by JB Duvane
I close my eyes and hear Kyle’s voice like it’s coming from the other end of a tunnel. “This audition idea. The one with the girls who come here and compete—“
“Yeah, yeah, the subs who want to strip for us in the gym and suck our cocks—“
“Right. I think we should still do it. Only, instead of making it some sort of private audition that we hold between the two of us and the girls, we make it a full-on, online competition. A live streaming, x-rated, sex competition. One that makes us money, fast.”
I open my eyes and furrow my brows as I move my head to look at Kyle. “And how does this x-rated competition make us money?”
“The way anything online makes money. Monetization and subscriptions. We run the competition like a reality show, like that Sex Factor show. Only instead of videotaped episodes of people competing to be porn stars, we do a live stream of girls competing to win money … and to fuck us. That Sex Factor show had an audience who voted for the winners, but what we could do is monetize the voting system.”
“So, like where you text to vote and you get charged for the text?”
“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea, but this is more along the lines of the way cam girls operate. They get tipped for doing things like taking off their clothes or performing certain acts. Don’t tell me you haven’t seen those girls with the tip vibrators.”
“You’re going to have to fill me in, Kyle.” I say, letting my head drop back on the couch. I feel like I barely have the strength to hold my head up, let alone have this insane conversation.
“The cam girls have these bluetooth vibrators inside them, and for each token the viewer gives the girl, the vibrations either intensify or go for a longer time. The dudes are basically watching their money get the girls off. We can set it up so they can either pay for tokens or do individual charges on their credit cards or even Paypal. We can have a special VIP package with perks, and maybe offer a discount to dudes who buy tokens in volume.”
“But the girls don’t get any of the money.”
“No. We keep it all. We can even take bitcoin which means we might not have to worry about taxes.”
“I don’t understand that crypto currency stuff at all.” I say. “I don’t even know if I ever want to hear those words again after today.” I rub my face with my hand and try to understand how this is going to help us, although I just don’t see it working. “So, who are these viewers that are going to pay us all this money?”
“Dudes. Probably mostly young dudes, but my guess is this could appeal to just about anyone who pays for porn.”
“Porn? I don’t … you lost me. How is this porn? Are the girls going to be fucking someone?”
“That’s definitely an option. Like I said, we have a bunch of competitions. Some can be nudie shit, stripping and dancing. Some of it can be sub-related, like being of service or getting paddled. And some of them could be full on fucking. On camera.” I can see him getting more and more excited the longer we talk about this whole competition thing, but I’m still confused as hell.
“And you think there are girls out there who are going to be willing to do that?”
“If we make the prize big enough? Yeah, I know there are.”
“But we don’t have the money for the prize, Kyle! We barely have money to live for a month now!”
“The prize money is going to come from the money we make off the tips and subscriptions. That’s the way most of these things work. That and corporate sponsors.”
“That’s some pretty risky shit you’re suggesting there. What if we don’t make the prize money? Or what if we do, but that’s all we make? Then where will we be?”
“You gotta takes risks to make money, Graham. You know that.”
“But not this level of risk! This is loony bin level of risk taking here, Kyle. Seriously, it’s insane!”
“Do you have a better idea? If you do I’d love to hear it.”
Total silence. I would give anything for a really amazing idea to pop into my head now. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to organize an x-rated reality show, but I also don’t want to be flat fucking broke. I just want everything to go back to the way it was before I walked into this office a half hour ago.
“That’s what I thought. We both need money and we need it fast, and this is probably the best money-making idea I’ve ever had.”
“I don’t know about that. There just seems to be way too much grey area here. How are we going to set all of this up? How long will it take? Where will the girls stay? Will they be here or at a hotel? Who will pay for the hotel? Where are they going to eat? Are we going to feed them? How and where are we going to advertise? And …” I say as I sit all the way up and look at Kyle. “What if no one gives a shit about any of this?” I stop and gasp for air. I can feel my face getting hot and my heart racing. This is all too much. I feel like I’m way beyond a panic attack. In the last five minutes I’ve transition from mere panic into a full fledged nervous breakdown.
“Whoa there, killer. You’re gonna give yourself an aneurism. I’ve already thought about a lot of this. The rest we’ll figure out.”
“We’re gonna need at least a month to plan this whole thing. Market research, advertising, location—“
“No time for that, buddy. We’re doing this next weekend.”
“Today is Friday. You mean a week from today?”
“Yep. And we are doing it here, in the gym. And I don’t want to hear any liability crap. The setup in there is perfect. We’ve got the big screen TVs on the walls where we can stream what’s going on for atmosphere, we’ve got the lighting and sound system they used during the classes.” Kyle gets up and starts pacing around the room while I sink further into the couch. “We can blast music as loud as we want since this complex is out in the middle of nowhere and no one is gonna be around but us.” I see a gleam in Kyle’s eyes that’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced with him before.
