I slipped my belt into my jeans and fixed it in place. “Are you alright?”
Ryan lifted his head up. “What?”
“You don’t look very happy.”
Ryan pressed his knees together and shifted on the bed. “I apologize, it’s been a long evening. What’s matters is that you enjoyed yourself.”
I raised an eyebrow. He was clearly parroting that from somewhere, because it didn’t match the tone of his voice. I had been with young men that loved this lifestyle, and that joy is absent.
“That’s not what I asked, boy.” I strode up to the bed so he was forced to look up at me. “I asked you if you’re alright. Is someone making you do this?”
Ryan met my gaze for a moment, and then looked at the bed. “No one is making me do anything.”
“You aren’t enjoying it though.”
Ryan chewed on his lip. “It doesn’t matter if I am, I am here to serve…”
I scoffed. “Cut the shit. Speak plainly. Why are you doing this if you don’t want to be?”
There’s a moment of silence. “I just needed the money. It’s just a temporary thing.”
“You owe someone money?” I asked.
“No, just a lot of debt,” Ryan grumbled. “I took out loans and a credit card in college, but I couldn’t afford my junior year. So I was working in a bar, and it wasn’t really paying the bills…“ He shrugged. “I needed money.”
I fished my comb out of my back pocket and ran it through my hair. “How many days have you been doing this?”
“Three,” Ryan answered softly.
“Three? I could tell you were green, but not that green, Jesus. I would have been a been a little more gentle. A tight ass gets me excited.”
“Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” Ryan shot back. He sounded a tad wounded.
I put the comb back in my pocket. I stared down at him, and he cowered on the bed. “Can you cook?”
He blinked at me. “Wh-what?”
“Can you cook? Like an actual meal.”
“Uh. I like to cook… I don’t really have the money for good ingredients, or equipment. Or time. I have a bunch of recipes bookmarked. Why?”
“Just an idea.” I enjoyed the look of confusion on his face. “I have your number. Go home before someone hurts you. Or sells you. One of the other.”
“Sells me?” he squeaked.
“You gotta be strong in this industry, boy. Or people will prey on you. Go home where it’s safe.”
He doesn’t have a response for that.
I nod in his direction and put an extra bill on the night stand on the way out. I stop in the lobby to pay for his hotel room too. On the sidewalk, I shot off a couple text messages and I hoped I was right.
Next day I called Ryan.
“Hello, this is Con-…I mean, shit what number it this? This is Ryan.”
I can’t help but laugh. He’s so bad at this. “Conner huh.”
“Ryan. What may I do for you Sir? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again.”
“I have a proposal for you.”
“Like…marriage?”
That made me laugh harder. “Christ, no. I ain’t settling. An offer. Of employment.”
“For you?” Ryan asked.
“No. My friend Mitch. He works at Mercy Hospital as a coordinator. Works insane hours, especially cause of Covid. He’s gained like fifty pounds from eating garbage food over the last few months. He complains a lot cause he’s lonely and has to spend his only time off doing laundry and paying bills. He wants you to start ASAP, cooking, cleaning, sex if you’re fine with it. He likes blonds.” I give him the offer rate and Conner chokes.
“Is that per month?”
“No, per week.”
Conner got quiet. “Are you selling me to him?”
I laughed so hard my eyes watered. It’s rude, but I can’t help it. “Conner, Jesus Christ. No, I’m not getting paid for this. There will be an offer of employment, you keep track of your hours. He wants to meet you tonight. You free? Unless you’re taking more clients.”
“No… I haven’t been.”
“Good boy.”
“I can meet him tonight too. Absolutely. That’s – that’s a very generous offer you gave me, I’m really grateful Sir. I’m kind of in shock.”
“Well process it. You should be grateful, it was a real decision cause I’d love to fuck you again and I’m probably giving that up.”
“Mnn. Maybe not.”
“Maybe?” I respond.
“Maybe.”
“I’m fine with a maybe. I’m sending you Mitch’s number. Don’t fuck this up.”
“No Sir. I mean Yes Sir. I mean, whatever the right answer is.”
I chuckle. “I can’t wait to see Mitch straighten you out.”
”Straighten me out? What does that mean.”
“Ohh nothing.” He’ll discover Mitch’s talent for discipline in due time. “Sending you his number. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t!”
A couple days later, Mitch sent me a message. “I can’t thank you enough for sending Conner my way. He’s been so helpful. He is pretty raw though like you said, he needs so much sculpting. It’s exciting. And you are right, his ass is damn tight! Can’t believe you gave that up for me.”
I smiled and wrote back. “Conner needed you more than I needed him. Keep me updated. I want to see him blossom.”
“Oh he will be… you won’t recognize him by Christmas.”
I wrote back. “In that case, I want his ass with a bow on it so I know which one is him!”
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Captions are fictional.