ALTERED FATES: HOLLYWOOD AGENT
Chapter 1:
Laura Jenson was tired. At least she acted as if she was tired,
and those who knew her well knew that even though she was the star of
over ten highly profitable movies over the last five years, that Laura
couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. Laura thanked her lucky stars
everyday that the director's and the film editor she chose to work
with, knew her acting faults and were only too glad to cover them up
and make a ton of money from having her in their films. There was no
doubt that Laura was America's darling; her toothsome smile, her
centerfold curves, and her girl next door laugh made her appear both
sexily appealing and fragile at the same time. From her first
appearance in a film when she was fifteen, when she had a bit part
playing a girlfriend to Julia Stiles, she had almost stolen the movie
with her few well chosen lines and her smile. Girls across the country
wanted to emulate her, and boys around the country wanted to... well
you know what they wanted to do.
So when Laura acted tired, everyone assumed that Laura was
actually tired. The other actors on the set didn't know that one of
Laura's few acting skills was acting tired; a skill she had learned at
school and home as a way to get out of work. She wanted to get out of
work right now. What she really wanted to do was skip town for a while
with her latest lover, Tim Kyle, but she had this drag of a movie to
do, and the director was expecting her to actually act in this film.
The film was an adaptation of a best selling book about a woman faced
with the death of her husband and the ends she must go to keep his
corporation alive and healthy. Laura couldn't understand her character.
All that she would do: Use her beauty to capture the right man and let
him handle everything. Isn't that what she did with her husband,
William Jenson; and when she was done needing him, she found someone
else that could help her even more. In William's case, they were still
married, but he was often away on business, and that left her plenty of
time to look for her next husband. This time she wanted someone who
would give her more publicity; someone who was hot in show business
right now and who was considered sexy by the masses. That's why she
chose, Tim Kyle. He was lead singer, and guitarist for the hot group,
Harry Pubic and the Underarms. On stage his hair looked like snakes,
his large lascivious lips and tongue writhed with every word of a song,
and his taut body glistened with sweat and his washboard abs and large
biceps beckoned the female public. Yeah, he was hot all right, and he
wasn't too bad in bed either. He wasn't as good as William, but few men
were, and that was the only real reason she still stayed with William.
He just could not help advance her career anymore.
Laura knew the crew was set to break for Easter for any extended
hiatus that was to last for nine days, and she planned to milk the
director for an extra five days so she could have a whole two weeks
with Tim during a lull in his tour schedule. Give her two weeks in bed
with a man and she felt she could convince any male that she was in
love with them. The male ego, she knew, was easy to manipulate, and it
started with her pussy. She really did her best acting with her pussy.
She really did love these men when she was making love to them, and it
took little acting on her part to convince them when they were both in
the throes of orgasm and afterglow that they were soul mates and
destined for each other. What totally amazed her all the time was that
the men she met were actually much more romantic about love than women.
Sure, they tended to forget anniversaries and birthdays, and they often
got lost in sports and male bonding, but the idea of love they had for
their mate was much more of a fantasy than what women thought. Experts
had written and Laura believed it; relationships only ended when men
gave up on them. To Laura that meant that men felt their love so strong
that they could impose it on their spouse even when the female partner
was against it. She had to admit, the trail of men she had left behind
were often very hard to get rid of. That's another reason why she had
to find a man who was more powerful or at least more public, so that
the last man on her list had to finally bow to the pressure of the new
man or public opinion.
Laura was sitting in the director's trailer, lying down, and
doing her best to appear as if there was little life left in her.
Robbie McGruder, the director entered the trailer and saw her lounging
on his sofa. "What's up Laura, you all ready for a week off?"
Laura didn't answer right away, seemingly too tired to even
answer this simple question. "Bobbie, you know I'd do anything for you,
but I'm feeling all worn out by the work, and my time of the month. I
think I might need a little extra time to rest up. You do want me to be
at my best don't you?"
Robbie thought, 'Her best isn't much, but it's all I've got and
the investors want her in this film. "Laura, I need you back next
weekend, we'll be doing the love scene on the lot. You know how much
you like to do those scenes."
"C'mon Robbie honey, you can get a stand-in for me, and that'll
give me an extra week."
"No, you have to be here, the producer will kill me if you're not
here on Monday, and he'll fire you and sue you."
"It won't happen. That producer needs me; I'll just get my agent
to talk to him and get him to arrange this extra week."
"It's your funeral Laura. Don't come crying to me if it blows up
in your face."
"Not to worry. It's all taken care of."
Chapter 2:
Jeremy Nichols was tired. His body just couldn't seem to go very
long anymore. Jesus, it was only a few years ago that he was running
marathons with his neighbor's son, Sean, and he could bench-press his
own weight. That was then, and this is now, he thought. Age was
catching up with him. He was fifty-three now, and in the last few years
he had had one injury after another that had sapped his body and left
his fitness level at an all time low. Injuries to his knee and
lingering arthritis in his feet made it very painful to run anymore,
and it was only trying unsuccessfully over the last year to continue
his usual regimen, that Jeremy realized that he could no longer run and
must find another means of getting fit. The last few weeks he had begun
swimming, and bicycling and the lesser impact on his joints and feet
made it easier for him to exercise, and he was beginning to gain back
some of the aerobic fitness he had lost. But it was tough going.
The whole situation with his body had not helped his career at
all. He had been a working actor on the stage for over thirty years,
and had even had some bit parts in films and TV, but when producers of
shows saw him limping around on the set, and putting cold compresses on
joints, and taking time off to visit doctors, they tended to replace
him with someone else. Sure, he could take up directing, or he could go
back to doing voice-over work, but Jeremy's ego was all tied up with
his profession, and when he wasn't an actor he wasn't sure who he was.
He had never figured out why he had never made it big in the
business. His agent, his audience, the critics, the producers of the
plays, and even his fellow actors always told him that he was the best
at his craft they had ever seen; which led Jeremy to believe what some
of the more nasty critics had said of him; they said that even given
that he was a fine gifted actor, he would never have the looks for film
or TV. He was just so nondescript that he could never be leading man
material, and could only hope for supporting roles that offered little
screen time. He also knew that his acting ability hadn't happened
overnight. He hadn't been born with it either. Through the last thirty
years he had honed his craft to a fine edge and it was really only now
that he felt he was able to take on any part that came his way.
Unfortunately, with his physical problems, the parts weren't coming his
way at all. If he didn't get some work soon he would have to sell his
house. It was already mortgaged enough, and his equity in it wouldn't
last him long. At least he was done paying child support to his ex-wife
Donna. He had loved her, but when she left him and took their two kids,
she had made sure he had paid through the nose, and her seedy lawyers
had kept him permanently away from his children. Now they were grown;
Billy was 27 and living in Atlanta, and Julie was 24 and lived in New
York. Neither one ever responded to his letters, but he kept sending
them anyhow. Most of his friends had moved away, gotten out of the
business, or died. It happened all the time, and he should be used to
the turnover of friends in his life, but in recent years he hadn't
tried as hard, and his romantic life, in turn, had followed suit.
