When Katie arrived at Dark Star Studios, she found a rail-thin brunette at the reception desk. The girl was dressed in a sleeveless, killer-red dress and the number 9 was tattooed on an upper arm. Her features were hard, eyes dark and cold and, without blinking, she took in the length of Katie’s legs and torso.

Kate looked shabby. She planned to work in the studio later and wore work jeans and a denim shirt. Now she was being evaluated and fought the feeling she had turned up naked for a job interview.

She forced her throat. “Katie Bassinger to see Tiger.”

“Mmm-hmm.” The girl rose to her feet.

As thin as she was, the girl’s legs were curvy and she celebrated the fact with a hemline that barely extended to her crotch.

She opened Tiger’s door. “She’s here.” And the girl moved to one side and parked a shoulder against the wall.

Tiger brushed past. “Katie. Good of you to come.” He smiled with his eyes, like only he could, and the heat of the sun broke through the clouds. “Did you bring the disc?”

Katie exhaled, then answered his question with a nod and patted her shoulder bag. “Right here.” Suddenly it didn’t matter she was in work clothes.

“Great. Give me a moment, would you? Wander down to Post Production and get things set up.

Tiger tuned to the slim girl. “Well what do you think?” he asked once Katie had moved into the corridor.

“She’s younger than I expected. And she’s got that brooding look about her. It’s like looking at a thunderstorm about to happen.”

“But she’s attractive...”

The girl clicked her tongue. “She’s got a look and it works for her. You fuck her yet?”

“Sort of.”

“Sort of? The big guy below the belt let you down?” She snorted through her nose.

Tiger grinned. “Only you could say that and get away with it.”

“And she’s never done this kind of thing before?”

Tiger ran fingers through damp hair. “Katie might need– some coaxing.”

“Ah-h. A slap in the right direction?”

“Look. I don’t care what you do to her. Force her outta her clothes. Eat her ... Strap it on ... Fuck her ... Do her up the ass. I don’t care. Just as long as you get it all on tape.”

“Sounds like fun. I’ll set up.”

“Use the small studio,” Tiger said. “When you’re ready, I’ll bring her to you.”

Katie sat at her station in Post Production, booted up the computer and inserted her disc. She checked to make sure it played properly.

Tiger arrived a minute later and pulled a chair ‘round. “Okay. Let’s have a look. We only need a snippet, two or three seconds at most. Just enough to whet the buyer’s appetite. I don’t want to give them too much, understand?”

Together they watched Monica, naked above the waist, striding about the court and batting the tennis ball to Biff’s strong hand. She missed, turned to the camera and threw her racket. With a swearword on her lips, the world champion pulled down her underpants, straightened and exposed blond pubic hair parted by a dark slice.

“That’s it,” Tiger exclaimed. He had what he wanted. “Okay. Back it up.”

Katie ran the video in reverse.

“There,” Tiger pointed. “You zoomed in at this point and got a nice shot of Monica just after she tossed her racket but before she shook out her hair. There can be no mistaking: It is Monica Selleck, the reigning champion, and not some look-a-like standing in for her. And Monica’s bare-breasted. Now move forward a few frames.”

Kate advanced the video.

“Okay stop. Perfect. Monica is bending, her tits shifting forward but also you can see her hands either side, pulling her pants down. You don’t see her puss yet because of her chest and shoulders. You don’t get to see between her legs until she straightens. That’s where I want the cut: Just as she straightens. Got it?”

“You bet.”

“Good. Edit out that segment. When you’re done, I’ll be in my office.” He pushed his chair out with the backs of his knees.

In the hall, Tiger moved quickly to Studio ‘E’ and propped open the door. “She’s editing the Selleck tape. Take her about ten minutes. You good?”

“I’ll be ready when you are.”

The set was simple, just a sofa and coffee table. The woman had two cameras mounted on tripods and a third, hung from an overhead boom above the sofa, was tilted down. There was a handheld camcorder clasped in the palm of her right hand. She had taped a microphone to the underside of the coffee table and one was hidden between the sofa cushions. A wireless mike was pined to the underside of her bra strap. She had done a soundcheck and her briefcase of accessories sat on the floor. All she needed was someone to undress.

Katie had followed instructions exactly. Tiger watched a bare breasted Monica Selleck toss her head, shaking out the damp ponytail, then, with a mop of wild blond hair about her face and a defiant look hardening her eyes, Monica reached and pulled her white lacy panties down to her ankles. She began to straighten but just before a tantalizing image of her sex materialized, the screen quickly faded to black.

Tiger chuckled. “That will get them scrambling for their checkbooks. I’ll email it out to the buyers this afternoon.”

“Good,” Katie straightened, “I should be getting back. Alisha’s wiring up the soundboard this afternoon and I promised to help.”

Tiger humped his lips. “Before you go, there’s someone I want you to meet. Won’t take long.”

