16. Chapter 16
16
Miles
It’s been twenty-four hours since Honey Sophie said yes. Twenty-four hours of worrying about how to impress her, how to sweep her off her feet. I have competition. Some dickhead thinks he can take her from me.
“So, what did you decide on?” Brody is sitting at the kitchen island with a sandwich and a beer when I walk out of my room to leave.
“I’m taking her to the rose garden at Exhibition Park.”
“That'll be nice.” Brody nods slowly before taking a bite of his sandwich.
“Yeah, then I’m going to take her to the brewery.”
“Stealing my ideas?” Brody raises an eyebrow.
“I gave you the painting idea. I think I earned this.”
“Maybe you jinxed me.”
“Maybe you’re just a moron,” I shoot back.“I just want to show her a fun time. I want her to feel like she can relax with me, not put on a mask like she probably does in public, you know? The brewery seems like a good place for that.”
“Ok, not a horrible idea,” Brody admits.
I pull my phone out to check the time.
“Gotta run, I’m grabbing flowers for her first.”
“Before you go to a rose garden?”
“Yes, shut up. Eat your sandwich.”
I skip the flowers. Brody got in my head, the stupid prick. I run a hand through my hair, trying to calm my nerves while waiting at Sophie’s front door. It’s a different sort of anxiety than filming with someone for the first time. I want co-stars to appreciate my professionalism–when I’m not trying to make out with them. I want Sophie to appreciate… all of me, I suppose.
A nude Sophie is a sight to behold, but in her cut-off shorts and black, cropped tank top, hair flowing over her shoulders in those soft curls, she’s perfect. She’s a vision, standing there with the door open, waiting.
Waiting for me to speak.
Shit, I didn’t hear what she said. I’m not even sure I was breathing.
“You look beautiful.”
“Oh, er, thanks.” She looks down at her clothes and I realize that this might be her casual look for a first date. I’m awestruck nonetheless.
“Ready?” I ask, stepping back and allowing her to exit the townhouse.
“Absolutely.” Her smile is infectious, her lips coated in a dark red that has just a hint of purple. The outfit may be casual, but the lip color adds a bit of sin.
Sophie steps out the door and turns to lock it. But when she spins around to follow me to my car, parked out on the street, I gently grab her wrist and turn her back around to face me. Our chests pressed together, I wrap a gentle arm around her waist and use my other hand to cup her cheek.
“Can I kiss you?” It feels like an odd question, given all we’ve done. Given how I’m holding her now. The heat between our bodies is already causing mild discomfort in my shorts. Sophie blinks at me as if startled. “I’m playing this by the book.”
“No bombarding me, hm?” she asks, but there’s a devious twinkle in her brown eyes.
“No sneak attacks.” I remove my hand from her cheek and hold up three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
“Then I suppose I’ll allow it.”
Lowering my head, I brush my lips along hers, just a ghost of a touch. I breathe her in, her scent a mixture of florals and citrus. When I press my lips to hers, it takes every ounce of control not to tighten my arm still around her waist, not to roll my hips, not to slip my tongue into her mouth and entangle my fingers in her hair.
Instead, after only a brief moment of contact, I lift my head. Sophie’s eyes are closed when I pull away, her lips parted. When her eyes flutter open, there’s a look of confusion in those golden brown depths.
“Ready to see some roses?” I ask, my voice husky and deep and far too lustful to be safe.
Sophie swallows and nods, then steps away and out of my embrace. Time to show her that I actually know how to be a gentleman.
The rose garden stays open until dusk and on a Monday evening, it’s not overly busy. We stroll along the paths of perfectly manicured grass, stopping along the way to admire a particularly perfect blossom here and there.
“So how long have you been in our line of work?” Sophie asks, straightening after having bent down to smell a beautiful yellow rose.
“About six years.” We continue walking.
“Four, for me,” she says, not looking over at me. Instead, she turns her head from side to side, eyes focused on the beautiful bushes. “I was solo for a couple of years, then started working with locals for about a year before I was able to travel a little for work.”
“Women are lucky,” I muse. “Your solo content is much better received than a man’s. Not that I’m complaining,” I add when Sophie shoots me a look that I can’t decipher. “It’s just hard to convince people to work with you when you’re a new guy.”
“I get that.” She nods and continues to study the flowers. “I’ve had to implement some rules on who I work with. A couple bad eggs will ruin the whole thing.”