So it was not a really up-beat man that heard the phone ring that
early spring morning. Not only was it still early and he hadn't had any
coffee yet, but he had been up late and had a few beers, and he just
couldn't handle liquor anymore.
"Hello," he mumbled with a foggy head, "Whatcha want?"
"Hi," a bright female voice spoke to him, "Are you Jeremy
Nichols?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
"Don't you recognize your agent? This is Jennifer."
"Christ, I haven't heard from you in years, ever since you went
big-time I usually only hear from your flunkies."
"My associates you mean?"
"Yeah, your associates."
"Well Jeremy, I might have a job for you."
"Really, but why are You calling me?"
"I'm handling this myself. Can you come over to my place on
Lincoln, say around seven this evening? I'll make it worth your while
even if you decide you can't do it."
"But what kind of part is it; stage, screen, TV, commercials,
what?
"I can't tell you over the phone. Just be here at seven this
evening, Okay."
"OK. I'll be there at seven."
"See ya,'" she said as she clicked the phone off, and Jeremy was
left at his end, holding a dead phone, wondering if his fortunes had
taken a turn for the better. Something about this was setting off
alarms in his subconscious, but right now he couldn't look a gift horse
in the mouth, and he didn't care if there were Greeks bearing the
gifts.
Chapter 3:
Jeremy arrived at Jennifer's house at seven on the dot. He didn't
want any excuse for her to drop him on one of her subordinates again.
The door was promptly opened by Jennifer herself. This surprised Jeremy
because the house was very large, and he remembered her talking of her
help in years past. She couldn't have fallen on hard times like him,
because her house was immense and the cars sitting in the driveway
spoke of wealth and influence.
"Jeremy, how good to see you; come right in!" She practically
shouted at him in what seemed to Jeremy to be an overly done
enthusiastic voice. When he had talked to her in the past, her voice
had all the inflection of a Prozac addict. Still, he wasn't here to
cast aspersions, he was here to get a job.
"Jennifer, you're looking well. The last time I saw you, you were
blonde."
"Now Jeremy, you know that blonde is so last year. Hollywood is
trying to be more real, so I had my hair dyed brunette. Do you like
it?"
"It looks perfectly natural on you." Jeremy always thought
Jennifer was a very handsome woman. Her shoulder length hair was very
stylish, and it framed an almost beautiful face with clear translucent
skin, a short pert nose and full inviting lips. Her lipstick, her
fingernails and toenails, and her accessories all matched in color. Her
5'7" height and her slim athletic builder coupled with her prominent
bust-line and her designed clothes made her appear a very formidable
woman indeed. But that wasn't what was special about Jennifer. No,
Jennifer was one of those people who honestly cared for her clients,
and tried to do what was best for them even when they didn't want it.
"Well thank you. Come in to my office and take a seat. Would you
like a drink?"
"Just water please; I have to watch my weight."
Jennifer led Jeremy down a wide hallway, past a living room and
an exercise room to the back of the house where old servant's quarters
served as her office. Instead of getting behind her desk, she sat down
on a large leather sofa and motioned him to take a seat next to her.
"Right here. I want to talk to you confidentially. Whatever is said in
this room must never leave here. You must swear."
Jeremy saw the serious look on Jennifer's face. "I swear, I'll
never tell a soul."
When he sat down, Jennifer placed a hand lightly on his right
hand. "I have a role for you, and it may be the biggest role of all
time."
"You want me to play Hamlet? I'm a little old for the part, but
maybe I could manage Polonius."
"No, not that kind of role. Hear me out. This may seem
incredible, but hear everything I have to say. OK?"
"It must be big for you to act like this. Sure, go ahead, shoot."
Jennifer went on to explain her client, Laura Jenson's
peevishness and laziness in her latest film. "What's that have to do
with me?" Jeremy asked, curious.
"I want you to be her."
"You're joking right? Even if you could make me look like her, I
must be close to eight inches taller and sixty pounds heavier than
her."
"I knew you'd say that, but what if I could make you look and
sound just like her, would you do it?"
"I don't know how you could do it, but sure, I need the money and
you know it, but there's no way you can make me look anything like
Laura Jenson. God, she's a living doll. I don't even look very nice as
a man."
"We'll start right away then."
"Hey wait a minute. We haven't talked contract yet. What am I
gonna be paid?"
"There can be no contract. I will pay you myself one hundred
thousand dollars for one weeks work, and if it's extended, fifty
thousand for every extra week."
"You're really serious about this huh?"
"Is it a deal?"
"Follow me," Jennifer commanded and Jeremy followed obediently.
She led the way back through one corridor after another finally
reaching a large bedroom. "Laura sometimes stays here when she's trying
to dodge the media or her husband, so she has plenty of her clothing
here." Jennifer turned and examined Jeremy. "Don't worry, Laura will be
gone at least two weeks to be with her new lover, and she'll be staying
incognito somewhere safe so we won't have to worry about two Laura's
being seen around town." She handed Jeremy a pink satin dressing gown.
"Here, take off your clothes and put this on."
"You've got to be kidding. That's a girl's robe. It probably
wouldn't even fit me."
"I thought we already went through this, now put this on now."
Jennifer seemed more than a little put out, so Jeremy began taking off
his clothes without further comment. He was a little embarrassed about
becoming naked in front of Jennifer, but years of dressing and
undressing in cramped actors dressing rooms, often with the opposite
sex, left him little modesty. When he was done, he grabbed the dressing
gown from the bed and quickly put his arms through the sleeves and
wrapped it around him. He was surprised with how soft and sensuous it
felt on him, and he decided that when his fortunes were reversed he
would find a similar masculine satin robe for himself. When he had the
robe secured around him, Jennifer took a sealed plastic baggy out of
jeans pocket and unzipped it. She pulled out what seemed to be an old
medallion, tarnished gold or perhaps bronze, about three inches in
diameter and attached to a gold or bronze chain. When she had it out
she tossed it to him and told him to place it around his neck. As it
settled against his skin and touched the edge of the robe, Jeremy felt
something that started as a little tingle, and worked its way up to a
full blown electric shock like one would get from a static charge. As
he bent his head to take a closer look at the medallion, the feeling
went away, and he was able to examine the medallion more closely. On
one side he saw what appeared to be an angel and on the other side he
found the worn off remains of letters in some unknown language.
"Jeremy, sit down on the bed, you're going to want to be there in
a few minutes."
"What are you talking about? I feel fine, I don't know what this
medallion is supposed to do, but it's not doing it."
"I beg to differ, but it most certainly is."
Jennifer laughed. "Check out your hair."
Jeremy put his hand to his hair and was startled when he found
the hair down past his ears and apparently growing. In the few moments
he held it, his hair swept through his finger, past his neck and fell
across his shoulders. "What! How did you do that?"
