Chapter 31 – Plumber Dario

“Cut,” Randy finally said, turning off the cameras.

Chloe stood up on shaky legs, her breathing heavy and irregular. Her body still hummed with unfulfilled arousal, a frustrating tingling between her legs that she wanted to ignore. She hated that her body had reacted to someone like Randy at all. But some things you just couldn’t control.

“That was great, Randy,” she cooed in her sweetest, most submissive voice, forcing a bright smile. “So good!”

“Sure it was.” He grinned smugly and scratched his stomach. “I’m going for a smoke while you freshen up.”

She nodded and disappeared toward the bathroom. The shower was just as disgusting as last time, but she had to wash this gunk out of her hair. Randy’s cum was everywhere, crusty and disgusting.

The lukewarm water ran over her body as she quickly massaged in the cheap shampoo she had brought with her.

Stay strong, keep going.

Ten minutes later, she was dressed again. The tank top and shorts clung uncomfortably to her still damp skin. She stepped out of the studio through the back door into the bright sunlight.

Randy was leaning against the wall, a cigarette between his fleshy fingers. He puffed the smoke lazily into the stifling hot air. A broken plastic chair stood next to an overflowing trash can. She grabbed it and sat down, crossing her legs.

Before she could even open her mouth, Randy started talking.

“You know,” he said, blowing out another cloud of smoke, “I know you don’t particularly like me.”

Chloe froze for a moment, but forced herself to remain relaxed.

Randy waved it off. “I don’t care. We don’t have to like each other. It’s enough that I like your pussy and your click rates, and you like my money and my reach. So we can still work together, right?” He grinned crookedly. “I mean, you just made two thousand dollars. Not bad for an hour’s work.”

That wasn’t nearly an hour. Don’t flatter yourself, asshole.

“Sure,” she said cautiously.

“Besides,” he took another drag, “your favorite porn star, the one you were talking about last time, Samantha Sparkles. I helped her career along quite a bit, you know. And I can do the same for you.”

Chloe’s pulse quickened, but she kept her face neutral. “Really, you did?”

“Oh yeah.” Randy leaned back, clearly enjoying her attention. “I talked to Valeria Cruz about her. Put in a good word. Sure, I’m not as big a fish as Valeria, but we’ve known each other for a long time. She values my opinion.”

Bullshit.

Chloe remembered exactly what Valeria had said about Randy at the industry party when Ben had mentioned him. She cared as much about his opinion as she did about the dirt under her designer shoes.

“Wow, that’s cool!” She widened her eyes, playing the impressed newcomer. “But… I think Ben once mentioned that Valeria and Samantha hated each other?”

Randy laughed harshly. “Oh yeah, that was a crazy story.” He shook his head as if remembering better times. “Valeria was desperate to get her on an exclusive contract, kept pressuring her, but that bitch just didn’t give a shit. It was a wild time, a few years ago.”

“Was that why she ended her career?” Chloe kept her voice casual, just curious, oblivious, as if she were simply trying to understand the dynamics of the industry.

“Ended her career,” Randy let out a deep, throaty laugh that gave her goosebumps. “Yeah, you could call it that.”

“She was definitely fed up. Wanted out of the industry completely.” He paused and grinned, striking the pose of a man explaining the world to a dumb girl. “But a performer as big as Samantha was back then, with even bigger potential, doesn’t just disappear from the industry.”

Chloe’s heart was pounding. “What do you mean?”

Randy flicked away his cigarette and stubbed it out with his flip-flop. “Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head about it, sweetie. The important thing is that you definitely need to stay on Valeria’s good side if you want a career. And I can help you with that.”

“That’s really interesting,” Chloe said. “I’d love to learn more about how the industry works.”

Randy grinned, clearly enjoying feeling important. Then he leaned forward.

“But don’t kid yourself. Everyone here is replaceable. In the end, even a rising star is just one of many. And you?” He looked her up and down. “You’re miles away from being a real star. But if you keep delivering like back there on the couch, you might make it.”

His condescending tone made her angry again, but she forced herself to smile.

“Thanks for the advice, Randy.”

He nodded contentedly and stood up. “Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll give you your money.”

They followed the narrow hallway back into the studio. The stale air hit them again. Randy went to his makeshift office area.

He pulled a crumpled envelope out of a drawer and counted the bills. “Two thousand for today, plus the five hundred bonus from last time. That makes two thousand five hundred.”

Chloe quickly counted it. Everything was there. She put the money in her pocket.

“Thanks, Randy.”

“No problem, Baby. Don’t spend it all at once.” He winked at her.

She grabbed her things and left the studio as quickly as she could without appearing rude.

~

Chloe stood on the dusty sidewalk in front of the CCC studio, her legs heavy as lead.

