Page 39 of Angel

I pout, feeling more disappointed than I expected. “No… he has to babysit or something.”

In the mirror, Hayden’s expression goes tight. This isn’t the first time it’s happened, but I haven’t asked him about it because I’m pretty sure I won’t like what he has to say. But there’s only so much concern and pity I can take.

“Ugh,” I exclaim, throwing up my hands. “Whatever you have to say, just say it already!”

He pulls out the chair next to me and sits down, like this is some kind of intervention or something. I roll my eyes and cross my legs and arms for good measure.

“I’m just worried, that’s all.”

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

He arches an eyebrow, clearly not believing my claim.

“There isn’t!” I insist. “What is there to worry about? We’re just friends.”

“Uh huh. Friends who filmed a video together. And you’ve been texting each other all day every day for the past couple weeks. And you invited him to watch you dance.” Skepticism drips from Hayden’s voice.

“Yeah, so? We’ve done several videos together,” I say, gesturing between us. “And we text all the time. And you come watch me dance almost every week.”

Hayden scrunches up his face. “That’s different.”

I stick out my chin, defiant. “How is that different?”

“Because I’m not doing gay porn while claiming I’m straight.”

My jaw hangs open as my brain scrambles to figure out how to respond. Because Hayden has a point. For someone who is supposed to be straight, Angel seemed to really enjoy gay sex. I mean, I give a damn good blowjob, so there is that. But then the whole licking-up-my-cum thing? Yeah… even gay guys don’t always like doing that.

Still. Angel says he’s straight. It’s important to believe him until he tells me otherwise.

“Gay for pay is a thing, you know. There are straight guys who do gay porn for the money.”

“What straight guys are doing gay porn for money?” Anna Conda, the drag queen who hosts the show every night, bursts into the dressing room, bringing four other dancers with her.

They must have just finished their group number because they’re all bouncing off the walls with energy.

“Straight guys doing gay porn? Where? Sign me up!”

“Eww, no thank you. Keep those straight-boy cooties away from me.”

“What? You’ve never wanted straight-boy dick?”

“Everyone wants straight-boy dick.”

The little side conversation doesn’t distract Anna like I hoped. She looms over me and Hayden, hands on her hips.

“Hmm? So? Are we talking about straight guys doing gay porn in general? Or is there a specific straight guy you’re doing gay porn with?”

“The latter,” Hayden confirms, while I groan and bury my face in my hands.

“Is that so? And does this straight guy have a name? A face?”

Hayden grabs my phone off the table before I can stop him.

“Hey!” I lunge for him, but he’s already jumped out of the chair and out of my reach. “Give that back!”

He completely ignores me and unlocks my phone instead. Note to self: change the passcode on my phone.

Hayden holds out my phone to Anna. Her carefully drawn eyebrows shoot clear to her hairline.

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