Anything to be a Star - Part 1

"Can I get you anything? A water? Coffee? A soda?" the young woman behind the desk asked.

Sarah looked up and smiled. She'd barely heard what the bright-eyed assistant had said. "No, I'm okay."

"You don't have to be nervous," she replied with a smile. "I know that's not really a helpful thing to say, but Mark is really nice, and he loved your audition. He's not going to bite your head off or anything. You're just going to talk about the part."

Sarah laughed, mostly at how obvious her anxiety was. She'd been tapping her foot for the past ten minutes and couldn't stop fiddling with her fingers, almost entirely because she was overwhelmingly nervous. She was sitting in the office of a massively successful movie producer who held the fate of her acting career in his hand. The director had loved her audition and apparently the producer had too, which was why she was moments away from a one-on-one meeting with him.

"Thank you," Sarah said. "I think I just can't help it, you know? I've been in town for two years and this is by far the biggest meeting I've ever had. My boyfriend tried his best to keep me calm, too, but some things are just really hard to keep calm about."

The receptionist smiled. "I understand. I totally understand. Just know, Mark is one of the good ones. He doesn't do the whole screaming producer thing. He's just a nice guy."

Sarah nodded. "I appreciate you saying that. I do. I feel a little calmer, too, so thank you for that."

The door opened and an actress that looked a lot like Sarah - which made perfect sense, given that they were up for the same part - stepped out of the producer's office, turned to say goodbye, and offered Sarah an entirely phony smile of the sort she'd seen from almost every other girl she auditioned against.

"Sarah?" Mark – a handsome man more than twice her age that exuded success and power – said as he appeared in the doorway. "Come on in."

Sarah stood, smiled, and tried her best not to seem nervous as she strode into the office. They shook hands and Sarah instantly regretted not wiping her palms to get rid of the sweat that made her nervousness so obvious.

"Can I get you anything?" Mark asked before shutting the door. "Water? Coffee? Soda?"

She shook her head. "No. Thank you. I'm good."

The spacious office was decorated with proof of Mark's prowess as a producer. Framed Variety and Hollywood Reporter articles touting the opening weekend numbers of his most successful films hung on the walls. Numerous photos of him with some of the most powerful, successful directors and actors in Hollywood adorned the shelves where most people would have stored books. It was almost certainly a conscious choice to remind anyone that walked in that Mark was at the top of his field, and it certainly had that effect on Sarah.

"So, Sarah," Mark began as he sat behind his shiny mahogany desk. "My preference is to get right to the point, so I'm just going to jump in. You absolutely smashed your audition. The chemistry read with Alex was terrific. You have the director's backing. You have my backing."

It took a great deal of energy for Sarah to refrain from dancing around the room as Mark neared the moment where he offered her a part that would likely change her life.

"The studio, though, is a little concerned," Mark said.

Sarah's shoulders dropped and she tried her best not to look disappointed.

"Not in the way you might think, though," Mark continued. "You see, they're thinking of this as a franchise. They want three, four, five of these movies over the next ten to fifteen years."

Suddenly Sarah was beaming again. She was no longer on the verge of a life changing role. She was on the verge of a role that would set her up for the next decade, that would turn her into a movie star.

"Now, the studio wants a fresh face for this part, but the trouble with that is we don't know much about the fresh faces in this town. We don't know if you're hiding a drug addiction, or you're going to lose your mind once you get famous and create a massive PR headache for the studio that will torpedo the franchise before it even gets off the ground," Mark said.

"Oh, no, I'm not like that," Sarah replied.

Mark held his hand up, casually and effectively shutting her up. "Everyone says that, Sarah. Literally everyone. I could tell you stories of the actors and actresses that have sat in that chair and assured me that they have their shit together, that they're not going to lose their minds if they get famous, and that have done that exact thing."

Sarah wanted to argue her case. She'd never dabbled in drugs of any kind. She'd been with her boyfriend for five years. She was as stable as an actress could be, and certainly way more stable than the kinds of people Mark was talking about.

"I will tell you this. The girl who was just in here, the one that also nailed her audition, she has a history of DUI arrests. Three of them before the age of 25, and she handled it poorly when I asked her about it. Very poorly, so she's out. You don't have any arrests at all, though," Mark said.

Sarah tried her best to hide the smile that formed upon hearing that at least one of her competitors was already out.

