DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. . .nor the actors who portray the characters. The characters are the property of Ryan Murphy and the actors are real people who have the best jobs in the world! Enjoy! :)

A/N: Things are moving fast for Finn and Rachel, and you know what that means? **CITRUS ALERT**

Casting Call

Chapter Five: Loosen-Up

At 6AM sharp, the hotel called Finn's room for his wake-up call. He shot out of bed and ran into the shower to prepare himself for his first day as an actor. He would be meeting the rest of the cast today, and he had memorized the script last night like it was the last thing he'd ever read.

He'd passed out way before Puck had returned. He'd seen his sleeping form in the bed next to him this morning, which meant only one thing.

He'd been asked to stay as well. Puck was in the cast, too.

When he got out of the shower, Puck was out of bed and packing away his things. When he noticed Finn, he grinned like a madman and ran up to him, giving him a strong handshake and a pat on the back.

"There he is! The man who made me a star!"

Finn shook his head. "No way, man. You killed in that reading."

"Yeah, only because he liked the way we looked together! I was cast as the friend, Mark." His face got deadly serious, and he clutched Finn's shoulder in a tight grip. "From now on, we're bros for life. Got it?" Finn nodded, and Puck playfully pushed him and continued to get ready. "Don't forget to pack all your shit. We have to check out this morning."

Oh crap. Last night was the final night of his reservation. Now he had to find a new place to live. An apartment. A permanent residence in LA. With 75 dollars to his name.

He predicted uncomfortable nights in his backseat, trying not to get leg cramps in the small space.

Ignoring the image of his tall body curled up in the fetal position in his backseat, he prepared himself for his first rehearsal. He wore his nicest polo after he realized that he would see Rachel again.

"So where were you last night, dude? I went to sleep pretty early, and I assumed you'd be exhausted."

"Nah, I went out with the two other people who'd been cast from the open auditions. They're meeting us downstairs. We went out to this bar where the drinks were all neon. I got trashed and hooked up with, like, three girls at once. It was hot."

He'd met some other cast members? "What were they like?"

"Well, one of them had this sick tattoo of bleeding roses going across her ribs, and one had this bitchin' tongue ring. . . "

"Not the chicks, dude. The other cast members."

"Oh. They were okay, I guess. One of them obviously plays for Team Fabulous and the other reminds me of the American Idol star who won the Oscar."

"Jennifer Hudson?"

"Yeah. Big, black, and sassy. I like me a thick lady every once and a while."

Finn grinned and quietly mused on his new friend and his taste for women. He obviously didn't discriminate. Puck replayed the night to Finn as they left their hotel room for the final time, and checked out while waiting for their cast-mates. Finn got his car from the valet, and parked it a few blocks away from the hotel, throwing his stuff inside. He would figure out the logistics of his car later. When he went back into the lobby, Finn could hear the sounds of two people, arguing loudly.

"You are trying to tell me that you don't like the song Telephone. Are you serious? It's Lady Gaga and Beyonce, where is there a problem?" A small, thin guy was waving his hands around in disbelief.

"My problem is not the song. It's the video for the song. It has nothing to do with the lyrics and there's not enough Bey-Bey in it." A full-figured girl rolled her eyes at the boy with her hands firmly on her hips.

"She only sings one verse! The video is an allegory for the decline of American culture! Gaga is a genius!"

"She looks like a tranny!"

"Finn! This is Mercedes and Kurt." Puck called to him from across the lobby and he walked up to him and the two strangers. He immediately felt under-dressed. These two people looked like they were headed out for a night on the town. He needed to get better clothes. "This is my boy I was telling you about, Finn Hudson. The star of our little gay show that could."

"Nice to meet you." He shook their hands and they headed out to the car that was taking them to rehearsal. He could totally get used to cars just showing up for him when he had to be somewhere important. On the way to the lot, Kurt turned to Finn to make conversation.

"So, have you met anyone else in the cast?"

"Yeah, actually, I met my co-star. Rachel Berry."

Mercedes whipped her head around at the mention of the starlet's name, and Kurt looked stunned.

"You've met her? What was she like? Is she as bad as everyone says she is?"

"Bad? What do you mean?" How could anyone think Rachel berry was bad? She was beautiful and kind and had the voice of an angel. . .

Mercedes scoffed. "Oh honey. I heard that girl is a diva in the worst way. You're saying she didn't chew your novice ass up and spit you back out again?"

He shook his head wildly, almost flailing his arms in her defense. "No way! She was totally nice to me. I spent a lot of time with her yesterday. She hooked me up with an agent and everything!"

Mercedes, Puck and Kurt all shared a similar look of disbelief. Kurt shook his head. "Then she probably has a thing for you. And who wouldn't? Meow." Kurt winked at him and Mercedes howled with laughter. He laughed, a bit nervously, and Puck rolled his eyes.

When the car pulled into the lot, he prepared himself for the pressures of the day. The second he walked into the building with his other cast members, he was immediately greeted by Ryan and Brad, the executive producers.

"C'mon guys, follow me. We have a long day ahead of us."

