Lily Learns to Perform

by Matthew Lee

  Lily Learns to Perform

  By Matthew Lee

  BunnyLovesBigCarrots@gmail.com

  Chapter 1

  I moved the laptop closer and ran the numbers again. The Spring Valley store almost certainly had a thief on payroll. I’d drive out tomorrow after my morning meeting. I looked up the store manager’s name, Leo, and sent a quick email letting him know I’d be there before noon.

  Lily finished in the bathroom and crawled into bed next to me. She wore a thin, light blue nightie which had an elastic band running under her big tits, making them look even bigger. I loved that nightie. She propped pillows behind her back and pulled the comforter over her stomach, and then opened the script she’d been reading. She curled the soft cover all the way around the spine. With perfect precision, we leaned over to kiss simultaneously. I returned to my computer, she to her dog-eared play. We read in silence for a long time.

  “Uh oh,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Don’t get mad, Luke.”

  I waited. She knows I can’t say I won’t until I know what it is.

  “Act two has a nude scene.”

  I was surprised. “Again? Like, completely naked?”

  “No, just topless.” She referred to the script briefly. “Jimmy and I are in bed talking like you and I are now. He’s wearing boxers and I have on panties but no top.”

  “Gratuitous nudity. Why are you topless?”

  She read half a page more. “The note in the margin says Jerry, the author, is trying to create a sense of comfortable intimacy which leads to love-making. Jimmy and I have been married ten years and this scene shows we are best friends but still have a spark. We joke and laugh and wrestle around a little and then fade to black as things turn serious.” She continued reading.

  “Well, I’m not inviting our friends to this one.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “When’s the play open?”

  “Three weeks.

  “Hm. How many rehearsals?”

  “Ten.”

  I clamped my jaw. Five years ago, Lily admitted she’d always wanted to act. Not movie acting, real acting. On stage. I said if that makes you happy I support your decision so she started taking classes and auditioning. Producers and directors loved her; big eyes, big boobs, full lips, and a gorgeous face gains you a lot of attention. She quickly moved on from bit parts and for the last year has carried lead roles. Monday through Friday she sells cosmetics at the Macys counter but when the weekend arrives, watch out. My petite wife transforms into a tigress.

  This was not her first topless scene. She had zero nudity the first four years but once she agreed to her first scene, every director wanted her to do another. I don’t blame them. Lily’s tits were a great way to draw attention to their play and sell tickets, but I hated it. I’ve been to every opening night and seen the men in the crowd gawk at her. She hates it too.

  “I’m coming to the first rehearsal,” I said. “I’ll sit in the auditorium and work on my laptop. I want Jimmy and what’s-his-name to remember you’re married.”

  “Gavin.”

  “Yes, Gavin.”

  “Luke, Jimmy and Gavin know I’m married but if that would make you feel better about the scene, then come down. I’m not thrilled about showing my boobs either. We’ll be at the Reynolds theater Thursday night at eight. Both those guys are consummate professionals. You have nothing to worry about.”

  My computer beeped at me. The store manager had answered and said he looked forward to my visit.

  Chapter 2

  The thief turned out to be the assistant manager and I had to terminate him on the spot and processes the paperwork. The manager thanked me profusely. He saw I was rushed for time and asked me where I was headed.

  “My wife is an aspiring actress. She has a rehearsal tonight at The Reynolds downtown and I promised to attend. I’m already late.”

  “The Reynolds? I know it. I used to be a house painter and sometimes still paint sets and props. I know a few industry people. Cool that we have that in common.”

  I grinned. We shook hands and I left.

  I got to the theater close to nine. I parked in the alley and used the employee door which is always held open with a cinderblock. Lily has been at this long enough I know some names and faces so I was waved through by the small group of actors outside sharing a cigarette. I worked my way around the stage, avoiding scenery and racks of costumes. I cut behind the stage by hiding behind the backdrop curtain, and came out on the landing next to the stairs which led down to the dressing rooms and the hallway out to seating. I walked about twenty rows up and cut into the auditorium.

