Chapter 59 – Daniel Walker

Chloe sat by the window, sunglasses perched on her nose, a double espresso in front of her and the remains of an avocado toast that had cost almost as much as a week of homemade lunches for a family of three. But it had been damn good, and every now and then she wanted to treat herself to something special.

Chloe leaned back, sipped her espresso, legs casually crossed, and simply let her gaze wander through Bistro La Plaza. There was a movement at the window. Kayla, her colleague she’d met at the Velvet Sleeve release party, walked past outside, wearing a crop top and sunglasses that covered half her face. She saw Chloe at the exact same moment Chloe saw her. They both smiled and waved at each other through the glass. Kayla mouthed a silent “Hey!” and kept walking.

Fuck me, I’m starting to see familiar faces in this city all the time.

Her phone vibrated on the table and Ben’s name appeared on the screen.

She answered. “Hey, Ben.”

“Sunshine! I’ve got something for you.” His voice had that slick enthusiasm he always put on when he wanted to sell something. “I finally managed to get you a gig at Dirty Dreams, the day after tomorrow. Valeria just sent the offer over and I took the liberty of saying yes already.”

Chloe set down her espresso cup. “Oh, cool! What kind of production?”

“It’s a pretty laid-back gig, boy-girl, at their studio, with an experienced director. They want it to be relaxed and aesthetic, nothing hardcore. And your partner…” he paused for dramatic effect, “…is Daniel Walker.”

Daniel Walker! From Morgan’s list of suspects!

“Oh wow!” she said, with just the right amount of Chloe Heart in her voice. “That’s awesome!”

Ben let out a strangely knowing laugh. “I figured you’d be happy about that, I know how you girls are all over him.” He clicked his tongue lewdly. “But anyway, he’s one of the biggest names around right now, and the pairing will do wonders for your profile.”

“That sounds fantastic, Ben, I’m so excited,” she said, and the enthusiastic tone came so easily to her now that it sometimes even startled her. “Will you send me the details?”

“Attagirl! I’ll send you the details tonight.”

He hung up without saying goodbye, and she sighed.

Daniel Walker had been one of Samantha’s most frequent co-stars, and he was on Morgan’s list of suspects.

I have to call Morgan. But not here.

~

As always, it was unbearably stuffy in her apartment, but she only opened the window just a crack anyway, because her neighborhood didn’t exactly smell like fresh mountain air.

She flopped down on the bed, her phone already in her hand, and tapped Morgan’s number. It rang at least seven or eight times before Morgan picked up.

“Hmm.” Morgan’s voice sounded as if it were coming from a hole in the ground.

“Oh no, did I wake you up?”

“No. Yes. Maybe.” A rustling sound, as if Morgan were sitting up. “What’s up?”

“Ben just booked me for a shoot at Dirty Dreams, it’s the day after tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She still sounded sleepy.

“My scene partner is Daniel Walker.”

That woke Morgan up instantly. “Daniel Walker is on my list!”

“I know that which is why I’m calling. Mind telling me a little more? I need to know what to ask him when I get the chance.”

“Hold on.” More rustling, as she was probably searching for her laptop under all those piles of papers in her apartment. “Okay, so. Daniel Walker, late twenties, one of the biggest names at Dirty Dreams, exclusive contract with Valeria’s production company. He was one of Samantha’s most frequent co-stars, but he wanted a little more than that.”

“In what way?”

“He was apparently pretty obviously into her and tried several times to make a move on her, but she turned him down every time, and his frustration about it was apparently no secret on set. A few people I talked to called him Valeria’s ‘golden boy.’ She has him under exclusive contract, gives him the best scenes, and in return he always obediently does what she says.”

Chloe pulled her legs up and leaned against the wall. “Do you think unrequited feelings alone are a motive?”

“I don’t know, but he was close enough to Samantha and close enough to Valeria that he probably knows quite a bit, even if he wasn’t directly involved.”

“Then I guess I really should try to get him to talk somehow after the shoot.”

“I don’t know how things work in your industry since you guys start right off with the sex, after all, but maybe you could go grab a coffee or something afterward?”

Chloe laughed. “Yeah, why not. I could play a little starstruck, a little fangirl, a little ‘oh my God, I’m actually filming with Daniel Walker.’ Stroke his ego a little until he opens up.”

“Sounds like a plan.” A brief pause. “We could also just wait for Tomas’s results, though. Recovering the data from Ben’s hard drive might give us more than coffee talk with a suspect.”

“Morgan, this opportunity just fell into my lap. I’m filming with him anyway. The chance is there and I just have to take it.”

“I know. I’m just saying there’s another option.” Morgan sighed softly. “But you’re right. Take the chance. Just try to be careful, okay? If anything feels off, back off.”

“I promise.”

“Your promises of being careful always sound like you’ve got your fingers crossed behind your back.”

“I didn’t.”

