Call back the unknown number

You have no idea who could have been calling you, but you're too curious not to find out. You hit the 'Return call' button on your phone and hold it to your ear. The dial tone rings a few times before someone picks up. You expect an introduction, but it stays silent on the line. "Hello? This is Marlow?", you try cautiously.

"Yo! How's my favorite new slut doing?", you hear the excited reply. You think you recognize the male voice, but you've met so many new people in the past few days that it takes you a moment to identify it.

"Kyle?", you guess aloud. Oh no. "How did you get this number?", you ask him with annoyance in your voice. You don't make a habit out of handing out your phone number to just anyone, and for good reason.

"I have my ways", he answers mysteriously, sounding amused at your frustration. You roll your eyes for no-one to see, realizing he probably just has access to your records in the system and abused his access level.

"What's up, Kyle?", you ask him, wishing to get straight to the point. "And I'm not your slut, by the way".

"You will be", he immediately replies, sounding a little too confident. "Anyway. There's a house party tomorrow at 10. You should come".

A house party? That didn't sound very work related, and you weren't entirely sure you wanted to meet Kyle in a private setting. "Uh. It's not some kind of sex party, is it?", you ask, already trying to think of an excuse not to come.

"Nah, it's perfectly innocent, I assure you. It's at a friends place, and there'll be plenty of good people. Just some beers, dancing and fun. It starts at 10", Kyle answers, sounding genuinely excited. "There's going to be a campfire in the yard, and I'm bringing a guitar, myself".

Another appointment. You try to schedule it in your mind. "In the evening?", you ask him, kind of hoping for an overlap.

"Come ooon. Who holds a party in the morning?", Kyle yells over the line. "Of course it's in the evening, dummy! And it's near your place, too!"

Wait a second. "How do you know where I live?!", you cry out in exasperation, assuming you already know the answer. That punk shamelessly looked up all the data you entered into the system earlier today.

".... So are you in?", Kyle simply asks, ignoring your question altogether. You grit your teeth, trying to weigh the pros and cons, but it's not very tempting.

Kyle seems to have taken notice of your silence, as he speaks up again in a further effort to persuade you. "You might meet some new contacts. And I can put in a good word for you with the higher-ups at the studio".

"... And why would you do that?", you ask, sensing something off. You haven't known him long enough for him to start handing out favors that easily.

"Because I like you, Marcy. And I'd like to see you succeed', he answers, his voice turning a little more empathetic.

You think it over. Perhaps there were certain advantages to attending the house party. From all you gathered Kyle's grandad Hoskins was a bigshot at the studio, so perhaps this could indeed be an opportunity for a little socializing and potential career boost. But then again, you weren't entirely sure how large your ambitions in the porn industry actually were; for now it had mostly been about paying the rent.

"So yeah... If you'd like to get your porn star career off the ground, It would be wise to accept", Kyle adds, and you immediately frown. Was he seriously implying that you wouldn't be able to get this career off the ground without him?

"I'll consider it", you say flatly, eager to hang up by now. You prefer to think it over without his ominous warnings.

"Let me know, okay?", Kyle says hastily. "I'll text you the address. See you tomorrow!".

"Yeah. Bye", you say, ending the phone-call with a press of your thumb. You take a deep breath as you stare at your phone, clutching it tightly in both hands. It buzzes a moment later, showing you an address. You actually recognize the street-name. It's two blocks over- where the fancier apartments are.

You stretch and yawn, deciding you'll think it over after you've slept. For now you'd really like to get to bed.