Scarlett Johansson had a problem.

Not a big problem, really, she told herself. Nothing she hadn't been expecting. She'd agreed to pose nude for a group picture- surely she should have been anticipating being around other naked people, right?

So why was she so nervous? She shouldn't be worried about anything- she was just here for fun. She didn't need to do this. Her career was doing great- four Golden Globe nominations in two years, two BAFTA nominations and one award, one Oscar nomination, tons of critical acclaim, millions of dollars, and lots of good scripts on her desk every day. She had 5 films in the works at the moment, all roles that should get her even more praise from the critics. This included a role that had interested her since she begun her acting career- Lucrezia Borgia. Scarlett had been fascinated with that historical temptress since learning about her in the ninth grade, and now she'd get to act her part under the excellent direction of Neil Jordan- she'd always loved his movies and now she'd be in one. She was enjoying a great career, and it wasn't likely to be impacted negatively by posing nude. If anything, it would get her more attention from the Hollywood powers-that-be and her fans. She was posing for Vanity Fair, a high-end fashion magazine, not Playboy!

Scarlett didn't need to worry about paparazzi or Peeping Toms here either. The magazine's excellent security was keeping them out- thank the higher powers her parents didn't believe in! The last thing Scarlett needed was another gang of paparazzi jerks chasing her. Not a day went by she wasn't dodging them. Once they had even caused her to have a car accident- why did those people keep doing that? One of their accidents had killed Princess Diana, who'd always been a big idol of Scarlett's, and the one she'd had had almost injured her and three other women! You'd think the paparazzi would learn from their past mistakes, but no, they kept after her. All the escape and evasion courses in the world couldn't keep them away. I hope those big guards just outside the door can, Scarlett told herself, at least until this is over. What were their names? Oh yes, Andy and Barney. Nice guys.

They would keep out any stupid little boy who might want to get a peek at her goodies too. Sure she wasn't showing anything in the photos other than her butt, but she would be naked! Anyone with a good imagination could easily fill in the blanks. Her millions of adoring fans would gladly be printing the photos out and posting them all over the dozens of websites that featured her. Many would probably also be posting them on their walls at home, looking at them, getting excited, getting hot...

Hush! Scarlett ordered her inner voice. You don't need to worry about that. You probably won't even meet a small fraction of those guys. And besides, it's not like you have anything to hide. You're not ugly, you're very sexy. You have a nice personality, too, and you're a great professional actress. You've garnered enough critical acclaim to make sure everyone knows that you're not just a pretty face. And, girl, the face is pretty as hell. The body too, especially the breasts. Earlier this year you told Harper's Bazaar they were your best feature and they are- no one would mind staring at them. Everyone should stare- except, of course, when it doesn't work for the scene, like in your last movie. Millions of people adore your breasts, girl, so what if Michael Bay wasn't brave enough to put them on the screen? No man, even a hot guy like Johnathan Rhys-Meyers, who's probably seen thousands of breats, can easily take his eyes off them! Even fashion designers you've never met before who should be busy hosting the Golden Globes can't keep their hands away! Your ass is almost as good, and it's being shown in these photographs. Feast your eyes, boys!

The young blonde smiled to herself, then pushed the thought away. It was part of what was making her nervous after all, and it wouldn't do to have it right now. Not when she was about to pose nude. She'd never posed nude before, and all the models she'd asked for advice about doing it had told her arousal was a big problem. Something to be avoided, even if it did make the photos more exciting to the viewer. The angst arousal brought on could make anybody scared, ruin their emotion, cause the photos to come out wrong over and over. Scarlett didn't want to be here forever.

Think unsexy thoughts, she told herself, think unsexy thoughts. Don't think about sex. It shouldn't be hard- you've been getting plenty lately. Just last week you and Josh Hartnett nearly reenacted the finale of his movie 40 Days and 40 Nights. Before that, you had Jared Leto, and he was good to you. You have no reason to be feeling lust overload right now, you're very sexually satisfied. If the guys aren't available, you have plenty of toys. You came this morning on one of them, it was great. That should have kept your sex drive down for the rest of the day!

