by Toni Griffin
"Water a little cold, is it, mate?" Amal asked as he chuckled.
Archie peeked around the shower curtain and gave Amal a curt nod. His friend stood in the open doorway to the bathroom, watching Archie with a twist to his lips. It was the expression Amal wore whenever he was bemused but concerned about Archie.
"Just a tad."
"I take it by the frantic undressing and showering that you're working and won't be in for dinner?"
"You could say that. I'm due at the restaurant in roughly ten minutes." Guilt battled inside him as the resignation in Amal's voice contended with how long the shower was taking. He was going to be late, and Archie hated being late.
Archie hastily finished washing, then stepped under the water, which was slowly starting to warm up to rinse off. Figures it'd heat up the moment he was about to get out. It would've been nice to linger a moment longer and actually enjoy the warm water, but he was out of time.
Archie turned the water off and pushed the floral-patterned shower curtain back. Amal had disappeared from the doorway. He was used to Archie coming and going in a hurry. Unfortunately, that was the way of his life right now. Hopefully, in the future, he could take some time and actually relax and enjoy life.
Archie grabbed his towel and hastily dried himself and applied deodorant, he didn't want to end the night smelling like a vagrant. In his room, he stared longingly at his bed for a second, wishing he could just crawl into it and not leave it until morning. That wasn't possible though so he found his second work uniform and got dressed. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone and headed for the front door.
Amal was standing at the entrance to the kitchen with a granola bar in hand and a bottle of water.
Archie smiled at his friend and kissed his cheek. "What would I do without you?"
"Probably starve and work yourself into an early grave."
"You've got that right. Thanks, mate. Be home late."
"Yeah, yeah, now get out of here, Rebecca is on her way over, and I've planned a night of pizza in front of the TV with her."
Archie groaned. That sounded wonderful.
"I hate you so much right now," he muttered as he opened the granola bar and took a huge bite. It so wasn't pizza, but hopefully, it would do until he could get home and have something decent to eat.
"I know you do. Now go, or you'll be late." Amal gave him an affectionate push to the shoulder, a concerned smile still plastered across his face.
Archie waved and disappeared. He took the stairs two at a time from their third-floor apartment, not wanting to wait for the lift.
Thankfully the restaurant Archie waited tables at was only a couple of blocks down the road.
He threw the wrapper in the first bin he came across and guzzled the water as he walked. By the time he arrived at work, he had half a minute to spare. Archie greeted the kitchen staff hastily as he made his way through to the staff area. He placed his phone on silent then threw his belongings into his small drawer, then grabbed his apron and wrapped it around his waist.
He took a moment to breathe deeply then headed back into the kitchen to hear what tonight's specials were.
"Hey Archie, how you doing today?" Luke, one of the chefs, asked him.
"Hey, Luke. Same shit, different day, you know the drill." Archie smiled warmly. Luke was one of the reasons Archie stuck it out here. Not only was he a nice guy, but Luke was also a genius with food.
"Here, come taste this and let me know what you think." Luke held out a spoon with a red sauce on it.
Archie wasn't about to say no. The man's cooking was to die for, and Archie may have been a teensy bit hungry. The granola bar had done absolutely nothing to curb his hunger. It would be nicer to go to work with the taste of whatever Luke wanted him to try rather than the granola bar Archie had scarfed down on his way here.
Luke brought the spoon up to Archie's mouth. The flavours of rich tomato, basil, a hint of pine nut and something else he couldn't quite make out burst in on his tongue. God, he was hungry. Archie's stomach rumbled with hunger, but he ignored it. He'd have to wait until he got home to eat. Whatever he ended up having wouldn't be anywhere near as good as the mouthful of pasta sauce he just tried though.
"Did you just moan?" Luke asked with a laugh.
"No, shut up. I don't know what you're talking about." Archie licked his lips, hoping to gather any little morsel that he may have left behind.
"What is that?" he asked.
"One of tonight's specials," Luke responded. He threw the spoon Archie had used in the sink and went back to stirring the large pot of bubbling red sauce.
"Well, I certainly know what I'll be recommending then." Archie winked at the chef.
"Get out of here, you, and go get me some orders to fill."
"I'm on it," Archie said as he pushed through the swinging door to the front of the house.
"Nice of you to finally show up Archibald," the head waiter Steven said as Archie made his way through the dining room.
It took effort to stop himself from replying. Archie gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut.
He hated being called Archibald and Steven knew it too, but that didn't stop his superior from calling him that every bloody shift. Not wanting to rise to the bait so early Archie merely nodded and got to work as soon as Steven had finished reciting the night's specials to him.
Archie grabbed a couple of menus and greeted an older couple who had just walked through the door. He took them to a table and took a drink order. "Our specials tonight are a pan-seared barramundi fillet served with herbed butter and greens. A rib-eye fillet cooked to your liking served with a red wine jus, a potato rosti, and a vegetable medley, our pasta tonight is a chicken fusilli in a red sauce with basil and pine nuts." Archie lowered his voice a little and then continued, "I highly recommend the pasta, the chef just gave me a try, and it's to die for."