"Sit down; you're becoming Laura, just like I told you."
"But I thought this was just some sort of audition or test. You
mean I'm really turning into Laura Jenson?"
"From head to toe."
When Jeremy looked down at his body he could see two mounds
appearing under the satin gown and before he knew it he could see a
creamy expanse of cleavage as the robe loosened around him. Shocked
beyond belief, Jeremy went to sit on the bed and almost missed, and
Jennifer had to steady him with a well-placed hand to his shoulder.
When he was stable again on the bed, he remembered something and thrust
his hand almost desperately down the front of the gown to the juncture
of his legs. "It's gone. Oh my god, I have a pussy!"
"Laura dear, don't be so crude. It is a vagina."
It took Jeremy a few second to adjust but when he did he thought
back quickly to what Jennifer had said. "Why did you call me Laura? I'm
Jeremy."
"Jeremy, in a few minutes you will be completely Laura and to get
into your role you must begin to think of yourself in those terms, so
from now on I will call you Laura."
Jeremy, (now Laura), stood up and approached a full-length
mirror. What he saw totally amazed him. In the mirror he saw Laura
Jenson wearing the same robe that he was wearing right now. In
addition, when he moved a part of his body, she moved correspondingly.
The evidence was overwhelming. He was now Laura Jenson, movie star and
woman. Pulling out his robe away from his chest and looking in the
mirror he examined his newfound feminine attributes. 'Boy, and I'm some
kind of woman, too." "Hey Jennifer, get a load of these hooters."
"Laura, I've seen them many times before. Besides, I have a pair
that looks an awful lot like them, and they should, I paid enough for
them."
Jeremy turned to Jennifer with a totally awestruck look on his,
now her, face. "How?" He pleaded. "How did you do this?"
"Laura dear, that medallion you are wearing is an ancient relic
called the Medallion of Zulo. It has certain magical property; among
them is the ability to change someone into an exact copy of the person
who wore a piece of clothing last. It can also switch persons between
bodies if both people touch it at the same time. There's is supposed to
be another way it can be used, supposedly to change certain body parts
instead of the whole body, but I haven't tried that yet."
"How did you get this?"
"You wouldn't believe me. About three months ago a homeless man
tried to rob me down near Sunset, and after he took my purse he threw
this medallion at me and told me it was payment for what he took. I
thought he was crazy, but when I got home I tried to clean it up and I
began to change just like you."
"You changed into Laura?"
"No, I changed into my maid, Inez. It seems I had been using a
piece of her old jeans to clean it off. At first I was panicking, but
after calming down and doing some checking on the internet I came
across information on it and realized that I could change back in
twelve hours."
"Thank god, you can change me back. Tomorrow morning I can be
Jeremy again."
"Not so fast. You have to get used to being Laura, and you might
as well start now."
"But..."
"But nothing, just consider the next week dress rehearsal; you've
done that many times."
"Not for twenty four hours a day."
"Consider this a part of your 'method acting' technique. You have
to get used to her clothes, be briefed on her friends and employees,
and learn how to put makeup on."
"I wear makeup all the time on stage," Jeremy replied as if
insulted.
"Not women's makeup you don't. You may know the techniques, but
you don't know the styles or the variety of looks a woman must use to
match certain outfits or the time of day or the occasion."
"Come on, give me a break. This is just a little hard for me to
take. You know what I mean?"
"I know exactly what you mean, I went through it too. But
remember, I'm going to pay you one hundred thousand dollars. That ain't
chicken feed."
"Yeah, but that won't start until I replace her on the set."
"OK, I'll tell you what, I'll start it right now; that way you
can earn an extra twenty thousand next week, and if you do well enough
I may even give you a bonus."
"A bonus you say?"
` "Yeah, are you through with your female histrionics?"
"Very funny. I'll tell you what; I'll take this one day at a
time, if you promise to switch me back if it gets too much for me."
"I promise."
"OK, so where do we begin?"
"Well Laura, I think you can begin by having a nice bubble bath,
then you can snuggle up with a good copy of your script for next week's
filming and you can go to sleep. Remember to wear a nice sexy nightie
to bed, won't you dear."
"I sure will, Jen. It'll be my pleasure."
The new Laura turned about then and entered the bathroom,
chuckling to herself as she saw the beautiful figure and face of Laura
Jenson in the bathroom mirror. "I sure am one hot babe."
Chapter 4:
The next morning when Jeremy awakened, she was momentarily
startled by the feeling of her breasts moving about unfettered on her
chest, and the swath of blond hair that fell in front of her eyes when
she leaned forward. A moment later, stuffing down the panic that had
begun to rise, the new Laura Jenson recalled the previous night and
what she was to do. "Oh, shit! What did I get myself into?" She asked
herself; though it was strictly speaking a rhetorical question seeing
as she already knew the answer.
After her morning ablutions and her struggle to get into her bra
and panties, Jeremy dressed quietly and with purpose, brushed her hair,
found a scrunchie to tie it back, found a pair of sandals that fit and
found her way to the kitchen to get something to eat. Not really
expecting Jen there, she was not surprised when she wasn't, so Jeremy
raided the fridge for some milk and fruit, found some cereal in a
pantry and a bowl in a cupboard and sat at the kitchen nook eating her
breakfast.
As she was finishing, Jen came into the room and acted almost
surprised to see her there. "That is you isn't it Jeremy?"
"Jeremy who?"
"Don't do that to me Jeremy, you almost gave me a heart attack."
"Remember Jen, I'm Laura now."
"I remember, just don't you forget."
"There can be no slip ups Jen, from now on when I'm in this form
you have to call me Laura. Or I'll never be ready in time."
"Don't worry hun; I'll make sure you're ready."
Just then the doorbell rang. "Are you expecting anyone Jen?"
"Yeah, I sure am. I'll go get it; you finish up here and meet me
in your bedroom." With that she turned around and went to answer the
front door. Jeremy finished her breakfast, washed out her bowl and
returned her raw materials back to their proper place. Years of living
on his own had made him cognizant that he had to keep on top of the
cleaning at every step along the way.
When he was busy wiping the table down, Jen stuck her head in the
door. "What's taking you so long? Leave the cleaning alone. Laura
Jenson does not clean up after herself. She has a maid that does that,
so come on; get your butt back to your room."
Jeremy sighed, hating to leave a job half done, but followed Jen
nonetheless. When she arrived back in her room she found a young woman
setting up various cosmetics on her vanity. "Laura, "Jen said abruptly,
"You remember Shannon from the studio. She agreed to come over and help
you get ready for your big meeting today."
"What big meeting?"
"You remember your meeting with your lawyer today to go over the
contracts for your next film."
Jeremy was beside herself with rage, but held it back. "Jen, can
I speak to you out here for a moment?"
