Synopsis:

Anya gives former child star Ted Bramson a chance to relive his glory years -- for better or worse.

Story:

Bikini Beach: Child Star
By Ellie Dauber
(c) 2002

Thanks to Elrod for building Bikini Beach and letting us play there, and to him and Radioactive Loner for the encouraging words and the great patience shown in editing my draft.

Much thanks also to Tiana Red Wolf for the Spanish translation that appears in this story (and to the others who offered to help). Tiana, your translation came through without a hitch. Thanks again.

Speaking of which, any Spanish-speaking readers might want to skip over the short Spanish conversation, as it gives a preview of something that happens afterwards.

Finally, Thanks to Steve Zink for his last minute editing help.

* * * * *

Ted Bramson stepped up to the counter. "Big Mac, medium fries, and --" He saw that the guy working at the register was staring at him. 'Aw, not now,' he thought.

"Hey, I know you," the guy said after a minute or so. He was a tall, skinny, boy of, perhaps, 17, who should not have worked anyplace where his skin and grease might come in contact. "You're... umm... Joey, yeah, Joey from that TV show, IT AIN'T EASY."

"No, you're mistaken." It was a lie Ted used too often these days. "I get that a lot, but I'm not him."

It didn't work. "Sure you are -- hey, I love that show on NICK AT NIGHT."

"Honest, I'm not him." He shook his head for emphasis. Ted was short -- barely 5 foot seven -- though solidly built, with straight, dark brown hair. His height had helped him be believable as he played a high school student into his early twenties. It had worked against him, though, in the seven years since the show was cancelled.

"Yeah, right... hey, how'd that song go? 'It ain't easy; it ain't easy; it sure ain't easy... being me.'" Ted winced. The kid had a tin ear.

Ted looked at the kid's name badge. "Look... Mark... if I say that I am Joey, can I get my order?"

Mark stiffened. "What's the matter? You think you're too good to talk to a fan? Maybe you're too good to be eating --"

"Maybe you should go back and check the fries machine, Mark," a new voice said. "I'll take care of this customer." The speaker was a woman with coal black hair and one of the best figures he'd ever seen.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Glenda, the assistant manager. I'm sorry about Mark, he's kind of new working at the counter."

"It's all right," Ted said, trying to smile. He glanced down quickly at her hands. Damn! That engagement ring looked new. "It's not his fault that I look like 'Joey' from that show."

Glenda raised an eyebrow. "If you _aren't_ him, you're his double. Tell you what, by way of apologizing for Mark, how about I don't charge you for the drink?" She looked down at the unfinished order on the computerized register. "Whatever it is."

"Medium Diet Coke... no ice, and it's not really necessary." He wanted to end this conversation before anyone else joined in.

"Sure it is. My employee was rude to you, and I want to apologize." She faked an exaggerated pout. "Please... pretty please."

Ted laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll take the free Coke."

"Fine." She was all business now. She took his money and was quickly back with the food. "Thanks for coming in and have a good day," she said as he walked away from the counter. "And I really do apologize."

Ted took a seat in a booth along the wall, the least likely spot to be seen, just in case. He was about halfway through lunch when he heard another voice. "May I speak to you a moment, Mr. Bramson?"

He looked up. The voice belongs to a very attractive brunette in her early twenties. She was wearing a pink T-shirt, with some sort of writing on it in a darker pink, and one of those wrap-around beach skirts. Should he lie or try to impress her, maybe try for a date? It had been a long time since he'd spent a evening just talking with an attractive woman. Not since he and Stacy broke up... was it already two months?

The woman smiled... sympathetically? "I'm sorry, Mr. Bramson, I really am, but I'm seeing someone right now. Thank you, though. I am flattered by the thought."

"How did you..." It was like she'd read his mind.

"Lucky guess." She said it a little quickly, kind of the way he spoke when he lied about being Ted Bramson. "I'm a big fan of your old show... so is my Grandmother. Even more so, in fact."

He sighed. He'd more or less admitted the truth. "Do you want an autograph?"

"Actually, I was hoping you might come over to the park. I know Grandmother would love to meet you."

"Park? I'm sorry, I..."

"Oh, excuse me. I was so excited about seeing you, I forgot to introduce myself." She stuck out her hand. "My name's Anya. My Grandmother and I run a water park -- Bikini Beach -- over on the other side of town."

"I... I think I saw a sign for it coming in from the airport."

"Probably; we've got a billboard along that road. Anyway, it would be great if you could come over."

"I don't know. I'm kind of busy."

"The play? Oh, but you've only got rehearsals part of the day till Friday." Ignoring the surprised look on his face, she opened her purse and pulled out a pen and a small scrap of paper... no, a business card. "Let me sweeten the offer a little." She wrote something on the back of the card and handed it to him.

Ted looked at the card. The front said "Bikini Beach" in the same stylized printing as on her shirt. An address and phone number were on below the name. He turned it over and read, "Okay for a two-day pass. Anya." The handwriting was very feminine; the ink the same dark pink as the writing on the card.

"That's an awful lot for just an autograph and a handshake with you and your Grandmother."

"Call it my way of saying thanks for the fun we've had watching your show. And this way, you'll have something else to do while you're here in town."

"I'll think about it," he said.

"That's all I ask." She turned and left. He was almost finished with his lunch before he began to realize just how many "lucky guesses" Anya had just made.

* * * * *

The dinner theater was only a two-block walk from the restaurant. As he came closer, Ted noticed that they'd finally gotten the marquee lettered.

THIS WEEKEND ONLY
MURDER AT MIDNIGHT
STARRING TED BRAMSON
TV'S JOEY EASY

"Damn," Ted said under his breath. "Bad enough that my name's _under_ the title, but Joey's name is just as big as mine." It was worse when he got to the theater. Half the posters had his old picture from the TV show, instead of the publicity still he was using now.

He wished he could just throw a tantrum and back out. The problem was that this was the first real acting job he'd had in months. The last thing he needed was to get a reputation as hard to work with. He sighed and went in.

This afternoon was for blocking and a cue check. When did people come onstage or go off; where did they stand; when did a sound or lighting effect go; that sort of thing. Ted had learned his lines before he flew in from LA; now he had to match them up with the rest of the cast.

He wondered again how Anya had known. 'Must have done some theater herself,' he thought. 'She was certainly pretty enough.'

When he wasn't needed on stage, Ted tried to make friends with the other members of the company. After all, they were working together. He tried especially hard with the female members.

Maya, the tall redhead, was female lead. She was also happily married to the theater's business manager. Arlene, the blonde ingenue, was dating a "civilian," somebody not in show business. Lisa, the leggy assistant stage manager, turned out to be a big fan of his old show. It seemed that she had a deep and abiding lust for Angie Zale, the actress who'd played Joey's girlfriend.

Angie was making movies now under the name of Angel Fallen. Her latest film, GOLDILICKS AND THE THREE STUDS, had just come out on tape that very week and was available at adult bookstores everywhere.

After rehearsal, Ted tried to talk to a couple of the guys in the company about going out for drinks or whatever. "You know, just to show me around the town a little bit."

Rick, the second lead, pretty much summed up the attitude of the rest of the company. "I don't think that there's much in our little town that would interest a _big time_ Hollywood actor like you, Ted. Besides, some of us have _work_ to do for this production."

Well, he had until Friday to get them to begin to like him. If they didn't, it would show through to the audience, which wasn't fair. After all, the people had paid to see the play and had every right to expect a good show. Besides, everyone would probably say that it was his fault, anyway.

He headed for his rental car. "I guess I'll find a bar and drown my... wait a minute." He found Anya's card in his shirt pocket. 'What the hell?' he thought. It was better than drinking alone, and with a name like "Bikini Beach" there might well be a woman there interested in spending some time with him. Even just having someone join him for drinks and dinner would be a nice change.

* * * * *

The address on the card made it easy to find. The water park was just off one of the major highways. He pulled into the crowded lot just as someone was pulling out of a parking space, a very pretty blonde who waved as she left. It was a good sign. He pulled into her space and headed for the gate. He had stopped at his hotel and picked up his trunks and a towel, so he was ready to swim.

The girl at the gate was another brunette, an "Earth Mother" type and very pretty as well, an even better sign. "Can I help you, sir?" she asked.

"I'm Ted Bramson." He gave her the card. "Anya said her grandmother..." He let the sentence trail off.

"I think they're both busy right now, but I'll let them know that you're here... Ted." She handed him a purple square of cardboard marked "Two-Day Pass." There was some other writing beneath that, but he didn't take the time to read it. "The Men's Locker Room is over there." She pointed. "Please be sure to shower. It's a Health Department rule."

* * * * *

The Locker Room was small, but clean and well-organized. Ted stripped, putting his clothes in a locker, and getting into his trunks. Before he went into the showers, he did a few muscleman poses in the mirror that was on one wall.

He wasn't "The Arnold," but he worked out on a regular basis, and it showed. 'Maybe I can get something in that new DIE HARD 4 they just announced,' he thought. 'An action movie villain would be a real change of pace, show what I can do with a different sort of part.'

He decided to find a phone and call his agent. Sid still took his calls, and it was early afternoon out on the Coast. Bruce Willis didn't use big names for the villains in his movies, and he knew from his own experience just how hard it was to jumpstart your career after a successful TV show. "I might just have a shot,' he thought.

