Page 47 of The Casting Couch

Nessa waved her off like she was swatting at a fly.“Laura, sweetie, did you not hear me?Two.Hundred.Grand.”

That shut everyone up again.

I mean… we were all whores in different ways.But two hundred thousand dollars?That was… retirement money.Health insurance money.Rent-for-a-few years money.

Liam gave Jack a look.“We’ve… never done anything like this before.”

Jack’s expression stayed cool and calculating.“We’ll figure it out.”

I raised my hand like I was back in high school.“Okay, but like… what is it, though?Someone explain for the people in the room who don’t have a porn PhD.”

Moira snorted into her coffee.

Nessa smiled at me sweetly.“It’s simple, baby.One guy kneels on the floor… and a bunch of other guys… finish on him.”

My brain took about five full seconds to process that.

I turned to Bradley just in time to see all the color drain from his face like a cartoon character fainting.

He pushed back from the table like he was about to make a run for it.“Hell no,” he said.Loud and immediate.“Absolutely not.There’s no way I’m letting a bunch of guys jizz all over me.No.Nope.Not happening.”

I kind of wanted to applaud.The man had conviction.

Jack leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table, that signature wicked grin spreading across his face.“Would you do it… for twenty thousand bucks?”

Bradley froze mid-freakout.

I could practically see the math happening behind his eyes.Rent.Debt.Food.Survival.

He swallowed hard.

And then, after the most painful, reluctant pause in history, he said, voice both soft and doomed:

“Yes.Yes, I’ll do it.”

ChapterEleven

Bradley

Isat there, staring at my untouched salad like it had kicked me in the nuts.

Twenty thousand dollars.

For… that.

Jack leaned back in his chair, fixing me with that casual, no-big-deal tone that somehow made everything worse.“Look, Bradley, I get it.It’s kinda gross.I’m not gonna lie to you.”He spread his hands like he was giving me career advice instead of planning my public humiliation.“But honestly?Easiest money you’ll ever make.”

My stomach twisted.

Jack kept going, like he was selling me on a gym membership.“You’ve had zero training as a performer.Zero.You’re not ready for a scene with dialogue, or blocking, or… you know… actual acting.”

Wow.Thanks for the ego boost, boss.

Jack grinned like he could hear my internal screaming.“But this?This is simple.You kneel on the floor, pretend you’re loving it, and… let nature take its course.”

Nico let out a soft, strangled cough from the chair next to me.I didn’t dare look at him.

“The whole thing’ll take maybe thirty minutes start to finish,” Jack continued, ticking items off on his fingers like he was reciting a grocery list.“And let’s be real.You’re desperate for cash.”