☰

Literature & Fiction

Camera Shy

Not Available / Digital Item

Camera Shy

Blurb:
When Meaganâ€™s straitlaced best friend JD turns up in a pornographic video as â€˜Crystal Swallows,â€™ the aspiring journalist does everything in her power to track JD down. This leads her to the threshold of a hidden world of mind control.
[Warning: this 10400-word short story contains vivid scenes of brainwashing, where good girls canâ€™t help but go bad and almost no one stays camera shy for long.]

Excerpt:
â€œTell me your full name,â€ a new man said. His voice was much richer and deeper than the original cameraman, and it contained none of the first manâ€™s bored disdain for the proceedings. He sounded a little older, and much more commanding. Even safely beneath the covers in my underwear, I shivered at his tone.
Just a little.
â€œJeanette Delaney,â€ JD said. She looked shy or nervous, much more herself. She added hesitantly, â€œJD to my friends.â€
The new manâ€™s smile was audible. He asked, â€œMay I call you JD, then?â€
It was far too confident to really pass for a question.
JDâ€™s face lit up, and she agreed eagerly, â€œYes, sir!â€
I blinked at that: while JD had good manners, I wasnâ€™t sure Iâ€™d ever heard her call someone â€˜sirâ€™ before.
â€œThank you, JD. Now,â€ he continued smoothly, â€œCan you tell me where you wish you were today?â€
JD cocked her head in obvious puzzlement and replied hesitantly, â€œIâ€™m pretty happy to be right here, sir. This is a good place to work, and Iâ€™m lucky to have my job.â€
â€œNo,â€ he sounded amused, but he was keeping a lid on it, â€œIâ€™m speaking a little more abstractly.â€
â€œWell,â€ JD sounded nervous again, â€œI sort of wish I had enough money to pay off my student loans today, andâ€¦â€
â€œNo, thatâ€™s still not quite what Iâ€™m getting at,â€ her boss cut her off, and reached into the frame. His hand was pale, and the sleeve of his suit and his cuff link looked expensive. He stroked JDâ€™s hand in a manner that didnâ€™t look very work-appropriate at all. He continued, in a particularly shiver-inducing tone, â€œRelax. Let me explain a little better.â€
She seemed to like it, though: she relaxed visibly, letting out a soft little sigh of pleasure and closing her eyes. She agreed softly, â€œUh huh.â€
â€œIâ€™m deeply invested in the success of our business,â€ he explained, â€œIt pays for my house, my car, my lifestyle in generalâ€¦ but the truth is, what we do here is not actually awe inspiring. We shuffle money from Point A to Point B. Itâ€™s safe, but very few people dream about it as children, and all of them are boring people. And you arenâ€™t boring, are you?â€
â€œNo, sir,â€ JD agreed. Her voice was smaller now, a little breathless. She looked at him again, but her eyes stayed half-lidded, almost sleepy.
â€œSome people have work that they find fulfilling,â€ he continued, his fingers moving up her arm, â€œPeople become painters for the love of their art, not job security. Many people become firefighters or paramedics because saving lives means something to them. Others try to break into television or movies because they want to be visible, recognized. Some people,â€ his fingers found her cheek, â€œFind their dream. If you could find your dream, it wouldnâ€™t be here, amid stacks of paper and columns of numbers, would it?â€
JD leaned into his touch, nuzzling his hand like an affectionate cat. She breathed, â€œNo, sir.â€
â€œThis is a safe place,â€ he assured her, dragging his thumb along her bottom lip, â€œYou need have no secrets from me. I like you very much, and I want to help you realize your dreamâ€¦ all you have to do is tell me about it.â€
Country USA
Manufacturer Jessie Hackborn
Binding Kindle Edition
ReleaseDate 2013-09-10
Format Kindle eBook

You might also like...