First a shower, though. He stepped in. The water felt good, real good. The tensions of that rehearsal session just seemed to wash away. He closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling, and so he didn't notice the pink mist rising from the water.

After a few minutes, he stepped out and turned the water off. Then he turned and headed towards the door.

There was somebody -- a girl -- in here with him. She was a cute little thing, about 16, he guessed, dark blonde hair and with the promise of what was probably going to be a dynamite figure: broad hips, narrow waist, and, maybe, 34-B breasts. She was walking towards him, and she was... topless.

'Damn! Last thing I need is some statutory rape charge,' he thought. "Excuse me," he said, "umm... young lady..." Why did his voice sound so high? The girl stopped. Now she was mimicking his move... Holy Shit! He was looking in that mirror. _He_ was the girl. "What happened?" He said in a high, panicky, and very female voice.

"Teri Bramson," came a voice from behind him. "What do you think you're doing? You're _not_ going out there without a top on."

"Mom?" It couldn't be. His parents were back in San Jacinto at the farm they'd bought with their share of his earnings after the show was cancelled.

Ted turned. It _was_ his mother. "You look so young." She seemed to be a good ten or fifteen years younger than the woman he'd visited a few weeks before. She looked to be in her mid-40s, the age she'd been when he had started doing IT AIN'T EASY.

Marge Bramson patted her dark blonde curls. "Thank you, Teri, but don't try to change the subject." She knelt down and brushed her daughter's hair. "I know how proud, how happy you are to be blossoming into such a pretty young woman. Any girl would be. But you can't be seen exposing yourself like that, not even to a group of women. The network would have a fit. They could fire you, and then where would we all be?"

Ted tried to understand. 'Fire me,' he thought. 'Fire me from what?' Still this was just the sort of conversation he'd had with his parents a hundred times while his show was on. Dad had quit his job selling real estate to help manage his son's career. Why bother at a regular job when your son was making more per weekly episode than you make in a year? At fifteen, Ted Bramson had become his family's only source of income.

"Excuse me," came a voice from near the door. "Did somebody lose this?" An older woman stood a few feet away holding the top of a two-piece swimsuit. The match for the bottom Ted was now wearing. "It was just outside the door. It must have dropped when Teri walked in." Ted saw that Anya was standing just behind the other woman. He could see the family resemblance; this woman must be "Grandmother."

"Thanks," Marge said. She took the top and handed it to Ted. He quickly put it on, not even stopping to think. It was as if he'd been wearing such garments for years.

"I'm sorry, Teri," Marge said. "I guess you were just looking for the top when I came in."

"Uhh... yeah, I-I guess I was." Ted didn't know what else to say.

"The photographer wanted to talk to you, Mrs. Bramson," Anya said. "Why don't you go out and see her, and we'll help Teri finish getting ready."

Marge didn't move. "And you are...?

"I'm sorry. We really haven't had a chance to introduce ourselves. I'm Anya, and this is my Grandmother. We own Bikini Beach."

"_I_ own it," Grandmother said. "Anya just helps me run it." She smiled a soft, very maternal "Betty White" sort of smile. "I can't thank you enough for giving me the chance to meet your lovely daughter. I'm a big fan of her show."

"Well... I suppose it will be all right, and I _do_ need to talk to your photographer. Just let me know when she's ready, so I can make a last minute check before she comes out."

"Oh, of course," Grandmother said, as Marge left.

Ted waited until he was sure his mother was outside the Locker Room. "Okay, just what did you do to me?"

"I tried to help you," Anya said. "When I read your mind -- yes, I read minds, too -- I read yours to see if you really were Ted Bramson. It's just another part of the magic."

"There's no such thing as magic," Ted said quickly.

"So says the 16 year old girl who used to be a 28 year old man," Grandmother said. "Anya saw how unhappy you were with your life, so she decided to give you some time off from it."

"It seemed that the only time that you _were_ happy was when you were doing IT AIN'T EASY," Anya said, "so I decided to give that back to you for the next couple of days."

"But why a girl," Ted asked, "and what do you mean 'couple of days'? I've got a play to do."

"I set up Bikini Beach as a place for women to come to and not be ogled by men," Grandmother said. "If a male does come into the park, the magic is set up to change him into a female for the duration of his pass plus a few hours."

"In your case, you'll change back just in time to do the first performance on Friday," Anya said. "Oh, and when reality shifts back, you and all the rest of the company will know the cues and such because, in that reality, you'll have been practicing them for the past two days."

"I guess there's no point in fighting it, is there?"

"Look at your pass," Anya said. "It's non-refundable and non-transferable." She smiled in satisfaction. "You're stuck till then. Enjoy it."

"Who am I till Friday... and what happened to my mother?"

"You're Teri Bramson, just like she said. You and she are both twelve years younger... so's your father, by the way. He's out in LA managing Teri's affairs just like he did Ted's. You... Teri... are one of the stars of the hot sitcom SETTLING INN."

"I remember that show," Ted... Teri said. "It was on last season. A cute idea, but the chemistry of the cast never clicked with the audience, and it was cancelled after thirteen weeks."

"Not in this reality," Grandmother said. "Everything worked with you as Jenny, the older daughter. You're already renewed for a third season. There's a break in the shooting, so you're on a ten-city publicity tour. This year, Jenny got a job in a water park --"

"Yeah," Teri said, "I remember that -- how the hell do I remember that? The show was cancelled. It never happened."

"It did in this reality," Anya said. "Since you -- or rather, your character, Jenny -- work in a water park, Ronnie Harris arranged for you to do a photo shoot here."

"Ronnie is a lifetime member of my park," Grandmother said proudly. "She's also one of the owners of the TV station that broadcasts your show here."

"So, like it or not, I'm a teenaged TV star again for the next two days?" Ted asked. "Won't I screw things up when I forget myself and act like a man?"

"You can't," Anya said. "Just to show you, tell me your name and age."

"This is silly. I'm Teri Bram... wait a minute. I mean Teri. Teri... Teri... Teri, darn it, and I'm s-s-sixteen." She spat out the number. "Hey, what's going on?"

"It's part of the magic of your transformation. You'll find that you talk and act like any other girl your age would."

"You mean I'll say things like 'coo-wel' and 'fur shur'? That is, like, _sooo_ dumb." Her eyes grew wide as she realized what she had said.

"Yes, isn't it," Grandmother said. "That last little bit of Valley Speak was Anya's idea of an extreme demonstration. You'll speak something a bit closer to English from now on."

"Actually, you can still talk like that if you want to, but you _can_ control it. Besides, your mother will insist on good grammar."

"Yeah, Mom is always on me about that. Hey, I'm doing it, talking like this all is real."

"It _is_ real," Anya said, "and it will be until Friday evening." She handed Teri a small make-up bag. "Now hurry up and get ready for your big debut."

Teri took the bag and spilled the contents onto a small shelf by the wall mirror. As Ted or Teri, she'd been a professional actor since the age of eight and knew about make-up. Ted never had to do his face as that of a teenaged girl, but Teri knew how.

"Very nice," Grandmother said. "Pretty, but still a lady."

"Yeah," Teri said, "Mom won't let me... I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

"Talking like the girl you are?" Grandmother said. "Yes. It must be a little frustrating to have to always be 'on' like that, always be the nice girl everyone expects you to be."

Teri sighed. "It is -- and it was just as tough when I was my _real_ self doing IT AIN'T EASY. So there." She felt a small victory in talking as Ted. Then, she realized that she'd stuck her tongue out as she finished the sentence.

"Looks like it _still_ ain't easy," Anya said with a small chuckle. "You'll get used to it, though, and it is only for a couple of days.

Grandmother walked over to the door and opened it just a crack. "We're ready, Mrs. Bramson."

Marge rushed in and stood for a moment, studying her daughter's look. "Fine; just fine. I do miss those pigtails you wore for most of last season."

"_Mom_," Teri said automatically. "I'm sixteen. Pigtails are, like, so little girl." She turned and looked quickly at Anya and Grandmother, shocked at how she had just spoken.

"I'd say go with it, Mrs. Bramson," Anya said. "You too, Teri. After all, didn't I read that your network is spending a lot of money promoting her character's more mature look?"

"That's true," Marge said with a sigh. "I guess I just hate to admit that my little girl is growing up."

Grandmother smiled and gently put her hand on Marge's shoulder. "Don't be embarrassed to admit it. I still feel that way some times about Anya."

"The... ahh... photographer's waiting," Anya said, blushing just a little. "Shall we go?"

* * * * *

"So the big bad wolf... what's the matter, Amy?" Teri was feeling a bit worn. This was the fourth time that the six-year old had interrupted the story she was trying to tell while the photographer, Rae, took candid shots. A few of the children squirmed; they just wanted to get back to the rides in Kiddy Playland that Rae was using as background for her photos.

"What's it like being on TV?" Amy asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"It's fun sometimes," Teri said, "but, a lot of the time, it's just a job, a lot of hard work like the job your moms and dads have."

"I... I think I used to have a job," another little girl said. "I-I don't remember." She looked sad.

Teri's jaw dropped. Was this... child another transformed man? She looked over to where Anya was standing. "We don't talk about silly things like that, Katie," Anya said firmly. "A little girl like you can't have a job."

"I... I guess not," Katie said. "My... Daddy did, but he's not around any more."

"That's right," Anya said. Turning to Teri, she added, "Katie's father is in the Navy. He's in the Gulf on a carrier right now."

