by K. C. Wells
“Alex, when your shift finishes, can you come to my office, please?”
Alex looked up in surprise. Sev’s expression gave nothing away, so he gave him a brief nod of agreement. Then Sev was gone, leaving Alex to rack his brains as to why he wanted to see him.
“What’s that about, I wonder?” Vittorio said, standing in the doorway, jacket slung over his shoulder.
Alex shrugged. “Not a clue.” He glanced warily at Vittorio. “You still speaking to me?”
Vittorio laughed, and Alex let out a sigh of relief. He’d been concerned Vittorio might have taken it badly. “Yeah, sure,” Vittorio said with an affable grin. “To tell the truth, it was funny.” He winked at Alex. “How was your stalker tonight?”
Alex laughed. “He’s not my stalker!” He suddenly had an idea. “Maybe you can help me with something.”
Vittorio shrugged. “Anything. Ask away.”
“What do you know about Leo Hart?”
There was a moment’s pause, and then Vittorio grinned. “Ahh, so it’s Leo now, is it?”
Alex mimicked Vittorio’s nonchalant shrug, but he knew he was blushing. “He asked me tonight to call him Leo,” he said defensively.
Vittorio smirked. “From where I was standing, it looked to me like he likes you. A lot.”
Alex’s heart hammered inside his ribs.
“I have got that right, haven’t I, Alex? You are gay?” Suddenly Vittorio’s face paled beneath his tan. “Oh fuck, have I got this all wrong?”
Alex’s eyes flickered up to meet Vittorio’s anxious gaze. Vittorio was clearly worried he’d offended Alex. Alex guessed his homophobe-o-meter was working after all, ’cause it hadn’t even flickered.
“Yeah, I’m gay,” Alex admitted. It was a relief to finally be able to say the words. Vittorio let out a relieved sigh. “But… are you sure about Leo? I mean….” He didn’t know how to continue. Maybe he had his answer as to why Leo kept coming back. Only thing was, he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Vittorio’s eyes were on Alex. “Oh, he’s interested, all right.” Suddenly he let out a chuckle. “Well, whaddaya know! Looks like Pietro finally gets to work with someone who bats for the same team.”
Alex’s mouth dropped open.
Surprise flared in Vittorio’s eyes as Alex met his gaze for the first time. Then Vittorio’s expression softened. “It’s okay, Alex. Nobody around here will give a damn that you’re gay. We’ve known about Pietro for years. He puts up with a lot of stick, though, being the only gay guy on staff.”
Alex sighed. It wasn’t so much people finding out he was gay that worried him, although it was a relief knowing he could be himself around his work colleagues. No, what made him cautious around new people was wondering how they’d react if he let them know the sort of things that went on inside his head.
“You asked about Leo,” continued Vittorio. Alex nodded. “Up until a few years ago, he used to come here a lot with this other guy, Gabe, who was really nice. They were obviously a couple. Talk about loved up. But then….” Vittorio hesitated a second or two before continuing. “Gabe got hit by a car one night in the city center. The driver was drunk. Gabe never stood a chance.”
Alex was horrified. Leo must have been devastated. Although he didn’t know Leo that well, his heart ached for the pain Leo must’ve gone through, losing someone he loved in so horrific a fashion.
Vittorio was watching Alex closely. “To be honest, we’ve hardly seen him since then. He’s popped in now and then, although nothing like as often as he used to. Sev was getting really worried about him, so we were all relieved when he turned up again.” Vittorio gave Alex a keen look. “But since he saw you….”
Alex felt a shiver run down his spine. “What?”
Vittorio blinked several times in quick succession. “He looks human again.”
Alex didn’t quite know what to make of that comment. He glanced up at the clock. Twenty minutes left until he found out what Sev wanted. Sigh.
LEO sat in the office at the club, gazing at the small photo frame in his hands. Gabe’s smiling face stared back at him, Leo seated behind him, arms wrapped around him. Happy days. Leo exhaled slowly, his mind on what he was about to do. It felt like such an unbelievably huge step.
