by GA Hauser
Laughing with him, Carl shook his head. “Don’t worry. Judging by what you look like in clothes, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Strut your stuff proudly, Keith.”
“You’re great, you know that?”
“The feeling’s mutual.” Carl smiled.
“See ya later.”
“Bye, Keith.” Carl hung up and smiled to himself. After he set the phone in the cradle, he looked down at his cock. It was bulging from under his shorts. “What’s that all about?” he asked himself. Pausing to think about whether he was attracted to Keith or not, he felt his body respond. “Oh, you have to be kidding me. This is all I need.”
Chapter Four
Keith didn’t get any sleep. He was tossing and turning so badly, he left Patty to sleep in the second bedroom, worried his spinning would keep her awake. By morning he was a wreck. Gulping black coffee, leaving without speaking to Patty because she was still sound asleep by the time he was ready to go, Keith drove to the studio with a knot the size of a baseball in his stomach.
Having taken extra time grooming, shaving, and preening, since he was going to be fucking naked on the set, Keith felt no matter how much deodorant he used he’d still sweat.
Seeing Carl’s friendly smile, Keith hurried to meet him and get his calming words. “I’m a mess.”
“You look fine. Did you sleep?”
“Maybe an hour.”
“Ouch.” Carl cringed. “Well, it’s okay to be nervous. It keeps the edge to your performance.”
“Right. Right.” Keith nodded, trying to convince himself that nerves were a good thing.
Charlotte appeared next to him. She touched Keith’s arm. “A word?”
Keith gave Carl an anxious glance and followed Charlotte to speak privately.
“How’re you doing?”
“Nervous.”
“Good. Nervous is good.”
“That’s what Carl said as well.” Keith tried not to wring his hands.
“Look, Keith…I know this is your first nude scene.”
Nodding, gulping in terror, Keith tried to pretend he was okay.
“It’s all back view. No one is going to see your privates, you got that?”
“Yes. Good.”
“Just go through the motions in the camera rehearsal. Don’t worry too much about anything yet. Just get used to it.”
“Get…” Keith leaned closer. “Get used to it?”
“You know. For the taping.”
“Oh. Yes.” Keith thought she meant from then on he’d be naked. What the hell was this, a porn movie?
Whispering in his ear, Charlotte said, “Betty has a little belt of something if you need it to calm your nerves.”
“Do I look that bad?”
She bit her lip and nodded. “You look like you’re about to be executed.”
“Where’s Betty?” Keith searched the set.
“Check with Marty.”
“Thanks.”
“See you in about ten minutes.”
“Okay.” Keith watched her walk away and made a beeline for Marty. “You know where Betty is?”
“Through that door.”
“Thanks.” Keith stood outside a wooden door. He rapped it with his knuckles. “Betty?”
“Yes?”
“It’s Keith, can I come in?”
“Door’s open.”
Keith twisted the knob and pushed it back. Betty was sitting at a lighted mirror.
“Uh, Charlotte said you may have a shot of something to calm my nerves.”
“Oh, right. The big nude scene.” She reached into a drawer and removed a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass. “Here you go, darling.”
“Thanks.” As he poured he shook.
“Oh! My goodness. Let me help you.” She took over for him.
Licking his lips, Keith waited. She handed him the glass.
“There you go, son.”
Closing his eyes, Keith threw it back, choking at the potency.
“That will settle your nerves. Don’t you worry, sweetheart. You’re beautiful and you have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Thank you, Betty.”
“Now go out there and show them what you’re made of.”
“I will, thanks.” Leaving, continuing to choke on the burning heat in his throat, Keith wondered if that was a lousy idea to have drank it and he’d be coughing through the whole scene. Heading to the refreshment table, he poured a glass of orange juice and swallowed it down to get rid of the burn. A hand on his back made him jump.
“Whoa!” Carl laughed. “Holy Christ, Keith. Calm down.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Can you do this?”
“I have to.” Keith wiped his mouth.
“You don’t. Just tell Charlotte you want a body double.”
“Oh, shut up. Who am I, Brad Pitt?” Keith laughed at the absurdity.
Carl held Keith by his shoulders, making him look him in the eyes. “Calm down. You will do it flawlessly.”
“Will I?” Keith doubted that very much.
“Just look at me. No one else.”
Keith gazed into Carl’s eyes. A beautiful shade of gold surrounded the green color. “Yes. I will. That does help.”
“Forget the fuckers behind the scenes. It’s you and me in that room. Period.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
Charlotte’s voice echoed through the studio.
“We’re up, Keith. You okay?”
“I am. Just keep me focused.”
“I’ll do the best I can.”
As he and Carl headed to the set, Keith passed Melvin. “Should I get in costume?”
“Later. After the camera rehearsal.”
