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The Valley

Advanced Reader Copy Edition: March 12, 2022

Copyright ©2022 G. Younger

ISBN-13:

Author: Greg Younger

Developmental Editor: Bud Ugly

Line / Copy Editors: Bud Ugly, TheMikeBomb, Zom, and Old Rotorhead

Continuity Editor: Rusty

Last One Through: Bud Ugly

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters depicted in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Table of Contents:

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

The End

Notes from the Author

Prologue

It had been fifteen days, six hours, and thirty-six minutes since his mother’s heart had stopped beating. He couldn’t help but mark the time.

Cancer had ravaged her body a second time. The first, she’d fought it and gone through the chemo and surgeries. The cure was worse than the disease, so his mom opted for only pain management and signed a ‘do not resuscitate’ order when the cancer came back again.

With the knowledge that she didn’t have much time, she’d provided for him. His mom had written a will that left everything to him and arranged for him to live with his godparents, Chris and Katherine Freeman. His godfather owned a gym called The Training Ground, specializing in mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and boxing. Katherine did the books for the gym and raised their four girls, ages 4, 6, 7, and 9.

During his mother’s illness, working out at the gym had kept him sane. Being able to pound a heavy bag with his fists was the perfect stress reliever.

His mother had also put him in charge of her medical care. Technically, Katherine was named as having his mom’s medical power of attorney because he was only fifteen. But when the time came, Katherine made it clear that he had to decide.

Something that shocked him was that they muted the heart monitor when they took someone off life support. That continual sound of it beeping suddenly was gone. So, the room was utterly silent when the only person who’d ever truly loved him departed. It was quiet and deafening, both at the same time.

Since that moment, he’d been aware of every minute the world kept spinning without his mother in it. The last fifteen days, six hours, and thirty-seven minutes had otherwise been a blur. He silently thanked his mother for making the funeral arrangements in advance because he wasn’t sure he could’ve handled all the details in his state of mind.

It all just seemed crazy that the universe would choose to take his mother. He wondered if he even go on without her?

He was in the basement, sorting the last part of the house’s contents into four categories: what he would keep for himself, what would go into the estate sale, stuff to donate, and a pile that would go into the trash.

“Rory! There’s someone here to see you,” Katherine called from the top of the stairs.

He had an appointment in an hour with the realtor his mother had picked out. Could she be early?

The realtor had worked up some numbers and assured him that Beverly, a community located on the southwest side of Chicago, was a hot market. Somewhere around twenty-thousand people lived there, with a large percentage being Irish American.

Rory’s mom had moved them there when he was first born so they could be close to her family. The only people left were his grandmother, who was in assisted living, and his piece-of-work aunt, who couldn’t stay sober long enough to hold a job.

He took one last look around. Rory figured he had about an hour’s worth of work left and then would be done. So, he took the stairs to the main floor two at a time.

He found Katherine and a woman he’d never met before, sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee. When she saw him, the woman gave Rory a slight smile.

“Are you Rory Walsh?”

“Yeah.”

“Rory, I’m Marsha Dunlap with Child Services.”

He felt a drop of sweat run down his spine.

“Why are you here? My mom made arrangements to have me live with the Freemans.”

“Your Aunt Rose has challenged the placement. Since she’s a blood relative, we’re obligated to look into what would be in your best interest,” Ms. Dunlap explained.

Rory couldn’t deal with someone else telling him what was best for him, what he should do, what he needed, what he wanted, and now who he should live with. Rory knew what he wanted.

“She’s a practicing alcoholic who can’t even take care of herself,” Katherine pointed out, disgusted.

She was right. His aunt had glommed onto some biker. A young girl might fall for such as him, but at her age, no woman would touch the loser with a ten-foot pole.

Marsha gave them a grimace.

“We came to the same conclusion. But we discovered your father who …”

“Sperm donor,” Rory automatically said.

“Rory!” Katherine chastised.

“Hey, that’s what my mom called him.”

“Even so,” Katherine said.

“I take it you don’t know your father?” Ms. Dunlap asked.

“Never met the man.”

“I understood that he has been providing financial support,” Ms. Dunlap said.

“First I’ve heard of it,” Rory said with a touch of irritation.

“Your mother put the money into a trust to protect it from her medical bills,” Katherine said.

His head snapped around, surprised that she knew about his father.

“There’s a considerable sum in the account,” Katherine added.

“That would explain why Aunt Rose would want custody,” Rory said.

“And why I think you lucked out because your father has also made a claim. If he hadn’t, and if your aunt could remain sober long enough, she would likely have gained custody. But your father looks to be a much better option, as far as Child Services is concerned.”

“What about my mother’s wishes?” Rory asked.

“Rory, I know this is hard, but it might be for the best,” Katherine said.

It felt like he’d been punched in the stomach, and Katherine saw the hurt in his eyes.

“Oh, Rory. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.”

It had only taken fifteen days, six hours, and forty-two minutes for his world to get worse, if that was even possible.

◊◊◊

Chapter 1

It had been twenty days, two hours, and nine minutes since his mother’s death. It felt as if he’d lived five lifetimes since he found out he had to move. Everyone he knew said the same thing. Rory wondered if they’d even considered how little them saying that they were worried about him would help his situation.

His life had been turned upside down when his mother had died, but she’d had a plan for him. His aunt had ruined that, and there was nothing he could do about it. The worst part was that since he learned that he would have to live with the man his mother had referred to only as a ‘sperm donor,’ he’d begun to have nightmares. Rory would wake up and swear he could still smell the nostril-stinging odor of antiseptic in his mom’s hospital room and hear that damned beep, beep, beep of the monitors.

The night before his father was to arrive, he’d had a meltdown. He’d turned his gaze to the sky.

“I need you, Mom,” he raged as a sob stuck in his throat. “Give me a sign. Anything to tell me what I should do about this mess and how I’ll live without you.”

As always, there were no signs. Rory would have given anything to have one last conversation with his mother, to feel her loving reassurance that he would be okay. In the end, though, he was alone.

Rory found himself on an airplane to Las Vegas, Nevada, where Tyler Luv lived.

Tyler had arrived yesterday and stopped at the Freemans’, where he talked briefly with Rory’s godparents. Tyler had then disappeared. Chris told Rory that he had to pack because his dad would be back to take him home with him the next day after he’d made all the necessary arrangements with Child Services.

Once Tyler had Child Services’ blessing, he could take charge of Rory. His dad had made a deal with his aunt that she could have the contents of his mom’s home to make her go away. At first, Rory had been livid. His dad had explained that his mother’s medical bills were more than the value of all her assets, including the home. Her sister taking the contents was better than giving them to the hospital.

Chris and Katherine had agreed to handle the sale of his childhood home and to ship the handful of keepsakes he’d set aside. While he rode to the airport, it was funny to think that nearly everything he’d accumulated in 15 years could fit into a couple of duffle bags. He’d taken those with him; the rest would be shipped off in a day.

When the seatbelt sign turned off, Tyler touched his arm to get his attention.

“I thought we could use this time to get to know each other,” Tyler suggested.

Rory looked out the window without saying anything. That didn’t deter Tyler.

“I know that moving away from your home won’t be easy. Especially since I learned that your mother never gave you any of the cards or letters I sent while you were growing up.”

Rory turned to his father and gave him a level look.

“Be very careful what you say about my mother.”

Tyler absorbed his son’s hostility with a tight expression.

“I understand why she kept me from you. My only point was that if we had been in contact, this whole transition could be easier for you. It wasn’t intended to second-guess her decision,” Tyler said.

It sounded exactly like that to Rory.

“Let’s try something different. Why don’t I fill you in on where you’re moving to? Is that safe ground for a conversation?” Tyler asked.

Rory thought about it and realized that some information would help him feel more in control.

“I’d like that.”

“You’ll be living in Summerlin, close to Las Vegas, in a community called The Valley. I moved my production company, Luv Entertainment, from Las Vegas when I married your new stepmom, Crystal. She had a daughter, so we wanted to get her into better schools.”

“What’s her name?”

“Sophie, and she’s your age,” Tyler said.

“What is it you do?”

“When I met your mom, I was an actor. As I got older, I took an interest in the other side of the camera. That’s how I met Crystal. While I still act on occasion, I wanted more control of the films. That’s why I started a production company.

“We mainly make shorts, which are usually five to twenty minutes long. We do also make full-length features,” Tyler said.

“Anything I might have seen?”

“We just won an award for Janie’s Gun. It was loosely based on the old Aerosmith song.”

“So, he had it coming?” Rory asked.

Tyler chuckled.

“You could say that.”

“How did you and my mom meet?” Rory asked.

