DWB The Sequel

'Geez, um I don't know. I mean just meeting you all is amazing enough. I could likely die happy right now.'

Silence from the crowd. Ouch. Do better.

'Ok, well looking at you all sitting there like that, in all your amazing formal gowns, and champagnes in hand...the first thing I would do is capture the memory. Take a photo. It would be a lot like those photos you see in classy magazines around awards time, Vogue, or Harpers Bazaar.'

'But those photos come from a shoot don't they, there are more taken than just what ends up on the front page. So I guess they might become progressively more...sexy. More revealing.'

'So you'd be the photographer...and we would follow your directions.?' Natalie asked. 'I can assure you from experience that a lot of those shoots are like that anyway -- the photographers always angling for us to take more and more of our kit, as you say here, off..'

'Yes I mean of course.' I stammered. 'Except wouldn't it be something if instead of opening the magazine and going to the article instead of finding more and more classy, fully vetted shots by your publicists, that they were more and more well, shocking..?'

'And you wouldn't be following directions...in that scenario a situation would develop between you all where you get competitive shall we say, to be the more daring, shocking etc.'

'Details B. Be more specific.' M egged me on. The others looked at me, also expecting more. I felt dizzy. Can a person pass out from blushing too much?

'Right. Um...I guess one of you might be willing to have your nipples showing through your top? And then another ups the ante by pretending that they don't want their panty-line showing...and then...tops and bottoms come off and arms drape over areas of interest, possibly not even their own arms...Which is all still very artful and normal I suppose...'

'Except then someone's bare bum is displayed, and the European among you, sorry Alicia, simply goes topless outright, as if to say, 'Let's get on with it shall we?' And then, not to be outdone, someone else places a champagne bottle in front of their spread-out legs. And then, a champagne flute....'

They were all listening intently now. Go on.

'And it's as though there's nowhere else to go past that...bare breasts, nipples, a touch of bum and suggestive but not actual crotch shots. The camera clicks away. But then someone sighs and says they're thirsty, and lifts their bottle or glass and takes an exaggerated swig for the camera. Slowly, each of you come to believe that to be the most chaste is to lose, to give up the spotlight you deserve to someone else. Never. Pheromones, endorphins, and the desire to be more outrageous than the next, begin to take over, and the one with the bare bum bends over, and things turn from borderline exhibitionism towards outright explicitness.'

'Finally someone comes forward and drags the photographer into frame and makes him/me...join you all on the lounge, placing their hand on top of their/my pants, feeling my obvious excitement, while another grabs one of my hands and presses it to one of their bare breasts....'

I trailed off.

'And?' Someone asked, clearly wanting to know where this was headed. But.

'And it would go on from there.' I explained meekly, losing the train of my perverted thought. Why? Because I'd had another idea. A better one. In my mind anyway.

'Sorry it's just that. That scenario, it's not quite right. I mean it's fine and all but Nat's right. It's too obvious.'

'And by the looks on all your faces I think maybe you all agree..?' I wagered, I think correctly.

'Anyone could come up with that as a scenario of famous people getting carried away. And it supposes that the, fanboy, just happens to be a famous photographer with sufficient influence to get you all acting out of character as it were.'

'The agencies are all wrong.' I added finally, hoping that would explain what I meant.

'Well what would be more...accurate then? Do you have something else in mind? What is it? DWB?' Natalie asked, apparently the lead supporter of this weird little confessional session.

I nodded, reluctantly. Grimacing. Not sure if I should say what I was actually thinking.

'Well? We're waiting.' was the silent reply.

'Timestop.' I confessed, finally.

'What?' Was the collective reply, except Kate, who laughed out loud, clearly getting it more quickly than the others.

'He's been watching Japanese porn. It's where the girls all freeze and the male does whatever he wants with them. God that's so specific!' She said, clearly titillated. A fellow dark traveller that one I thought to myself.

'Tell us why that.' M prompted me, eager for me to explain properly. I would do my best...

'You are all famous and beautiful beyond words.' I began. 'And that's beyond intimidating to a regular old pleb like me. I, and those like me, would likely need to imagine a scenario where we're in control, where we can do what we wouldn't otherwise dare, and you won't know after what we, or I the male, did to you all. It's kind of fucked up, but safer somehow, because for one you would neither be showing your strong disinclination to go anywhere near us, nor would it involve the even less believable scenario that you would actually want to stoop down to our level.'

