Page 22 of The Casting Couch

He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.“Oh, bro… huge mistake.This is the best part.”

Then, without missing a beat, he launched into a rapid-fire list like he’d been waiting for this exact moment his entire career.

“Okay… how about Brock Steele?No?Too eighties?Fine… Derek Magnum.Chad Thunderstroke.Lance Poundwell.No?Okay, okay… something classier… maybe Roman Hartfield?Or if you wanna go full camp… Fabio Bigsby.”

Despite the fact that I was two seconds away from passing out from sheer anxiety, I laughed.

Like… actually laughed.

Nico’s smile grew wider, like that was exactly the reaction he’d been fishing for.

“Okay,” I said, still chuckling under my breath.“How about… Blake Monroe?”

Nico’s eyes lit up.“Oh damn.Sexy but respectable.Like… you could do porn and file your taxes.”

Before I could respond, Moira barreled back into the room like she’d been shot out of a cannon.She dropped her makeup bag on the floor with a dramatic thud and wedged herself between us on the couch like she was claiming squatter’s rights.

“Alright, let’s fix this,” she muttered, already patting powder onto my forehead and cheeks.“Turn your head… no, the other way.Jesus, relax your mouth.You look like you’re about to cry.”

“I feel like I’m about to cry,” I mumbled.

“Too bad,” she said sweetly, swiping a brush across my face like she was painting a barn.

When Moira was satisfied, she stood, grabbed her kit, and strolled to the back of the room, where she stationed herself behind the camera.Now she was just… standing there.Watching.Like it was a spectator sport.

And then it hit me.

They were all going to watch.

Laura.

Moira.

Watch me.

Doing things I usually reserved for the dark.Alone.But now I’m doing it with a stranger I just met.

I cleared my throat and glanced toward Laura.“I don’t… I don’t think I can do this in front of people.Like… I know you, Laura.We’ve been to, like, frat parties together and…”

Laura cut me off with a single raised hand.“And you’d better get over your shyness right now.”

I froze.

Nico leaned in just enough to mutter, “Trust me, man… you really should do what she says.”

I shot him a look.“Why?”

Laura licked her lips slowly, the way a lioness might before eating someone’s face off.“Because I’m Raven Stone, darling.Professional dominatrix.And I beat terrible actors for fun.”

My mouth dropped open.

Of course, Laura was a dominatrix.

Laura walked toward the camera, flicked a switch, and let out a deep breath like she was about to direct Citizen Kane: The Porn Parody.

“Okay, Bradley, here’s how this is gonna go,” she said.“When I say action, Nico’s going to start a sexy conversation with you.Using your new stage name.You’re gonna flirt back.Look at him.Touch him if you’re brave enough.Let’s see what kind of chemistry you two have.”

I swallowed so hard I was surprised my tonsils didn’t file a complaint.

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