Page 39 of Two Guys, a Girl, and a Tripod

I stare around the room with my hands on my hips. The tripods with their ring lights are in place, plugged into power strips. We keep the power strips off when not in use,so I quickly switch them on. Toys, lube, costumes, and more are all readily available in the closet and the long chest of drawers opposite the bed, but there’s no reason to get anything out just yet.

My phone chimes with a notification of movement out front and moments later I hear the doorbell ring. Taking a deep breath, I turn on my heel and make my way to the front door. As I descend the stairs, I can see him through the window. He’s looking around, standing about a foot from the door. I nearly miss a step in shock.

Even through the dingy glass, I can tell this man is far more attractive than his pictures. Why can’t cameras seem to capture what the eyes see? His hair is dark and just long enough that I can tell it’s curly, though the curls aren’t super tight. There's a hint of stubble on his face that's a shade lighter. His brown eyes are striking. I imagine they’d bowl over any mere human without the protection of a dusty window. I’m about to find out if that’s true. I know there are plenty of tattoos covering his perfectly tan skin and that there arenotan lines anywhere on his body. I may or may not have done someresearchwhen I first discovered him.

I jump the last step, the sound catching his attention. When I open the door, Lance is grinning down at me.

“Hey, come on in!” Did I just squeal?

Lance thanks me, stepping inside. He brushes against me as he does so and heat sparks between us, both familiar and foreign. I swallow audibly. I’ve never had a reaction like that to a co-performer’s touch.

“Sorry, it’s a bit tight here.” I lead the way up the stairs, knowing he’s got a perfect view of my ass.

“Nothing wrong with being a bit tight,” Lance chuckles, his voice deep and husky.

“Yeah, yeah,” I giggle. “Good to know you’re not shy.”

“No reason to be shy,” he replies when we reach the top of the stairs. “We both know why we’re here. I want to make this as comfortable as possible.”

“I appreciate that. I’m sure your other collabs do too.”

“I hope so.”

Even his smile is enough to make me weak in the knees.Me. I like to think I’m hard to impress anymore, given the life I lead, but fuck if I’m not genuinely fantasizing about this man.

“So this way is where the magic happens,” I say, directing us deeper into the apartment and toward the guest room. I glance back in time to see Lance running a hand through his dark curls as he looks around at the space.

“I’ve seen your content. Definitely magical.”

“Thanks. Yours is amazing. I seriously aspire to that level of production.”

“I don’t have the lighting you do,” Lance points out the sliding glass doors on the opposite side of the room. “I’ll bet the balcony would make for a hot video.”

“Yeah, too bad I have neighbors,” I mutter.

“Good point. Let’s not get you kicked out of your place.”

Ready to get to work, I motion to my closet and the dresser opposite the end of the bed.

“I have plenty of lingerie and costumes and toys and all that. Did you have a scenario or something in mind?”

“I’ve found that first-time collabs seem to be best when we just experiment.” His eyes fall to mine as he speaks and my cheeks flush with the intensity of his gaze. “I’m all about bad porn acting,” he adds with a smirk, “but it’s easier when you already know someone.”

“I agree.” I turn toward the chest of drawers and open the top left one. The left side is mine, the right side is Natalie’s. Unfortunately for us, I’m about three sizes bigger than her, so sharing isn’t really possible. “Maybe lingerie or a sundress or-?”

I stop when I turn around and catch him staring at my ass. He drags his eyes back to mine and grins.

“Sorry.” Lance doesn’t sound remotely apologetic. He grabs the strap of his backpack and sets it on the floor. “Wear what you feel is comfortable. If you want to start on the bed, we can get some shots of just you first.” He bends down to dig in the bag, pulling out a tripod. “I have a few things. Toys, cuffs, a skull mask.” He smirks when he looks up.

“Let’s pass on the mask this time.”

“You got it, Honey. Can I call you that?” He stands and begins extending his tripod.

“It’s my name.” I shrug, my tone casual.

“Well, not yourrealname, I’m sure. I always find it weird being called Lance.” He’s not looking at me and I realize I haven’t moved, still holding something lacey in one hand. I drop it and dig around for a specific lingerie set.

“At least mine is kind of a pet name, so I guess it’s less weird.”

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