First Day

Part 1 -- First Day

Chapter 1 -- The Studio

Mike Henderson pulled into the parking lot. He killed the engine and looked apprehensively at the building, a nondescript warehouse with a faded sign. STARLIGHT STUDIOS.

He was 25 years old, and had recently moved to Los Angeles. As a kid, he'd dreamed of Hollywood. Not in front of the camera, but behind it. He'd graduated from college with a degree in photography and media, and like so many of his classmates, he'd pictured a future of red carpets and blockbusters.

Instead, here he was, a crumpled job offer letter in his pocket. The only one he'd got.

Inside that building, a world he only knew from his incognito browser tabs awaited him. Palms sweaty, he got out of his car and walked over to the building, muttering to himself. "You got this, man. It's just a job."

He opened the door and stepped into a large hall. In one corner, a lounge area was set up. A low table with magazines and empty coffee jugs, a couch and a couple of armchairs. In another corner was what looked a little like a hair salon. Two styling chairs in front of a large mirror, a table nearby.

A low platform dominated the long wall of the room. A couple of large studio lamps cast a soft glow over the stage, and tripods with cameras were angled at a modest living room set.

Two men stood on the stage, talking, while a woman was bustling around off to the side.

The men on the stage turned as they heard the door open. The oldest of them, a wiry man with silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard, called out. "Ah, you must be Mike!" His voice boomed, filling the studio as he walked over. Mike put him in his mid-to-late sixties, but his stride was energetic.

As he reached Mike, he offered his hand. "Good to meet you, Mike," he said, taking Mike's silence as confirmation he was indeed Mike. "I'm Harry Reynolds, your director. Welcome to Starlight Studios."

"Uh, thank you. Nice to meet you, sir," Mike said, shaking the hand.

"Don't 'sir' me. I'm Harry." He grinned. "Good to have you aboard. You nervous?"

Mike nodded, swallowing hard.

"That's good," Harry said. "Keeps you sharp."

While they were talking, the other man had approached them. He was a tall man in his early forties, handsome with a broad smile.

"Ah," Harry said. "Meet our hired cock. This is John Bradley."

The younger of the two men reached out his hand, and Mike took it. "Hi," the man said, grinning at Mike. His face was not new to Mike. Like most guys Mike's age, he'd seen John Bradley before. Not on TV, not in theaters, but on websites he never visited before checking his door was securely locked. John Bradley was a household name. In certain kinds of households, anyway.

"Thank you," Mike answered. "Nice to meet you."

Harry put a hand on Mike's shoulder, leading him over to the side of the stage, the corner that looked like a hair salon. The table was cluttered with brushes, scissors, powders and mysterious bottles. "And this," he said, turning to the woman, "is Liza Evans, our make-up wizard, costume designer and set decorator."

The woman turned to Mike, a warm and friendly smile on her face. "Hi there, sweetie," she said.

"Uh, hi. I'm Mike." He guessed Liza was about 45. She was short and slightly chubby, brown hair in a practical bun, with just a few strands of gray. She wasn't conventionally pretty, but the way her eyes almost disappeared when she smiled put him at ease.

"No need to be nervous," she said. "We're a friendly bunch here, I promise." She turned back to her station as Harry led Mike back to the stage.

"Get to know the equipment," Harry said. "We've got two mounted cameras and a handheld for the close-up magic. You probably know the models, but if not, experiment. We shoot in an hour." He headed over to John.

Mike had to take a minute, regaining his calm. The director was a whirlwind, rushing through the introductions without giving Mike a moment to catch his breath. "Get a grip, Mike," he said to himself. He went over to inspect the cameras. To his relief, all models were familiar to him, and the rest of the equipment was also pretty standard. His panic began to fade, replaced by a welcome sense of control.

Liza came over to him, her makeup station set up and ready. "Settling in?" she asked.

He looked up at her. "Yeah, getting there." He stood, wiping his forehead. "It's all just a little overwhelming. First day jitters, I suppose." He smiled. "But you promised me you were a friendly bunch. That helped. I'm gonna hold you to it."

"We are, we are. Harry's a character, I'll grant you, but once you get used to him, he's a peach. If this works out and you stay with us, you'll probably meet John again, too. He's one of our regulars, often doing a scene a week, sometimes two."

"How many work here?"

She grinned. "You've met 'em all."

Mike looked a little puzzled. "You and Harry, that's it?"

"That's it. Oh, like I said, John's here often. And you'll meet a whole string of other actors and actresses, but they don't work for Starlight. Starlight had one employee yesterday. Today, it has two." She smiled at Mike. "Hope we'll still have two tomorrow."

He laughed. It felt impossible not to. "You're like the crew mom, huh?" Mike asked.

She let out a laugh, rich and easy. "Yeah, guess so." She looked over at Harry who was talking to John, his hands gesticulating and pointing, as much part of his communication as his words. "He's always like that--script this, lighting that. He lives for this, every film a piece of art, at least to him." She turned her attention back to Mike. "You always wanted to work in the movies?"

Mike shrugged. "Since I was a kid. Hollywood, you know? Big films, action, real sets. But it's tough to break in. This is the closest I've gotten." He gestured at the fake living room on the stage.

Liza chuckled softly. "I get it, hon. I've been in this game for 25 years now. Got into it by coincidence, like most in the business." She sighed. "And what was supposed to be a temp thing turned into a permanent gig. I'll never get an Oscar, but it's a living." Her smile returned. "Trouble is, try talking about this job with friends and family. If I'm not careful, I'll let slip something about cleaning cum out of an actress's hair after a take."

Mike found himself grinning. He didn't know exactly what he'd expected when he got here, but Liza wasn't it.

Mike sat in the small lounge area, a little dazed but feeling good. He'd checked all the equipment; now he was just waiting for someone to tell him to start filming something.

The subject matter of the film was the only thing left to worry about. While he had never planned to film porn, he'd seen some. Well, more than some, to be honest. He chuckled to himself, thinking back to the first VHS tape he'd borrowed from a friend who'd gotten it from his older brother who in turn had stolen it from some other guy. The chain of ownership wasn't entirely clear, but the VHS cassette had become a holy relic. It had come into the life of his group of friends in mysterious ways, and had disappeared in the same manner. Kids these days got it much easier, he thought. He remembered his first laptop, that glorious freedom, being able to watch, well, whatever, in the privacy of your own room.

His musings were interrupted as the studio doors swung open. He lifted his gaze, and time stopped.

The woman who entered was a vision of perfection, a symbol of innocence and temptation, the ultimate image of sin and redemption. The impression was only slightly marred by her less-than-ethereal first words as she spotted John on stage. "Yo, Johnnie-boy," she called, jogging over to the stage. She reached him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Katie," John said, giving her a hug, "my favorite co-star. I've been saving up for you."

She smiled, swatting his chest. "God, John, is that all you think when you see me?"

He grinned back at her. "What can I say, you make it hard not to." He paused, his grin widening. "Actually, you make it hard, period."

Katie laughed. "You're incurable." She turned, and spotted Mike.

Mike knew Katie Knoxx. All his friends knew Katie Knoxx. His mom knew Katie Knoxx. At 27, she was the biggest porn star alive, bar none.

Curvy, with platinum blonde hair, she wore a gray hoodie and jeans, no makeup, her hair in a messy ponytail. She didn't look like the smutty star from her films. She didn't look like the glamorous celebrity who occasionally appeared on mainstream talk shows when they needed someone from the adult industry. She still made Mike's jaw drop.

"Ah, the new cam guy," she said as she walked over to him. "Mike, right?"

He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Hi, Mike," she said, shaking his hand. Her voice was warm and friendly. "Welcome. I hope you'll like this place." She smiled. "I do."

He found his voice. "Uh, hi. Hi, Katie. Big fan," he stuttered.

Katie laughed. "Ah, you're sweet. I hope it's my smile you're into, not just the other stuff." She gave him a playful nudge. "Nah, I'm kidding. It's the other stuff that keeps the paychecks coming."

She turned away, heading over to Liza's station. "Hi, Liza. I'm a mess, can you work some of your magic?" She plopped down in the chair, pulling out her hair tie and unzipping her hoodie just enough to let Mike catch a glimpse of the valley between her breasts.

