In the week that followed, I didn't see Gloria. I figured she was spending time with her parents and extended family after her brother's funeral. Though we sent each other texts several times a day, hers revealed little about how she was feeling. And neither of us mentioned what we'd shared the night we first made love.

Turning the page of the calendar hanging on my kitchen wall, I studied all the days that made up the month of August. Before long, Gloria would be returning to college.

I told myself she hadn't meant those words: I love you. That night, she'd been distraught, overwhelmed by grief. I'd been a source of comfort, and it was understandable that her emotions had gotten muddled in that moment.

But I'd never been confused about my feelings. While voicing them, I'd been completely honest.

I began to fear Gloria was avoiding me. Then I told myself I was being stupid; she'd be leaving town soon in any case.

Still, I didn't want things to end with this distance between us. 

Just when I'd resigned myself to her absence, she showed up unannounced on a Friday evening.

"I thought I'd make us dinner." Gloria held up the cloth grocery bag she'd been carrying. "I'm not nearly as good in the kitchen as you, but I can make pasta. Hope you like spaghetti carbonara." She flashed that rare shy smile, as if she thought I might decline her offer.

"I love it," I said, offering a huge smile of my own. After taking the bag from her and setting it at our feet, I opened my arms. "I'm so glad to see you."

She readily stepped into my embrace, and my heart surged when I felt her arms slip around me. She wore a ruby-colored dress, one of her more modest outfits. The fabric was silky beneath my fingers.

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it over here before now." She lifted her head to regard me. "I felt I needed to be at home with Mom and Dad."

"Of course," I replied. "I understand."

"I really appreciate you checking in with me every day, though." 

To my surprise, she placed a hand against the back of my head and guided my mouth downward. Our kiss started out slow and sweet, only to intensify until her tongue was sliding against mine and her body was pressed even more firmly to me. I moaned when she gave my bottom lip a playful bite.

"Let's pick this up after dinner," she said, and I eagerly nodded.

As we worked together in the kitchen to prepare the meal, I couldn't stop thinking about how this felt like a first date. I had the near-giddy excitement of a much younger man in the company of a woman he adored. Though I realized it couldn't last, and I'd be foolish to hope it did, I was determined to appreciate every minute I had with Gloria.

Once she and I had sat down to dinner, and I took my first bite of the meal, I made sure to compliment her cooking. She beamed at my praise.

"It's nothing fancy, but I'm glad you like it, Peter."

I expected her to tell me how things were at home during the past week. If she wanted to talk through her grief, or the conflicted emotions she had toward her parents, I was more than willing to listen.

Instead, Gloria's eyes met mine, and she said, "We need to get back to work."

I raised my eyebrows; this wasn't at all what I'd anticipated. Lifting my glass of wine to my lips, I took several sips of Pinor Noir while considering my response.

Finally, I said, "Are you sure you're ready?"

She nodded. "I need to keep busy."

"But you'll be going back to school soon..."

"I'm going to take a year off."

I balked at her nonchalant tone. "Gloria, you're doing so well at college, and I know you're not happy at home with your parents." As I spoke, I inwardly shouted at myself to shut the hell up. Why was I trying to convince her to leave, when I wanted nothing more than for her to stay?

Because that was love. To wish for what I believed best for her.

"I'll go back," she assured me. "But right now, you and I are getting the attention online that a lot of people only dream of. I can't pass up this opportunity, and you shouldn't, either."

Studying her, I recognized the savvy businesswoman I'd come to know. The one who pushed me to my limits on camera for the sake of gaining new fans and earning more money.

Before I could answer, Gloria went on. "And I want to live here with you."

I inhaled sharply, shocked to my core. Gloria's smile faded into consternation: did she fear I'd refuse her?

"Of course you can live here." My heart was beating so hard that it manifested as a fierce pulse in my throat. I wondered if she could see it just beneath my skin. "But I doubt your parents will be happy with any of this. You temporarily quitting school, and living with a much older neighbor?"

She shrugged. "I make my own choices. And they've already heard neighborhood gossip about me being over here late at night."

"And they're... okay with that?" I asked, dreading her reply.

Gloria snickered. "My dad pulled me aside and asked if I'm your sugar baby."

I couldn't help it; I cracked up laughing. "If only he knew that you're paying me!"

That made Gloria succumb to a fit of giggles. By the time they subsided, she was wiping tears from her eyes. "Yeah, I know we have an unusual arrangement, Peter. But..." Her face became hopeful. "It works for us, doesn't it?"

I was certain she could read me well enough to see the fondness in my eyes as I said, "It does."

"Then let's keep doing it." She leaned forward, waiting for my reply.

I didn't hesitate. When I nodded, she jumped to her feet and circled the table in order to plant a kiss on my mouth.

"We'll start tonight," she said.

*****

Little by little, Gloria moved into my house, bringing more belongings with her each time she came over. My bedroom became hers as well, and the bathroom counter was soon covered with cosmetics and hair products. Her outfits filled any extra closet space I had.

And I begrudged her none of it.