Rachel was exhausted after a long day of script reading and schedule planning. All she wanted to do was go back to her hotel room, curl into her bathtub filled with soft, luxurious bubbles, and sing the Wicked soundtrack until her fingers looked like prunes.

But a certain charming co-star of hers would not let her leave without a fight.

"Please Rachel? Please, please, please?" His hands were clasped in front of him in a pleading gesture, and his lower lip was turned out in the most adorable pout she had ever laid her eyes on. That look was doing serious damage to her self-control.

"No, Finn. It's really not my thing." That was one hell of an understatement. The read-through had been over for almost a half an hour, and the entire cast wanted to go out to a restaurant, then a club, to celebrate the show. She had refused, and the rest of the cast had been ready to leave without her. But Finn hadn't allowed them to go without Rachel. He was holding up the entire group while talking her into going. "I'm not. . .good with people." She hung her head down, ashamed of her lack of social skills. "People just don't like me."

"I like you." He said it without a moment's hesitation, and her head shot back up with wide, doubtful eyes. "You were good to me. You made friends with a nobody like me yesterday."

"That was different."

"Oh really? How?" She hung her head back down again and he sighed deeply. "You have to loosen up, Rachel. This cast, these people, are going to be like a family to us for the next few weeks. And if the show gets picked up, we'll be together for much longer than that. Do you really want their first impression of you to be so negative? Please come out. For me?"

She looked up into his soft, brown eyes and wondered how he could have such an effect on her after knowing him for so little time. He had this power over her that she didn't understand.

And it scared her and excited her all at the same time.

So instead of retreating to her hotel room for another night alone, she went out with her new cast mates.

And it had been one of the best nights of her life.

They were all so unique and funny! She couldn't believe the conversations they'd had at dinner. She'd kept her mouth shut the entire time, not wanting to ruin the evening by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. She drank liberally, something she hadn't allowed herself to do in a long while. But she'd deemed it appropriate because they were all celebrating. She was all laughs and smiles, and it felt good to be out with people. She looked over at Finn, who had been attached to her hip all evening long. She leaned into him a bit, and he looked down at her and smiled.

"Thank you for talking me into this."

Chuckling, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rubbed the bare skin that shivered under his touch. She knew it had been a good idea to change into this strapless dress before dinner. "I knew you'd have fun. It wouldn't be the same without you." He gave her a glowing smile, and she leaned into him even more, the alcohol making her limbs feel heavy.

"Getting cozy over there, you two?" She heard someone yell across the table but was too sleepy to care. She could feel Finn's chest vibrate with the sound of his laughter.

"Nah, I think Broadway over here has had too much wine. People as tiny as her shouldn't drink."

She lifted up her head and gave him a heavy drunk glare. "Hey, watch it, Ohio. Do they put growth hormones in the corn there or something?"

She was stunned when her quip got a round of laughter and she smiled brightly at the response. She had never told a joke before that had gotten a laugh!

Ryan paid the tab for the dinner, and the cast was ready to go out to the club. Rachel didn't think she would be able to make it through a night out. She was already pretty tipsy, and she had never even stepped foot in a club before. She wasn't ready to be that adventurous, yet. She had done enough socializing for one night.

"Finn?" She was still leaning against him, and she lifted her heavy head to look up at him. The fatigue was thick in her voice and she felt like she would pass out at any second. Wine always made her so damn tired!

"What's the matter, Rachel?"

"I don't think I'll make it to the club. Actually, I don't think I'll make it out of the restaurant." She punctuated the last sentence with a wide yawn, and Finn nodded his head.

"OK. I'll get you back to the hotel."

"Really?" She was thinking that he'd just call her a taxi, not serve as a personal escort. He should go and have fun with everyone! "Don't you want to go out with the cast?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Clubs aren't really my thing. Dinner was amazing, but I only would have gone to the club if you did. Come on, let's get you home." He helped lift her out of her seat, and steadied her on her feet. He wrapped a strong arm around her waist and guided her out of the restaurant after saying goodbye to the cast.

They walked a few blocks away, where she noticed a beat-up, black Honda Civic, parked a few blocks from where his hotel had been. He helped her get into the car, and balanced a map on his lap while he navigated through LA to get to her hotel.

She was so tired, but all she wanted to do was kiss him. She'd only known him for a day, but was blown away by his kind and genuine heart. She didn't think nice guys like him existed in this world anymore. He was like an alien from Planet Adorable.

The car ride was doing her good. She didn't feel so overwhelmingly tired anymore, but she was still pretty groggy. "So where are you living now? Have you found a place?"

He laughed mirthlessly. "You're in it. My humble abode until I can cash this stipend check and find a place to live."

"You're going to live in your car?" Horror laced her tone and she couldn't think of anything more uncouth and savage.

"I've done it before. I drove to LA from Lima and slept in here every night. Not to mention the road trip I went on with my cousin when I was eighteen. We drove to the state boarder, then turned around when we'd realized we had no money and no place to go." He said it with such enthusiasm she had to smile. She had a solution for him, at least for tonight.