"In fact, your background check was pristine," Mark continued. "And your social media is clean, and from what I can tell, you and your...boyfriend...husband?"

"Boyfriend," she replied.

"You've been together for a long time, it seems."

Sarah nodded. "Five years."

"Good. That's very good. That's all very good. So here's what we're going to do, Sarah. Tomorrow night, I'm hosting a gathering at my house. A few of the decision makers from the studio are going to be there. You and your boyfriend are going to come. We're going to have dinner and drinks and you're going to impress them. If you do, the part is almost certainly yours. If you don't, the search continues. Okay?" Mark explained.

Sarah stared at him for a few seconds before asking, "Wait, so...you're saying that if I do a good job tomorrow that I might secure the lead female role in a franchise movie?"

Mark smiled. "I'm saying that if you do a good job tomorrow you're going to become a movie star, Sarah. Guaranteed."

She couldn't contain her giddiness. It was impossible. It felt like the joy was going to burst out of her. Sarah leapt to her feet, raised her hands, and jumped in the air before dancing around the office.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said.

"Don't thank me," Mark replied, though he too was smiling. "You still have a lot of work to do, Sarah. The studio execs can be hard asses. They're going to grill you. In essence, they're doing due diligence on a project they plan on spending hundreds of millions of dollars on, so they're not fucking around."

Sarah took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. I know. I don't have the part yet. I have work to do. I do. But, I'm right for this. I am."

"I agree," Mark said. "You just have to prove it. Be at my house at seven. Janet - my assistant - will give you the address. Attire is a dress and heels for you and a business casual for your boyfriend. You want to look classy and sophisticated, not slutty. Sorry to be so blunt, but I once had an actress show up to something like this dressed like a pornstar. It was not a good look."

Sarah nodded again. "Okay. I'll wear the right dress. I will. I'll do everything right. I will."

Mark stood, came around his desk, and shook her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow night, then."

She very nearly hugged him, but that would have been unprofessional, so Sarah smiled and said, "Thank you," before walking out of his office, getting his address from the assistant, and heading home buzzing with joy.

Sarah went all out to ensure the night was a success. She shelled out $1,000 for a red lace Balenciaga dress that fit flawlessly. She bought a new pair of heels that cost almost as much as the dress. She got her hair and makeup professionally done to ensure she looked absolutely perfect. She borrowed an absurdly expensive pair of earrings from a friend.

Tom - Sarah's boyfriend - went all out, too. He got an absurdly expensive hair cut in Beverly Hills. He paid a fortune to have a suit tailored so he looked like the kind of guy that should be dating a movie star. He did his best to study up on the movie business so he could avoid looking like an idiot when the conversation turned towards Sarah's future that night.

Their efforts paid off. The four studio execs - and their spouses - that showed up seemed utterly enchanted with Sarah. They grilled her just as Mark said they would, including going into some depth as to why she and Tom weren't married and if they had any plans on getting married (they did, but weren't in a rush since they were still just 25 years old). One of the execs went so far as to ask about Sarah's family and if any of them would be the sort to try and make a quick payday by selling unpleasant stories about her to the tabloids (she couldn't imagine anyone in her family doing such a thing).

Sarah was exhausted by the time it was over, but she was also fairly certain she'd done a good job, as each of the execs offered effusive praise while saying their goodbyes. Ultimately, though, it was the look on Mark's face - a look he shared only after everyone else has left - that filled Sarah with confidence.

"You nailed it," he said with a smile. "You absolutely nailed it. In fact, you nailed it so well that we need to pop a bottle of champagne."

Sarah looked at Tom to see if he was okay with staying a little longer and he offered a smile. "That would be great," she said.

Mark turned and headed for the kitchen. "Follow me."

His house was in the Hollywood Hills and the sort that Sarah had only seen in movies. It was so big it seemed a little silly for just one man to live in it - Mark was divorced - and yet it was also the perfect place to host famous and powerful people and to seem like Mark absolutely belonged in that class of people. The infinity pool that overlooked Los Angeles was particularly alluring and Sarah had found herself fantasizing about owning a house just like Mark's on more than one occasion over the course of the evening.

Once in the kitchen, Mark pulled a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator - it seemed he'd expected the night to go well - and poured a glass for all three of them.