Then why, Scarlett asked herself, can't I stop thinking about sex? Maybe it was the other actresses she was going to be posing with, who were sitting beside her in the studio director's chairs discussing their favorite movies. She had met them both before at various parties and award shows, but she had never been this close to either of them before for this long. It was taking the photographer, Annie Leibovitz, forever to set up her equipment. Sure Scarlett had nothing else going on today, but she wanted to get on with the shoot- get it over with. Maybe then she could stop thinking about Keira Knightley and Rachel McAdams- how good they looked, how nice they were, how much of them she was about to see. They both made her feel so...

Shush! Scarlett again ordered her inner voice. They're just women- sure they're great actresses like you, but they're just women. They've got nothing you haven't got. Then why can't I stop thinking about them, stop looking at them? She closed her eyes and tried to dispel the thoughts, but when she opened her eyes again, the other two girls were still there. Your agent warned you there'd be other girls, Scarlett reminded herself. Yeah, she replied to the voice, but he didn't say which other girls.

"Are you alright, Scarlett?" Keira asked her. Scarlett nodded and smiled. Keira smiled back and then returned to her conversation with Rachel. Scarlett's thoughts were so distracting to her she could only hear snatches of the conversation. Something about working with Johnny Depp.

Johnny Depp, she sighed. Now there's a man I'd like to star alongside. He was great in everything I've ever seen him in. Just like these two girls. Keira Knightley was the bomb in Domino, excellent in Pirates of the Carribean, I even loved her in King Arthur. She smiled as the British brunette, whose hair had recently been dyed blonde, once again looked her way. And Rachel McAdams- had there ever been another actress who had inspired so many varied ranges of emotion in Scarlett? She'd laughed out loud at her antics in Wedding Crashers, been scared along with her in Red Eye, cried for her in The Notebook, and cheered for her again and again in Mean Girls. Truly Rachel was a great actress, no matter her hair color, which had changed frequently. Today it was a deep reddish brown rather than her natural blonde.

Together these actresses have almost as many awards and honors as I have, Scarlett silently chuckled. Rachel has a Genie, or Canadian Oscar, nomination and several MTV Movie awards and nominations- she's definitely topping me in that category. And Keira's got Golden Globe and Oscar nominations too this year for Pride & Prejudice- I still need to see that movie. Both of them have the ability to play diverse roles well, just like you do, and both of them have tons of critical acclaim to their name, just like you. They both have millions of fans too, all of whom will gladly enjoy seeing them in this photo. They'll see you in the photo too, and that's the icing on the cake.

"Almost ready, girls!" Annie Leibovitz called to them from over by the camera. Scarlett flashed her a smile of relief.

"Are you sure you're alright, Scarlett?" Keira asked, her throaty voice making the other actress weak in the knees.

"Fine," Scarlett said, massaging a crick in her neck. "Just nervous."

Keira made things a little harder for her as she leaned back and crossed her legs. "I'm a little nervous too," the Brit confessed with a chuckle. "I've done a lot of modeling, but never in a group nude shot. It's going to be interesting, don't you think?"

Stop looking at her legs, Scarlett ordered herself. You can't see any of her assets yet- she's still in the same white robe all three of us are wearing. There is no use thinking about them. You're not here to fuck her or Rachel, you don't even know if they swing that way. But they're so beautiful- Keira is so tan and waifish and Rachel's so slender and amazingly sexy. Neither is the typical Hollywood beauty, and that's what makes them so beautiful. Soon you'll be naked with them, close to them, so close ... Oh goodness, what is wrong with me?

"Scarlett?" Rachel waved a hand in front of her eyes, grinning as she did so. "You okay?"

"Fine," Scarlett snapped, blushing furiously and looking away. She thought she detected a blush under Rachel's makeup too, though it was hard to tell. Keira was definitely blushing- it was noticeable even with her tanned skin. Could the other girls be having the same thoughts she was? No, she told herself, that's impossible. This is unique to me. It has to be.

