Pt. 02: All Work and No Play

Part 2 -- All Work and No Play

Chapter 1 - Melancholy Blues

"And cut!"

Harry's voice boomed over the set, and the crew visibly relaxed. Cory got up from her knees, face dripping with cum.

"Hank, I swear your loads are even bigger than John's. I nearly choked on that last spurt."

Hank looked at Cory with a concerned expression. "I'm sorry, Cory. I thought about jacking off before I got to work, but then there might not have been enough."

Cory gaped at him. "Hank, you're not serious, right? I'm kidding you. I love your big loads."

Hank, who clearly hadn't realized she was kidding, smiled in relief. "Wow, really? That's great. Some of the girls I've dated have been really angry with me when I've come on them."

Cory smiled. "Well, that's because you date young, stupid girls. One day you'll find a real woman, someone who'll appreciate what you have to offer."

Hank looked at her, his eyes wide. "Oh, Cory... I... I like you, but..."

Cory burst out laughing. "Hank, I'm not talking about me. Jesus, kid, get a grip. I could be your mother!"

Hank blushed, then grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yes, of course. Sorry."

Cory smiled at him and patted him on the cheek. "You sweet thing."

Mike chuckled to himself as he turned away from the exchange. He liked Cory and Hank, both regular performers at Starlight Studios. Cory Hunt was one of the biggest milf stars right now, sought after by every major studio. She had the face and body of the quintessential 'porn stepmom', beautiful and voluptuous. Today, she had done the classic 'stepmom-catches-stepson-peeping' s with Hank Hammer.

Hank, only 21 years old, was a perfect match for Cory's 47 in this kind of film. His youthful face made him perfect for high-school or stepmom scenes. He could be alone, and still not be the smartest guy in the room, but he was extremely reliable in the studio. Mike had once seen him maintain an erection for almost ten minutes without any kind of stimulation while Harry patiently described the plot of a scene.

Mike headed over to Liza, wanting to talk to her before she left the set.

"Good scene," he said as he approached her.

Liza looked up at him. "Yes, it really was. Hank is such a dear." She laughed a little. "Not the brightest, though."

Mike snorted. "Nope, not even close. But my God, he's good at his job."

Liza nodded. "He is. Of course, a guy his age with Cory? Can you imagine anyone going limp?"

"No, not really. She's gorgeous. Almost enough to make me quit my job behind the camera and pursue a career in front of it."

Liza laughed. "Don't tell Harry that. He's scared shitless of you quitting." Her smile faded. "Seriously, though. He is actually nervous about you leaving. He knows your dream wasn't doing porn, and that you'd rather do real movies."

Mike nodded. "Yeah, sure. I mean, doesn't that describe almost anyone in the business? I didn't move here to work at Starlight Studios. When I was a kid, I dreamed of Oscars, not AVN awards. But still, I really do like my job. I love the people, and I get to film, which was what I always wanted." He chuckled a little. "And I haven't spent a cent on porn since I began here, so there's that."

Liza snorted. "I should think not! Anyway, I've gotta run. Steve's been away on a trip, he's coming home in a couple of hours. I must get home and shave my pussy."

Mike laughed out loud. "Geez, Liza. TMI. Tell Steve I said hi. Oh, I bet he'd like a blowjob. Try to do like you've seen Nicky do."

Liza scoffed at him. "Mike, please. Nicky's got nothing on me." She smiled and gave him a hug, then headed out.

Mike walked back to the stage, and started putting all the gear away. Hank came out of the dressing room, hair wet from the shower. He grinned as he approached Mike, hand raised for a high-five. "So, any plans for the weekend, Mike?" he inquired.

"Nope, not much. Just gonna chill. You?"

Hank beamed. "Got a date. Friend of mine knows this bombshell. I texted her this morning, we're going to that new place downtown. He tells me she's a sure thing." He grinned.

Mike raised an eyebrow. "What? You hope to fuck her?"

