My eyes widen. "Amanda, as in, Amanda Matthews, your best VIP server?" My stomach twists and turns. She's a bitch from what I hear, but supposedly all of the high-end clients like her. She has obtained a reputation for private sessions away from the club, but since she never talks about it, it's all hearsay. People that work downstairs talk, even when you're not conversing directly. Gossip gets around.
"Is that going to be a problem for you? I've been watching you over the last couple of months. I think you'll be fine, but you have to leave nerves down here or they will eat you alive. Got it?"
My breathing heightens. What if I screw this up? I thought I was pretty good at my job, especially for it to be my first. My parents never allowed me to work in high school. In the entire time I've been here I've never gotten a complaint or an unhappy customer, but now I'm starting to doubt myself. "Are you sure I'm ready?"
He nods his head to the hallway at his left and starts walking. I follow him into his office before he shuts the door and pins me against the wall by placing his palms flush with the wall. He actually makes me feel comfortable, so it doesn't make me feel awkward. "This remains between us, but Amanda is pregnant. The second she starts to show she's gone. This club has an image to uphold. I need to start training her replacement before she leaves. If you can do this, I will more than double your hourly pay, but you'll also get bigger tips. You're a sweet girl, Kambry, but I need you to find your alter ego. I need you to be a nice bitch. Yes, it’s a contradiction. When you go up there they are no better than you. Do you want it or not?"
I stare into his brown eyes, thinking. I don't know if I want this kind of pressure to do well at work, but then something Meredith said repeats itself in my mind. We need connections, Kambry. Use your job for your benefit, for ours. She's right. She gave me the chance to get out from under my parents, as well as her parents, by paying our rent. She wants to be an actress. It's why she moved here: her attempt at stardom. I'm just happy to be away from the sheltered little girl in Bama. Anything else is just a bonus to me, but I owe her to at least try.
Put your big girl panties on, Kambry.
"I'll do it. Just tell me what to do."
He smiles and pushes off the wall. "Good girl. For starters go put on some lipstick. I want color on your lips." I nod as he opens the door to let me exit. "Which bartender do you work best with?"
"Liam, the one you've assigned me with this week. Why?" Liam is really the only one that seems the most like the people back home that I grew up with. It could be because he seems to be one of the youngest of the bartenders. Being around him gives me a sense of comfort; more so than anyone else I've met here. I like him. He's mentioned hanging out a few times so I could meet some people, I've just yet to actually do it in my attempt to sock away as much money as possible. I have been trying to form a cushion to replace what I've spent of my graduation money for emergencies before I really do anything fun.
"I'll send him up with you until you get used to it. The environment is a little different. Go touch up your face and meet me back at the end of the hall. I'll walk you upstairs."
I nod and walk out of his office, before making my way to my locker, barely able to breathe. To some people this may not be anything to freak out over, but to someone that has been smothered socially my entire adolescence it's terrifying. I'm still learning to live openly and uninhibited. I want so badly to not have to try in meet and greets with other people my age, but the truth is I was never allowed to go to sleepovers or parties. What time I got with friends was at school or monitored closely, but those are the people you grow up with. It's different. I'm that girl that stands there awkwardly not knowing what to say while Meredith draws all of the attention in the room to her. It's the main reason I haven't gone to any open auditions like she wants me to. I'm still shy and I hate it. I'm just not there yet.
My parents only allowed friends to stay over at my house, but by the time we were old enough to drive most people didn't have ten o'clock curfews, so most of the time it was me at home with my parents while everyone else was out having fun, and me wishing I was with them or had Kyle sitting at my house in the game room within earshot of my parents. This job has helped me, but I still have a long way to go, and this is not a time when I want to sound stupid in front of important people.
I look up at the ceiling as I open my locker. "Please keep me calm. Don't let me freak out and look dumb. This once just let me be a natural." I quickly pull out my cell phone and send a quick text to Meredith before having to put it back up.
Me: Hey...there has been a change of plans. I have to work upstairs. We will talk later. I don't have much time to explain.
I toss it back inside of my purse and grab my makeup bag, before doing exactly as I was told. I'm going to show my parents and everyone else that I'm not the good girl they've tagged me as. I don't care what I have to do. No regrets from here on out, and innocent is a stigma I'm happy to lose...
The car pulls up to the VIP entrance of the club to let me out. Filming finished on my last project a few days ago and I thought I was going to get a break; even thought about booking a plane ticket and just taking off for a bit. I don't even care where. I just want to get out of LA for a while, to catch my breath, and to give my dick a rest. Sounds insane to most people I suppose. Then I received a call from a producer about something he thought I might be interested in.
Yeah, good luck with that, I thought. Sex doesn't hold the same enticing thoughts for me that it used to. I don't even have sex anymore unless I'm getting paid for it. Hell, nothing gets me up anymore without a small pill. Come to think of it, I'm basically a male prostitute. A dry laugh escapes.