"Sure hun," and Jen followed her into the hall and shut the door
behind her. "That was terribly ignorant to not acknowledge Shannon
dear."
"Maybe if you had told me about this in advance I would have
behaved differently. Now what is this about seeing my lawyer?"
"I know I didn't tell you, but I realized that you have to get
some practice in being Laura so I didn't cancel this appointment of
Laura's figuring that she really doesn't do much talking in these
meetings anyway. All you have to do is greet the attorneys and follow
my lead. The lawyers are always so awestruck meeting you that they'll
never notice anything out of the ordinary. Besides, you are Laura
Jenson."
"But Jen, couldn't you give me a chance to ease in to this
situation?"
"Hun, I have the greatest respect for your acting ability."
"Since when?"
"Laura, I have seen every single play Jeremy has been in for the
last ten years. Some I've seen twice. I especially liked your take on
Richard III down at that San Diego playhouse."
"You saw all my plays. How come I never saw you there?"
"Hun, I was always ashamed that I couldn't do a better job for
you as an agent. You are such a fine actor, and if it wasn't for your
looks I could have."
"I know Jen, I'm ugly."
"Laura, Jeremy is hardly ugly. He's just so bland looking. He
doesn't stand out in any way. You know, it was only after seeing you
act that I agreed to take you on. When you first came to my office I
thought that there was no way in hell that I could ever get you any
work, but after seeing you I realized that I had to be your agent
because every other agent would just ignore you."
Jeremy looked back at her dumbfounded. "You're just saying that
because I'm Laura now."
Jen's face got an intense serious look on it. "No hun, when I
thought of this plan I realized I needed the best unknown actor around.
No one could be more unknown than you, and few actors in this town are
as good as you, and certainly not Laura Jenson."
Jeremy was staring at Jen speechless, "But Jen, I don't know what
to say."
"Don't say anything, just get back in there and be nice to
Shannon Okay?"
"Okay, I guess I just have to trust you."
Jeremy turned and re-entered her room and this time greeted
Shannon warmly. She even surprised herself when she asked Shannon about
her son Todd and her husband Lou. 'How had she known that?' Jen was
thinking the same thing, and was getting an eerie feeling watching this
woman she knew had been a man less than a day before. When she took a
closer look, she noticed that Jeremy had already begun using many of
the same gestures and figures of speech that the real Laura had used.
The big difference is that when this Laura said something, she actually
seemed to mean it, certainly not like the real Laura who often
complimented someone just to get something in return. In truth, thought
Jen, Laura Jenson gave Hollywood phonies a bad name.
For nearly three hours Shannon worked on Laura's make-up and
hair, and each time she was done, Jen would intervene and ask Shannon
to do it again. Jeremy had begun to get a little upset with this
cavalier attitude toward Shannon's time, but Shannon seemed to take
little notice of it, and it gradually dawned on Jeremy that this was a
sneaky way to educate her on the use of the various make-up products.
Even after they took a short lunch break, Jen continued to press
Shannon to alter Jeremy's make-up, and after lunch they began having
Jeremy change clothes several times so the make-up could match the
outfit.
By two o'clock, when Jeremy was outfitted in a glorious Armani
suit, Jen thanked Shannon for all her work, and sent her on her way.
Every time Jeremy had looked in the mirror she had been astounded by
the changes Shannon had wrought, and when Shannon finally left, Jeremy
was beginning to see the subtle difference that each new look had
achieved and how it had been achieved. When she looked in the mirror
and saw herself in the gorgeous off white Armani suit, she knew she was
ready for the lawyers.
Chapter 5:
Jennifer drove her Mercedes with a bit of dash, letting the car's
large engine power it past the speed limit on straight-aways and
muscling the maneuverable sedan through the curves with practiced
precision, all the time affecting a studied nonchalance that belied the
obvious joy she had driving the metal and chrome beast. The traffic was
light, at least light for Southern California, and it was sunny, and
she picked her way through the traffic, seemingly always taking the
route of least resistance. Jeremy was reminded of Walter Payton
swerving his way through a field of would be tacklers, a prolific open
field runner, making for daylight. At times Jeremy began to get nervous
about this meeting with 'her' lawyers, but Jennifer's swerving and
braking and the way she timed every light left him much more intent
upon his own life as it rested in Jennifer's hands. Perhaps that was
Jennifer's plan all along; whether it was or not, Jeremy could only
hold on to the arm rest at her side and thank god that she had a sturdy
seat belt and that the car carried both passenger side and side panel
airbags.
Before Jeremy knew it, they were pulling into a parking slot of a
multi-level parking facility. When she glanced at her elegant gold and
diamond watch she was astounded that nearly forty-five minutes had
elapsed. As they moved towards the elevators, the nervousness that
Jeremy had felt earlier began to build again, and Jennifer could see
the shaking hands clasping the leather purse and the sheen of sweat
that appeared on Jeremy's forehead. "Relax hun, treat this just like
opening night, except all these people will automatically assume you
are Laura, so stop fidgeting and stand up straight. You won't have to
do too much, the real Laura rarely says anything; she just approves the
deals I've set up, smiles at the lawyers and greets them warmly.
Remember, you're a star, and a sex symbol, and they'll be thinking all
kind of dirty thoughts about you and not really paying attention to the
way you are acting. Besides, Laura Jenson is known around this town as
a bit of a flake and a primadonna. Anything you do that might be odd
will just be chalked up as another typical Laura Jensen mannerism and
be dismissed.
They arrived on their floor and approached a wide swath of glass
with a three-foot long list of names written in gold lettering on it.
"Put on your best smile hun, and don't forget, you're the star."
Jeremy pulled her shoulders back, opened her eyes wider, and
forced an infectious smile onto her face. When they entered the door,
they were immediately greeted by a young female lawyer, who smiled what
was obviously a fake smile that Jeremy realized needed to be worked on
if she had been an actress, and profusely flattered Jeremy with
compliments about her latest film, all the while looking down her nose
superciliously at Jeremy as if she was beneath contempt. Jeremy leaned
over and whispered in Jen's ear. "What have I done to her to deserve
her attitude?"
"Hun, don't you know, you are wealthy, young, beautiful, and sexy
and make her look like a worn out dishrag. She's jealous of course. She
needs to find a way to make her feel superior to you."
Jeremy was taken aback at first, never having really experienced
such a backhanded compliment before for her looks. "Oh!" Was all she
said, as they continued walking behind the jealous associate to a
boardroom overlooking a wide expanse of city high-rise buildings?
An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair, and a toothsome
smile and leering eyes that looked down from a height that had to be
well over six feet greeted her and Jen much more openly and graciously.
Behind him Jeremy could see two other men about the same age (mid-
forties), the first a short bald man with intense dark eyes, and a
handsome, tanned man with laughing blue gray eyes. It turned out that
all three were partners in the firm. The first that had greeted them
was a Mr. Daniel Hensley, the bald man was introduced as a Mr. Jacob
Wayne, and the handsome man who held Jeremy's hand just a bit too long
was called Mr. Terry Shay.
