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And we both watch the screen as…

…she sends me a picture of her tits.

I practically throw the phone into Romy’s lap. My face burns like it’s on fire. Romy picks up my phone, eyes wide.

“Is that normal?” I ask.

Why am I so freaked out about seeing a stranger’s tits? Is this a bad sign?

Romy shakes her head. “How long have you been talking to her? Didn’t I just tell you to change your preferences?”

I take a deep breath. I’m so tired I’m overreacting. “We’ve been talking for, like, a few hours total.”

Romy scowls. “Yeah, that’s a weirdo. Delete her.”

I do. Including the app.

“Why didn’t I like that?” I ask, raking my hands through my hair.

“Because it was an unsolicited tit picture? It’s like a dick pic. If you don’t want it, it doesn’t mean you don’t like that gender.”

“Rom, I don’t even know if I like tits. What’s appealing about them?”

Romy squints. “Oh god, they’re like…soft, nice…circles? I don’t know, it’s just a thing.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You don’t have to fetishize boobs to be gay. You don’t look at Valeria’s chest?”

I blush again. “It feels objectifying.”

“Okay. But I doubt you’re capable of seeing someone as a piece of meat, so even if you did like her tits, it’d be fine.”

I turn to Romy. “But I saw her abs today. They were amazing.”

Romy throws up her hands. “That’s a woman’s body, dude! That you’re attracted to! I know it’s hard for you, but please, don’t let these thoughts crowd your mind. You’re doing fine.”

It’s getting late. I set my phone on Romy’s bedside table and crawl onto the bed with her. We’re next to each other, face-to-face. We’re not quite touching, but it’d barely take a movement to do it. I’m close enough to hear and see her chest rise and fall as she breathes. Distraction time is over. The Brendan situation is back to an ache I can’t ignore. And Romy and I have already transitioned into talking about Valeria on set. I should tell her.

“Valeria’s abs are the only good thing that happened today, though,” I say. “Brendan gave me the opportunity to focus the camera and I did it wrong. We have less than a week left of shooting and I’m all but fucked.”

Romy frowns. “I’m so sorry, Lune. But you aren’t completely dead in the water yet. You’re an incredible D.P. and you know cameras like no one else. You got this.”

I put the pillow over my face. “But he already put another camera P.A. on focus pull. There’s nothing above that to impress him with.”

“Come on. There has to be some way for you not to have to do barely-paying P.A. gigs forever. Valeria fucking Sullivan thinks you’re talented.”

My phone goes off.

A text from Valeria.

Hi Gen Z Steven booked me on Hot Ones without meaningful consult and Wyatt’s laughing over the phone am I going to die

I laugh too.

“What?” Romy asks.

“Steven booked Valeria on Hot Ones for her next press set.”