  Lily and Jimmy were already on stage, along with the director. A spotlight lit the bed and the fake walls looked like a cheap apartment. Jimmy was six inches taller than the director and towered a full foot over my wife. Lily wore only panties and covered her breasts with her arms. Jimmy wore boxers and was as comfortable as a cat in a box.

  The director seemed agitated but I was too far away to hear words. He kept pointing at the fake apartment door and then waving at the bed, and Jimmy would follow with a point at the kitchen and a wave at the bed. Clearly, they had creative differences. This went on for a minute and then Lily put a hand on each man’s chest, exposing her amazing round tits, and said something pleading. The men calmed down.

  The director was an odd-looking dude; jet black hair slicked back and a Balbo cut on his mustache and goatee. I saw black painted fingernails even from this distance. A single silver-rod earring dangled.

  Jimmy and Goatee shook hands and my wife and Jimmy climbed into bed. As they worked through their lines, the director circled, asking them to try different positions. He had them sit up and lie down side by side. He had Jimmy stand by the bed while Lily leaned against the headboard. Frustrated, he had Jimmy lie on his back and Lily straddle him. I did not like where this was going.

  Lily tossed her leg over his body and settled into place. Jimmy had her make a few adjustments and then the director made them start their lines from the top. He seemed happier. They all conferred for a minute and then Lily rolled onto her back and Jimmy moved between her legs, missionary position. My heart stopped. The director seemed thrilled. He backed away to frame them, nodding his head with appreciation.

  “From the top,” I heard him yell.

  Lily and Jimmy were comfortable lovers laughing and playing in bed. My mouth went dry. They worked through their lines as Jimmy looked down at my wife. With the covers around his waist, I knew he was gazing at her pretty face and perfect tits. Her hand came up to his arm, touching him with familiar intimacy, and he brushed a strand of long black hair off her face. I swear they were about to make love. She slapped his shoulder playfully. The director looked ecstatic, making rapid little golf-claps.

  Lily crossed her ankles behind Jimmy’s back. He leaned over her, resting his weight on his fists. Their faces moved closer. Jimmy adjusted his hips and Lily’s face changed from a sweet smile to shocked surprise before quickly changing back. They finished their dialog and looked up at the director and he clapped his hands again.

  “Perfect!” he yelled. “Again.”

  They repeated everything except Lily’s face showed no surprise this time. When they finished their lines all three spoke another minute and then the director exited stage right, no doubt going to bring the other actors on stage. Lily and Jimmy held their positions, keeping their voices low, and then Jimmy climbed off and stood next to the bed. The tent of his boxers was ridiculous. Lily giggled and Jimmy acted embarrassed, fetching a robe from under the bed. He reached inside his underwear and pulled his erection straight up and snapped the elastic band. Lily laughed out loud. No part of him was ever expo
sed but what he had done was obvious.

  He tied the sash as the other actors took their places and the walls of the apartment lifted overhead to be replaced by a city scape. Some old-timer appeared and wheeled the bed off stage. Jimmy and Lily exited stage left. I knew that hallway led to the dressing rooms. I wondered if Lily was finished for the evening and a few minutes later I got my answer. Nope. She jogged up the side of the theater and then cut across to my seat. She wore a robe now too. We kissed.

  “How was I?”

  “Utterly believable.”

  She kissed me again. “You say the sweetest things.”

  I jerked my chin towards the stage. “What happened up there? James moved his hips and you looked surprised for a second.”

  “Oh, no, that was a look of discomfort. His hand was on my hair.”

  “I thought maybe his erection poked you.”

  She laughed. “A minute earlier he did poke my shin but who cares? You poor men can’t hide your feelings. Not that feeling anyway. He was so embarrassed.”

  I tried to read how she truly felt but she seemed unperturbed. She is an actress, I reminded myself. “So what now? How much longer are you here?”

  She watched the other actors for a moment, calculating. “An hour? They’re reworking scene one. Sebastian can’t stand Tommy and wants to cut him.”

