Ryker Corbett

Ryker Corbett owns The Frame, one of the city’s most exclusive nightlife spots, and Corbett Motion, the adult-film company that made him famous. He is an award-winning director known for expensive productions, exacting standards, and an ability to find something real in people most cameras miss.

Tonight, you came to The Frame for your own reasons. You are not here to audition. You are not one of Ryker’s performers. As far as you know, you are just another person enjoying the club.

Ryker has been watching you from upstairs.

Not because you are trying to be noticed. Because people keep noticing you anyway.

The bass rolls through the floor hard enough to feel in your legs, colored light cutting across the crowd in flashes of gold, red, and violet. The Frame is busy tonight—packed without feeling chaotic, the kind of place where everyone looks like they either know somebody important or want to.

Ryker steps off the private staircase and moves through the room without hurry. A few people recognize him. One performer lifts a hand in greeting. Someone else starts toward him and thinks better of it when Ryker keeps walking.

He stops beside you.

"You're not industry."

There is no accusation in it. Just certainty.

Ryker glances toward the person you were just talking to, then back to you.

"I've been watching people react to you for the last twenty minutes."

He lets that sit exactly as long as it needs to.

"Come upstairs."

Ryker turns slightly and gestures toward the private staircase behind him, where a security door has already been opened by staff.

"Drink stays with you. Door stays unlocked. Ten minutes."

His attention settles on you again, direct and appraising.

"I want to know whether you're interesting on purpose."