Page 33 of Dad Next Door

“Stay hard that long?” I asked with a smirk.

He nodded, his ears going red.

“Everyone has their own tricks. A lot of guys use pills to help. Mine was a gift for compartmentalizing and porn.”

“Porn?”

“Kinda ironic, right?” I huffed out a laugh. “I spent a lot of time watching porn on my phone. Especially when it was time to film the money shot.”

“Is that what I think it is?” Tristan asked.

“It is if you think it’s the cumshot.” I put my empty glass on the table. “The money shot is why editors make the big bucks. By the time the director gets all the footage they need for the scene, the male talent has been edging himself for hours. Some guys can do cumshots on command, but there’s usually a lot of off-camera jerking off to get close. When it’s time, they film the last few strokes and the cumshot, then edit it together to make it look like a seamless transition.”

“I had no idea how much work went into it.” Tristan raked his hand through his already messy hair. “It really is a job.”

“Yup. You show up, film, then go home. It’s a paycheck for a lot of us. I’m not saying there aren’t people in the industry who get off on the exhibitionism and enjoy filming scenes, but I didn’t work with any while I was filming.”

“So you didn’t actually enjoy the sex part?”

“Not really. I didn’t hate it, but it wasn’t really sex for me. It’s hard to explain, but I’ve always been able to separate sex from intimacy. Having sex on film was work. It might look intimate, but there were never any emotions or feelings involved. Hell, I didn’t even feel any chemistry or real attraction toward my scene partners, and it was the same for a lot of them too. It was all acting.”

Tristan nodded thoughtfully.

“So, still wanna be my friend?” I asked, only half joking.

I usually didn’t give people that many details at once, choosing instead to tell them the basics and add more context in later conversations. But Tristan was different. I wanted him to know the real me, the one I usually hid from people.

“As long as you don’t mind knowing I’ve seen you fuck because I’m totally looking you up tonight.” He went to reach for the wine bottle but stopped. “Did we drink it all?”

“We did.” All the tension in my body bled out in a rush, leaving me calm and a little giddy from the wine buzz.

I’d told Tristan the truth, and I hadn’t lost him as a friend.

“No wonder I’m a little wine drunk.” He snorted. “I don’t drink a lot.”

“It’s fine, Doc,” I assured him. It wasn’t the first time Tristan got a little tipsy during our hangouts. “You’re safe with me.”

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone so fast I couldn’t catch it.

6

TRISTAN

“It’s fine, Doc.” He smiled reassuringly. “You’re safe with me.”

My stomach clenched at his comment. He had no idea just how true that was—or how much it meant to me.

Quinn was one of the few people I inherently felt safe with. Maybe it was his open and friendly nature or how he never judged me based on what I said or how I acted. He never made me feel stupid for being awkward and encouraged me to be my weird self.

He was my closest friend, and I liked to think I was able to give him a safe space too.

“I’m gonna get really drunk next weekend.” I grinned wryly, changing the subject so I didn’t get sappy on him. Wine always made me more emotional than usual. “This is probably a good dress rehearsal so I remember to keep my trap shut and not make a scene.”

“What’s going on next weekend?” he asked.

“I have to go to a wedding.” I made a face. “And of course, Simon and Jace will be there.”

“Oof, that sounds rough,” he said sympathetically.

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