“I met Grace when I lived in LA. She’d had grand plans to become an actress. She hadn’t found the kind of success she’d hoped for. The first time I saw her, it was at my favorite breakfast place, where she was a server. I always tried to get in her section so I could talk to her.

“After several weeks, I finally got up the nerve to ask her out. We dated off and on for about three months, and then she disappeared. I assumed that she’d returned home,” Tyler said.

“But you said that you sent me letters.”

“It was a year later when she sent me a message saying you were born and that you were mine. Grace said that she was struggling financially. I had steady work as an actor by then, so I made arrangements to send her money each month. I also wanted to come to see you, but she wouldn’t hear of it,” Tyler said.

Rory knew that his mom had a temper, and if she decided something, you did as she said. It would have been hard to ask his dad for support. She’d obviously done so and had managed it well, or there wouldn’t have been so much money in his trust fund.

“Why didn’t you come anyway?” Rory asked.

“I don’t have a good answer for that. I was busy working, and then I met Crystal, and I instantly had my own family. Plus, every time I asked your mom, she said, ‘no.’ She didn’t want to confuse you with me showing up and then leaving. If she ever met someone, she wanted you to be able to bond with them.”

“Whenever I would ask about you, mom didn’t want to talk about it. When she did, she called you the ‘sperm donor,’” Rory said.

He saw Tyler visibly flinch.

“I probably deserved that,” Tyler finally said.

They were both quiet for a while before Tyler finally said something.

“Look. I know that you moving in with me and my family will be an adjustment. While I am your father, I don’t plan to lord it over you. You’re a young man who I suspect can take care of himself. All I ask is that you make an effort to fit in and treat everyone with respect, as we will do with you.

“At a minimum, we have to tolerate each other for the next three years. But my goal is that we become a family,” Tyler said.

“You haven’t irritated me too much so far,” Rory said with a tiny smile. “I’m sure we can tolerate each other … at a minimum.”

“Oh, boy, you’re a smartass. You’ll fit right in,” Tyler predicted.

Rory nodded and looked back out the window as he thought about what he’d just learned. He was glad that Tyler didn’t plan to become ‘instant dad.’ That would rub him the wrong way for sure.

◊◊◊

Rory’s first clue that his dad might have some money came when they didn’t have to go to the car park. Tyler had hired a service to park his Lexus LX, detail it, and then have it waiting curbside when they exited the terminal.

The woman handed his dad the keys as Rory got in and looked around. If his mom saw him, she would have made him put down a towel on the leather seats for fear he would excrete a bodily fluid, causing damage. It was apparently something teenage boys did.

“What did this set you back?”

Tyler gave him a sideways glance before answering.

“It’s my company car. We use it to pick up clients and actors. We want to make a good first impression.”

“My mom’s car was a fifteen-year-old Dodge Caravan with cloth seats. It had a bit of a funky smell from her picking me up from MMA practice. Not from me,” Rory clarified, “but from my gym clothes and workout shoes in my duffle. I hope you have a beater for stuff like that. I would hate to mess up the new-car smell.”

Tyler barked out a laugh.

“I can’t wait to tell Crystal. She’ll make you take an Uber home.”

“Are there any mixed martial arts gyms close to where we live?” Rory asked.

“I’m really not sure. I’ll have my assistant look into that for you.”

The man even had an assistant. How much money did his dad have?

As it turned out, a buttload.

The city itself looked like a hipster magnet as they drove downtown.

“Everything is new and shiny,” Rory commented.

“Summerlin is relatively new as far as cities go. The first village was completed in 1990. Since then, it has grown to over a hundred thousand people. There are still over five thousand acres undeveloped.

“Howard Hughes, the crazy rich guy, bought 25,000 acres when he was alive back in the 1950s. After his death, his family decided to build a master-planned community geared for an active lifestyle. The town was named after his grandmother, Jean Summerlin. There are over 230 parks, miles of walking and bike trails, and we are next to Red Canyon, where I go to rock climb. Because of our elevation, it’s cooler than Vegas, but we are in the middle of the desert, so it still gets hot,” Tyler said.

“A dry heat,” Rory quipped.

“When it’s 120 outside, it doesn’t matter if it’s a dry heat or not. One tip is to always take water with you. Your sweat will evaporate off you, and you won’t even realize you’re dehydrated.”

Rory just nodded as he took in his surroundings. Tyler called his wife to give her a heads-up that they were almost home.

They turned off the main road and drove down the winding manicured entrance to The Valley. The divided highway was lined with palm trees and cactus. As they rounded a bend, they came to a guard building in the center of a gated community entrance. The road split into two lanes. Tyler pulled into the left lane, closest to the building.

The gate automatically went up, but Tyler waited until a guard came out. Tyler rolled down the window.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Luv?” the guard asked.

“My son is moving in, and I need to get him set up.”

“Of course; your wife called us. If you could pull around and park, we need to take his picture to finish the process.”

Once parked, the guard met them at the back door and let them in.

“Rory, I’m Frank,” he said as he held out his hand.

Rory took it, and they shook.

“Let’s get your picture taken,” Frank said.

“What’s that for?” Rory asked.

“For our system.”

Rory felt like he was at the DMV when he got his driving instruction permit. He could only imagine what his hair looked like. Frank took his picture and then went to his PC and began tapping away.

“Give me your cell phone, and I’ll set you up,” Frank said.

Rory felt his cheeks warm.

“I don’t have one,” he admitted.

Both his father and Frank looked stunned.

“I’ve never met a teenager that … but that’s okay,” Frank said, recovering. “I’ll get you a key card and fob.”

“He’ll have a cell phone tomorrow,” Tyler promised.

“When you do, swing by, and I’ll load The Valley app.”

“What’s it for?” Rory asked.

“It gets you in and out of The Valley and all the facilities, like the country club. You also use it instead of cash,” Tyler explained.

The computer dinged, and then a machine next to it began to hum. A moment later, it spit out what looked like a credit card. Frank handed it to him, and he saw his picture with the name Rory Luv printed on it.

“Sorry, but you got my name wrong. It’s Rory Walsh.”

Frank looked flustered.

“Let me fix that.”

A moment later, Rory was handed a new card and key fob.

“You’re all set,” Frank said.

“Thanks. He’ll be by tomorrow with his phone,” Tyler promised.

◊◊◊

Beverly had some nice older homes. It was even home to the Givins Irish Castle. The Valley’s homes were newer but rivaled the old mansions on Longwood Drive. But the further you went and the more the elevation rose, the bigger and more opulent they got.

Rory saw a sign for the country club.

“Are you a member?”

Tyler wrinkled his nose.

“In our section of the subdivision, you have to be, but we never seem to have the time. From what I hear, there is always some big to-do going on. If you want to get to know people your age, I would make an effort to go. During the day, they have activities for kids and teens. Most parents treat it as a pseudo daycare.”

It was Rory’s turn to wrinkle his nose. As soon as he did it, he realized his dad had just made the same face.

“Calling it a teen daycare is not the best selling point,” Rory pointed out.

“How about teen girls in skimpy bikinis by the pool?” Tyler asked with a wink.

“Next time, lead with that,” Rory suggested as they both chuckled.

“If you start going, it’ll help us meet our minimum each month.”

“Your what?”

“We’re supposed to spend so much money each month either in the restaurants, bars, or stores. We never seem to be able to reach our goal and have to write them a check. I would rather you used it,” Tyler explained.

“That explains the app.”

Then Rory had a thought.

“Why doesn’t Sophie go?”

Tyler gave him a pained look.

“It’s not her scene,” Tyler said.

“Why not?”

“You’ll have to ask her.”

That wasn’t vague at all.

◊◊◊

As they got close to where he was going to live, the quality of homes went up even further. Finally, the road dead-ended, and they had to turn off into a cul-de-sac. The house was up a hill and in the center, with only two other homes on either side.

He would later learn that it was 20,000 square feet. Ten of his childhood homes could have easily fit into this monstrosity. Tyler pulled up to the entrance walkway, which was covered to protect people from the sun. They walked into a grand hall that Tyler said was used for entertaining.

The room had twenty-foot ceilings, a baby grand piano, and a ginormous fireplace. In the back were floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked a nicely laid out pool area. Further down the hill was a pristine and well-watered golf fairway, and the Las Vegas strip was visible in the distance.

Rory couldn’t wrap his head around how short films could possibly make his dad this kind of money. Before he could ask, a stunning woman came into the room with a smile that could light up all of Vegas.

“You must be Rory,” she said in a breathy, little-girl voice that made him half hard.