Hank looked a little surprised. "Yeah, sure. Well, I'll try. Just got paid, so I can buy her some drinks. Chicks dig that," he said knowingly.

Mike shook his head in disbelief. "Hank, you just fucked one of the sexiest women I know. You can't actually still be horny?"

"That was work. I still have a life, you know. Anyways, gotta run. See you."

Mike looked after Hank, shaking his head slightly. Well, everybody needs a hobby.

The studio was empty. He could hear the showers still running, so Cory hadn't left yet, and he knew Harry was in his office. The old man finished every shoot with a cognac and cigar in there, before going home to his wife.

As he put away the last tripod, Cory came out of the dressing room. She smiled at him as she approached. "Thank you for always making me look perfect," she said.

Mike looked a little puzzled. "Thanks, I guess, but that's not my doing. You are gorgeous, and if anyone's making you even more perfect, it's Liza."

Cory smiled. "Sure, Liza's great, but I'm not talking just about my face and body. It's the way you film me. I watched that last film I did with John a couple of months back, remember?"

Mike nodded. "Sure, the double scene with Nicky and Hank."

"Yes. It was a run-of-the-mill film, even if Harry thinks it's a masterpiece, but the way you filmed me! I know how I look, I'm not stupid, but with the body type I have, the cameraman makes all the difference. When you film me, I always look sexy. With some other guy at the camera, I look fat and ugly."

Mike shook his head. "Cory, you are stupid. Have you seen yourself? Even if I tried I couldn't make you ugly. You're one of the sexiest women I know, and you know I've seen a few."

"Thanks, Mike. You're sweet." She gave him a small peck on the cheek before she walked out of the studio.

Mike was alone in the studio. He didn't want to disturb Harry, who always got melancholy after finishing a film. The old man never said so, but Mike knew he preferred to sit alone, drink his cognac, then go home. Mike turned off all the lights except one, and headed out to his car.

Mike parked his car, and walked the couple of blocks to his building. He wished he could find a parking place closer, but it was impossible. He would like to move somewhere better one day, but while Harry was a fair boss, most of the studio's budget was spent on the female talent.

As he entered the building, Sarah came running down the stairs.

"Hi, Mike. Just off work?"

"Yeah, long day. Gonna microwave some leftovers, then hit the sack. On your way out?"

She grinned at him. "Jake called. Said he needed help with his laptop, but I know he just wants to fuck."

Mike smiled back. Sarah was his favorite neighbor, and actually one of his closest friends in the city. She'd moved in a while ago, and he'd helped her carry some boxes. That had been all she needed to peg him as a nice guy, and she started greeting him whenever they ran into each other in the hallway or stairwell. She had only lived there for a couple of weeks when they started hanging out with each other. Watching movies, playing board games, talking. Sarah worked in tech support, and while Mike was more than capable of doing his own support, he liked talking to someone smart and tech savvy.

"Ha ha, sounds like him. Tell him hi."

"Will do," she said, and jogged out.

He walked the stairs to his apartment and locked himself in.

Once he'd heated the leftover pizza, he sat down on the couch. He turned the TV on and hunted for something to watch. Nothing jumped out at him, but he finally settled on the first Hunger Games film. He'd seen it before. Pizza eaten, beer on a coaster, he watched as Katniss ran away from the mutts. Nice tracking shot, he thought, but the lighting is terrible. Whoever hired that guy?

His phone buzzed. A message from Kate.

hi mike :) long time. all good?

He smiled. It always made him happy when Kate sent him something.

Hi Kate :-) Yeah, been a while. I'm good, just home from work. Watching TV, having a beer. You?

im great. just had five minutes, on my way out. me and jenny gonna tear up the town

Sounds fun, enjoy your weekend. Good hearing from you :-)

He smiled as he put his phone down. He really liked Kate, but she was thousands of miles away. Not that he thought there would ever be anything there, but if ever he'd had a crush on anyone, it was Kate.

