“Ricky Rear?”
“That’s boring. You’re selling yourself here, plus people need to know you’re a porn star and not the Ricky Rear who works at the local builders yard.”
“There’s a Ricky Rear at the builders yard?”
“Hell, I don’t fucking know! But you get my point. Maybe we just put some X’s on the end.”
“Everyone does that. How about Fuck Yeah Ricky Rear?”
“Perfect! You’re getting into the spirit faster than I thought you would.”
“Why’d you say that?”
“I just get the feeling this isn’t your first choice sometimes. The porn I mean.”
Mason’s eyebrows furrowed, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated my words. “Maybe it’s not. But I chose this, and as with every other job I’ve ever had I will give it my everything. To say I’m doing this because I’ve no other choice, like I’m being forced into it or only doing it because I’m desperate is disrespectful to both the industry and to me.”
“Hey, that’s not what I meant,” I said, worried I’d offended him.
“Oh I know you didn’t. I just wanted to put it out there, that’s all. I don’t know many people, but of those I do I know they’ll judge me for this when they find out. Too many people assume going into this industry means we’re either damaged, desperate or fucking whores who deserve to be seen as nothing more than a walking fuck hole.”
“Well fuck ‘em. Anyone who doesn’t see you for who you are isn’t worth knowing. We’re all in it for different reasons, and those reasons are no one else’s goddamn business. It’s just a job. A fucking great job, but still a job nonetheless.”
“You really think it’s a great job?”
“Sure I do. I love sex, and I get to fuck hot guys for a living. Who wouldn’t love that?”
“But it’s different, no? I know I’ve only done one scene, but it’s a whole different ballgame than when you’re intimate with someone.”
“I don’t do intimacy, so I wouldn’t know.”
“So, you’ve never had a relationship?”
“No. Not something I’m looking for.”
“You don’t think it’d work? Being in porn?”
“It’s got nothing to do with the porn. A few of the guys are in relationships. Gio’s been with his guy almost a year and they’re still going strong. It’s just not something I want, regardless of the career I’ve chosen.”
“You must get lonely though. We all do. Don’t you hope to find someone you can just… I don’t know, share things with one day? Be there for you?”
“No,” I said curtly, hoping my tone would be enough to stop him probing further. “Okay, you’re all set to go on here,” I added, changing the subject. I’d been completing his Twitter signup while we talked. “You just need a profile picture and then you can start tweeting. You’ll be amazed how fast you pick up followers, especially if you post naked selfies.” I winked at him and he raised an eyebrow, smiling devilishly at me. “Same goes for Tumblr, but Facebook will kick your arse from their site faster than you can say pube for posting anything below the waist, so you gotta be good on there.”
“Got it. No pop shots on Facebook.”
“Ha! You’re learning.” It only took another fifteen minutes or so to get Mason, or Ricky, set up on the major social media sites and after a quick tweet to my own followers mentioning him, his feed was on fire within seconds. “Oh I forgot to say, Will wants you to text him. Wants to know where he can get some weed in New York.”
“Sure. I know pretty much everywhere.”
“You do?”
“I’m not some naïve virgin you know. Sometimes you treat me like I’m so innocent.”
Do I? I wondered idly why that was, because he was right. I did think of him that way. For the last few months my life had consisted of sex, weed and parties and nothing much else in between. Whereas Mason, he’d rather stay inside with a good book and a cup of coffee. He just didn’t ‘fit’ so easily into this world, and it was possibly the thing I admired about him the most.
“Not innocent,” I replied. “Just genuine.”
Something passed between us in that moment, causing us both to shuffle a little further apart. I didn’t know what it was, but it was a little intense and a whole lot uncomfortable.
“Okay, well I’m gonna head out and pick up some new clothes and stuff,” Mason said, rising nervously to his feet. “Ivan paid me for the photo-shoot I did the other day. I’ll grab some groceries too and then give you some rent with what I have left.”
“Sure. No worries.”
And then he was gone, leaving me sitting there with my head thrown back and wondering what the hell just happened.
“Ryder,” Eli greeted warmly when he answered the door to his and Ivan’s apartment. “How ya doing, buddy?” he added, bringing me in for a hug.