  “Sebastian’s an odd fellow.”

  “He is but so is every director. I hear he’s into weird stuff outside the acting business. Are you going to stay? Gavin and Jimmy said to tell you hello.”

  I had my laptop with me but based on what I’d seen so far, and the long day I’d had, I was ready to head home. “Tell them I say hello back. I’m going to head out. I’ll heat you some leftover spaghetti if you text me before you leave here.”

  She kissed me again. “You are the sweetest man.”

  “So they say.”

  We hugged and then I headed for the main exit. I was ten feet from my car when I searched my pockets and realized I’d dropped my phone somewhere inside.

  “Fuck.”

  The front doors had locked behind me so I had to loop around again to the employee door. Good ole cinderblock. The players were practicing a nighttime scene and all the house light were off. I peeked out and discovered with the one spotlight shining down, the auditorium seats were invisible to the actors on stage. I carefully retraced my footsteps, cutting behind the backdrop again. When I heard murmuring behind some costume racks ahead, I approached silently.

  Violet, the pretty blonde who always got supporting roles, was kissing Jimmy.

  “Just a taste,” she said, pleading.

  Jimmy hesitated and then said, in his famous Australian accent: “Hurry.”

  Violet dropped down and opened his robe. She pulled the elastic of his underwear down and out flopped a hefty penis. That explained the absurd tent earlier; Jimmy had a long, thick cock. Violet opened her mouth and vacuumed the head and two inches and started bobbing fast. Jimmy’s head fell back, his hands landing on her hair. The girl struggled but he was bulky, and growing hard fast.

  “People!” Sebastian cried, loud enough for the entire theater to hear him. “I’d like a quick walkthrough of scene eleven in three minutes.”

  “Shit,” Jimmy said. “Stop Vee. I’m in scene eleven.”

  Violet whimpered in frustration and sucked once extra hard but then put him away and came up to kiss him. Jimmy tied his sash and ran his fingers through his wavy blonde hair. They both laughed awkwardly and parted in opposite directions. I returned to my seat, found my phone on the floor, and got the hell out of there.

  Chapter 3

  The sight of Jimmy’s cock haunted me. I’m not stupid. I know I’m a jealous guy but I have good reason. Lily says she doesn’t care and I believe her but I wonder if that’s because she’s only been with one other guy, back in high school, and that was just hand-jobs far out on the soccer field. A lot of things don’t bother you because you don’t know any better. I guess I’m a little insecure. Jimmy is tall and handsome and has a goddamn Australian accent. Now I learn he’s hung too? Violet is gorgeous and happily married, or so I thought, yet she practically begged Jimmy to suck his dick. This is the man my wife is doing nude scenes with.

  Terrific.

  I said nothing to Lily; this was my problem, not hers. I trusted her and that was the end of that. But I seriously debated ever going to another rehearsal. Could I trust myself? This was her dream and no way would I make a huge mess of it. Out of sight is out of mind. I’d stay away.

  As opening night drew closer, Lily got nervous. She mentioned Sebastian was well-connected in New York and Los Angeles and some big-name critics would attend. I did everything I could to reassure her.

  After she mentioned the director I did some digging on my own. Sebastian Shawl was his full name and he’d produced and directed a good number of off-off-Broadway plays. He had a reputation for scandal, however, with a couple of drug busts under his belt and a few citations for lascivious behavior; mostly actors on stage showing more skin than whatever local ordinance allowed. In all the pictures I saw of him, his date was as likely to be a woman as a man.

  The critics loved him. They called him unpredictable, even on well-known plays, and was known for getting top-notch emotional performances from his actors. As if on cue, Lily started coming home emotionally drained. She was getting so nervous she made me nervous so I snuck in to one of the last rehearsals so I could tell her what I thought.

  This time I slipped all the way to the back and climbed the stairs to the balcony. I sat through the first few scenes and noted everyone was on edge. Their performances were much improved, however, so credit where credit is due. Sebastian had them wound tight and each of them delivered theirs lines with that coiled tension great actors have. As each of them finished, Shawl dismissed them for the night.