Liza smiled, starting to dab foundation on Katie's flawless skin. "Honey, if you're a mess, I'm a trainwreck. You're a knockout and you know it."

Katie smiled innocently. "Yeah, but you wouldn't say that if I didn't start by saying I'm not." Liza laughed and started transforming Katie.

Mike watched for a while, still star-struck. The two women clearly liked each other, their banter casual and easy. Liza worked quickly and efficiently, every little touch highlighting a feature or concealing some tiny blemish Mike couldn't even see. She swept blush across Katie's cheeks, lined her eyes with kohl and did a million other things Mike didn't understand. It was obvious Liza knew exactly what she was doing. When Katie had entered the studio, she'd been a girl-next-door beauty, gorgeous but real. When Liza was finished, Katie was porn-star stunning.

She glanced over in Mike's direction, and noticed he was looking their way. She turned to the mirror, pouting at her own reflection, then back at Mike. "What do you think, newbie? Sexy enough?"

He blushed. "Uh, yeah. Really sexy."

She beamed. "Knew it. But I do love hearing it."

Liza started rummaging through a crate by the mirrors, pulling out a couple of dresses. "Let's see," she said. "You're the lonely housewife today, right?"

"Yeah," Katie said as she rose from the chair. "Something skimpy with flowers maybe?"

"How 'bout this?" Liza said, holding up a white dress with a tiny red floral print.

Katie looked at the dress. "Perfect." She shrugged off the hoodie, letting it fall to the floor, and Mike's breath caught. Her breasts were perfect. Large, firm, with pink nipples. He fumbled with the camera, unable to take his eyes off Katie. She shimmied out of her jeans, revealing a tight, toned bottom, then stood there, gloriously nude. Mike felt his jeans tighten uncomfortably.

Liza handed Katie the dress, and Katie slipped it on, the fabric clinging to every curve. "Ready for action," she declared, twirling.

Liza stepped in, adjusting the dress with a practiced eye. "Let's sex this up a bit," she murmured, tugging the neckline lower until Katie's cleavage spilled out, barely contained. She hiked the hem an inch, exposing more thigh, then fluffed Katie's hair, now loose and wild.

Liza looked approvingly at Katie. "There. Irresistible."

Katie struck a pose, hands on hips. She turned to the stage, where John was standing, talking with Harry. She called out to him. "Yo, John." He glanced in her direction. "This work for you?"

John chuckled. "It works for me."

"Gather round," Harry called out, his voice filling the studio.

"Let's run the script," he said when everyone had gathered around him. Harry sat on a fold-up chair, legs crossed like a king holding court. He had a sheet of paper in one hand, and studied it before looking up at them. "I'll admit, the plot leaves something to be desired, but I figured we'd keep things straightforward for Mike's first day." He smiled at Mike. "I'm sure we'll have some real challenges for you in the future, but for today, let's just ease you into it."

Mike nodded. "Thank you, sir. Uh, Harry."

Harry smiled. "Harry is indeed my name, thank you for using it." Mike smiled back. Liza had said the old man was a character, and Mike was starting to see it.

Harry looked quickly down at his paper, then up at Katie. "Katie, you're the lonely housewife, home alone, desperate for company. You've noticed a leak, you're anxious to get it fixed. Money's short, but you'll find a way to pay the bill." Katie nodded.

He turned to John. "John, you're the plumber--big wrench, bigger package." He glanced down at the script, then back up. "You won't let a woman get wet without helping her out."

Mike hid a little grin. Yeah, it sounded like porn.

"We'll keep the dialogue short and sweet," Harry continued, "then it's all action. Mike, mounted cameras for the wide shots, handheld for the close-ups." He looked from face to face. "Questions?"

Mike shook his head.

Katie grinned at Harry. "Harry, we've got this." She turned to Mike. "Keep the cameras rolling, Mike. John and I know this dance."

As Harry wrapped up, Mike did a final check of his gear. He had mounted one camera near the couch, angling it to catch the full scene, then set another by the kitchenette. It was a faux marble counter where, he assumed, things would get messy.

