One True Thing Read Free Page B

every
    girl who passed through the door that I was gay.
    “It’s business. If you get in with the big studios, the
    owners are all in it for money, not to get laid.”
    (Partly true. I hoped.) “Hopefully these shots will
    help.”
    “Well, thank you anyway.” She hesitated at
    the door. Shit. Here it comes. “Listen, I haven’t
    been in town long. Would you like to get some
    dinner sometime?”
    I sighed. I felt awful for her. “Sure. As long
    as it’s just as friends. I’m… well, I’m actually
    gay.”
    Britney’s sigh of relief was far lustier than my
    sigh had been. “Thank God. I really could use a
    friend. Would you mind?”
    I handed her another of my cards. “Give me a
    call sometime. We can talk about anything but
    porn.”
    She laughed and took the card. “Sounds
    perfect.”
    I was cleaning up and putting the props away
    later when I heard the front door open and slam
    shut. Archer. My brother should’ve been at work
    —I looked at my watch—for at least three more
    hours. I knew, because I usually got whining phone
    calls for a ride home at least twice a week. For as
    much as we looked almost exactly the same, my
    twin brother wasn’t much like me. What he was,
    most of the time, was irresponsible, snobby,
    promiscuous, and entitled. Sometimes I wondered
    how we’d popped out of the same woman’s uterus.
    I loved my brother, for those rare good moments
    we had, but sometimes I wondered if Archer was
    going to be a screwup for the rest of his life.
    I poked my head out of the studio. My brother
    was indeed home, with some random twink on his
    arm. Typical. He was wearing some shorts that I
    had never seen before and a new pair of sandals.
    Half the time it seemed like he spent most of his
    paycheck on new clothes rather than real things,
    like bills. Archer and his friend were giggling and
    leaning on each other, running into the wall and
    swaying. Skipping work and drunk in the middle
    of the day. Fantastic. I wasn’t surprised.
    Disappointed, but not surprised.
    “What are you doing here?” I asked. Archer
    hadn’t noticed me until I spoke. Once he did, he
    made an exaggerated shushing noise and covered
    his lips with his finger. Then he rolled his eyes.
    “We’d better be quiet. The fun police are
    home. Fuck, Asher, maybe we should just ship
    Mom down here. She can ground me when I don’t
    do what she wants.” Archer rolled his eyes again.
    Drinking buddy number ten for the month snorted
    and buried his face in Archer’s neck to laugh.
    “I’m serious, Arch. Why aren’t you at work?
    Your shift isn’t over for hours.”
    Archer coughed dramatically, trying not to
    laugh. “Well, you see, I woke up this morning and I
    just really felt sick—” Cough, cough . “—so I
    called Marcie and told her I needed to go to the
    doctor.” More laughing. I started to wonder if they
    were more than just drunk.
    “And is this your doctor?” I gestured at
    gigglepants.
    “Nah.” Archer held up a bottle that he’d had
    concealed behind his leg. “I saw Dr. Cuervo
    today. Cured me with just a couple shots.”
    I groaned. “You’re an ass. Our rent is due in a
    week and a half.” I only made Archer pay a third
    of it, since I used the extra room anyway. Lots of
    months, I was lucky to get a quarter.
    “Why don’t you take more nudie pics if you
    need the cash?” Archer’s lip curled. He knew I
    was embarrassed about that, and he still said it
    every damn time. I, who was thrilled that every
    single one of my twin’s dumb friends knew what I
    did for a living, shook my head and turned to go
    back into my studio.
    “You coming out with us tonight?” Archer
    called, like I ever went out with Archer and his
    buddies. There was mocking in his voice, but only
    someone who knew him well would hear it. He
    was playing nice for whoever the twink on his arm
    was. Must be hoping to get laid.
    “It’s Wednesday. I have to work tomorrow.
    So do you.” I shut the door to my studio on