"Just don't think about it," Keira said to her. "Just act and go with the flow. It's what I always do."

"R-really?" Scarlett asked, trying to control her stammer.

"Yes," Keira laughed. "How else do you think I handle all the roles I've played? You have to forget yourself and become another person for a few minutes. Concentration is all it takes."

"Yeah," Rachel laughed along, smiling briefly. "This will all be over soon- if Annie ever gets her equipment ready."

"Going as fast as I can, girls!" Annie called out, tightening a lens. "Can't rush greatness!" Keira, Rachel, and Scarlett all laughed at that.

"She'll be ready soon, girls," Tom Ford, the fashion mogul Vanity Fair had hired to direct the shoot, assured them, looking up from his desk across the room. "A few more moments."

"Whenever, Tom!" Keira called back. She turned back to the other two girls and smiled. "I'm just glad we're done with hair and makeup. That's always my least favorite part of these things."

"Mine too," Rachel agreed, sighing. "I just want this to be over."

"You're sure you're okay with it?" Keira asked her. "You were pretty upset earlier."

"What?" Scarlett asked, raising an eyebrow. She hadn't seen that, she'd just come out of the changing room and sat down ten minutes ago. The other two actresses were already sitting down when she arrived, in their robes and looking ready to go. Scarlett knew they'd been dressing in the changing room earlier, but she'd been behind a screen. She hadn't seen them. Rachel had been upset?

"I had to fire my publicist," Rachel explained with a grimace. "She didn't tell me I was supposed to pose nude in this. I just thought I was going to be on the cover of Vanity Fair with the two of you. I didn't know it was going to be naked."

"You did know Tom was directing the shoot, though," said Keira. "You know about all the things he's done recently. The naked photos in his perfume ads, his spread in W, the porn stars in sunglasses."

"Yeah, but Ame didn't tell me I was going be nude in this!" Rachel replied, throwing up her hands and grimacing again. "I told her she couldn't speak for me like that! She said she agreed to nothing of the sort- yeah, right! I had to let her go."

"Why are you still here if you didn't want to pose naked?" Scarlett asked her. "If you were upset..."

"I stormed out, then came back," Rachel replied, letting out a sigh. "I thought, I might as well go through with this. It's just a photograph, nothing more. It's too good to pass up for my career."

"Oh please," Keira shook her head. "None of our careers need this. I don't know about you two, but I'm here for the fun!"

"Fun," Rachel sighed, looking away from them. "Yeah..."

What's wrong with her? Scarlett wondered. Rachel has nothing to worry about. She's been on the cover of Allure. She made FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World the last two years- in 2004 they even added a number to the list just for her. Last month she was at the top of some radio station's 20 Sexiest Girls list, above Keira and Scarlett as well as the station's two year champion Beyonce Knowles. Millions of people, especially in her homeland, are in love with her. She's looked great every time she's been on camera, and she looks even better in real life. This shoot is going to get her some attention in a major way. When coupled with all the critical acclaim she has it can only get her more films. The photos will hide her assets- Vanity Fair's not a porno magazine. Rachel shouldn't be feeling like this, no way!

Maybe she's nervous for the same reason you are, Scarlett's inner voice whispered. Maybe she can't stop thinking about seeing you and Keira naked, being close to you, touching against you. No, Scarlett pushed the thoughts away, that can't be it. Rachel's just from an older generation than Keira and me. Posing nude is different for her than for us. She's never even been close to nude in a movie, even if she did show a lot of flesh in Red Eye and Notebook. Not like me in The Island and Match Point, or Keira in that costume she wore in King Arthur. My, did that thing leave nothing to the imagination! Rachel's never exposed herself like this- that's why she's so nervous. Yeah, that's gotta be it. Then she again looked at the evident blush on the Canadian actress's face and had to push such thoughts aside.