"That's right," Katie said with a sudden smile. "Mommy and I got a tape from him last week." She giggled. "He grew a beard, and Mommy doesn't like it."

"Can we get back to the story?" Rae asked in exasperation.

* * * * *

"Ready. Set. GO!" Teri yelled the last, and seven girls, all a few years younger than she, dove into the water and began swimming frantically towards the Mountain Climb wall on the other side. Rae took photos of her starting the race and of the race itself, angling the shot so Teri was in each photo. The winner was a slender blonde of about fourteen, Sally. Another girl, a perky redhead with a face full of freckles, Shayne, came in second. The two were obviously close friends, judging from the way they squealed and hugged each other when they climbed out.

Rae also took pictures as Teri, now wearing a Bikini Beach staff T-shirt, put a "First Place" ribbon around Sally's neck and gave her a coupon good for two free meals at the park's Tiki Hut or Port Landing restaurants. Shayne and the third place winner, a girl named Britt, were each photographed getting ribbons and a coupon for one free meal. The other girls got coupons for free ice cream. Rae took some final shots of Teri with the whole group.

"I'll autograph copies those pictures and send them to each of you if you'd like," Teri offered."

Shayne and Sally agreed. So did a couple of other girls. Britt shook her head no. "If we're done with this," she asked, angrily, "can we go back to having some fun?" She turned and dove back into the water.

"She's just upset at not winning," Marge said, putting a protective arm around her daughter.

"Sure, that's it," Sally said. "You send her copy to me, and I'll see that she gets it later."

"Thanks," Teri said. She smiled an actor's smile, not wanting to show the hurt. "I guess we did kind of upset your afternoon."

"Yeah," Sally said, "but we didn't mind."

"Well, that was subtle," Shayne said. She put her arm out suddenly and pushed Sally into the water. "Gotta go now and rescue her. See you." She jumped into the pool and swam over to where Sally had just surfaced.

"Could I stay here and swim for just a while?" Teri asked. Maybe she could make it up to Britt.

"Heavens, no," Marge said. "We still have a lot of pictures to take."

* * * * *

"All right now, Liz, raise your arm as if you're pointing towards Pele's Race, maybe telling her a story about how it works. Teri, you're listening to whatever she's saying. You really want to learn from Liz."

"How much longer do I have to do this?" Liz Nelson asked. "I've got _real_ work to do."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Nelson," Teri said. "I just wanted to talk with a real lifeguard for a few minutes. I didn't mean for it to take so long."

"I guess you're used to interrupting people's lives just because you want to talk to them," Liz said.

"I-I..." Teri felt like she'd been slapped. The Ted part of her had wanted to talk with this attractive young woman. The Teri part wanted to find out what it was like to be a lifeguard, so she could play the part better on her show.

"There's no need to be rude," Marge said.

Liz saw Teri's reaction and felt a pang of guilt. "I-I'm sorry, Teri, I guess I'm just a little grumpy today. You know how a girl can get sometimes."

"No, I did interrupt things, and I'm the one who should be sorry." Then she realized what Liz meant by "sometimes." The idea of having a period made her shiver. Thank heavens, she wouldn't have to go through that. Except that her memories as Teri told her that she already _had_ gone through it. Many times.

"If you two are done, can I take some pictures?" Rae asked.

"No, Liz should really be getting back to work," Teri said. "We've held her up too long already."

Rae put up her hands. "Hey, I don't care, but my boss, Selina, expects me to have pictures of Teri's day in the park."

Liz sighed. "Oh, all right, but can you make it fast? I've got a beginner's swim class to teach over at Playland."

"Can I help?" Teri asked. "It sounds like fun... I-I mean it sounds interesting."

"To tell the truth it is fun... sometimes," Liz said. "If you'd really --"

"I'm sure it is," Rae interrupted, "but we have all the shots we need of Teri with the little kids. I want to see if I can get a few shots of her in a volleyball game and then having some supper at the Tiki Hut."

Teri looked down at her toes, not really surprised to see that there was a pink polish on her toenails. "Maybe... another time?"

"Maybe," Liz said. She pointed at the multiple slides of Pele's Race. "Now the rhubarb... rhubarb... rhubarb... rhubarb." It was an old trick, repeating the word while you posed, so it looked like you were actually saying something. Teri stifled a giggle as Liz contorted her face into different expressions as she spoke.

* * * * *

Teri stopped about ten feet outside the Tiki Hut and took a sample sniff. "Mmm, those burgers smell good."

"Burgers!" Marge said quickly. "You don't need the calories _or_ the grease. A salad should do nicely, as usual."

"I'm sure it would, Mrs. Bramson," Rae said, "and the Tiki Hut has some very good salads, but we kind of wanted a picture of Teri eating a burger and some fries. You know, people food."

By now they were inside, and Marge looked at the menu posted on the wall above the grill. "Ahh... veggie burgers. Will that be all right for your photos? And we can have a single order of fries that you and I can eat after the pictures are taken."

Teri groaned. "Mom, have a heart. I'm starved. Do I have to eat some 'New Age grassburger'? That meat... I mean, it smells so good." Marge had never worried like this about Ted's weight. Her concern now was unnerving.

"Teri! You know that you can't afford to put on any weight. The network wants a girl for their show... not a blimp."

"But one burger..."

"Is one too many, even a veggie burger. We'll just use it for the pictures. After they're taken, you can throw it away and have a salad -- just like you always do."

* * * * *

As the limo turned a corner near the hotel, Teri saw a mass of people -- kids, most looking just a bit older than she was now, milling around in front of a building with bright lights all around it. "What's that?" she asked the driver.

Halper, the driver barely took his eyes off the road. He was an older man whose silver gray hair gave him a strong air of dignity. "That's 'Zero-Hour', Miss. It's a disco, college age kids mostly. My youngest daughter, Deb, goes there some nights; she's 20."

"Can I go, Mom?" Teri asked. "Please, can I?" She could barely believe how excited she was at the prospect of actually spending some time with some other people her age, just enjoying herself.

"I should say not," Marge said firmly. "Mr. Halper just said that it's for college students; that's far too old a crowd for you. Besides, I suspect that they serve liquor in there. Isn't that true, Mr. Halper?"

"I shouldn't be at all surprised, Mrs. Bramson, if they did."

"Well," Marge said. "That certainly settles the issue."

"But... but I don't want to get drunk," Teri said. "I just want to listen to the music, maybe dance a little."

"No," Marge said. "If the network ever found out... well, there is a morals clause in your contract. You could be fined, suspended, maybe even... fired."

"Awww... Mom." Teri's whine was genuine, and it surprised her how deeply she felt the disappointment. And the anger. Ted had been allowed a lot more freedom at Teri's age. 'It really is different for a girl,' she thought. 'That isn't fair.'

* * * * *

The limo pulled up in front of a Hilton Hotel, and Halper ran around to open the door just as a bellman walked over from the hotel. Teri looked around as she took Halper's hand and stepped out. She was still wearing her bathing suit. She'd just added a wrap-around beach skirt over it -- 'Just like Anya's,' she'd thought -- and a pair of pink sandals.

'Whoa!' she thought looking up at the opulently decorated hotel entrance. 'Sure beats the hell out of the Motel Six I was staying at before.'

A crowd was waiting for her, kept back by a long red velvet rope. Most were adults, there with kids of their own. Here and there in the crowd, she saw a teenager. She couldn't help noticing that a few were boys and kind of cute. And she noticed that she noticed.

Suddenly, camera lights came on and flashbulbs flashed. Reporters. "There were shouts of "Teri, over here," and "Teri, look this way."

A young woman in a green jacket blocked her way and all but shoved a microphone in Teri's face. "Hi, Teri, could you say a few words to our viewers?"

Teri somehow knew that the logo on the jacket pocket, a stylized WJWJ, meant that the woman worked for the station that broadcast her show. "Sure, Ms..."

The woman smiled. "Monica." She looked to the camera. "Monica Sforzo for WJWJ. I'm here at the Mid-Town Hilton with Miss Teri Bramson, the star of SETTLING INN, seen every Tuesday at 8:30 on WJWJ, Channel 5. Teri was kind enough to agree to come on WJWJ's NOON NEWS tomorrow for an interview, but I'm going to try to get a few words from her now." Now she looked back at Teri. "Teri, thanks you for agreeing to be interviewed on my show. For now, can you tell us what else you'll be doing tomorrow?"

Teri went into automatic mode. She'd heard this sort of questions too many times as both Ted and Teri. She smiled and answered the question the same cheerful way she'd learned to do years before.

"I understand that there's a health fair to raise money for the local community clinic. There'll be all sorts of contests and games, and people can get a bunch of quick health tests, too. I've been asked to take part, maybe as a judge for one of the contests." Marge had told her about the event on the way to the hotel.

"Wet T-shirt contest, babe." Someone was yelling from the crowd now. "You can be a contestant." The yell was followed by a few wolf whistles and cat-calls. Teri felt her cheeks redden. Then she realized that it was embarrassment over the size of her breasts that was making her blush. 'I really am acting like a girl,' she thought.

"Let the news lady enter." Another voice in the crowd yelled. "_She's_ got a rack worth checking out."

Teri saw the newswoman frown. "It's all right, kiddo," Monica whispered. "Ignore them."