She was the embodiment of what a MILF was supposed to be. Blond hair, blue eyes, and full lips with a pointed turned-up nose. The thick, dark eyebrows made him wonder if her hair color was natural. When she got close, he noted that she looked to be eye-level. He would guess she was five-ten.

“And you must be Crystal,” he said.

He didn’t expect her to wrap him in her arms and give him a fierce hug. It made him all too aware of her firm breasts. His arms kind of flapped at the side, as he was afraid to hug her back. If he did, he might not let go.

Tyler chuckled at his predicament.

Crystal glanced over at her husband, then back at Rory.

“I was so sorry to hear about your mother. I’m here for anything … absolutely anything you need. Just ask,” Crystal said.

“Rory would probably like some time to absorb all this. Which room did you decide to put him in?” Tyler asked.

“The tower. I thought he would like his privacy,” Crystal said.

“Perfect,” Tyler said as he grabbed one of his duffle bags. “Where’s Sophie?”

Crystal’s smile faltered slightly.

“She got delayed.”

Crystal and Tyler looked at each other briefly before he nodded. They led Rory out to the pool area. In the back corner, there was an honest-to-God four-story tower.

“The ground floor we use as a pool house,” Crystal said as she played tour guide.

On three sides, there were sliding doors so it could all be opened up in the evenings. It looked like an English pub. Crystal led them into a side hall.

“That door leads to the women’s dressing rooms. The men’s are on the other side.”

Past the door was a stairwell that led up to the next floor. When Rory could finally see what the second floor was, he stopped and grinned like a fool. It was a gym with everything he could ever hope for to train with.

“I talked to Chris Freeman to find out what you would need. If I missed anything, let me know,” Crystal said.

Rory snapped out of his awe and surprised Crystal when he hugged her.

“It’s perfect.”

“There’s more to see,” Tyler said.

The third floor opened up to a living room, with a bathroom and walk-in closet in the center. On the other side was his bedroom. Something that made him a bit nervous was that all four sides were windows. The living room was facing the strip and the golf course. From his bedroom, he looked down over the neighbor’s pool area. He would have to be careful when he changed clothes, or he would be on display.

Tyler must have read his mind.

“The windows have three settings: clear, opaque, and blackout.”

Tyler showed him a panel on the wall that controlled it. When he touched the opaque setting, the windows went cloudy-white to still let in the sunlight. Blackout turned them black and plunged the room into darkness.

It was perfect for a teenage boy and made him feel better about his new bedroom. Rory appreciated that, while at the same time he marveled at the technology that had to have gone into those windows.

“Let’s go to the loft,” Crystal urged.

Tyler turned the windows back to clear and led them to the next floor. It was covered with a roof for shade but was completely open. It was designed for adult fun with a round gas fire pit in the center, a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen/bar, and a bed.

“This is my favorite room in the house. We sometimes use it for filming,” Crystal said as she held her husband’s hand.

“For porn?” Rory blurted out without thinking.

Tyler and Crystal smiled at each other. Rory wasn’t sure if they thought he was funny or if he’d guessed right. In his mind, it made sense. It would explain short films that could make you this much money.

“Yes, and you might have seen me. My porn name is Crystal Foxx, with two X’s.”

“Oh,” was all Rory could think to say.

There was an awkward silence as Rory wrapped his mind around what he’d just discovered.

“Is Luv your real last name?” Rory asked.

“Reid, actually.”

They waited him out.

“Was that why my mom didn’t want you around?” Rory asked.

“Your mom came from a good Catholic home. Having a porn star as a father killed your grandfather, or so I was told,” Tyler shared gently.

Rory had never heard that, but his grandfather had died around the time he was born.

He was lost in contemplation for a few seconds, then shook himself.

“I should get settled,” Rory finally said.

He wanted to take some time to think about what he’d just learned. His mom would disapprove of him living with porn stars.

He also thought about his dad. His mom was what’s called Black Irish. She had black hair and green eyes, which Rory had inherited. His dad was a handsome man. He was six-one with a broad chest. Unlike many men his age, Tyler looked very fit, with narrow hips.

Over the last year, Rory had begun to grow. He’d shot up to five-ten, a five-inch increase in height. His chest had broadened, and he’d gotten stronger. Chris had teasingly nicknamed him ‘One Punch’ after a Japanese manga character called ‘One-Punch Man.’ Rory had put down almost everyone who trained at his gym in his age group with his quick hands and increased size. Even their heavyweight had ended up on his ass three weeks ago.

Rory was somewhat embarrassed that another part of his body had also grown. When you used a communal shower, like the one at the gym, he couldn’t help but see other guys. Since his growth, Rory estimated he was on the bigger side, down there. With his dad being a porn star, he hoped he inherited that from his father.

◊◊◊

After he’d unpacked, it was a bit depressing to note that all his gear barely made a dent in his new closet and dresser. Not that he wanted a large wardrobe; it just made him wonder that if a closet was this big, it had to mean people would naturally have the clothes to fill them.

He checked out the view for the top floor. He quickly discovered that no one was outside for a good reason: the heat was blistering at that time of day. So he went to the main house, where he found Crystal in the kitchen, looking confused.

“What’s going on?” Rory asked.

“I thought I would make dinner, but we don’t seem to have anything.”

Rory did a quick inventory and saw she had everything to make champs and eggs.

“My mom worked, so I’ve been making dinner most nights. When she got sick, I did all the cooking since the smell would make her nauseous. How about I make you an Irish favorite, and we can go grocery shopping tomorrow?”

“We could go out …”

“Are you worried I might kill you?” Rory teased.

Crystal looked hot all the time, but she seemed REALLY hot when she was flustered.

“Let me take care of you,” Rory offered.

He had a sudden twinge of sadness when he remembered saying the same words to his mother on many occasions.

“Okay. If it’s a disaster, we can always order something.”

“Just give me a chance. I might surprise you.”

Crystal opened a bottle of wine and sat down at the counter to watch Rory cook. It gave them a chance to get to know each other.

Crystal was also a Hollywood acting reject. She’d finally slept with a producer to earn a role in a movie and found herself pregnant with Sophie. The producer had been a gem, giving her some cash to get rid of her baby since he was married and had two kids. However, she’d obviously kept her daughter, and the man had helped support them until she’d met Tyler. She admitted that she liked sex, so Crystal had been cast in an adult short with Tyler. The funny part was, she didn’t think he was very good in bed but went out with him anyway.

Turned out that having sex on camera was different from real life, which Tyler had proved handily once she’d given him the opportunity. Rory reflected that Tyler must have been good enough because three months later, they were married.

When dinner was almost ready, Crystal sent a text to Tyler. She frowned when one came back.

“It’s just the two of us tonight,” Crystal said.

“Where are they?”

“Sophie’s in juvie. She was supposed to get out today, but Tyler says that she acted up. He and our lawyers are working on getting her out as planned.”

Rory decided not to ask what Sophie had done right then because Crystal looked close to tears.

“Let’s eat,” he suggested instead.

Crystal accepted her plate and smiled.

“It’s basically mashed potatoes with an egg on top. This will kill my figure,” Rory said and then added, “Most Irish food is basically meat, potatoes, and another veg. It fills up a growing boy.”

“Good to know.”

◊◊◊

After dinner, Rory cleaned up while Crystal got an update from Tyler. She wanted to go to see if she could help, but he must have convinced her to stay with Rory.

“Want to watch a movie?” she asked when he was almost done cleaning the kitchen.

He followed her to a room off the great room. It was a fifteen-seat theater.

She turned the system on and grabbed the remote. She picked a comedy and sat next to Rory. At some point, he fell asleep because of the time change. He was woken when he felt someone squeeze his thigh.

“Go to bed,” Crystal said.

“Sorry.”

She squeezed his thigh again and smiled when he jumped. She got up, turned off the movie, and left him to calm his erection before he went off to his new room. His dad would kill him if he knew the impure thoughts he was having.

◊◊◊

Chapter 2

Finally, Rory dragged himself to bed and slept like the dead for a change. No nightmares for the first time since his mother passed.

When he woke up, it was like a bolt of lightning had just shot through his system. One minute, he was happily REMing, and the next, he was sitting straight up, breathing hard and checking to see what time it was.

Eleven-freaking-o’clock?

How in the hell had he slept twelve hours, and what had caused him to wake up like the world was ending?

An image of his mother’s face swam behind his eyes. Suddenly, Rory was up, across the room, and in the shower before the hot water had even had time to make it through the pipes. Cold water blasted him in the face and immediately woke up his confused and stupid self.

He was putting on his tennis shoes when a shriek sounded like someone was being murdered. He jumped up and rushed to the window.

The neighbors were fighting about something. It looked like two sisters who were his age or older.