He winked then put on his best smile.
The couple chuckled.
"I'll let you think over the menu. I'll be back in a couple of minutes with your drinks," Archie promised them.
Henry was working the bar tonight. Archie went over and placed his table's order. Thankful the place wasn't busy yet, he chatted lightly with Henry until the drinks were finished then took them back to his table.
"Are you ready to order, or would you like a couple more minutes?" he asked once he placed the drinks on the table.
"I think I'll have the barramundi thanks," the gentleman said.
"Good choice, sir, and for you ma'am?" Archie asked as he faced the lady.
"How can I go for anything but the chicken fusilli with a recommendation like that?"
"Excellent. You'll love it."
Archie sent his order through to the kitchen then set about seating another couple with their kids that had just walked in.
And so his night went, taking orders, delivering food and drinks and clearing dirty dishes away and resetting tables for the next customers. The pasta special had sold out by eight o'clock. Archie had recommended it to every one of his tables. Not everyone had ordered it but enough that Luke would certainly be making it again.
The restaurant was surprisingly busy, and Archie was kept running his entire shift. He'd barely had time to rush to the bathroom halfway through the night. Keeping up the constant smile on his face in spite of his utter exhaustion was difficult.
By the end of the night, he was tired and starving. His feet were killing him, and Archie wanted more than anything to collapse on his bed and sleep. The problem was he had to do it all again tomorrow.
"You can head off now, Archibald."
The sound of the head waiter's voice had Archie turning around. Archie had lost count of the number of times Steven had called him by his full name tonight. The man really was a pompous ass. One thing Archie was thankful for was the fact Steven had no idea what his middle names were, Archie was sure he'd get no peace what so ever if they ever were found out.
"Great, see you tomorrow," Arch
ie said, not wanting to stoop to Steven's low levels. He always tried his best to be nice to people, even when others made it especially hard. If it weren't for the fact that Archie desperately needed his job to help pay his bills, he would gladly tell Steven where he could shove his 'Archibald' and walk out the door. Unfortunately, that wasn't about to happen anytime soon.
Archie made his way through the kitchen where the last remaining staff were cleaning the hot plates and wiping down benches. The kitchen never looks so clean as it did at the end of the night.
He removed his apron, folding it neatly and placed it in his drawer, taking out his phone, wallet, and keys. Archie marked his hours down, said goodbye to the kitchen guys and walked out of the door.
He placed his buds in his ears and pressed play as he made his way onto the street and started the short walk home.
Archie checked his phone for any missed calls or emails while he'd been working.
He groaned when he opened his email to find yet another bill awaiting payment. This bill was for his phone and internet connection at home.
Why were there always more bills? Why couldn't he ever receive emails that told him he'd won millions of dollars and would now be set for the rest of his life? Well actually he had received several of those emails, but they always seemed to come from Nigeria and involve a rich guy who had no relatives and a shoddy lawyer who wanted Archie's help in claiming the estate.
Strangely enough, Archie was also expected to pay out money before he could be expected to receive any back again.
Archie was currently drowning in debt thanks to his four years at uni, and a personal loan for thirty grand a previous boyfriend had taken out in Archie's name before skipping town. That was the reason he currently worked two jobs. He was trying to pay off the debts as quickly as he could. Living in the city also wasn't cheap, but he didn't mind paying a little extra in rent as he saved a bucket load on transport, especially since the government had made the trams free within the city a couple of years ago.
He wasn't making much headway, but every little bit helped he kept telling himself. He wasn't about to start giving away what little money he did have to scam artists.
Archie opened the attachment on his phone, checking over his bill and then logged into pay the damn thing. If he didn't do it now while he was thinking about it, he'd forget it and then have to wear a late fee, and he didn't want that.
Archie could remember growing up and his parents never having any money. They had lived paycheck to paycheck, never seeming able to get in front with the bills and all the other expenses that seemed to go along with life. Neither of his parents had had the opportunity to go to university and get a degree. Archie had promised himself when he had been fourteen that that wasn't going to be him. Archie loved his parents dearly, but he refused to live like that, never knowing what it was like to get ahead in life.
At the moment, that was exactly how he felt every day. The crushing weight of his debt added with all the rest of his bills had Archie constantly wondering if he was doing the right thing. Archie knew deep down that his life wasn't going to be this way forever, but for the time being he was stuck and needed to put his head down and pay his bills as fast as he could.
Archie tucked his phone away once the bill was paid. He passed a late-night burger joint that did amazing burgers and fries, but he didn't call in, as much as he may have wanted to. His mouth was watering just from the smell alone, but he'd save his money and rummage in his cupboards when he got home.
He was only a few buildings away from his own when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up like someone was watching him. Archie paused his audiobook and pulled the earbuds from his ears. He glanced around, then looked behind himself but didn't see anything or anyone out of the ordinary. Even though it was getting late, there was still a surprising number of people walking the streets.
Archie shrugged, putting it down to his exhaustion. Once he was at his complex and had the building door closed behind him, Archie felt a lot better. He didn't have the energy to climb the stairs and waited for the lift. He sighed in relief as he turned the lock on his apartment door.
