Page 97 of Howl for Me
Cassidy
I’m just finishing brushing my teeth, half-asleep and still in my oversized sleep shirt, when there’s a knock at the door. I pause, frown, and glance at the clock. Too early to pretend I’m not home. I shuffle barefoot to the door, dragging a towel across my face, and swing it open.
Lori strides in like she owns the place, holding two mugs of coffee and zero shame.
“Where have you been, woman?” she demands.
I blink, caught off guard, and take the coffee on instinct. “How did you even know I was here?”
She flops down on my couch, already kicking off her shoes. “I saw you get dropped off last night by some mystery man,” she says, grinning wickedly. “And I need all the damn details.”
I close the door behind her and follow her into the living room, still trying to catch up. “I got a job,” I say finally, sipping the coffee.
Lori perks up immediately. “Really? Where?”
I hesitate. I’m not supposed to say too much about the studio, Hector’s orders, but technically, this isn’t giving everything away.
“At a studio,” I say. “Reggie helped me out, actually. So thanks for that.”
Her eyes go wide. “Wait. Shut up. You work for Moonlight? Me too!”
I blink. “You work there?”
She practically squeals. “Yes! I do a couple shoots here and there. Saving up until my art takes off. Oh my god, so who’ve you worked with so far?”
I raise both hands. “I’m not an actress.”
Lori’s brow furrows. “Then what do you do?”
“I’m an assistant. To one of the actors.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Who the hell needs a personal assistant on a porn set?”
I hesitate again. “Johnny Howler.”
She chokes, almost spits her coffee back into the cup. “WHAT?!”
“Yeah,” I reply, sipping mine like maybe the caffeine will help this moment feel less chaotic.
“You’re Johnny Howler’s assistant? Are you okay? Like… mentally?”
I want to laugh, but something inside me tightens instead. “He’s not that bad,” I say, quieter. “He’s just… different. Misunderstood.”
Lori stares at me, long and hard. “Oh, my god. You like him.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I turn away, trying to hide the heat crawling up my neck. “It’s professional.”
Lori raises an eyebrow. I ignore it.
“I just… got to know him a little better, working so close. He’s not that bad. I mean, yeah, he’s rough around the edges and he doesn’t really do… people. But once you get past the snarling and the sarcasm, there’s a person under there. A real one.”
Lori tilts her head. “So, what, you’re with him all the time?”
I sigh. “Hector has me staying with him. Just for now. Until Johnny proves he can show up on time and stay out of trouble.”
