Spotlight 2.01

Ava leaned against a wall, swiping through her social media feed. It was early in the morning, a hair past ten, just after Paradise Pizzeria’s opening. The same as any other of a hundred routine mornings spent at the monotonous drudgery of her day job, Ava browsed her phone while she waited for business to pick up.

Except, not the same. This morning, she had something to entertain her.

A notification slid from the top of her screen.

New Subscriber: HeatherB has subscribed as your SuperFan.

Short, to the point, and even after the hundredth time seeing the pop-up, the words sent a thrill through Ava.

It was hard to come to terms with, really, what each of the notifications meant. Ten dollars to Ava, every month, recurring—that was the easiest part. And that alone was mind-bending enough with the speed they were coming in. At Paradise Pizzeria, ten bucks was only a bit worse than her hourly wage. Yet by the notifications streaming in, easily six to ten an hour, she was making … what, five times what she did here? More? And it would renew every month, assuming they liked Ava’s content?

And the notifications were only speeding up. They’d been most rampant last night—enough Ava had needed to turn her phone to silent to get some sleep. They’d calmed down, briefly, in the early hours. But now that the day was picking up again, the world waking, the second wave had started.

It would only get worse (better?) as the news spread. The first burst had been her fans, those who had seen her announcement video. As things hit mainstream—or mainstream in the communities who cared about such things—she would, presumably, start receiving a nauseating amount of subscribers.

Ten dollars each. Monthly.

But the money was the easy part to digest.

The harder part, that every notification meant another person—a real life, actual person—who would be poring over Ava’s ‘exclusive content’.

Ava, Paris, and Brooke’s exclusive content, more specifically. All three of them had put themselves in a variety of compromising poses for the sake of Ava’s business venture. Nothing really showed, not in the ways that mattered, but they were still naked. Still very much exposed. And the pictures were intended to be …

Well. Used for gratification. Of a … very specific sort. Ava had no misconceptions about that.

It was one of the reasons her skin tingled whenever she thought about it. Why her heart rate picked up, and a flush would build that she needed to fight away, considering how she was at work. In public.

Oddly enough, though, the success of Ava’s website launch was only the second biggest event of the past twenty four hours. Her financial success—and growing popularity—held second priority to something else.

She swiped to her messaging app, then, with rapid moving thumbs, tapped in a text.

Ava: I can’t believe I’m stuck here

Ava: Just waiting

Ava: Work is agonizing in the best of cases

Ava: But with a date looming in the distance?

Ava: This day couldn’t drag more if it tried

Brooke: Looming?

Ava: I mean

Ava: Yeah. Looming. You should see her. Of course I’m intimidated

Ava: Probably expects me to pay out on the first date. Because who wouldn’t, for someone like her?

Ava grinned down at her screen while she waited for Brooke’s response. It took longer than it should. Ava could imagine Brooke scrambling for something to say.

Brooke: Guess you better wear matching underwear. You know, to be safe.

Ava’s stupid grin widened, which probably had her looking like a crazy person. Because Brooke’s response was hilarious. Brooke wasn’t the kind of person to expect—well, anything—from a date, especially their date, but she wasn’t taking Ava’s teasing laying down.

Ava: Yeah. That’s a good idea. Or maybe I shouldn’t wear any … ?

Again, Brooke’s response took several moments longer than it should’ve. Brooke might be playing cool, but Ava imagined the reality of the situation: a flustered, hesitant Brooke, tapping out several messages before landing on the right one, and forcing her thumb to hit ‘send’.

Brooke: That’d be one way to get your point across.

Ava bit her lip, trying to fight down her smile.

It was insane, really, how long the after-glow of her hookup with Brooke had lasted. For all her complaints about work, and how it was dragging along like it always did, Ava’s day had been remarkably great—by simple fact that ten hours from now, she’d be going on her first date with Brooke.

A date. With Brooke. Her best friend.

The concept was … overwhelming. Nerve-wracking. The actual end of the world.

Natural. The most obvious thing that could’ve happened.

“Okay,” a voice said to Ava’s right. “This is getting gross. What’s up?”

Ava looked up, blinking, to see Jacky quirking an eyebrow at her, arms crossed, wearing a highly unamused expression. Ava wiped the grin off, grappling control back. She clicked her phone off and tucked it into her pocket.

“Uh,” Ava said. “Saw something funny.”

“Horrible liar. Just horrible. Always have been.” Jacky jabbed a finger at her. “Stop smiling like that. Some of us are wallowing in our singleness, if you don’t mind.”

“Hey. I’m single, too.”

A doubtful look.

“I am,” Ava insisted. “I just … have a date.”

“You do?” The sarcasm dripped from her response. “Never would’ve guessed. And I’m happy for you, just stop being so gross about it. Jesus. Who is she?”

“An old friend.”

Jacky paused. “Oh. So it’s kinda serious?”

“It’s, um.” Serious? Was it? They hadn’t even been on their first date, but trying to claim it was a ‘fling’, or something that wasn’t, well, the biggest thing in Ava’s life right now, would be lying. “I don’t know,” Ava answered honestly. “It’s a recent development.”