Jeremy remembered to smile widely with each introduction and to
shake their proffered hands with the weak grip that Jen had stressed
she use. When Terry Shay held her hand just a little longer than the
rest and kept his gaze intently on her face, Jeremy was, for a moment,
nonplused, and began to feel a little disconcerted under his masculine
perusal. When his eyes met hers, she began to feel a warm feeling deep
inside her that began to manifest itself in that junction between her
legs. Luckily, Jen maneuvered her around the table to the place of
honor at its head. Tea and coffee were brought out, and it was minutes
before they got down to business.
When the 'lawyer-speak' started passing between Jen and the
attorneys present, Jeremy began to tune out almost immediately. It was
all she could do to follow the jargon filled conversation and answer a
yes or no (with an approving nod from Jen) to the questions sent her
way. She was handed a contract, and while the others continued their
discussion, Jeremy began reading carefully. When she was done, Mr.
Hensley offered her a gold pen and indicated several lines to be signed
on the contract.
Jeremy looked over at Jen confused. How could she sign Laura's
name to this contract? She wasn't Laura, and her signature might not
match. She hesitated with pen in hand, cleared her throat, and asked,
"Gentlemen, could I have a few minutes to speak with Jen privately."
"Of course," they all answered and rose and left the room,
Laura leaned across the table in Jen's direction. "What's going
on here? I can't sign Laura's name."
"Don't worry hun, Laura already approved this contract; she was
supposed to sign this the day before she left but forgot like she
usually does."
"Jen, you don't get it. I can't and I won't sign a contract that
would commit someone else to something so momentous. I see where this
contract calls for a six picture deal that would bring in over forty
million dollars to Laura, which is all well and good, but it also
specifies the type of picture she can do."
"What's wrong with that? We all know that Laura is at her best in
light romantic comedies where she can smile and cry and look sexy in a
variety of outfits. No one expects her to be up for an academy award."
"How can you say that? This picture she's working on now is a
best seller, and has a great dramatic part in it. I read it last night,
and I was astounded by the juiciness of her lines. Any competent
actress would be able to make hay from the script."
"Hun," Jen shared with Jeremy, "She ain't no competent actress.
The producers hired her so their picture will show a profit and they
pay her handsomely for her work, as long as she continues just like she
is."
"Jen, I won't sign them and that's that, unless you can get the
real Laura on the phone and let me hear her give you the approval."
Jen was beginning to get angry. "I can't do that. She hasn't
called me with her location yet. Christ, you're just as bad as she is."
"I'm sorry Jen, I won't do it."
Jen sat there stewing in her anger for a few minutes, tapping her
coffee cup impatiently with her fingernails. "All right, you win, I'll
tell these guys that I have to double check some of the language, and
when Laura calls I'll let you hear her okay."
Jen motioned to the men waiting beyond the glass doors of the
room and they quickly reentered. Jen put a face on the change of plans
and was surprised when the lawyers seemed only too happy to delay the
signing 'til another day. After various pleasantries, handshakes, and
some flirtatious leers from Mr. Shay, Jen and Jeremy left the offices
and made their way back to the car.
Once in the car Jeremy commented, "They didn't seem to be that
put out about having to do this again. Why's that?"
Jen began laughing, trying hard to get her words out without
choking. "You don't get it do you, not even the way that Shay guy was
panting after you. They were glad it wasn't signed because that means
that you will be back to do it again."
Jeremy was confused, "But why...?" then it dawned upon her. "Oh,
they were attracted to me."
"Well it certainly wasn't me, and after that long handshake with
Shay, I thought they all could have melted all the glaciers in
Antarctica with their hot looks at you. Didn't you notice?"
"No, I was too nervous. I just did what you told me."
"Well they just ate it up. Christ, we just may be able to sweeten
the deal the next time."
Jeremy began turning bright red, even evident to Jen in the
darkened confines of the garage. "Oh shit, they all wanted to take me
to bed, didn't they?"
"No hun, they wanted to fuck you. They couldn't care less if
there was a bed involved.
As they pulled out of the garage Jen continued to laugh quietly
behind the wheel, and Jeremy was very conscious right then of being a
very sexy woman, and to the part of her that was mostly Jeremy it was
too much to consider. On one side was this feeling of wrongness; the
feeling that no red blooded male should ever want to consider; the
possibility of sex with another man. He was not a homosexual. He had
never even entertained such thoughts, even when he was surrounded by
the surfeit of gays that made up most theatrical companies.
On the other hand, and what was causing Jeremy the most problems
at the moment in his space tucked deep within his Laura persona, was
the feelings he had when Mr. Shay had touched him and the warm wet
feeling he had begun to feel in his crotch. He knew that was a signal
of sexual arousal and was hard put to explain it away. Instead he
stewed in his own disturbed thoughts as they made their way back to
Jen's home, and Jeremy never even once thought of the reckless driving
of her agent, or the nervousness she had felt earlier. In many ways she
would have preferred the nervousness, because it made her realize how
completely she looked and acted and felt like a woman; and that was
after only one day. How would she be in two weeks when she had to go
back to being Jeremy? Would she be able to be him again? Would these
feelings of attraction to men continue when she went back? Would her
mannerisms remain feminine? No answers came to her as she wallowed in
her self-pity, only more questions, and chief among them: Did she enjoy
being Laura more than she did Jeremy? This question alone threatened to
overwhelm her, and before the ride home was through she was crying and
whimpering ever so quietly into her hands, feeling even more miserable
as each tear ran down her cheek carrying with it the pristine sexy
makeup that defined her femininity.
Chapter 6:
Waking up the next morning was harder on Jeremy this time. She
didn't want to face a new day and have to also face unwelcome facts
about herself. She had had bad dreams. In the dreams she was Jeremy
again and he was playing poker with some buddies when the buddy next to
him put his arm down to lean over and put the arm and hand right on
Jeremy's crotch. When Jeremy tried to pull away his friend kept his
hand in contact with his cock even as Jeremy moved away. When he tried
to forcibly remove his friend's hand, his friend forced it on even
tighter and grabbed Jeremy around the throat and around the chest.
Jeremy couldn't believe the strength of his friend, and he couldn't
believe the lust that was displayed in his eyes, and he began to panic.