“Okay. Thanks.” Keith kept walking. Standing in the fake bedroom, looking out at the number of employees who were going to witness his striptease act, Keith fought with his anxiety to remember to focus solely on Carl. Carl would pull him through this.
“You ready, cookie?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes.”
“Right! Let’s go, people!”
Carl took off his shirt and climbed into the bed. When Keith looked at him, with the blankets around his hips giving the impression Carl was nude under the covers, Keith felt chills cover his skin. Carl’s torso was hairless and pure muscle. Keith was impressed and hoped he didn’t look thin in comparison.
Charlotte spoke more softly, “You ready, Keith?”
“Yes.” Keith wanted to come across as confident. He needed Charlotte to see he could handle the pressure.
“Okay…bedroom scene. Take one. Action!”
His eyes on Carl as he lay on the bed waiting for him, Keith began unbuttoning his shirt. “I hope it’s enough for you, Troy.”
“Will it ever be enough?”
“It better be. You can’t expect me to keep whoring for you eternally.” Keith dropped his shirt on a chair, leaning down to remove his shoes and socks.
“Whoring? Is that what you’re doing?”
“Sex as payment? What do you call it?” Keith tucked his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans, tugging them down.
“I call it love,” Carl whispered affectionately.
“Love?” Keith yanked off his briefs, laying them over his jeans.
Carl craned his finger at him. “Get over here. Now.”
With the blankets elevated, Keith climbed into the bed with Carl.
Instantly, Carl shimmied lower on the mattress so they were at the same level.
“You know I think you’re incredibly handsome,” Carl purred, stroking Keith’s hair back from his face. “And judging by your hard-on, the feeling must be mutual.”
“It’s only hard because it’s been a long time since I’ve had release.” He felt Carl wrapping his legs around him under the covers.
“And I have to ask myself why.” Carl cupped the back of Keith’s head.
“You know why. You know what I’ve been dealing with. That woman is blackmaili
ng me.”
“Because?” Carl leaned closer.
Wanting to finish the scene without screwing up, Keith tried to slow his breathing but his respirations and pulse were going wild. “Because…I’ve been with a man.”
“Precisely,” Carl replied, wriggling against him. Under his breath, Carl, hissed, “Get over here.”
Keith struggled to remember if that was a scripted line. Soon everything shot out of his brain as Carl’s mouth met his. It was open, but no tongue was used. As they kissed, Keith felt Carl tightening his hold around his body, drawing him to his chest. Keith couldn’t believe Carl’s passion. If this was acting, it was fooling him. In reflex, Keith embraced Carl, wrapping around his neck, deepening the kiss.
Charlotte’s booming roar broke their moment. “Oh, my God! Men, you have outdone yourselves. You make it look so easy.” Pausing, she peeked behind her at her crew. Her cameraman gave her a thumbs-up. “Perfect. Well, if the next taping doesn’t compare to this morning’s we’re covered.”
Keith scooted back on the bed, away from contacting Carl.
Carl climbed out and slid his shirt back on.
It took a moment for Keith to recover. The scene seemed very real to him for some reason, as if there were something tangible between he and Carl. Slowly sitting up, the blanket still covering his groin, Keith realized he was hard. He had no idea why, but he was.
A woman hurried to him with a sheet acting as a blind so Keith could get dressed with some privacy, which Keith thought was absurd considering everyone had already seen him naked. Perhaps it was some protocol. He couldn’t guess.
Once Keith had his jeans on, Carl approached him. “You were amazing.”
“Was I? I know it sounds weird, Carl, but I can’t remember if I was good or not.”
“I don’t know if I would have handled it as well as you did. You looked very professional.”
“Thanks.” Keith put his shirt on. “It means a lot coming from you. I was seriously shitting a brick. But I kept thinking of what you said, you know. Just look at you, pretend we’re the only ones there.”
“It worked?” Carl appeared amused.
“It must have. You said I did okay.”
“I’ll have to remember my own advice when it’s my turn.”
“Quiet on the set!”
Carl moved Keith farther from the action. “I bet they use that take. It was so fucking perfect.”
“Does that mean I won’t have to do it again?”
“No. You won’t be that lucky. We have dress rehearsal next. Charlotte will get a couple more takes, then decide which one she likes best. Where did you get the booze?” Seeing Keith’s puzzled stare, Carl said, “I tasted it.”
“Oh!” Keith blushed. “Betty. Charlotte thought I needed a little courage.”
“Ah. I get it.”
“How long before the next take?”
“We have to get into costume. It sounds silly considering I’m supposed to be naked and you take your clothing off but…” Carl shrugged.
Keith touched his shoulder. “Thanks again. I hope I’m not acting like an insecure pain in the ass.”
“No. Nothing like that. You’ll be doing it for me soon. Believe me.”
Keith noticed Melvin waving at him. He acknowledged him and approached.