He took the last sip of beer, and went to bed.

Chapter 2 - Game on!

Up for an early Scrabble?

Mike put the phone down, not expecting an answer immediately. Sarah wasn't really a morning person, and she'd been at Jake's till late. He'd heard her door slam well past midnight.

He went to refill his coffee, and when he got back his phone buzzed.

sure hop over ill crush u doors open

Mike grinned. He knew Sarah could type like a demon on a regular keyboard, but he also knew she hated typing on the tiny keyboard on her phone. He got up and walked the 30 feet down the hallway to Sarah's apartment.

"I'm here," he yelled as he entered her living room.

"Be right out," he heard her yell back. "Got something stuck in my teeth. Make yourself useful and put on some coffee."

Mike smiled and went to the kitchen. He'd gotten used to Sarah's unfiltered and direct communication over these last few months. He put the coffee on and went back to the living room. He got the Scrabble board out and set it up as she walked in.

"Got it?" he inquired.

She smiled at him, baring her teeth. "Yep."

"So," he asked. "Was your theory about Jake correct?"

It took a second for her to connect the dots, then she grinned. "Of course, what did you think? Typical Jake booty call. But, to be honest, he did have a tiny problem. He couldn't log on his laptop."

Mike raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Did you fix it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Nothing turning off caps lock couldn't fix."

Mike chuckled.

Sarah continued. "But that lecherous pig was even quicker than usual. I literally looked at his laptop for ten seconds, but when I turned around, he was two feet behind me, pants down, cock out."

Mike snorted. "That's Jake. What did you do?"

"What do you mean 'what did you do'? I opened my mouth."

Mike laughed out loud. Sarah's blunt way of talking often had him rolling with laughter.

She continued, grinning at Mike's reaction. "So he put it in and started pumping. You know how he is."

Mike laughed even harder, Sarah's description cracking him up.

"Anyway. He came, I swallowed, we shared a beer, then he fucked me for real." Her smile got a little softer. "You know, I make a little fun of him sometimes, but he's a good guy. I think he might really be the one."

Mike smiled at her. "He's a great guy. I think he really likes you too."

Sarah cleared her throat. She was fun, honest and direct, but she wasn't very comfortable talking about feelings. "So, ready to be crushed?"

Mike laughed. He often popped over for a Scrabble, and while they were fairly evenly matched, she had a slight edge. Sarah kept score on a sheet of paper in the Scrabble box, and so far she had a 17-12 lead.

"Bring it, woman."

They focused on the game. Mike got a bad start, but managed to hit a triple word and was up by 17 points. Sarah looked intently at her pieces, her eyes moving from the board to her pieces and back. Suddenly, a grin appeared on her face.

"Ah," she said, picking up her remaining five pieces. Mike groaned.

She grinned, updating the score. She'd won again. Mike looked at her, exasperated. "I thought I had you this time."

She shook her head. "Sorry, Mike. Not today."

She packed up the game and put it on the shelf. "So, any plans tonight?"

"Nothing much," he said. "Think I'm gonna rewatch Highlander. There are some really nice scene transitions in it."

Sarah scoffed at him. "You and your scene transitions."

He shrugged. "It's a classic. How 'bout you, what're you doing?"

"Me and Jake gonna try that new Ethiopian place."

"Yeah? I drove past it a couple of nights ago. Didn't look too busy."

"No, but you know Jake. He always wants to 'challenge his taste buds.'" She made a gagging noise, and Mike laughed. He suspected Sarah wouldn't mind eating sandwiches every day for the rest of her life.

She continued. "But that's okay. We'll eat and have some drinks, then I'll probably spend the night." She looked at him. "You staying in Sunday too?"

Mike nodded. "Guess so."

She looked at him, a small frown forming on her face. "How long have we known each other, Mike?"

He looked back, puzzled. "Uh, five or six months? Something like that? I met you the day you moved in."