The apartment was dark and quiet, meaning Amal and Rebecca had retired to his room for the night already. Archie wanted to do the exact same thing but knew he had to eat something first or he'd regret it come morning.
There was a note on the fridge from Amal.
Saved you some pizza. Enjoy.
"I could totally kiss you right now!" Archie whispered into the still apartment. He opened the fridge and removed the large box.
Two slices of pizza with all the good toppings were left. Archie was thrilled Amal had thought to leave him a slice of his favourite pizza.
Archie didn't bother heating them up. Instead, he bit right into the cold pizza.
He may have groaned again but seeing as how there was no one to hear him Archie didn't care. Deciding he could deal with the clean-up in the morning, Archie left the empty pizza box on the kitchen bench and went to his room, still eating the pizza.
Archie finished eating in record time, but the greasy hands were a downer. He grabbed a tissue to wipe his face and hands then threw it in his little waste bin. The stench from working at the restaurant was getting to him, and Archie knew he'd never be able to sleep if he didn't have another shower.
He undressed, plugged his phone in to charge then made his way to the bathroom. He sighed as this time he'd been able to wait long enough for warm water to flow over him. The knots and muscles in his neck and back relaxed as the heat pounded against him. As much as he'd love to be able to stand there and enjoy the water Archie needed sleep, so he quickly washed, and once he felt clean, he got out.
Archie relished crawling under the sheets in the buff, clean and dry—all the crud from the restaurant and day washed away. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was nearing midnight. He had to be up in six and a half hours to get ready for work and start this all over again. Archie grumbled and pulled the covers over his head.
He closed his eyes, but sleep didn't come for him. Archie tossed and turned for some time. Finally, he huffed in annoyance and rolled over, opened the drawer on his bedside table and pulled out a bottle of lube.
If there was one thing that was guaranteed to let him fall asleep, it was a good orgasm. Archie contemplated for a second before he reached back into the drawer and pulled out his favourite toy.
He removed it from the little bag it was housed in and lay it on the bed next to him.
Archie threw back the covers. He planted his feet on the bed and widened his legs, giving him access to his ass and cock. Archie opened the bottle of lube and squirted some into his hand. He lightly stroked his shaft, getting himself in the mood.
Archie's laptop was so old and slow it wasn't worth trying to watch porn on, and his phone was in the same condition. He didn't even own a tablet, which meant Archie was left with his imagination.
Always the same face came to mind when Archie did this. A tall bronzed-skin man with dark hair, chiseled features, and honey-amber coloured eyes. It was the eyes that always captivated Archie the most. They were the most unusual shade he'd even seen, but he always fell right into them.
The second Archie started picturing his fantasy man his dick perked up and became extremely interested. Archie groaned as the pleasure flooded his body.
With his free hand, Archie reached down and started fingering himself, just lightly at first, slowly skimming his finger around his puckered entrance. Before long he wanted more and reached for the lube again. He picked up his toy and squirted a generous amount on the tip, he dropped the bottle and coated the toy evenly.
Slowly Archie pressed one of his fingers into his ass. He moaned at the sensation. It had been so long since he'd had sex, hell, since he'd even felt the urge to play like this. He slowly worked his finger in and out, then added a second. The burn felt amazing, and Archie found himself lifting his pelvis off the mattress to meet his fingers.
Archie was panting heavily when he replaced his fingers with the tip of his dildo.
"Oh fuck," he groaned as he slowly pressed the toy home. His cock lay hard and heavy against his belly, his breath came in short pants. Archie pulled the dildo back until it was almost out then pressed in again.
He thrust his hips up to meet every movement of the toy inside him, Archie reached down and grabbed hold of his cock, quickening his strokes to match the sensations in his ass.
He closed his eyes, the dark-haired, amber-eyed stranger was right there with him, his lips quirked into a cocky grin almost like he was egging Archie on, wanting him to finish what he started.
Archie increased the speed, imagining it was his fantasy man pounding him into the mattress. He met every thrust, his hand working his cock in time. It wasn't long until he felt his toes curl, his leg muscles tense as his orgasm raced through him.
Archie threw his head back and cried out in pleasure as his cock spurted ropes of come across his belly. He continued to stroke himself until he'd wrung the last of his orgasm from his body, then he collapsed on the mattress beneath him.
He slowly, carefully removed the toy from his ass, eliciting another moan as he did so. Archie grabbed a couple of tissue and wrapped them around his toy. He'd clean it in the morning when he wasn't quite so tired.
Archie grabbed some more tissues and wiped off his body and the excess lube from between his ass cheeks, a shower would be better, but there was no way Archie was going for another one. He discarded the used tissues in his trash bin next to his bed, pulled the covers back up over himself and closed his eyes.
His body now sated and sleepy after his orgasm it wasn't long before the darkness took him. The last thing Archie remembered was his amber-eyed fantasy man. His dreams changed at some point during the night to him running down darkened deserted Melbourne streets being chased by faceless men.
When he woke in the morning, Archie barely felt like he'd slept at all.