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter. “I was turned down a lot in the beginning. Most women just don’t trust someone who doesn’t already have a few collabs under their belt, you know? A few wouldn’t even talk to me until I had at least ten thousand followers on my clip site.”
“Seriously?” Sophie stops and stares at me in shock. “I mean, I need to see experience, but follower count doesn’t mean a damn thing.”
“I didn’t count you in that group, don’t worry.” I place a hand gently in the middle of her back, urging her to keep up as we turn a corner down another path. “And I’m not judging the women who do that. If it’s what keeps them safe, then I won’t question it.”
“That’s good.” Sophie nods, her gaze still on the plants surrounding us. “Out of curiosity, have you had any,” she pauses, trying to find the words, “less than savory experiences? I haven’t really heard from men about stuff like that. ”
“Yeah.” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “Like you said, always one or two bad eggs.”
Sophie hums and nods, but doesn’t push for details. I’m thankful for that. My horror stories would definitely kill the mood, though I’m sure I’ve got nothing on her.
“Where’d you get your porn name?” It’s a question I don’t usually ask when I work with someone, but I’m curious. She shrugs.
“I didn’t think very hard. Honey is sweet and I’m built like a goddess. Divine.” She winks with a crooked grin. “What about you?”
“Well, Lance, because they’re long and heavy and could potentially skewer someone.”
“That’s ridiculous.” The laughter that bubbles up from her chest is the most wonderful sound. I want to make her laugh every day.
“And Kixxx,” I continue, “like a kickstand.” I smirk, certain she knows what I’m referring to. She fixes me with a chastising stare, but it just makes me laugh. “I never said it was clever.”
We walk in silence for a few more minutes, enjoying the plants even if the heat is less than ideal.
“What made you think of this place?” she asks.
“My mom used to like to come here before she moved away.” The memories flood my mind of spending several afternoons in near silence with her, particularly after my father had died.
“Oh, where is she now?”
“Florida.”
“Well, that’s a pretty big move, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, her sister lives there. My uncle passed two years ago and my aunt can’t really live alone anymore. She decided to help.”
“Family sticking together,” Sophie sighs. She stops to bend over and examine a rose, but then straightens and turns to face me. “I like that. It’s nice.”
I feel one corner of my mouth lifting into a smile.
“It is nice. Where’s your family? I saw you’re from Oklahoma originally.”
“Yeah.” Sophie pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and chews for a moment. “It’s just my parents. No siblings. They’re still in Oklahoma City.”
“Do you go back to visit often?”
That strikes a nerve. Sophie’s spine goes rigid. My eyes drop to her throat as she swallows, clearly trying to suppress a memory or two .
“Never mind,” I mutter, shaking my head and looking away. “Forget I asked.” Foot. In. Mouth.
“It’s fine, they just don’t exactly support my work, you know? They thought they raised a good, Christian girl.” Her eyes are downcast when mine find her face again. I take her chin between my thumb and index finger, angling her face up toward mine.
“Instead they raised a smart, ambitious young woman who, from what I can tell, doesn’t take shit from anyone.”
Sophie grins and that, right there, is the look I want to see from her for the rest of my days. I’ll do anything she asks if she’ll only look at me like that again. Like I can do no wrong.
Oh, I am so done for.
We stay until the sun begins to set. As the garden closes for the evening, walking back to my car, Sophie’s arm slips around mine. The heat where we touch is electrifying, reminding me that she’s something special. It also reminds me that there’s someone else out there I’m competing with.
“You promised me dinner.” She hangs just a little bit off of my arm as if it’s the most natural thing in the world for her to be holding me like this.
“I did, didn’t I?” Laughter is evident in my voice and I look down at her.
The rose garden isn't far from our next stop. As we walk up to the brewery, I notice Sophie smiling.
“What is it?”
“Oh nothing, I just-” she chuckles, “I just discovered this place recently.”
“Well, then you discovered a gem.”
“Oh, I agree. Great sour beer.”
There’s no wait and we’re seated quickly, near the back. Sophie settles into her chair and glances around.
“Looking for someone?” I ask, following her gaze when it stops on the bartender.
“Nope, just studying the place.” She looks back at me. “So, what’s your go-to here?”
“I’m always happy with any of their burgers.”
“I do like a good burger. ”
“So, did you come here with your roommate?” Or was it a date, I wonder?
“Yeah, someone she worked with told her about it.”
“Does she approve of you going out with someone in the industry?” I ask, changing the subject slightly.
