Page 13 of XX Love Affair
“Sorry. I’m annoyed by… all of this.” She gestured to their plate. “Is our table ready yet? I want to order real food. Away from the fountain.”
Tiffani ignored her and instead continued her conversation. “I need a date for the spring fashion show.” She sighed. “That’s what this is about. Last year, I went all by myself to New England Fashion Week and they dared to talk about it in the gossip blogs. Can you believe it? “Tiffani Jenkins-Schooner spotted flying solo at Fashion Week – What has the Prodigal Daughter of Haberdashery Done Now?” She made a disgusted face at Delia. “As if I had done anything but dare to show up by myself as a young and independent woman. Who needs someone on her arm, anyway?”
“Sounds like you’ve figured it out on your own.”
Tiffani scoffed. “You’re so uptight. Didn’t I tell you to get laid after I saw you last? You’ve had four whole days to fuck this mood out of your head.”
“Actually, I got plenty of action after you left on Sunday night.” Delia dared to dip her carrot into the damp hummus and regretted it. “Some young thing I hadn’t met before.”
“Ooh. Deets, please. Take my mind off my hot mess of a sex life.”
“What’s there to say? One of those horny girls who come in from the country and fucks her way through the guest list. She picked me because I was convenient. Wasn’t like I said no.”
“Do I detect a hint of regret?”
“Hardly. Goes to show that I can still be a rancid bitch afterward.”
The hostess approached to announce that a table was ready in the courtyard. Delia instantly forgot what she was talking about as she abandoned her hummus plate and brought her mimosa with her as they followed the hostess, exclaiming that they couldn’t wait to eat.
Delia’s sweater was perfect for fending off the light chill of late February’s springtime fake-out. The sun shined into the courtyard, but it wasn’t the stellar ambiance that beguiled diners when they came here in the summer. No flowers on the bushes, for one thing. They were green, though, and she wasn’t surprised to find plenty of young couples canoodling by the shrubbery and taking selfies in front of the jasmine flower wall. The hostess led her and Tiffani to a small table in the corner of the patio, which was plenty fine for Delia, who claimed the actual corner for herself.
The moment she sat down, she saw another female pair right in her line of sight.
You’re kidding me…
It was Helena, as clear as the curly hair pulled back into a large clasp and the willowy royal purple shift dress dangling off her lean frame. Delia didn’t recognize the woman with her, but she knew the face of the last woman she slept with.
“What is it?” Tiffani asked.
Delia shook her head as a waiter approached. “Nothing.” Helena hadn’t noticed her, and probably wouldn’t as long as she faced away from the corner. “What sounds good?”
They opened their menus. Delia couldn’t help but glance up at Helena and the butch-looking woman laying on some good old-fashioned lesbian charm.
I might know a thing or two about that. Delia pried her eyes away. It was none of her business anymore.
“There’s plenty of advancement if that’s what you’re looking for,” the recruiter said as Helena looked over the folder of papers she had been given during this business brunch. “Many of our talent decide to work behind the scenes after getting a feel for the industry. The pay isn’t as high to start with, but if you’re looking for a launch point…”
“It says here that the initial contract is $500 per film.” Helena clicked her tongue as she highlighted the verbiage with a red pen. “How many films per month?”
Petra, the representative from Electric Star Entertainment, knew how to pivot when someone like Helena knew more than she let on. “We like to shine the spotlight on new talent. We guarantee a minimum of five films a month for your first three-month contract.”
Helena quickly did the math in her head. $2500 before tax. A month. That would be plenty to save some and pay her standard bills while she bided her time in New England. And on top of that, she might have fun. “How many of your first timers go on to sign a second contract?”
“Ah, well…” Petra’s charismatic smile was easy to pick apart for someone like Helena, who saw right through sales pitches and what both men and women did when they wanted something from her body. In this case, making “films.” To be fair, Helena had been the one who responded to an open casting call on Electric Star Entertainment’s company homepage. The local adult film company assured locals that everything was filmed on location within thirty miles of the head office. For the first contract, anyway. Helena liked the three months. She also liked knowing that she would, at most, only have to film for five days a month, usually on a weekday, giving her plenty of opportunities to have fun on the weekends. There must be a catch, though. “I’d say about one-third choose to stay with us. Some take a break and later work with another company. Others decide it’s not the job for them. You have to understand, that even though you’re only filming at most five times a month, it can be a lot. You might film twice in one day.”
Helena balked. “That’s a lot, considering retakes.”
“We do our best to mix up what kind of films they are, of course. All of our newbies are given a solo shoot to introduce themselves to our most loyal online subscribers. We currently have over three hundred thousand subscribers who…”
Helena sighed. “You hear all sorts of unfortunate stories about the adult film industry. Drugs, brutal schedules, unsavory partners, and directors who don’t know when to stop filming…” Petra could pick up the rest.
“Yes, I understand. Electric Star prides itself on how well we take care of our talent. We won’t sugarcoat anything. We’re very direct and upfront about what’s expected and what you’ll get in return. There are no guarantees how successful you will be as a model, but we give all of our new talent the same level of marketing and take their tastes into account when assigning shoots. I mean, you checked, what…” Petra referred to her notes, which included a printout of Helena’s online submission. “Pretty much everything here.” Was she impressed? Or did she think Helena was crazy? Hard to tell when Petra made that face. “It would be great to know if we go forward, what your main interests are so we can best cast you for certain films.”
I only checked everything to get a higher response rate. Helena hadn’t quite expected to be reached out to the day after she submitted her application, though. She had done it on Monday and had this Thursday brunch arranged by the end of the day.
“What appeals to you about this opportunity?” Petra asked.
Helena brushed her fingers against her water glass. “I’m only in town for the next few months, looking to make a little on the side, you know? I’m currently unattached but I like the idea of doing something… fun. Let’s go with that.”