"You can stay the night in my hotel room if you want." Her suggestion hung thick in the air, and she saw the stunned look on his face in the glow of his dashboard lights. She knew what he was thinking about. The two of them, alone in her hotel room. . .

She was thinking the same thing.

"All right." His voice was soft and low, and it made goose-bumps rise on her skin. He pulled in front of the hotel, and she almost threw a diva tantrum when the snotty valet tried to refuse parking Finn's car. She pulled the "Do you know who I am?" line, and it had worked. She grabbed Finn's hand and kept him close to her, hating that he had to be exposed to their judgment. She pulled him to the elevator, and when the doors closed, she pulled him down to meet his lips in a hungry kiss.

"C'mon, Ohio. Let's get to bed."

Finn held Rachel tightly in his arms, losing himself in the feeling of her petite frame against his chest. Their lips mashed together in a fevered kiss that left him craving more. When the elevator opened on her floor, the two actors sprinted to the hotel room. Finn was faster, and Rachel jumped on his back and had him carry her to her room. He didn't mind. In fact, the feeling of her back pressed up against him was making him excited for what was to come when they got to the room. She handed him her key, and he opened the door and led them inside.

He was in awe of his surroundings. He didn't know a hotel room could be more than one room. This place was like her own apartment. She grabbed his hand and led him into the bedroom, where a large and luxurious king sized bed was waiting for them. She started to unzip the side of her dress, and he began to panic. He placed one hand on each of her arms and he could see the questions in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Are you sure about this Rachel? You're not drunk, right?" She laughed and placed another soft and seductive kiss on his lips.

"I am not drunk Finn. I do want this, but," Oh shit, there's a but! Here it comes! "You know we can't tell anyone about this, right?" He felt like his heart was breaking a little bit. Then he remembered that he was in Hollywood now, and people hid things all the time.

"Because of the show?"

She nodded her head sadly. "We could ruin everything before the show even starts." He hung his head in shame. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. "But I can't deny that I want you, Finn." She placed a hand on his chest and he sucked in a sharp breath when it trailed below his belt and rested on the obvious bulge in his pants. "If we can keep it a secret, we can really do this."

The proximity of her was making him dizzy, and her hand on his groin was not helping him make rational, coherent thoughts. But he knew what he was doing. He could keep it a secret. He would do anything to touch her; to have her touch him. His star.

"Yes. God, Rachel, I'll do anything. I'll keep it a secret. I won't tell anyone."

"You'll do it for me?" She rubbed him gently, outside of his pants. Her actions betrayed the innocence in her voice. She was teasing him, taunting him with tests of devotion to her. He almost whimpered, and arched his hips into her hand.

"Yes." He devoured her mouth in a needy kiss that swallowed the sound of his moans. He pushed down the rest of the zipper on her dress that was probably more expensive than his car, and he let the fabric fall off of her into a pile on the floor. He soaked in the image of her glowing flesh in the dim light of the room, and immediately swept her into his arms and dropped her onto the bed. He reached into his wallet to grab his spare condom, and dropped his pants as fast as he could. As he was slipping on the latex sheath, he couldn't believe he was going to have sex with the most beautiful, talented celebrity he'd ever laid eyes on. It was like a dream.

He entered her slowly, trying to savor the moment. He would remember the feeling of her wrapped around him for the rest of his life. It had been so long since he'd been with a woman, and the girl in his arms was more beautiful than anyone he'd ever been with. He began to pull in and out of her, creating a rhythm that set his blood on fire. He held onto her tightly as she met his thrusts with as much vigor as him. Their lips battled for dominance in a passionate kiss and he lost himself in the feeling of her body. Plunging into her, he knew how dangerous this truly was to their professional relationship, but he didn't care. All he cared about was her moans, and her desperate cries for more.

His name was on her lips when she came, and he felt his release coming not long after. He closed his eyes, and millions of stars erupted behind his eyelids while his body seized with pleasure. He pulled out and slumped next to her on the bed, holding her body as close to his as possible.

"That was. . .wow." His brain was too fuzzy with the aftershocks of his orgasm to make coherent statements. He heard her giggle and she nuzzled closer to him.

"Yeah. I thought so, too."

"And you think we can really do this, if we keep it a secret?"

She turned to him, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "I hope so. I just don't want to hurt you. That's the last thing I ever want to do to you."

"What does that mean?"

She shook her head sadly, and stood up to go to the bathroom. He sat up and cleaned himself off. When she came back, he took her into his arms and they relaxed into the comfortable bed.

"It means that you can never trust Hollywood, Finn. You can't get hurt If I deny our relationship, and people will sell your secrets for any amount of money. If we're going to do this, you have to do everything I say." He was starting to understand. Love in Hollywood was a game. And he had to play by their rules. He yawned and nodded his head, while she curled into his embrace, starting to drift off.

"Get some sleep, Ohio. We have dance rehearsals all day tomorrow."

His eyes shot open in shock while Rachel fell into a deep sleep.

Dance?

Oh no.

Salut mes amis!

OOH RACY! I love secret relationships! Don't you?

Until Next Time. . .*sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk