Page 57 of The Money Shot
I took a deep breath and gave him a gentle shake. “Jack,” I murmured, my voice still rough with sleep. “Time to wake up.”
He stirred, a sleepy grin spreading across his face as his eyes fluttered open. For a second, just a second, I thought he might kiss me. My heart skipped a beat, and I held my breath, waiting… hoping.
But then something shifted in his expression. A shadow passed over his face, and the moment was gone. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Without a word, he got up and walked out of Bradley’s old bedroom.
The ache in my chest was worse than the soreness in my body. I lay back down, staring up at the ceiling. The weekend was over, and we were back to being just friends. Friends who made porn together. Friends with rules.
I closed my eyes and sighed. For a little while, it had felt like more. I just didn’t know how to hold on to it.
The train rattled beneath me as I stared out the window, the Manhattan skyline inching closer with every stop. My stomach churned, not with the nerves I’d expect before a visit to the STD clinic, but because of Jack. He’d been so distant this morning. I couldn’t get the image of his retreating out of my head.
I shifted in my seat, trying to distract myself. Maybe I was overthinking it. But the thought lingered, gnawing at the edges of my mind. I didn’t want to seem clingy. God, the last thing I wanted was to be the Overly Attached Girlfriend meme come to life.
I grinned despite myself, remembering those oldSaturday Night Livesketches. The wide, unblinking eyes. The creepy smile. “Where are you going? Who are you texting? I’ll just stay here and stare at you forever,” I muttered under my breath, earning a sideways glance from the woman sitting across from me.
I cleared my throat and looked back out the window.
Chill out, Liam. You’re not that bad. Not yet, anyway.
The train screeched to a halt, and I stood, adjusting my bag over my shoulder. It was almost noon, and the station was packed with people shuffling toward the exits. I wove through the crowd, keeping my head down as I made my way to thestreet. The air was brisk, an autumn cold that cut through layers of clothing like they weren’t even there.
Jack’s office was a few blocks away, and I walked quickly, my hands shoved deep in my pockets. My mind raced with questions I didn’t have the guts to ask. Would this appointment be awkward? Would Jack keep acting distant? Or was I just reading too much into everything?
I spotted him outside the building, leaning against a lamppost. His coat was open, and his breath fogged in the air as he checked his watch. When he saw me, he gave a small wave, his expression unreadable.
“Hey,” I said as I approached, trying to sound casual. “Ready to get poked and prodded?”
Jack snorted, a hint of a smile breaking through his stoic mask. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I followed him down the street, falling into step beside him. The clinic wasn’t far, but the silence between us stretched longer than the walk. I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets and tried not to think about how badly I wanted to reach out and take his.
The Chelsea Sexual Health Clinic was a squat, nondescript building tucked between a bakery and a nail salon. The glass door chimed softly as we stepped inside, and the warmth was a welcome relief from the cold outside.
Jack walked up to the reception desk and opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He glanced back at me, his face pale and tight. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else but here.
I stepped forward, giving the nurse behind the desk a quick smile. “Hi, we have a 12:30 appointment. Names are Liam Murphy and Jack Barrett.”
The nurse was all business, typing rapidly into her computer. “Got it. Take a seat. We’ll call you shortly.”
I turned to Jack, who was already heading for the nearest row of chairs. We sat side by side, and the silence between us grew heavier with each passing second. To distract myself, I pulled out my phone and opened the FantasyFans dashboard. I hesitated before logging in, glancing at Jack out of the corner of my eye.
“Did you upload the videos like you said you would?” I whispered.
Jack’s cheeks flushed pink, and he mumbled, “Yeah.”
I logged in and glanced at our numbers. My heart stopped. Over a thousand subscribers. I nearly dropped my phone. That was way more than enough to cover the rent. Hell, at fifteen bucks per subscriber, this was far more than I would’ve made at my shitty job at SynergyCoin.
I turned to Jack, excitement bubbling in my chest, but before I could say anything, a nurse appeared in the doorway. “Liam and Jack? Follow me.”
Jack gave me a weird look as I practically bounced out of my seat. I couldn’t help it. Between the subscriber count and the relief of finally getting this over with, I felt like I was floating. Jack, on the other hand, looked like he’d just been sentenced to death.
We followed the nurse into a small room with bright white walls and posters about safe sex plastered everywhere. He handed us clipboards with forms to fill out.
“Just some standard questions,” he said, his tone breezy. “Once you’re done, we’ll do the tests. Quick and easy.”
I nodded, trying to focus on the form in front of me, but my mind kept drifting back to the dashboard. Over a thousand subscribers. Rent was more than covered. Hell, we could even buy some new furniture to replace the cheap stuff we’d moved in with. I wanted to tell Jack, to share the good news, but the timing wasn’t right. Not yet.
The nurse returned just as we finished the forms. He gave us each a rapid HIV test—a quick finger prick and a small device that looked like a pregnancy test. “These take about a minute,” he said, setting the devices on the counter.