I looked around their blank faces, searching for comprehension.

'Also, in all honesty in any other case it would likely begin and end in a grand total of about 12 seconds.' I added ruefully, hoping that pity might play some part, looking down at the all too obvious drying stains on my pants from the evening's earlier performance.

You could have heard a pindrop. Or my heart. No one seemed willing to respond first. Until.

'Timestop.....so we're just supposed to pretend to freeze are we?' Alicia asked curiously, interestingly without any trace of the contempt I would have expected.

'And then you just wander around doing whatever you want to us?' She went on quizzically.

'Pretty much.' I replied, more than slightly embarrassed.

'Huh.' Alicia said, neither refusing nor accepting the suggestion. 'Might I make a suggestion?'

'Please do!' M said eagerly.

'Well, I was wondering. M do you have any more of those sleep masks?' She asked.

M lit up at the question.

'I have better than that!' And with that she dove behind the bar and began rummaging around in that bag of hers. When she came up she had two handfuls of masks, except these ones weren't the soft sleeping ones I'd worn. They were masquerade masks. And quite ornate and beautiful ones at that.

'It occurred to me that some of us might like to have the reassurance of some kind of anonymity.' She explained. 'Much like I had at the comic book store if you'll recall...so I bought these.'

'And!' She went on. 'Just to make sure everyone knows the level of discretion that this night affords...you all entered via the private entrance to this hotel. That entrance is specifically designed for anonymity. There are no cameras. And I booked this suite under a fake name. And! All the staff here operate a strict NDA regime, right down to the bellboys, cleaners and room service staff!

'Moreover. Both my camera, and Will's for that matter, are double-triple encrypted up the yin-yang!

'You're quite thorough aren't you M?' Kate asked in bemusement as M's minor geek-out, to which M couldn't help but blush at the clear implied similarity with her most famous role. She pressed on regardless.

'Yes well. Which is all to say that whatever happens tonight stays here. And we each have veto voting rights of absolutely everything that might be captured or recorded.'

'Veto.' Brie said predictably. No one said anything. North Korea at the UN. She drank her drink.

Alicia picked up a mask and demurely put it over her face. She looked good. And, if you didn't know who it was, looked pretty well anonymous. The others seemed to take positive note.

'How do I look?' She asked. No one replied.

'Incredible.' Someone said. Fuck it was me.

Alicia smiled at me.

'I meant can you tell that's me?'

'Oh.' I stammered, 'Um no.'

'He would say that.' Brie interjected, but Nat came to the rescue.

'You look...incredible. But with plausible deniability.'

Alicia smiled, as Brie frowned.

'Thanks. So how about we do both of the things Will suggested?' Alicia went on. No one responded, clearly not fully grasping what she was getting at.

'We timestop. Or freeze or whatever it's called. And then Will has his little Oscar photo shoot. There'll be some...skin shown.' She suggested, suggestively, and yet somehow diplomatically.

'And some pictures taken,' She went on. 'of us all. And I suppose some minor touching for clothing and position adjustment. But nothing entirely untoward...as in Will will give us his word that he won't go and get so carried away as he did with M in her bedroom, which he was clearly quite lucky to have gotten away with as he did!'

'Let's do it.' Kate said, not fucking about.

'It's perfect.' M chimed in. The rest however were reasonably reserving judgement, none wanting to go first, as either the buzz-kill or the wanton sex fiend.

Again, it was Nat who sealed the deal.

'I think...' She sounded out carefully, with a slight smile. 'That that could work.'

She went on with her reasoning;

'After the show that M and Will put on, or more accurately that Will was unknowingly subjected to, for our benefit, and his candour in answering our questions just now, I think it could be said that he's earned a little something in return. But only if he sticks to the brief. Which, if we all agree - is wide and mid-range shots only -- no extreme close ups.

'He can help us disrobe, which may involve some level of contact, but if he gets handsy then the whole thing's off and we'll have his balls spiked with ten stilettos quicker than he can say fucking 'Cheese.'

She looked at me with a determined gaze, telling me she meant business. I nodded solemnly.