Randy’s words still echoed in her head. “Ended her career… yeah, you could call it that.” The way he had talked about Samantha, so casually, so indifferently.

The taxi driver, an older local, wanted to talk to her about rising crime rates when she gave him the address, but she mostly ignored him and stared out the window as Valley City passed by.

Back in her apartment, she threw her bag in the corner and collapsed onto the bed. The shoot really did a number on her. Not just physically, although her thighs were still burning from the reverse cowgirl position, but mainly mentally. She couldn’t ignore it anymore.

She opened her laptop and navigated to Webflix. Just Us Girls, her comfort sitcom, was waiting for her. Sadie and Cassie and the kids in their 1990s idyll were ready to distract her with their harmless problems.

But when the theme song played, it felt hollow. Empty. The laughter sounded forced and distant, as if filtered through cotton wool. The characters moved through their scenes, but none of it really reached her. Cassie made a joke about Sadie’s new boyfriend, the studio audience laughed dutifully, and Chloe just stared at the screen.

This isn’t real. None of this is real.

And then the memory came. How it had been, a few days ago, on Steve’s couch. The stupid action movie with all the explosions. How they had both groaned at the same bad one-liners. How warm it had been to lean against his shoulder. How she had laughed. Real laughter, not the fake giggles of Chloe Heart.

She paused the episode.

I’m lonely. A lonely whore.

The thought hit her like a punch in the gut. She was truly, deeply lonely. She had been for so long. Ever since she left Oak Springs, ever since she cut all ties, ever since she became Chloe Heart. Actually, even before that, if she was honest.

And tonight, after Randy, after his disgusting grin and the disgusting way he had talked about Samantha, she wanted, no, she needed human connection. Real warmth, not the performance, but the real thing.

She reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over Steve’s name. Was that wise?

Probably not. He was part of the industry, part of this world she actually hated and he did have a problem understanding boundaries. But he was also the guy who drank two glasses of pineapple juice a day, who apologized to her, who wanted to play Plumber Dario with her.

Fuck it.

She pressed call.

It rang twice, then he picked up.

“Chloe?” Steve’s voice sounded surprised but pleased. “Hey! Everything okay?”

“Hi, Steve.” She cleared her throat. “Your offer… about dinner. Is that still on?”

“Of course!” The enthusiasm in his voice was unmistakable. “Absolutely! When do you want to-“

“Today’s shoot was… exhausting.” She interrupted him gently. “I could use a distraction.”

“Come over! Right now, if you want. I’ve got plenty of chicken nuggets in the freezer.” A short pause. “Uh, that doesn’t sound very impressive, does it?”

A small smile crept onto her lips. “Nuggets. You really know how to make a woman weak.”

He laughed nervously. “Hey, at least I’m trying. Should I preheat the oven?”

“Give me an hour.”

“Cool! I’m looking forward to it. See you soon!”

She hung up and sat there quietly for a moment. A faint feeling of anticipation tingled in her chest. An evening that might actually turn out to be good.

She grabbed her bag, stuffed Steve’s Star Wars shirt into it, and left the apartment.

The taxi ride was short. The driver, a middle-aged man with greasy hair, stared at her in the rearview mirror as if he wasn’t sure if he knew her from somewhere.

Maybe he does, she thought dejectedly as she paid via app.

Steve threw open the door before she had even finished knocking. His face was beaming.

“Hey! Come in, come in!”

Before she entered, she took the T-shirt out of her bag. “Here, this is yours.”

He took it with surprise. “You could have kept it. I meant it.”

“It was too big for me.” She winked at him.

He laughed nervously and stepped aside to let her in.

As soon as the door closed, he suddenly became serious. “Chloe, I… I wanted to apologize again in person. For last time. For being so pushy and…” He scratched his head. “Andy really gave me a piece of her mind. I was such an idiot.”

His voice was unusually quiet.

“Yeah, it wasn’t cool,” she said. “But you’re apologizing, and I’m here tonight. Let’s just have a nice evening, okay?”

Relief flooded his face. “Absolutely! Nice evenings are my specialty.” He pointed toward the kitchen. “The nuggets are already in the oven.”

Chloe plopped down on the couch and pushed aside a few scattered game controllers. The cushions were soft and inviting.

Steve disappeared into the kitchen, and soon the smell of chicken nuggets and spices wafted through the apartment. She leaned back and tried to relax. The tension of the day still lingered in her thighs.

“Ta-da!” Steve returned with a tray piled high with golden brown nuggets, surrounded by three different dips. It didn’t look fancy, but it was plentiful.

“We can make more if you’re still hungry later. I have tons of it,” he announced proudly.

She tried one. Good and crispy and delicious. “Definitely better than what I usually make myself.”

Steve grinned sheepishly. “Want to play a game? Plumber Dario, maybe? A classic where we don’t have to use our brain?”

“It’s been ages since I played that! I was really little then.”

“Doesn’t matter, you never forget how to play Plumber Dario!” He handed her a controller, started the game, and the familiar 8-bit melody filled the room.

For a while, Chloe forgot her worries. The little pixelated plumber hopped across the screen, collecting coins and dodging enemies. Steve really got into it. He laughed when he succeeded and cursed like a sailor when he crashed. When her character was caught by a turtle, Steve heroically tried to revive her, only to run into a fire trap himself.

“DAMN IT! Oh well, the point is to have fun, right?” He looked at her with a crooked grin.

“Well, I’m having fun.”

There was a quiet pause, the characters standing still on the screen. Steve turned to her, looking a little uncertain.

“You know,” he began hesitantly, “I’m really bad with women. Not at work, I know what to do there… socially, I mean. I often have no idea what to say or do. It’s not intuitive for me. I’m afraid of making mistakes, and then I make mistakes.” He fidgeted with the controller in his hands. “That thing with your number back then, that was stupid. And the other thing too.”

His voice was vulnerable, honest.

“I understand,” Chloe said gently. “I think you mean well. That’s more than I can say for a lot of people. You don’t have to keep apologizing. Let’s just forget what happened and start over, okay?”

There was genuine relief on his face. “I just want you to know I don’t have any ulterior motives or anything… so… oh, you know what I mean.” His voice trailed off awkwardly.

It was hard to be mad at someone who was trying so hard. “I’m glad I’m here,” she said.

They continued playing and the evening was filled with laughter, the beeping of the console, and occasional cursing over missed jumps. Time was no longer so important, and the complicated world outside was forgotten for a moment.

“I need a break! I’d like to be a little bit lazier and just watch something?” Steve reached for the remote. “I started the new season of Space Thrones. Not the best series, but it’s fun.”

“I’m in.”

They made themselves comfortable on the couch. At some point, without thinking, Chloe leaned against Steve. She felt cuddly and needed the closeness. He was only briefly surprised and then quickly relaxed. Spaceships, scheming space viziers, and bad CGI aliens flickered across the screen.

Chloe felt his warmth, the simple, relaxed intimacy she missed for so long. It was completely different from the coldness she had experienced on set, like all the other moments in Valley City. A sudden, intense pang of longing washed over her. She had missed this so much. Real affection, just being herself without a mask.

Steve stared at the screen, completely absorbed in the silly plot. But Chloe sensed that he really wasn’t expecting anything tonight. Her head rested on his shoulder, and she closed her eyes for a moment. A calmness came over her.

And something else.

“Steve,” she said softly.

“Hmm?” He looked down at her.

“You said on the phone that Andy had given you a hard time for being pushy and… not returning the favor.”

“Yeah?”

My God, he’s slow on the uptake.

“You apologized. But you haven’t returned the favor yet.”

Steve froze, realizing what she meant. “Chloe,” he said hoarsely.

She leaned back on the couch. A silent invitation. It was clear what she wanted.

Steve hesitated for only a fraction of a second, his gaze darting across her face as if seeking confirmation. Then he shut the tv off and slowly slid between her legs.

His hands were warm as they wandered to her denim shorts and unbuttoned them. Chloe lifted her hips slightly, helping him pull down her shorts and then her thong.

He placed his hands on her thighs, gently spreading them further apart and letting his gaze wander over her pussy, which had already opened slightly and lay wet and inviting before him.

There was desire in his eyes, but it wasn’t a greedy look, rather somewhat gentle and playful. He lowered his head, and Chloe held her breath, barely able to wait for him to finally begin.

Come on, don’t keep me waiting.

Then he licked her entire pussy once, long and gently, with his flat tongue, from bottom to top, as if he wanted to savor her taste to the fullest.

Chloe gasped and a shiver ran through her body as she felt his warm tongue. He was soft and tender and seemed very happy about what he was going to do. He hummed softly as if he liked the taste, and Chloe felt the vibration of his lips on her. Her clit was already throbbing, craving more, and she spread her legs a little wider.

When his tongue finally brushed over her clit, it felt really good, no, more than that, it was electrifying. His tongue circled the small, swollen bud with precise, slow movements, building pressure without rushing.

Chloe moaned softly, closed her eyes, and let herself fall back into the pillows. She felt so relaxed and comfortable knowing that there were no judgmental eyes on her except his.

There was no disgust lurking in the back of her mind, no pressure to perform. Just this pure, warm feeling spreading through her, making her skin tingle.

Steve alternated, first licking her clit with quick, little strokes of his tongue, then letting himself sink deeper, pushing his tongue into her opening, exploring the soft, tight warmth.

He took his time, really took his time to explore her, letting his tongue dance, gently sucking on her labia, nibbling tenderly as if he wanted to savor every inch of her.