"In that time, I don't think I've ever heard you have any weekend plans."

He scoffed. "Sure you have." His voice faltered a little. "Uh, there was that one time. The, uh..." his voice trailed off, trying to remember some details.

She shook her head. "Mike, I haven't. You're at work, you're in your apartment, you're here. That's it."

Mike looked at her, then cracked a half smile. "Yeah, guess you're right. But I like it. I love my job, and one of these days I'm gonna beat you at Scrabble."

She snorted at him. "Don't bet on it. Anyway, that's not the point. You need to get out more."

"I'm new in town. I don't know that many people outside work."

"You've been here almost two years."

"Yeah, but..."

She cut him off. "Mike, stop." She studied him for a moment. "Mike, when was your last date?"

"What?"

"A date? You know, with a girl? How long?"

"Uh, I don't know. A while?" He thought back. He'd had a little romp with Nicky a couple of months ago, but he didn't think that qualified as a date. And before that, the closest thing to a date he'd had was the night Kate told him she was leaving town. "Yeah, it's been a while."

Sarah nodded, like she'd gotten the answer she expected. "Thought as much." She paused. "You know, I just had an idea."

"What are you getting at?" he asked, a suspicious tone creeping into his voice.

"I have a friend," she said. "Carla. She works at the hospital, and she really needs to get a life. She's just like you, actually, except she doesn't even play Scrabble. She works way too much, picking up extra shifts left and right."

"If that's all she does, how do you know her?"

"We've been friends since we were children. She used to be a party girl, but after she started college, it's all work. We meet up for drinks about once a month, and lunch sometimes, that's it. And her folks are neighbors with mine, so we meet on holidays."

"Sarah, I don't need you to set me up."

"Fuck you, Mike, you do need it. And she needs it too. You'll like her, I promise."

Mike hesitated, torn between mild annoyance and intrigue. "I don't know. It's so... cliché, you know?"

She laughed. "So? Nothing wrong with a good cliché."

He smiled, thinking of his job. If anyone should accept clichés, people in the porn industry should. "I guess, but I don't know about dating. I haven't really dated a lot, you know."

"Even more reason for you to start."

He grunted. "What's this 'Carla' person like, anyway?"

"Oh, she's great. She's really smart, smarter than me. And funny, especially after a couple of drinks. Back in high school, she was the only one in class that everyone liked. No drama, no fuss."

"Sounds great, I hate drama. I get suspicious, though. A woman like that, how come she's not with some guy already?"

"I told you, she's like you. When she's not working, she's in front of her TV, or she's with me."

Mike laughed. "Sounds like a hoot. Oh, what the hell, why not. So how would this work?"

Sarah thought for a second. "Here's a thought. How about you two join Jake and me for dinner tonight? We'll call it a double date? Jake's probably read up on Ethiopian cuisine, so if you and Carla don't hit it off, he'll fill any awkward silences."

"Won't Jake mind?" Mike asked.

"No way. He's there for the food, not some romantic date. Of course, he's gonna fuck me after, but for dinner, the more the merrier."

"Well, it sounds kind of fun."

"Great, I'll call her." She paused, looking at Mike. "You know, I just realized. I've been trying to set you up with a girl, and you haven't even asked how she looks."

"So?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that most guys would, you know." She smiled. "You're not a closet gay or something, are you?"

Mike snorted. "No, it just didn't occur to me. But now you mention it, how does she look?"

"Oh, she's gorgeous. Did you see Requiem for a Dream?"

Mike scoffed at her. "What do you think? Of course I've seen it. You know, that movie has over 2000 cuts, an average movie usually has..."

She cut him off. "Yeah, nerd, that's not the point. Do you remember what Jennifer Connelly looked like at the start of the movie?"

"Of course."

"Carla looks just like that. Except her boobs are much larger. Oh, and her hair is a bit longer. And Carla has this little dimple..."

