Chapter 19
Trent
I read the DM sent to me for the third time, and a chill runs up my spine that has nothing to do with the cold breeze coming in from the north today.
Under that is a screenshot of Magnus from the end of our live stream on his knees with ejaculate on his face.
This time the picture sent is of Magnus and the chancellor of the university, except the chancellor’s face has just been superimposed over mine and the background changed.
It’s not a very good AI edited picture, but it would probably fool my parents, and every person on the board is older than them and probably just as out of touch with the internet.
Magnus is going to have to deal with this before it gets out of hand.
He’s made sure our activity online doesn’t reflect badly on the university, he’s protected us both, and he’ll know what to do about this.
Transparency with the university is probably the route to go, but now that I’m looking at something as heinous as this, we probably should have considered keeping our faces offline.
Hindsight…
“You’ve gotten bad news?” Magnus asks as he joins me where I’m leaning against my car.
I immediately hand him my phone. “Fucker probably expects us to panic, but I know you know what to do about this.”
Magnus reads it, frowning with the little wrinkle between his eyebrows that he gets when he’s furious.
He takes a screenshot of the DM and sends it to his phone.
“Whoever this is truly doesn’t understand the person they’re fucking with.
” He hands me back my phone with a smile that on anyone else would make me legitimately question my safety.
“I’ll handle this. If you get more messages, send me screenshots.
Do you mind if I log in to your accounts on my computer? ”
Anyone else asking that would get a firm no from me, but this is Magnus, and he already knows where I write down my passwords. “Go for it.”
From one moment to the next the worry about the person slips away and a completely different worry sets in. “You ready for dinner with your parents?” I ask, swallowing down the nervousness.
Sure, we aren’t technically dating, but meeting the parents is a big deal, and Magnus’s aren’t exactly the type of parents I’m used to.
They literally gave a university guardianship over him as a teen; I can’t imagine doing something like that, and I’m not even sure I want to try my hand at parenting.
Am I judgy? Maybe a little bit.
Starting a kid off on a career when he’s fourteen isn’t a good parenting strategy in my book.
Kids should be allowed to grow up before they have to figure out how to contribute to society.
In this society we have fifty plus years of workforce to look forward to from the time we start working until we’re retirement age; there’s no reason to get a headstart on that.
“You’re wearing your look of disapproval. Do you not want to have dinner with my parents?” Magnus asks, stepping in close enough to touch.
I might be new to the whole bisexual thing, but I can’t complain about the erasure of the usual friendzone bubble of space. I put a hand on his ribs and pull him in closer. We’re connected now at our bellies, but he’s bent so he can maintain eye contact with an expectant look on his face.
“I may have opinions about leaving kids in the care of universities.”
“Technically Evelyn Marconni and Morrie Servel took custody of me,” Magnus points out.
“I realize that doesn’t make much of a difference to the opinion, but I think my parents did the best they could with the resources available to them.
I don’t hold it against them, and I don’t want you to either. ”
I press my lips into a firm line, mostly to squash the sudden impulse to kiss him, which we aren’t scheduled to do until after we explore anal sex—
This timeline of intimacy might actually kill me. Next time we revise our schedule for the channel, I’m going to push for kissing sooner.
“I’ll try,” I promise, releasing him even though I want to pull him closer.
The smile that lights up his face makes my heart flutter with happiness. He wraps his arms around me and hugs me, pressing his face into my neck as he murmurs his thanks. Like I did anything. I hug him back and kiss the top of his head. Someday it’s going to be his lips, but not today.
I release him and open the passenger door for him, waiting until he’s inside to close it and jog around the car.
We’re going to Seifutei, an upscale Japanese steakhouse that I’ve only ever been to once at the invitation of Dr. Marconni after earning a fellowship on a national math competition.
If I had goals for my higher learning beyond getting a master’s degree in forensic accounting, I would be set, but I came to this college because their graduate accounting program is one of the best in the nation for my goals.
I’ve already applied for a bunch of grants and scholarships to cover some of the cost of the graduate program, but with the way things are going for me and Magnus, I might not need them, not that I would ever look a gift horse in the mouth.
As we drive, Magnus talks about his friend’s idea for hiring grad students to help sort through the data from our uploads.
With little input from me, he works out the logistics of it, and I promise to figure out how much we can reasonably pay the four grad students he wants to hire.
I don’t mind lightening his work load—anything that someone else can do gives us more opportunities to spend time together. I’m not going to complain about that.
When we reach the restaurant and I park, Magnus turns in his seat, reaching over to squeeze my arm. “Thank you for going along with me. I underestimated how much work this would be.”
A crooked smile forms on my lips, and I place my hand over his. “I don’t mind. The pay-off is completely worth the effort.” And I’m not talking about the money.
“So far, at least,” he agrees, releasing my arm and reaching for his seatbelt.
I follow his lead, and we exit the car, heading to the restaurant where Magnus gives the hostess his father’s name and she leads him to a table where a couple in their mid-fifties awaits us.
Magnus and I have been friends for a year and a half, and this is the first time I’m seeing his parents.
He doesn’t have pictures of them in our dorm room, and if he has them on his phone, he hasn’t shown me.
His mother is the parent from whom he gets the color of his hair, but where he’s short for a man, she’s tall for a woman, wearing flowing trousers and a nice blouse with ballet flats, all in black and white.
Magnus Sr. donated his curls and stature to his son, and apparently his fashion sense since Magnus and his father are wearing matching suits with the same black tie.
Magnus didn’t warn me to dress up, but since I’ve been here before, I’m wearing a tie and jacket over my nicest jeans, and Magnus is dressed in the suit he taught in today.
When they see him, his mother smiles warmly and his father stands, immediately pulling Magnus in for a warm hug.