Chloe writhed beneath him, her fingers digging into his hair, pulling at his head, searching for support. Her hips moved on their own, stretching toward him. She wanted more of that sweet pressure.

Oh fuck… don’t stop.

Steve responded to her body language, to her twitching hips and soft whimpers, pressing his tongue flat against her clit while he used his hands to push her thighs apart and hold them open.

Then he let go of her thighs and slid two fingers into the wet heat of her pussy and Chloe let out a loud gasp that turned into a surprised moan as his fingers curled inside her, while her fingers clawed at his hair.

He fingerfucked her faster and faster, while his tongue continued to work her clit. He was so good at it and hit exactly the right sensitive spot inside her that made her see stars.

Oh God, yes!

The tension continued to build, shock waves shooting through her abdomen, pressure building up and gathering in her core. She writhed, her toes curled, and then she felt it coming.

“I’m… coming… aaaahh, I’m coming!”

The orgasm shook her body in a wild, uncontrolled, twitching tremor. She moaned loudly, pressing his face tightly against her as her pussy contracted rhythmically around his fingers.

Steve helped her through the intense climax, slowing his movements with his fingers, gently licking her hypersensitive clit until the waves subsided.

He gave her one last, gentle kiss on her clit. The tender touch of his lips made her twitch once more, then he slowly withdrew his slippery fingers from her.

Chloe sank back exhausted into the cushions of the couch. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breath coming in short bursts.

Steve carefully crawled up to her. His face was still wet from her juices, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before resting his head on her chest. His hand stroked her stomach gently, feather-light touches that left goose bumps on her skin. She ran her fingers through his hair.

“Thank you,” she murmured softly.

Steve kissed her stomach, just above her belly button. It tickled a little and she flinched, a soft laugh escaping her. He grinned against her skin and snuggled closer to her.

“I’d like to do this more often,” Steve said softly, his voice muffled against her ribs.

Chloe froze for a moment.

“Not eating you out,” he added hastily, lifting his head to look at her. His ears were red. “I mean, that too, sure, but… I just mean hanging out. Eating nuggets, watching stupid TV shows, playing video games… stuff like that.”

She looked at him, studying his nervous face. There was so much hope in his eyes, so much sincere longing for connection.

“Maybe we should,” she said softly.

A broad smile spread across his face.

It was getting late and she knew she had to go home soon. Her world was too complicated right now to be able to afford normality like today very often. Otherwise, she would maybe lose the courage to do what she had to do. But she was grateful for this evening.

“I should go,” she said finally, sitting up slowly.

Steve slid off her and searched for her shorts and thong, which had landed somewhere between the couch cushions. He handed them to her without a word and respectfully looked away while she got dressed.

They stood at the door for a moment, unsure what to do. Steve had his hands buried in the pockets of his sweatpants, his face slightly embarrassed.

“Take care,” he said, and there was genuine concern in his voice.

Chloe nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thanks for the evening.”

“Anytime.” He raised his hand as if he wanted to say something else, maybe reach for her, hug her, something. But he lowered it again, just smiled, and opened the door for her.

The taxi driver who arrived ten minutes later was a silent guy who basically ignored her completely. Fine with her. She leaned back in the worn rear seat and let Valley City rush past her.

She felt content. A warm feeling in her chest that had nothing to do with the orgasm. Or maybe it did a bit, but not only that.

Whatever, just enjoy it, Chloe.

Soon enough, she would have to put the mask back on. Be Chloe Heart again, the aspiring porn star who loved everything, was up for anything and would spread for anybody. Even guys like Randy fucking Miles. This lightheartedness wouldn’t last, couldn’t last.

Shortly afterwards, she closed her apartment door behind her. Her skin still tingled from Steve’s touch and she didn’t want to let go of the warm feeling in her chest just yet.

Yawning, she lay down on the bed, looked at her phone out of habit and saw that Ben had sent her a message half an hour ago.

Ben Ziegler online

Sunshine! Your social media numbers are INSANE, but Maven can’t quite keep up with all the comments and DMs. She doesn’t just take care of your accounts. The poor girl is completely swamped. You need to take care of it yourself a little more now. Post more regularly, respond to comments, and the whole shebang. I know it’s annoying, but it’s part of the business. People want to feel like they have a connection to you. Just give me a call tomorrow!

23:34 PM

Chloe frowned. Maven was Ben’s assistant and she managed not only Ben’s agency’s social media presence, but also the social media accounts of several of his performers. She also had access to Chloe’s accounts.

But overwhelmed? Chloe hadn’t checked in for only a week maybe. A week and a half at most.

What the hell happened?

She rolled around on the bed, causing the worn-out mattress to squeak in protest, and opened the Instapic app.

Then her profile appeared.

And Chloe’s jaw dropped.