It’s becoming apparent to me that he’s more excited about this idea than anything he’s ever come up with in his life. Even the idea for the (now bankrupt) consulting firm we’re partners in. I’m afraid to even think it to myself, but, as he’s going over every detail of his plan, it’s almost as if he’s found his calling. I feel a little bad that he’s so focused on the idea when all I can think is how much I want to just lay back on the couch and prop the bottle of scotch up so the entire thing drains right down my throat.
“I’ll come up with the music intros and playlists,” Kyle says to the air in front of him with wild eyes. “I figure we blast some hip hop and trap—DMX, Run the Jewels, Wiley, Knife Party—you know, all that stuff that gives young dudes a boner even when there’s no porn around. We make the whole room as loud and chaotic and as freaking epic as possible. We can create a stage area and use the camera that we have for our video conferences and zoom in real tight on the girls so we won’t have to change the space much.” Kyle is almost ranting at this point. The longer he talks, the more I know that there’s no way I can say no. Even if I was still completely against the idea, I don’t think there’s a thing I could do to stop him now. And, he’s right. It’s the only idea we have. “There’s even a cafeteria attached to the freaking gym. And bathrooms with showers. It’s perfect!”
“But next weekend? That’s insane, Kyle. Why don’t we wait a couple of weeks? There’s just no way we can get this whole thing together in such a short amount of time.”
“We have to.” Kyle stops pacing and turns to me. “I already started putting out the calls for auditions. I’ve had hundreds of responses. Hundreds, Graham. This thing is gonna be huge! Bigger than huge!”
“Responses from who? Where did you post it?” As I’m asking these questions I start to calculate the time frame. If he found out about the money last night, how could he already have hundreds of responses? “Wait, when did you do this, Kyle?”
“I posted a little thing about the audition after we talked about it the other day.”
&n
bsp; “What? I thought you said you were going to check with me before doing that. What happened to changing it until we both liked it? What about it totally working for us,” I say in a half mocking, half threatening tone. I’m too exhausted to argue with him, but I still feel like I’m drowning in a pit of mud and I’m fighting with my last bit of strength to survive.
Kyle just watches me settle back down on the couch after my mini tantrum before he continues. “I just wanted to put feelers out and see what kind of responses we’d get. That’s all.”
“But you already set a date!”
“Well, I had to make it look legitimate. In order to get serious responses I had to make it look as organized as possible.”
“So you already offered the money.”
“Yeah.”
“How much?”
“I already told you, five-hundred-thousand.”
I just stare up at the ceiling. I cannot believe what I’m hearing. I don’t understand how he could be so irresponsible. “Yeah, well I’m not sure how much I trust what came out of your mouth two days ago anymore. So, fuck, we have to come up with five-hundred-thousand dollars? From pay-per-token porn?”
“A million, actually.”
“A million dollars?”
“Well, there’s two of us. So two winners, right? Unless we wind up sharing one of them. Not like it would be the first time—“
“Kyle! This is insane! There’s no way we can even dream of coming up with that kind of money, no matter how many subscribers we get! You better start looking for someone to buy that damned car of yours.”
“You’re underestimating the potential here, Graham. And you’re seriously underestimating how much dudes want to watch women strip. Have you ever seen the profits that Chaturbate reports?”
“But you’re talking about not only an established business, but one of the most well known camming sites out there. And not only that, the fiscal reports are for an entire quarter. We’re talking a few days to a week for this thing, max!”
“Yeah, but were also talking about something that’s never been done before. This is fucking new, Graham, and it’s brilliant. Even if I do say so myself. What we’re talking about is a reality show that mixes The Sex Factor with Survivor, The Batchelor, American Idol and The Amazing Race! It has the competition incentive, as well as the naked girls doing all kinds of weird shit, but also another huge payoff at the end. This is going to be porn that the viewers can participate in, not just watch. With the voting and the vibrators, they’ll feel like they’re a part of the whole thing even though they’re sitting in the comfort of their own homes, jerking off. Who wouldn’t want that?”
“Have you done any research on this at all? I mean, is this even legal?” Suddenly calling the cops on Evan doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Kyle was right to wait. If we actually go through with this, it would look pretty bad if they showed up in the middle of some … I don’t even know what he has in mind now. Live streaming sex acts? I can’t believe I’m even considering doing this. “This just sounds too crazy, Kyle. There’s no way we can pull something like this off. We don’t know what the hell we’re doing here. It’s too risky and …”
I don’t think he’s heard a single thing I’ve said. He just starts talking right over me. “We could give it a super catchy name. Like Domination with an exclamation point. Or The Dom Games.”
“How about Who’s Your Daddy?” I say in a mocking tone, but Kyle looks at me like I just spoke the magic words that rolled back a rock and uncovered a hidden fortune. “Dude, that’s perfect.”
“Really? I was kind of joking—“
“No. We’ll call it The Daddy Games. Oh man, that’s so awesome! It’s the perfect blend of kink and reality TV show. Holy shit, I really think this is going to be epic, dude!”
