Chapter 2
August “Lowe”
I’d just locked the door to the College library and shoved the keys into my pocket when my phone rang. The jangling sound echoed off the stonework and brick facade of the building. The loggia leading to the parking lot was cast in shades of orange and shadowed by the setting sun and glinted off windshields of the cars only a few hundred feet from where I walked. There was nothing like a Nevada sunset to release the tension of the day.
I inhaled the chilly twilight air and released a slow breath as I reached into the breast pocket of my coat to retrieve my device. The cool basin desert breeze added a decidedly winter chill to the air, and I tucked into my coat to stave off the nippiness. In the distance, thick, heavy clouds gathered near the mountains. Their puffy formations lowered, spreading out across the desert, pushing into the higher elevations to blanket the area. In a few hours, fog and drizzle would coat the town in a clammy dampness.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d have sworn the storm gathering off to the west smelled of snow with a hint of petrichor. Obviously, the conditions were ripe for the wintry precipitation. Snow fell in the Sierras, and within the desert basin sometimes in May. Just depended on the year and if there was an El Nino churning off the coast of California. Seemed Mother Nature like fucking with all our heads. Even though we lived at the right elevation to experience the white stuff.
Plus, we’d have to get rain first. It could smell like sagebrush, Joshua trees, asphalt, and dirt all day, but it didn’t mean a damn thing if the system shifted. Knowing our luck, the storm would shift, bringing the rain to us, and hit Southern California or the High Desert with one of those monster storms. Bringing snow to the San Bernardino Mountains and the Angeles National Forest.
Lucky assholes.
By the third ring, I had the phone in hand, and I stopped in my tracks. Nova. I was supposed to meet Lorna next week when I had a free afternoon. Had something happened? I slid my thumb across the screen, accepting the call.
“Good evening, Nova,” I said. “What can I do for you?”
“August,” she replied, “do you have time to meet Lorna tonight? She has something she’d like to discuss with you, and the contract for your film in March is ready to be signed.”
I glanced at my watch. It was a little after five and my first class wasn’t until eleven the next day. “Sure. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“Great, I’ll see you then,” she said before exchanging farewells.
After placing my things in the passenger seat of my car, I closed the door and started the vehicle. My mind spun with questions, knowing the contract could’ve waited too. I hadn’t always been a star for Behind the Lens, but over the years, I’d become popular with a select audience—something I wanted to expand. Hence the new movie contract she had for me.
Curiosity spun through my mind as I exited the parking lot and headed for the interstate. The studio wasn’t far from Mystic College, only about a thirty-minute drive on a good day. Usually, I used the time to unwind, but I couldn’t help but wonder what she wanted to discuss. The last movie we did six months ago did well distribution wise, and it brought attention to some of the newer faces with the company. For a second, I wondered if maybe she wanted to do another feature of the same caliber. Wouldn’t bother me one bit if she did. I had fun.
When I pulled up to the gate of the warehouse, the sun had set, and those thick, rolling clouds clung to the hills surrounding the canyon, threatening the area with rain. I parked in my usual spot, then removed my tie and unbuttoned the top few buttons of my shirt. Bet you’re wondering how someone like me became a porn star and a professor of Librarian Studies at a prestigious college, huh?
Luck of the draw, mostly.
I’d needed money while I went to college and porn afforded me an easy schedule, along with a flow of cash to get me through eight years of college. I hadn’t planned on staying in school for so long or getting my doctorate. Perhaps it was the cocky part of my brain getting off on having people call me Dr. Barlowe. Maybe it was boredom. Either way, the more films I did, the further my education took me until I applied for the position at Mystic College.
At the same time, I found Behind the Lens , a studio closer to the college where I’d taught and ran the library department. If someone would have told me at eighteen a subsection of society would know me as Lowe—porn star while another portion knew me as Dr. Barlowe, I’d have laughed in their face.
