for us all, me included.

'Neither. Both. It's whatever you all want it to be.' M answered I think, hopefully, being as diplomatic as she could.

No one said anything. M sighed, it was going off the rails a little.

'When we act, and become famous, this is the unintended trade off, to be thought of, fantasised as though we want they want -- to do everything they want us to do, be fucked in every way imaginable. And we all know it too. And if we're truthful, to ourselves, we all get off on it don't we?'

'The problem of course is that we can never admit to it, let alone embrace it. Or can we?

'Dirtier weirder better...It's a maxim isn't it? And it's what set me free. To do one thing, and then not dwell on it for what it was, but think, what's next? What's weirder? Dirtier? More fucked up? To have spent our whole adult lives within these limitations that have been thrust upon us, and then to remove them entirely...in a safe and private space of course...it is a feeling that is better than any adulation, and fame, any successful film or award you could or will ever be given.'

'I think anyway.' M sighed, trailing off, I think unhappy with her best effort at explaining it all.

'And why should we trust this guy?' Nat asked, the essential question. It was like sitting in on the jury deliberations of your own trial.

'We shouldn't. And yet here we are.' M said. 'That's the point in a way. We just have to trust ourselves and forget about him, them. Or more specifically, use them to our own ends.'

'Nope.' Came the sole word from the one plainly the most reluctant. Brie.

'I'm sorry but you know I thought we were all brought here tonight to further the cause of women.' Brie said, ready to say her piece... 'Not conspire to let some rando guy fuck us all like pieces of meat.'

M smarted a little at that, but then regained her composure and smiled warmly despite the vitriol.

'Brie. You're just beginning to get famous...' She began, and then clarified; 'I mean really famous.'

'So if it hasn't started to eat away at you, I'm sorry to say that, unfortunately, I've come to realise that it, inevitably, will.'

'You don't know that.' Brie replied steadfastly, seemingly convinced that whatever the rest of them were willing to admit about the price of fame in no way meant that she was subject to it as well.

M nodded in that special way that said, 'No I don't know that, but from my own lived experience I'm pretty fucking sure.'

She went on.

'Have any of you read any fan fiction, you know, 'celebrity sex stories', about yourselves?

No one said anything. M smiled.

'Of course you have. And you can't tell me in all honesty, that, aside from the sickening feeling you get the very first time...that it doesn't still...set something off in you. Down there'.

No one said anything to that. Apparently, it was true!

'And you all no doubt know about the sites that catalogue every scene where any of us have ever done anything remotely sexy, nude, undressed, upskirts, stolen selfies, and the fake nudes and sex acts on top of that. And the cartoons, animations even, of us. It's all out there, and we, in moments or weakness, arousal even, can't help but look and ponder just how many Fanboys there must be out there, wanking their little dicks in their sad little lives. And we. Get. Wet. And maybe we've all even had a shameful wank or two at the thought of it.'

A few couldn't help but blush a little at that last bit. M seized upon it.

'I'm not saying any of this to make any of you feel bad.' She reassured them.

'I'm just trying to get us all to admit that this is the way things are, whether we like it or not.'

'Some of you have partners I know. But they are, in the end, the same as this guy. You've probably convinced yourself that he isn't, that your guy's special, because you need to believe it to be that way.'

M sighed, dramatically. Effectively.

'But it isn't. He's with you because you're famous. And even if he's famous too. It doesn't matter. He is still thinking all the fucked up things every single other guy out there is too.'

Brie apparently had nothing to say to this. She just sat there with a sour look on her face. Which was absolutely fair enough.

M stared back at her. Benevolent, yet determined. Her look changed, becoming confessional somehow...

'In the past however many years every single guy I've seen, some famous, some not, have all professed to have no particular interest in any of the characters I've played, especially my most famous, Her.'

We all knew who she was referring to.

