Mirror Images Ch. 03

"Bren, what's wrong. Didn't the audition go well?" Summer hugged Brennan tightly.

"Sum, my life is falling apart."

"Oh come on. I have trouble imagining that. We all have setbacks. You have so much going for you. Your natural allure, your magnetism, and your ability to immerse yourself in your character is a powerful combination. I'm sure whatever it might be, it can't be that bad.

"I've been so busy with one of my projects since I arrived," Summer continued. "So I've been looking forward to having some down time with my special Zeta sister. Come on, let's put on our swimsuits and go sit down by the water. Then you can tell me about it."

Brennan silently followed Summer into the beach dressing room where they changed into their swimwear. A black bikini for Summer and a yellow tropical patterned bikini for Brennan. They walked down to the water, spread out their beach towels and sat down. The beach was not yet crowded. The sound of gentle waves lapping the shore was soothing.

"So what's going on with you Bren?"

Brennan looked out at the water through her Ray-Bans. Tears ran down her cheeks from beneath her sunglasses. "My life is over."

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic?" Brennan feigned an expression of concern, a slight frown to convey concern and worry.

"No, really, Sum. What's happening to me. This is the end of me."

Brennan slowly recounted to Summer what had happened over the past three days. Travis. Being tricked into being in a porn film. Her parents rescinding her trust fund. Her parent's anger with her.

"And just on the way over here, I got a text from Diana, my favorite director back in New York. She told me that it was poor judgement for me to get involved with porn. That it would make it difficult to cast me in the theater, and that it would limit the kinds of roles I could expect to be selected for."

"I'm so sorry Bren. I guess you weren't kidding. "If it makes you feel any better, remember I went through something similar back at Zeta. That was the most difficult thing I ever had to deal with. But I came through stronger and more determined. Although I still have to deal with the fact that someone put my intimate photos out there -- that I'm still exposed to the world."

"Yes, Sum. I remember." Brennan looked over at Summer. An acute and intense conglomeration of guilt, sadness, and sympathy came over her as she thought about her role in callously distributing the photos.

"At least I hope the porn film you're in isn't as explicit as a couple of those photos of me. The idea that people could see me touching myself was so humiliating."

Summer knew she should back off but couldn't resist twisting the knife a little.

"Sum, no...what I did...it's so much more than that. It's so much worse."

"You mean you actually had sex on camera?"

Brennan sobbed as she leaned over against Summer. She laid her head on Summer's lap. Summer tenderly stroked Brennan's wavy blond hair.

"What are you going to do Bren? I'm here for you."

"I don't know. I have to think. A lot of people back in the city, people I know, have already seen the film. I can't face them. I might have to go somewhere else and start over.

"Do you have any options for staying here? What will you do for money?"

"No, I don't have options here in LA. Well, they want me to do another film and have me as part of a series. But obviously, there's no way."

Summer held Brennan for ten or fifteen minutes. She wanted to give Brennan time to think about her options as they both listened to the waves gently lapping the sandy beach.

"Just curious, how much do they pay people for being in that kind of film?" she asked finally..

"It's not a matter of money, Sum." Brennan remembered the money she had just found deposited in her bank account that morning.

"Well, it was fifty thousand for the one I was in. It will probably be a little more than that."

"Fifty thousand! Gee, that's a lot for a short amount of time. You've just been here a few days, and fifty thousand?"

"I guess. But I'm a different person because of it. It's so humiliating. It's like I'm on exhibit. I'm shattered."

"Yes, I know what you mean. When those pictures of me were circulated, I felt shattered too. It turned me into a different person."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you Summer. Now I can see, now I know, how awful that must have truly been."

"Yes. But after a time I realized that it didn't matter anymore," Summer replied disingenuously.

In fact, it had continued to matter to her. A lot. It still hurt. It was what was driving Summer. Why she was determined to see her first project, Brennan's project, her retribution, her full payback, all the way through.

"After a while it was sort of like, well okay, everyone's seen me. Whatever."

"Does it really become like that?"

"It might. Hey, let's go for a walk on the beach."

---

"Come in Brennan. I'm so happy to see you," Bill smiled warmly. "I was worried that you might not come back."

"Well, I'm still thinking this isn't a good idea. But I decided I might as well talk to you..."

"I appreciate you cutting right to the chase. I'm assuming you're wondering about compensation."