Why can't I stop thinking about sex? Scarlett asked herself. Is it that I haven't been with a woman in a while? She was no stranger to female lovers, even if she did prefer guys. Briefly she thought back on her past sapphic affairs, smiling as they came to mind. The first had been while she was filming Eight-Legged Freaks with Kari Wuhrer, way back in 2001. Scarlett had had a very hard time on that movie, due in large part to her fear of spiders. She'd agreed to be in the film in hopes that facing those fears would banish them, but it hadn't worked. Then Kari had offered to help her by doing something that she said had gotten her mind off stage fright in many previous films. Scarlett had asked what she meant, and when Kari answered her with a kiss, she hadn't known what to think. She'd known Kari was bisexual- she'd seen her in Kate's Addiction, Terminal Justice, and many other sexual thrillers- but she'd never suspected the older actress was attracted to her. She'd never been with a girl before either, and to be offered the chance to be with a great actress whose work she'd really enjoyed even though it was all B-movies, such a beautiful older woman, had been overwhelming. But she had readily agreed, just because the kiss felt so good.

And the rest felt good, too, Scarlett remembered. Kari's skin was so soft, her lips so warm, her pussy so wet and streaming. I learned so much from her. She smiled again, thinking of how several months later she had put those teachings to use with Erika Christensen on the set of The Perfect Score. The other blonde had come on to her again and again, and Scarlett had nearly gone mad reminding her such things were better kept in private. Evidently Erika hadn't been completely acting when she played a psycho in Swimfan. But once Scarlett got her alone and fucked her, she'd calmed down. Both girls' pale skin had been so full of color during their loveplay, Scarlett recalled. It had been wonderful, almost as good as with Kari. But then they had only been together for one night- Erika had seemed so satisfied during their play but afterwards she'd never made the offer for more. Scarlett hadn't either- she had expected Erika to make it since she'd been the agressor up until then. But it never happened. Then they finished shooting the movie and went their separate ways. She hadn't been with a woman since.

Is that the problem? Scarlett wondered. Do I miss the pleasures of the female flesh? Josh has been fucking me enough to keep my mind off anybody else, or so I thought till now. But now I'm close to these other two girls, about to be naked with them, and I can't stop thinking about sex!

"Scarlett?" Keira's throaty voice broke into her thoughts. "You are okay?" Rachel and Keira were both looking at her. "Fine," Scarlett laughed, placing a hand in front of her mouth. "I just want this to be over and done with." Keira and Rachel both nodded in agreement.

"Alright, girls!" Tom Ford called out to them just then, standing up and clapping his hands. "Magic time! Stand up now, let's make sure we get this right." He gestured them towards the black sheet spread out in the middle of the floor. "Just take off your robes and lay down here. I've got it all planned out. Annie's all ready." The photographer smiled and gave them a thumbs-up.

Let's get this done, Scarlett told herself, boldly standing up first. A twist of the sash and a couple shrugs of her shoulders and the robe was on the floor. She grimaced as she felt the room chill all of a sudden. Maybe it was just everyone's eyes on her. Tom's mouth fell open, then closed quickly. Some of the people standing around him were visibly ogling her. Annie was smiling, obviously eager to get her on film. Like what you see, hmm? Scarlett thought as she stared back at them. These are the pink girls Michael Bay was scared to show the world, and for good reason! Below them, the perfect belly so many fans loved seeing in The Perfect Score, and below that, my freshly shaven pussy. You know you like them. Too bad none of these gifts will be in your magazine, but you know you like them!

"Just lay down right here," Tom told her, waving at the middle of the sheet and stifling a cough. "You're in the foreground."

Scarlett nodded and lay down on her belly, bent her back just so, crossed one arm over another, then looked at the camera. Annie nodded and gave her a thumbs-up, then snapped the shutter. "Excellent!" Tom declared. Scarlett smiled in relief, then looked over at Keira and Rachel. Keira was regarding her with an expression she couldn't decipher, while Rachel was pointedly looking away, one hand on her hip and running the other through her long brown hair. "Keira, you're here!" Tom gestured at the sheet again.