“Hello, son,” his father tells him before releasing him to his mother, who also hugs him just as lovingly.
Magnus Rochester Lancaster the Third offers me a hand shake and a smile as he assesses me with eyes that match my friend’s and look black in the low lighting of this restaurant. “And you are Trent Bressler. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I reply, shaking his hand, relieved that his parents seem more friendly than I expected.
Emily also greets me with her hand, but rather than shake, she just squeezes mine delicately.
Once we’re all seated, Magnus Sr. smiles expectantly. “We ordered a sushi platter for the table with sake, but if you want anything else, you can order whatever you like.”
“I don’t need to add anything,” Magnus responds, looking at me. “Trent? Do you want a steak instead? Or we could share one so you don’t have to choose.”
The steaks here are excellent, but I shake my head. “I’m good with what your parents decided on.”
Magnus shoots me a smirk and turns back to face his parents. “How have your travels been?” To me he adds, “They’ve been touring this year as guest lecturers in various universities across North America and Asia.”
I nod in response, and his father relays some anecdotes from his teaching, some funny, others way over my head, but Magnus understands and engages while his mother and I sit quietly across from each other.
She unabashedly studies me, and since she’s way beyond the dictates of social niceties for how much she’s looking at me, I return her scrutiny with as much eye contact as possible.
It’s uncomfortable, but as I’ve learned with Magnus, it’s best not to back down, and I’m assuming he gets his own eye-contact intensity from his mother.
“I would like to know about this adult entertainment study you’re conducting.
” Emily interrupts what Magnus Sr. and Magnus are discussing, turning from eyeing me to look at her son.
“I’ve followed your Instagram account since it’s the only one I can trust to not have fully nude photos of you on it.
Why have you decided to journey into sex work?
Are you bored with your university work? ”
Magnus guilelessly meets what sounds like a judgmental question with his excitement on full display.
“I’m working on a doctorate in sociology, as you know, and I thought it would be fun to do something no one else in the department has the influence and power to do.
Sex work has been villainized for so long because of misogyny compounded by religion-driven social indignation, and it’s time academia puts those cultural prejudices away and starts treating sex work as a legitimate profession and career.
“I’m gathering data, but I’m going to study several different aspects of porn specifically tailored for a female audience.
My audience is aware that they’re part of a study, and they know that all of their comments and interactions are compiled into the data.
I’m going to start offering survey opportunities, and Trent and I just agreed that we can budget in four grad students to help organize the data.
“And to answer your question: no, I’m not bored. I’m having more fun than I expected. I’m busy, and your visit comes at an extremely inconvenient time, but aside from that, I’m glad to see you.”
“We should have perhaps checked with you before arriving unexpectedly,” Magnus Sr. agrees thoughtfully. “This was the only week we could have seen you before graduation in May. Emily agreed to speak at this year’s graduation here.”
“Oh, I was also asked,” Magnus exclaims happily. “We should consult before we finalize our speeches so we aren’t repeating each other.”
Emily gives him a soft smile as our server arrives with our dinner. “Of course. I’ll send you the speech when I finish it.”
“I’ll do the same,” Magnus agrees, and we pause the conversation to arrange the food and drinks.
Once everyone serves themselves from the platter, and Magnus Sr. pours everyone sake, Emily turns her attention to me. “And why did you decide to journey into sex work?”
I chuckle, glancing over at Magnus. “Because my best friend asked me to and offered me a means of paying for graduate school without having to work a traditional job on top of going to school. I don’t have any personal prejudices against independent adult content creators.
It’s a legitimate career, and Magnus has an excellent business plan for us.
I won’t have to worry about paying my bills and going to school at the same time with this.
Plus, Magnus wants to move off campus, and I like living with him. ”
Emily’s brows rise in surprise. “Oh, are you now old enough to move off campus?” she asks Magnus curiously.
Without missing a beat he nods. “Yes. I’m twenty-two now.
I could have moved off campus last year, but I needed some experience with a roommate.
I’ve been fortunate that Trent has been an excellent companion and wants to continue to live together.
We’re going to buy a house after spring break.
Speaking of which, we’re going to Cancun this year.
I’ve decided to experience the beach spring break that’s popular for college students.
We’ll be filming in Mexico, but I’ll make sure to post plenty of photos and reels to social media so you can follow us if you want to. ”
“Of course,” Emily agrees, echoed by her husband. “And I would like to read your dissertation as it develops, if you don’t mind.”
Magnus shrugs. “I’ll share the document with you. Your insight would be valuable.” To me he explains, “My mother is a world renowned feminist sociologist and social psychologist.”
I didn’t know that. “Is that why you’ve chosen to market to women?”
Magnus pauses like it might not have occurred to him that his mother could influence his choices. “That is likely,” he decides and laughs. “I didn’t consider the influence you might’ve had on my decisions when I was coming up with this idea,” he admits to his mother.
She chuckles softly. “Well, I don’t mind being a good influence on you.”
Magnus Sr. beams at her. “You are an excellent influence on all the men in your life,” he says, leaning over to buss her cheek.
I honestly can’t imagine how anyone could give up their kid to academia, but I can admit that my inability to understand their motives doesn’t mean they don’t love their son.
I thought they would be more antagonistic about our work, but they’re supportive and interested.
I can’t say my parents would be the same, but I’m also fairly sure my dad at least is going to struggle with the idea of me dating another man.
I know they love me, but the unreserved support Magnus’s parents have for him isn’t something my parents would give me.
That’s going to be Future Trent’s problem. Current Trent is going to enjoy sushi and sake and the people who might eventually become his future in-laws if things with Magnus progress how I expect them to, and isn’t that an interesting thought: these could be my future in-laws.