I walk back to my trailer, twisting my head from side to side to stretch out my neck. After being on set with Erik all day, my muscles are tied up in knots and I feel like I need to take a hot shower to scrub his grimy aura off me. My phone buzzes with a text and I groan out loud when I see it’s from him.

Erik: Change ur mind?

Me: ???

Erik: COCKtails

Me: Um no.

Erik: Sure? Ur missing out

Me: Thx I’ll live

The picture of his dick that pops up on my phone makes me yell like I just got spooked in a haunted house at Halloween. I almost drop my phone, but somehow manage to catch it as it spins in the air like a fish jumping out of a lake.

“Fuck!”

I only briefly glance at the picture, instantly remembering in precise detail how little I’m actually missing out on. Literally. Somehow his tattoo of the scrawling words Blood Sugar Sex Magik makes his dwarfed dick look even smaller. What the hell is he thinking sending me shit like this? I open my emojis and send him back a little green face that’s puking and shove my phone back in my purse.

The confidence of some people is absolutely amazing. And by “people” I mean men. How is it, that women who look like models go around thinking they’re ugly or fat, and then men like Erik with cocks the size of a Keebler Elf’s, strut around like they’ve got a two-foot dong swinging in their shorts?

It makes no sense.

The world is stupid.

I’m tired.

I reach my trailer and open the door, stepping inside to see Axle lift his head only long enough to check out who is standing in the doorway before he slumps it back down on the floor. In a big, overstuffed recliner, Gabe is snoring lightly with his feet propped out on the leg support. Looks like I’m not the only one who’s worn out.

I shut the door behind me and cross the floor of the luxurious recreational vehicle. The slides on each side really make it feel quite spacious inside. I know the first apartment I had on my own in this city wasn’t nearly this big.

I flop down on Gabe’s leg, snuggling back into him and grab the remote he left on the arm of the chair, flicking on the flat screen television absentmindedly. At this hour, it’s mostly entertainment shows on, which is fine, because I’m not really in the mood to watch anything heavy after such an exhausting day.

Gabe startles and jolts upright, making the remote clatter to the floor, as I jump from his sudden movement.

“You scared me!” I accuse him. His blue eyes blink a couple times, like he’s bringing them into focus on my face and his muscles relax as he realizes what’s going on.

“You sneak in here when I’m sleeping, sit on my lap and I scared you?” He shakes his head.

I shrug, “I didn’t really think about it,” I admit.

“Seriously, you shouldn’t do that. It’s hard for me to wake up somewhere strange and not be in fight mode. You, sneaking up into my lap is dangerous,” he warns me.

“Well, lucky for me danger is my middle name,” I tease him and turn over, straddling his legs between mine and lightly grind against him. “Do you forgive me?” I rock my hips back and forth, lowering my pussy down onto him. Through our pants I can feel his cock twitch with life.

“What’s going on with you?” His voice is rough but his hands slide down my back and over my ass smoothly.

“What do you mean?” I swirl my hips and sit down flat against him. I can feel the heat of his cock between my legs and it makes me flash back to last night.

“I mean, last night we fucked, you came and then you cried. You have been avoiding me since then and now you’re doing this,” he circles his hands around my hips and pulls me back sharply so his thighs are between my legs. “What kind of game are you playing?” he growls.

I can see the emotions battle it out on his face. The skin around his scars turns deep red as he flips between lust and anger.

“I’m not trying to play games,” I stop teasing him and just sit still on his lap. I tuck the shorter hair, that I’m still not entirely used to, behind my ears and sigh.

“Then what was the crying about?” he presses me.

“I was just overwhelmed,” I admit, looking up at him from under my lashes. “Last night was the first orgasm I’ve ever had in my entire life,” I whisper, “and it was amazing!” I put my hands on his chest and notice how small they look against his broad frame.

“But?” He watches me closely, not letting me off the hook so easily.

“But, as soon as it was over, I just felt so exposed. Not just because I was in the club, but it was like, all my vulnerabilities and fears and insecurities just seemed to come on at once. It sounds so stupid to try to explain it, but it was like they all bubbled to the surface and then just washed away. Only for a moment, trust me, but it was so beautiful and confusing and I just couldn’t stop crying.”

My cheeks blaze as I spill my confession. I don’t expect Gabe to understand what I mean. I don’t think he will really get it, I probably just sound crazy to him. He looks over my face and the anger I saw behind his eyes disappears. His hand laces up through my hair and he pulls me into him, kissing me deeply. Our tongues dance against each other as I sigh into his mouth.

“Well then, I guess if that’s what it takes to make you realize how gorgeous you really are, I’m gonna need to start making you cum a whole lot more,” his hands circle my ass and he drags me across his lap until I’m back on his cock.

“Is Erik Fisher back together with his ex? Only we’ve got the exclusive story coming up for you next!” The television blares behind me and I whirl my head around like an owl to see the screen.

Um, what?

“What’s wrong?” Gabe asks, but I just wave my hand at him, unable to speak as I lean over the chair and fumble on the floor for the remote. Once I clutch it in my hand, I crank the volume just as my face appears on the screen in a split shot next to Erik’s.

“No,” I whisper the word.

“Well it looks like Erik Fisher and his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Parker might be a lot more than just hot lovers in their upcoming movie together. We have it on good authority that the two are spending a lot of time heating things up on and off the set,” the aging plastic Barbie entertainment anchor reports.

“That’s just great, Mary,” the dark haired man standing next to her flashes his ultra-white teeth. “There’s nothing we enjoy more than a good love story,” he chuckles.

“No!” I yell at the screen and stand up from Gabe’s lap. “What the fuck kind of authority do they have that on? Are they just pulling stories out of their ass now?” Suddenly I remember the invitation for drinks and the dick pic that Erik sent me and it dawns on me. He probably called in that hot little tidbit himself. “That fucking douche,” I mumble.

“I don’t understand, so what’s the big deal? Just call Fiona and tell her to set them straight,” Gabe stands up behind me and runs his hands down over my arms.

“I can’t,” I sigh.

“Why not?” He steps back and I turn and face him, feeling older and more tired than ever.

“Because with stupid crap like this, it’s best not to say anything. If you go out with guns blazing, it just feeds the story. If you leave it alone, it goes away quicker,” I shake my head.

“Oh, well, just ignore it then. Who cares what they think?”

I know I shouldn’t, but I do. I hate anyone thinking that Erik and I are back together. I hate anyone, but especially Erik thinking there’s any hope in hell of that happening. “You ready to go home?” I’m feeling deflated, like a balloon that all the air leaked out of.

“If that’s what you want to do,” Gabe sets his jaw and looks down at me.

“It is.”