Keira smiled and slipped her robe off, seeming to hesitate a moment before stepping forward. Scarlett saw Rachel glance at her briefly, then quickly look at the wall. Yeah, I'd blush too, Scarlett thought to herself. Keira's waifish beauty was blatantly revealed, and it was amazing. Small breasts capped with hard dark nipples, more well-msucled curves than the New Jersey Turnpike, and a diamond belly button stud shining above a thin heart-shaped patch of brown hair. Impossibly long slim legs framing that patch, somehow accenting the engorged lips the hair barely covered. Look away, Scarlett ordered herself, trying not to think about the smile on Keira's face. Look away. Think unsexy thoughts. Quickly she pictured the unsexiest thing she could think of- Woody Allen in a Speedo. The mental grimace this brought on was enough for her to take her attention away from Keira and turn her face back to the camera, just in time to see Tom, Annie, and several others closing their mouths.

"Right," Tom coughed, indicating a spot just behind Scarlett. "Just sit down there and look at Annie."

"You got it," Keira replied, sitting down and pulling her knees up against her breasts. Combined with Scarlett's body, they effectively hid her assets from prying eyes. That's not helping me, though, Scarlett thought as Annie snapped a picture of them. She's so close to me. I can feel her body even though we aren't touching. Keira's so pretty, so luscious ... I wouldn't be surprised if I'm soaking the sheet beneath us with her this close ... No! Think unsexy thoughts! Think of Woody Allen!

"Okay, Rachel," Tom's voice drew her back to reality. "You're sitting down to the left of Keira behind Scarlett, front to Keira's back. Huddle close, face the camera. A few shots and we will be done."

"Alright," Rachel coughed. Scarlett turned her head towards her, keeping the image of Woody in her mind. I'm just curious what Rachel looks like, she told herself. I just want to see what she's got. I am not going to leap up, grab her, and wrestle her to the floor.

Rachel looked back at her and coughed, then grinned sheepishly. Keira gave her a smile of encouragement. The Canadian actress's hands went to the sash of her robe, unknotted it, and pulled the folds open. Scarlett caught a glimpse of creamy thigh, delicate pink nipple, and thick auburn pussy hair. Then, just as quickly, the robe was closed and the sash tied again.

"I can't go through with this," Rachel sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'm sorry. I'm just ... I'm just too nervous."

"It's okay," Tom said, holding up a hand. "I don't want anyone here feeling uncomfortable. There's no contract, you can back out."

"You're sure?" Rachel asked him. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"It's okay," Tom told her, giving the Canadian actress a bemused grin. "Just don't sue us, and all will be fine. I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"It's nothing," Rachel sighed, looking away. "You're ... you're just doing your job."

"Oh come on, Rachel!" Keira stood up and implored her. "This will be fun." Scarlett remained on the floor, not knowing what she should say to Rachel. She was having enough trouble trying to keep her mind off the beautiful body next to her and the equally beautiful one she'd only briefly glimpsed.

"No, Keira," Rachel declared, waving a hand noncommittally. "You're right, I don't need to do this. I don't know why I thought I did. My career is going great without it. I'm sorry." She turned away from them and walked off towards the changing room, not looking back. Scarlett grimaced, unable to turn her face away.

"It's okay," Tom called after Rachel. "It's fine. I'm just glad you're not upset." He turned back to Keira and Scarlett. "Okay, we're fine. On with the picture-taking. Keira,, if you'll sit back down..."

"Uh, no, Tom, it's not okay," Annie cut in. "The photo we had in mind called for three people, not two. How are we going to do this without the third?"

"It will be okay, Annie," Tom assured her. "We have a backup, right?"

"No, Tom," Annie sighed. "Our wranglers didn't arrange for anyone else, and unless you want to postpone this thing..."

"We can't postpone this!" Tom snapped. "I'm booked up totally for the next two months! And we can't shoot them like this. Two girls together are lesbians- this magazine can not show lesbians on the cover!"