All would have been okay, but their battle began to escalate. Rory couldn’t hear what was said, but the fight suddenly switched from verbal to physical. One moment yelling, the next clawing and scratching and trying to tear out each other’s hair. That, he couldn’t have.

Rory raced downstairs and out of the tower. He’d learned that if a guy tries to get between two fighting girls, he deserves all that happens to him. Rory had no desire to make that mistake and get into the middle of them. He grabbed a hose from the side of the tower, turned the water on, and sent a stream that hit the older sister in the back.

The screaming and the shouting went up a notch, but the physical contact broke up. The younger one backed up and looked relieved, while the older girl was furious. She shoved her younger sister down onto the concrete and ran into the house.

“Ow … ow … ow,” the girl on the ground complained.

It looked like she’d scraped up one of her thighs when she was pushed down.

“You need some help?” Rory called over the fence.

“I’m locked out for sure, and I’m only wearing my swimsuit. What do you think?”

“Well, if you’re good then …”

“I’m not good! Help me over the fence,” she said.

She climbed the hill between their properties like she’d done it many times before. He reached over and helped her hoist herself over the fence.

“Are the Luvs at home?”

“I think so,” Rory answered.

The girl went to the big slider and knocked while Rory got a better look at her. She was cute, with long blond hair that he suspected was dyed because where her hair was parted, the roots were darker.

Crystal came to the slider and looked confused.

“Summer? Sophie isn’t here,” she said as she opened the door.

“Actually, I’ve been locked out. Clare and I had a disagreement.”

Crystal spotted her leg.

“Come in so I can take a look at that.”

Rory followed them into the house. Crystal stopped and pointed to the kitchen.

“Why don’t you make us some sandwiches,” she said to him and then turned to Summer. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but I’m trying to not eat bread.”

“I’ll figure something out. Is Tyler joining us?” Rory asked.

“No. He went in to work,” Crystal explained.

Rory went to the kitchen and found there wasn’t much since they hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet. He grabbed the remaining eggs and put them into a pot to boil. The crisper held a container of the fancy mixed greens his mother never bought because it was too expensive.

He made them all salads and egg-salad sandwiches, which he cut up and put on a platter. He was just putting the plates out when they came back.

Crystal had found Summer a sundress to wear with spaghetti straps and a wide neckline. He saw no evidence of her bikini top, which started a naughty inner dialogue that he quickly stopped. Rory pulled his mind to safer stuff before he embarrassed himself.

“Where did you find him? He’s both handsome and does more than just yard work. My mom might be looking for someone like him,” Summer said as she looked at the food.

“I should formally introduce you. This is Rory Walsh, Tyler’s son. He’s living with us now,” Crystal said. “And this is Summer Barton, our next-door neighbor.”

He was glad that she hadn’t said anything about his mother. Rory didn’t want to share something that raw and personal with someone he’d just met.

“Where are you from?”

“Chicago.”

“Tonight is the Jamison fundraiser at the country club. I’m sure you and Mr. Luv plan to go. You should bring Rory along to introduce him to everyone,” Summer suggested.

“I’ll have to see if my husband’s available,” Crystal hedged.

Rory could tell that she really didn’t want to go.

“If you do, I promise to introduce Rory around. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Rory?” Summer asked.

“If my dad can make it …”

Summer took that as a ‘yes.’ Rory had no idea why she was so excited.

◊◊◊

Next door, Summer’s older sister, Clare, was fuming. Her boyfriend, Chad, had informed her that they should think about dating other people for the summer. She’d discovered that what he meant was that he should be able to sleep with other girls while she waited for him to have his fun. The ‘adult’ thing would be for her to understand as they became the power couple when school started in the fall.

“I can’t believe he said that,” Gretchen, her best friend, said. “Did he say who he might want to hook up with?”

She wanted to scream into the phone because Gretchen was being so obvious. She had no doubt that if given a chance, the skank would be all over her boyfriend. If Chad hadn’t been the top dog, as far as boyfriends went, she would have dumped him as soon as he suggested their ‘open summer,’ as he was calling it.

Chad would be a senior at Valley Prep this fall. While some schools had football and basketball teams, at Valley Prep, you either played golf or were on the water polo team—which he would be captain of.

“The first name on his list is my sister.”

“What?! Has that little sneak been trying to steal him from you?” Gretchen asked in shock.

“I confronted her about it, and she flatly denies doing anything. Then she called Chad a ‘’roided-up jocktard.’ That was when I slapped her.”

“Good for you. Summer needs to be put in her place.”

“Then the neighbor’s gardener shot me with the hose just as I was about to kick her ass,” Clare said indignantly.

“Which one? The Luvs?”

“Yep. I bet he was out on work release, knowing them. I heard that their criminal daughter was getting out soon,” Clare said.

“That should make some people happy. Kevin told me that they were having a hard time finding pot since Sophie’s boyfriend went to jail.”

“I should introduce them to the gardener,” Clare said.

“Better yet, you should report him to the cops. He assaulted you,” Gretchen suggested.

‘I probably should,’ Clare thought. Her mom would love it since she didn’t want the porn king and queen living next door anyway. The problem was, they had more money than her parents and most of their friends combined.

Her dad wouldn’t stand for it. Tyler had loaned him money when he went out on his own. Tyler and his company were also her dad’s most prominent clients. If he found out Clare was messing with them, he might take her Amex card or next year’s Beamer away.

“It was just water, and it stopped our fight. Summer ran off and is sulking somewhere right now. She’ll be home soon and beg my forgiveness and promise to stay away from Chad.”

“Good,” Gretchen said. “And I promise to keep an eye on him for you.”

Why didn’t that make her feel any better?

◊◊◊

Crystal had called her husband about the party tonight, and he’d surprised her when he thought it was a good idea. She knew that he didn’t want Rory to turn out like Sophie, who hated everything about The Valley. It was filled with people who were all about their wealth and wanted to flaunt it.

Tonight was a good example. Every other week, there was some excuse to get dressed up and gossip at some coming-out party, fundraiser, or gala. Which meant that none of the women wanted her there for fear their husbands might take an interest in the porn-star mom living among them.

It was bad enough they were chasing secretaries young enough to be their daughters, but adding someone to the guest list involved in her business was too much. Even though they knew that she had zero interest in some out-of-shape braggart who had no idea what to do with a woman.

The other problem was that these attention-starved wives were seriously infatuated with Crystal’s husband. The double standard wasn’t lost on her. They had Internet connections and could easily find his videos where he destroyed nubile young things, ruining them for all other men. She would find herself bleeding in the street if those cougars thought it would help them win his affection.

And the kids were even worse with their self-importance, mean-spirited comments, and social media posts. Sophie wasn’t thick-skinned enough to deal with them and began to hang out with a different crowd. Somehow, Crystal knew that after what Rory had had to endure, he wouldn’t be bothered by their words. He might even kick some of their butts and teach them that smart comments had consequences.

Rory came back into the house after admitting that he had to make his bed. She’d just nodded, not knowing what to say to that. She didn’t know any teenager who made their own bed, at least not voluntarily.

“You ready?” Crystal asked.

“Do we have time to do everything on your list?” Rory asked.

She’d shown him their tasks for the day. Rory had looked at it in equal parts wonder and horror. But it was her attention to detail that kept their business running smoothly. She ran the day-to-day while Tyler was the creative one.

“Yes, we have time, smarty-pants,” Crystal said, smiling. “Let’s go.”

◊◊◊

Rory about jumped out of the car before it stopped because their first destination was the MMA gym. Chet Wilkes reminded him a lot of his godfather, Chris, except he was more intense. His son, West, showed Rory and Crystal the facilities.

“What do you want to get out of this?” West asked as they finished the tour.

“I want to schedule my first amateur bout,” Rory said confidently.

Chris had put Rory’s fighting career on hold when his mom had gotten sick the second time. He wanted to wait until the boy was eighteen, but Rory knew that was too late to get his start. His plan was to have his first professional bout by that time. His goal was to have a minimum of 10 amateur bouts before he went pro. Doing the math, if he had a fight every two to three months, he would be a pro when he was eighteen.

“We can help you do that. My dad has a lot of contacts, and there’s an active fight scene around the Vegas area,” West said. Then he asked, “What do you need the most work on?”

“Punching, striking, and kicking. When I was younger, I started out just doing Jiu-Jitsu. I was smaller than most guys in the gym, so my coach had me work almost exclusively on that. I’ve only been working on Muay Thai for the last couple of years,” Rory answered.

One of the critical components of Jiu Jitsu was honing one’s ability to force their opponent to the ground. It was a favorite of smaller fighters when faced with larger opponents.

When Rory said he wanted to learn to be an MMA fighter, Chris introduced him to Muay Thai. It was a form of martial arts that included Muay Boran, boxing, and kickboxing. Muay Boran was the ancient art that evolved into modern Muay Thai, emphasizing hand-to-hand combat. It utilized punching and elbow techniques, kicking skills, knee strikes, and foot thrusts. One of the advantages of Muay Thai was that it was relatively simple and straightforward. It was also easy to incorporate into his existing fighting-skill set.

Crystal had to almost drag Rory away from the gym. Their other stops included buying a phone, clothes for tonight’s event—at his mom’s funeral, Rory found out that his dress clothes were too small—having Frank set up his app, and grocery shopping.

On the ride home, he was quiet.

“Whatcha thinking?” Crystal finally asked.

“That you spent more on me today than I normally spend in a year. I plan to get a job.”

“We don’t expect you to pay us back for any of this,” Crystal assured him.

“That may be, but in the future, I want to pull my own weight. Plus, I turn sixteen in a few weeks. I’ll want to get a car. Gas and insurance can be expensive.”

“Let’s talk to your dad about that,” Crystal suggested.

Rory could see they were still in the feeling-out stage. Crystal didn’t know what she could or couldn’t decide about his life. He liked that she planned to discuss it with his father. He would prefer they were all on the same page.

◊◊◊

When Rory said he liked Indian food, Crystal had to make her curry chicken. Rory volunteered to make the rice. They were busy cooking when Tyler came home.

“Rory started out the day by hosing down one of the neighbor girls. Then we signed him up for his MMA training and bought him some clothes and a phone,” Crystal shared. She held up a finger to hold off Tyler from commenting. “And he announced that he wants to get a job—at his age. I told him I would talk to you and let you help him come to the right decision.”

Rory didn’t like how she’d said the last part.

“No, see, I recognize manipulation when I see it,” Rory said. “But that was a nice try. I’ll give you points for effort.”

Crystal laughed.

“Manipulation seems harsh.”

“Tell me why you need a job. I planned to give you an allowance once you settled in,” Tyler said. “Do you need cash now?”

“I can always use cash, but this was a deal I made with my mom,” Rory said to play his trump card. “When I turn sixteen, I was told I had to pay for my own gas and insurance.”

“Are we allowed to buy you a car?” Tyler asked.

“I thought I would use money from my trust fund. Maybe a used Jeep.”

“Not happening. That money is for you once you graduate from college. Use it as a down payment on your first place,” Tyler suggested. “Until then, we’ll provide for you, which includes buying your first vehicle. We’ll have the company buy it so we can write it off.”

Rory could see that his father wasn’t going to budge on that. He also was the executor of Rory’s trust until he turned 25.

“What type of job are you going to look for?” Crystal asked.

“I thought I could maybe clean pools or do some yard work.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s a hard ‘no,’” Tyler said.

“Why?” Rory asked in shock.

Those were good jobs for a sixteen-year-old back home.

“Because people would judge you for doing something like that around here. I’m trying to give you the best opportunity for fitting in when you go to school,” Tyler said.

“Then what jobs do you deem acceptable?” Rory asked as he seethed inside.

“How would you like to help Crystal find new talent?” Tyler asked.

Rory tried to wrap his mind around that question. Then he remembered videos on how auditions were done, and he felt his whole body flush. He was positive he’d just turned bright red.

Both Crystal and Tyler laughed.

“You can’t do what you’re thinking until you’re at least sixteen,” Tyler assured him. “And I would prefer that you be eighteen.”

“Oh,” Rory said.

The way he responded must have been hilarious because the two of them found him amusing.

“What would I do?” Rory finally asked.

“We receive inquiries every day. You would help them fill out the application and sign all the required forms. Once they send the package back to us, you would sort through the ones you think might make the cut and turn them over to me,” Crystal said.

“How do I do that?” Rory asked.

“Part of the package requires them to send in pictures,” Tyler said.

“Oh,” Rory said as he blushed again.

“Does the thought of looking at nude pictures bother you?” Crystal asked.

“It’s just that … uhm … I don’t know … I might not know … well, everything,” Rory admitted.

He was glad that neither Tyler nor Crystal commented on his V-card admission.

“When the time comes, I promise you’ll be just fine,” Crystal assured him.

Among his peers, being a porn talent agent would be way cooler than mowing lawns.

Adults might think differently.

◊◊◊

Summer had been ‘volunteered’ to help with the setup of the charity event. The upside was that Clare would stay far away if there was work to be done, and it would keep her from hounding Summer about Chad. Today was one of those when her sister’s imagined drama was too much for her to handle.

“Reporting for duty,” Julie, her BFF, announced.

She had Sean and Jace with her. The only missing member of their group was her other BFF, Alice. She was at her weekly art class taught at UNLV. Alice would be there later for the party.

“I have two topics of gossip. My sister and her idiot boyfriend, or the new guy that moved in next door,” Summer said as they worked.

“While I love hearing the soap opera that is your sister’s life, I pick the new guy. His joining us would even out our numbers if he’s halfway decent,” Jace said.

“New guy,” Sean voted before Julie could veto the guys.

“I’m calling him the ‘Luv Child’ because he’s Tyler Luv’s son. Get it? L U V for love,” Summer said.

“Please leave all nicknames to Alice, Summer Bear,” Julie chirped.

“I was six, and it was a present from my grandma,” Summer complained.

“Focus,” Jace said to interrupt the girls.

“The obvious question is, does he look like his dad?” Julie asked.

“You’ll find out tonight. He’s coming with his dad and stepmom.”

“Way to hide the lede. Crystal is smoking hot. We should make him invite us over all the time. Maybe she needs suntan lotion put on …” Sean rambled.

“Dude, you have drool dripping off your chin,” Jace joked.

“Remember the last time Tyler came to one of these functions. I thought your mom was going to jerk Mrs. Gleason’s hair extensions out when she cut in at that dance,” Julie said with a smile.

“Those needed to be jerked out. They looked awful,” Summer said.

“No more mystery. Is he cute, or what?” Julie asked.

“He is, and Rory is very fit. He lifted me over their fence with one hand,” Summer shared.

“You kids quit messing around,” Mrs. Barton, Summer’s mom, said as she caught them slacking off.

“Summer was telling us that you have a new neighbor. Tyler Luv has a son who suddenly moved in,” Sean said.

“How old is he? Is he cute?” her mom asked.

Sean nodded to them to tell everyone they had him to thank for keeping them out of trouble. Summer quickly told them everything she knew.

“He made us lunch, he has green eyes and dark hair, and he’s from Chicago.”

“She already said that he’s smoking hot,” Sean said.

Both Summer and Julie shook their heads as Mrs. Barton took off. There was no doubt that everyone in The Valley would know about the new boy before the party tonight.

◊◊◊

“What’s our cover story for tonight?” Rory asked at dinner.

“Do you mean what we want to tell everyone?” Crystal asked.

“Exactly. I personally don’t want to be known as the sad guy whose mother just died. If this is anything like parties back home, we’ll all be asked. If our stories don’t mesh, it could get interesting,” Rory predicted.

He’d seen the gossips divide and conquer at more than one function. If the stories differed, they would dig until they got the truth.

“You’re my son, and you wanted to get to know me is the truth,” Tyler suggested.

“Keeping it simple is the best,” Crystal agreed.

“If they dig, we can honestly say we’re getting to know each other; that’s why we don’t have a lot of details,” Tyler added.

“Now, go get dressed,” Crystal ordered.

“If you want help with your tie …” Tyler offered.

“Chris taught me for … you know,” Rory said as he felt sadness wash over him.

He mentally shook himself and left to get dressed.

◊◊◊

Rory could have kissed Crystal for the shoes she made him buy. He’d gotten new dress shoes for his mother’s funeral, but they had caused blisters on the backs of his feet where the sharp edge rubbed. These were made of soft leather that felt like slippers.

The whole karma bit kicked him in the backside when he tried to do his tie. Either the knot looked horrible, or the length was all wrong each time he tried it. He finally had to have Tyler help him.

“Here’s a pro tip. The end of your tie should land in the middle of your belt buckle,” Tyler explained so that he would know if the length was right in the future.

The drive to the country club was quiet. When they got to the valet line, Rory broke the silence.

“Why are we going to this again?”

Crystal gave a nervous laugh, while Tyler had a pained expression.

“Let’s meet up in an hour, and if you want, we can leave,” Tyler offered.

“I vote ten minutes,” Crystal mumbled.

The attendant took the car keys from Tyler, who then joined Crystal and Rory. He plastered an obviously fake smile on.

“Let’s do this.”

When they walked into the entrance hall, Rory spotted slot machines.

“Can anyone play?”

“You have to be 21,” Crystal said automatically, as if she’d had to remind his stepsister of that numerous times.

He saw a sign pointing to a sportsbook and card room, two things he never saw back home. At least, not with signs. Jake’s Bar was known to take a bet or two and had a regular poker night. The cops turned a blind eye.

As they walked into the ballroom, they were accosted by a server with appetizers. Rory tuned him out when he said something about cucumbers and watercress. Tyler leaned forward so only Rory could hear.

“Welcome to The Valley.”

Rory politely refused the appetizers. While he did that, Tyler and Crystal left him to get drinks at the bar. Rory began to walk through the crowd to see if he could find Summer when a woman grabbed his arm.

“You must be the son from Chicago. I don’t know how you could stand it. I could never deal with the snow.”

He gave her a tight smile and walked past her to be stopped by an attractive woman in her twenties.

“Do you like Chicago?” she asked as she stroked his arm.

Her hand jerked back when her husband appeared. Rory gave him an apologetic half-smile and kept moving.

Next was a gorgeous woman in her thirties who had a martini in her hand.

“Did I hear you’re from London?”

“Yes, you did,” Rory agreed.

He spotted someone closer to his age slipping out a door.

“My friend needs me,” Rory said as he made his escape.

On his way out, he stopped at the bar.

“Can I get a Crown and Coke?”

The bartender didn’t hesitate to make it for him. As he turned around, Crystal was standing there.

“I … uhm … got you a drink,” he said, handing it to her.

“Thank you,” she said with a raised eyebrow. “The younger crowd is outside.”

“I should go,” Rory said before he got into trouble.

As he walked out, he found another bar with soft drinks and water. He was grabbing a water when he spotted a nervous-looking boy saying hello to a group of older boys who obviously were part of the ‘in’ crowd.

The leader of the pack smiled and walked over to the nervous guy.

“Hey,” he said in a friendly tone that everyone could hear. Then his voice dropped. “Listen, queer, beat it.”

His shoulder bumped into the boy as he walked past him. Rory stepped in front of the bully and their eyes locked.

“What’s your problem?” the older boy asked and then brushed past.

“You okay?” Rory asked.

“I’m good. I’m good,” the boy said, repeating himself. “Chad never liked me. I’m Sean, by the way.”

“Rory.”

“You’re the new guy.”

“Seems like it.”

“Summer was telling us all about you,” Sean said excitedly.

“Where is Summer?” Rory asked.

“Don’t look behind you, but she’s checking you out.”

Rory whipped around.

“Smooth,” Sean said with a chuckle.

◊◊◊

“So, that’s the hottie?” Alice asked Summer. “I know you saw him first and all, but … damn.”

Alice was always on the hunt for a new man. Even though Summer knew deep down Alice wasn’t really that confident and had zero self-control, she exhibited an outward image of nothing but aplomb. She projected a party-girl persona that made her popular, but if Rory rejected her, Summer would have a mess on her hands.

“Let the boy settle in before you get your claws into him,” she suggested to slow down the probable train wreck.

“If we wait, your sister’s crowd will be after him. You remember last year. The senior girls were all sick of the boys in their class and began dating juniors and sophomores,” Alice reminded her.

“We have all summer to decide whether Rory is worthy enough to be dating material. Plus, it looks like Sean is making friends. If he and Jace can get him to join our group, we’ll have a chance to get to know him,” Summer said reasonably.

Sean was the most timid of their group. He had been the small skinny kid that bullies loved to target while growing up. The way he looked and acted, you would think he was a nerd. The fact was, Sean wasn’t that bright, being a solid ‘C’ student. But he might be nerd-adjacent since he spent almost all his time reading or talking about graphic novels or ‘fancy comic books,’ as Jace called them.

It hadn’t surprised Summer that Sean talked to Rory because he was like an innocent puppy who wanted to please everyone. He had zero skills at reading people, and he simply assumed the best in everyone. That was why Jace joined his discussion with Rory.

Jace had always looked out for Sean because he was the jock in the group who would be a starter on the water polo team this year. If Sean was an innocent puppy, Jace was their fun-loving golden retriever. While he didn’t have a mean bone in his body, he didn’t tolerate bullies. Summer couldn’t think of a time where Jace got into a fight. He had a way of calming everyone and making them see reason.

“Is that the new guy?” Julie asked as she joined them. “I call dibs.”

“Too late. Summer has declared that we wait to see if he’s a jocktard, ax murderer, or serial rapist before we jump him,” Alice quipped.

“I simply said to let the guys check him out and bring him into the group. That way, we get to know him before one of you is doing the nasty with some weirdo,” Summer said to defend herself.

“He can be as weird as he wants with a body like that,” Julie said, shocking them both.

While her BFF liked to talk about cute boys, she’d never made reference to jumping one before.

“Oh, look. Sean likes him,” Alice said.

Sure enough, Sean had shoved his hands into his pants pockets, tilted his head down, and was slowly rocking his body front to back. When he did that, he was really happy. Jace was also smiling as Rory said something to them.

Then Rory jerked like he’d been electrocuted. He reached into his pocket and looked at his phone with a confused expression. Sean pointed to something on the screen as if explaining how to use it. Rory must have read a message because he was soon saying goodbye and leaving.

As soon as he was gone, the three girls joined the guys.

“Rory’s really nice. He stuck up for me when Chad called me a queer. Oh, and I’m sorry, Alice,” Sean blurted.

“What for?” she asked in confusion.

“I didn’t find out if he has killer abs or a … big package.”

Julie, Summer, and Jace all laughed to the annoyance of Alice and the confusion of Sean.

“Don’t worry, Buddy. The girls will find out and let you know,” Jace promised.

“Did you like him?” Summer asked Jace.

“He invited Rory to go dirt-bike riding in the desert tomorrow,” Sean shared.

Like a puppy or small child, no secrets were ever told to Sean. He’d gotten a black eye not so long ago when he overheard Clare say that Chad had an average-size dick despite him bragging he was hung. When Sean wandered over to the cool-kid lunch table and asked Chad about it, even Jace couldn’t intervene in time.

“How are we supposed to get to know Rory if you guys only do guy stuff with him?” Alice complained.

Jace gave her a knowing smile, which Summer recognized as him preparing to tease Alice.

“Imagine what he’ll look like after our ride. Rory will be hot, sweaty, and dirty. If we show up at Summer’s, and you three are all out around the pool sunbathing …” Jace said as he wiggled his eyebrows. “He might need someone to wash his back.”

Summer punched Jace in the shoulder.

“Don’t be putting naughty thoughts into her head.”

“He might need a care package with appropriate shower supplies. Guys have no clue about proper skincare,” Julie said.

“And you might have to help demonstrate their use for him,” Jace said to double down.

This time, he dodged Summer’s punch, but her heart wasn’t in it. Jace was being Jace. She knew that Rory might cause friction in their group of girls if they decided to fight over him. Jace had put the attraction they felt out in the open, which would allow the girls to negotiate what would happen.

“She could then tell us if he has killer abs and a big dick for sure,” Sean said, looking satisfied.

◊◊◊

On the way home, Rory thanked his dad and stepmom for taking him. He now understood why they didn’t go to those events if his interaction with the adults was how it was for them.

He’d also met two guys who could be friends. The only downside was he’d not gotten a chance to talk to Summer.

Once he got home, he went straight to his room in the tower.

When Rory entered his bedroom, he was hit with an emotional wave. He flipped the lock and then sank to the floor, his back pressed against the door. The cool wood felt good to his overheated, traitorous skin. He curled his legs up and hugged his knees to his chest.

He was alone.

This was one of those times when it still didn’t seem real. Moments when he could convince himself that this had all been a terrible nightmare.

But the fact remained: he was on his own.

Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“I miss you, Mom.”

The words were uttered in the faintest of whispers as his throat choked.

“I miss you so much.”

His whole body was wracked with sobs.

◊◊◊

 

Chapter 3

Rory got up early and hit the gym to try out all the new equipment Crystal had bought. He took it easy since he hadn’t done anything physical in the last three weeks. When he was done, he felt energized.

After a quick shower, he went to the main house, where he found his dad drinking coffee and staring off into space.

“You look serious.”

Tyler jumped, and when he saw it was Rory, he shook his head.

“I’m not used to anyone coming in the back door in the morning.”

“I was going to make some ham and eggs. Do you want some?” Rory asked.

“I planned to grab something on the way to work, but that sounds good.”

As Rory began to cook breakfast, Crystal joined them.

“Rory’s cooking. You should put your order in,” Tyler said with a hint of a smile.