Why couldn't he escape this man? He was as strong as him. And why did
this man keep grabbing his crotch? Before Jeremy knew it the man was
forcing a kiss on Jeremy's lips and a tongue into his mouth. Jeremy
could not figure out why his other poker-playing friends were either
ignoring what was happening or were cheering on the aggressor. Jeremy
heard a tearing, and felt his shirt being ripped off. He was surprised
when the male hand that was holding him around his chest began stroking
it and Jeremy felt incredible sensations and when he looked down at his
exposed chest he saw two large aroused breasts. He was still fighting
this man, but he was being overwhelmed by his brute strength. With one
hand and a sudden viscous yank, Jeremy's pants were ripped from him and
underneath were pink panties. Another yank and they were gone and a
large hand was fondling where Jeremy's penis should have been but where
a woman's vagina was now. Jeremy screamed and the poker players all
gathered around, drooling with lust as the aggressive man pulled
himself on top of Jeremy and pried his knees apart. In his dream, when
he tried to scream again a kiss was placed on his lips, strong, cruel
lips that held him and pistoned in his mouth with his tongue until he
finally broke away. When Jeremy was able to focus again he was shocked
to his core when he saw that the face on the man was now his, Jeremy's.
No scream would be loud enough or long enough to express his horror,
and it continued when he opened his eyes and felt the morning sun on
his face.
He sat bolt upright in bed, trying to get his breath and looking
around the room for the next attacker. When Jen burst in the room, she
found Jeremy huddled in a corner; his now female arms tight around
himself, with a faraway, haunted look in his eyes.
Jen knelt down next to the cowering girl and placed a comforting
hand on her shoulder. "Laura honey, what's the matter? Tell Jen hun.
I'll help you." But Jeremy could only move her eyes unblinking from the
floor to Jen and back again, tears pouring down her face, and shaking
like she was about to have a seizure. Jen grabbed a blanket from the
bed and draped it over the nearly catatonic girl, all the time
whispering reassurances to her, telling her she was safe and that 'Jen
would take care of her.'
When the crying didn't stop Jen went to the bathroom and
retrieved a bottle of pills and a tumbler of water. "Here, hun, drink
this. It'll make you feel better."
But Jeremy/Laura pushed it away and spoke her first intelligible
words of the day. "No, it'll make me dream again."
Without even blinking an eye Jen downed the pill herself. "I just
might need this more than you." After putting the glass aside Jen sat
next to Jeremy and put her arms around her, pulling her close, while
she stroked her hair. After awhile the sobbing curtailed and Laura's
breathing returned to normal, but Jen continued to whisper in her ear,
and affectionately moved Jeremy's hair out of her eyes.
"I'm okay now Jen. I need to use the bathroom."
"Sue Hun, let me help you."
Jen helped Jeremy up and escorted her to the bathroom and when
the door was closed parked herself right outside with her ear to the
door. It wasn't long before she heard the tap running heard a nose
being blown, and the door opened. Jeremy stood there, brush in hand.
"Would you brush my hair? Please?"
"Let's go over to my room first okay Hun?"
Jeremy moved with little conviction, dragging her feet with her
shoulders drooped and her eyes downcast. She only stopped briefly to
don a satin robe and wrap it around her, luxuriating in the sensual
smoothness of the material.
As Jen brushed Jeremy's hair and Jen asked questions about what
had happened. Jeremy related her dream and the feelings of the previous
day. "What do you want to do? If you want we can stop now? I can change
you back and I'll even pay you twenty thousand dollars for what you've
done so far."
"What have I done? Nothing. You've been a woman all your life and
I can't even handle one day."
"Laura, that's just it; I've had a whole lifetime of lessons and
experience to help me. Sometimes I have similar dreams, I think all
women do. Anyone placed in a position of physical inferiority to
someone else and then dominated would probably have those dreams. It
doesn't mean you're a failure as a woman. It just means you have a
warning of what could happen, but the same things could happen if you
were a man. You may have been a big man, but there are always bigger."
"I guess I never realized before just how really vulnerable I
was."
"Yeah, we're all just hanging on by the whim of fate." Jen
stopped stroking Jeremy's hair and pulled her around face to face. "We
can stop whenever you want. Just say the word."
"I'm not stopping now. I can do this. I'm going to see it all the
way through now. I won't let this beat me, but please Jen, give me a
few days before I go out again. Okay?"
"Okay. I wasn't planning on it anyway. The next thing you need to
do is go to your home, I mean Laura's home, and on Thursday there is a
dinner/reception for the bigwigs at the studio you work for. I'll have
to get us both dates to accompany us. I hope you don't mind?"
"You mean like a real date?"
"No, this will be strictly an arranged date for publicity.
Another star of the studio will escort you and will act the perfect
gentleman."
"Oh, one of those deals, huh. I think I can do that."
"Well we have a lot to do between now and then. I have to drill
you some more on make-up and clothes and we have to go over all the
people you will meet at your house and at the studio. Today, we'll kick
back next to the pool and relax as much as we can while we cover the
material."
"Sounds great. What do we do first?"
"I think we eat first unless your stomach is upset."
"Strangely enough, it isn't. I feel like I could eat a horse."
Jen laughed for the first time that morning, "No, no, no. You're
on a diet. You have to be able to fit in your costumes next Monday you
know."
"Ah, come on Jen. Let me pig out. You can always use the
medallion on me to get my size back down," Jeremy pleaded.
"Well maybe some pizza this time, but back on the diet tomorrow."
Jeremy brought her hand up in mock salute. "Yes sir."
Chapter 7:
Over the next three days Jennifer drilled Jeremy remorselessly.
They covered Laura's employees, her friends on the set, her husband,
the director, her co-stars, relatives that might call and Hollywood
acquaintances.
"What about Laura's husband? Isn't he worried about her?"
"No Hun, they've been separated for a few months. He lives in New
York now. They rarely see each other."
"But what if he stops by or calls, what am I supposed to say or
do?"
"Just treat him like you would anyone else. That's how the real
Laura treats him. That's why they're separated."
"Aren't they in love?"
"Well, Hun, I think he is still in love, but I doubt if Laura has
ever been in love. Oh she acts all lovey-dovey to each poor sap she's
been involved with, but all she is after is some leverage and a leg up
in the business. As tough as I am as an agent, and as ruthless as I can
be in business, she is a lot more ruthless in love. She treats romance
as just another way to advance her career."
"Boy, you make her, I mean me, sound like some sort of ogre."
"Not an ogre Hun, just a gold-digger. Hers is an old story and
she has mastered the script really well. Each man she drops feels like
it's his fault and gives her what she wants. Hey, she didn't get to
where she is because I'm her agent, that's for sure; and she didn't get
it through hard work or talent, or at least acting talent. I should say
that if she stays in her range she is excellent, but don't ever give
her anything with substance."
Jeremy giggled, "I'd sure like to meet her sometimes; that is
when I'm not her."
"We can probably arrange that. Now let's get back to your
lessons. You're pretty familiar with the people in her life, now you
have to start learning her mannerisms. I have some candid home videos
waiting for you in my office; you can watch them and pick up some tips.
After that you need to get used to trying on her clothes, especially
her lingerie; you obviously don't know your way around a bra or a merry
widow."
"Hey I don't know about that; I've taken a few of those off
women."
"Now you have to learn to put them on too, and correctly. I want
you to put a complete outfit on, with jewelry and matching lingerie and
come see me, then start over again."