"I know," Teri whispered back, "and thanks." She made herself smile. "I have to go in now, Monica, but I want to thank everyone for their... warm welcome, and I hope I see you all at the health fair." She waved as she wriggled past the newswoman and hurried over to where her mother was standing. Behind her, she could hear Monica doing a closing, reminding people about the interview as well as the health fair.

"Well done," Marge said in a low voice and gave her a quick hug.

A young bellman, who looked no more than a year or two older than Teri stood nearby, loading luggage onto a hotel cart for another guest. As he walked past Teri, he whispered -- just loudly enough for Teri to hear, "I think _you've_ got a nice... you know, too."

Teri blushed again at the compliment. She noticed his name, "Paulo," on a small tag on his shirt. As Paulo pushed the cart into the hotel, Teri noticed four other things.

Paulo seemed very strong, with muscular arms and big, brawny shoulders.

Paulo had a really nice smile and a beautiful Spanish accent.

Her nipples were tingling.

And she liked it.

* * * * *

The hotel room was even better than Teri had expected, a small suite of two bedrooms with a parlor between them. 'That show must really be doing pretty good," she thought.

"Why don't you change out of that bathing suit," Marge said. "You may as well put on a nightie and robe. You've got a big day ahead of you, and you'll need to be going to sleep soon. I don't want you looking tired."

Teri was about to argue, when she yawned. 'It's not even 9 PM,' she thought, looking at a clock on the wall. Then she remembered that, in this reality, she was on a production break from a show done in LA. Her brand new, _young_ body was used to getting up early enough to be at the studio for a 7:30 AM call, it was more than a little ready for bed.

"Can I have a soda first?" Time-lagged body or not, she was really a grown man, and she did _not_ like the idea of needing to go to bed this early. "I'm... I'm kind of thirsty."

"As long as it's diet soda."

The courtesy bar was built into the armoire/cabinet holding the TV. Teri opened it and took out a can of Diet Coke. "This okay?" she asked, holding it up for Marge to see." When Marge nodded, she opened the can and took a quick drink.

"All right," Marge said. "Now go change. You can take the soda in with you."

Teri was about to go, when there was a knock at their door. "Bellman," came a muffled voice. "I have a package for Mildred Pennypacker."

"Get that, would you, please?" Marge said. "Mildred and Hanna Pennypacker" were the fake names that Marge and Teri were registered under. Only a few members of the hotel staff knew it.

"Okay, Mom," Teri said. Man, she was really getting into this teenager thing. She walked over to the door. But looked through the small peephole, rather than open it.

Paulo was standing in the hall, looking straight at her -- straight at the door, anyway -- so he could be seen through the peephole. He looked so cute in that uniform, a big smile on his face.

Teri quickly unlatched and opened the door. "Ummm... hi."

The smile got bigger. "Hi, yourself, 'Mildred'. This package just came for you. I... uh... paid the other man on duty five bucks to let me bring it up."

Teri suddenly felt very shy. "Why... uhh... why did you do that?"

"I was hoping you'd be the one to open the door. I get... my shift is over at 10. Would you like to... maybe... go out someplace for a bit? There's a disco -- 'Zero-Hour' -- a couple of blocks from here..."

"I saw it on the way to the hotel." Teri felt a pleasant warmth moving through her body. It was surprising how good it felt. Maybe it wouldn't be _too_ bad being a girl for a couple of days. "It looked like a great place."

"A great place for what?" Marge was suddenly standing beside her.

"To visit, Mom," Teri said quickly. "He -- the bellman here -- asked me... umm... how I was enjoying my visit here and... what I thought of the town, and I said it seemed like a great place to visit."

Marge gave her an odd look. "That's nice," she said. "Of course, if he was talking about anything else, the answer would have to be 'no', wouldn't it?" She took the package Paulo was holding and handed him a dollar. "Something for your trouble, young man... and good night." She stepped back so Teri could close the door.

Paulo nodded. He looked at Teri and softly whispered the word, "Tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Teri answered in an equally soft voice.

* * * * *

Marge took the package and sat down on the couch. "It's from the studio." She pulled a small scissors from her purse and used it to cut away the wrappings. Inside was a small box, 10 by 12 inches and about two inches thick.

Teri walked over. "What'd they send us. Mom?"

"Two copies of the script for the next show." The studio that produced IT AIN'T EASY had always given Ted two copies, so he could practice lines with his parents. Evidently, the studio that produced SETTLING INN did the same for Teri.

"I thought this was supposed to be some kind of vacation," Teri said at the prospect of having to learn her new lines.

"It is," Marge said wryly. "It's a working vacation. Now, why don't you take that script in with you and start reading?" She looked at her watch. "You've got an hour before I call 'Lights Out'."

"But I wanted to watch some TV."

"I'm sure you did, dear, and you can... as soon as you know the script. I want you ready for when we fly back on Saturday. Letter-perfect as always."

Teri wanted to protest. After all, she would go back to being Ted on Friday. Still, she... he was a professional. If she had the script, she would certainly try to learn it. "As always," she said. She took the script from Marge's outstretched hand and walked towards her bedroom.

* * * * *

"Lights out," Marge called, knocking at Teri's door. Teri dog-eared the page she was reading and put the script down on the bed table next to the clock radio. It was a fairly simple plot. Her character buys a CD player that doesn't work, and she can't get the store to take it back. Brad, a boy who has a crush on her, helps her, and, in the last scene, she gives him a kiss to say "Thanks."

The problem was, as she read the script, especially that last scene, Teri kept thinking of Paulo. She turned out the light and slid down under the covers so that her head was on the pillow. She kept picturing that last scene, the kissing scene, with herself and Paulo. She felt an odd warmth in her groin. Her breasts were tingling. Without thinking, her hands moved to caress herself. It felt good... very good.

Then the realization of what she was doing hit her. "The hell I'm going to play with myself," she said firmly pulling her hands away. The feeling of arousal persisted, but she fought it until, what seemed like a long time later, she finally fell asleep.

* * * * *

"And we're back in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." The director counted down on his fingers, pointing to Monica on "1."

"Welcome back," she said, looking into the camera. "We're here with Teri Bramson, one of the stars of SETTLING INN, which is seen right here on WJWJ, Channel 5, every Tuesday at 8:30." She shifted to look at Teri. "So, Teri, can you give us any hints about what's going to be happening this season? Anything going to be happening between Jenny and that cute Brad Hammond?" She gave a half wink as she said the name.

"Well... maybe," Teri hesitated. She knew that she was allowed to give broad hints, but no details. Ted had lived with the same rules. She smiled shyly. "It's really up to our writers."

"How about off-camera?" Monica asked. "Ken Procter, the boy who plays Brad, is awfully cute."

"Yeah, I guess he is," Teri said, suddenly visualizing the boy's face. "But he, well, he's a few years older than me, and we... kind of move in different circles." A second image came to her mind: Ken and Sue Price, who played Jenny's mother, going into Ken's trailer... laughing, snuggling together, and carrying a bottle of scotch.

"Well, if you can't tell us about the future of the show..." Monica looked hopefully at Teri, but Teri just shook her head. "What about your own future? SETTLING INN can't be on forever... unfortunately. What would you like to do after the show?"

Teri thought for a moment. This was a question Ted was going to be answering as much as her; what he had wanted to do and what he wound up doing were so very different.

"I'd like to make movies, of course, any actor or actress would love the chance to reach so many people. But I... I think I'd like to do some theater, too. The best way I can think of to improve my skills as an actor would performing before a live audience."

Ted enjoyed doing live theater; he always had. What bothered him about jobs like the one that he was in now, back in his own reality, was that he had been hired solely as an former TV star, a novelty that would bring in a crowd, rather than as an actor who could perform the role.

Monica's ears perked up at Teri's answer. This wasn't the typical blather she got from visiting TV stars. It was worth following up. "Really, what sort of plays would you want to do?"

"I know it sounds corny, but I'd like to do Shakespeare. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is my favorite play."

Monica thought for a moment, then she remembered the movie she'd had to review for the news. "Oh, yes, the two young couples that fall in and out of love because of some sort of magic."

"Oh, those are wonderful parts. I'd love to do Hermia or Helena some time, but the part I'd really like to play is Puck." The play was one of Ted's favorites, and Puck was the part that he _really_ wanted to play.

"Puck? I don't..."

"Puck is Oberon's jester, the one who sprinkles the magic juice in the lovers eyes and who gives Bottom, the Weaver, a donkey's head."

"Isn't that a boy's part?"

"Not really. He's a fairy, so he could be a boy or a girl. Besides, his other name is Robin Goodfellow, and Robin is certainly a girl's name. Anyway, I'd love to try it. In fact, I've got some ideas about how a girl could play it." The last statement surprised Teri, but then it made sense. And saying it gave her an idea. If she dared.

Monica saw the director's one-minute signal. "Maybe someday you will, Teri, and I'm sure that we all wish you the best of luck. Right now, we're almost out of time. Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?"

Teri had seen the doubt in Monica's face, when she talked about Puck. She decided to take a chance. "Yes, thank you, Monica." She stood up and began. "This is Puck's farewell at the end of the play."

"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, -- and all is mended, --
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend;
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call:
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."
\"A Midsummer Night's Dream\" -- Act V, Scene 2

"And out!" The director said. "Run the logo." Then he joined the round of applause that Teri was getting from everyone else in the studio.

Teri had taken Monica's hand at the end of Puck's speech. She let it go and did a deep, theatrical bow. In her mind, she remembered Sally Field's famous line. "You like me; you really like me!"