“She kind of swore off men recently, so I think she disapproves of me dating any men, porn star or not.”
A man approaches, wearing the brewery’s t-shirt and black jeans.
“Hey guys, I’m Shane. What can I get for you folks?”
I gesture for Sophie to go first.
“I’ll take the Spitfire,” she says, pointing at the beer on the menu.
“Same.” I smile up at Shane who jots down our orders.
“I’ll give you guys a few more minutes, but let me know if you have any questions.”
“I know we’re only halfway through, but I have to ask.” I stare at her, waiting for her eyes to fall to mine. “Did I do enough to earn a second date?”
She stares for a moment, weighing the question. I wait, holding my breath. This hasn’t been the most mind-blowing date I’ve taken someone on. It isn’t expensive or unique in any way. But it has been relaxing, a way to get to know her without fuss and without cameras.
“Maybe.” Her tone is light when she finally speaks. “Depends on how the rest of the evening goes.”
“I’ll take that.”
Our beers arrive and we give our order to Shane before he disappears again.
“How often do you travel for work?” she asks.
“Depends on the time of year, really. I don’t plan too far in advance unless there’s a big event coming up.”
“Makes sense, I guess. I try to do some major travel every couple months or so. Three times a year minimum, as long as it’s in the budget.”
“I’m awful about that,” I chuckle. “Making and sticking to a budget, I mean.”
“You should take some tips from my roommate. Natalie is anal about budgeting, even though she makes an obscene amount of money.”
“Well, we have that in common. Wealthy roommates,” I add when Sophie stares. “At least yours gets out of the house now and then.”
“She’s a social butterfly, that one. ”
We spend the evening discussing work and various co-stars, laughing about the more ridiculous things we’ve seen and commiserating about the less fun experiences. Sophie, it seems, has a bit of a bucket list for her porn.
“There’s a lot of stuff I haven’t done yet,” she muses. “I’ve been with a couple of women, even had a few threesomes with male-female couples, but never with two men.” Her cheeks flush, but I grin.
“I’m sure I could find someone and we could make that happen, if you’re up for it,” I offer. Sharing a partner has never been something I thought I would enjoy, but if Sophie finds pleasure in it, I’ll do anything she wants.
“That would be amazing.”
“What else is on that list of yours?” I grin and lean forward, resting my elbows on the table.
“Oh, there’s plenty, but I think we might get into trouble if we talk about it in public.”
I laugh.
“Fair enough. Have you worked on any pro shoots?”
“Not yet, that’s one of my goals.” She bites her lip before continuing. “I’d actually like to have my own production company one day. Woman-run, focused on making the more intimate, passionate porn, you know?”
“A real boss bitch, huh?” I chuckle. Sophie grins. “Do you have a plan for it yet?”
“No.” She looks down at her hands for a moment before meeting my gaze again. “I have some ideas jotted down, but I don’t feel like I have the brand recognition yet.”
“You don’t need that before you start a company, you know. Did you have brand recognition when you started making content?”
“No, but-”
“It’s the same thing. As long as you’re authentic and treat people right, which I know you will, you’ll be amazing.”
“I won’t argue that. I just don’t feel ready.”
“Well, don’t wait too long. I’d love to see what you can do with that kind of power.”
“Yes, sir.” She giggles. Glancing around, I know she realizes how late it is. I noticed half an hour ago that the other patrons were beginning to empty out. “We should probably go soon.”
“We should.”
Neither of us move.
“Are you waiting to see if you earned a second date? ”
“Maybe.”
“And if I say yes?”
“Then I’ll take you home.”
Sophie raises an eyebrow, but her lips form a smile.
“So you’re saying you’ll leave me here if I don’t say yes to a second date?”
“Only one way to find out.”
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “Second date, confirmed.”
“Fantastic. I’ll take you home now.”
I park on the street near her place so I can walk her to her front door. When we reach the door, I pull her to my chest, out of view of her doorbell camera, which has a blue ring around it, indicating it’s on. I’ve been planning this move from the moment she said yes to going out with me.
There’s a hint of pink creeping into her cheeks, spreading down to her chest. It’s adorable. I bend to kiss her lips but pause. Hiding a smirk, I gently kiss her forehead and when I pull back, Sophie’s eyes are closed. Her head follows my lips for half a second before she stops. Her eyes snap open.
“That was sneaky.” She scolds with a grin.
“I know.”