The Rendezvous Ch. 04

The other girls stared back at her, remaining silent. A million different words were forming in Keri's mind, a thousand reasonable explanations, but none of them would come out. None of them made sense. Alicia clearly saw right through to the truth of their circumstances. Preconceived notions were no longer getting in the way.

"Oh my God," Alicia breathed out, shaking her head and looking again at each of them. "I know what you use those robes for, Erika," she said after another pause. "Tell me you didn't..."

"We did!" Evan interrupted her, smiling. "And we're glad! We want you to join us!"

"Evan," Keri snapped, glaring at the young girl. Evan shut her mouth, nodding sheepishly. Good, Keri thought. Glad I could remind you this can't happen too fast.

Alicia was still staring at Erika. "You..." She spun and pointed a finger at Keri. "Did she put you up to what we did earlier?"

"I..." Keri's mouth fell open. Conjectures were coming to her mind again, appearing and being reflected on. Alicia must know Erika's a swinger, she realized. They've been friends for years, she has to know. Maybe Erika's even tried to draw her into the lifestyle, and failed. That would explain a lot of things. Oh crap, what did I do?

"What are you talking about?" Erika asked, looking at Alicia, then Keri, with confusion. "Did you and Alicia...?"

"We did," Keri confirmed, seeing Evan open her mouth and wanting to avoid another blunder. She looked back and forth from Alicia to Erika to Evan as she spoke, filling each of them in. "The first time I left the sitting room, I went back to my dressing room and I had a fantasy. Since then I've been trying to act it out." She looked straight at Alicia. "When I heard you needed help, I went to you. You know what happened then. Then when lunchtime came, Evan and I got together, and just now we joined with Erika. That's all that's happened."

Alicia was quiet for a moment, staring at her. Erika was smiling, guessing at the gaps and filling them in. Her eyes shone with fascination. Evan meanwhile was crossing her arms, looking fearful. I know what she's going through, Keri thought to herself. She's wondering whether we can really have everything we want from this. I'm worried about that too. She turned back to Alicia, waiting for a sign.

The redhead looked at each of them again, eyes racing. Then they stopped on Keri. She raised a hand and gestured as she spoke. "Are you saying what we did meant nothing, Keri? You just took advantage of me? Acted out some stupid little game?"

"No," Keri shook her head, eyes full of shock that Alicia would even consider the possibility. She could see how such a thing could happen, but still she dreaded it. "I told you, I have lots of partners. I don't feel the same way about all of them, but I'm still with most of them. Everyone I've gotten with has meant a lot to me. They always do."

"You bitch!" Alicia glared at her, starting to turn away. Her eyes were full of tears and embers. "You goddamn bitch!!"

"Alicia, wait!" Erika commanded, stepping forward and grabbing her friend's arm. Alicia stared at her, then grimaced. She stepped into the room, and Erika reached around her, pulling the door shut. She motioned to Keri, who nodded and reached around her, then turned the deadbolt. What's going to happen now? she silently implored.

Erika stared at Alicia for a long moment as they stood in the middle of the room. Her eyes roamed up and down the redhaired girl's body, her nostrils sniffing. Keri looked at Evan, wondering what was going on. The young girl shrugged, still seeming surprised by all that had happened today. The feelings she'd confessed, the things she had done and had did to her. Keri realized part of her also felt overwhelmed.

"Good," Erika said, finishing her assessment and looking at Alicia. "You haven't been drinking. You just went out and walked around, right? Tried to talk things out with yourself? Am I right about that?"

"You bitch," Alicia raged at her, waving a finger. "How could you?" She waved at Evan. "I know you're into some goddamn crazy shit, but how could you? A girl this young..."

"Hey!" Evan interrupted. Alicia spun and stared at her. "It was my choice!" Evan declared, smiling. "It's always been my choice. Everything I've done! Okay? You may not believe it, but it has. So stop thinking I'm just a kid!"

Alicia looked at her for a long moment, then shook her head. She waved a hand at Evan. "Fine, whatever. If you say so." She turned back to Erika. "So you didn't put Keri up to doing what she did to me."

"No," the blonde replied, smiling slyly. "I didn't even know Keri and Evan were both into the lifestyle, not until just now. We've been talking a lot about things. We've also been missing you."

Alicia stared at Erika. "And now you expect me to..."

"No," Keri stepped in. "Nothing you don't want to do, remember? That was what I said back when we did it. I said it again to Evan, and then to Erika. I'm also saying it now."

Alicia looked at her, crossing her arms and frowning. Then she nodded. "Alright."

"What's the matter?" Erika asked her, smiling. "I've told you about the lifestyle a thousand times. Sometimes you've expressed interest. Still, though, you're one of the few friends I have who I've never done." She laughed, blushing. "And now you and Keri..." She waved her hand at each of them. "Maybe you just needed a stranger. I should have figured that out."

"Shut up," Alicia snapped, waving a finger at her. "Shut the fuck up." She pointed the finger at Evan, glaring. "And you. What's your explanation for this? I guess you really are a lesbian."

"No," Evan shook her head, grimacing. "I'm waiting for the right guy. I haven't found him yet."

"And meanwhile, you're having your fun, hmm?" Alicia crossed her arms, turning her head coquettishly to the side. She glared at them, shoulders shaking. "You make me sick. All of you."

"Alicia!" Erika gasped, gesturing. "It's not how you think, okay? We're just trying to show you our part of the world, reach out to you!" She put her hand on the other girl's arm, smiling. "Come on, listen to us, for Christ's sake! Open your eyes!"

Alicia stared at her again, eyes flickering between Erika, Evan, and Keri. They turned to the ground, then rose back up. "I have a lot more to think about," she declared, turning around and shrugging off Erika's grip. Keri stared at the redhead as she unlocked the deadbolt, then opened the door. Evan stepped towards her, but Keri caught the young girl's shoulder. Evan turned, and Keri shook her head. Evan frowned, then nodded.

"Alicia!" Erika called out, but the redhead did not turn around. Instead she walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. "Alicia!" Erika called out again, then spun to face Keri. A dejected look was on her face. "Damn it."

"I'm sorry," Keri said, addressing both Erika and Evan. "I didn't plan any of this. I just kept going with the flow. I mean, I had some general ideas, but..."

"You don't have to explain anything," Evan interrupted her. "We've both been doing the same thing." She looked at Erika. "Right?"

"Yeah," the third girl nodded. She paused for a second, looking at Keri and Evan. "We should have communicated about this more, I guess. Thinking back on things, I'm not sure how we could have, though. Something like this is never something you just do."

Keri smiled in agreement. "It's an ongoing process. It has to be, if you want to do it right."

"Yeah," Erika sighed, looking at her and Evan. She crossed her arms and sighed, eyes on the floor.

Oh crud, Keri thought. Damn it, things went from good to horrible in a few minutes. How could this have happened? I had such high hopes... I...

Erika suddenly looked back up at Keri. "Do you still want that fantasy?" the other actress asked her, grinning slyly. "You, me, Alicia, all of us?"

"Of course," Keri said, answering without thinking. Do I? she wondered immediately after speaking. Can it happen? Is there a way?

"I want it too," Evan said, demanding to be included. "I want to help!"

"Good," Erika chuckled, holding a hand up in assurance. "Then let's sit down and talk things over." She waved at the couch. "I've known Alicia for a long time. I know her buttons, her patterns. I think I have a cunning plan."

"Better not be something like your Taxi Driver idea," Evan glared at her. Keri nodded, grimacing.

Erika frowned in shame and looked away, then turned back to them. "Don't worry," she said. "If luck holds, this will work better."

Not my luck, Keri thought with a sigh.

***