Regardless, this is my job and I'm good at it. What the hell else am I going to do? Not a damn thing. I walked away from college and I'm used to the money. I don't get paid for emotions. I get paid to fuck and to come, to make her come, and to make it good enough that people continue to buy my films, so I agreed to attend this meeting with him and a director I've worked with before, though I don't anticipate that it will be anything different than usual.
I open the door of the car and exit, before making my way to the club entrance. I give the doorman my ID, not having to say a word while he checks the list and lets me in. The stairs are located on the inside of the door. I climb them, knowing exactly where to go. This isn’t my first time here. They will be waiting at a seating area they have reserved.
The music is loud, drowning out the conversations around the room. The lighting is dim throughout the entire room, yet spotlights are located above each area of seating that consists of two, oversized, half moon shaped couches surrounding a small round table.
I observe the room, taking in tonight's guests, before picking out the correct table and making my way toward it. They immediately stand as I approach, holding out their hands for me to shake. I do, and then take a seat across from them as Michael, the producer, waves someone over, and then sits back down. "How are you," he asks. "It's been a while."
"Same shit, different day." I laugh. "But I'm sure you know that. I hear you have a new project in the works."
Someone approaches. My head slightly tilts, taking in a pair of black and hot pink stilettos that catch my attention. I shift my body to reach for my wallet as I take her in from the legs up, one slender inch at a time. "What can I get for you, gentlemen?"
"Refills on ours and whatever he wants," Michael says. "Keep them coming and put it on my tab."
"As you wish, sir." Her voice is soft. I wonder if she's a screamer...
What the fuck?
I lean back against the couch and bring my arm to rest on the back, my eyes deciding to temporarily halt on her cleavage as it rises and falls from her breathing. Nice rack. My eyes continue upward, taking in the pink splotchy patches on her chest and neck along the way to her face. "And you, sir? What would you like?"
No sound registers as I watch her full, pink-stained lips move with the words that exit. "Saxton, are you going to
order?"
I clear my throat at the sound of Michael's voice and my eyes continue upward to meet her baby blue ones. "Shit. Bud light - bottle. Thanks."
She pauses briefly and then blinks, diverting her eyes away from mine. "Sure. I'll have that right out and then I'll get these empty glasses out of your way." Her eyes veer back to mine and her fucking lips draw my attention again as she rubs them together. "My name is Kambry if you need anything."
"I'll keep that in mind, Kambry."
Then she turns and walks away, slightly flipping her long, blonde hair off of her shoulder as if she doesn't really know what else to do. I clear my throat again, but a little deeper this time. My brows dip. It's almost an awkward action, unlike the majority of girls that do it, but her barely covered ass swaying dramatically from side to side immediately sways my attention, until she disappears from sight.
She's hot.
I pull my foot up to rest on my opposite thigh and grab my ankle, before turning to Michael and James, the director I'm assuming he's using for this project he seems to think I won't want to pass up. They look at each other, as if they are having a mental conversation that I wasn't invited to partake in, and then back at me. "What? So this project..."
Michael inches forward on the couch, before leaning forward, and then places his forearms on top of his thighs. "Not that the industry is really lacking in sales, but there is always room for expansion. Corporate wants to go in a different direction after coming together and surveying several hundred people about what it is they want to purchase, specifically, or what would it take to make them want to purchase. In the past we've geared the films mostly towards men and their likes, because that was what our audience mostly consisted of, but after the recent response information was recorded we found out that the industry actually has a pretty large percentage of couple viewers. Not only that, but also some women, which led them to the next question: what would you want to see differently in new material that isn't readily available in large quantities, and to our surprise the answer was fairly simple."
A napkin is sat down on top of the glass top table in front of each of them, followed by a glass filled with honey-colored liquid, and then a repeat action with the sweating dark brown bottle in front of me. I turn my head to a set of tits staring at me as she reaches for the empty glasses that were already here before I arrived. My mouth waters, wanting to lightly bite the smooth globe as I find her nipple. The scent of her perfume invades my nose.
Without thought I grab her hip. I can feel her skin jump as my hand comes in contact with her body. "I'm really sorry. Please excuse me." Her tone changes to one of embarrassment and she immediately pulls away.
"Don't sweat it." I look up at her. Her cheeks are flushed, making me curious. "Are you always this nervous with customers or do I make you uncomfortable?"
Her expression freezes. She barely pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. I notice that beautiful fucking mouth as her top teeth lightly skim the skin. "I'm really sorry. I normally work downstairs, so I'm a little thrown off tonight being out of my element. It was a last minute change. I'll leave you to your meeting and keep an eye on your drinks."
There is something intriguing about her. She smiles and walks off to attend to her other customers, making a stop at Justin Talbert's table. He's looking at her exactly like I've seen him looking at the cocktail servers in here before...as if she's an easy lay and one he's planning to conquer. Last time it was that girl that's usually in here the times I have been. I'm sure the rich prick will use his star status to lure her into his limo later. "Saxton, are you ready to continue?"
I look at Michael. Fuck. What is wrong with me? I'm way past unprofessional. "Sorry. Yeah. Couple viewers... Go ahead." I pick up my beer and place the opening to my mouth, before turning it up, waiting for that first bite to the taste buds that is the best taste of any and all you'll drink after.
