The Rendezvous Ch. 01

"I think it's supposed to be a dumb family nickname," Keri shrugged. She didn't like the name either, but what could you do? She looked at Alicia, noticing the redhead was still frowning at Evan. "Is something wrong?"

"I hope not," the redhead grimaced. She pointed her finger at Evan. "I just... Erika, are you sure you want your brother working with this girl?"

"What do you mean?" Erika asked. She looked at Evan. "My brother's playing your love interest."

Evan nodded, looking confused. "Mike told me. Is there a problem?"

"No offense," Alicia said. "It's just, that, well, you know about the scene where he tells you he's gay, right?"

"Yeah," Evan said, grimacing. "What about it?"

Alicia shook her head. "You're typecast as a lesbian."

"What do you mean?" Evan asked. Her face and body language carried a strange expression. "I'm not typecast!"

"You kissed another girl in Thirteen and on that show of yours," Alicia replied, pointing her finger pointing at Evan. "And I also heard you have that movie coming out. You know, the one where you play the schoolgirl who gets the lesbian reporter to frame her teacher for sexual harassment?"

"Pretty Persuasion," Evan said. "That won't be out for a while. I can't start filming it till I'm done with this."

"Yeah," Alicia scowled. "That one. I hear it has a lot of blatant sex jokes."

Oh gosh, Keri thought. Not another one of _those_ movies.

"There are some good parts," Evan shrugged. "I like the climax." She grinned and then quoted a line. "'It's like this world is the orchestra and I'm the conductor.'"

"Oh yes," Alicia rolled her eyes. "Good line, great line. But then there's all the porno jokes, the masturbation bits, the bestiality, the..." She stopped, seeing Evan's darkening expression. "I'm sorry. I was given a script for the film by Myron, my agent. He thought I'd be as good as the reporter."

Evan smiled. "Jane Krakowski got that part. You know Jane, right? You were on Ally McBeal with her."

"Jane?" Alicia gaped at the young girl. "Jane Krakowski is playing a..."

"Yeah, she's playing one."

Alicia stared at her. "But your lovescenes..."

Evan shrugged. "They're just brief scenes. No nudity. I wouldn't mind if there was, but the director said it wasn't necessary." She shook her head, then smiled again. "Hey, what's your problem? You've been a lesbian in a few films."

"I was acting," Alicia said. "I really don't care for lesbians."

Obviously, Keri thought, trying to keep from looking disturbed.

"Then I guess you weren't acting in Playing Mona Lisa," Evan said. Keri felt a flush coming over her, remembering that comedy and Alicia's funniest running gag in it. Her character told men she liked girls and guys, then always left them in disgust, realizing the truth. Keri had liked the role and the movie. The running joke had bothered her, though, in part because of her attraction to Alicia. In the end Keri had decided to hope the joke was just really bad overacting. If it was sincere, though...

"I wasn't acting," Alicia said. Her voice carried a strange tone. "I wasn't acting at all."

"Well, okay, that's fine," Evan shrugged. "For the record, I'm not a lesbian either. It's just fun to mess around with it." She looked at Erika. "You can agree, right? I saw you in Home Room. Busy Phillips kissed you."

Keri frowned. She had heard of the movie but had not seen it. "You kissed a girl onscreen?" she asked Erika, noticing the other girl's face was red.

"She didn't like it," said Alicia. "She didn't kiss her back."

Erika had a strange look in her eyes as she nodded in confirmation. "That's what the script said."

"It was different in reality, though, right?" Evan asked her, smiling. Her hands gestured as she added details. "The first time I kissed Mischa, I thought I wasn't going to like it either, but then..." She grinned and Erika frowned. Keri felt her thoughts tumbling. Why was Evan bringing this up? If she... Better jump in here.

"Uh, Evan," Keri said, guessing the source of Erika's discomfort, "did you know Erika's a Scientologist?"

"Oh!" Evan's mouth fell open. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."

"It's okay," Erika told her, blushing. She frowned at Keri, then turned back to Evan, hand waving as she spoke. "We had this conversation earlier, about unfair stereotypes. For the record, I have no problem with gays or lesbians. Most people in my religion don't, the ones who do get most of the press. Really, the vast majority of us aren't against people of alternative sexualities. We even have a network of people into them called Clear Rainbow."

"Oh," Evan said. "I didn't know that. Sorry."

I didn't know that either, Keri thought. Another stupid assumption shattered today.

