Chapter 30

The double date came up quickly, only two nights later. Kat thought it was exciting, and she was all-in on supporting Jess. Rita’s skepticism of Manny echoed in my head. I decided that this date night could help me figure out which one of them was right.

But before dinner, which would take place at a trendy new bistro on Melrose, Kayla had summoned me to the Daydream Pictures office. I wondered if she wanted to talk about her husband and Jess dating, although she insisted she had a few questions about the next couple movies. I arrived to find Kim and Ginger out back passing a bubbler back and forth and, in spite of a solid breeze coming off the ocean, a healthy cloud of smoke rose above the deck.

“Oh, hey, John,” Ginger said, glancing down at her topless chest when she realized my eyes were affixed on her green ones.

“How are you, ladies?” I said. “Besides gorgeous.”

“Are you going to give us the naughty workout we need, boss man?” Kim teased.

“Actually, I’m looking for Kayla,” I said. “She said she had some things to chat about.”

“Probably scripts,” Ginger said, rolling her eyes. “But if you get tired of that, Kim and I have some practice for a cum swapping scene that we’re doing for the web site.”

“Don’t you have, uh, male talent for that?” I asked, enjoying the banter.

“We thoroughly wore them out last night,” Kim said.

“By reputation, I thought that was impossible with any of them,” I said.

“Nothing is impossible with the two of us,” Ginger said, her words dripping with double entendre.

“Well, it sounds like I should finish up business as quickly as possible, huh?” I said.

“It’s in your interest,” Kim said, licking her lips.

Inside, I found Kayla sitting at a dining room table that also doubled as the most frequently utilized workspace in the house. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her famously thick, beautifully nipples poked aggressively against the fabric of the UCLA t-shirt she wore. Her legs were tucked underneath her, and I noticed she didn’t seem to be wearing any bottoms. She clicked away on a laptop keyboard, with glasses of water and white wine next to her, along with a small mirror streaked with evidence of cocaine use.

“Hey,” I said somehow quietly, not wanting to jar Kayala out of her obvious thought too severely.

“Oh, hey, John!” she said, smiling when she saw me.

She stood up, and I realized that, below her t-shirt, she wore only a white lace thong.

“Hard at work?” I asked.

“Script for the fourth movie,” Kayla said. “You want a bump?” She nodded toward the mirror.

“Ah, I probably shouldn’t,” I said. “Big night tonight.”

Kayla laughed. “I have a feeling you won’t be entirely sober,” she said. “But suit yourself.”

She scooped up a puffy pile of blow onto one of her perfectly manicured nails and inhaled.

“I’m such a coke fiend when I’m writing,” she said. “I get on these creative rolls, and I just have to keep up the momentum.”

“Well, don’t let me distract you then,” I said.

“Actually, I need your opinion on something,” Kayla said, her ponytail bobbing from side to side. Her lips were a bit fuller than I recalled, so she must have just had them refreshed, giving them a bee-stung but not garish look.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Well, Jess has told me a thousand times what a fan of my work you are,” she said.

I looked down, a little embarrassed, and felt my cheeks flush.

“I might be,” I said.

“Well,” Kayla said, cradling another bump of coke on her nail, “I filmed a new, solo vignette for the web site yesterday. “I thought maybe you could give me your ... expert opinion.”

She snorted the coke and immediately went back to the pile a third time.

“You sure you don’t want some?” she said, her eyes expectant, almost pleading.

“Shit, you make it impossible to say no,” I said.

She smiled. I stepped closer to her as she stood up from the table. I grabbed her delicate wrist and hoisted it toward my face. The bump disappeared in a quick sniff. Her gray-blue eyes hypnotized me.

“So what’s this new scene about?” I asked.

“Let me describe it to you,” she said. “Then you can watch it, if you want.”

“Okay,” I said.

“It’s just me in the shower,” she said. “I strip, get in, wash myself.”