However, doing both came with extenuating circumstances. I couldn’t continue my career at BTL if I exposed my face in the movies I participated in. I’d lose everything. Society had their hang ups about public sex or voyeurism. They couldn’t quite embrace their sexuality or accept the fact people loved to fuck and didn’t use the act for procreation purposes. The pearl clutchers really had a puritan kink. Until that section of the population got over themselves, we’d continue to have issues with government overreach where porn was concerned.
Which made my career choice ten-times harder.
Still, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I enjoyed performing. My tenure in the industry had led to several awards and publication write-ups praising my work. If I sounded like a preening peacock, so be it. I don’t mind the moniker. I thought it fit me perfectly. I pulled off my coat once I was out of my car then rolled the sleeves up on my shirt.
No need to be as formal here as I was at the college.
I found Nova at her reception desk as I entered the warehouse. She greeted me with a warm smile. “Hey, August. I’ll let Lorna know you’re here. If you want to wait just a moment.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
A few seconds later Nova glanced at me and waved me on. “She’s ready for you. Knock before you enter.”
“Thank you, Nova.” I strode down the hall to Lorna’s office then knocked on the doorframe, waiting for her permission to enter. There was always something going on at the warehouse. From camming to making movies, someone was always busy. The electric charge in the atmosphere kept me coming back for more, that’s for sure. As if the second I stepped over the threshold the energy changed. This sensual vibe took over, and a languidness consumed me. I could fuck like a champ, act my ass off, and feel more rewarded, some days, than I did finding some long-hidden piece of literature in the bowels of the college.
“Come in,” Lorna stated, allowing me entry into her office. “Close the door will you, August.”
I nodded, doing as she requested. “Have to admit, you caught me off-guard with your request for a meeting.”
She glanced at the paperwork in her hand; pen poised to strike when needed. “Sorry, it was short notice. Day got away from me.” She cleared her throat before marking something on the page she read over, then signed it. Lorna affixed a brilliant smile on her face, illuminating her features. She was a gorgeous woman, and she knew it too. Lorna also knew what she wanted and grabbed on with both hands. I didn’t think the studio would’ve been half as successful if she wasn’t in control of the day-to-day activities. “If you’d like a drink, grab one.”
“Scotch sounds amazing right now,” I replied then stood. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have what you’re having,” she answered, sitting back in her chair. “You always have this air of a refined gentleman about you. Question is, do you practice your charms or are they natural?”
“Finishing school,” I said over my shoulder as I poured our drinks. “Figured if I was going to be a stuffy doctor, I better have the manners to match.”
“We both know you don’t fuck like a stuffy doctor.”
I smirked. “No. I don’t.”
Bringing the drinks back to Lorna’s desk, I passed her a crystal tumbler first, then took a seat across from her. “I have a proposition for you.” She ran the pad of her index finger along the rim of the glass while sizing me up. “You can say no.”
“Why do I feel there’s a but in there somewhere?”
She chuckled. The deep, throaty vixen sound went straight to my gut and spread outward. “There are no buts, Auggie, promise.”
I slouched into the chair, tugging at the upper thigh of my pants to relieve the bunching toward my groin. “Alright. What’s this proposal, then?”
She took a sip of the whiskey, drawing my attention to her ruby lips and sinful blue eyes. Everything she did was a master class in sensuality. Sexiness sold in spades within our business, and she was the embodiment of it in a tight, little package. “I’ve chosen you for the first annual calendar shoot. Your month is February.”
I tilted my head. “You gave me February? Interesting choice.” I leaned forward, bracing my elbows on my knees while holding the glass in front of me. “Is there more to this little calendar shoot?”
“A movie. You pick the national holiday you’d like to use, and we’ll make the movie happen,” she said.
“And the photo shoot.”
She nodded.
I sat back. “Fascinating. First, I’m honored you’ve chosen me.”
“Are you saying no?” She quirked a perfectly manicured brow, challenging me. “If you don’t want the opportunity, Auggie, I can ask someone else.”
“Who said I was saying no?” I stared at her, intrigued by the idea. The only thing about February was Valentine’s Day.
“You haven’t said yes, either,” she reminded me.
“I love our tête-à-têtes.” I smirked, taking a sip of the scotch. “What’s the catch?”