They did! Monica said it best when she hugged Teri and said, "I didn't think you had in you, kiddo. You're _not_ just a TV star; you're an _actress_."

* * * * *

Marge was waiting for Teri in the Control Room. "What was the idea of doing that nonsense at the end of your interview?"

"Nonsense? Mom, that was Shakespeare, and, besides, everyone thought I was pretty good. Didn't you hear the applause? It... it was _great_!"

Marge frowned. "We've had this talk before. The show likes Jenny as she is. They like you as you _are_. We don't push for them to do any fancy dramatic episodes, and we don't look for other work between seasons."

Teri sighed. She remembered hearing this before. What was worse, she also remembered hearing this as Ted. "I know, Mom, but the show isn't going to be on the air forever--"

"Don't talk like that!"

"It _isn't_. No show lasts forever. You know that. If I don't prove that I can do other parts _now_, then when it does end, nobody will think of me as anything _but_ Jenny."

It was exactly what had happened to her as Ted. He hadn't stretched his talents at all during the years he was on IT AIN'T EASY, and he'd gone nowhere. Michael J. Fox, whose show had been on about the same time as his and who _had_ proven he could do other things, had gone on to make a bunch of movies and to get a second, adult series.

"That won't happen. People can see how talented you are, even as Jenny. It's a good role, and we don't want to do anything to make the producer nervous or make him think that you're unhappy in the part. They could always... write Jenny out." Marge shuddered at the thought of losing the income, the security that the role of Jenny meant to the entire family.

It was the same argument she'd made to Ted. She might be right about the producer. Who knew? But how to argue? Teri could hardly tell her mother what had happened in that other reality. She'd think her daughter was crazy.

Well, it was only for another day or so. Teri sighed. "Okay, Mom. I guess I was just showing off." She went along. Just like Ted always went along, not wanting to upset his parents. Deep down, though, Teri resented it, just as Ted always had.

* * * * *

"That looks like fun," Teri said. "Can I try?" She'd been at the community center health fair about ten minutes. She'd stopped to watch an aerobics instructor leading a group of older women through a set of exercises.

"Sure," said the instructor, a slender brunette in a purple and light green leotard and a "Midtown Community Health Center" T-shirt. "Just find a spot and jump in."

"Oh, let's start over, Megan," a short woman with a mass of silver hair said. She wore a loose gray sweat suit with "Life Begins At 80" written on the top in bright red letters. "I want to see if the kid can keep up with us old fogies."

Megan nodded and turned off the CD player on the ground next to her.

"I'm Sophie Kretzler," the silver-haired woman said, stepping to the side. "I love your show. You stand here next to me."

"Thanks," Teri said, stepping into the line.

"Rev it up a notch," Sophie said. "Let's show this kid what we can do."

"You sure?" Megan asked.

"Do it!" another woman shouted. The other women all shouted their approval.

"Okay, then," Megan said. She pressed a couple buttons on the CD player. "And one... and two... and one and two and three and four." The music suddenly blared out, a peppy Latin rhythm. The women began moving to the music as Megan called out various moves. They knew the routine and stepped quickly. Teri found herself having a hard time keeping up, even though she was enjoying the routine.

The music ran for about ten minutes. "And out," Megan said, just as it ended. "Very good, ladies, give yourselves a hand." She applauded, and the women all joined in. So did a small crowd that had gathered to watch.

And so did Teri. "Wow, that was great."

"We're not done yet, honey" another woman said. This one was tall and very thin. She wore a blue and yellow sweatsuit with "Sexy Senior Citizen" embroidered on the back. She grinned and asked, "You want to stay and try another routine?"

"I'm game if you are," Teri said. The tall woman nodded. Megan turned the CD player back on, a 50s rock melody with a strong steady drumbeat. Megan stood and led the women through another routine. This one was even harder than first, with high kicks as part of it.

Teri was beginning to get tired. The music must have been going for at least fifteen minutes. 'I'm not stopping while these women are still at it,' she thought and gritted her teeth.

Megan must have been a mind reader. She bent down no more than thirty seconds later and turned off the CD player. "Okay, ladies. That's it. Give yourselves another hand; you were great." The women began to applaud. "And give it up for Teri Bramson, too. "Teri, it was great of you to join in with us." The women faced her and applauded again.

Teri smiled... and tried hard not to pant. "Thanks for letting me. Wow, I just hope that I'm in as good shape as you all are when I'm... older." She nodded and started to applaud the women who now gathered around her.

"Good choice of words, dear." Sophie handed Teri a drinking bottle. "Here, you look really thirsty. You drink some of this. It's just water, nothing fancy."

"I don't need anything fancy, Sophie," Teri said and she took a long drink. "Ahh, that was great. I... I hope I didn't drink it all. You're probably all as thirsty as I am after that."

"Don't worry," the thin woman said. "Megan has a cooler full of bottled water." She pointed to a cooler on a bench near where Megan was standing handing out information on the health center to the crowd Teri had helped draw.

"She's got some Gatorade, too, if you want some of that," the woman added. Teri looked over and saw several of the women taking bottles from a cooler.

"No, water is fine, ma'am."

The thin woman frowned. "Ma'am? We just spent a half an hour sweating together. I'm Miriam... Miriam Klein, if you want to be formal."

"Thanks, Ms. Klein."

"Miriam," she said firmly.

Teri laughed. "Okay, Miriam. Can you introduce me to the rest of the group?"

Miriam made the introductions, and Teri was soon talking and laughing along with the older woman. One of them, Angie deLucca, shocked Teri a little with a comment about exercising because she wanting to be limber for her boyfriend.

Miriam saw Teri's reaction and nudged Angie with an elbow. "What?" Angie said. Then she saw Miriam tilt her head towards Teri. "The kid? C'mon, Miriam. Teenage girls are a lot more used to such things than when we were girls." She turned to Teri. "Aren't you, honey?"

Teri realized that she was blushing just a little. "I... ah... guess so. I really don't get a chance to talk about stuff like that a lot because of my work."

"That's right," Sophie said. "You work so hard on that show, you probably don't even have a boyfriend of your own." She paused a moment. "I should introduce you to my grandson, Mickey... such a nice boy --"

"Your Mickey," Angie said. "What about my daughter Lucy's oldest, her son Freido?"

"Freido," another woman -- Joanne, Teri remembered -- Joanne said. "Now my nephew Jerry, _he's_ a real catch."

"Please, ladies, please." Teri waved her arms to get their attention. "I know that you all mean well, and I'm sure that the boys you mentioned are all really great guys, but I... I am seeing... there _is_ somebody I'm interested in just now." It was a lie she'd worked out years ago as Ted. It worked. Matchmaking mothers and aunts and grandmothers usually wouldn't want to be responsible for breaking up an existing relationship.

"I didn't read anything about you having a boyfriend," Miriam said. She sounded a little suspicious.

"We... ah... we don't want people to know. He doesn't want to get mobbed at his school or anything, so we've been _real_ careful." It was more of the same lie. Only now, as Teri said it, she found herself thinking of Paulo. 'Damn,' she thought, 'I really do have a crush on that guy.'

* * * * *

"Best... wishes... Teri... Branson." Teri spoke aloud as she signed her name to another photo. "Thanks for watching and thank you for the donation," she said as she handed a woman the photo. The health center was getting $5 for each photo she autographed.

The next person on line, a tall man in a Hawaiian shirt, stepped up. He was holding a camera. "Ms. Bramson... Teri, may I... uhh... take your picture while you sign my photo?"

Teri had an idea. "I'll tell you what, Mr... "

"Hertzog, Frank Hertzog."

"I'll tell you what, Frank. You can take my picture for free, or... for a $20 donation to the health center, I'll pose with you for two shots, a picture and a 'saver.' How about it?"

"Sure," Frank said, grinning broadly. He handed his camera to a man standing nearby. "You take the shots, Mike, okay?"

Teri stood up, and Frank moved near to her. "You can move a little closer than that," Teri said, putting her arm around his waist. Frank moved a half-step closer, and his friend took the two shots.

After that, the line got much longer. Some people still settled for just an autographed photo, but a good many took advantage of Teri's offer. 'At least my celebrity's good for something,' she thought.

Marge even wound up taking a number of the pictures.

* * * * *

A short man in sunglasses and a bright red T-shirt stood next to Teri, while Marge focused his camera. Teri put her arm around his waist, and he did the same to her. Then, just as Marge took the first photo, he slipped his hand down and cupped Teri's butt. Teri jumped in surprise. "Hey," the man said, "you ruined the picture."

A taller man wearing a health center T-shirt over a regular shirt and a tie walked over. "This girl is 16, sir. Do you really want us to take a picture of you molesting her?"

"What's it to you, buddy? I paid for that photo."

"My name, _sir_, is Jack Ogun, and, with any luck, I'll be the district attorney using that photo for evidence when I try you for child molestation."

The man turned white. "Hey, I-I was just kidding around." He pulled his arm away and quickly stepped back from Teri. "For-forget the picture. You can even keep the 20 bucks as a donation." He grabbed his camera and hurried away.

"Thanks, Mr. Ogun," Teri said. "Would you really have put him on trial?"

Ogun laughed. "Not likely. I sell insurance for a living. I'm on the health center board, though, and scaring him like that was the least I could do for all the help you've given us today."

* * * * *

Teri sat in the chair, looking at the nurse and trying her best not to squirm. 'Be brave,' she thought over and over. 'There's a camera crew here, and at least 50 people are watching.'

