Page 1 of Salacious Star

1

Xander

The Studio Black building was quiet and unassuming from the outside, the parking lot half full when I pulled up and killed the engine of my battered old car. It looked like an ordinary gallery type space, without any identifying features on the outside other than the number of the building.

Understandable. It was a porn studio, after all. I imagined that there would be plenty of people willing to vandalize the outside if they knew what this place really was.

Nerves fluttered inside of me, and I glanced at my reflection in the rear view mirror one more time. I'd waffled on what I wanted to wear - what did you wear to a meeting with the head of a porn studio about a job fucking people on camera? - but had eventually settled on a light blue button down that matched my eyes, and a pair of dark gray slacks and dress shoes to go with.

I was probably overdressed, but...well, there was nothing to be done for it now. I was here.

And I was fucking nervous.

I let out one more shaky breath before I climbed out of the car, glancing at my phone as I walked to the swinging front door of the building.

There was a text from Ethan, my twin brother.

Ethan: Good luck on the interview, man! You'll do great. Promise.

I smiled, and tucked the phone away in my pocket as I yanked the front door of the building open a little more aggressively than probably wholly necessary. I hadn't told Ethan exactlywhatthis interview was for, so his platitudes were sweet...but probably a little inappropriate, in context.

There wasn't anybody in the little front lobby when I made my way inside, though, and for a moment, I was at a loss. I shoved my hands in my pockets - if only so they didn't flutter uselessly at my sides - and glanced around as I waited, unsure what to do. The walls were white and clean, and there was a little front desk where someone probablyshouldhave been waiting to greet me...or maybe that was me being naive.

Did a porn studioneeda front desk receptionist?

God, I was amess.

I rocked back and forth on my heels for a moment, and I was ready to turn on my heel and walk right back out the front door when there was a soft sound to my left, and I turned to see a tall, well-built man with dark hair and scruff covering his chin walking through the open doorway.

"Hi, Xander?" He stretched out his hand as he approached me, his expression cool but friendly. "I'm Emmett. I'm the photographer here at Studio Black. Nice to meet you."

I shook his hand, looking him up and down discreetly. He wore a dark pair of jeans and a graphic t-shirt that hugged his shoulders and chest nicely, and a gold wedding ring decorated his left ring finger.

That pulled me up short a little, my brow furrowed. Not at the concept of someone being married, of course, but...someone who worked for a porn studio was married? Happily, clearly, if he was still wearing his ring while he was at work?

"Nice to meet you," I finally stuttered out, after realizing that we'd been shaking hands and I'd been silent for far longer than was socially appropriate.

A flicker of amusement lit in his dark eyes, and he released me, taking a step back. "Follow me. I'll lead you to Cole and Dorian, and we'll all have a little conversation, yeah?"

Nerves flared to life in my stomach again as I trailed after him, and the cynical voice in the back of my head said that hiswords sounded a little bit too much like a threat. A little bit too much like I owed money to the mob, and this was a "friendly" meeting where they made clear that I had one week to come up with their money, otherwise they were going to send their guys to shake me down.

You've been watching too many episodes of The Sopranos.

I shook my head, snorting at my own thought, and Emmett glanced over his shoulder at me, arching an eyebrow in question before he pushed open the door at the end of the hallway, which was already partially opened. "Come in."

He held the door open for me, and I swallowed down my nerves as I brushed past him and entered the room, which turned out to be a simple meeting room. A large table in the middle with chairs scattered around it, a little stand in the corner that had a coffee pot bubbling happily.

At the table sat two men. One tall, blonde, and good looking, who looked at me with interest in his blue eyes. A wedding band gleamed on his left hand as well, and when Emmett walked around the table and put his hand on the man's shoulder, it clicked in my head.

I'm sure it's easier to be happily married when you work at a porn studio if your husband...also works at the porn studio.

"Hi, Xander." The blonde's voice was warm, a lot warmer than his husband's, and the smile that he offered me as he stood up and stretched out his hand was genuine. "I'm Dorian, the videographer."

I nodded, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

The last man stood up, pulling my attention as he, too, offered his hand for me to shake. "And I'm Cole Black." He smiled at me, all white teeth and sharp angles and gray eyes that looked at me with a great deal of interest. "I'm the owner of Studio Black. We've been emailing?"

I nodded, a little too vigorously, feeling like a bobble head. "Right. Hi, Cole. Um. Mr. Black? Which...do you prefer?"

---