For weeks, her fans had been asking when we would fuck. We rewarded their patience by performing a lengthy scene in which I ate her pussy, and then she rode me with a sensual rhythm. Finally, my fantasy of seeing her above me, and those amazing tits undulating in time with her movements, had become reality.

When Gloria sensed me approaching orgasm too quickly, she slowed her pace until I begged for more.

"Please," I groaned while fondling her breasts, "don't tease me!"

She merely lifted herself up so my cock slipped free of her. My whine of protest was muffled by her cunt, which she pressed firmly against my face.

"Be a good boy," I heard her urge, though her thighs clamped around my head. "If you want to come, you'd better make me come!"

I had to settle for stroking off as I focused on pleasuring Gloria's clit with my tongue. Only after she shuddered and squealed, and rocked against my mouth to milk all she could from her orgasm, did I earn the chance to be inside her once more.

And the moment I cried out and flooded her pussy with my semen, she again settled upon my face and ordered me to lick her clean. The camera captured the eager working of my tongue as I did my best to lap up every trace of cum.

After Gloria edited and uploaded the video, the comments came pouring in, along with the tips and notifications of new subscriptions.

"Holy shit!" I said when Gloria told me how much we'd earned. 

"Oh, and your fangirls are singing your praises." She poked me in the side. "You're gonna be more popular than me! Listen to this comment a woman left for you: I love how vocal you are when you fuck. All those moans get me so wet!"

It was ridiculous, but I felt myself blushing. And of course Gloria noticed.

"Oh my God, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" Throwing her arms around me, she kissed my mouth. "It's one of the reasons I love you so much."

Those words again, spoken without any prompting from me. I smiled like a fool upon hearing them. 

 "And I love you, Gloria."

Our kiss, passionate as it was, served as a catalyst for more. With Gloria's mouth melded to mine, I pulled her down onto the bed. In moments, she had my cock in her hand and was leisurely stroking it while her lips drifted to my neck.

Since we'd performed earlier in the evening, I figured there was little chance of me getting hard again. But Gloria worked one of her miracles, only to turn her attention to my balls once I was fully erect.

I groaned at the sight of her drawing my sac between her lips. I groaned even louder when she started massaging my perineum.

My body had a novel way of responding to the twin sensations. Gloria was forced to stop suckling my scrotum, for a fit of giggles overcame her as my dick bobbed and swayed like an off-balance metronome.

"Are you doing that on purpose?" she demanded through her laughter.

"I swear I'm not!"

She tried to take both my nuts in her mouth while rubbing my taint. Again, my cock put on a show, and she could barely contain herself.

"We have to get that on camera, Peter!"

"Next time," I promised with a grin, then gently guided her back to my dick.

*****

For the next two months, our work went smoothly, with no hiccups at all. If Gloria's parents minded her moving out of their house to live down the street with a man in his fifties, they said nothing to me about it. And despite my fears, none of the neighbors I occasionally spoke to gave any indication that they knew about me and Gloria performing on camera for pay. They seemed far more interested in trying to decipher my relationship with a woman young enough to be my daughter.

But our seamless partnership started to fray when a podcaster reached out to us for an interview.

"This is such an incredible opportunity!" Gloria told me. "The podcast is all about adult entertainers, past and present. We'll get a ton of exposure from it."

"That's wonderful!" I drew her into a hug. "I know you'll do great, sweetheart."

She looked up at me with a bemused smile. "You're going to do the interview with me."

My enthusiasm waned in an instant. "Gloria, you're the star. You're the one people are paying to see. And you know how to promote yourself. I wouldn't be any good at something like this."

"Of course you would!" She took hold of my arms and gave me a little shake. "How many times do I have to tell you that the fans love seeing you perform? Before we started working together, I was a nobody, one of thousands. I never would have made it this far without you."

I shook my head, reluctant to believe her claims.

"Come on, do it for me, Peter!"

She gave me that half-pouting, half-pleading look I could never resist. So, against my better judgment, I said yes.

The afternoon our interview was scheduled, Gloria and I sat at the desk in my old office. We huddled together so both of our faces were visible on the screen of the laptop open before us.

The podcast host was a stunning woman about my age. Gloria had mentioned she used to work in the adult entertainment industry. Our long-distance interview started out perfectly, with Gloria being sweet and charming, and me smiling and nodding in agreement with whatever she said. At that point, it was all effortless, because that was the role I usually played.

When the host asked how we'd met, Gloria was deliberately vague. "We'd been friends for a little while," she said. "And I trusted him wholeheartedly. So when fans started asking if I had a partner to perform with, he was my first choice."

"And trust is everything," the host agreed. I kept nodding while I gazed at Gloria adoringly. This wasn't nearly as difficult as I'd imagined it would be!

"Jack," the host said, and I snapped to attention. Jack was the stage name I'd chosen for myself; something simple and anonymous. Gloria's was more memorable.

"How does it feel working with someone so much younger?" the woman asked. "Is it difficult at times?"

"Uh..." The question caught me off guard. Though I tried to detect a note of judgment in the host's voice, her expression on the screen remained open and friendly. "It was at first," I admitted. "I mean, she and I are from different generations, and we're at different stages in our lives. But she's really persuasive." Gloria and I both chuckled. "It didn't take long for her to convince me."