Contented, she went on;

'It's useful for us too, I think. Being 'frozen'. We don't have to fight within ourselves about maintaining our self-respect and all those things that we think helps us, but in fact is what is imprisoning us all. I for one am willing to try out M's theory, and I guess this is as safe as an environment as any.'

'So,' she continued, 'at some point shortly Will will say Stop and we all freeze until he says unfreeze. It's like an acting class basically. Except the action happens between takes as it were.'

This seemed to bring the assembled women around somewhat.

'And if anyone doesn't like what's happening they can simply leave, or sit it out or whatever.' M added as reassurance, for Brie if no one else.

Again, no explicit consent, but then again, no protest either.

'It's agreed then!' M said finally, clearly a bit giddy at the positive development.

There was a pause, a moment of awkwardness among the group as no one quite knew what to do with themselves. A few toyed with the masquerade masks in their hands.

'There's no great rush however, we have all night after all.' M hurriedly added, realising that some might be needing a little more Dutch courage;

'Will would you mind handing out some champagne, I think everyone needs to relax a little.'

The group all accepted readily and began to relax as I went around doling out what was no doubt a very expensive drop.

As I made it around to Kate she asked;

'So...theoretically Will, what would you do if you had the run of us here, if you know what I mean. If you could do anything and we'd be none the wiser...'

The other conversations dimmed somewhat at that, clearly hoping to hear my reply.

Well, um I began slowly, my mind still whirling with what I would actually do.

'We all watched what you did when M was passed out remember. You're a pretty fucked up individual aren't you?' She said with a rather large smirk on her face.

M, rather unhelpfully put the video back on at that scene. I reached over and turned it off, to some protest.

'Well.' I began thoughtfully, 'Firstly, I am more than happy with taking some photos of you all! I will die happy at having done so.'

'But, if I had to say, it's not the end bits in Timestop videos, the sex, that's the erotic part. In fact I don't imagine I'd even get to that part truth be told.' I admitted, again blushing at my unnecessary honesty.

'For me, the weirdest, twisted, and I suppose most arousing thing about timestop videos is the beginning, when this young nerd, or old man, someone that would never otherwise have such an opportunity, goes up to the frozen women and for lack of a better word, invades their faces...and by that I mean he pushes his tongue past their impassive lips, and licks their faces or whatever while they have to remain perfectly frozen.'

No one said anything. It felt. Awkward.

'For me anyway, that's the most arousing part; the non-requited kissing. It's just so...weird...' God I felt like a creep saying it out loud like that.

'And,' I continued, 'The idea of doing it to, in my estimation, simply the most beautiful women in the world, who shouldn't have to do anything they don't want to, well, it's...'

'Making you hard!' Kate interjected suddenly, looking down and pointing eagerly at my crotch.

The group tittered at that, as I awkwardly tried to minimise the protrusion.

'I suppose so.' I admitted bashfully.

'Where did you find this guy M?!' Kate said. 'He's a freak.'

'I know.' M said apparently proudly, 'in the best possible way. I don't know how he knows what to do, he just does, in the most fucked up way possible!'

'Just...passive...kissing?' Nat asked suddenly, weighing the notion in her mind, not rejecting it!

I nodded my head, trying to hide my burgeoning excitement.

'A bit like a stage kiss.' Nat added. 'Except, one way.?'

Again, a single nod, don't fuck this up Will!

'So you don't have to worry about us saying no, and we don't have to worry about saying yes?' Alicia added. Another vote perhaps?!

'Well we've all done stage kisses I guess.' Nat said, finally stating her position. No one disagreed.

'Actually I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I find that most of the time the...male actor...tends to, cross the line with those anyway...' She added.

They all nodded knowingly, and it looked like no one else would speak up against that weird admission of apparent apathy, until Kate chimed in.

'Not just male...I've been known to get a little...carried away.' She said with a mischievous smirk, clearly only feigning embarrassment at her confession.

'Big surprise.' Nat replied with a laugh. 'Besides, you can just tell the directors want it can't you? 'For 'believability's' sake'. Right?'

Nothing else was said. They all nodded in agreement. God it must be weird being a female actor.

