Page 17

Clearing my throat, I attempt to look away, as do Steve and Jason, but it’s a useless attempt when she bends over and tosses her bag in the front seat of the Ferrari. “Mind if I take your car today, babe?” she asks Bonner, straddling him on the tires.
“Sure,” he mumbles, attacking her with kisses.
The guys and me look away, make awkward small talk. Thankfully, Ashlynn leaves and Bonner adjusts himself.
“Seriously, dude, is she really an actress?”
Bonner smiles. “Yes.”
Jason gets right in his face, and Steve, he looks like he might turn into a tomato. For a guy who walks around half-dressed, it’s surprising that anything would embarrass him. “What kind of actress?”
There’s a moment of silence, like he’s about to tell us she’s a secret service agent or some shit, but then he cracks and runs his hand through his hair, smirking like he’s withholding a secret. “She’s an adult film star,” Bonner finally admits. “Porn star. But don’t let her hear you call it that. She’s sensitive to the label.”
The statement’s followed by an awkward beat of silence. Nobody says a goddamn thing.
I feel like I won the lottery in that moment because I totally pegged that one. The next hour is filled with tons of questions about how and why and seriously?
Jason is the first to speak, and if you know the guy, this isn’t surprising. I can see why Kate divorced him. Holy shit, I’m not very nice when I’ve been drinking. Anyway, Jason levels Bonner a straight face. “Like which ones?”
Bonner’s eyes slide to his, narrowing like he hadn’t heard him correctly. “What?”
“Which pornos does she play in?”
“I’m not telling you that. You’re gonna go home to your basement and jerk off to it.”
Jason doesn’t argue with his reasoning, because sadly, there’s some truth to it.
It’s Steve who blows out a long breath, shaking his head and propping his hands on his hips before saying, “You let your wife have sex with other men?”
Bonner winks. “What makes you think it’s only men?”
Jason huffs, annoyed. “Okay, I really need to know what she plays in. Two guys, that’s disgusting. Two girls.” He pauses and lets out a low whistle, sparking laughter in the group. “That’s art in motion right there.”
“I’m not fuckin’ tellin’ you,” Bonner says, taking a drink of his beer, his voice taking on a I’m-not-fucking-around tone. “And it’s not like these guys are coming inside my wife. They use condoms religiously. It’s all scripted. Half the time, the chick they come inside isn’t even the same one they started with. Even the fucking orgasm is staged.”
Jason waves his arms around and spills his beer all over poor Steve. “Stop ruining porn for me! It’s all I have left.”
Steve stands and then leaves, without even saying goodbye to any of us. We all watch him walk up the sloped driveway, his hands in his pockets, the glow of the street lamp creating a shadowed effect against the pavement.
“Do you think he’s gay?” Jason finally asks, tossing another empty beer can in the trash can next to me.
I shrug. “I don’t know. Who cares if he is?”
“I don’t. I’m just curious. Kate said he joined one of those naked clubs.”
Bonner laughs, shaking his head, like he’s not surprised. I’m not either.
“So, are you in porn too?” Jason finally asks Bonner, because you know we were all curious.
Bonner shakes his head. “No, not now.”
Jason raises a questioning eyebrow. “So you have in the past?”
“Why?” Bonner laughs, picking at the rubber on the stack of tires he’s sitting on. “Are you going to look me up too?”
“No. I’m just wondering how you got wrapped up in the industry. Do you just think, shit, man, I have one hell of a cock; it needs to be in movies?”
Now we’re all laughing again.