Harry clapped, getting everyone's attention. "Places, people! Katie, on the couch. John outside the door." John huddled over to the fake door in the equally fake wall. Katie plopped down on the couch, picking up a magazine, assuming the 'bored housewife' look.

Liza retreated to her station, brushes at the ready for touch-ups, and Harry leaned forward on his chair. He looked from John to Katie to Mike. "Let's make some magic. Mike, you good?" Mike nodded, finger ready on the record button.

"Good lad. Action in three... two... one..."

Chapter 2 -- It's Hard, You Know?

"Action!"

Katie lounged on the couch, flipping through a magazine with exaggerated boredom. Her eyes flicked over to the door at the knock. The door opened, and John entered, tool belt clanking.

"Ma'am, you called about a leak?" he drawled, stepping through the door.

Katie tossed the magazine aside, batting her lashes. "Oh, thank God you're here--my pipes are a mess!" Mike stifled a snort, zooming in on her pout. John walked closer, his eyes moving from Katie to the fake faucet.

"I see," he said. He leaned down, looking at the sink. "I'll have to do a real job here."

"Yes, please," Katie said. "I'm all wet."

John rose. "Luckily, I brought my biggest wrench." Mike panned, catching John as he moved to the other side of the counter.

"Let's see the damage," John said, dropping to his knees like he was inspecting something under the sink.

Katie leaned over, cleavage spilling forward. "It's deep. Are you sure you can get that deep?"

John turned to her, a grin on his face. "I can get as deep as I have to," he said.

Harry chuckled from his chair, muttering, "Gold, pure gold." Mike was starting to relax. This wasn't so difficult. They all seemed nice and friendly, and the camera work was child's play.

John yanked off his shirt, then tugged Katie's dress up over her hips. She wore nothing under. Mike's breathing quickened. Playtime was over. Katie giggled and hopped onto the counter, legs spread wide.

Mike adjusted the mounted camera slightly, heart hammering, and zoomed in as John dropped his jeans. His cock sprang free and Katie licked her lips. "Is that for me?" she asked, looking down at his cock. "It's so big."

John gripped Katie's hips, pulling her to the edge of the counter. He lined his cock up with her pussy, and looked at her. "I told you I brought my biggest wrench," he said, as he pushed, his cock entering her.

Mike grabbed the handheld and moved closer, capturing every detail as John started fucking Katie. He got in close, zooming in on the action, then panned up to get Katie's face, eyes closed, biting her lip. Mike was painfully aware that his cock was getting harder by the minute. He awkwardly shifted position, praying no one noticed the bulge.

Katie slid off the counter, dropping to her knees. "Time to polish the pipe," she moaned, wrapping her glossy lips around John's cock. Mike crouched low, handheld steady, filming her tongue swirling over the tip, then taking it deep.

In a way, it was easier when he was crouching, his cock aligning with his thigh, but the problem would only be more pronounced when he'd have to get up. He held the camera steady, capturing every move of Katie's head as she bobbed on John's cock. He tried to think of baseball. Let's see. The Dodgers were near the top of the standings, but they were meeting a strong team tomorrow. Who was it again? Think, dammit, think.

John groaned, hands in Katie's platinum hair. "That's it, you know how to oil my wrench."

Who was he kidding? Baseball wasn't gonna help, even if he'd actually been a sports fan. Mike's jeans were a torture chamber now, his hard-on pulsing. He glanced at Liza, who was looking directly at him. Not on Katie or John. Him. With dread, he saw the corners of her mouth twitch.

Then, a miracle.

"Break," Harry called. "Five minutes, get some water." Katie and John went to the corner of the stage, each grabbing a bottle of water. Mike stayed crouched, pretending to make some adjustments to the handheld.

"Great work, kid," Harry said. "See, it's a breeze."

"Yeah," Mike croaked, still crouching. "Nothing to it."

Harry beamed at him, then walked over to John and Katie.

Mike finished his 'adjustments' and stood, shakily. He put the handheld down and got off stage. He made sure not to look in Katie's direction. She still had her dress on, and thankfully it had slid down when she rose, but he didn't take any chances.

"It's hard, isn't it?" He hadn't noticed Liza approaching, but turned to her.

"Uh, well, not really. I've used similar cameras before."

Liza snorted. "Yes, of course you have."

