Chapter 8

Luke knew that most of his so-called friends only hung around him because of what he did.Once his career ended,they’d soon drop him.Already,work was becoming harder to come by as his body and face filled out and lost their boyish appearance.

Slowly,after more sniffles and short snatches of conversation,Luke fell asleep,his head on Donnie’s lap,feeling safe and loved as Donnie stroked his hair.

****

“And,cut.Okay,people,next scene,”the director called out.

Max,the muscle-bound hunk who had his dick up Luke’s arse,stopped moving.

“Change positions.Luke,I want you on your back staring into Max’s eyes.”

Max pulled out;Luke immediately missing the large tube of flesh.He flipped over and looked up,squinting into the bright studio lights.

He had forgotten what his character’s name was supposed to be.He wasn’t even sure if he had one in this film.Max had probably been given some stupid butch name,but Luke,if he ever knew,couldn’t recall it.

As he waited for the cameras and lights to be arranged to the director’s liking,Luke ran his fingertips along the rich white linen sheets on the king size bed they were using.Before they’d begun,the sheets had been crisp and smelled of fabric conditioner.Now they were rumpled and sweat stained.

The bed springs had an annoying squeak,which Max bitterly complained about.Max had complained about a lot of things.Luke steadfastly kept his mouth shut,letting Jim,the director,deal with it.

“And I want plenty of kissing in this one,”Jim said.

Max scowled.Turning to look at Jim,he said,“I thought I made it clear.I don’t kiss men.”

Jim stopped fiddling with one of the lights and hurled his clip-board at the bed.It flew several feet in the air before slapping on the bare concrete floor.“Honey,”he lisped,“forwhat we’re paying you for this film,you’ll wear frilly pink knickers,ride a unicycle round the studio and belt out the words to Rule Britannia if I say you have to.”

Luke suppressed a giggle.Evidently Jim had finally had enough of Max’s moaning.

As the argument continued,Luke stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes,trying to block out the bickering.He was getting paid per scene and not by the hour,so he hoped the director and star would soon settle their differences.

Max was a gay-for-pay porn actor,who only starred in gay films because it paid better than straight ones.Luke had worked with Jim before;obviously Max hadn’t.Jim always gave the straights a hard time if they wouldn’t do as they were told.

Eventually,the two men settled their argument.Basically,Max had to kiss Luke if he ever wanted to work for the production company again.Max wasn’t happy and continued to pout.

“Action!”Jim announced.

“Come on,stud,pucker up.”Luke lifted up and kissed Max right on the lips.He felt Max woodenly respond.It was the only thing wooden about the man,who had gone soft during the argument.Though,as their groins were pressed together,the viewer wouldn’t be able to tell.

Luke plunged his tongue into Max’s mouth and had a good old root around,making plenty of slurping noises,which he hoped the microphones would pick up.From how he continued to just hover over him,Max wasn’t enjoying himself,But there’s fuck all you can do about it,pal,Luke thought,suppressing a grin.

Luke put his arms around Max’s broad back and ran his hands up and down the strong muscles.Bending his legs,he positioned his knees either side of Max’s torso,before lifting his feet and pressing his heels against Max’s backside.

Max’s body stiffened.Clearly he didn’t like his arse being touched.Luke rubbed his right heel up and down Max’s arse trench,making Max growl.If looks could kill,Luke thought,starting up a needy whimpering.

Eventually,much to Max’s relief,Jim called a halt to the scene.

It was time for the all-important money shot.Luke noted sadly that Max was only half-boned.Heoffered to suck him,but Max treated him to another scowl.

He doubted the beefy,black-haired,tattooed hulk would ever agree to work with him again.Lukecouldn’t say he was bothered.The bloke was good looking and had a big dick,but that was it.

As Max wanked himself,he refused to look at Luke.Usually when this happened it bothered him.This time,however,he knew he’d pissed Max off,so wasn’t expecting his co-star to gaze adoringly at him.

As a final piece of revenge,Luke ad-libbed,“Come on,stud.Shoot your load on me.I want it on my chest.Come on,fire that big dick at me.”