“Wish me luck, babe,” he whispered to the face in the photo. He traced the outline of Gabe’s face, lifted the photo and kissed it before placing it in the desk drawer and closing the drawer firmly. He took a deep breath.
Time to move on.
ALEX knocked on the door to Sev’s office on the first floor and then walked in—and stopped dead in his tracks. Sev wasn’t there, but Leo was, seated in Sev’s big leather-padded chair. Alex’s face must have betrayed his shock.
Leo stood up and came around to his side of the desk. “Good evening, Alex.” He leaned back against Sev’s desk, his eyes on Alex’s face.
Alex’s brain couldn’t compute what Leo was doing in Sev’s office. What the…?
Leo smiled. “Your boss let me use his office for a moment. I didn’t want to do this downstairs in the restaurant or with any of your colleagues around.”
Do what? Alex’s brain was making frantic leaps, trying to connect the dots. He waited for Leo to speak, to give him more information. Leo’s brain was clearly having issues of its own. The tall, confident man appeared nervous.
“Alex, I… I’d like to take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”
Oh. Fuck. Leo was asking him on a date. Alex’s body switched to its default setting: he froze.
He wanted to say yes. He was dying to say yes. But as a cold wave of fear rolled through him, Alex realized it wasn’t that easy. He’d never been on a date in his life. And as for dating a man…. Alex didn’t have a fucking clue what to expect. What seemed like a million thoughts raced through his brain. Leo was older than him, had more experience than him…. What if Alex disappointed him? Leo might have an inkling Alex was inexperienced, but he’d probably assume that Alex wasn’t still a virgin.
He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t.
“I… I’m sorry, Leo, but… I’m working tomorrow night.” The lie rolled easily off his tongue. Suddenly, he was aware of those eyes on him, coolly appraising him.
“No you’re not. I checked.” There was the merest hint of amusement in that rich, deep voice. Alex’s heart stuttered. Damn Sev. Leo’s next words confirmed his worst suspicions. “Sev was very helpful. In fact, he gave me your work schedule for the next month.”
So many emotions vied for pole position in Alex’s head right now. Outrage that Sev had done this without mentioning it. Astonishment Leo had even thought of doing it. And one more: shock. Leo wanted to know his days off for the next month? This was obviously not going to be a one-off.
“Are you going to make me wait for your answer? Do you need time to think about it?”
Alex heard the faintest nuance of anxiety in Leo’s voice. His would-be date wasn’t as confident as he appeared, it seemed.
“I… I have to help out at home,” Alex said, although he was cursing himself even as the words slipped out. Christ, Leo must think he was a real loser.
Leo moved closer to him, and all of a sudden, Alex was aware of the heat from his body. It made his head swim. He was unable to keep in the small intake of breath as Leo took Alex’s hand in his. Alex’s immediate reaction was to jerk away, but that would’ve been incomparably rude. He decided to bear it, just a little while longer. But he couldn’t make the decision to say yes. No fucking way. That was a step just beyond his reach.
Leo’s head tilted down toward him, and Alex could feel his warm breath on his face. “Say yes, Alex. It’s just dinner.” The words were whispered, intimate.
Alex was in agony. Oh, he so wanted to tell him, “Fuck yes!” But he couldn’t bring himself to get the words out. Why was he so crap at making decisions? It… was… just… dinner.
Leo’s next words sent a torrent of calm surging through him. “I’ll pick you up outside the r
estaurant, tomorrow night, 7:00 p.m.”
It was clear it wasn’t a request. Leo had decided. End of story. But oh, the fucking relief that he’d taken that decision away from him. Alex took a calming breath, and Leo’s reaction showed Alex he’d noticed. Who was he kidding? Alex was beginning to think the man noticed everything.
“What… what do I need to wear?” Alex stammered. Important to know these things.
“Casual will be fine, Alex.”
Leo also seemed to be breathing more easily, and for a brief second, Alex pondered on what he’d learned from Vittorio. Had Leo even dated since Gabe’s death? Could that be the reason for his nerves?
Finally, Leo released Alex’s hand, albeit seemingly reluctantly, and Alex relaxed a little. “Until tomorrow night, then.”
