Chapter 36 – Work First, Play Later
by Kleo EriliAs soon as she got home, Chloe collapsed exhausted onto her bed and closed her eyes for a moment.
What a day.
Hours of posing, smiling, making the right movements – it had all been really exhausting. Her face hurt from being forced into a certain shape all day long, and she still couldn’t quite relax her muscles. She felt like a squeezed lemon.
She kicked off her sneakers and dropped them next to the bed as she reached for her phone out of habit. The notifications had piled up and her follower count had risen again, of course. The comments under her nomination post were endless.
She quickly scrolled through them without really reading anything, then put her phone down again.
Not today. I can’t do this right now.
But when she paused, the thoughts came and the silence in the small apartment was suddenly too loud. Valeria’s words echoed and her strange message that Chloe had seen on Ben’s phone and…
…and anyway, the whole career thing, being in the public eye, these nominations, it was still new and unsettling to her, and it all merged into a swelling background noise that she couldn’t turn off.
She didn’t want to be alone.
She thought of Elena, and Elena would surely try to help, but Chloe didn’t need help right now, and if she saw Elena, she would also have to think about Samantha, and she didn’t want that. She just wanted to think of something else…
Steve maybe. She could just chat with him without having the investigation in the back of her mind, and Steve certainly had no ulterior motives. Or at least no ulterior motives that weren’t painfully obvious.
Before she could change her mind, she opened her messages and typed.
With anticipation already building she put her phone away and went to the bathroom to wash off her makeup from the photo shoot.
~
Steve hadn’t lied. Except for a few regulars sitting at the bar staring at their glasses or the silent TV in the corner, there was no one there. And not one of them even looked up when Chloe walked in casually, wearing no makeup, a hoodie, a ponytail, and a baseball cap.
Steve was already sitting at the bar in the back corner. When he saw her, a grin spread across his face and he waved to her.
He stood up as she approached and pulled her into a hug, and Chloe let him.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.”
She climbed onto the stool next to him and the bartender, a bald, older guy with tattooed sleeves, came over.
“What can I get you, sweetheart?”
“A beer, please. One like that!” With a poker face, she pointed to the beer in front of Steve.
He nodded and left without asking for her ID. Did she look older without makeup? Probably not, right? He just didn’t care.
When her beer arrived, Steve raised his glass. “To creampies,” he exclaimed enthusiastically, perhaps a little too loud.
“AMEN, brother!” grumbled one of the regulars, who was already half asleep over his whiskey.
Chloe raised her eyebrows but had to grin when Steve smiled apologetically and then repeated his toast more quietly. They clinked glasses.
“So.” Steve leaned back, arms crossed. “How does it feel to be the next big thing?”
Chloe laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous.”
“No, I’m serious!” He raised his hands in feigned innocence. “I mean, okay, I didn’t think it would happen so fast. But I knew you were going to be successful from the start.”
“How would you know? We’ve only been in one scene together.”
“But I’ve seen some more. And I’ve been with a whole bunch of performers in just one scene. Some things you just get a feel for over time.” He shrugged. “Besides, it was a damn good scene.”
She took a long sip of beer to hide her grin before answering. “I’m not a star yet, Steve.”
“Five EVA nominations say otherwise.” He shook his head. “You’re going to be in high demand now, one hundred percent, they’ll be knocking down your door soon, mark my words. The EVAs are super important in the industry. I mean, I’ve been in the business for three years and I have one nomination. One! And that’s only because I shot with you.”
“Come on, you would have gotten one eventually even without me.”
“Sure.” Now he rolled his eyes. “Because I’m such a heartthrob and so incredibly talented. My only talent is that I have a big…”
“Steve!”
He continued in a lower voice, almost whispering. “…dick.”
She snorted and took another sip.
“But jokes aside,” he said, his tone becoming a little more serious. “Was it a lot today?”
She told him about the press inquiries and the social media frenzy and how she had managed it with Maven’s help, and about the photo shoot and the three people it took to squeeze her in and pry her back out again.
“And how are you doing with all the attention?”
Chloe twirled her glass between her hands. Then, to her own surprise, she told the truth before she could even think.
“It’s… a lot. I started to panic a little yesterday when I saw my social media numbers, and the nominations weren’t even out yet. Today… I… it was good? But it also worries me.” She looked at the beer instead of him. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just chasing after Chloe Heart.”
He nodded slowly. “I understand that,” he said. “Well, not exactly, because my situation is different. But, I mean, I’m Steve Balls. That’s just my name now.” He shrugged. “Sometimes I almost forget what my real name is.”
For a moment, there was something sad in his eyes, and Chloe realized with embarrassment that she hadn’t even asked him.
“What’s your real name, anyway?”
“Steve Dickinson.”
Chloe laughed so hard that she choked and beer shot out of her nose.
Steve patted her on the back, grinning. “Just kidding. Actually, it’s Howard.”
“You jerk!” Chloe said, laughing and dabbing her hoodie dry with a napkin.
“Anyway,” he continued, and the moment was over, “if you ever want to talk or something… I’m here. I mean, I’m not particularly smart or anything, but I can listen. Most of the time. And I have chicken nuggets.”
She smiled. “The nuggets are a big plus, of course.”
“Oh yeah, one of my biggest.”