The nurse held Teri's hand and touched a small gadget to the tip of one finger. Teri felt a tiny "pinch" as a needle took a drop of her blood for testing. The nurse waited a minute for the machine to work. "Teri, I'm glad to say that your blood sugar level is well within the normal range."

Teri thanked her and stood up. "Okay, who's next?" the nurse asked.

"Did it hurt, Teri?" Monica Sforzo asked, moving close, microphone in hand.

"Just a little," Teri said, taking the cue, " but I think that not knowing that I had diabetes would hurt me a whole lot more. I'm glad that I was tested, and I hope everybody will come here to the fair or go to their own doctor and take the test themselves." The line was rehearsed, but she said it so naturally that it almost sounded believable.

* * * * *

Teri stayed at the health fair through the rest of the afternoon. Jack Ogun and a couple of other officials came over about 3 and asked her to be a judge for a "heart healthy" cooking contest. Marge looked a little nervous. The winner would love Teri, but the losers and their families wouldn't. People who didn't like Teri might not watch her show.

Teri saw Marge's concern. "I'm not sure that I'm qualified to be the judge. It all looks too good. How about three judges: you, Mr. Ogun; Monica Sforzo from WJWJ; and me?" It was an idea that Ted had used several times. Three judges reduced the risk of offending somebody.

Monica was glad for the publicity. "WJWJ, the station with taste," she joked. Ogun was glad to do anything to make the health fair a success. Teri was off the hook.

And the entries were _very_ good. A slightly chunky Cuban woman won first place for an excellent turkey meatball soup.

* * * * *

"Gosh, Brad, I don't know what..." Teri abruptly stopped reading. "Mom, we've been running lines for over two hours. Can't I take a break?"

Marge looked at her watch. "Just a little longer. Let's... let's finish this one scene." Whatever the reality, Marge wanted Teri to know her lines perfectly. It was one more way of keeping the directors and the production company happy, and her daughter employed.

"We've done this scene three times already. _Please_._"

"I don't... oh, all right. You have been doing very well tonight." She put down her script. "Would you like to watch some TV before you go to bed?"

Teri held up her script. "I think I'm kind of TV-ed out." She took a breath. "There's a game room off the lobby..." She let the words hang. "It had a sign on the door, 'Guests Only.' It had a jukebox and some arcade games."

"I don't know. What sort of people would be in there with you?"

"I only saw a couple of little kids on there when we came in from the fair. There'd only be guests from here in the hotel. You know, just people like us." It was galling to have to beg. Teri wanted to get away from Marge, who'd been watching her like a hawk. Plus, she was hoping -- part of her was, anyway -- to find Paulo and get to that disco with him.

She thought of one last thing she could try. "Why don't I just go down there for a little bit, and you can take a nice, long bubble bath -- maybe take the phone in with you and give a Dad a call while you're in the tub. It'd be real private and all. You and Dad can... catch up on stuff."

She said it as innocently as she could. Teri knew somehow that she wasn't supposed to understand what her mother did while she lay in a tub of warm, soapy water and talked to her husband. Ted wasn't supposed to have known either, but he had. He'd always been glad that his parents still felt that way about each other physically after almost two decades of marriage.

Marge smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. "Mmmm, it has been a while since your father and I... talked. Oh, all right, you can go, but I want you back here by 10 o'clock. You're going to be opening a new Topsides tomorrow morning." Topsides was a chain of women's clothing stores that specialized in blouses, sweaters, and such. The chain was SETTLING INN's main sponsor.

Marge took five $1 bills out of her purse. "Here. You'll probably be wanting to play those arcade games you mentioned." She added another dollar. "You can buy a drink, too, if you want, but remember, _diet_ soda.

"Thanks, Mom," Teri said, putting the money into a shoulder bag. "Say 'Hi' to Dad for me, and I'll see you at 11."

"Nice try, Teri, but I said _10_ o'clock."

* * * * *

Paulo was in the game room playing a game of Pirate's Cove when Teri came in. He was talking to the machine in Spanish as if he was trying to coax it into obeying him. "I hope you'll speak English to me," Teri said, sneaking up behind him. "I don't speak Spanish."

"Teri! I'm so glad you managed to get away." He smiled a smile that made her tingle. "I'd about given up on you."

He must have been off-duty. Instead of his bellman's uniform, he wore a pair of tight black slacks and an electric blue shirt. The top two buttons were open to reveal a hairy chest and a silver cross on a dark leather thong around his neck.

He stood still for a moment, his eyes looking from the top of her head to her feet and back. Teri couldn't put on any sort of fancy outfit without alerting Marge that she was up to something. Still, Paulo seemed to like the pale green sleeveless blouse and silver-gray jeans that she wore. She'd run a comb through her hair as she rode down in the elevator, so that it framed her face and hung down in wavy curls to just past her shoulders.

"That package you brought up last night was scripts for my show. Mom made me work on my lines for a couple hours. I just barely got away." She wasn't about to say how. Let her mom have some privacy.

"Oh, for the cruel life of a TV star." He rolled her eyes.

"It's ain't easy." She smiled at the joke. In this reality, she doubted that anyone had even heard of Ted's show. Then Teri heard a faked scream from the machine, and they both turned in time to see the game counter go from two to one. "I'm sorry, Paulo. I didn't mean to cost you a life."

"That's okay. I've been playing this game for a while. Watch, I can get it back real easy."

"Hey, are you gonna make me watch you play video games or are you gonna take me to that disco?"

"Tough choice." He pretended to think for a moment. Then he turned and deliberately walked his last figure into a quicksand pit. "That answer your question?" he asked as the machine flashed "Game Over."

* * * * *

They walked quickly out of the game room. Paulo led Teri to a door marked "Employees Only." They walked past a small lunchroom and a long row of lockers to an exit door. "This is a shortcut to the disco," he explained. "Besides, this way, nobody will see you leave the building." They hurried through. Paulo checked the door to make certain it had locked after them. It had. They hurried down the alley they were in towards a street on the far side of the hotel.

After about a block, Teri began to hear music. "Is that..."

"Yeah, loud, isn't it? They got a great band."

Teri began to have second thoughts as they approached the entrance to the disco. Everybody looked older than her, mostly college age, but a few in their late twenties or even older. She grabbed Paulo's hand. "Maybe... maybe we should go back. I-I don't know if I'll fit in there."

Paulo smiled. It didn't seem as nice as his other smiles. "I thought I was taking a _woman_ dancing, but if you got cold feet, _little girl_, I can always take you back to play with the toys."

Teri frowned, not liking his tone or the insult it carried. "No, it's just... everyone looks older. I don't think that they'll even let me in."

He patted her hand. "They know me here. They'll let in me... and my date."

She felt better. "His date"... it sounded so nice.

They walked hand in hand to the door. A tall, very muscular Latino in an expensive-looking dark green suit stepped in to block the doorway as he looked them over. "Hola, Paulo."

"Hola, Esteban."

" ¿Quién es la chica?"

"Viene conmigo." Paulo suddenly switched languages.

"No se ve de suficiente edad."

"Tiene la suficiente edad para lo que quiero hacer con ella," Paulo said. Both men laughed.

"Te vas a acostar con la pequeá±a estrella,  ¿verdad?"

"Por supuesto. Con el dinero que pagan por las pelá­culas puedo tener un gran estilo de vida por mucho, mucho tiempo. Ye me toca que me atiendan a má­." The tall man stepped aside, and Paulo led Teri into the club.

"What did you say to him back there?" Teri asked as she let her lead him. As she had said, she spoke no Spanish. The room was dark and filled with people. Some were sitting at tables or on high stools at the bar, but a lot were dancing to a pretty good rock band. There was some sort of laser light show going on above the dance floor.

"He... umm... he asked where I met a girl as pretty as you, and I told him that I met you at the hotel. I said it, so he'd think that you work there."

Teri beamed at being called pretty. Even if it was what Ted would have considered an obvious line, it was still a compliment.

"You want to dance?" Paulo asked.

"Isn't that what you brought me here for?"

They walked out onto the dance floor and began moving to the music.

* * * * *

The band seemed to only know fast numbers. After six in a row, Teri was beginning to get thirsty. "Could we sit down for a bit, Paulo? I could really use a drink."

"Okay." He took her hand and lead her to a small, empty table not to far from the dance floor. "How's this?"

"Great." She sat down.

"What do you want to drink? Wine, beer... hey, how about a rum? They got twelve kinds of rum here shipped up from Puerto Rico?"

They all sounded good to Ted, but Teri had a problem. She knew somehow that her new body wasn't used to alcoholic drinks, besides... "I-I can't. Mom would smell it on my breath. I just know she would."

"Okay, then. How about a soda then, or some tonic water?"

"Coke -- _Diet_ Coke would be just fine."

"Okay, you wait here and listen to the music. I'll be back quick as I can with the drinks." He headed towards the bar. Teri settled back in the chair and listened to the music while she waited for him to come back.

"Anyone sitting here?" Teri looked up. The speaker was a tall, rather handsome man in his early twenties.

"He... he's at the bar."

"He shouldn't leave a chica as pretty as you all alone. You might find somebody better than him... like me."

"I... he..." Teri had no idea what to say. Ted had never been approached this way, and Teri was too young to have had much experience, either.

"You want something here?" Paulo's voice was cold. He stood behind her, opposite the other man.