“Huh. Well, good for you.” She sounded genuine; actually happy for Ava. A grin crept across Jacky’s lips, and Ava knew what she was in for. “She knows you’re taken, though, right?”

“Huh?”

“That disgusting crush of yours. Your superhero clone.”

Ava blinked. It took her a second to figure out what Jacky was talking about. Spotlight.

“And,” Jacky continued, grin widening. “You’ve heard all that news, right?”

Ava paused. Oh, no.

Of course Jacky was aware of … Spotlight’s recent escapades. Somehow, Ava had forgotten to plan for it. Jacky had consistently misinterpreted Ava’s reactions over Spotlight and the past weeks’ news coverage, thinking Ava had a crush on her. Jacky had taken an obsession in teasing Ava over it, so Ava should’ve been ready for this most recent bout: the launching of the Starlet League, and Spotlight’s … more blatant selling of her body. But Ava had had bigger things going on. She hadn’t planned for it.

“I don’t … I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ava said lamely.

“By that reaction? I think you do. Paid into the subscription already, have you?”

“Subscription?”

“Lord knows I have,” Jacky said breezily. “And I’m not even the gay one.”

For how often you say that, Ava thought, I’m starting to have my doubts.

And then the second part hit:

That Jacky had paid to see Ava’s pictures.

Was it a joke? It was, right?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ava said, more firmly. Feigning ignorance was the best play.

“Spotlight’s website? Come on, Ava, like I said—you’re a terrible liar. What, you’re worried your girlfriend’ll get jealous? They’re just pictures.”

Even though the statement had been with a teasing tone, the implication of Brooke being Ava’s girlfriend seared through her. The statement had no right doing what it did to her, especially coming from Jacky, who was just trying to antagonize her.

But … girlfriend. Brooke, Ava’s girlfriend. That had a nice ring to it.

As was becoming hilariously common, Jacky misinterpreted her reaction: that the searing blush had been from her accusations about Ava and Spotlight, and not her casually calling Brooke Ava’s girlfriend.

“Don’t worry,” Jacky said. “I won’t tell.” Her hand dipped to her pocket, and she pulled out her phone. Grinning, she navigated, and before Ava knew it, Jacky had it thrusted into Ava’s face.

There, in high definition, was Ava and Paris, chests pressed together, hands on each other’s asses, smiling coyly for the camera.

Oh my god. She actually did.

Ava stared with wide eyes. She’d thought Jacky had been joking.

Jacky poked Ava’s cheek. “Interesting. You don’t look surprised.”

Ava swatted her hand away. “You paid for those?”

“I was curious.”

“Were you?” Ava asked. She wondered which of the usernames that had been streaming into her notifications Jacky had been. It would’ve popped up at some point, right? Then, going on the offensive, Ava said, “Curious, huh? That’s it? Just curious?” She packed no small amount of doubtfulness into the words.

Jacky paused. A flush appeared on her cheeks, and she clicked her phone off, tucking it back into her pocket. “I mean. Yeah. Curious. Who wouldn’t be? A super, selling nudes? Come on.” She sounded oddly defensive, which was only intensifying Ava’s suspicions.

“They’re not nudes,” Ava pointed out.

Jacky’s eyebrows raised.

Er, they totally are. “Nothing’s showing,” Ava corrected.

“Defending her honor? Cute.”

“I’m just saying. Nothing’s showing.”

“Uh, does it matter, Aves? Come on.”

Which … yeah. Jacky was right. Ava was deluding herself, wasn’t she? She and Paris didn’t have anything pornographic showing, but their poses, and lack of clothing, left little to the imagination. Their tits were literally pressed into each other’s, and they weren’t wearing any clothing. Did ‘nothing was showing’ matter, at that point?

Ava cleared her throat. “Still.”

“Still, nothing.”

“I can’t believe you subscribed.”

“For ten bucks? Of course I did. It’s a steal.”

“For a ‘straight girl’,” Ava accused, “it doesn’t make sense how you’re more interested in this than me, does it?”

The blush came back. The brightness of it surprised even Ava. “Hey. Don’t be a bitch. I’m just joking around.”

The defensiveness, too, had Ava blinking. Jacky’s response had been too snappish.

Shit, is she … ?

She’d taken Jacky’s claims at face value, her constant use of ‘I’m not gay, but,’ that she was always throwing around. And from what Ava knew, Jacky had only dated men. But these responses were seriously suspicious.

Was she … ?

Maybe fortunate for both of them, the exchange was interrupted.

“Ava. Can I talk to you?”

Two heads pivoted: Hal, the store manager, had stepped from his office.

Jacky grimaced sympathetically toward Ava, their previous argument—if it was even that—dissipating. Hal wanting to talk to Ava didn’t spell much good. Jacky knew it as well as Ava; they were both veterans to Paradise Pizzeria.

Ava fought off a groan, replying instead, “Sure.” She followed him into his office.