She ignored her husband.

“What are your plans for the day?”

“Two of the guys I met invited me to go dirt-bike riding in the desert this morning. I really didn’t have anything after that.”

“How about you come to the studio later this afternoon? I’m interviewing some new talent. It’ll give you an idea of what to look for,” Crystal suggested.

“What time?”

“Let’s make it one. We can grab a bite to eat, and then I can give you a tour,” Crystal said.

“What should I wear?” Rory asked.

“The slacks and jacket you wore to the country club and the dressy t-shirt I bought you. We’ll go shopping and get you some office clothes later this week.”

Rory groaned, which made Tyler chuckle.

“Most teenage boys aren’t like the ones around here. They don’t want to play dress-up.”

“But he’s representing us,” Crystal pushed back.

“I don’t want to cause a problem,” Rory interjected.

“We know you don’t,” Tyler said and then changed the subject. “Who are you riding with today?”

“Sean and Jace.”

“Summer’s friends,” Crystal said.

“Who?” Tyler asked.

“Sean Cooper and Jace Daniels.”

Tyler nodded.

Rory was done cooking, so he served them plates of food.

“I could get used to this,” Crystal decided after tasting it.

“It’s better than grabbing doughnuts or a bagel,” Tyler added.

After they ate, Tyler was volunteered for cleanup. Rory left for Jace’s house.

◊◊◊

When he came to Jace’s drive, he saw Sean and Jace standing by three motorcycles. They were decked out in what looked like racing gear.

“I missed the memo. Is it okay if I’m dressed like this?” Rory asked.

“We aren’t planning to do anything too extreme. You should be fine,” Jace assured him.

“Just don’t fall off,” Sean coached.

“Good advice,” Rory said.

Sean gave him a crash course on how to shift gears, and Jace handed him a helmet.

“The best way to learn is to do it,” Jace said.

They took it slow as they drove through the community. Sean had warned him that the neighbors didn’t like them racing through the streets. The way he said it made Rory guess that they’d been in trouble for it before.

When they reached the edge of the subdivision, they came to a dirt trail and took it. Once on it, Jace and Sean raced ahead. Rory hit the gas and followed their lead.

◊◊◊

Summer, Alice, and Julie heard the bikes.

“They’re here,” Alice said as she jumped up.

“Slow your roll, sister. Remember that we’re getting to know him,” Summer reminded her as she left them by the pool to go answer the door.

Summer went to the front door and found the three boys laughing about something. She held the door as Rory walked past her and took the opportunity to ogle his tight ass in his dirty, worn jeans.

Sean bounded in, followed by Jace.

“How’d it go?” Summer quietly asked Jace.

He just nodded and smiled. When they walked out back, there he was, shirtless and covered in a fine layer of sweat that made him glisten. Rory ran a hand through his hair. All Summer could see was the way his muscles flexed in his bicep.

Jace chuckled when he saw the effect Rory’s skin was having on Alice and Julie. Even Sean was staring.

“I would kill for a glass of water,” Rory said.

Julie bolted for the house and was back in a flash.

“What about us?” Jace joked.

“You know where it is,” Julie said.

“Come on, Sean. Let’s get a drink,” Jace said to give the girls some privacy with Rory.

Sean had learned to do what Jace said, so he didn’t act silly and try to stay.

“Come sit by me,” Alice said, patting her recliner.

“I’m all dirty and sweaty. Let me go take a quick shower, and I’ll come back before I have to go to work,” Rory said.

He dashed up the hill and vaulted the fence as if it wasn’t there.

“Oh, my,” Summer said.

“That boy has no idea how hot he is,” Julie said.

◊◊◊

Twenty minutes later, Rory came back over the fence.

“What are you dressed up for?” Sean asked.

“Work. I start my new job today.”

“What are you doing?” Summer asked.

“I’m a talent scout.”

“For porn stars?” Jace asked.

“Yep.”

“You’re my new best friend, buddy. I think you should let me come to work with you,” Jace said.

“Why would you want to do that?” Sean asked. “It’s a job, and you swore you would never do one of those.”

“Yeah, Jace. Why would you want to go to work with Rory?” Summer teased.

“It’s not like that. I don’t, like, test them out. I just help them fill out forms and send them packets. I was told I have to be 18 to do the good stuff,” Rory explained.

“You have to test them? Is it like multiple choice?” Sean asked.

“It’s exactly like that,” Jace said before anyone laughed.

‘More like an oral exam,’ Summer thought.

“Is that why you moved in with your dad? So you could learn the business?” Julie asked.

“I didn’t even know my dad until a few days ago. I had no idea what he did for a living,” Rory admitted.

“You didn’t know your father?” Alice asked.

“I don’t even know if you can call him a father, really. I never met the man who impregnated my mother until he flew to Chicago to bring me here,” Rory said and then realized he’d said too much. “There’s my damn foot-in-mouth syndrome acting up again. Just forget I said anything.”

Before anyone could say anything, his phone vibrated. He took it out, looked at it, and gave them a weak smile.

“Crystal is here. I have to go,” he said.

Summer walked him to the door.

“If you ever need to talk …”

Rory’s lips pinched.

“If I do, I’ll be in touch.”

◊◊◊

The building where the studio was looked like an average office building. When you walked in off the street, there was a reception area.

“The first floor has four sound stages where we film. We have the second floor set up for live webcams. The third floor is where our offices are, the on-site nurse, web developers, and interview slash classrooms. We’ll go upstairs and get all your employment paperwork completed,” Crystal said as she walked past reception and to the elevator.

“Classrooms?”

“Porn stars aren’t born. We have to train them. If you want, you can sit in on some classes,” she offered.

“What types of classes?”

“How to hold off cumming, basic sex education so that you know how to please a woman, and the difference between real sex and porn. A lot of men could benefit from them,” Crystal said matter-of-factly.

“Oh.”

“It’s hands-on training,” she said.

Rory was sure she said it just to watch him blush.

“After a few weeks here, you’ll stop being embarrassed,” Crystal promised.

◊◊◊

She took Rory to see the nurse next. His stepmom explained that all new hires had both a psych evaluation and physical. She introduced him to Dr. Basheer and Nurse Kelly and went back to work.

“We’ll do the physical first. Get undressed and put on a gown,” the nurse said.

“My underwear too?”

“Leave them on for now.”

When he was done, Dr. Basheer came in and gave him a complete physical. They drew blood, part of which would be used to test for sexually transmitted diseases—even though Rory was a virgin.

“It’s company policy. We have to treat everyone the same, regardless of whether they are sexually active or not,” the doctor explained. “Now we have to check out the equipment. If you could take off your underwear, please.”

Rory blushed and looked at the nurse. Dr. Basheer could read his mind.

“She has to be in the room when you are exposed for insurance reasons. Don’t be alarmed if you become aroused. She has that effect on many of our patients.”

“I worked in the industry while I went to college. When I graduated, I was hired to be the company nurse, so I’ve seen my share,” Nurse Kelly assured Rory.

That didn’t seem to help because the thought of her doing porn … had an effect. Dr. Basheer saw what was happening and gave the nurse an amused look. It didn’t help that now that it was in his head, she reminded him of his favorite fantasy of a naughty librarian.

“You did it again,” he said and then looked at Rory. “Drop them so we can get this over with.”

The doctor was very professional as he checked out Rory’s equipment. When he was done, he gave the nurse a task that gave Rory pause.

“Go ahead and shave him.”

“But I’m not an actor,” Rory said.

“In that case, don’t shave it all off, just his penis and testicles,” Dr. Basheer explained. “Just give his pubes a trim to tidy them up, and he’ll be fine. That way, your penis looks bigger.”

“Trust us, your girlfriend will thank us,” Nurse Kelly said with a warm smile.

Rory closed his eyes and nodded. He kept them closed as he felt her touch him. She was quick and efficient.

“Almost no blood,” the doctor said with a chuckle.

Rory’s eyes snapped open, and he saw they were teasing him. He grabbed his boxers and put them back on. He had to admit that the landscaping looked neater down there.

“You can get dressed, and then we’ll do your psych evaluation,” Dr. Basheer said.

When he was dressed, the doctor took Rory to an office to allow Nurse Kelly to give blood tests to actors filming later in the week. When Rory was seated, he was given a test to see if he was suited for porn work. Then Dr. Basheer got to the heart of the matter.

“I understand that you’ve gone through some traumatic changes recently. How are you handling it?”

“For the first couple of weeks, I could tell you down to the minute how long it had been since my mother left me. I haven’t done that in the last few days.”

“Were you with her when she passed?” Dr. Basheer asked.