The man started to say something. He froze for a second, then quickly stood up. "Just... just keeping the lady company till you get back," he said. "That's all." He sort of half-smiled and stepped back and hurried away.

"Thanks," Paulo said, "but she don't need company anymore." He watched the man hurry off before he sat down next to Teri. As he sat, she thought that she saw a glint of metal in his pocket.

"What was that all about?" She liked Paulo. He'd seemed nice, but now she wasn't as sure of him as she had been.

"Some losers cruise the place looking for a woman to hit on. It was nothing."

"But why did he go away so fast when you showed up? He seemed like a nice enough person to talk to."

"He saw that you were taken. A man comes to a place like this to be with a woman, not to talk to somebody else's woman. He went looking for fresh meat." He handed her a tall glass. "Anyway, here's your Diet Coke."

Teri took it and drank a little. She was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. "Thanks. You know, we have to be careful. Mom expects me back at 10."

Paulo looked at his watch. "That should be enough time."

"Enough time for what?"

"For a few more dances. Finish your drink and we'll go back out."

She listened to the band for a couple minutes, then took another drink. There was a sort of metallic flavor to it. "This tastes a little funny."

"Oh, the... umm... the bartender stuck in a slice of lime. That's how they usually serve a Coke here. I didn't think you'd want it, so I had him take it out. I guess some juice mixed in." He looked at her for a moment. "Do you want me to take it back?"

She had to think about that. "No, it's... it's okay, I guess." She drank the rest to show that the soda was all right. Her head began to feel a bit odd. "Could we... could we just sit here and just listen to the band for a while?"

"If that's what you want," Paulo said. "Would you like another soda?"

Her head felt like it was filling with cotton. "No... thass... thass okay." She giggled at how she'd just slurred the words. Paulo just smiled at her. He must have thought it was funny, too.

"Come on," Paulo said after a minute or two. "I want to show you something."

"What izzit?" She tried to stand, but her legs didn't quite want to cooperate.

Paulo took her hands and pulled her to her feet. "I'll show you." He put an arm around her waist and began to walk. She stumbled along, leaning against him for support, barely able to walk.

"Is... 'zit sumthin' nice?" She giggled again. It was hard to think.

"Oh, it's nice, nice and _private_."

Someone -- a tall, young man -- stepped in front of Paulo and Teri. "Not too private, I hope."

Paulo stiffened. "What's it to you?"

"Let's just say that I got a thing about S.O.B.s that give rohypnol to underage girls -- or to any girl, for that matter."

"You saying I used 'rope' on this chica? Can you prove it?"

A young woman stepped up next to the man. "No, but a blood test can prove it easily enough."

Paulo glared at the two of them. "And I say she don't need a blood test. We're leaving now, and you two can't stop me. You ain't cops."

"No, but I am." A third person stood with the others, another woman. She reached into a large purse and pulled out a badge. "Officer Jana Archer. What's this about 'rope'? Something I should know?"

"Not really," the other woman said. "This young man was just concerned that the young lady might get some by accident, her being underage and all."

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want that, Anya," Officer Jana said. "Why don't just I take this 'young lady' back to her hotel?" She looked hard at Paulo. "You wouldn't mind, would you, sir?"

"N-no, officer." Paulo wasn't sure what was going on, but it looked like they were giving him a way out. "You... you go right ahead and do that."

"Let me just say goodbye," the other woman said. She walked over to Teri and put a hand, palm down, on her forehead. She closed her eyes for just a moment and seemed to whisper something. Then, she opened her eyes and added, "Bye, Teri. See you tomorrow."

Teri shivered. A moment later, she straightened up. "Anya, what... what are you doing here?"

"Just looking after a friend, Teri. This is Jana." She pointed at the other woman. "She's going to take you back to the hotel."

Teri looked at Paulo and frowned. "Yeah, I guess she'd better." Jana took Teri's hand and led her towards the door.

Paulo was even more confused. Nobody shook off a dose of 'rope', but Teri had acted like she hadn't gotten anything stronger than the soda he'd put the drug in. He used it often enough to know. "Give a girl enough 'rope'," he told his male friends, "and she'll fuck like there's no tomorrow."

"What just happened?" Paulo asked.

"You just got out of a lot of very serious trouble," the man said. He still looked ready to fight. "Not that you still don't have to pay for what you did."

"Pay?" Paulo said, looking relieved. It was all some kind of a shakedown. "Okay, so how much for you two and the lady cop to forget what happened?"

"We... uhh... don't talk in public about crass things like money," the man said. "The lady here runs a private water park..." He let the words hang.

"Private, ehh," Paulo said. "So I guess I'll be buying a special membership, then, right?"

"Oh, a very special one," the man said. "In fact, why don't we go over there now, so you can fill out the paperwork." He took Paulo's arm -- a little too firmly, Paulo thought -- and the three of them left the club."

* * * * *

"What happened?" Teri asked as she followed Jana back to the hotel.

"Your friend slipped you some date rape drug in that Coke."

"Paulo? He wouldn't; he... he liked me?" She was uncertain. _Something_ had happened to her. "It must have been a mistake."

Jana pulled something, what looked like a glass paperweight out of her purse. "Anya said you might think that. Here, look and listen."

Teri looked. There were tiny figures moving inside it, doubles of Paulo and her. She saw them walk up to the front of the club hand in hand. The man stepped in to block the doorway. "Hola, Paulo."

"Hola, Esteban."

"Who's the girl?"

"She's with me."

"She doesn't look old enough," the man said.

"He's speaking English now," Teri said in a surprised whisper. "How...?"

"Magic, how else?" Jana said. "Now shush."

"She's old enough for what I want to do with her," Paulo said.

The man grinned. "You gonna sleep with the little star, eh?"

"Damn straight," Paulo said. "The money they pay for the pictures will keep me in style for a long, long time. Somebody else can carry _my_ bags for a change."

Teri saw the tiny versions of herself and Paulo walk past the other just before the glass darkened. When it cleared, it was just a piece of glass.

Teri clenched her fists in anger. "That bastard! I thought he liked me!" She was trying hard not to cry.

"Anya thought that you might get into a bit of trouble, so she borrowed this from a friend of her grandmother's," Jana explained. "She's been watching you with it, just checking from time to time. When she saw you sneak out of the hotel with that... with Paulo, she called Greg -- he's her boyfriend -- and me. We met her at the club and, well, you know the rest."

By now, they were back at the hotel. "Mom's going to kill me when she finds out what I did."

"Are you going to tell her?" Jana looked at her watch. "Look, it's 9:45. You played arcade games for a while, then came out for a breath of air. I was out here and recognized you. I introduced myself, and we talked for a bit." She smiled. "If she asks, you tell her that."

"But what about Paulo?"

"Anya's going to take care of that."

Teri nodded. She had an idea of just _how_ Paulo would be taken care of.

* * * * *

"Are you finished, Teri?" Marge took a final sip of her breakfast coffee. "We have to be at that store in a half-hour."

"Coming, Mom." Teri walked out of her bedroom. She wore a pair of green slacks and a matching short-sleeved top. She'd walked back into the suite at 9:58, and Marge hadn't asked more than a couple of quick questions about her evening.

There was a knock at the door just as they reached it. "Maid," a voice said. A young, Hispanic woman walked in pushing a cleaning cart. She was short, with a body that nicely filled out her uniform. Her hair was arranged in a single braid that fell down almost to her waist. She stopped as she saw Marge. "I am sorry," she said in a thick accent. "I come back later."

"That's all right..." Marge looked at the name badge on the girl's uniform, "... Paula, we were just leaving." She walked past the maid.

Teri stared at the maid, who suddenly looked _very_ familiar. "Paulo?" she whispered.

"No, seá±orita," the maid said. "I am _Paula_. I work at the hotel for almost a year. I never heard of no Paulo who work here in all that time."

* * * * *

Teri held the giant plastic shears so that there was a blade on each side of the ribbon. As a few flashbulbs popped, she said, "I now declare this, the latest Topsides Clothing Store, open for business." She cut the ribbon, then handed the shears to the store manager, a well-dressed brunette in her early 30s. "Here you are, Diana, and best of luck with the store."

The photographers mostly moved on to their next assignment. Teri saw Monica, the woman from WJWJ, standing near a table and walked over. "Hey, Monica, how are you?"

"Pretty good," Monica said. "You seem to be in fine form today."

Teri shrugged. "I open about 10 stores a year for Topsides. It's part of the sponsorship deal. I get a little extra money, and I get to pick put a blouse or two from each store." Ted had a similar deal about opening branches for his sponsor. Unfortunately, IT AIN'T EASY had been sponsored by an insurance company. A boy can use only so many term life policies.

"Ever quote any Shakespeare?"

"No... never. I didn't get you in trouble or anything for what did on your show, did I?"

"Are you kidding? We've had tons of mail and phone calls on that, and almost all of it was positive. Somebody must have called the network, too. They asked for a tape of the show."

"A tape! No way!" Was she in trouble?

"'Way', as you kids say, and congratulations." She wasn't in trouble; not the way Monica was talking. Maybe... maybe Teri had even turned things around for this reality. Then Monica added, "Say, is that your mother over there? I want to give her the good news."

Before Teri stop her, Monica walked over to Marge and began talking. Marge was courteous; she always was to reporters and TV people, but Teri could see that she wasn't happy.