"A toast to you, Sarah," he said as they all raised their glasses.

Sarah sipped the exquisite champagne and allowed herself to feel the sense of joy that had been bubbling under the surface for most of the day. It felt like she was on the cusp of realizing all of her dreams and that was a feeling unlike any other.

"Come," Mark said as he grabbed the bottle of champagne and departed the kitchen.

Sarah and Tom followed their host to his living room and out into the backyard. They walked past the pool to a meticulously designed outdoor lounge area with two plush couches and a fire pit.

Mark gestured to one of the couches as he sat on the other. With the press of a button on his phone the fire came to life, adding an extra touch of beauty to an already perfect moment.

"How do you feel?" Mark asked.

Sarah took Tom's hand, squeezed it tight, and replied, "As happy as I've ever been."

Mark turned to Tom, smiled, and said, "And how do you feel?"

"I think I might be even happier than Sarah," he answered. "I know her better than anyone, and I know that she works harder than anyone and is just as talented and beautiful as any actor in Hollywood. She's not the kind of person to take an opportunity like this for granted. She's going to work harder than any other actor would. You will not regret casting her."

Mark looked at Sarah and offered a smile that left her just a touch unsettled. "Well, I haven't cast her quite yet. I now have the studio's blessing, but they left the decision up to me."

That unsettled feeling deepened. Mark's assistant had been so sure he was a good guy, that he wasn't the sort of producer that people told horror stories about, and yet Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that her evening was about to take an unpleasant turn.

"You see, Sarah," Mark began before taking a long sip of his champagne, "I don't need money. Not anymore. I've made enough to last several lifetimes. I don't really need power, either. I have plenty of that. I can get just about anyone in town on the phone and they'll actually listen to what I have to say."

He finished his champagne and while Mark leaned forward to grab the bottle from the ground and refill his glass, Sarah took the opportunity to steal a glance at Tom, who looked just as concerned as she did.

"So," Mark continued, "I find myself wanting the things I'm not supposed to want, that I'm not supposed to have, that I'm not supposed to ask for."

"What sort of things?" Tom asked.

Mark sat back, stared at Tom for a few seconds, and then turned his attention to Sarah. Gone was the charming smile of a skilled producer. In its place was the hungry look of a predator.

"There was a time in Hollywood when an actress had just one way of becoming a movie star," Mark said. "No one talked about it publicly, but everyone accepted it because the studios were owned by men, not corporate conglomerates. Times have changed, of course, and to be honest, I wouldn't have much trouble fucking just about any young actress I desired without promising her anything, let alone movie stardom."

Mark fell silent and stared at Sarah in a way that felt deeply unsettling. His eyes moved slowly over her body and she suddenly wished she was wearing sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt to try and short circuit what felt like a predatory kind of lust.

Then Mark turned his attention to Tom and smiled. "I imagine, Tom, that had I propositioned your lovely girlfriend at our meeting yesterday afternoon that she might have yielded to my desires and given me a blowjob right then and there in my office. She might have even agreed to bend over my desk so I could take her pussy from behind. After all, getting fucked is a small price to pay to become a movie star, don't you think?"

Sarah looked at Tom and was surprised to find him nodding in agreement. She was stunned that he thought she'd even consider having sex in exchange for a part. She'd never do that. Then again, it wasn't just a part that Mark was offering. It was much more than a part. It was a career. It was as close to guaranteed movie stardom as she would ever get.

"If I'm being honest, I thought about it," Mark continued. He smiled and took another sip of champagne before focusing his attention once more on Tom. "But that's boring. A quick fuck. A momentary exertion of power over someone. It just doesn't do it for me."

"What does?" Tom asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Mark replied. "You see, it's the fact that you're both so normal, so healthy - at least as far as I can tell - that intrigues me. You're a young, happy couple. You both had flawless background checks. As far as we can tell, no one has ever said anything bad about either of you on social media. You're also deeply in love."

"Yes, we are," Sarah said.

Mark didn't look her way, keeping his attention on Tom. "Most actresses would gladly betray their husbands - let alone their boyfriends - for a chance at stardom, but I'm not sure Sarah would. I think she might actually pass it up because she loves you so much, Tom. I don't think she'd want to hurt you."

"I don't, I couldn't," Sarah said.

Again Mark kept his attention focused on Tom. "That's why I want you to give her to me, Tom. I want you to convince your beautiful girlfriend - and future wife - to let me have her."

