Marie Reynard
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Mattress Testers Wanted Chapter 1 & Storm Chibi!
🕑 Added 2025-11-18 23:08:14 +0000 UTCRecently I've been working on expanding Mattress Testers Wanted into a novella, and it's been so much fun to write these two again. (Even if they are currently threatening me with this thing becoming a full novel, lol. đ )
How many of you have read the short story version that was in the Too Many Beds anthology earlier this year? I feel like some of you might have missed it. So I thought I'd share the first two chapters here, as well as the chibis for the characters! This week we have Storm and his fabulously long, greased pole (it makes sense in the story, I promise đ), and next week I'll share chapter two and the Ryder chibi. I hope you like them!
(Chibi art by the very awesome Lipeka https://www.instagram.com/lipeka_art/ as always!)
CHAPTER ONE - STORM
âMattress tester?â Storm asked, staring at his agent in disbelief. âThey want me to pretend to be some idiot who shows up to a new job, thinking all heâll have to do is sleep, only to discover that wasnât remotely what he was hired for?â
Daniel snorted. âWhat do you expect? This is MateHub, not fine cinema.â
He had a point. It wasnât even close to the most ridiculous thing Storm had done. After the countless times heâd been pizza delivery drivers, plumbers, pool boys, landlords, and stepbrothers, he shouldnât have been surprised by this latest level of⊠inspiration? Sure, heâd go with that.
When one worked for the internetâs most popular paranormal adult entertainment site, they couldnât be too shocked by the roles they were hired to play. Thankfully heâd never had to trip, fall, and land on someoneâs knot.
âWhoâd it be with?â
âRyder Tempest.â Danielâs dark eyes glittered, already anticipating Stormâs response.
Storm groaned. Ryder was in his late twentiesâa few years older than Stormâand had been working for MateHub for about twice as long. He seemed professional and his scenes were hot, but that didnât mean Storm was eager to film with him. âA mage? Are you serious? Come on.â
âApparently the fans decided your weather-related names mean you simply must do a scene together. I believe the initial thread on the forums that spawned the whole campaign was titled, âMateHubâs Most Egregious Crime: No Storm/Tempest Scenes. Yes/Yes?â Theyâre also amused by the idea of âRyderâs on the Storm.â Theyâve even changed the lyrics to the song.â
That did sound like something MateHub fans would do.
âBut Iâll end up reeking of magic for days.â Storm couldnât keep the whiny note out of his voice. While he hadnât worked with Ryder specifically, heâd done scenes with other mages. The abrasive odor of their magic had lingered on his skin after theyâd finished filming. It had made him want to scrub himself clean, though that never helped. The scent of magic ruined everything.
âDo you want it or not? Iâm sure I can find another wolf shifter whoâd be willing, even if the fans havenât come up with a theme song for the pairing yet. Theyâre resourceful, and thereâs a bunch of songs with rider in the title. It wonât take them long to create new lyrics.â
âIâll do it,â Storm grumbled. âBut Iâm not going to enjoy it.â
âThatâs the spirit.â Daniel grinned at him. âAlways love to see my stars enthusiastic about their scenes. Iâll get the paperwork ready for you to sign.â
Storm shook his head. Whatever. At least heâd be getting paid a decent amount. For some reason, the fans loved a good wolf shifter-mage pairing. It was easy for them. They couldnât smell magic through their screens.
âSo whatâs he do?â Storm asked.
âHe usually bottoms.â
âNo. Not that. His magic talent.â
âFrom the videos Iâve seen, heâs quite flexible.â
Storm sent Daniel a flat look.
âHis lack of gag reflex?â
Stormâs expression got even flatter. Daniel was too clever to make that shit believable, but the fox shifter didnât appear repentant.
âIâve heard he has foresight,â he said. âBeyond that, I donât know.â
Storm perked up. âReally? Can he predict my future?â
âYouâd have to ask him. The only talents I care about are the ones that get high view counts, and as far as MateHub goes, no oneâs getting off to some mage reading tea leaves.â Daniel paused, cocking his head. âUnless he can do it while bouncing on a dick, I suppose.â
âMaybe donât give the MateHub writers that idea?â
âWhat, you donât want to get offered a scene where you have to fuck a mage to have your fortune told?â
âIf thatâs it, fine. But theyâd probably have it set up like one of those fortune-telling machines, except instead of inserting a coin, Iâd need to insert my dick.â
The corner of Danielâs lips twitched, but he didnât comment. He leaned back in his plush leather office chair, his sharp gaze sweeping over Storm. âSpeaking of the crazier things MateHub has asked its stars to do. Given any more thought to doing a bonding contract? The money would make this look like pocket change.â
MateHub had started encouraging its canine shifter stars to enter temporary mating bonds so they could knot their co-stars. Fans were insatiable when it came to the scenes.
âIâll stick to pretending for now.â
As ludicrous as it was to moan about someone clenching so hot and tight on his knot when nothing of the sort was happening, bonding a person he had no feelings for didnât sit right with him. Fucking people on camera was one thing; bonding was meant to be special. While those contracts all but guaranteed stardomâwith a sizable⊠swell in viewershipâthey werenât for Storm.
âUp to you. But if you change your mind, MateHub would make it more than worth your while.â
âIâm good. Besides, theyâd likely want me to bond a mage. Can you imagine that? Smelling like magic constantly for three months, doing a dozen or more scenes with that scent invading your senses?â He grimaced. âNo thanks.â
Daniel scoffed. âYouâd survive.â
Storm didnât bother arguing. One-off scenes with mages were more than enough for him.
* * *
Comments
Marie Reynard
Thank you! Unfortunately, no. It was just December through June, but the first part of the novella will be basically the same as the short story. đ
Marie Reynard
Thank you! I hope you like the novella! đ„°
MissMX3
Love this!! Is the anthology still available?
Jacqui Byrne
I have missed being able to read this so much. Canât wait for the new novella.
Marie Reynard
Thank you! I'm so happy you like it! đ„°
Marie Reynard
Thank you so much! I'm glad they can make you smile! đ„°
Marie Reynard
It will be absolutely horrible for him. đ
Marie Reynard
Thank you! I hope you like it! đ„° The first 10ish-k words will basically be the same as the short story, so you'll be able to read both at once this way! đ
Marie Reynard
Thank you! đ„° And lol, I'm really hoping they don't get toooo chatty, but I'm glad you'll be okay with it if they do. đ
Marie Reynard
Thank you! I hope you like the expanded version too! đ„°
Marie Reynard
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! Hopefully you'll like the longer version just as much! đ„°
phoenix.writing
đ Ah, so fun to read this again. So ridiculous, and I love every minute of it!
Nicole Sparks
I'm not sure why your books make me grin like a loon but they really do.
Melissa
Time to stink of..... love!??
Kitt
I'm so excited to read this! I have been going crazy knowing I missed it đ I love it already, and I won't be sad if it ends up a novella đ
Hannah
Currently threatening *us* with a good time you mean! Loved it as a short story. Will love it even more as a novella. Definitely wouldn't be disappointed with a full length novel. đ
Tammy
I read it in the anthology and loved it!! Canât wait to read an expanded version!
Jovan
I loved this story so much. I think you did a great job establishing their personality and connection in a limited word count, but I'm stoked it's getting expanded.
