“Yes,” I answer honestly. We’ve had all sorts of people in the DIX studios, artists, students, a lawyer or two and a few teachers in training. Selling sex is the oldest profession. We all need to make money, it's what makes the world go round after all. Sex is raw, it’s visceral, there’s a realness to a climax that can only be captured through the lens because it’s like a snowflake, melting in an instant.
That’s why DIX recruited me. I was a photography student, and for my first public exhibition, I had showcased a collection I’d titled ‘Uninhibited.’ I’d spent months collecting the images, playing with light and textures as well as mixing up the subjects as I tried to capture that crucial ‘O’ moment before it faded. My lecturer had called it ‘pornographic perfection,’ but it had been slammed by critics as being a self-indulgent teenage fantasy. Hugh Trent, the CEO of DIX, happened to have seen the review and came to the gallery the following night. He’d taken one walk around the room before handing me his card and promising me a job if I expanded my skill set into film.
In return for filming some of the Cam girls for his website and taking their photos for their calendars, prints and advertising, I made good money, and he provided a studio and apartment I could use as I wished. He also allowed me to explore…my other interests on the side. Currently, I only have three girls on my books, but across town, there’s another photographer, Lance, with a similar setup—except he’s into the more hardcore imagery. I also know Hugh has plans to branch out so that DIX is more inclusive, offering a something for everyone kind of approach.
“Hey, do you want to grab dinner?” Ruby asks, placing her hand gently on my arm. I’d zoned out for a moment, but now I was hyperaware. I could smell her soft scent of orange blossoms, it must be her shower gel or her shampoo because it always seemed to linger when she was here. The warmth of her touch made me waver, I wanted to go, but if I went...I’d only be feeding my obsession. She was already occupying too much of my headspace.
Chapter Two
Ruby
Carter frowns and shakes his head softly. I shrug, trying to hide the fact that I’m hurt. He never wants to come for dinner with me, but I know he eats with the other girls when they finish their filming. His dark eyes leave mine as he looks over some of the images we shot earlier this evening. The maid outfit was such a popular request we’d decided to take some pictures ready to be signed and sent out to some of the VIP members on the website.
Grabbing my bag, I give him a small wave before leaving the studio, the cold night air washing over me as the darkness calms me. There’s something about walking home at night, when the sky is black and everything is shrouded in shadows. I mean, I should be scared, it’s common sense, but my brain doesn’t seem to be wired like that. Instead I feel oddly empowered, like I’m daring someone to come and take me. I’m playing a game with whoever may be lurking in the shadows, watching me. It’s the same when I’m on camera, enticing the viewers because I want them to fall in love with me. The hearts they send validate me somehow. The money is a bonus. And I know that’s fucked up. But the way my skin begins to warm despite the temperature makes me straighten, and I virtually strut home, swaying my hips, pretending that someone has their eyes on me until my front door clicks shut behind me. I love the thought of someone watching. Following me. Hungry eyes stalking my every move. Under the hot jets of my shower, I’m lost inside my mind again, pretending I’m still on cam in the studio as I soap my tits, paying careful attention to my nipples before moving my hand lower. My fingers follow the curves of my body as I imagine the camera panning in on my hips, focusing on the way my skin is covered in glittering droplets.
“Rebecca, are you going to be long? I’ve just come back from my run, and I want a shower!” My fantasy shrivels up and vanishes as my roommate, Emma, shouts through the bathroom door. “Rebecca!”
“Yes, I heard you!” I yell back. “I won’t be long.”
My mood is soured by the interruption, and I know it’s partly my fault, but sometimes I wished that I didn’t have a roommate. Student accommodation is cheaper than a flat, and having a roommate makes food shopping cheaper too, which was a necessary evil when I was paying my tuition fees myself and trying to save a little money on the side. I had plans for my future, and that meant being careful and making preparations now. I wrap my towel around my body before stepping out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam.
Emma’s sat on the sofa, waiting with her towel as she gives me a concerned look. “Did you only just get home? Did the astrology club keep you out this late again?” She has a habit of grilling me, and while her mothering was mildly irritating, tonight my sexual frustration made me that much more grumpy.
“Well, it’s not like we can look at the stars in the daylight, is it?” I say with a grin, loving the way the lie tumbles from my lips. My camera work is a secret. A dirty secret just between Carter and I. Well, and Hugh. I raise a brow at her. “Besides, you’re only just coming home now.”
“Yeah, we have a tournament soon, so the coach is making us practise more than