Brennan stood uncomfortably, waiting for Bill to continue. "Is that what I'm wondering about?" she asked herself.

She looked at her in image in the full-length mirror behind Bill's desk. She was wearing a short black dress, which highlighted her long-toned legs. She was fit and attractive. Her wavy blond hair was carefully brushed. She had put on her bright red lipstick. She had possibly put on a shade too much makeup.

Being honest with herself she realized that, yes, she was interested to know how much money could be involved. But she was still thinking it likely a mistake to be here.

"As I told you a couple days ago, you're receiving rave reviews. You're already accumulating an enthusiastic audience. I spoke with the producer and the studio. They're willing to pay you $80K for each of the next two episodes. Plus, there are a couple of additional incentives.

"There's been a lot of interest in X-Flix because of your first episode. The streaming service is interested in using the series to help with their initial subscription promotion. The potential is huge."

"$80K?" repeated Brennan uncertainly. "You mean $80K for episode two and another $80K for episode three, right?"

"Yes indeed. Hang on a second." Bill knocked on the door to the adjoining room. The door opened quickly. Lily hurried in.

"Brennan! I'm so happy to see you! I've been hoping that we'll have the chance to work together more extensively."

"Hi Lily," Brennan smiled weakly."

"Brennan, I'm sorry there was misunderstanding about the first waiver," Bill said. "I've prepared a formal contract for you to consider, hoping that you'd be back. Please. Take your time and read this over carefully. It's not too long."

Bill handed the papers to Brennan. She sat down and read through the contract. $80K per episode. Language about any part of the hotel, the grounds, and the rooms fair game for filming. She would continue to play the part of Love. A conditional $10K to $15K per ancillary act per episode based on convincing performance.

As she looked up from the contract, Lily came over to her and put her arm over her shoulder. "Come on Brennan, it will be so much fun."

"What's this part in the contract about additional money for ancillary act and performance?" Brennan asked reluctantly. She could scarcely believe she was really asking about details after what she had been through."

"Well, we've already seen what you can do, what you're willing to do. And I have to say again, it's truly stellar. So we're looking for more of the same from you. But there will be additional money if you're open to doing some girl-on-girl action, and even more if you're willing to consider anal and some rimming."

"C'mon Brennan, please," pleaded Lily. "I'll help you. I'll show you. It's not difficult. You'll like it."

With a sense of unreality, Brennan thought about the money and slowly signed the contract. As she handed the papers to Bill she noticed her unusually wobbly signature.

"Fantastic! We'll get going on the next two episodes tomorrow when Travis is back. I have an idea for both episodes.

"In episode two, we'll have Lily walk in on Love and Travis, then have Love join them in a threesome."

"Yay!" shouted Lily. "I was hoping."

"In episode three, Love's husband, Jason, discovers Love has been cheating. He's jealous but then becomes perversely obsessed with the fact that he's been cuckolded and becomes aroused and fixated on the idea of seeing Love and Travis together. After he watches them together on the bed we'll then have Jason jump in, participating in a threesome with Love and Travis. Brennan, episode three would be the perfect place for you to try anal for the bonus money if you're willing -- Jason is big but not quite as big as Travis, so that might be a reasonable way to start. If you want to wait on that, that's okay too. There are obviously many other possibilities. But one thing for sure, at the end of episode three though, I'd like to reprise episode one, but this time with Travis and Jason both giving Love her facial.

"Brennan, it was extremely effective to have you often look directly into the camera in the last part of episode one. We're getting a lot of positive feedback about viewers enjoying the feeling that you're looking at them while you come. I'd like to make this a signature feature of Love in episodes two and three as well.

"If these next two episodes are as well received as episode one, I know we'll be able to continue the series, but we'll move to a different location since the honeymoon will be over. We're all going to be raking in a ton of money."

"Your natural allure, your magnetism, and your ability to immerse yourself in your character is a powerful combination," Bill effused.

Brennan was suddenly overcome with a strong feeling of déjà vu. "I've heard that exact phrase before...where?"

"That's a strange coincidence. I think Summer just told me the same thing. That's so odd," she thought.

As Brennan looked over at the mirror, she saw a stranger staring back. A beautiful stranger in a short black dress with wavy blond hair, blue eyes wide telegraphing a mixture of disbelief, apprehension, and a dash of curiosity, of what the future could hold.