Page 31 of Dad Next Door
I’d already decided to tell Tristan about my time filming porn, but the conversation hadn’t come up organically. Might as well tip things in that direction now.
“But you should probably know something before you do.”
He quirked one eyebrow and sipped his wine.
“The top hits will all be from porn sites.”
Tristan made a choking sound and started coughing.
I took his wine glass from him and put it on the table. “Sorry, Doc. I thought you’d swallowed.”
He laughed mid-cough, which only made him cough harder.
“Oops.” I noticed my unintentional pun. “Would this be the wrong time to say that’s what he said?”
Tristan snort-laughed through his coughing fit and waved his hand like he was asking for mercy.
“You okay?” I asked when he’d regained his composure.
“Fine,” he croaked and wiped his eyes. “Just caught off guard.” He cleared his throat.
“Sorry about my timing. There’s really no easy way to tell someone you did porn.”
“Porn like your OnlyFans stuff, or like porn porn?”
“The second one.”
“Okay. That’s what I thought you meant.” He cleared his throat again. “Please tell me I’m not the only person who almost died when you told them. That would be even more embarrassing than using my beer bottle like a gong last night.”
I chuckled. The hollow sound of the bottle on whatever metal he’d hit it against really had sounded like a gong. “You’re not the first to have an extreme reaction. One time, someone kind of froze, then did some weird jazz hands and backed away from me like they thought I’d attack if they turned their back to me. Another time someone full-on ran away. Like jumped up and sprinted out of the room at full speed. Legend has it they’re still running.”
He huffed out a laugh and picked up his wine glass. “I feel bad for laughing because those reactions sound horrible. Thank fuck I only tried to breathe wine.”
“You get used to it.” I shrugged, but he wasn’t wrong.
Someone choking on their drink or short-circuiting and needing a few minutes while they processed my past was one thing, but it hurt when people had such a visceral reaction. And it really hurt when people cut me out of their lives without another word.
“You know I’m totally going to google you now, right?”
“I know. I just wanted you to be prepared.”
“So, what’s your stage name?”
“Stone Mason.”
He folded his lips inward, trying—and failing—to hide his grin.
“Yeah, I know. I was twenty-two and thought I was so clever.” I rolled my eyes and finished my wine.
“I’m assuming you only worked with women?” He flicked his hand toward his pocket but stopped mid-motion. “Outside of your solo stuff?”
“You want to pull your phone out and look me up right now?” I smirked.
“I’m neither confirming nor denying your statement.” His face was the picture of innocence.
“I’m glad you’re taking this so well. Not everyone is okay with having a sex worker in their life.”
“Not my place to judge. Sex work is work. I mean, I watch porn. It would be hypocritical to have issues with the people who create it. You do you, quite literally in this case.” He waggled his eyebrows at me.