Alex’s eyes fluttered upward to take in Leo’s expression. The man was smiling. Alex lowered his gaze, keeping his features straight, but inside he was a writhing mass of nerves. He was going on a date… with Leo Hart.
Alex was suddenly conscious of Leo’s amused grin, as if the man was able to see his thoughts. Christ, he hoped not.
Leo stepped toward the door of the office. “Good night, Alex.”
“Good night… Leo.” And then Leo was gone, and Alex was trying to get his head around what had just happened. He still didn’t have a clue what the following night would bring, and to be honest, he just wanted to get home to the sanctuary of his room where he could think about it clearly. What was he going to wear? Where would Leo take him? And more importantly, what did he tell his parents?
He gave a snort. That one was easy. Fuck all.
“YOU’RE still not sure about this, are you?”
Leo looked up from his perch on a stool at the club bar. Thomas was standing beside him, head tilted to one side. The older man was dressed for his stint as Dungeon Master, and he looked the part: black leather trousers, black harness, a single ring on his finger. Thomas might be fifty-five, but time had been kind. He was a really good-looking man, and Leo frequently caught admiring looks aimed in his direction. The subs adored him. Thomas had trained many of them before matching a lot of them to Doms who met their needs.
Leo gave a wry smile. “Is that how it looks?” he asked. He shook his head. “To be honest, the biggest hurdle was getting up the nerve to ask him out. And after all, it has been eight years since I’ve asked another man out on a first date.” He chuckled. “I’m definitely out of practice.”
Thomas smiled. “I’m really glad you asked him, though. Where are you taking him, if you don’t mind me asking? I take it you’re not eating at Severino’s.”
“I’ve booked us a table at The White Hart.”
Thomas’s face registered his shock. “You’re taking him to… a pub?”
Leo grinned. “It’s quiet, it’s off the beaten track, and the food is great. I want to put him at his ease.” Leo was still amazed Alex had acquiesced. In his short conversations with Alex, Leo was always left with the impression of a skittish colt, one who would bolt at any moment. But the obvious relief when Leo had taken the decision out of his hands…. There was definitely something there that called out to Leo.
He glanced at the clock above the bar and cursed. “I’m going to be late!” He climbed off the stool and gave Thomas a quick hug. There’d been a shift in their relationship in these last few weeks. It felt like the old days, when they’d first started the club. The two men had always been close, but Leo had come to realize his grief had put up a barrier between them, almost imperceptible, but there nevertheless. It felt good to get their connection back.
As he passed through the club, Leo was aware of the gazes leveled in his direction, heard himself become the topic of whispered conversations as he walked by. He passed a table where Matt, a Dom, sat discussing matters with another Dom. Matt’s sub, Elliot, knelt beside him, his chest bare, eyes down, hands clasped loosely in front of him. Matt had him on a leash, and Elliot’s posture was perfect.
Thomas’s words came back to him. Leo reached down and caressed Elliot’s silky blond hair. Elliot didn’t react, bless him. Leo leaned down to whisper in his ear. “You do your Master proud, boy.”
Elliot’s only reaction was a rising blush.
Matt watched the scene with a fond glance. “You may speak, boy,” he told the sub.
Elliot’s eyes were still fixed on the floor at Leo’s feet. “Thank you, Master Leo. I want to make my Master proud of me.”
Leo gave Matt an approving glance as he continued on his way.
Thomas caught up with him at the main door, a huge grin across his face. “Christ, Leo, if Elliot had a tail, he’d have wagged it off by now!” His eyes met Leo’s. “Thanks for that… Master Leo.”
Leo grinned as he left the club. He was in such a good mood.
ALEX paced nervously outside the restaurant. There were still a few minutes until 7:00 p.m., but there was no sign of Leo yet. Alex’s insecurity was trying to kill him, firing messages that sent him into a blind panic. He’s not coming! He’s changed his mind! Alex tried to calm down. Logically, he knew Leo wouldn’t do that, but he was having a hard time fighting the increasing anxiety. That he kept glimpsing Vittorio and Dominic inside the restaurant, giving him inane grins and the occasional thumbs-up, didn’t help matters. It seemed everyone knew about his date.