  At last the old-timer set up for the bedroom scene. Jimmy came out in his robe with Lily a minute behind him. Sebastian spoke with his actors, coaching and encouraging, and then they untied their sashes to get in bed.

  What. The. Fuck.

  This time they wore nothing underneath! Lily and Jimmy stood there naked for a brief second before slipping under the covers. He was muscular and a little hairy and of course she looked stunning. Sebastian pulled the covers up and adjusted the pillows just so and then sat on the bed to talk. Everyone was so professional and unassuming. I realized they must have made these changes weeks ago. The director backed away and signaled the old man and the lights dimmed and then slowly came up to open the scene. Because they started in bed and the scene ended with a fade to black, the audience would never know the actors were nude under the covers. But the actors knew and wow, did that energize their performance. Every word exchanged carried an electrical charge. When the moment arrived for Jimmy to roll over between her legs, I had to cover my mouth. I couldn’t breathe. My palms were as sweaty as my forehead.

  I still couldn’t hear the dialog; microphones would take care of that while the show ran, but I did notice subtle changes in the way they spoke to each other. Originally they’d been best friends with a spark. Now they were passionate lovers with a strong friendship. Just like before, her hand came up to his arm, touching him with familiar intimacy, and he brushed a strand of long black hair off her face. She slapped his shoulder playfully.

  I saw his hips move slightly and a javelin pierced my heart. I bit the back of my hand to stay silent. That big Australian cock was between her legs, probably only inches from her married pussy. I was dying. I watched her for any sign of surprise whatsoever. If Jimmy tried anything, I would be on that stage fists swinging. I saw nothing except two polished professionals doing an outstanding job. By the time the scene ended, I was shaking all over. Holy shit.

  I got out of there. While they sat around discussing the finer points and perhaps any last-minute changes, I took the main exit, careful to close the door silently, and jogged to my car. I needed a fucking drink. I knew nothing h
appened. I was right there and saw with my own eyes nothing happened. But Christ Almighty was I ever upset.

  I stopped at the pub by the house and ordered a shot of Gentleman Jim.

  Either I tell her she must stop or I accept that Lily will take roles that challenge us, and no way could I tell her to stop. I ordered another shot. I hadn’t told her I was coming and she hadn’t invited me, so technically I spied on her, although I believed she’d forgive that. But what could I say about what I’d seen? She’d done nothing wrong. I just didn’t like it, in fact I hated it, but I wasn’t even supposed to be there.

  If Jimmy’s cock had haunted me the first time, now I was obsessed. In my mind, I saw in perfect slow-motion clarity Lily sliding across the bed and then Jimmy taking the covers, pulling them back as his big cock swung around, and then slipping under the covers with my wife. I told myself to knock it off. I ordered one more shot and then paid my tab and headed for home.

  Lily arrived an hour after me. I’d calmed a great deal but was still agitated and she sensed it. I blamed it on work. I poured her some red wine and myself another splash of Jack and joined her in the den.

  “How was rehearsal tonight?” I said, pleasantly.

  “Amazing. Sebastian is a genius. He has us using method-acting techniques to heighten our emotions and they work incredibly well.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, sometimes before a conflict scene he’ll pick a fight or say something nasty, just to rile us up. If we have a joyful scene coming up he shows us funny animal videos on his laptop back stage.”

  She took a gulp of wine.

  “For the sex scenes he has us wear less and for the sad scenes he asks us about loved ones who have passed or our favorite sad movies. He’s really good.”

  You’re really good, I thought, admiring how she quickly skipped over the naked in bed with each other part. I knew, in her mind, she now felt like she’d mentioned it to me. She wasn’t trying to be deceptive or underhanded, the subject simply made her too uncomfortable. She wanted desperately to avoid talking about it at all. If I’m honest, I wanted that too. Truly, I wanted the whole thing to go away. Opening night could not get here soon enough.