"What's wrong with him, Scarlett?" Keira asked the other actress. Scarlett shrugged and kept her face turned away, still trying not to think about just how close to her Keira was.

"We need a third model then, Tom!" Annie threw her hands out. "Who do you want? Any suggestions?" She looked at the collection of publicists, assistants, and others around her. No one stepped forward, all shaking their heads and looking overwhelmed. "We spent hours thinking up this shoot, Tom," Annie told the director. "It's our project, mine and yours. We can't just throw it away."

"I'm thinking, Annie," Tom replied, grimacing and hanging his head. Will we never get out of this? Scarlett implored him with her eyes, ignoring the laugh Keira let out.

"I know!" Annie suddenly declared, holding up a finger. "You can be in the picture. You've modeled nude recently. And surely no one will accuse us of putting lesbians on the cover when they're next to a man!"

We're not lesbians, Scarlett thought with a grimace. At least I'm not. I can't speak for Keira, I don't even know her. Me, though, I prefer boys. Nice hard hot boys. I've enjoyed a woman a few times, but guys are just better. Or so I've thought most of the time. How dare you call me something I'm not! Then she felt another wave of arousal wash over her as Keira sat back down next to her and said something about letting Tom and Annie figure things out- she'd just go with the flow. I can go with the flow too, Scarlett reminded herself. I can control myself. I can get this done, then go home and call Josh, enjoy some hot phone sex. This will soon be over!

"I can't be in the picture," Tom was telling Annie. "I'm the director. It's just not done."

"Oh come on, Tom," Keira laughed at him. "Actors direct the movies they star in all the time. What's the matter with you? You can handle this. What do you think, Scarlett?"

Scarlett looked up at Keira, then over at Tom, and thought for a minute. Yeah, he probably can, she decided. I've never seen a man look so bemused and disgusted- especially in the company of two girls as hot as Keira and me. Two naked girls as hot as Keira and me. Oh no, stop it! Think of Woody, think of Woody. She smiled, then gave the director a nod.

"Okay, fine," Tom sighed, pulling his shirt open and baring his chest. "Okay, fine. I'll do it." He sank down beside Keira in the pose he'd meant for Rachel, leaning close to the British actress and waving at Annie. Scarlett tried to ignore the wave of cold she felt at her shoulders, something not even Keira's heat could push aside. She grimaced and looked up at the director. God, Tom looks like he thinks he's in a brothel or something, Scarlett couldn't help but muse. Or maybe he's trying to keep his mind on something else. I'm sure having trouble with that. Tom glanced back at her and grimaced, then quickly looked away. Then Annie coughed, and Scarlett turned back to the camera.

"One, two, three," Annie said, then snapped the shutter. She moved to another angle and snapped the shutter again, repeating the motion several times. Scarlett kept her attention on the photographer, pushing all other thoughts out of her mind.

"There," Annie said finally as she lowered the camera. "Finished."

"See now?" Keira smiled at Tom and Scarlett. "That wasn't so hard." Suddenly she grinned and looked down at Tom's groin. "That is, though. Would you like something done about it?"

Scarlett's mouth fell open. Surely Keira wasn't ... no, it was impossible.

Tom looked down at his groin with an extremely disgusted expression. "I'll be fine," he snapped. "Thanks anyway. Just go on and get dressed. We're, uh, done here." He stood up, turned away, and walked back to his desk. Keira chuckled at Scarlett, then stood up and walked over to where their chairs were.

"You do know," Scarlett said to her as she followed, reaching for her robe. "You do know he's gay, right?"

Keira looked back at her and laughed. "That's not important. He wouldn't be the first gay man I've turned bisexual."

"What?" Scarlett raised her eyebrow.

"Didn't you see him during the shot?" Keira asked her, steamily glaring towards the director, who was making a point not to look back as he discussed something with Annie. "He was about to go all Mike Tyson on me- I thought he was going to bite off my ear!"