"So did you like doing that scene?" Evan asked Erika. "You did, right? You had fun with it."

"Lots of fun," Erika nodded, a strange look on her face. "That movie was great for a lot of reasons. I really challenged myself, acting against type. I try to do that with all my roles."

"Right," Evan said. "They all mean something to you."

"Yes," Erika replied. "They're all me, a part of me. Every time I take on a role, I have to look at truths about myself, some of which are scary. I like doing it, especially when I get crazy. So you're the same way?"

"Yes," Evan said. She looked at Alicia. "And you too, right? I've seen all the films you've done for David Lynch and John Waters."

Alicia stared at her. "Your parents let you watch all those films?"

"I'm eighteen," Evan shrugged. "I can watch whatever I want." She grimaced, then looked back at Erika. "I think it's great your brother's doing something like this so early in his career. I did something similar on my show. If he needs help..."

Erika smiled. "That's very kind of you."

Evan grimaced at the line. Keri did too, realizing Erika was quoting her brother's character Gordon Reiner. This girl is terrible, Keri thought, and yet so... interesting. Beautiful too. I wonder if... Oh no. Stop that. Stop it right now.

"I'm sorry," Alicia said again, shooting Erika a glare. "I just want to get away from doing dumb crazy things on screen. It's hurting my career, or so people have been telling me."

"Oh, come on," Erika said, glaring back at her, "it's fun!" She looked at Keri. "What's the craziest thing you've ever done when acting?"

Keri paused, having to think for a moment. "Probably that whole time travel plot on Felicity's last season."

"That was crazy," Evan said. "Mine was Thirteen, everything in there. And yours, Erika?"

"This movie," Erika smiled. "I actually tell a guy I fake orgasms."

Evan frowned. "That's not that crazy."

"It is for me," Erika laughed. "I don't fake orgasms. I don't fake anything. Whatever it is, I do it true. Life's better that way."

Keri suddenly felt the ache in her belly deepen. Obviously Erika was talking about her biggest scene in the film, the part where she broke up with Mike Binder's character, told him she had been faking every time they made love. It was a good joke, but in this context... Suddenly she felt confused. Erika didn't fake orgasms? But come on, every actress had to if they wanted to do extended lovescenes! "You never...?"

"Nope," Erika shook her head, smile deepening. She shrugged. "It's an acquired talent, one I'm not that great at. There was a time when I tried it, but I sucked, so I gave it up."

"She's the only actress I know who can't do it," Alicia said, rolling her eyes. "Erika can't even do that scene from When Harry Met Sally."

"The guy I'm sitting across from always has to get me hot with footsie under the table," Erika said, keeping her smile. "Otherwise my face just looks all wrong for it. I am terrible at faking lovescenes."

Keri stared at the blonde, feeling her insides shake. But she's done great lovescenes! The ones I've seen, anyway. If she can't fake, how can she...?

Evan seemed to agree with Keri. "But..." she stammered at Erika. "Your pool lovescene in Swimfan looked so real."

"That's because it was real," Erika said. "We kept trying to get it right and it didn't work, so finally I talked to Jesse and John about it and we decided we had to film actual sex. I had a live one night stand."

Keri stared at the other girl, her gray eyes wide with surprise. Inside her mind, memories of the scene were raging. Inside her body, a strange yet familiar feeling continued to grow. "You actually..."

Erika grinned, then nodded. "It took a few takes, and we had to cut out quite a bit of the really good action, but in the end it worked out. Don't you agree?"

Keri grimaced, trying to calm her insides. The scene had been one of the hottest things she'd ever seen on film, a high point to an otherwise really bad movie. She remembered it well. "You're pretty dedicated," she told Erika, unable to think of anything better to say to her.

"I try," Erika smirked. Then her expression changed. "Jesse's a dedicated actor too. Any of you ever seen him in Presumed Innocent? King of the Hill? Bring it On?"

"I liked him in Hackers and your movie," Keri said, then blinked. "You dated him on the set?"

"No," Erika replied, sighing. "He has a steady girlfriend. He was so nice to me, though. He told me he took the role in Swimfan just so he could kiss me and Shiri. It was so romantic, I thought. I tried to get with Jesse, but he turned me down. I was mad at first, but then he kept treating me nice, and..."

"You used your feelings with your character," Keri said. Many times she'd done the same thing herself.

Erika smiled again. "Yeah. It worked out great. We settled our feelings, got to be friends. Not good friends, but friends. Then when I proposed the idea of our actually having sex on camera, Jesse was shocked as hell. But then he was into it." She chuckled. "I can be very convincing."

I bet, Keri thought, looking at the other girl. She looks like a porcelain doll, Keri mused. Her face is so nice, especially with those beauty marks and dimples. Devilish purity. I... Oh no, she caught herself. Not this, not again. She turned her gaze to Alicia, thinking the other girl and their enmity might calm her trembling insides. It didn't work.

"I would never lower myself to do anything like that," Alicia said, rolling her eyes noticeably. "I can get nude on camera, but there are some places where you have to draw the line."

"Yeah," Keri nodded, feeling her brain quake again. Desperately she again tried to keep her thoughts off seeing Alicia naked in her favorite episode of the Sopranos. Alicia had been so hot in there, such a memorable character, and in real life she was so... Before Keri could complete the thought, more words from the other actresses in the room caught her attention.

"That's shocking," Evan said to Erika, looking both surprised and amused. "You're telling me that's not the craziest thing you've ever done?"

Erika grinned. "It was until this movie."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Erika does crazy things like that all the time," she told Keri and Evan. "Real on-screen sex, naked interviews and photo shoots, hanging out with Playboy models." She blushed as she waved her fingers. "I've posed nude, too, I know. I've done roles like Erika has. I'm not like that, though. I am not a crazy sex fiend. I just used to like to play the vamp a lot."

"Right," Keri grimaced, the words instantly bringing on more memories of Alicia's Sopranos character. And her Ally McBeal character. And her movies. So many of them she had hot scenes in, so many of them with lesbian or kinky overtones, so many of them showed Alicia so hot... Alicia was hot, Keri realized. That long crimson hair, those freckles, that figure. Oh no, Keri realized, shaking her head. Get a hold of yourself, you ditz!

"You okay, Keri?" Erika asked, raising an eyebrow at her expression. Alicia was also looking at her. The brunette immediately stopped gritting her teeth.

"Fine!" Keri looked away from them. "I'm fine. I'm just not used to talk like this."

"Better get used to it, Felicity." Alicia rolled her eyes, then smiled and pointed at Erika. "This girl is quite well known for such talk."

"Hey," Erika glared at her, spreading her hands. "What's wrong with liking sex? Nothing!" She turned back to Keri. "You agree, right? You've done lovescenes."

"Not in a while," Keri said, shaking her head and trying to clear it. "I'm just getting back into acting."

"Right," Evan said. "I remember hearing you wanted to back out after Felicity went belly-up. I was pleased when I saw you in that war movie last year."

"I was glad too," Keri agreed. "I tried getting out of acting, but I decided I liked it too much to quit. I'm still getting back into it, still doing small roles, but maybe I'll find something I can star in again one of these days."

"I hope you do," Evan said. "You've done it before. If you need help, just ask me. I know I haven't been an actress that long, but I've done a lot of things."

"So have I," said Erika. "If you need help, just ask."

"Thanks," Keri told them, shaking her head at the words. She looked at Alicia. "And you?"

Alicia frowned, then shrugged. "Of course. Just don't expect me to do anything stupid or crazy. I'm through with that stuff."

"Right," Keri nodded, memories of all the things she'd seen Alicia do flashing in her mind again. Crud, stop thinking about them. She looked at Erika, trying to get her mind on something else. The blonde's expression, though, made Keri think again of the Swimfan pool scene. That scene was so hot, Keri remembered. I wanted to reenact it with Tony, but he wasn't into the idea, darn it. Oh crud, stop thinking about it! Pushing her legs together to contol the ache there, she looked at Evan.

The young girl looked back at her with a strange expression. Warmth, interest, and something else. Something Keri could not define. It shone in Evan's eyes, and flashed through to the center of Keri. "So," Evan asked her, "are you excited about being in this movie with us?"

"Excited?" Keri repeated, staring back at Evan. "Uh, yeah, sure, of course."

I am excited, she told herself. Just not about the movie, not now. Why did we have to talk about all that we just did? Now I'm looking at these other girls and thinking about them, even though I just met them. Oh crud, what is wrong with me? Oh crud!

Keri Russell's secret was simple yet dire- she was a slut. A wanton minx who loved sex way more than any of her TV or movie characters. She had first achieved orgasm hiding in a closet between auditions for the Mickey Mouse Club, way back in her early teenage years. She'd been feeling unusually tense that day, weak in the knees and stressed with the effort of singing and dancing. Touching her body in private had seemed to be the best way to relieve that tension.

Then she'd gotten onto the show, to her great delight, and met her fellow Mouseketeers. In particular there had been Ilana Miller, who had become Keri's first real best friend. Once they each found out what the other liked to do between skits, Ilana also became her first masturbating companion. Keri and Ilana had explored their sexuality together and both found many things they liked. Ilana hadn't been the only Mouseketeer Keri had gotten with either. Not even a year later, Keri had lost her virginity to a nice guy in the same closet. She had been wild for sex ever since.

Her escapades and experimentation had continued long after she left the Disney Channel. She'd gotten together with some of her co-stars on Malibu Shores and other projects. Keri found having sex with people made for a great way to get to know them, an excellent method for developing chemistry and friendship. It was fun too, there was nothing better for letting out the tension of a hard day's work. Despite all this, though, she feared what damage it could do to her reputation if her secret got out. That was why she was so very careful about her secret, and rarely told it to anyone. The only people Keri shared herself with were people she found genuinely attractive and trustworthy first.

Her Felicity castmates had ranked highly among those people. She'd been lovers with both Scott Speedman and Scott Foley, on and off camera. Amanda Foreman had been someone she'd developed quite a rapport with, too, and Tangi Miller. Amy Jo Johnson had also been a good friend of Keri's during her years on the WB, especially after Keri found out AJ had shared similar experiences to Keri's with some of her castmates on Power Rangers. Jennifer Garner, though, was the woman Keri had found most memorable. Jennifer had liked their relationship enough to start something similar with some of her co-stars on her own JJ Abrams show Alias. Keri still got together with Jennifer now and then, just as she did with all her other friends with benefits. She missed them so much the rest of the time- sex was often hard to fit into all their mutual schedules. They hadn't seen each other in weeks. But it was great when they had time, always worth it. And now, thanks to her present circumstances, Keri was thinking about it all again.

"I'm excited too," said Evan. "This movie is going to be great. Very emotional."

"Yeah," Keri agreed, thinking back to how emotional some of her friends had gotten with her in the past. The feelings she'd soothed in them, the passions she'd aroused. For a moment she found herself longing for another similar experience, a new one, possibly with Evan, Erika, or Alicia.

No, Keri immediately discarded the idea. When I decided to get back into acting, I swore I would never do that again. And even if I were to consider it, I couldn't do it with these girls. Evan is too young. Erika is too crazy. And Alicia is... she looked at the redhead's frown, trying to control her thoughts. All of a sudden they were racing for some unseen finish line. Oh crud! Oh crud!

Keri had not gotten together with anyone new in a long time. The last new lover she'd added to her list was Vera Farmiga, whom she'd bumped into by surprise at a Manhattan sci-fi fan convention four years after their show left the air. Oh, if only the crazed fanboys who'd surrounded the two female stars of Roar demanding autographs had known what happened between Keri and Vera later that night when they discussed all their regrets that the show hadn't gone on. A mutual attraction had been confessed, and what followed had been yet another memory Keri would always treasure.

But that was over two years ago now, and Keri wasn't sure she wanted to ever do something so spontaneous again. Especially not with someone like Alicia. Someone whose intelligence and vibrant beauty intimidated her, someone Keri had barely known for two days. Doing something like that with Evan was even more unthinkable- yes, Keri had been three years younger than Evan was now when she'd started having sex. Ilana had too. But that didn't mean she should corrupt the young. Right? And Erika was even worse. Even with all the blonde girl had just done to shatter Keri's prejudgements of her, she was still...

Oh no, thought Keri. Her legs were shaking. Between them, there was an undeniable ache and dampness. She stood up, knowing she had to get out of the room fast. "Excuse me," she said to the other women.

Alicia frowned at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Keri said, standing up and trying to stop herself from shaking. Thinking about all her lovers had combined with the conversation to bring on an all-too familiar sensation in her- the hope and longing for her secret favorite activity. She had to push it away, take a few private moments to calm herself. Then maybe she could speak to the other girls again without thinking about them. Or maybe...

"I'll be fine," she repeated, seeing Alicia's frown deepen. "I just, uh, need to take care of something in my dressing room."

"Can I help?" Evan asked, standing up with a smile. "If it's your lines you're worried about..."