"They want to see plots more relatable: less fantasy and more realism, something that can turn them both on instead of turning off the average woman when she thinks of porn. The viewers are requesting natural erotic scenarios that they can use in their own relationships as a spark. Men getting laid are happy men, and women that don’t feel they have to compete with other women are more willing to want sex, so we did a panel interview with males and females. The fact is, the romance book market is at an all-time high right now, spurring sexy images and gifs going viral on media platforms like Tumblr and Instagram, so we know there is an outlet to pull in more women, but they need the story to go with it. Men could give two shits less about the story, because we just aren’t wired that way. The average male hates reading, especially romance, and prefers the visual images of what their partners are wanting from romance novels; the story with the erotic aspects weaved in."
He pauses as if he's gathering what else he needs to say, and I’m sure to take a breath, but also probably making sure I'm getting it like I'm fucking stupid. I raise my brows for him to continue, having nothing in particular to say at the moment. "If we can make it to where more women want to watch explicit material with their partners, sales will spike significantly, because men won’t have to hide it anymore. I think we've been going at it from the wrong angle, because the problem is that each market seems to be geared toward gender, so we've decided to combine the two. There has to be a happy medium."
"How are you going to do that?"
"We are going to follow one couple in a mini, reality television series; a mock relationship. Think, The real world or Jersey Shore. There are always at least two roommates that end up in a relationship, so just subtract the rest of the roommates and the camera doesn't stop filming or hide when sex happens. We want the sex to be more natural and the chemistry between the couple more believable, without it all being staged and scripted, but still allowing the viewers to become immersed by following along week to week like the other shows before, from the perspective of watching a developing couple through reality TV, X rated. It’s a proven fact that people need and thrive on gossip, drama, sex, and love for entertainment. It’s why freelance photographers and paparazzi are everywhere. Public couples in the media go viral. Look at Hollywood. You remember all the big couples at one time: Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, Paris Hilton and Nick Carter, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, or Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez just to name a few. You get my drift. Our goal is to give them the illusion of a real life relationship by letting them see every aspect with no censoring. The men get the sex and the women get the love story. Boom. Happy couples everywhere."
He sits back after picking up his drink and drapes his arm over the back of the couch, waiting for me to give some input. I'm not really sure how to respond. "Explain the stipulations."
He takes a sip of his drink to wet his mouth from the long-winded talking. "We will provide the two of you with a house set up for filming that you will both live in for six months tops. Like previous shows both of you will show up on the first day, meet, and get to know each other. Again, we want it to be natural, so there aren't any rules except for one. There are also a few things required that you'll find outlined in your contract if you decide to accept the role."
"What's the one rule?"
"During the term of your contract you will not be allowed to have sexual relations with anyone else. Again, couples in public eye go viral quickly, and one slip of you fucking another girl, even off set, has the potential to ruin the entire project. You and your costar should only have sex with each other where cameras are recording, which should be on the two of you at all times. Basically no trying to sneak to remote places once filming has begun. This project will be a real life simulation, so scenarios are still being discussed and will be given in more detail later."
I take another gulp of my beer and then set it down, straighten my posture, and rub my hands over my face. "So basically you want me to pretend to be in a relationship with another porn star, yet you want it to be natural attraction
. I don’t even buy it, much less normal people. Tell me exactly how you expect that to work. I may be an actor, but I don't think any of us are that good."
A smile spreads across his face as if he's about to sprinkle the sugar on top of the shit he's feeding me, expecting that to make it taste good. "We aren't using an established porn star. We are casting for a female that's never appeared in a film at all. We think that will make it more believable and raise the ratings, by sparking the curiosity of the viewer, giving them a sense of an emotional connection knowing she’s raw. It shouldn’t be too hard. Girls will do anything to gain fame, but we need a young, attractive male to offer them. What better marketing strategy for fresh girls is there than searching for the girl that can make a porn star fall in love? Something mildly similar: The Bachelor. That's why we want you."
“I just don't think it's that simple,” I interrupt. “You can't just put two people in a house and expect them to like each other. The difference in all those shows and this idea is that there are more people involved to give it an edge, to give you options. Haven’t you ever heard of a blind date from hell? That’s what this sounds like. I don't think I'm interested." I pick up my beer and finish it off, before setting the empty bottle on the table.
He nods his head toward the center of the room. "Not even if we can get her."
My head turns to one hot blonde walking with a tray of drinks in our direction. “You think you’re going to get that girl…to film porn? She’s awkward, shy, and nervous when she’s the center of attention. I’m going to guess she’s probably never had a one-night stand in her life. She acts like one that holds out for a while.”
“Yet the idea still appeals to you… Doesn’t it?” She has legs for days. The length to height ratio is incredible. I’ve never seen a more perfect sized rack that would spill out of even a large handed handful. She has a pair of lips that would feel amazing wrapped around my dick, and I imagine her pussy isn't as used as the ones I'm used to...
Sex Sessions: Uncut (Camera Tales #1) Page 3