Teri waited until Monica had left before she walked over to Marge. "Mom, I..."

"Go pick out some blouses," Marge said. She was calm, too calm; it was a very bad sign. "We'll talk about this back at the hotel."

'Hoo-boy,' Teri thought 'I am in _big_ trouble.' She decided that there was nothing she could do to avoid it, so she might as well check out the blouses, if only to get her mind off what Marge was probably going to say.

She picked out a half-dozen possibilities and took them into one of the changing rooms. It was still a little weird looking in the mirror and seeing a teenaged girl looking back, but she was getting used to it. She decided on two blouses, a dark blue baby T-top with a scattering of metallic gold stars, and a silky, yellow blouse with long, flowing sleeves.

She was putting the other blouses on a rack, when a slender blonde girl about a year younger came over. "Excuse me, Ms. Brandon..."

"Teri, please." She smiled. It would be nice to talk to a fan, especially a polite one, for a bit.

The other girl smiled. "Okay... Teri. I-I'm Sue Poston. I'm a big fan of yours, and I was... umm... wondering... Could you sign one of those blouses, so I can buy it as a souvenir?"

"Sure," Teri said. She reached into her purse for a pen. "Which blouse?"

"I don't know. They're all so pretty."

Teri took the unintentional cue. "That's why I'm glad Topsides sponsors my show. They have such great clothes." In this reality, it was a line she'd said many times.

"I know. I'm gonna shop here all the time. Right now, though, I can't decide between these two." She held up a pair of the blouses Teri had tried on.

"If you can afford it, why not buy both of them? There is a 'Grand Opening Sale', you know."

"Yeah, I can do that." The girl handed Teri the blouses.

Teri signed each one, "To Sue Poston, Best Regards, Teri Bramson."

"Thanks, Teri," Sue said, taking the first blouse. "You can't begin to know how much I appreciate this."

"Always glad to do something for a fan," Teri said, handing back the second top. "Even if it's just a little thing like this."

"Oh, it's more than a little thing," Sue said. "With your signature, these things are worth at least a couple hundred bucks on e-Bay." She ran towards the cash register before Teri could say another word.

* * * * *

"Mom, about the tape..." Teri decided to bring up the subject in the limo, rather than wait until they got back to the hotel.

"Oh, you needn't worry about that," Marge said. She didn't seem as mad as she had been.

"Then it's okay? You don't mind what I did?"

Marge frowned. "I mind very much, Teri, but I took care of it."

"You did? How?" Teri had a sinking feeling that she already knew.

"I called your father immediately after that woman -- Monica -- told me. He'll call the studio and tell them that that you were showing off. That Monica woman was irresponsible; she egged you on to do something that you really didn't want to."

"But, Mom, what if they like it?"

"Oh, we won't worry about that. I'm quite sure that after your father talks to them, they won't even want to see it." She smiled, satisfied that a crisis was past, and she and her family were safe.

"But I... I was _good_."

"Of course you were, dear; of course you were." Marge said it as if she were talking to a child. In her own mind, she was.

Teri sank back in the seat. She knew that there was no chance of winning when Marge talked like that. She might just have well never tried.

Marge must have sensed that Teri was unhappy, even if she didn't understand why. After all, the problem was solved as far as she was concerned. She just shrugged and said, "I'll tell you what, Teri. Our luggage is in the trunk of the car. Our flight isn't until 7:30. Instead of going back to the hotel, is there anything you'd like to see or do, or anyplace else you'd like to wait until we have to leave for the airport?"

Teri looked at her watch. It was about 3. She smiled as she realized that 7:30 was the time Ted had to be at the theater. 'Anya and her Grandmother don't miss a trick,' she thought.

An idea struck. "Could we go back to that 'Bikini Beach' place, Mom. I had a good time, but I was working. I'd like to just relax and enjoy myself for a bit."

"Well," Marge said. "I suppose we could. Your bathing suit is in your luggage. I didn't bring one, but I saw women there in jeans and such. I wouldn't mind spending a couple of hours just lying in a hammock." She pressed the intercom button. "Mr. Halper, would you please take us to Bikini Beach, the water park you took us to the other day?"

Harper's voice was crisp. "Yes, ma'am. Just sit back, ladies. We should be there in about ten minutes."

* * * * *

"Anya!" Teri was floating in the Lagoon, when she saw her friend passing by. She swam over to the side of the pool and hurried to catch up with her.

"Hi, Teri," Anya said. "Feeling better after last night?"

"Much, and I'd like to thank you for what you did for me."

"Hmmm, you might not want to thank me for everything."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a little too much to talk about out here in the open. The Tiki Hut's right over there. How about I treat you to a Coke, a Diet Coke, of course, and we can talk about it?"

"I guess." Teri shrugged, not certain what the older woman meant, and followed her to the restaurant.

Anya ordered two sodas and a medium size container of french-fried sweet potatoes. "We can both nibble on them," she said by way of an explanation.

They sat down in a booth near the wall, very much in the same position as the booth where they'd first met. "Now, what did you mean 'not everything'?" Teri said as soon as they were both seated.

"You were... Ted was almost obsessing on how great his life had been when he was on IT AIN'T EASY, and how bad it had been ever since. I got the feeling that it was souring you on the present."

"My present wasn't too hot, after all: a bad play at a second rate dinner theater isn't much, especially after..."

"After what? After a TV show that you really didn't enjoy doing that much, not in the last two years of it, at least."

"Yeah, but what's my career been since then?"

"Not very much, I'll admit. You've tried and been shot down more than once."

"More than once? Try twenty or thirty times."

"Yes, but what were you trying for? Did you go for small parts, character parts that could show your range?"

"No... no, I didn't. I always went after lead roles. I was a star on that show. Why should I stop being a star just because it was over?"

"You were the only one who thought you deserved starring roles just because of that show. You weren't willing to take the lesser roles to prove it to anyone else, were you?"

"No, but it was so great being a star."

"Not always. In the last two days, you've gone through all the consequences of being a star. You were on a personal appearance tour, a working vacation. You met people whose lives you disrupted because of the star treatment you got, and who resented you because of that. Some people treated you like meat, and others just saw you as a meal ticket."

"You made it like that, didn't you?"

"Sort of. I made it more likely that you'd run into such people." She popped a french fry into her mouth. "That was why I was watching you last night, in case you got into _real_ trouble -- which you did."

"Gee, thanks. Thanks for nothing."

"It wasn't for nothing if you learned something from it. Tell me, after what you went through and knowing what you know, would you want to go on being Teri Bramson, child TV star?"

Teri thought about the question. This was a chance to start over. She knew the pitfalls, and -- maybe -- she could avoid them.

Or maybe she couldn't. She certainly hadn't the first time.

"No, I don't think so," she sighed, hoping she was making the right choice.

"All right then." Anya looked at her watch. "Go enjoy yourself. In about two hours, the pass expires. You'll be Ted Branson again, standing just outside the theater downtown."

"Isn't there... could I have another choice, another life, a _normal_ life? Maybe one where the acting bug just bit me, instead of swallowing me whole."

Anya smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. Normally, it would cost you a good bit of money, but I think that we can do a trade. We'll use those photos Rae took of an 'anonymous' model in our new brochures and give you a lifetime pass instead of paying the standard model's fee."

* * * * *

No matter how much Anya was involved in the running of the Park, her Grandmother still preferred to open the incoming mail. One letter was on the stationary from a West Coast university. Grandmother stared at the envelope for a moment. "Anya, could you come to the office, please." She said it in barely more than a whisper, knowing that Anya would hear even if she weren't in the Park.

A moment later there was a knock on the door. "Come in, Anya."

"You wanted to see me, Grandmother." It was more a question than a statement.

"Yes, dear. We just got a letter, and I wanted you to be here when I open it." She tore open the letter. Inside was a single sheet of paper with a newspaper clipping attached.

"Midsummer Night's Dream Team," the headline said. One paragraph of the review was circled.

"Lastly, Dr. Simmons and the theater arts program have a real find in sophomore Teri Bramson. She managed to add a strong, female sensuality to the role of Puck without sacrificing any of the imp's spirited wit or humor. One almost could believe that she was Oberon's mistress, rather than his jester, and she made the transformation of Bottom seem more of a seduction than a mishap. All without a single line of the text being changed; we checked just to be sure. Oberon has his Titania, and Bottom is back with his friends and has a lifetime pension, but we have Teri. We win."

Underneath, a very feminine hand had written, "Thank you so very much for the second chance. Teri."

* * * * *

Loose Ends

Paula is still a maid at the hotel. She seldom goes dancing. She usually spends the evenings at home with her live-in boyfriend studying for their citizenship exams.

Ronnie Harris went by the health fair at Grandmother's suggestion. She was so impressed that she hired the clinic to run a wellness program at her offices. The money she's paying is considerably more than Teri earned for the clinic.

Sue Poston had counted on her e-Bay profits to cover the check she wrote for those two blouses. No one bid because no one had ever heard of the person who signed them. Topsides wouldn't take them back because they were written on. Sue will spend the next month working there as a stock girl after school and on weekends to pay for the blouses.

Teri's father is still working for the same real estate firm he has worked at since before she was born. He was recently promoted to district manager and took Marge on a second honeymoon to celebrate. Since she was away at college, neighbors took care of Teri's younger brother, Ted. Unlike his big sister, Ted has no interest in acting; he wants to be a teacher when he grows up.

Notes:

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