'There's two types of men as far as I can tell for women like us. One being those that convince themselves that they are in fact worthy to date us...and in fact go further and think themselves entitled to do so, and thereby project a façade of expectation upon us; the ''you're no more special than me or anyone else', trying to make us prove ourselves to them. Sophomore reverse psychology bullshit bascially. And the other is those that think themselves lucky to get the chance for a run at us basically, and will do and say anything that they think we want to hear.'

M sighed, in apparent resigned sadness at her failing love-life. There I suppose, was the answer to what I'd been wondering in the last few years.

'Neither,' she went on, 'in the end, is remotely genuine and sadly, or rightly, it inevitably falls apart.'

'The one thing both of these types have in common is that they all seem to go to great lengths to disavow me of the notion that my celebrity matters; claiming that they've only seen 'one or two' of my films, and that anyway, they only see me, the real me.'

'And, I might add, I've never given them any reason to think that they even need to, maintain the charade...they just think that that's the surest way into my pants. And so...I've given them the benefit of the doubt. Until that inevitable day comes, weeks or months later depending on how long they can keep up the charade, when we're fooling around, that they finally let it slip, shoot their shitty shot, about how much they'd like it if we 'Role Play', with me as 'Her.''

M looked up at those gathered. Demanding their returned gaze.

'And so ladies, I dump them, right then and there. And I let them know, that if they'd just been honest about it to begin with, that they probably could have been fucking Her....Hermione fucking Granger all along.'

'And so it is with all of your partners, past and present as well. It's just a matter of time. Sadly. At least Will here is brave enough to front up about it from the get go.'

M looked around at them all, challenging them to challenge her. But none of them, Brie included, seemed willing to die on that particular depressingly true hill.

'Now, please believe me when I say, I'm not suggesting that any of you do anything. You can leave or you can stay, watch and do nothing. It's just that either of those two options however you might come to regret. We don't often get a chance to do something that is for ourselves and not fulfilling everyone's expectations of how we should and shouldn't act.'

'Now, I'm sure we all have ideas as to how this should play out. And I would be fascinated to hear all of your deepest darkest fantasies. However the truth is, what I've learned anyway, in my opinion, is that it's far more fun, and enlightening, to fulfil others fantasies -- that's what we after all; other people's fantasies.'

'And so, if you'll allow it, I think we should ask Will here...what would he do, with us all, if we let him have his wicked way with us. How would he like it to play out..?'

M stopped talking finally. If this was her gambit, here it was.

'I don't give a shit what he thinks.' Brie piped up immediately, derailing whatever mood had begun to take hold.

Silence welled from the rest. Considering their positions.

'But I do.' Natalie finally responded, looking at Brie with a kind of apology for her opposing viewpoint.

'I do too.' Alicia agreed, seemingly unperturbed.

'I definitely do.' Kate stated, impatiently.

All eyes turned to Daisy. She looked around at everyone and then nodded her head, curious if perhaps not entirely on board.

'It's unanimous. Minus one.' Kate said gleefully, as if that made any sense.

They then turned their collective attention to me, a veritable deer in high-powered headlights. I cleared my dry throat and tried to get something intelligible out.

'Well anything really...' I began before being cut off by M.

'No Will,' She admonished me immediately, clearly highly aware that it was now or never for this evening.

'Not anything. You have to be specific. This is a once in a lifetime chance, it's not gonna come around again. So. What. Do. You. Want?' She implored me, her gaze making good and sure that I fully understood the gravity of the moment.

I looked around me and considered the situation. It was absurd beyond words of course, but here I was and there they were.

I thought for a minute, and then came upon what I thought I would likely fantasise about in this very situation. M, pre-emptively, chose to fill the anticipatory silence.

'Now just be aware - I'd be careful asking him to tell you a story ladies. I did that once and it was the weirdest, most wonderfully fucked up thing I'd ever heard! In fact I'd say that it's his most special talent.'

'Geez M, no pressure there.' I thought to myself as my mind began to whirl with the possibilities, the permutations, what one could reasonably hope to get away with, weighed against what I would be willing to actually admit to those assembled in front of me. I fumbled;