Chapter 27
Corey
A s I stand, mentally creating a list of people who need to be punished for the decision to put me on stage with her , I pause. Turning back to where Bex is sitting, a mix of shock and pride on her face, I lean in and passionately claim her lips with mine. The audience whoops and claps, but I’m focused only on Bex.
When I pull back, I turn quickly toward the stage. If I stare at Bex any longer, I might just take her by the hand and walk out of here, award be damned.
A few steps up to the stage, I stride over to where Rina stands, dressed and decorated like she’s needed on set in five minutes. I repress a shudder as I reach for the award outstretched in her arm. She pulls it back, teasing me.
“Ah ah, big daddy,” she laughs, using her old nickname for me from when we were dating. “Come here and get it.” She crooks her finger at me, and for a moment, it’s like all the sound is drained from the building.
I don’t know what game Rina wants to play, and quite frankly, I don’t give a fuck. Every day on set with her last week was pure torture. We treated each other poorly, and she wasted no opportunity to say loud and clear in front of the cast and crew that I was old and washed up. I’m surprised she didn’t mention that in my introduction.
I step forward, still reaching for the award, and she steps back again, laughing. The audience laughs as well, as if this is a playful joke. It’s no secret Rina and I were together for years, but not everyone knows how or why things ended.
“Fuck this,” I mumble, as I step to the microphone and turn to face the audience. “You can hold on to that for me, Rina. Might be the only time you get to touch an award tonight,” I joke, and the crowd eats it up.
Rina glares at me, although it’s difficult to read the full expression of her anger because her Botox has her face all frozen. Ah, that’s right. Rina was my nickname for her, the one she hated. Calling her that in front of everyone in the industry just set her up for a new public nickname. Enjoy that, sweetheart.
“Lifetime achievement award, damn. No better indicator that you’re old as fuck, huh?” I say, shrugging. The audience titters playfully at my words. If there’s one thing I love about events like these, we have zero filters and no censors. “It’s crazy, standing up here, looking out at all of you… I’ve been inside of more than half of you by now, including the guys.”
Everyone laughs, and it’s a fact. Twenty years in a business like this, I’ve done everything, including guys. Honestly, those shoots could be better than the ones with the women because there was never any drama.
I fold my hands in front of me and take a deep breath. I wasn’t lying when I told Bex I didn’t have a speech prepared, but there is something I need to say. Scanning the audience, counting back the rows from the stage, I find Bex. Drew must have swooped in to be my seat-filler, because he’s sitting next to her.
God, she’s fucking beautiful. In this sea of adult film stars, where it seems like everyone is trying so hard to age in reverse, Bex is a beacon of beauty. Almost everyone in this audience is pumped so full of Botox, fillers, and some sort of stimulant. And then there’s Bex. The reality of the insecurities she confessed hits me, plain as day, as I stare at her in this crowd of acquaintances.
And I know what I’m going to say.
“Ah, it’s been a wild ride. There are truly no words to express how thankful I am to this industry. For taking me in when I had nowhere else to go… for a long time, this industry was home for me.”
I take a deep breath and see Bex lean forward, hovering on the edge of her seat. She rests her face in her hands, her nails dangerously close to being chewed off by her anxiety. I smile and wink at her, watching as she slides back in her seat and puts her hands in her lap instead. Good girl.
Steeling myself, I say the words that have been weaving their way through my thoughts over the last few weeks. “My career has been great because of you all.” I pause, giving Rina a sideways glance. “Well, most of you.” Rina glares at me while the audience laughs. “But all good things must come to an end. ”
The audience falls silent, and I search for Bex’s eyes again, because in her warm, emerald eyes is where I’m going to find strength to say the next words. Tears shine in her eyes, not sad tears, but ones of happiness and excitement… For me.
“Now is as good a time as ever to officially announce my retirement from acting—I get cut off by the audience—some are cheering, some are booing, but it’s all in good fun. “Come on, I get the opportunity to go out on top—”
“We know you love to top!” Ritchie Goode, that fucker, calls from the second row.
The crowd eats this shit up, and I have to wait a few moments before I’m able to wrap this up. “Going forward, my energy and focus will be on Neon Nights Media, so I’m not disappearing forever. You’ll just see me more on the other side of the camera.”
I take one last look at Bex. The few tears streaming down her face and the biggest smile on her face make my heart clench. God dammit, I love this woman.
“Thank you all for this honor and the opportunity to be part of this industry!”
I step back from the mic and turn toward the steps. Somewhere nearby, the production assistant is announcing there’s another commercial break. Rina is following behind me, calling my name, but I ignore her. There’s only one woman I want in front of me right now, and she’s sitting in the third row.
Drew stands as I approach and reaches out to shake my hand. “That was incredible, Corey! I didn’t know you were—”
I cut him off, bypassing his outstretched hand and reaching for Bex as she stands. In one second, she’s in my arms, and I bury my face in her neck. She wraps her arms around me and, if she wasn’t wearing a dress, I am tempted to lift her up and put her legs around me.
“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers, and that statement almost unravels me.
It feels like a weight has been lifted in my chest, finally announcing that I’m done with acting. I’ve felt it in my bones the last year or so, but finally speaking the words tonight, in front of everyone… I feel like I can breathe again.
I sigh against her skin. “You helped me get here,” I whisper. “Bex, I—”
“Hope she doesn’t mind you can’t even get your dick hard without assistance.” The sharp sting of Rina’s words cause me to pull back from Bex. I close my eyes and try to breathe through the crashing wave of anger that’s destroyed this quiet moment with Bex.
“Rina—”
Bex pulls away from me and slides to my side, so she can properly see Rina. I turn, wrapping my arm around Bex’s waist, holding her tightly to me. The people in the rows around us have gone quiet, watching this disastrous exchange.
Rage highlights Rina’s frozen features, a familiar sight from her narcotic-fueled blackouts of the past. She glares at Bex, staring her up and down, before she says, “Jesus Christ, Corey. Are you going through a fatty phase? You really are losing it.”
I tighten my grip on Bex’s waist and hope she feels reassurance through my touch. Bex is beautiful, sexy, and curvy in a way Rina could never hope to be. Rina can be nasty when she feels jealous or insecure, and that’s all this is. I want to tell Bex that Rina’s intentionally being malicious, that her words are lies and only meant to hurt, but I don’t have to say shit.
Bex gives Rina a pointed look and says, “I feel bad for you. ”
Rina steps back, scoffing, as if the words themselves slapped her.
But Bex continues. “I’m sure at one time you might have been happy. With Corey, sure, but I mean with yourself. But I think you haven’t been happy with yourself in a very long time. It shows, babe.”
“What the fu—”
“I say this as sincerely as possible,” Bex says slowly. “But I think you need some help. Therapy. And maybe lay off the Botox?”
Rina’s glare is fixed on Bex, and as she opens her mouth to spew more venom, Bex gives her final word.
She tugs on the lapel of my suit and runs her hand down my chest. I look down at her, hoping she can see how proud I am–how much I fucking love her–in my eyes.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Bex says smoothly. “I’d like to steal my boyfriend away to celebrate his award.”
“Mmmm, and how should we celebrate?”
“I think there’s a coatroom calling our name,” Bex says with a wicked grin.
“Ugh, fuck you both!” Rina shouts, shoving the award at my chest and stalking off.
A different production assistant is quickly approaching us, telling us to take our seats, but I wave him off. “No need,” I say, taking Bex’s hand in mine and pulling her toward the aisle. “We’re leaving.”
“But not before we grab our coats!” Bex says gleefully.
“That’s fucking right,” I growl as we race up the aisle and toward the lobby.