Mike started laughing, cutting her off. "Okay, so not like Jennifer Connelly."

Sarah laughed back. "No, not really, but she's just as cute."

"Okay, so 'cute with large boobs.' Exactly how I like 'em." He grinned at her. "See, I'm just like 'most guys'."

Chapter 3 - Meeting Carla

shes in

Mike read the text from Sarah. She had thrown him out, telling him to take a shower and dress up. She'd call Carla and pitch the date. She said she was almost sure Carla'd go for it, but getting the confirmation still sent a nervous tingle through him.

Great. Meet you at Lalibela at eight?

slight change of plans grabbing drinks first come to pub next door at six

All right, so he had an hour to kill before going. It was close enough to walk. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, thinking about his talk with Sarah. He didn't often think much about his life beyond work, but she had put her finger on something. He really didn't have much of a life outside work. Oh, he had friends, he just hadn't spoken with them in ages. His best friend from college had moved to New York, and the last time he talked to him must've been, what, four months ago? He sighed. Well, got a date tonight. Might be fun.

He walked into the pub at five to six, slightly nervous. He scanned the room, and saw Sarah and Jake at a table in a corner. He headed over, smiling at them.

"Hey, Jake. Good seeing you. What are we drinking?"

"Hi, Mike. Beer for now, but when we get to Lalibela we'll have to try their house red. I hear it's amazing."

Mike smiled. Jake saw himself as something of a connoisseur, and while Mike could appreciate both good food and wine, he wasn't snobbish. "Sounds good. So, Sarah, I seem to recall you mentioned someone else joining us?"

Sarah nodded. "Carla'll be here soon. She texted from the cab."

Their waiter approached, and Mike ordered a beer. Just as the beer arrived, Sarah looked up and waved frantically at the door.

"There she is."

Mike turned, and saw a cute, slightly chubby girl with long black hair. Hm, Sarah didn't exaggerate the cute part, he thought. And not the other details either. He swallowed, feeling his nerves acting up.

Carla smiled and waved when she saw Sarah, and walked over to their table. Sarah rose to greet her, and gave her a hug. "Guys, this is Carla," she said. "Not commonly seen without her scrubs, but we're all grateful she could join us today."

They all laughed, and Jake reached out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jake. Nice to meet you."

"You too," she said, then turned to Mike. "And you must be Mike?"

Mike smiled, and stuck his hand out. "That's right. Good to meet you, Carla." His nerves eased. There was something genuine and comfortable about her that he liked. "Please, sit. The waiter was just here, but he'll be back soon I guess."

Carla removed her coat and sat down next to Mike.

No one said anything for a second, then Jake and Sarah started at the same time.

"So, Carla, you into Ethiopian food?" Jake asked.

"How are things at the hospital?" Sarah began.

They both stopped, and looked at each other. All four burst out laughing, Jake giving an "after you" gesture to Sarah.

Sarah smiled, then repeated her question. "How are things at the hospital?"

"Oh, you know. I practically live there. I can't complain, but when you invited me here, I was like, 'God, yes.' It's so nice seeing someone not from work, you know?"

Sarah smiled. "Well, let's ask Mike. He's just the same. Work, work, work."

Mike laughed. "Yeah, rub it in. I have to pay my rent."

Carla tilted her head. "Well, I'm glad you agreed to join us. Sarah told me she had a cute neighbor who needed to get out more."

Mike mirrored her, tilting his own head with a teasing smile. "Well, she told me she had a cute friend that needed to get out more."

Carla turned to Sarah. "She said what?"

Mike laughed. "You know, I don't think this is a date. I think it's an intervention." Sarah took a sip of her beer, looking entirely unrepentant.

Carla laughed. "Yeah, it seems that way." She smiled at him. "So, what do you do, Mike? Sarah says you work in film?"

Mike hesitated slightly. When he first met Sarah, he'd said he worked as a cameraman, but he never said explicitly what kind of films he worked with. In the months after, she'd never asked for any details, and he'd never found the right time to broach the subject.