“No catch,” she said. “Go all out and have fun with the project. Contracts are the same. The standard twenty percent rule is in place and the remaining eighty percent goes to you and whoever joins you for the movie. I think the calendar will sell well on its own. Paired with movies from our hottest actors and actresses, we’ll have a certified hit on our hands.”
“When do you need an answer for the holiday?” I asked.
“How long do you need?”
“A couple of days,” I answered. “Nothing major. I want to pursue my choices before deciding.”
“Huh,” she muttered. “I’d thought you’d go for the obvious.”
I snorted. “Not likely. It’s overplayed, Lorna.”
“But it sells, even as ‘overplayed’ as you say.” She thumbed through the stack of files in front of her. “Here is the contract for Driver . Read it over with your lawyer, Jonesy. There are three sets of dates in there. Choose one that will fit with your schedule at the college.”
I placed the crystal tumbler on her desk before I took the manilla folder from her and inclined my chin. “I’ll send it to Jonesy tonight and have it for you before the end of the week. As for the other. Give me two days.”
“Two days it is. I’ll have everything drawn up when you’re ready.” She sat back in her chair, glass poised at her mouth. “As always, it’s a pleasure doing business with you, August.”
“Likewise,” I said.
A calendar shoot? I wasn’t afraid to show my body. I worked out every morning before classes, and my allotted time at the library. However, I was one of the older members of Lorna’s passel of actors. She could use any of them and the project would still sell. Choosing me came as a surprise. Sure, I had a few adult entertainment awards under my belt, including Best Cum Shot, Best Solo—Male Scene, and Best Masked Men Scene.
This felt different, though.
A recognition of sorts.
I appreciated her giving me the opportunity. Driver signaled a new direction for my career with Lorna, so any chance there was to preview what was coming, I’d take it. I wasn’t the young buck anymore. As a seasoned actor, I could take calculated risks while being the star and the veteran.
On the drive back to the campus, I called Jonesy to give him a heads up on the contract. He said he would be out of town for a week or more but didn’t say where he’d be. Calling now could wake him while waiting until the morning could catch him in the middle of a meeting. “Hey Astra, call Jonesy.”
“Calling Jonesy,” the on-board system repeated. I loved the hands-free functions in my Porsche.
The phone rang twice before he answered. “Morning, Aug.” His roughened voice hit me in the chest. “Shit, sorry, evening.”
“Hey,” I replied. “Sorry to wake you.”
The rumple of cloth accompanied the sound of Jonesy fumbling with something. Knowing him, the clock on his phone. “Shit, I’m out of here in twenty minutes. Thanks for the wake-up call. I owe you.”
I chuckled softly. “Not a problem. Unfortunately, I didn’t call to shoot the shit or wake you up. I received the contract for Driver. ”
“Did you? Congrats, man.” He let out a shuddered groan then exhaled. “Scan it and email it to me, I’ll take a look on the flight home.”
“Sounds good.” I appreciated his help. “Hey, what are you doing when you get back?”
“I have a few days,” he said, lowering his voice. “Are you propositioning me, Mr. Librarian?”
I snorted, adjusting my stiff dick. What we had was casual. No strings attached. It made for an exciting rendezvous whenever our schedules matched. I’d also used him in some of my earlier features with BTL. “I don’t have to proposition you.”
“No, you don’t,” he agreed. “I’ll change my flight and meet you at the house when I arrive.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you then.”
I spent the rest of the evening reading the contract and checking the portal for assignments. There were always a few stragglers who waited until the very last minute to send in their papers. I had their names memorized by now because they were always the same. I’d pondered a few times if they’d done so just to get a rise out of me. They were, after all, my best students.
As I closed the lid on my laptop, my phone beeped at the same moment sirens rang out, growing closer, cutting through the peacefulness of the night. Glancing at my phone, I cursed. One of the dorms was on fire and students were directed to stay away from the area to give first responders and firefighters access to the scene. A second text followed the first, requesting all professors on campus to meet in the administration building for an emergency meeting.
So much for a quiet evening at home.