“Of course not.” Morgan’s voice lightened. “Okay, changing the subject. That same evening, after your shoot… well, here’s the thing, I have to cover this stupid gallery opening for the Times. Contemporary art, free admission, free drinks, and guaranteed to be full of insufferable art people explaining why a rotten banana peel that someone nailed to the wall is a statement about the transience of human existence or something like that.”

Chloe snorted. “Sounds fantastic.”

“Right? Anyway, you could come along as my plus-one if you want. I could really use some company, so I don’t have to endure this alone and spend the whole evening crying into my wine glass and wondering why I didn’t learn a real trade, like plumbing or something.”

Chloe smiled. An evening with Morgan and free drinks after a shoot and  interrogation with a murder suspect honestly sounded like the best thing that could happen to her.

“Deal,” she said. “I’m in.”

“Oh my God, perfect, you can’t imagine how grateful I am! See you the day after tomorrow, then. And Chloe, please-“

“Be careful. I know.”

“Yes, you’re smart, I’ll stop being such a mother hen.”

“It’s okay. See you later!”

“Looking forward to it!”

~

Yawning, Chloe pushed up her sunglasses as she walked through the automatic glass doors of the Dirty Dreams building early in the morning. This time, she didn’t stop to admire the corporate porn aesthetic.

“Chloe! Good to see you again.”

“Good morning!”

Production assistant Destiny immediately ran toward her with the same infectious energy as last time.

“Come on, Lila and Drew are already waiting for you.”

Chloe followed her down the familiar corridor to the makeup department, still yawning slightly.

“There she is. Have a seat, sweetie.” Lila patted the chair in front of the mirror.

Drew waved from the background. “Morning, superstar.”

“Morning, Drew.”

Drew and Lila were a well-oiled team, and priming her face, applying foundation, and then contouring were done in no time, which was a good thing, because it was so relaxing in the makeup chair that Chloe almost fell asleep again.

When they were done, Drew handed her the planned outfit. It wasn’t much, just a simple, skin-tight yoga outfit consisting of light gray shorts and a sports bra in the same color. The plan was for her to wear nothing underneath. “Casual and relaxed” was the look the director wanted. As if she were just heading to a yoga class, except that the yoga class would end with an orgasm or two.

She had done her homework. She’d watched scenes featuring Daniel Walker and read what her colleagues had to say about him. She had to admit that she could definitely relate to the gushing about how good-looking he was, how toned he was, and even the almost reverent comments about his equipment.

In terms of aesthetics, his penis was simply what the industry considered the gold standard, and in terms of proportion, it was just big enough that it looked more like fun and less like pain.

Stay focused, Chloe. You have a job in front of the camera and a job behind the camera. Keep the two separate. Just focus on that.

“Oh, I think if I had a body like yours, I’d just walk around in yoga clothes like that all day,” Lila sighed, taking a step back to admire her.

“You’re way too sweet, Lila.” Chloe smiled her signature Chloe Heart smile at her reflection.

Destiny poked her head through the door. “Finished? Nice! Your partner is already on set. I’ll take you there.”

“Let’s go, then.”

The set was one of the elaborately decorated Dirty Dreams backdrops she’d seen in countless scenes on NaughtyNet. It didn’t necessarily look real, more like the apartment of someone who worked for an interior design magazine and had way too much money.

White walls, a huge bed, warm light from hidden spotlights and a light panel that simulated a floor-to-ceiling window, in front of which a semi-transparent curtain gently billowed in an artificial breeze created by a fan positioned outside the camera’s field of view.

A total of three cameras had already been set up, two on tripods and a Steadicam for the close-ups.

And standing right in the middle of it all was Daniel Walker.

He was leaning casually against a wall, chatting with two cameramen, both of whom were nearly a head shorter than him. He wore a plain white T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and gray athletic shorts. His brown, curly hair was cut relatively short, his posture was relaxed, and when he laughed, he flashed a radiating smile.

Okay, exactly like in the videos. No surprise there.

Well, he was tall, taller than she’d expected. And yes, the broad shoulders, the toned body and the boyishly handsome face seemed almost a bit unreal in person, but-

He saw her the moment she stepped onto the set, and his face lit up immediately.

“Hey, Chloe!”

He simply left the cameramen standing there and walked straight toward her with a casual stride, acting as if the whole room belonged him but eager to share it with her.

And then he stood in front of her and held out his hand, and damn it, she really wasn’t prepared for this.

It wasn’t his eyes. They really were as warm and brown as in the videos. And it wasn’t his body either, though up close it looked even more impressive than on screen. It was the whole package, the warmth he radiated even before he opened his mouth, his scent, which she somehow liked right away, and the way his large hand enclosed hers with just the right amount of pressure.

And it was the way he slighty leaned down toward her and said in a hushed voice, “I have to admit, I’m really looking forward to filming with you.”

Photos and videos just couldn’t capture that charm, that confident physicality, and presence.

Damn. Not good.

“Hi! Me too,” Chloe said with her signature Chloe Heart smile, which, strangely enough, felt a tiny bit more genuine than usual.