“Charlotte wants you to wear clothing that’s easy to remove.”
“Why? Did I fumble?”
“Just slightly with the buttons. This shirt has only four.” He gave it to Keith.
Keith swapped tops.
“Here’s that pair of black slacks that fit you so well. Just use the zipper, don’t hook it.”
“Thanks.” Keith dropped his jeans down his legs, stepping into the slacks.
“And these loafers you can just kick off.”
“I appreciate this, Mel.”
“It’s my job, sweetie.”
At the flirtatious gaze, Keith stood straight. “I’m not gay, Melvin.”
“No one said you were.”
Keith continued to tuck in his shirt as Melvin led him to his make-up man.
~
Carl changed into a pair of gym shorts and no top. His face was powdered and his hair brushed for him. He leaned back in the chair as a light oil with tinted lotion was massaged into his chest. His vision caught Keith as he was attended to, those long, shaggy blond locks given a good brushing so they shined.
Falling into a trance as he stared at him, Carl had to force himself not to use his tongue in their kiss. It just wasn’t natural to kiss someone with your mouth open and not explore it with your tongue. It took everything he had to prevent it. It went against the grain. Kissing passionately was done with a tongue. But he knew Keith was straight and wouldn’t appreciate the Frenching.
Someone jogged to where they were sitting. “It’s call time. You almost ready?”
Carl nodded, waiting for his last touch of oil. Standing, he gazed at Keith who hurried over.
“Ready for round two?”
Keith laughed. “Yes. I’m much more relaxed this time. I didn’t even hit Betty up for another shot of whiskey.”
“Great.” Carl gazed at Keith’s mouth. After kissing it, he was having a hard time concentrating on much else.
Meeting Charlotte back on the set, seeing her shouting to everyone behind the scenes, Carl waited, standing next to Keith.
She spun around. “What are you doing? Get in the bed.”
Carl walked around the mattress, sitting against the headboard, drawing the sheet to his hips.
“Okay! Let’s get this going. The test shot was perfect so this should be a snap.”
“Quiet on the set!”
Carl stared at Keith. Keith appeared so much more relaxed it was palatable. Perhaps when Carl had his first nude scene he would seek Keith’s advice from now on.
As their dialogue started, Carl couldn’t wait for Keith to drag those clothes off. Keith had a fantastic physique. Being blond, his pubic hair was a light golden brown, and the fur on his arms and legs was so pale you had to touch it to see it. Keith’s chest and abs were ripped, pure hard muscle. His arms were sculpted and curved at the deltoids and biceps, and his thighs were long, powerful quadriceps and tight rolling calves. But the most intriguing aspect of Keith’s appeal was his adorable face. The man was downright pretty. Brilliant blue eyes, that blond, perfectly groomed but shaggy mane of hair, and high cheekbones, square jaw…the list was endless. Carl couldn’t believe what he looked like nude. He was astonishing. Lying in the same bed felt so damn good, Carl was angry it was acting. This man turned him on. Period. No, he didn’t intend him to. He never really imagined his co-star would. How did you prevent animal attraction? You didn’t. But you also didn’t act on something that wasn’t mutual. So you shut your mouth and pretended. Oddly though, this take, he was pretending he didn’t want Keith, when the reality was the opposite.
Their lines were exchanged, that pair of silky black slacks glided soundlessly down Keith’s amazing body. Carl had to force himself to look back at Keith’s eyes, knowing Keith was using his gaze to keep calm. When his briefs dropped onto the clothing pile, Carl bit his lip to stop from ogling the man’s anatomy. Keith wasn’t hard, but he certainly wasn’t soft either.
Once Keith climbed into the bed with him, Carl wrapped his legs around him under the covers. He’d done it last time and wanted to do it again. It dragged Keith closer. He needed him closer. With only a small pair of shorts on this time, it felt more arousing, the skin of their legs brushing against each other was downright hot.
Carl stroked Keith’s hair affectionately, losing himself in Keith’s gaze as it connected with so much attention to his own. When their kiss drew nearer, Carl felt his skin prickle in anticipation. Moving closer, opening his mouth, Carl closed his eyes and dug through Keith’s baby-soft hair, clamping his legs tightly around Keith’s legs. To his astonishment a throbbing bulge pressed against his crotch.
“Cut! Perfect! Absolutely perfect. W
ell done, men.”
Carl had to force himself to stop kissing Keith. It felt so fucking amazing.
As he returned to reality, Charlotte boasting about their chemistry and how sexy it was, Carl found Keith staring at him strangely.
Immediately Carl unraveled his legs and slid back on the bed, separating them. “You all right?”
“Yes.”
Carl wasn’t convinced.
A woman held out a sheet to cover Keith. Carl watched him climb out of the bed, trying to hide his erection from view.