"Yeah, that's right. I work as a cameraman for a small, independent studio."

"Wow, that must be interesting. Anything I might've seen?"

Mike hesitated again. He suddenly realized he'd never prepared for this. How the hell do you say you work in porn?

"Uh, probably not. It's small scale stuff, very niche." He hoped someone would come up with a new subject.

Jake cut in. "I know a few art-film directors from my wine club, maybe we know some of the same people? Do you know Christian Goldstein? He just did that project with the sci-fi version of Anne Frank."

Mike shook his head, the name not ringing any bells. "Uh, no. But that sounds like a really strange proj..."

Jake interrupted him. "Oh, how about Linda Norwitch? She did that documentary on that Wilhelmina Furlong chick. You know, the painter?"

Mike felt a slight panic. "No, never met her. Say, Carla, what kind of doctor are you?"

Sarah gave Mike a puzzled look as Mike glanced over at Carla.

"I'm a first-year resident at Mercy General. Pediatrics."

"Oh, children," Mike said. "That's great. Must be sad, though, when things go the wrong way?"

"Yes, it can be. But luckily I haven't had too many such cases."

"I couldn't do that," Sarah broke in. "I would be terrified all the time. Do you remember that cancer kid in fifth grade? Him with the twin sister?"

And just like that, the danger was over, at least for now. Carla and Sarah reminisced over old friends, while Jake and Mike chimed in when they could. The conversation jumped from subject to subject, all taking part, not a dull moment. They drank beer and enjoyed the company.

After a while, Jake looked at his watch. "Time to go, our table is in five minutes."

They got up, pleasantly buzzed but far from drunk. The restaurant was next door, and they were met by a friendly man in his late sixties. "Welcome to Lalibela," he smiled. "Please, let me have your coats, and my son will show you to your table."

Chapter 4 - You do what?

The starters had been excellent, and the main course was just as good. The wine was, at least according to Jake, "superb."

"Wow," Sarah said. "I didn't really know what to expect, but this was tasty." She leaned over to Jake and kissed him on the cheek. "Good initiative, Jake."

Jake smiled at Sarah, then turned to Mike. "Mike, we never got to finish that film talk. Tell us more."

Mike's smile faltered, a slight panic rising in him. "Uh, well, as I said. It's quite niche, I don't think you've seen any of it."

Sarah looked at him. "You know, when I ask you 'bout your days, you always say stuff like 'we did a film where I got to use a new lens' or something like that. It seems like all your films only take one day to shoot and you've been there well over a year. You must have made hundreds?"

"Uh, yes, I suppose. Well, maybe not many hundreds, but quite a lot."

"You're being very secretive about this. You're not making snuff films, or right-wing propaganda, are you?" Sarah looked only half joking.

"No, nothing like that," Mike said. "Uh, you see. I make... I mean, the studio makes..."

Jake suddenly stiffened, and his eyes widened as realization hit him. "You make porn," he said, looking straight at Mike. He burst out laughing, repeating himself. "You make porn."

Mike's eyes widened, and he felt all the blood leave his face. He looked from Jake to Sarah to Carla. "Uh, well..."

Sarah and Carla had stared blankly at Jake's outburst, but now Sarah's eyes widened. Her lips turned up as a manic grin formed on her face. She looked to Jake, then back to Mike, and she, too, repeated Jake's revelation. "Mike, you make porn!"

Carla looked stunned for a moment, then she burst into loud, genuine laughter. She looked at Mike and, as if she felt she needed to complete the set, said, "You make porn?" then started giggling like a schoolgirl.

Mike looked at the laughing trio, not quite sure how to react. Well, at least they were not outraged. He started chuckling a little, feeling the blood return to his face. "Yeah, cat's out of the bag. I make porn."

