Two weeks after the Motel 6 shoot, Sam and Corey are back at Utopia Studios. This time they plan to do two shoots: a girl-on-girl scene and a guy-on-girl scene. A threesome would bring in more money from Homegrown Video, but that's not possible — one of the women is the guy's sister.
"We were both looking for odd jobs on Craigslist, and my cousin was like, 'Hey, you should check this out,'" says Phoebe, a twenty-year-old part-time stripper who is about to star in her first adult film.
"It's not a lot of money, but I work in the sex industry and I really enjoy it," she says, adding, "and I really need to save up for a car."
Phoebe's brother, Patrick, is also a first-timer. But the 25-year-old says porno is something he's serious about getting into.
"I really want to work in porn," he says with a smile. "I think I can be really good at it."
Unfortunately for the aspiring porn star siblings, the other female is a no-show. Not wanting to waste the money they spent on the studio rental, Sam gets on the phone to find another male performer.
"Would you be OK having sex with a 43-year-old?" he asks Phoebe.
"Sure," she says, explaining that it wouldn't be much different than the guys she gives lap dances to at the strip club.
When Rory arrives, he has better luck this time. Phoebe looks him over and agrees to have sex with him. But there are a few conditions.
"I do guys, but I'm really more of a lesbian," says Phoebe. For her, that means no blowjobs. She's also not into doggy-style.
"I just don't like the way it feels," she explains.
Corey tries to hide his disappointment. Only fetish porn could get away with such radical scenarios as "no blowjob" and "no doggy-style." But not wanting to be forceful, he goes with the flow.
"No problem," he says. "We don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. So just do whatever you feel you're OK with doing."
Phoebe, unlike the other females in Sam and Corey's films, is really going for the porn-star look, wearing a see-through negligee, stiletto heels and heavy eyeliner. But the bombshell appearance clashes with her onscreen reticence. Once she and Rory begin, it's clear she's uncomfortable. The kisses are restrained. The petting looks mechanical.
"Are you OK?" Corey asks. "We can stop."
"No, it's fine. I came all the way down here," she answers. But she is anxious about her brother being nearby.
"Is he still out there?" she asks. Sam confirms he is — playing video games in the lobby.
The general sense of unease is exacerbated by the heat in the studio. The air conditioner and fans had to be turned off because they were interfering with the sound. But then a few minutes later, a speed-metal band with a passionate drummer started playing at full volume in the adjacent studio.
Still, Phoebe insists on continuing.
"Rory, why don't you go down on her for a while?" Corey says.
Rory does as instructed. For a while Phoebe is back in the groove, despite the blaring lights inside the blazing studio.
But getting to the next step — penetration — proves to be impossible. It just won't go in. Phoebe is not into it. Everything about the situation looks awkward: the lack of sexiness in the act, the drastic age difference between the two performers and, especially, Phoebe's obvious discomfort.
Corey calls off the shoot.
"I'm sorry," Phoebe says. "I just haven't been with a guy in three years. I guess I wasn't ready."
"Don't be sorry," Corey says. "It's totally understandable. If you want to try again another day, that's cool. If you want to."
"Yeah, maybe next week," she says.
Phoebe leaves with her brother. Rory, ever eager, tells Sam and Corey he could be available again. Just call him.
"I'm always around," he says as he leaves.
Sam sighs. Both he and Corey are disappointed. They probably won't be able to sell the video from the shoot. It'll be chalked up as a loss.
"Sometimes they go good. Sometimes they don't," Sam says.
After expenses, he and Corey figure they make about $12 an hour producing their films.
"It's way better than cleaning carpets for the same amount of money," Sam says.
Corey agrees, though he notes that STL Adult Films has yet to blossom into a full-time gig.
"The trick," he says, "is being able to do the work consistently."
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