Beneath the desk, Gloria grabbed my hand.

"And it's a good thing she did!" the host exclaimed. "You make a perfect team, and the fans love you as a couple. In fact, browsing through the comments, I notice many subscribers are curious as to whether your performances are merely an act. Is there any off-screen chemistry between you two?"

Now I was really flustered. Looking over at Gloria, I silently pleaded for her to respond, but she was giving me the same deer-in-headlights stare.

"Well, I'm certainly very fond of her," I began, fearful I would reveal too much.

"We're not, like, exclusive or anything," Gloria interjected. "What Jack and I have is difficult to define, so we don't really try. And that means..." She slung an arm around my shoulders and drew me even closer. With a playful grin, she planted a kiss on my cheek, then said, "Jack is available, ladies!"

My eyes widened at this announcement, and the host howled with laughter.

"This looks like news to Jack!" she said. "Jack, are you ready to take on the dating scene? Because I'm sure you'll get plenty of propositions. Hell, I'm tempted to borrow you for a night after I watched that professor/student roleplay!"

I blinked at the host, and then at Gloria. My thoughts coagulated into a jumbled mess.

"Uh..." I managed to smile. "I think it's clear that I do whatever my partner says."

That was apparently the right answer, because both women giggled harder. 

As the interview continued, I was relieved when Gloria took the lead, discussing the more technical issues of filming. Half-listening, I could only wonder if she'd meant what she said. Did she really consider me free to date others? If I was, then that meant the same rules applied to her.

Of course, I'd never believed Gloria was mine alone. Despite her love for me, I knew we weren't in an exclusive relationship.

Once the interview ended, I tried to put it out of my mind. It would do no good to dwell on the claims other men might have to Gloria's affection. On the nights she stayed out late and said she was with friends, I had no idea if that was true. And I felt I had no right to ask.

All that mattered was that she was happy with the way I'd conducted myself as the podcaster asked me various questions. Since I'd done well in Gloria's eyes, I could box up the event and push it into a far corner of my thoughts.

That was, until a woman reached out to take Gloria up on her offer.

I knew something was wrong when she and I sat down to dinner a few days after the interview. Studying Gloria's face, I sought out a reason for her dark mood. Though I'd prepared one of her favorite meals, she didn't compliment my cooking. She barely touched her wine.

Finally, the strained silence became too much. I set down my fork and asked, "What's wrong?"

She pushed the food around on her plate. "Nothing's wrong." She didn't meet my eyes as she spoke. "In fact, we should be celebrating. Because you have a date with a woman named Courtney."

I blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Jutting out her chin, she regarded me from across the table. "One of your fans contacted me, asking if she could arrange a date with you."

I snorted, figuring Gloria was joking. Immediately, I realized that was the wrong reaction.

"I'm serious!" She dropped her fork so it clattered against the plate. "She's just a few years younger than you, and she's willing to pay fifteen hundred dollars. She contacted me via the site, and when I told her the general area where we live, she said she'd fly out here. She wants to plan a little vacation around meeting you."

"Wait... are you serious?" I couldn't believe someone would pay that kind of money for a night with me.

Gloria rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Remember the interview we just had? When I told everyone you're available? Apparently, Courtney was thrilled to learn that."

I knew I needed to choose my words carefully. It was rare for me to experience Gloria's anger, but I felt it simmering just beneath the surface of this conversation.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" I asked quietly. "You made it clear that you and I... we're not..." I struggled for the right term. "An item."

"I know what I said!" she snapped.

I started to lose patience. Why the hell was Gloria upset with me when she was the one to announce my status as an eligible bachelor to the whole world?

"Look." I held up my hands. "You're obviously not happy about this, so I won't go. I wasn't the one who chose to declare I'm single during that interview."

Gloria glowered at me. "Well, you are!" she shot back.

The words cut, just a little. Maybe I wanted her to say she desired me not just as a friend and someone to have sex with, on camera and off, but also as a romantic partner.

I took several sips of wine, trying to control my own anger. Once I put the glass down, I leveled a hard stare at Gloria. "So if I'm single and available, what's your problem? You're the one who put this into motion. And let's not forget you fuck other men for money. Hell, you fuck me for money!"

Gloria's mouth dropped open. She lifted a hand to her face, as though I'd slapped her. 

"Are you calling me a whore?" she whispered.

"No!" I was close to shouting now. "But you seem happy to whore me out if it suits you!"

"I didn't think..." She abruptly stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished.

I narrowed my eyes. The cut she'd inflicted was rapidly growing into a deeper wound. "What didn't you think?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm. "That anyone would be interested in me? You thought it was safe to say what you did?"

She blanched at the accusation. "Peter, I..."

Tossing my napkin on the table, I shook my head. "Go on and arrange the date." I pushed my chair back with such force that it threatened to topple. "It'll be good business."

"Wait, that's not what I meant!" Gloria cried.

I turned my back on her. For the first time, I made no move to clear away the dishes.

"Text me with the details," I called over my shoulder as I strode out of the room. "I'll make sure I show Courtney a good time."