The director, a slender man with stubble and a slight French accent, listed as Guido in the production notes, appeared beside them.

“Hey, you two. You’ve got a few minutes to warm up a bit before we start. Get to know each other, loosen up, it’s going to be a really relaxed shoot today.” He patted Daniel on the shoulder and disappeared back among the cameras.

Daniel nodded toward two folding chairs at the edge of the set, next to a table with water bottles and a basket overflowing with fruit.

“Come on, sit down. Water?”

“Sure.”

He handed her a bottle and they sank into the folding chairs. His knee was very close to hers and she still noticed how good he smelled.

Focus, Chloe.

“So,” he said, leaning back and stretching out his long legs. “How long have you been doing this?”

“Oh, just a few months, but it somehow feels like it’s been years already.”

He laughed. “Oh man, yeah, I know what you mean. It’s like dog years, right? One month in this business is seven normal months.” He took a sip of water. “They throw you right into the cold water and you just learn so fast. On my very first shoot, I was so nervous that I…” He shook his head, grinning. “No, that’s too embarrassing.”

“Now you have to tell me.”

“Okay, but you can’t tell anyone.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “My scene partner yanked my pants down so suddenly that I stumbled a little, and then my foot got caught in my own pants, I lost my balance, and I fell backward into one of those big lighting stands. Tipped over and fell right onto the cameraman.”

Chloe laughed.

“The cameraman survived,” Daniel added with a wink. “But he looked at me for the rest of the shoot as if I’d deliberately tried to kill him.”

They hit it off right away. He was a natural storyteller, had no problem laughing at himself, and gave her his full attention, as if she were the only person in the whole world at that moment. He simply was good company, there was no sugarcoating it. He maintained eye contact, but not in a creepy way, and the questions he asked were interested but didn’t come across as prying.

And she realized after a few minutes that he wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. There were moments when she said something ironic and it took him half a second too long to get it. He certainly wasn’t stupid, but he also wasn’t exactly someone who lay awake at night pondering the complexities of human existence either.

It dampened her attraction a little. Just a little.

“When I heard you were my co-star, I was really happy. I’ve seen a few of your scenes, and you seem so…” He searched for the word. “…authentic. You know? Like you’re really yourself in front of the camera. That… haha, well, I’ll just say it, I find that pretty attractive.”

Oh, the irony.

“Thanks,” she said, giving him a smile. “That’s really sweet.”

It was flattery, and she knew it, the warm-up ritual people went through before stepping in front of the camera together. And yet it landed, because he managed to say it as if he really meant it.

She had to work like crazy not to let it get to her too much. Yes, he was pleasant, attentive, charming, and she enjoyed sitting here next to him and being the center of his attention. But at the same time, this man was on Morgan’s list, and she couldn’t allow herself to forget that, no matter how good he smelled.

Something seemed to occur to him, and he sat up a little, picked up his clipboard from the floor, and flipped through it briefly.

“Hey, I wanted to go over something with you before we get started. Have you looked at the shot list?”

Chloe nodded.

“Okay, so Guido has planned a forward-facing piledriver and a full nelson, among other things.” He looked at her calmly. “Have you ever done those before?”

“No,” said Chloe. “I’ve never done those two positions before.”

There was no reason to hide that.

Daniel nodded, his expression unchanged. “No problem. I’ve done both of them plenty of times. If you’d like, I can quickly explain what you need to watch out for?”

“Sure, I’d love that!”

And that’s exactly what he did. He took his time, describing exactly where the strain would be for her, namely on her neck and shoulders for the Piledriver, and on her arms and lower back for the Full Nelson, and he explained what could happen if the angle wasn’t right.

“I’ll lift you into position myself,” he said calmly. “You don’t have to do anything on your own. And if anything hurts or feels wrong, just say something and we’ll correct it right away, but I’ll check in with you to make sure you’re okay anyway.”

He spoke about it in a completely matter-of-fact and experienced way, and at the same time, and there was no other word for it, he was downright caring, as if it really mattered to him that she was okay.

Oh God, please be innocent.

She felt caught red-handed by herself when she noticed what she had thought there.

Not now, Chloe.

“Oh, one more thing,” Daniel said. He said it casually, but with a searching look that showed the answer was important to him. “Are you okay with kissing?”

“Yes,” she said.

The word had slipped out half a second too quickly, before she’d even had a chance to think about it and her mouth had simply answered as if it were a matter of course, and now it was out and she couldn’t take it back. And if she was honest, she didn’t want to take it back, because-

“Set is ready! Dan, Chloe, can we start?”

Guido’s voice cut through the room.

Daniel stood up, held out his hand to her, and pulled her out of her folding chair with ease.

“It’ll be fine,” he said. “Trust me.”

His smile was warm and unpretentious.

“Trust me,” says the man Morgan suspects of having something to do with my sister’s death.

She smiled back.

“Let’s go.”