Machine by Normandie Alleman
33
Bridger
“So, I have to ask, how did you first react when you found out that Bridger had a pornography business?” Reporter Kelly Nolan focused her hawk-like gaze on Dynassy. We sat across from her, under the hot lights on a set that was supposed to look like a living room.
Dynassy laughed a deep throaty laugh. Sexy. “Well, of course I was shocked, Kelly. Not exactly what I would have looked for in a man, but after I understood how he came to be involved with that business, I was actually really proud of him.”
She took my hand, a signal to the audience that we were a united front.
“Bridger, so this is what everyone has talking about. How did you go from being a decorated veteran to a porn king, basically?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a porn king, Kelly. I have never slept with any of the women who graciously offered their services to my company. I merely invented a machine out of a need that I saw, and it became a business.”
“But there are videos that you make money from. Videos of women using those machines in X-rated fashion.”
“That may be, but that side of the business is run more by my partner. I’m really an inventor and a mechanic.”
“His name is Barvo Charles, is that correct? How do you two know each other?”
“Barvo and I have known each other since grade school. He and I reconnected when I was stationed out here and he’d come to Hollywood to do some creative work. A few years back, he knew about my situation, knew I’d built the first machine, and he asked if he could borrow it. I was fine with that, and he discovered that people liked to watch videos of girls using it. That’s about all I can say about that.”
“One of the most fascinating pieces of this story is why you invented this machine in the first place.”
“Exactly. He didn’t do it because he’s a pervert.” Dynassy placed a hand on my forearm and gave me a sympathetic look.
Inside, I cringed. This was the part I really did not want to be public, but more than protecting my dignity, I wanted to be with Dynassy. And we had decided that the only way for us to move forward together was to come clean and go for public sympathy rather than ire.
“Well, Kelly, when I was stationed in Iraq, I was injured by an IED blast. From my waist to my knees, I suffered a good deal of damage, and that included nerve damage. At the time, I was engaged, and I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to perform my marital duties. As I got better, I worked on building a machine that I thought could manage that for me.”
“What happened to the girl? Did she appreciate your machine?” Kelly asked, leaning forward of the edge of her seat.
“No. I’m afraid she couldn’t have cared less about me or the machine. In the end, it turned out she had found someone else.”
“His best friend,” Dynassy stage-whispered to Kelly.
“Oh, that’s terrible. So you come back home, a wounded warrior, and your fiancée rejects you?”
“That’s right.” I smiled and reached over and slipped my arm around Dynassy’s shoulder. “That’s okay, Kelly. If it hadn’t been for the end of that relationship, I wouldn’t have this beautiful woman in my life.”
Dynassy brightened, and I knew she wasn’t just hamming it up for the camera. Her smile was genuine, and mine was too. We might be pouring it on a bit thick, but the truth was at the heart of it.
“Now, Dynassy, I understand you and Bridger have an announcement to make today about a new product launch.”
“We do.” Dynassy fidgeted in her seat. “I can’t wait to tell you about it, Kelly.”
Then I took over.
“First of all, I’ve turned the video portion of my company over to my partner, so I will no longer be involved with those operations.”
“So you’re quitting the pornography business?”
“I am. But because of all the positive feedback we’ve gotten from the machines and all the requests from fans, Dynassy and I will be offering a smaller version of my machine that women can purchase for home use.”
“So the Barnes family is getting involved into the sex toy business?”
“No. I’m doing this completely separate from my family, and it will be on a small scale, Kelly. But I will say that other members of the Barnes family are entrepreneurs, and we know a good product when we see one. Besides, we are all adults, and sex is as much a part of life as eating and sleeping. I don’t feel that there is anything to be ashamed of in enhancing a woman’s pleasure.”
“But Dynassy, your mother, Lucinda Barnes, likes to plug the Barnes brand as a family-friendly company. How does she feel about this new endeavor of yours?”
“I made this decision on my own. At first my mother had concerns, but after she heard me out, she gave me her blessing. Kelly, I realize we will have fans who feel this is too risqué for them, and that’s fine. They are obviously not the customers we are targeting with our Luv Machines.”
“But won’t there be a lot of backlash for you selling an adult product?”
“It is wonderful being a member of my family, but sometimes you have to branch out and do your own thing. My siblings have a different brand from me. But I can’t let that stop me from doing what I think is best and making the decisions I need to make for me going forward.”
“What about you, Bridger? How does it feel to have one of the most famous women on the planet going into business with you?”
“Amazing. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Dynassy on board, helping me change the focus of my business. She has to be the sexiest woman I know, and therefore she will be the best spokesmodel possible for Luv Machines. Because that’s what it’s all about—helping women feel sexy.”
“I agree. That’s always a good thing.” Kelly turned to look at the camera. “So there you have it, folks—Dynassy Barnes and Bridger Thompson teaming up in a partnership for Luv Machines, which they assure me will be available for you to purchase online early next year. We’ll be right back.”
The minute the interview was over, people were buzzing around us, unclipping mikes, altering lights, and calling out instructions on set. Dynassy and I thanked Kelly, who hugged us both before heading back to her dressing room.
As we walked back to ours, Dynassy said, “Now it’s time to get ready for the real shitstorm.”
“Public opinion?” I asked. We had talked about this at length and knew we had to brace ourselves for the blowback from the religious right, competing brands, and the usual haters.
“No, my mother,” she said with a wink.
