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Pay Attention
All eyes are on her.
The camera loves her and the way she moves. Even though she’s alone in her bedroom, she knows they’re watching — like they always do — and they’re her intimate audience just from that small lens embedded in her laptop.
At first it started out as easy cash, the kind of thing born from a flyaway musing paired with just enough wine. Her best friends urged her to do it, to play a little, to secure some much-needed confidence after that messy break-up with Brian. Some women had one-night stands to get their exes out of their systems, but Rebecca? She didn’t want to take the normal track, and spontaneity was something her therapist said she should work with instead of against.
The first night, she wore lingerie she bought half-off at Victoria’s Secret. She tried to tell herself it was a gift for her new boyfriend-less life, but really she wanted the shell the sheer fabric offered. All of it made her feel like a different person rather than mousy Rebecca who spent eight hours a day in the university archives, ruining her eyes with every squint in the lack of extra lighting.
When the first viewer logged on, she played herself up — a little cleavage, a slight tease, a pout of her lips. It was a game, she told herself, as more viewers began to enter the livestream.
The hour felt like only minutes, and every comment made her heart speed up in her chest.
A month later, and she’s started doing weekly sessions. Though she’s tamer than offerings from other women, she’s gained a following along with some revenue. She won’t be getting rid of her day job, but the high? So worth it.
“Pay attention,” her gaze says. “You’re in for a show.”
