A few hours had passed since the kiss.
Fei was waiting nervously in front of a faux-bronze elevator door, clenching a pink brochure. As the elevator descended, only a few of the floor numbers above the door flickered to life. Evidently, the lightbulbs in this aging elevator were rarely tended to.
But, where was she? Would Mei really show up?
She timidly took a glance at the brochure. She got it in the main atrium, and normally, she would have thrown it away, but tonight she held onto it. EroticaEight was written on top with the names of production companies listed below. The companies were sorted into groups illustrated with suggestive images. Most were small studios with a questionable reputation, and worryingly, only three names were listed under 'lesbian.'
Her nervousness was palpable. It was not a place she would normally venture into. Conscious of the gaze of those around her, she held the paper sideways, squinting to read the names under the flickering neon light. Her eyes moved across the list.
Studio Aesthetica.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Of all places!
She took a glance at her cheap watch. It was nine-fifteen.
Ding.
The elevator door opened. There was no point waiting. Fei stepped in and descended into what she thought were the seediest depths of the Megabuilding. As the doors swung open on level B5-A, a thick and heavy blanket of humid air engulfed her, carrying the scent of machinery and echoing with the distant hum of bustling activity on floor where the event was organized. Fei had never visited this floor, even during the day, and now felt nervous at the sight of men.
She began to study the map on the back of the flyer when two soft hands landed on her shoulders. Startled, she looked up with genuine shock.
"You're on time!" the girl shouted with a big smile.
"Mei, you startled me."
"Sorry, I should have met you upstairs," she said, pushing fluffy danglers and straps off the screen of her phone. She fiddled with the phone, and after a few unsuccessful attempts, she made the screen lit up. She was wearing a revealing skirt, letting her legs show.
"Oh, I almost made it! Only fifteen minutes late! That's a record," she quipped. Fei sighed.
Her anger evaporated quickly at the sight of Mei.
Mei's warm smile put her to ease.
The girl took Fei's hand and led her through the crowd. Mei's eyes were sparkling under the spotlights lighting the corridor, seemingly unaffected by the people around them. Fei found her irresistibly beautiful, making her aware of her own lack of sex appeal. It made her even more anxious, though being ordinary was good, considering they were surrounded by sex-hungry men.
There were menacing gazes towards them every now and then.
She took a deep breath and tried to soak in the confidence of the woman walking by her side.
"I come here every month," Mei said carefreely, "Some of the clients are kinda off-putting, but we need events like this. You can go to the studios, meet people. Get noticed."
Her eyes stopped on the flyer.
"You got one? So, who's here tonight?"
She quickly scanned the sheet, but her expression did not change.
"So, which one do you want to see?"
"Studio Aesthetica," Fei replied.
"Not exactly my kind of studio. A bit too pink for my taste, but that Anna Wong girl is kinda cute. I wouldn't mind being filmed with her. Though I doubt that it will ever happen."
Fei blushed, feeling jealous. Naturally, others find her attractive too, but why couldn't Mei like one of the other girls?
"Do you know her?" Fei asked.
"No. Do you?"
"I met her a couple of times, just delivering stuff."
"Lucky girl. How is she?"
"Quite nice."
"That's good. Some girls can be such jerks."
"Like Erika?"
"Erika is bearable. But yes, she is a jerk."
"I think I know what you mean," Fei said, transferring her gaze from the flyer to a group of scantily dressed women whose mean giggles echoed across the hallway.
"It's quite rare to see that studio here," Mei added, pointing at Studio Aesthetica. "They're quite artistic, a bit upscale. I heard they treat girls well, and people love working there, but we wouldn't stand a chance."
She brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.