Sarah looked at Tom to try and gauge his reaction to the appalling proposal Mark had just made, but his face was expressionless. "Tom," she said softly. "We should leave. Forget this. It's not worth it. Forget him."

"It's not just that, though," Mark continued, completely ignoring Sarah. "Because I don't just want to have her, Mark. I want to have her while you watch, and I want her to put on a good performance. I want her to show me that she's a good actress, that she can play any part, and I want her to put on that performance while you're there to witness it."

"Tom," Sarah pleaded, but he refused to look at her.

"And, finally, I want to have her for the next three days. You'll both stay in my house. Sarah will sleep in my bed and you'll sleep in one of the guest bedrooms. Don't worry, though, if I want to fuck her in the middle of the night I'll call you into the bedroom so you can watch," Mark said. "If you make it through to Sunday night, Sarah gets the part and becomes a movie star in the blink of an eye. Not only will she get to be part of a new franchise, countless offers will roll in once the rest of the town hears that she's been cast. Her dreams will come true. Your dreams for her will come true. You'll both have everything you ever wanted."

"And if I don't want to give her to you?" Tom asked.

"You leave now, we cast someone else in the part, and Sarah joins a million other actresses trying to make their dreams into reality," Mark answered matter-of-factly. "I won't work against her success. I don't care enough to do that, but you both know how much of a struggle it is. You both know this is her only real chance."

"Tom, let's go," Sarah said. "Honestly, let's go. Fuck this. Fuck him."

Tom finally looked at her. She expected to see anger in his eyes, to see him working hard not to leap over the fire pit and choke Mark. There was no anger in his eyes, though. He looked conflicted, like he was seriously considering Mark's request.

Then he stood and helped Sarah to her feet. She breathed a sigh of relief. Tom had come to his senses. That was the only thing that made sense.

Tom stepped in front of Sarah and reached up to caress her face. He leaned in and their lips met for a tender kiss that left Sarah more confused than anything.

"Everything you want is right in front of you, Sarah," he said softly.

"No, Tom," she replied.

He smiled. "Yes, Sarah. It's not some small part he's offering. This is career making. What he wants is awful, but it's also just a few days of awfulness. Despite what he said, this isn't my decision to make...but if it was...I'd do what it took to make your dreams come true, Sarah."

Sarah was stunned, and yet, from a certain perspective, it made sense. Tom knew her better than anyone, which meant he understood better than anyone just how strong Sarah's drive was to achieve what Mark was offering. He understood it and it seemed that he was willing to make an incredible sacrifice for her to get what she wanted.

"Tom...are you sure?" she asked while considering the notion in a far more serious manner than before, when she was certain that taking Mark's offer would break her boyfriend's heart.

"Yes," he said. "If you want this...then I'm sure."

"Even though...even though you have to watch?" she asked.

Tom nodded.

Sarah took a deep breath, gave him a soft kiss, and whispered, "Okay."

Tom took her hand, turned around, and looked at Mark, who wore a victorious smile.

"Take your wife's clothes off, Tom," Mark instructed. "Show me the body I'm going to enjoy this weekend."

Tom stepped behind Sarah and slowly unzipped her dress.

"Look at me, Sarah," Mark said.

She didn't want to. Her husband was moments away from exposing her body to the man who was clearly taking great joy in exerting his power and something about looking at him as she was stripped naked felt deeply uncomfortable. She did it, though, as he'd been very clear that he expected her to show off her acting talents over the course of the weekend. He didn't expect her to enjoy it, just to act as if she did, and Sarah was an excellent actor.

She looked at Mark and offered a seductive smile as Tom pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders, revealing the delicate lace bra she had on. The bra was supposed to be for Tom's pleasure. He was supposed to be undressing her so they could have a night of passionate sex to celebrate her casting.

"That's very good," Mark said as he returned Sarah's smile while she stepped out of the dress. "Now take her bra off, Tom."

Tom carefully unhooked her bra and slipped the straps off her shoulders. Sarah smiled and playfully covered her breasts, doing so in part because she felt self-conscious and in part because she wanted to put on a good performance.

Mark smiled. "Such a tease. I like that, to a point, at least. Now take her panties off, Tom. Present your beautiful girlfriend's body to me. Let me see it all."