Sarah was the first to get a grip. She looked at Mike, leaning forward. "Jesus, Mike, you're not kidding?"

Mike shook his head. "Nope, that's what I do."

Jake looked at him, awe in his face. "This is so awesome. Hell, Mike, how the fuck did you get that gig? Who do you film? Is it hard or soft, do you..."

Mike cut him off, laughing, interrupting the stream of questions. "Slow down, Jake, please. Remember to breathe."

Jake nodded, trying to get ahold of himself. "Sure, sorry. This is just... I mean... I can't even... Wow. This is so cool!"

Sarah burst out laughing at her boyfriend. "Jake, I know this is the wildest thing you've ever heard, but try not to go full fanboy, okay?"

Jake snorted, but closed his mouth, comically putting his hand over it.

Carla wiped her eyes with her napkin, composing herself. She looked at Mike, still grinning. "Wow, that's... unexpected."

He smiled at her. "Well, it wasn't something I expected, either. It sort of just happened."

Sarah cut in. "All this time, when we've hung out or played Scrabble or whatever, it never occurred to you to mention this? I thought we were friends?" She smiled.

Mike turned serious. "We are friends. But when we first met, I couldn't just tell my new neighbor that I worked in porn, right? And I never found a good time to bring it up." He cleared his throat. "I didn't want to, I don't know, shock you or anything."

She scoffed. "Mike, think back on our conversations. Do you think I shock easily?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, not really. Sorry, I should've told you. It just felt a bit awkward, you know? The first day, it would be awkward to tell you I worked in porn, but later, it was awkward that I hadn't told you. Please forgive me," he said.

Sarah reached out and touched his hand. "I get it, really, I do."

Jake decided he'd held his questions long enough. "But, for real, bro. Tell us more. Tell us what it's like."

"Ah, well. What it's like? Hm. Okay, well, yesterday, I shot this film with a woman called Cory Hunt, have you heard of her?"

And he kept talking. He talked about the film he'd done yesterday and films he'd done before. He told them about Harry, and how the old man sincerely believed he made art. He told them about his first day, and had them howling with laughter over his embarrassing erection problem. He told them about Liza and how she could be merciless when she was in a teasing mood, but always made everyone feel safe and comfortable on set. He talked about Cory, who Jake knew all about, and freely admitted was his favorite. He told them about Katie, but didn't mention she went by Kate now, or how he'd found that out. He talked about cameras and lights and lenses, about editing and props. His talking was constantly interrupted by questions and laughter, but he didn't mind. The dessert came and went, the wine flowed, and his audience was enthralled.

Chapter 5 - Soon?

Mike and Carla stood outside Lalibela, watching Jake and Sarah's cab drive off. Sarah had given him a hug before leaving, and whispered to him, "I think I'm really gonna enjoy tonight. I don't think I've ever seen Jake this horny." Mike had laughed, wishing her good luck.

Jake shook Mike's hand before leaving, saying, "Mike, awesome night. We gotta talk sometime without these ladies around, okay?"

Mike smiled. He didn't think he'd held much back for the sake of the 'innocent damsels', but he agreed they should hang out sometime.

As the cab disappeared around the corner, Carla moved closer.

"You know, this was one of the best first dates I've ever had."

Mike smiled. "Glad to hear it. And likewise, by the way. You know, working in porn has become very normal to me. I've been doing it for a long time now. I told you about my first day, so you know it was overwhelming at first for me too." He laughed, not because anyone had said something funny, but because he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Actually, you three are the first outside the business I have ever talked to about this. I didn't even realize before now, but I think I needed this."

She looked up at him, smile on her lips. "Then I'm glad we were here for you. I'm glad I was here for you." She leaned in, he could feel her body against his. "Mike, I want to meet you again. I need to go home now, I have some thinking to do, but I really want to meet you again."

Mike nodded. "Me too. Soon, I hope."

She looked up at him, rose onto her toes, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Soon," she agreed, before she turned around and walked away.