Each one of them looked at all the others, gauging each other's reactions. The air hung heavy with anticipation. Can you imagine how I felt?! These women, collectively considering whether they would all allow me to stick my tongue into their passive frozen mouths. Fuck me dead!

Alicia, then, smiling obliquely and toying with her mask upon her finger, then just shrugged and put her mask back on. Oh my god!

Eyes cast around. Kate did the same, somewhat less of a surprise but still!

Natalie, the ring-leader/slightly elder stateswoman, eyed me carefully and also toyed with the mask in her hands for a moment, and then, finally said;

'Just to reiterate. Firstly, you better behave yourself. Don't go and fuck this up, if you know what I mean.'

I nodded dumbly. I thought I understood. She went on.

'Secondly, you have to give voice to whatever you are thinking at all times. We won't be able to speak so you have to, no matter what. I want to know what's running through that weird dirty little Fanboy mind of yours.'

'And thirdly, if we're going to do this, then I think you need to meet the brief, the DWB thing. I for one am curious what else that might mean. So...something needs to be dirty...?

Again I nodded, solemnly. She went on.

'And something needs to be weird. We didn't come all this way and agree to this just for you to do or say things that are too...pedestrian. M has assured us that you're up to the task, so don't let her, or us, down. And lastly don't take all night. Staying perfectly still is actually hard work.'

She looked at me keenly.

'Do we have a deal Will?'

'Yes ma'am.' I replied in dumbfounded agreeance, suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of responsibility. God what if I'm given this opportunity of a lifetime and I'm found to be...too boring?!

Nat said nothing in reply, instead simply taking her mask and sliding it over her face.

M beamed an exuberant smile and donned her mask too, no surprise there, leaving just Daisy and Brie left.

'Seriously?' Brie repeated her earlier protestation. 'Girls this is all a bit too fucked up for me.'

'It's just kissing. And deletable photos.' Kate said, clearly more than eager to add that as permissible.

Daisy, outnumbered but seemingly willing to go along with the majority, slowly slipped on her mask too.

Brie, scowling, drew in her breath to respond...but instead someone yelled;

'Freeze!'

*********

It was M that had cried out quickly, cutting Brie off and thereby denying her the opportunity to protest further. Brie looked suitably pissed but decided to hold her tongue.

I just looked around in wonder.

The women/girls/goddesses were all frozen in place. I let a few moments pass just to make sure.

Brie too looked around, in clear absolute disbelief at what was happening. She sighed heavily. And seethed.

'Just to be crystal fucking clear. I am not frozen. This is just because of the fucking camera.' She said glaring at me...And then she put on her mask, picked up her drink and glared still harder at me to make absolutely clear that she, if no one else, was not at fucking all frozen.

Yikes. I knew that I only had one shot at this. So I tried to take control, or at least get her somewhat on side.

'Ok. So everyone's frozen except you Brie. In this fantasy, I can control who or what is frozen, objects or people. And no one has to do anything they're not comfortable with.'

'Damn straight.' Brie said sharply, arms crossed, all defence.

I turned my attention back to Brie and gave her my best reassuring smile. If I was capable of charm, now was the time to try to use it.

'Fuck. The whole thing's pretty out there isn't it?' I began.

No response, push on.

'These amazing women, your colleagues, all being willing to play along with this. And M, having done so already and shown you all the evidence of it. What did you think of the video she played?'

'Um..? It was pretty fucking twisted. But that's her right of course. Apparently her need.' Brie said, circumspectly.

'And you don't feel any such need?' I asked.

'My needs...are my fucking business.' She said brusquely.

'That's not quite a no....' I noted, pushing my luck, to no reply.

'So you're...not entirely immune then..?' I pressed a little more.

Brie sighed and gave me a death stare, apparently amazed I'd have the balls to even talk to her. As was I truth be told.

'We all have fantasies.' She replied through gritted teeth. 'And I can't say it isn't fucking weird and fucking lonely in the public gaze. Bunch of sexist fuckboys. But this sure as hell isn't the solution though.'

'Fair enough.' I said. 'But we're here now and these ladies are waiting to begin. So I better, begin, ok?'

'Ok. Fine. Whatever.' Brie said, crossing all available limbs.

'Ok then.' I said, and waded, surreally, into the gathering, stepping into the great unknown.