He’d spent most of the afternoon trying to decide what to wear. Leo had said casual, but…. He’d finally whittled it down to two selections, and that had meant making a final decision. In the end, he’d tossed a coin. He hated being so indecisive. He glanced down, checking that he looked presentable: tight jeans, fashionably worn in places; a dark blue T-shirt worn under an open black shirt; trainers. As far as his parents were concerned, he was out with friends. And it would stay that way.
“You look great.”
Leo was standing a few feet away, a faint smile on his lips as he gazed at Alex. Alex sucked in his breath as he took in the image of Leo in tight black jeans and a black silk shirt, open at the collar. Fuck… the man was sex on legs. “You… you look good too.” Alex’s mouth was suddenly as dry as a desert, not to mention that fluttery feeling in his stomach wouldn’t quit. He struggled to control the panic threatening to overwhelm him at any moment. Leo didn’t seem nervous at all. In fact, Leo was positively glowing.
“My car’s parked around the corner,” Leo said, indicating behind him with a flick of his head. “Shall we go?”
Alex nodded, not trusting his reply to come out without betraying the state of his nerves. They walked slowly toward Leo’s car. The sun had set not long ago, and the heat of the July day was starting to wane. The sky was tinged with pink; it was going to be a lovely evening.
“It’s not far, about twenty minutes from here,” Leo informed him. “I can drop you home when we’re done, if you like.”
“No!” Alex’s hasty reply came out as a squeak, and he could’ve kicked himself. Come on, Daniels, get it together! “Could you bring me back here? Would that be all right?”
Leo nodded. “No problem.” They reached Leo’s car, a little bronze Mazda MX-5. Alex couldn’t hold back his smile—how the hell did Leo manage to fold himself into that thing?
Leo grinned. “Yeah, we’ll both fit, trust me.” He unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for Alex, surprising him. They climbed in, and Alex was relieved to find the seats pushed as far back as possible, leaving plenty of room for his long legs. “Strap yourself in.”
As Alex clicked the seat belt into place, he shivered.
Leo turned his head toward him. Alex felt the weight of that stare. “Relax, Alex. Remember, it’s just dinner.” He gave Alex a reassuring smile.
Alex nodded, facing forward, fixed on the road ahead. Wherever it was leading.
DINNER had been delicious. The pub was reasonably busy for a Friday night in late summer. And Alex? Leo tried not to smile. Alex was well on the way to getting very tipsy.
Leo had suggested they have a drink, and Al
ex asked for a pint of beer. As they waited for the meal to arrive, it had been clear to Leo his date was very nervous. Which might have accounted for the speed with which he’d downed his pint. And then Leo made another discovery: his date was obviously not used to alcohol. At one point, Leo had had to tell him to slow down. Alex complied immediately, which made Leo smile.
The alcohol had one positive effect—it loosened Alex up a little. They’d conversed about safe topics: the weather—typically British—the restaurant, Manchester. The conversations had been brief, but Leo was heartened that Alex had seemed more at ease. Leo genuinely enjoyed his company. Those clear blue eyes rarely, if ever, made the journey up to catch his, but Leo was used to that. And Leo had already come to the conclusion a couple of weeks ago: Alex was naturally submissive. The clues were all there.
Leo gave himself a mental shake. He wasn’t here as a Dom, for God’s sake. He was a man on a date with a gorgeous younger man, and the signs were promising. It might take a while, but Leo was determined to bring Alex out of his shell. Leo felt like a prospector panning for gold in a river that promised a rich yield. And Leo had time. Lots of time. As long as it took.
ALEX sipped the fragrant coffee. The evening so far had been pleasant, except he might’ve embarrassed himself. It didn’t take much alcohol to get him to do that, unfortunately. Leo had been a delightful meal companion, considerate and amusing, and Alex had found his confidence increasing. He knew Leo had said it was just dinner, but a tiny part of him was worried this might turn out not to be the case. Alex wanted to trust Leo, but trust was something he’d always found difficult.
“What are you thinking about, Alex?”