Mike swallowed. "Uh, so make-up, huh? That must be exciting."

"All right," Harry said, addressing the whole crew. "We've done the counter position and oral. We're moving on to doggie."

Katie moved over to the couch. She removed her dress, turned to Mike and threw it to him. "Be a sweetie and take this for me."

If she hadn't actually hit his hand, he would've dropped it. The little break had helped, but now, back on stage with Katie, he realized his trials weren't over. The way she'd just casually removed the dress and turned to him was mesmerizing. Her lithe movement, the sway of her breasts. Oh man, he thought. This is gonna hurt.

John walked over to Katie, dropping the towel he'd put around himself for the water break.

"Okay," Harry said. "John, you'll do her from behind. Keep a steady rhythm, going deep. Mike, get some detail shots from both sides first, then expression shots. John, Mike'll need time to get all that, find a pace you can keep up for at least four or five minutes."

"Sure," John grunted. "I've got this."

Harry turned to Mike, his eyebrows raised in a question.

Mike picked up his handheld and nodded. "Yeah, no problem."

Yeah, he got it. The filming wasn't the issue.

"Great, get to it," Harry called.

The first couple of minutes went pretty well. He found he could distance himself a little when filming the close-ups. Sure, there was a pussy there, and the sounds Katie made were very suggestive, but it didn't get to him the same way as seeing her face. That felt more real. This was... well, anatomy? He filmed from both sides, starting wide and then zooming all the way in, before Harry called for the expression shots.

"Katie, do your magic. I want heavy breathing, eyes closed, moaning, biting your lip, looking suggestively into the camera, okay?"

Katie looked at Harry. "What? All at once?"

Harry blinked and looked down at his script. "Uh, no. You are correct. I apologize. First, heavy breathing with eyes closed, then bite your lips and look into the camera."

Katie grinned at him. "I'm kidding, Harry. I know how this works."

Harry chortled. "Ah, right. Splendid. Mike, you ready?"

Mike nodded and rose, handheld ready to get John's face.

John started his pounding, and got in character immediately. He moved like a machine, alternating between grunts, silence, and the occasional muttered phrase. "Oh, yeah," "Baby," and "Ah, fuck" were the most frequent. Harry seemed satisfied, and twirled his fingers in the air. Katie's turn.

Mike shifted position, moving to Katie's end of the couch. John kept his rhythm, pounding relentlessly, Katie's breasts swaying with each thrust.

"Yeah," Katie mumbled. "I need your tool, Mario."

Mike heard Liza make a tiny chuckle, but his mind wasn't on the cheesy porn dialogue. It was on Katie's face. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, his heart hammering, his cock getting harder and harder, pushing against his jeans. He didn't dare glance down. He knew what he'd see.

"Eyes open," Harry called. Katie opened her eyes and looked straight at the camera. She bit her lip and moaned as John kept up his pace.

Her eyes shifted downwards and paused on his crotch. A small smile formed on her face, and she looked up at him. "Hard day at work, huh, Mike?" she purred.

John laughed, a deep rumble, and Mike's face burned as he adjusted his stance, mortified. Katie winked at Mike, then arched her back higher, her moaning intensifying.

Katie and John continued for a couple of minutes before Harry looked over at Mike. "I think we have what we need. You?"

Mike wasn't sure whether Harry genuinely wanted his opinion or was offering him a way out of his misery. Either way, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity.

"Uh, I think we're good. I've got plenty of detail shots, and I think we've got all the expressions we need."

"All right, everybody. Let's do the money shot, then it's a wrap."

Mike took a few steps back, hands trembling. Soon, this would be over.

"Katie and John," Harry said. "We'll do the standing facial. Easiest to film." He smiled at Mike. "Like I said, we're easing you in."

Mike gave him a weak smile. He was grateful for the consideration, but he'd actually welcome something difficult, that would let his mind focus on something else than Katie's face. Still, almost done now.

"John and Katie. Start with the standing missionary against the wall. Not too long, just to set the mood. Katie. At my signal, slide down to your knees before him. Make sure to slide your breast down his chest." Katie nodded.

