Chapter 34 – Nominated

The faded sign – Ziegler Talent Management – Your Gateway to Stardom – on which some joker had crossed out Stardom and scribbled Whoredom over, looked pretty much the same as last time.

But still, something was different.

Chloe paused on the sidewalk for a moment and looked at the building. When she had been here for the first time, not so long ago, her heart had been racing. She had felt like she was climbing into a lion’s cage. Today, it was just an office building, like, just her workplace.

No turning back.

Last night’s realization was still fresh in her mind. This wasn’t a temporary phase she could shake off at some point. It was her life. So she had to make the best of it, somehow, for the investigation and for her financial future alike.

She went inside.

Maven sat behind her desk with her dark hair tied back in a casual bun and her eyes fixed on her cell phone as usual. But by now, Chloe realized that Maven probably wasn’t killing time on her phone, but was actually working. When Chloe entered, she even looked up.

“Hey, Chloe.” A smile that seemed almost friendly. “Ben is in a really good mood today.”

“Oh, really?”

Maven leaned back, a knowing expression on her face. “Let’s just say he’s been working his ass off for the last few weeks… at least for his standards that is. And today it paid off.” She nodded toward Ben’s office. “Go on in, he’s waiting for you.”

Chloe raised her eyebrows and walked past her. The porn posters with her naked colleagues on the walls smiled at her like old friends.

What had Ben been up to?

It didn’t matter, today was about career planning. She was here to regain some control over her life and her future. She knocked on Ben’s office door and entered.

Ben was sitting behind his desk, frantically clicking with his mouse. But when he saw her, a grin spread across his face like she had never seen before on him. Not the oily, fake smile he gave when he wanted to sell something, nor the smug smirk he wore after successfully taking someone for a ride. This was something else, entering completely new realms of smugness, yet at the same time seeming much more genuine.

“Sunshine!” He actually jumped up and pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, sit down. I have fantastic news.”

Chloe sank into the worn leather chair. “I actually wanted to talk to you about-“

“Forget that for now.” Ben waved his hand impatiently. “The EVA nominations came out this morning, the first round.”

EVA. The Erotic Video Awards. Her heart skipped a beat. “And that means?”

Ben leaned back, fingers intertwined, visibly enjoying the moment. “You’re nominated, Sunshine. Not for one category. For five.”

The words took a moment to sink in.

“Five?”

“Best Newcomer, of course. Best Creampie Scene for the Sinful Stepsisters thing. Best Debut Scene for your first CCC video. Best BDSM Scene for Bound.com. And Best Oral Scene for Throat Me.” He counted them off on his fingers, then held up his hand and wiggled all five fingers cheerfully.

Five nominations. For porn. I’m being celebrated for porn.

She almost laughed out loud. Instead, a radiant smile formed on her face, the perfect Chloe Heart smile, as her mind processed what this meant.

Nominations meant status, and status meant access. Access to exclusive events, to the upper echelons, to people who might know what had happened to Samantha. And at the same time, it meant she was no longer just someone who made porn.

I’m someone who is successful at it. Who is recognized for it.

But it was also a step toward financial security and a real career. Something she could build while searching for Samantha’s killer.

“This is…” She let her voice break, just enough to sound overwhelmed. “Ben, I can’t believe this. Five nominations?”

“I know.” He beamed as if he had personally shot every single scene. “I’ve put a lot of work into it over the last few weeks. Strategically sent your scenes to the right people and called in a few favors from contacts in the industry. And of course I chatted with a few jury members I know, dropping hints here and there about my exciting new talent.”

He leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk. “That’s what a good agent does, Sunshine. I made sure the right people noticed you.”

“Thanks, Ben.” And part of her even meant it.

“But of course,” he raised his hand patronizingly, “if you hadn’t delivered so well, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this. You did all the work, of course, I just made sure it was seen.”

The modesty seemed almost genuine. Almost.

“You wanted to talk about your career, right?” Ben continued with infectious energy. “Perfect timing, now is the best moment for making a push. What have you been thinking?”

Chloe took a deep breath and sorted through her thoughts.

“As I said, I don’t want to think scene by scene,” she began. “I want to plan for the long term. I mean, merchandise, branding, partnerships, and stuff like that. I want to build something that’s sustainable because…”

She hesitated.

Ben’s eyebrows rose. “Go on.”

“To be honest, I’m concerned about financial security,” she said. “I’m making good money now, but that won’t last forever. I want to protect myself and, if possible, build multiple sources of income.”

Something changed in Ben’s expression, very subtly, a slight lift of the chin, a flicker in his eyes. Was that… respect?

“A lot of performers don’t think that way,” he said slowly. “Many of them throw money out the window with both hands and then wonder why they’re broke in their thirties when the dough stops rolling in.”

“I don’t think I’m like that.”

“No.” He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. “No, I don’t think you are.”

He stood up and began pacing back and forth in his small office.

“Okay, let’s think about what we can do. Merchandise is a good start. Autographed photos, calendars, maybe a lingerie line when you get big enough.”

“And brand partnerships,” said Chloe. “For condoms, lube, sex toys, and stuff like that. I did a little research and saw that some performers have deals like that.”

“Right, right.” Ben nodded eagerly. “And maybe… there’s a relatively new company called Velvet Sleeve. They make luxury sex toys for men. Basically masturbators molded from real performers.”

Chloe blinked. “Molded?”