"You are a slave driver."
"Just call me Massa. Now get going and I don't want to see you
'til dinner." Jeremy made her way to the office and shut the door,
already tired and the day had just begun.
Chapter 8:
Jen walked impatiently down the hall towards Jeremy's room. "Hey
Hun, is Shannon done with you yet? We have to be there in an hour?"
When she walked in the door Jeremy was just stepping into a red
sequined sheath dress. When Shannon had zipped up the back it clung to
her curves, caressing her hips and emphasizing her boobs, making them
appear larger and fuller than there already considerable size. Her hair
was swept up off her neck, displaying her graceful long neck, and her
delicate shell-like ears with diamonds glittering in each lobe. Shannon
had given Jeremy an exotic nighttime look to her make-up that made
Laura's blue eyes appear huge and magnetic and her mouth an open
invitation to kiss.
Jennifer teased, "Oh shit Laura, I'm gonna have to get a bodyguard for
you tonight."
Jeremy looked at her, a worry frown appearing on her face. "Why
is that? Are you expecting trouble?"
"No Hun, because every man there is gonna want to fight over you.
We may need a bodyguard to keep them away."
Shannon offered teasing, "Yeah, but who's gonna guard her from
the bodyguard."
Jeremy giggled, her eyes lighting up, "Oh you guys, come on give
me a break. I don't look that good, do I?"
"Hey," Jen stated flatly, "they say seeing is believing. Just
take a good look at yourself."
Jeremy stood and turned, looking closely at reflection. "Christ,
you may be right."
"Don't get a swelled head, you won't be the only woman there you
know."
"It's not that Shannon, my looking like this worries me."
"You're kidding. Why?"
Jeremy glanced at Jen briefly, "I don't know if I'm ready for men
lusting after me."
Shannon mistook the direction of Jeremy's thoughts. "Oh, because
you've just separated from your husband?"
Jeremy was taken aback for a second, "Yeah, that's it, it's too
soon for me."
Jen touched Jeremy on the arm to catch her attention. "Don't
worry Hun, I'll be there, and as long as you stay near me or one of the
other women no man will come-on too strong. I'll make sure I don't
wander too far away okay."
"Okay Jen. I'll hold you to that."
"Let's get our wraps, I think the limo's here." Shannon watched
Jeremy and Jennifer walk away down the hall to their glamorous night at
the ball. Shannon was perplexed. After all the times she had helped
Laura with her make-up, she had never treated Shannon so well. She had
asked about her children, and how she was feeling. She really seemed to
care. Where had that come from? And where had that insecurity about men
come from? Laura was never shy around men; she looked at men the way a
starving man looks at his next meal. Shannon had never seen her upset
about discarding one lover for another. In fact, she lived for that.
Shannon packed up her equipment, wondering the whole time what had come
over Laura, and hoping it would continue.
Chapter 9:
The limo dropped them off at the underground entrance to a hotel
to avoid the rabid fans that had parked themselves outside. Their
studio provided dates, (two young men of limited mental ability, but
who looked good in a tux), helped Jeremy and Jennifer out of the limo
and escorted them to the elevator. When they entered the hall Laura was
dazzled by both the glittering decorations and the panoply of Hollywood
stars that were in attendance. Jennifer detached Jeremy from his date
as they entered the hall. When she hesitated, Jen placed her arm around
her and guided her gently forward. "Remember Laura, you are one of the
biggest stars here."
"But Jen, that's Sal Fontana over there. I've been a fan of his
for years. Over there's Liz Jenkins, I worked with her a few years
ago."
"Hey Hun, keep your tongue and your eyes in your head. They're
only people."
"Yeah, right, they're only people."
And Jen held up a compact's mirror for Laura to see. "Who is that
in the mirror?"
"That's Laura Jensen."
"That's right. You're Laura Jensen. America's sweetheart.
Hollywood's second biggest draw this year. Even if these people hate
you, they love you because you've made them all a ton of money. So
let's get in there and don't forget to smile."
Jeremy forced a smile onto her face that looked like she was
ready to bite through her lip. "Okay, let's go."
Chapter 10
The evening had gone well for Jeremy. Though many men and women
surrounded her all night, Jen was never too far away. A few glasses of
champagne and a sampling of the exquisite Beluga caviar, and Jeremy
could have stayed all night. Halfway through the evening the dancing
started and Jeremy and Jen were immediately whisked off to the dance
floor. Though Jeremy had taken no lessons regarding how to dance as a
woman, and in heels no less, she made it through a dozen songs without
any trouble. Jeremy even noticed that Jen seemed to be somewhat
distracted by the tall tanned guy they had been talking to earlier. He
was a big investor in this studio and was a rising political power
behind the scenes in California. Not only that, but he was witty and
handsome. Even from where she was nearly thirty feet away, Jeremy could
see Jen looking longingly in this man's eyes.
Jeremy was daydreaming a little watching her agent and friend,
not even really paying attention to the elderly gentleman that was
dancing with her. "Excuse me, "a voice cut through her daydreams, "May
I cut in please?" Jeremy heard a smooth tenor voice say close by.
The gentleman holding her stopped and pleaded, "Please, wait 'til
the next dance, we've just begun this one."
The tenor voice grew more insistent but still gentle, "I ask you
as one man to another, please let me dance with my wife."
His wife! Is this man William Jensen?
"But of course," and one man handed Jeremy off to another.
Without even being able to utter even a little protest William Jensen
swept Jeremy away, holding her solidly in his arms.
"Laura, why haven't you answered my calls?"
Jeremy was still tongue tied, trying to grasp the situation and
come up with a plan. "I've been staying at Jen's."
"Jen's. Didn't you check your answering service?"
"No, I've been trying to concentrate on learning the new script."
"I've wanted to talk to you. I'd like to get back together."
"Oh William," Jeremy began, but was cut off by the man holding
her.
"Since when did you call me William? You're the only one who ever
calls me Billy."
"Sorry Billy."
Billy's face grew softer and he sighed. He let the seconds and
minutes tick away holding his wife in his arms while they danced. "I
always did love dancing with you. Remember on our honeymoon when I
brought the wine to our suite, then we danced to old Johnny Mathis
records all night long. I thought I could never get enough of holding
you. Why did you throw me out? I love you."
Laura was looking around desperately, searching for Jen and a
rescue. She knew little about this man; only that Laura was a conniving
bitch that used men like some women used sanitary pads. It couldn't
hurt if she showed him a little compassion even if it was this new
Laura that had to do it. "Billy, I just needed my space. You know how
things have been changing for me." Jeremy hoped this line she had heard
from many women over the years was good enough for Billy. "You know I
still love you but..."
Before Jeremy could continue that thought Billy gasped, as if he
had been holding his breath. "You still love me. I thought you hated
me. You said that I was gone too much on business and you said I was
cheating on you. Believe me; I never once cheated on you. It's only you
I love." Billy stopped dancing and looked deep into Laura's eyes. I
love you Laura, you are my wife, "and he leaned forward and kissed her
lightly on the lips.
