Love Online(11)

Eventually, after graduating from college, I moved to the production side of things, assisting in making sure scripts were finalized, coordinating the filmmaking process, and keeping things on budget. I ended up getting my master’s degree in business from UCLA. My major was film production as an undergrad, but my father wanted me to garner the business knowledge that would be necessary to run the company someday.

As of late, I’d been spending more time off the lot, shadowing Dad in his office downtown. On this particular day, he was raring to go as he sat me down during a work break.

He kicked his feet up on his desk. “There’s a major shift happening, son. It’s requiring us to be more globally focused. And you’re gonna play a big role in this.”

I reached for one of the starlight peppermints in the jar on his desk and removed the wrapper. “Okay. Explain.”

“Well, it used to be you produced a good movie in Hollywood, it played around in New York or L.A., and that was good enough. It was all very one-dimensional. It’s not like that anymore. Everything’s gone digital. You know this. I don’t need to tell you. We have the world at our fingertips now. And that means being cognizant of the global market and all of the different platforms we have. Streaming is taking on a bigger role in how people view movies, but at the same time, it’s allowing us the potential for a much bigger audience.”

“Okay…this isn’t really news. Explain my big role in all this.”

“I want to have you traveling more, be our leader in the international marketplace. The person who leads this company into the future is going to need that kind of experience.”

My brow furrowed. “You’re shipping me away?”

“Only for small chunks of time. It’s going to be imperative that you have international experience if you’re going to be running this place.”

“Where’s my first stop?”

“I’m thinking India.”

“India?” That was probably the last place I’d expected.

“Yes. Bollywood ticket sales are astronomical. We need to pay attention to this. I’d like to set up a branch in Mumbai, and I’d like you to spearhead it. That’s going to mean you taking some trips out there. We have the potential and the budget to be better than Bollywood and reap the benefits of that hot market.”

“Is this a done deal?”

“I’ve already set up some meetings for you. You leave in two weeks.” He must have gotten a load of my face when he added, “You look like I just pissed in your Cheerios.”

“It’s just…I wasn’t expecting this.”

“I was hoping you’d be more excited.”

“Maybe if it wasn’t halfway around the world.”

Why aren’t I excited?

I hated to admit it, but I knew India was something like twelve hours ahead. I was really enjoying the nightly routine I’d gotten into lately and didn’t want to disrupt it. But I couldn’t tell my father I wasn’t going to help him take over Bollywood because I’d miss my appointments with a cam girl.

So, I’d suck it up and go.

***

It didn’t take long for the prospect of this India trip to get me all worked up.

I’d spent the afternoon on the phone with one of our contacts there to discuss the itinerary. It was going to be a lot of pressure in a completely foreign territory. I just wanted to forget about it for one night.

Once I was tucked into bed that evening, I logged into Eden’s room and immediately threw down enough tokens for a private chat.

Her face always lit up when she noticed me online. She’d stare into the camera and give me a look that showed she knew I had joined. And of course, that did things to me.

“Hi, ScreenGod. I thought you’d never show.” She waved to her audience as she prepared to log out. “I’ll be back online soon, guys.”

Eden couldn’t open the private room soon enough for me.

When she finally appeared, she seemed concerned. “Hey, Ryder. Is everything okay?”

“How could you tell something is off?”

“I don’t know. I could hear that your breathing was a bit heavier just now. Are you stressed?”

“I am actually, but I’m surprised you could pick up on it just from a couple of seconds of breathing.”

“Well, it’s all I have to go on. Since I can’t see you with my eyes, I think I’m more in tune to my other senses. I’m more sensitive to other things—like the way you sound.”

“Jeez. Because I can see you so clearly, I guess I forget I’m just a voice to you.”

“That’s because a certain someone doesn’t want to show his face,” she teased.

Eden probably thought I was afraid to show her what I looked like. It had nothing to do with that. There was just a certain comfort I felt in being able to interact with her like this. But it wasn’t fair; I knew that. We were beyond just cam girl and cam john at this point. If this was to continue, I’d need to show her my face, eventually.

Eden reached for a fuzzy, fleece sweatshirt and threw it over her head. “It’s freezing in here. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not.”

“It’s not like you ask me to do anything with them anyway.” She winked, and it took me a few seconds to realize she was referring to her breasts.