Luke hoped his words would put Max off his stroke,and in truth it probably did take him longer to come.

Then once he’d spent himself,Max treated Luke to a glare before storming off the set.

“Nice working with you,Max,”Luke called after him.

****

As he took his post-scene shower,Luke’s mind drifted back to reality,his break up with Roger,his career,and life in general.He’d been at Sam and Donnie’s for a couple of days,being spoiled and pampered,when his mobile phone rang.His agent told him someone had come down with the flu and they wanted Luke to travel to Manchester as a last minute replacement.At first Luke had refused;he was still mourning the loss of his relationship,but the money the production company was prepared to pay,plus the brownie points he would earn,convinced him toget on the next train north.

Scrubbing his arms with a soapy sponge and letting the jets of hot water run over his chest,Luke tried to wash away his ever-increasing thoughts about what he was doing with his life.Sure,it was fun having sex with lots of hot men and getting paid for it.However,it wasn’t the dream job many people imagined it to be.No matter how often he tried to argue differently,sex in front of the cameras was artificial and mechanical.He and his sex partners had to always be aware of camera angles and not obstruct or cast shadows on whatever was being filmed.To add to that,holding back orgasms and then being forced to come on cue,plus having to work with arseholes like Max…Luke shook his head.Thinking like that was pointless.He should count his blessings.He was lucky to be in work,lucky to have his body and good looks.And the money was great.

Stepping out of the shower,Luke accepted a towel from one of the production assistants who looked at him with barely disguised hunger and longing.

“I thought you were brilliant in how you dealt with Max in that last scene,Mr Wales.”

“Please,uh…?”

“Lance.”

“Please call me Luke.”He didn’t add that‘Wales’was a stage name.

“You made the scene work,‘cause we could all see Max wasn’t into it.”

He smiled.“Thanks.”

Once dry,Luke handed the towel back to Lance.But before the pudgy,brown-haired youth,who had a bit of a problem with acne,could walk away,Luke put an arm around his waist and pulled him in for a kiss.

“Oh,Mr…uh,I mean Luke.I…”The boy turned a bright shade of red.“You’reawesomenotstuckuplikesome,”he squeaked,not drawing breath.Lance probably realised he had said too much and clamped his mouth shut.

Luke grinned.“Thanks,mate.”

As he dressed,Luke mused that…yes,in some ways,he was a lucky bastard.

****

The ride back to the railway station was uneventful.Apart from a comment about the lightly falling snow,the member of the production team who had agreed to give Luke a lift didn’t insist on talking.The gloom of his break-up with Roger had settled over him again,and Luke was grateful for not being forced to make polite conversation.

“Thanks,mate,”Luke said,climbing out of the car and closing the door.

The wind had got up,causing the snow to swirl.It looked pretty on a Christmas card,Luke thought,but was bloody cold when you were actually out in it.

Turning up the collar of his jacket,Luke headed for the station’s entrance.It was at this point he remembered the jacket didn’t actually belong to him.That guy outside the bar had given it to him.Luke tried to remember the man’s name.Randy…Sandy—”Andy!”Luke said out loud,causing a couple of people to look round at him.Embarrassed,he walked faster toward thepassenger concourse and the information boards.

“Oh,fuck!”he muttered.All trains to London were subject to delay due to seasonal weather conditions.“It’s not as if the bloody snow is a surprise this time of year.”

He was hungry,but looking at the menus posted outside the station buffet,Luke didn’t fancy agreasy burger and fries.Deciding a chicken and salad wrap might not be too bad,depending on what dressings they used,he pushed open the glass door and entered the restaurant.

As he ate,Luke thought more about Andy.The bloke had treated him like a person and not a porn actor.Andy had,once Luke thought more about it,said very little.Yet his gesture of handing over his jacket had moved Luke more than he wanted to admit.It had been so selfless.Luke couldn’t imagine many of his friends—save Donnie or Sam—doing anything like that and not expect something in return.