Jeremy was momentarily stunned, but when he withdrew, then
resumed the kiss with a tighter embrace and a deep probing tongue,
Jeremy found it hard to resist and felt herself melting in his arms,
her body pressed tightly against his, her breasts squashed against his
strong chest, and she felt her own arms reach up and encircle his neck
to pull him closer and sustain the kiss. Time stood still for Jeremy.
It had been a long time since Jeremy had been this close to someone,
and even longer since someone had told him that they loved him. Right
then the Jeremy part inside of her didn't care that this was a man and
she wasn't really the woman that he loved, she just knew that her heart
was racing, her body was quivering and her pussy was leaking. She had
never had a kiss like this, never in her whole life. Even when she was
married before when she was Jeremy. She remembered how much Jeremy
loved his wife and the great sex they had before his daughters were
born, but he never recalled feeling as good as he did right then.
"Laura honey, I need to talk to you." Jeremy heard Jen's voice as
if from a distance. "Please come with me to the ladies room."
Jeremy reluctantly broke from her husband, instantly missing his
warmth and the touch of his lips on hers. Only half aware, she followed
as Jen pulled and pushed her away from Billy and down a hall. Once
inside the ladies room Jen confronted Laura. "Are you crazy? That's her
husband you were kissing."
Laura struggled to make sense of this statement. What was she
talking about; she had been kissing her own husband? He was plenty
enough for her. "What's the big deal, I am married to him?"
Jen looked around the room, checking quickly to make sure there
was no one else there. "Laura, you are not the real Laura Jensen. Your
name is Jeremy. You are a man. What's the matter with you, yesterday
you wouldn't sign a contract because you weren't really Laura, but
today you're willing to steal her husband.'
Jeremy shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs. Finally a
light began to appear, and she began to make sense of what Jen was
saying. "I'm sorry Jen, when he kissed me I lost all control. God, if
he kissed the real Laura like that I don't see how she would ever leave
him. I thought it was just something the writers made up, but he really
took my breath away. If you hadn't broken it up he could have had me
right there on the dance floor."
"He almost looked like he was."
"I can't go back out there and face him; we've got to get out of
here."
"Sure Hun, we'll slip out through the kitchen and call a cab."
Minutes later they were gliding away from the hotel and Jeremy
and Jennifer were safely ensconced in the back seat. "Are you okay
now?" Jen asked Jeremy, concerned about the teary look on his face.
"You're not going to break down on me again are you?"
"No Jen, I promise I won't. This is just all so new and
overwhelming for me. I'm sorry that it happened."
"I'm sorry too Hun. I should have known that he would be there.
I'm sorry I didn't intervene earlier; I was so engrossed with Donald."
"Who's Donald?"
"The man I was dancing half the night with."
"Oh, the tall, dark, politician."
"Yeah." Jen's eyes had a faraway look to them. "He took my breath
away too."
"You're kidding? That stuff really happens?"
"It sure does, Hun, and we're living proof."
"But Jen," and she leaned close and whispered so the cab driver
couldn't hear, "I'm a man. That never ever happened to me as a man."
"Maybe it only happens to women. You are a woman now, you know."
"Yeah, Jen I know, and right now I'm also married to that man
back there even though I'm really a man inside. But when he was holding
me all my past life as Jeremy was tossed right out the window." Laura
paused and thought. "You were right, the other day at the lawyers I
wouldn't sign Laura's name because it wasn't mine, but you were wrong
about tonight. I didn't try to steal her husband. All her emotions were
in me because I am Laura now. There was no thinking involved; I was
just reacting as a woman does to her husband. This body seems to have a
memory all its own."
"You're right Hun, I shouldn't be so critical of you. Christ,
even I would have probably reacted like that to the way he kissed you.
Besides, Laura doesn't really care about him, and I don't really care
if your kissing him tonight makes things complicated for her when she
gets back."
"Jen, don't worry, I won't kiss him again."
"Hey Hun, don't make promises you may not want to keep. You
obviously really enjoyed that kiss and you might want to try it again."
"No, Jen, please help me stay away from Billy. Let me stay at
your place until Laura gets back. Things are complicated enough for me
without Billy romancing me."
Sure Hun, you can stay with me, though there's no guarantee that
he won't come over to see you."
"That'll just have to be the chance I take." Jeremy sat back in
her seat, confused by her feelings, exhausted by the evening's events
and trying to make order out of it all. As they drove on through the
indigo California night, Jeremy wondered if feelings could be neatly
arranged in order. Jeremy's doubts and his anxieties were getting mixed
with Laura's libido and her drive and this new person she was right
then was adrift on this ocean of feeling, another light floating along
through the deep indigo, California night.
Chapter 11
Jeremy had been successfully dodging Billy's calls for the last
three days. When Billy had come to Jen's house Jeremy had run out the
back and driven away, not willing to face this man's passion again, and
unwilling to face her own feelings that surfaced whenever he called.
She was beginning to realize that one of the hardest things to resist
was someone who was truly in love with you. The real Laura must be one
hard- hearted bitch to resist this guy, Jeremy was thinking.
Keeping Jeremy on track, studying the film script, and learning
all about Laura was still taking up her time, and she knew that Jeremy
needed the bucks from this gig and couldn't be sidetracked by any Romeo
after the wrong girl. After all, she wasn't really Laura Jensen. Hell,
she wasn't really even a woman. Jeremy was determined to go through
with the plan, and was even beginning to look forward to being Jeremy
again. Jeremy might have been some unknown nebbish, but at least, (he
told himself); he didn't have someone pursuing him with unbridled love
and lust. When he thought past that point he would get depressed. It
was true; Jeremy had no one ever who had ever pursued him so
vehemently. The few times Billy came over to Jen's and called to him
outside the door, Jeremy would sit in her room crying in frustration
and jealousy. She was jealous of herself; that is she was jealous of
this Laura she was now that could command such fierce passion. She felt
that all the passion was forever gone from Jeremy's world.
Monday came around and Jeremy was to report to the set. She was
awakened early by Jen when it wasn't even light out yet. Jeremy was
used to the stage actors life of going to bed late and rising late and
rarely saw the dawn unless it was after closing down all the bars and
the clubs. Now, as Laura, she had to be on the set at seven, and the
set was out in Malibu, nearly an hour and a half drive away. Lucky for
her she didn't have to worry about make-up or dressing. All that would
be taken care of on set, so she quickly threw on a T-shirt and jeans
over her lingerie and followed Jen out to a limo, munching on a piece
of toast and trying to run a comb through her hair. Once in the limo
Jeremy went over the days schedule with Jen then kicked back to relax.
She was finally getting into her domain. Jeremy never felt at home as
much as when he was acting. He remembered something that Meryl Str