“Quit saying epic. We’re not in college anymore.” I stare at the floor and push my hands through my hair, then just sit there for a while, holding my head. I can’t believe this is my life now. “Okay, I’m really afraid to ask you this, but what is this huge payoff at the end?”
I can tell I’m not going to like it when I have to wait more than ten seconds for Kyle to say anything. “We fuck the winners. Live.”
“We?!” I look up at Kyle, who is smiling now. His eyes are still wild, and that, coupled with the smile, makes him look like a total maniac. I stare at him and realize I’m sitting here talking to a goddamned maniac. “What do you mean we?!”
“Just hear me out.”
“No, Kyle.”
“Graham, just listen.”
“No!” I stand up and stalk toward the door, shaking my head.
“We’ll be wearing masks! The girls will too! They’ll do all of the competition with those freaky, porcelain-doll face masks. It’ll make the whole thing even more like some fucked up, futuristic game show!”
“Kyle,” I turn around with my hand on the doorknob and look back at him. “This is insane.”
“Yeah, but it’s also awesome. You know it is. And you know it’ll work.”
I stand there for a few seconds before responding. “Maybe.”
“I need you, Graham. I can’t do this without you.”
“It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out to me.” I open the office door but pause before walking out.
“Yeah, but I need you for the marketing end and to think of all the things I might miss. You see things that I don’t, man. That’s why we work so well together. I work better when you’re with me, Graham.”
Fuck. I knew he was going to pull something out of his ass that would make it impossible for me to say no.
“There’s just one more thing.”
“What?” I say through gritted teeth. I just want to go back to my office and get plastered.
“I invited her.”
“Who?” But I don’t even need to ask. I know he’s talking about Aubrey again.
“Your girlfriend.”
“She’s not my fucking girlfriend, Kyle!” I yell as I slam the door in his face.
Aubrey
I cannot believe I’m doing this. I’m standing in a line of girls that looks like it extends for a quarter of a mile through a private parking lot outside of this modern office building. The sun has just started to come up and girls have been piling into the line for hours. I spent the night right here. I brought a sleeping bag with me that I stashed back in my car earlier this morning. The girls in line around me have been really cool, watching my space when I have to pee or go to my car, and I’ve been doing the same. We’re all in this together.
“Is this a porn studio?” one of the girls behind me asks.
“I don’t think so. The sign at the entrance says something about consulting. But who knows. Maybe the consulting firm is a front.”
“What do you mean? Like a store front?” the girl asks.
I turn back around when I hear the lock click on two huge glass doors that lead into a brightly lit lobby. The walls and floor are all covered in white marble tile and the only piece of furniture is a huge reception desk. There’s no one behind it, though. A man walks out and props one of the doors open. He looks like a totally normal guy. Not someone I would imagine worked in porn. He looks really nice.
“Ladies,” the man says in a loud voice, then clears his throat when he realizes he needs to speak even louder. “Ladies, can I have your attention, please.”
Only the girls in the first hundred yards or so can hear him, and the ones further back start to push so they can get closer. “Hey!” the man yells, holding his hands up. “Hey! Don’t push! You’ll all get a chance to come in, but that’s not gonna happen if you keep pushing!” The girls go silent and stop trying to move forward. I can hear voices in the distance asking what’s going on and other voices yelling for them to shut up. “I’m gonna let ten of you in at a time! The rest of you wait out here. It’s probably gonna take a while. There’s a lot more of you here than they were expecting.”
“Who’s they?” someo
ne yells.
“You’ll find out,” the man says.
“Is this thing legit, man? Are they for real?” another girl yells. Then a couple more say yeah and echo the same questions. “Five-hundred thousand? For real?”
“Yes! Yes, this is legit, ladies!” he yells. “You’re all going to get a chance to meet with the men who are running this contest and you can ask them anything you want when you talk to them. We need to get started. The first ten in line, come with me.”
There’s a little bit of a squabble behind me, but since I’ve been here since yesterday I’m the third one in line and I know I’m going in with the first group. I don’t even look back as I pass through the doorway. All I can hear when I get inside are the heels of all the girl’s shoes as they click across the marble floor, echoing through the empty lobby.
“Go straight ahead into the elevator,” the man says to me. “Just wait inside.”
I stand at the back of the elevator as nine other girls pile in around me, then the man gets in and pushes the button for the second floor. When we get off, he leads us down a long hall and tells us to wait next to a door where another man is standing. A small plaque on the door says Conference Room.
“Should I bring more up?” the man with us asks the guy in front of the door. “There’s hundreds of girls down there.”
“Yeah, bring ‘em up here and line ‘em up down the hall. But not all bunched together. Keep the hallway clear.”
“For what? No one else is coming through here,” the first man says. “It’s just us.”
“Just keep it clear, Josh.”
The new guy looks at the girl who is first in line and tells her to come with him. He opens the door into a completely silent room, then he immediately comes back out, closing it behind him.
“Is that where the audition is?” the next girl in line asks.