Rory nodded as he looked down. He couldn’t meet the doctor’s eyes.

“Losing your mother is hard at any age. I lost mine last year, and I find myself feeling down now and then, even now. Then to be whisked away to live halfway across the country on top of that … it’s understandable if you have some bad days,” Dr. Basheer said.

“What do I do when those days happen?”

He received a sad look in return.

“There’s no easy answer to that. Everyone handles grief differently. I was told to remember the happy times we had, but I thought that was a load of shit because it made me feel worse,” the doctor shared.

“Maybe you could give me happy pills,” Rory said with a smirk.

Dr. Basheer began scribbling something.

“I was just joking,” Rory hurriedly said.

“I know. I was just making a note not to believe your shit and not to prescribe you any drugs,” the doctor replied with a smile.

“Maybe put in there that Nurse Kelly should give me regular hugs for my mental health,” Rory suggested.

“Not until you’re 16.”

“Tyler said 18.”

“That’s for movies because they’re sold all over. The age of consent in Nevada is 16,” Dr. Basheer said.

“Good to know.”

“Is there anything else you need?” the doctor asked.

“No.”

“Would you tell me if there was?”

“Yes.”

By the doctor’s look, he didn’t believe Rory, and he shouldn’t have. But Rory didn’t want to make a habit of relying on anyone else to take care of him.

“If your feelings get to be too much, let Nurse Kelly know. She’s here every day and will get word to me. I have someone that helped me that I could introduce you to.”

“I’m good for now,” Rory said.

◊◊◊

For the afternoon, Crystal had three guys and a girl coming in to interview in person. They’d all passed their initial screening.

“What are we looking for?” Rory asked.

“We film the interviews to see how they handle themselves on camera. They have to be photogenic and proportionate. We aren’t looking for a small skinny guy with a ten-inch cock or a built guy with a five-inch one, either. It has to look right.”

“What’s the … uhm … ideal size?” Rory asked.

“Bigger than average, but honestly, it has more to do with the guy. We tend to use the same men repeatedly, so we want them easy to deal with and the girls to like them. If they look perfect but are a jerk, we’ll usually pass,” Crystal admitted.

“On average, how many guys make it this far and get selected?”

“One in twenty.”

The phone in the interview room rang. It was reception, letting Crystal know that their first appointment was here.

“We’ll be using his stage name here at the studio. He picked Rod Diamond. Go down and bring him up,” she said.

Rory brought ‘Rod’ up, and she greeted him.

“Thanks for coming in. I see you’re a student at UNLV. Tell me about yourself.”

“I’ll be a sophomore in the fall and working toward my degree in aerospace engineering. One of my scholarships fell through, so I have to earn extra money without working a ton of hours,” Rod explained.

“What made you decide that porn might be the solution?”

“I saw an ad on the Internet for a good-looking guy, in good shape with a big cock. That, and, when I was fifteen, Brenda Vickers showed me her eighteen-year-old tits. Then she demonstrated how good it felt to slide my dick into a hot, wet pussy. From that point, sex became as important as oxygen to me.”

“On a scale of zero to ten, with zero meaning you prefer dick, five meaning you can go both ways, and ten meaning you are straight as an arrow, where do you fall?” Crystal asked.

“It depends on how much tequila I’ve had,” Rod joked. “I would say I am between a seven and eight. While I’m not into doing anything with a guy, I’m not against a threesome with another guy and girl. If our junk happens to touch, I’m not going to freak out. Stuff like that happens when you’re DPing a hottie,” Rod said.

“Are you willing to do anal?”

“Giving, not receiving.”

“Bondage … BDSM?” Crystal asked.

“If it’s just acting, I guess.”

“Before I ask you to take off your clothes, do you have any questions?” she asked.

“What could I expect financially?”

“Three to five hundred dollars per scene.”

“Could I count on doing three to four scenes a month?” Rod asked.

“It’s hard for me to say until we see you in action. If you do well in this interview, we’ll schedule a shoot. If everyone likes you, then it could be that much or more. Piss people off, and it might be your last,” Crystal said.

“I like that you don’t beat around the bush. I prefer to know where I stand.”

“Speaking of standing, please get undressed,” she said.

Rory was impressed because he would have hesitated to take his clothes off in front of his stepmother. If he had a problem with Nurse Kelly, there was no doubt he would have been hard as a rock with his stepmom.

When Rod was stripped down, Rory made some mental comparisons. They were both about the same height at five-ten, and both probably weighed 150 pounds, more or less. While Rod was fit, he didn’t have any actual muscle definition. It was hard to tell package-wise because Rod wasn’t erect.

“Rory, could you take the camera and walk around Rod while he holds his arms out?”

Crystal had Rod make several poses as Rory played cameraman.

“Now get yourself hard, please,” she ordered.

It took him a few minutes, but Rod rose to the occasion. Once he was erect, Rory was told to get close-ups. He would leave that part out when describing what happened today to anyone who asked.

“You have a nice cock. It’s not too big, but large enough to work for what we do. When you cum, how long does it take you to recover?” Crystal asked.

“Thirty minutes to an hour or two,” Rod said.

“Really?” Rory asked.

“Unlike what you see in movies, the notion that you should be able to have sex three or four times within a few hours on a Saturday night probably isn’t realistic for most men,” Crystal explained. “That is, unless you’re 15 like Rory. Most men need at least an hour or two to become erect after ejaculating.”

“You’re only 15? I would have guessed you to be my age or older,” Rod said.

“16 in a week and a half.”

“I remember when I said stuff like that,” Rod said with a grin to let Rory know he was pulling his leg.

“Now, I need you to bring yourself to completion,” Crystal said.

Rod took matters and hand and went to work. Once he finally came, he said, “That was harder than I thought.”

“On set, you might have five people surrounding you when it’s time to show the money shot,” she said.

“Is that why the guy always seems to take over at the end?” Rory asked.

“That, and it’s easier for them to direct where they shoot off,” she answered.

Crystal thanked Rod for his time, and he left.

◊◊◊

The next guy was clearly gay and took an instant shine to Rory, to Crystal’s amusement. Then there was a guy who’d just turned 18 that day and whose porn name was Dick Steel. He would be a senior at a local high school.

Rory and Dick hit it off when Rory mentioned going dirt biking that morning. Dick began to tell him about his Yamaha 250 that he’d just bought when Crystal slowed them down.

“You two can bond after the interview.”

“Just one question. Do you think I need to buy the gear, or can I ride in jeans and a t-shirt?” Rory asked.

“It only takes one good spill for you to wish you’d worn protective gear,” Dick said as he pulled up the sleeve on his shirt to show Rory his upper arm. “I got that scar on Tucker’s Hill.”

“I rode up that this morning,” Rory admitted.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No. Sean said the view from on top was worth seeing, so I went up the slope. There were a couple of times that I felt like I would tip back, but I went slow and steady and made it without a problem.”

“I bet your friends didn’t go up.”

“They waited for me,” Rory admitted.

“Sometimes it’s better not to know you shouldn’t do something and just do it,” Dick said.

“Like finish this interview,” Crystal interjected.

“She missed her nap,” Rory whispered.

Dick tried not to laugh. He got serious from there and answered all of Crystal’s questions.

When it came time to get naked, Dick just took everything off. Rory guessed he was six feet and weighed about 185 pounds. Unlike Rod, Dick obviously spent time in the gym. He was also better equipped for porn.

Rory felt the interview went well.

After he left, Crystal wanted his opinion of the three guys.

“The last one I liked; the one who wasn’t a nosy ass-fucker. I’m on the fence with the first guy. He was nice enough but didn’t really have the body. If he worked out some, I would pick him for sure.”

“Actually, the second was a bottom.”

“What does that mean?”

“A top is the ass-fucker and the bottom …”

“Oh. So, he wanted me to …”

“Yep. But some of our better porn stars are, in fact, gay. The ones we have all look great and keep it hard when they’re with girls. It’s like models and actors. The good-looking ones are many times more interested in cute boys,” Crystal said.

“I probably didn’t want to know that. So, do you think we should consider the second guy?”

“No, because of what you said. He is a nosy ass-fucker. He would be nothing but trouble.”

“What about the other two?”

“I agree with your assessment. I’m inclined to offer them both 90-day contracts and put them through porn school. Rod would have to work on his body if we were to keep him. I think Dick will do just fine,” Crystal shared.

◊◊◊

Stacy, aka Stacy Jiggles, was the last interview of the day. Her best friend had mockingly picked that name because of her small stature and tiny breasts. Stacy was all of five-three and weighed maybe 100 pounds soaking wet.

That was a preview of The Valley. To read the rest purchase the book.

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