Time blurred and the hours passed unnoticed as they talked and fooled around with each other. The first beer turned into a second, then a third. The bar slowly emptied around them until they were almost alone and only the hard core remained at the bar.
At some point, Steve looked at his phone in alarm. “Oh crap, it’s almost one.”
“Really?” Chloe blinked. It felt like they had just arrived.
“We should probably go…” He made a vague gesture toward the door.
“Yeah. Probably.”
Neither of them moved.
Then Steve stood up. “I’ll take you home. I mean, I’ll walk you. Accompany you. You know.”
She laughed softly. “Yeah, I know.”
After they paid, they stepped outside, where the streets were a bit quieter, even though Valley City never completely calmed down.
They walked side by side, close together, without talking. It was a comfortable silence, completely natural, without Steve’s usual panic when the conversation briefly broke off.
Chloe stumbled slightly over a bump in the sidewalk. The alcohol was taking its toll. Steve put his arm around her shoulders to support her, and she leaned against him. After that, they walked arm in arm.
A few blocks later, they stood in front of her building, which Steve stared at in disbelief. “You live here?”
“Yes.”
“That’s…” He searched for the right word. “Surely you can afford something better than this dump?”
Chloe shrugged. “Maybe, but something better costs more money. It’s okay for now. It serves its purpose.” She smiled slightly. “A bit like me.”
They stopped at the front door.
Steve stood there, hands in his pockets, looking at her. She could see him thinking about what to say, trying not to say or do the wrong thing.
Chloe turned to him, looked up at him, and their eyes met.
“Are you coming up?” she asked quietly.
A relieved, nervous smile appeared on his face.
“Yes,” he said. “I’d love to!”
When they reached the door to her apartment, Chloe unlocked it as quickly as the alcohol would allow, and they went inside. The door had barely closed when they kissed and fell onto the bed, tearing at each other’s clothes, which the mattress responded to with an indignant squeak.
That damn bed.
Chloe almost laughed, but Steve’s lips were already on hers again. His hands tugged at her hoodie, pushing it up over her stomach, and she helped by raising her arms, causing her baseball cap to fall to the floor.
While she took off her top and bra, Steve pulled his shirt over his head, and as Chloe began to fiddle with the buttons of his jeans, he simultaneously unzipped her denim shorts.
She lifted her hips and he pulled down her shorts along with her thong, then kicked his jeans away while Chloe pulled his cock out of his boxer shorts. He was more than ready.
“You’re so hot,” he murmured against her ear, and she smiled as she slid her hands over his bare back.
Steve pushed himself over her, his erection leaving a trail of precum across her thigh. Chloe instinctively spread her legs and pulled him in.
Condom? Should I…
The thought flashed through her mind, as a last quiet voice of reason. But they were both performers, got STI tests every two weeks, and the risk was practically zero… and God, she was too horny for that now.
Oh, whatever!
“Do you want me to…?” he whispered, and Chloe nodded. He slowly entered her, and Chloe gasped into his mouth while wrapping her legs around him. They kissed the whole time as he moved slowly inside her.
Every thrust made the bed squeak. Squeeeak. Squeeeak. Squeeeak. The rhythmic sound mixed with the slapping of skin on skin, distracting Chloe and pulling her out of the moment.
Oh, I hate this fucking bed…
She bit her lip and suppressed a giggle, but Steve didn’t seem to notice. He kissed her neck, gently nibbled her earlobe, and she eagerly leaned into him.
Then Steve picked up speed, thrusting harder and deeper into her, and the annoying squeaking became incredibly loud.
SQUEAK-SQUEAK-SQUEAK.
Chloe couldn’t hold back any longer, she snorted into Steve’s mouth and her body trembled with suppressed laughter, causing her muscles to contract violently around Steve. He groaned and his rhythm faltered.
“Fuck, Chloe, I can’t hold out much longer,” he gasped. “Oh, God.”
Despite the distraction and her laughter, her arousal was also building and she tried to keep it together. “Please, hold on… hmmmm… just a little longer. I’m not ready yet.”
He nodded and slowed his thrusts to an agonizingly slow pace. Squeeeak… squeeeak.
His hand found her left breast, gently kneading it, and he let his thumb circle her hard nipple. At the same time, he leaned forward, kissed her neck, and hit the sensitive spot just below her ear.
Chloe moaned softly. “Yes… just like that. Don’t stop.”
His slow thrusts rubbed her just right, he let his lips wander, kissing down her collarbone, taking her nipple into his mouth, and she felt the pressure building. “Steve… faster. I’m close.”
He didn’t need to be told twice and immediately picked up the pace again, thrusting hard and deep into her. Immediately, the bed groaned again in loud agony. SQUEAK! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!
Chloe clung to him, her own hips thrusting against him.
“Where… should I come?” he asked breathlessly.
“Inside,” she whispered.
Steve groaned hoarsely, thrusting deep into her one last time, and she felt him come, his cock pulsing, spilling his hot load into her, and that made her follow. She moaned into the crook of his neck as her body trembled.
Slowly, the climax subsided. Steve remained inside her, letting his head fall onto her breasts, and she stroked his head as he slowly went limp inside her. Then he pulled out and the bed squeaked once more as they jostled around.
And then she heard his breathing become more regular, and as she stroked him, her eyes closed and she fell into a relaxed and contented slumber.
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