“Imprints or 3D scans or something like that, for an exact replica of your pussy.” He said it so casually, as if he were talking about printing some business cards. “It’s a high-end market, but it’s selling really well. They’re approaching more and more big performers for signature lines. If you keep up the momentum, that could be an option.”

My pussy… for sale, as a product. Literally.

For a moment, she felt the gag reflex rise at the thought of thousands of men who –

No. Stay pragmatic. This is business. You decided last night to make the best of the situation, and this might be a lot of money for basically no work, Chloe.

“What are they paying?” she heard herself ask.

Ben looked at her and grinned. “I like that, straight to the bare figures.” He sat back down. “I don’t know exactly, I’ve never worked with them before. Normally, you need to be fairly well known before they contact you. But with the nominations… it could happen faster. I’ll contact them on your behalf and see what they say. Until then, I’ll find out what they’re willing to pay.”

“Good.”

“And social media.” Ben tapped his finger on his desk. “I already told you. Maven does a good job with the promo posts, but she can’t do everything. You need to be more active.”

“Yeah, I get it. I’ll get on that. Personal posts,” Chloe nodded. “Behind-the-scenes and interacting with fans.”

“Exactly. People want to feel like they know you, that they have a connection with you.” He grimaced into what was probably meant to be a knowing smile. “Not a real connection, of course. But the illusion of one.”

“Which platform is most important?”

“Instapic has the most users, but explicit content isn’t allowed there. Hitter is smaller, but allows explicit stuff and therefor is more important for the industry. You need both.” He reached for a notepad. “Post at least once a day. Mix it up a bit, sometimes something personal, sometimes something sexy, sometimes something funny, I don’t know, think of something. But be careful about your privacy.”

Chloe shuddered briefly as a chill ran down her spine. “Got it.”

“And then,” Ben leaned forward, his eyes shining, “the most important thing. Your own website!”

“Why is that the most important thing?”

“It’s the next logical step for successful performers nowadays. Exclusive content behind a paywall. For a monthly subscription, your fans get stuff they can’t find anywhere else.” He drew a rectangle in the air as if he could already see the website in front of him. “We control everything and profit directly, without going through the studios.”

“And who builds a website like that? And how do we film the stuff for it?”

“Don’t worry, I know people. Technicians, designers, payment processors, and the necessary legal shebang. I can get you a few quotes.” He scribbled something on his notepad. “But it has to be high quality. No shaky cell phone footage, but professional production. I know people for that, too.”

“And the revenue?”

Ben named a figure, just a rough estimate. Chloe had to try hard not to react.

“That’s… a lot.”

“With your reach? That’s a conservative estimate.” He grinned. “I’ll run the numbers for you. But now you understand why I’m so enthusiastic?”

She understood. She understood very well indeed.

They spent the next half hour discussing details. Ben threw ideas out there, Chloe asked questions about costs, logistics, returns. Who would be responsible for the technical side of the website? What were realistic expectations for content production? How much time would it take?

Ben became more animated with each question. He gestured, jumped back and forth between topics, and repeatedly reached for his notepad to write things down. It was strange to see him blossom like this. Normally, he was either oily-charming or businesslike and cold. Now he was almost a normal person.

“Okay,” Ben clapped his hands, “that all sounds really good, but first we have to take advantage of the EVA momentum. The nominations put you in the spotlight. We have to use that to get you booked as often as possible, then it can really snowball.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“High-profile shoots, people need to see you. Maybe a few interviews with industry magazines. Definitely appearances at the pre-EVA parties as they get closer.” He tapped his pen on the desk. “Networking with the industry elite. You need to be seen with the right people.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“There’s a second round of nominations before the actual awards ceremony. If we play our cards right over the next few months…” He left the sentence hanging, meaningfully.

Chloe nodded. Then she added, “But I want to stay informed. No surprises. No deals without my knowledge.”

For a brief moment, irritation flashed in Ben’s eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“Of course, Sunshine. We’re partners in this.” He held out his hand to her. “Deal?”

She took it. His handshake was firm and warm. “Deal.”

“You’re going to be a real star.” Ben’s voice had that unbearable tone again, half genuine enthusiasm, half agent salesmanship. “This is only just the beginning, Sunshine. With your looks, your talent and your…” he searched for the right word, “…sense for the business. And my experience. The sky’s the limit.”

Careful, Icarus.

“You know what,” Ben suddenly jumped up, “we have to celebrate this. I’ve got a bottle of champagne in the fridge. Wait here.”

Before she could answer, he had already stormed out of the office and Chloe sat alone in the sudden silence.

Five nominations, a website, merchandise deals, sex toy molds. What the hell. It was all moving so fast, faster than she had planned.

Is this really my life now?

Ben’s cell phone vibrated on the desk.

The screen lit up, and Chloe automatically glanced at it, not even intentionally. The notification preview was clear enough to read.

Valeria Cruz: Ben, about Chloe. I think she’ll be ready soon. We should talk again.

Chloe’s eyes widened for a moment, then she looked away, just as Ben’s footsteps in the hallway grew louder again.

What the hell is that about?

The office door swung open and Ben came in, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two glasses in the other.

“I knew I had something nice in the fridge” He put everything down on the desk. “Time to celebrate.”

The cork popped and the champagne bubbled into the glasses.

Ben raised his glass. “To your success. To our collaboration. To the future.”

Chloe took her glass and clinked it with his, conjuring up the radiant smile of Chloe Heart.

“To the future.”

The champagne was cold and tasted awful. But as she drank, she thought about Valeria’s message.

Ready for what?