"Mike, start with the full body shot. Zoom in on their faces on my signal, then follow Katie down. When John comes, make sure you get it all. It's the hardest part to reshoot, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Action."

John started fucking Katie against the wall, Mike catching it with his handheld. The mounted cameras were also filming, so they'd have plenty of footage for editing. Harry pointed at him, and he moved closer. Katie was moaning, eyes closed, her head tilted back. Mike felt his penis reacting, but he didn't feel the panic from earlier. One way or another, this would be over soon.

"I'm gonna cum," John grunted.

Katie moaned, and slowly lowered to her knees, her breasts sliding along John's chest. Mike followed. Katie took John back in her mouth, sucking his head while John moaned above them. After a couple of seconds, he grunted and pulled his cock from Katie's mouth, grabbed it, and started jerking. Mike zoomed in tight as John's cock erupted, thick ropes of cum blasting across her face, splattering her cheeks, nose, lips. She laughed, eyes shut, as it dripped down her chin.

"Holy shit," Mike muttered.

"Cut!" Harry clapped, springing to his feet with a beaming smile. "That's gold, pure gold!" The crew burst into cheers, a small wave of applause filling the studio.

Mike set the handheld down, hands shaking, his erection still painful, but he felt it shrinking for each heartbeat.

Katie rose and flopped down on the worn couch on stage, panting and laughing, cum dripping everywhere. "Towel, please, Mike?" she asked. He grabbed one from a pile, handing it over with a shaky smile, along with a water bottle. "Great job, cam boy," she said, wiping her face.

John chugged water, grinning. "I can't believe I get paid for this."

Harry clapped Mike on the shoulder. "Great work, kid. Can't wait to check out the footage."

"Thanks," Mike said with a weak smile.

Harry grinned at him. "You did better than most. I've been around a while. For your first day, that was solid."

Chapter 3 -- How About Tomorrow?

The crew scattered. Katie and John headed for the showers, Harry to his office. Mike went over to the lounge area and dropped down on the couch. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to beat more slowly, focusing on his breathing. He'd survived, barely.

"Not quite what they prepared you for in college?"

He opened his eyes. Liza sat down in an armchair, smiling kindly at him.

"Uh, I've got a bachelor's degree..."

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it."

He paused. Yeah, he knew it.

"Uh, well, it's hard, you know." He stopped, realizing what he'd just said. A slight smile formed on his lips. "Yeah, and that's actually the only problem."

She grinned a little, but didn't say anything, letting him get it off his chest.

He noticed her silent invitation and continued. "I've got a bachelor's degree in photography and media. I did well, actually. Not top of my class, but close." He sighed. "I must have skipped the class dealing with 'erections during porn shoots'."

She chuckled. "Do you think you're the first guy I've seen struggling like this? Especially on his first shoot?"

He shook his head. "I suppose not."

"No. In fact, you're doing better than most. It's not for everyone. Some can't handle it. They make up some lame excuse and leave. Some act like everything's fine, but then they never show up again. The good ones do what you did."

"What did I do?"

She grinned. "Your job."

Liza had left, repeating that he did good, and that she hoped he'd be back.

Mike was packing down the gear, wrapping up the last few cables as Katie came out of the wardrobe. She was back in her hoodie and jeans, her hair back in a ponytail.

"Good job, Mike," she said as she approached.

"Thanks. You too."

"Thank you." She smiled. "Hey, Mike, sorry about teasing you. It was just a little funny, you know?"

He smiled. He had been embarrassed then, but it already felt like it was ages ago. "Don't be," he said. "I mean, I had it coming." He grinned. "You know, when I got this job, all sorts of scenarios went through my head, but nothing like this."

"Yeah, it's a weird business. So, you sticking around?"

"I think so. I mean, it was horrible half of the time, but the other half was pretty fun. If I can just get that horrible part down to twenty percent or so, I'm definitely staying."

She laughed. "I hope you do." She smiled and touched his shoulder. "See you around, Mike." She turned and left.

He put the last cable back in the crate and looked around the room. It was empty. Harry was still in his office, but Liza had told him he often stayed late after a shoot.

Slowly, he walked to the door. This day hadn't been what he'd pictured, but it had been good. Mostly good. He stepped out into the night.