As she spoke, she took my hand with both of hers, pressing it against her t-shirt and moving south.

“I’m sure that’s hot,” I said.

“And I shave myself,” she said, pushing my hand farther down her body.

“Very sexy,” I said.

“I mean really shave myself,” she said.

I looked at her quizzically, and she pushed my hand inside the front of her panties. It took me a moment, but realization finally washed across my face. It must have been a combination of surprise, confusion, and sheer excitement.

“It’s called ‘New Beginnings,’” she said. “Do you think that works?”

I could only nod my head. Kayla’s pussy, which radiated warmth, was also completely and utterly bare. Except for a brief period at the beginning of her career, she had always had a landing strip. It had become something of a signature, even as completely shaved pussies swept through the industry. She also resisted growing out a bush when a certain segment of the industry went for the retro look.

“Wow,” I finally managed to push out of my dry throat.

“No one has touched it besides me,” she said. “Well, and now you.” She held her steely gaze, drawing me in deeper. “Not even Manny.”

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy it,” I said.

“I don’t know,” she said, with a laugh. “He was the one who convinced me to keep the landing strip all these years.”

So many thoughts raced through my head. I remembered what Stephen had said to me at his ranch, what seemed like forever ago, about control. And how he had taken such delight in controlling Kat by getting her to grow a landing strip for him. I also had the image freshly burned in my head of Manny fucking Jess like she was his possession. I smiled back at Kayla.

“Did you do this for me?” I asked.

“Maybe not all for you,” she said playfully.

“Well,” I said, my voice turning serious, “then keep yourself smooth for me. Until I tell you otherwise.”

“You’re the boss,” Kayla said.

In the heat of the moment, I decided not to press my advantage any further. As difficult as it was, I pulled my hand from her panties.

“And, unfortunately, I’ve got some more work to take care of before this double date tonight,” I said.

“That’s no fun,” Kayla said.

“I don’t want to interrupt your writing flow,” I said. “Gotta keep those movies coming.”

“Maybe you should come check on my progress tomorrow,” she said, arching her sculpted eyebrows.

“Are you free in the morning?” I said, wanting to dictate the terms.

“Sure,” she said. “I’m just in writing mode.”

“Let’s make it early, like 9 a.m.,” I said.

“I’ll be here,” Kayla said.

“Are you about ready, darling?” I called up the stairs.

“Yes!” Kat shouted down.

She appeared at the top of the stairs, bending down to put on her high heels, and glided down to meet me on the first floor. I kissed her on the cheek.

“You look breathtaking,” I said.

Simple elegance was a look Kat pulled off with ease. She wore clingy white pants, a pastel green blouse with a deep plunge to the neckline, and a dangling sterling silver necklace that rested in her decolletage.

“Too casual?” she asked.

“Perfect,” I said, her sparkling eyes greeting my response with approval.

From the kitchen, Rita and Katie poked their heads out from making dinner for the kids.

“We are dying to hear how it goes!” Rita shouted as she ran toward us to say goodbye.

“For sure,” Katie said, her face obscured by steam rising from a boiling pot of pasta. “I’m so interested to find out what the dynamic is like.”

A reflexive look must have taken over my face because Rita added, “Don’t worry, John. It’ll be fine.”

Kat and I got in the McLaren to drive to dinner. It was a little bit of a flex. I knew it. I wanted Manny to see how successful I was, to make a statement that I was a breadwinner and steady force in Jess’s life. Part of this was fueled by jealousy. But part of it also was fueled by my mistrust of him, especially after Rita’s initial assessment of the dynamic that existed between the pornstar and my girlfriend.

“This is kind of exciting, daddy,” Kat said as we made our way the short distance down to Melrose Avenue. “Don’t be so tense.” She paused and added, “We should have smoked a joint before we left.”

“I’m good, Kitty Kat,” I said, taking her hand. She squeezed and looked at me warmly.

“At a minimum,” she said cheerfully, “I’m excited to try this restaurant!”