Page 6 of Perfect Night
“I’m not a prude.”
“Great, so go out tonight and find some twink to brutalise.”
“Please stop talking. And I’m done with younger guys, especially after Henry.”
“That was a year ago, Sebastian. I know he hurt you, but you can’t tar all younger guys with the same brush. You need someone to care for and spoil.”
“I have my nieces for that.”
“Not the same, and you know that. I just worry about you.”
“So how is getting laid, in a country I don’t even live in, going to lead to happily ever after?”
“It’s just to release some tension, not findthe one.”
“Look, I’ll think about it.”
“Which means you won’t do anything. Fine, I’ll just have to take matters into my own hands.”
“What does that mean?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Just wear something nice for dinner on Sunday,” she laughed.
“Do not set me up with one of Martin’s friends again.”
“Let me know you’ve scratched the itch and I’ll ask Martin to stand down.”
“You know, your husband has a lot of gay friends for a straight guy.”
“You never heard of an ally?”
Sebastian laughed. They chatted about the business, and some urgent meetings he needed to handle in New York next week. When he ended the call, he played over her suggestion to go out and get laid, but he wasn’t sure he could be bothered with the effort. On the apps, you never knew what you were getting until it had arrived. In a bar, he’d be surrounded by drunk people, who were irritating at the best of times. No, he’d head back to the hotel. He just had a couple of hours to get through and he could be eating steak and chips in the comfort of his hotel suite.
Back at the hotel, he ordered his dinner and took a shower. He was feeling restless. Damn Bex for getting in his head. He knew he was lonely, which sounded like the First World problem of a privileged white guy, but he wanted a partner to share his life with, despite reassuring his sister otherwise. He just didn’t want to be burnt again.
Henry had crashed into his life at a fundraiser. He came from one of those upper-class families who found titles to be more important than basic human decency.
They’d been together for almost a year when things took a nasty turn. Sebastian had got to a point where he wanted to ask Henry to move in with him. He loved the guy, but Henry had other motives. Even though Sebastian was wealthier than Henry, he came from new money, so didn’t command the same level of respect. Henry’s family weren’t overly thrilled about him being gay, but when they found out that he was in a relationship with someone who had actually earned their money, rather than inherited it, they were appalled. Sebastian cringed remembering the family dinner. Henry’s father had researched Sebastian’s background and thought it appropriate to speak highly of his successful father; the same man who had abused their mother.
Sebastian hadn’t been able to hold back and told them what he thought before leaving. Henry hadn’t followed him, which he understood. It was his family, and he was in a difficult position, but then Henry had ghosted him for a month before Sebastian learned he was engaged to some high-society toff. Whether he’d used Sebastian to annoy his family, or rolled over under a bit of pressure, he wasn’t sure. They’d never spoken again. Sebastian had vowed then he wouldn’t go for younger guys. He needed someone with maturity, who actually gave a shit about other people.
Since things had ended with Henry, he’d just found it easier to have hookups, even a couple of repeats, but he was bored with that now and craved something more. The big problem was his wealth. It intimidated guys, or that’s all they were interested in. There was no in-between, or at least he had met no one yet.
Henry had been his first serious relationship in a decade. And now he was thinking about Brandon. Absolutely not. No way was he going to let him take anything more from him. Fuck,he couldn’t sit here now thinking about the most painful time of his life. Maybe he would take Bex’s advice. He’d at least go out for one drink and see if anyone caught his eye.
CHAPTER 3
CHARLIE
The bar was heaving with bodies, the atmosphere charged with a feeling of euphoria at it being the end of the working week, and a sense of anticipation of what the night would bring. The place wasn’t quite a nightclub, more a late-night bar with a dance floor. Charlie was on his third margarita and feeling a pleasant buzz as he moved to the music. He found dancing to be freeing as it took him out of his head. Jason kept pulling him out of his groove by pointing out a hot guy. There were a lot of objectively good-looking men out tonight, more so than usual, but that’s all there was to them. Charlie wasn’t looking for anyone special, but he wanted more than a quick fuck with someone whose mind would be elsewhere, probably thinking about the next guy they would be screwing. He’d once experienced that literally, when a guy had taken a phone call whilst still inside him and arranged a date with someone else. What had Charlie done in the moment? Ignored it, and carried on as if it hadn’t happened. The self-loathing came later. His friends were appalled – apart from Jason, who thought it was hilarious.
The crowd had a city vibe to it, which wasn’t always typical for a Friday night. There was nothing hotter than a guy in a suit. Thankfully, Charlie worked at one of those ‘dress for yourday’ places, so there weren’t too many suits around the office, otherwise he’d be permanently hard. He only had to wear a suit if he was meeting a client, and since that never happened, it didn’t matter. Ugh, now he was thinking about his arsehole of a boss.
Charlie finished his drink and signalled to Jason, asking if he wanted another. Jason was currently humping the leg of some grizzly bear, which was very him. The guy had a huge daddy complex but didn’t understand what that scene was about. One day he was going to call the wrong guyDaddyand get a spanking, and Charlie doubted Jason would enjoy it in the way he thought he would.
Charlie left them to it, squeezing through people to get to the bar. There were some wandering hands, and his arse was pinched a few times. That was normal behaviour in the gay scene, yet if a straight man did it to a woman, there would be uproar, and their gay friends would be the first to be on her side.
A guy who looked sinister decided the arse wasn’t enough and grabbed Charlie’s crotch with a leer. Charlie jolted backwards without looking and crashed into what felt like a wall of muscle. He turned to apologise and couldn’t speak for a second.