“Sure,” Katie said. “I got time.”

“Come along, then. This way,” he beckoned and Tiger ushered her out.

Katie followed him down the corridor and watched as he paused with his hand on the door to Studio ‘E’. “This is as far as I go,” Tiger said.

Kate froze, the comprehension crystallizing in her eyes. “What? But I needed time to think. I thought...”

“Don’t think, Katie. Just go on in and speak with her. Don’t question her, just do as she asks. Trust me. She’s very very good. I want this for you.”

“Not for us?”

His expression clouded. “We’ll talk later. But for now, it’s what I want.”

He opened the door and with a hand in the small of her back, guided her through. Katie stepped into the small studio space and heard the door snap closed behind.

The woman flashed a shaved vag as she got up from the sofa. There was wine in a bucket and two goblets.

“Katie,” she breathed, arching a thin eyebrow. “My name is Smoldering.”

Katie saw the 9 on her shoulder– the thin girl in reckless-red.

“Smoldering? That’s your name?” Katie looked about. Saw the cameras and the lights. “You’re the cinematographer he talked about? The one who’s gentle?”

“I can be rough ... or gentle. As you like, Katie.”

Katie fought a rolling uncertainty. “Can I ask your last name?” she said, vying for time.

“Trash.”

“Smoldering Trash?” This was unbelievable. “Mind if I just call you Trash?”

Her voice was as slick as an eel: “Everyone does, my love. Everyone does...”

The woman stepped forward and pushed the hair from Katie’s forehead. “You’re really are quite lovely,” she said. “You like pussy, Katie?”

Kate moved back to avoid the woman’s fingers. “I think there’s been a mistake.”

Trash moved closer, crowding in. “No mistake Katie. We’re going to make a dirty movie, you and I,” she replied, her words slithering.

“But you can’t– can’t just ask me to take off my clothes.”

Trash smirked. “Taking off your clothes will be a little girl’s romper-room party compared with what happens after. I’m going to taste your pussy, Katie. And you’re going to reciprocate, by licking mine.”

“God no– I can’t...”

“Oh but you will. You’ll like my pussy, Katie– like the taste of it. You’ll enjoy running your tongue through the folds, searching out all the hidden pleasures. I secrete– a lot, you’ll find. It just gushes outta me. And once you’ve cleaned up the goodness, there’ll be another spot that will need your attention, close by. Another delectable dark spot which you’ll touch with your tongue. And the camera will be there, Katie, to capture the images– for Tiger.”

“Oh God.”

“What’s your pussy like, Katie? I know you’ve tasted it.” Trash was stroking Kate’s hair again. “It’s only natural for a bitch to taste her own cunny-juice; stick her fingers in and suck them after.”

Kate recoiled. The woman’s fingers were following a trace of hair, down toward her left breast. Trash dropped her hand and hefted the weight. She held the fullness through the denim shirt and searched out the nipple. She pinched, hard. “Forget to wear a bra, Katie? How astute...”

Kate bent at the waist and tried to twist away. “Don’t!”

Trash was quick. “So it’s to be rough. Fine.” She took a half step back and swung hard. The open handed slap stung Kate’s cheek. She tried to spin away but Trash had her by a shoulder and hit her again. Harder this time.

“Did you say don’t? Sorry bitch. That’s not an option, hear me? You’re going to fuck for me.” Trash reached up and took the weight of Kate’s opposite breast, squeezed hard. “You’re going to eat pussy, love– on camera so Tiger can get his jollies.”

Kate knocked her hand away. “The hell I am...”

Trash chuckled and took a step back. Kate watched, mortified, as Trash went from camera to camera; switching each to Record. Indicator lights glowed. Then Trash picked up a handheld camcorder and caught the fear in Kate’s eyes. Tiger will love it.

“I want you to drop your jeans,” Trash murmured softly, seductively.

“You’re crazy!”

“Yes. I’ve been told. But that doesn’t change the fact. Let’s have a look at that ass, Katie. I wanna see the crack, rolling between each half.”

Kate felt the panic, but there was something else. A worm of gnawing hunger was twisting in her guts at the thought of sharing with Tiger everything she held dear, and personal.

“If I do this, Tiger said I get the cards outta the cameras.”

Trash nodded. “Those are my instructions, Katie. Have a glass of wine with me. Relax. You’ll find I’m not such a bad bitch. As long as you do as you’re told.”

Kate didn’t want the wine but any diversion was welcomed at this point. “Please. That would be nice.”

Trash pulled the bottle from the ice bucket and fill the goblets. “Come. Sit by me.” And she dropped down on the sofa, crossed her skinny legs and patted the cushion. Kate sat, taking pains not to sit too close and accepted the wine.

Kate took a long sip. “I’m sorry. You took me by surprise, and really, I don’t think of you as a bad person, really. It’s just I’ve never been with anyone like you.”