Tom slipped his fingers into the waistband of Sarah's panties and slowly pulled them down. She let her hands fall to her sides and watched Mark's eyes roam over her body. He reached between his legs and stroked his cock through his pants as he stared.

"Eat her pussy, Tom," Mark demanded. "Get it wet for me. Prepare her to be taken by my cock."

Sarah thought Tom would refuse. She thought he'd balk at the idea of doing anything more than stripping her naked and being made to watch. He didn't, though. He stepped in front of her, smiled, and dropped to his knees.

Sarah looked down at her boyfriend and their eyes met as he leaned in and licked her pussy. It took a few seconds, but she felt the pleasure. She felt it and she instinctively reached out and ran her fingers through his hair as a moan escaped her lips.

"That's a good girl," Mark said. "Enjoy his tongue. Let him make you feel good before I fuck you, Sarah. Let him turn you on before my cock stretches your pussy."

Sarah looked up to see that Mark had freed his cock from his pants. He was hard, and she could see why he referenced stretching her pussy, as he was impressively large, to the point that Sarah was certain his would be the largest cock she'd ever had inside her.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," Mark assured her, seemingly because Sarah's face betrayed the mild sense of alarm she felt at having to take such a big cock. "And if your boyfriend does a good enough job, it won't hurt at all. It will be pure pleasure to ride this cock until I cum inside you."

Sarah felt a touch of panic at the idea of fucking Mark without protection. Not because she was worried about getting pregnant or an STD. It was more that Tom was supposed to be the only man that would ever cum inside her again. He was the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, after all.

"I don't keep condoms in the house," Mark said. "There's no point to them. They inhibit pleasure, Sarah, and when I fuck a woman I do so to experience the finest pleasure possible."

Despite everything Mark was saying, Sarah's pussy was soaked, almost entirely because of Tom's oral talent. He'd always been good with his tongue and his work was exceptional on that evening. She looked down at him and saw lust in his eyes. She expected worry, or angst, or pain of some kind, but it seemed that Tom had gotten caught up in going down on her, that his body expected that his cock would get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. That wasn't to be the case, though.

"Are you turned on, Sarah?" Mark asked.

"Yes," she admitted.

"And are you going to ride my cock until I cum inside you?" he asked.

Sarah wanted to offer a disgusted look, to make it clear that some part of her resented every single thing Mark had made her do. She refused to yield to that part of her, though. She'd committed. She was going to do what it took to get the part. She was going to put on a performance and she was going to claim the career she wanted.

Sarah reached up and took her perky breasts in her hands. She let out a soft moan, looked at Mark, and said, "I can't wait to feel your big cock inside me. I can't to feel you stretch out my tight little pussy. I can't wait to bounce on that big dick of yours until you cum inside me." She paused for a moment and added, "And I can't wait to cum all over that big cock, baby."

Sarah saw the flash of lust in his eyes. He knew she was putting on a performance, and yet it seemed that her performance was good enough that his body responded with desire.

"You'll have to suck it first," Mark said. "Come over here. Get on your knees in front of me. Take my pants off. Worship my cock, Sarah. Show me how badly you want it. Show me that you're willing to be a good girl for me."

Sarah stepped back and looked down at Tom. This was the last moment where they could turn back. All they'd done was have oral sex in front of Mark. It was nothing, really. But once she got on her knees for him, once she took him in her mouth, she wasn't going back.

"I want this," Tom said. "I want you to have the career you deserve, Sarah. I want this for you, for both of us."

She bent over and kissed him. "I love you, Tom," she whispered.

Sarah stood, stepped around her boyfriend, and approached the producer she was on the verge of giving her body to. She smiled and then bit her lip playfully before slowly sinking to her knees in front of him. Sarah stripped him from the waist down, exposing the full length of his impressive cock and his big balls. She ran her fingers up his thighs, stopping just short of taking his shaft in her hand.

The moment had arrived. It was time to commit. It was time to show that she was willing to do anything for the part she wanted, for the career she craved.

Sarah committed. She leaned forward. She took Mark's cock in her mouth. She moaned as the taste of his precum hit her tongue. She stroked his shaft and played with his balls. She committed to a weekend of being used by the man in front of her. A weekend of being used while her boyfriend watched. A weekend that would ensure the rest of her life was everything she wanted it to be.