Lust in London - 2. Chapter 2

Alex had not gotten ill, but was so pale the two other men in the restroom were tending to him. A tall, svelte Italian had gotten him a cool towel for his neck, while a larger, stout Irishman sat him down on the large metal bench next to the door.

He looked up and noticed that Mason had just walked in. He knelt before Alex and put his hand on his kneecap. “Alex, I am so sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I was trying to kid with you.” Alex’s brown eyes gazed up into Mason’s. He could finally see their color. They were a truly deep, ocean blue. Instead of the icy, cold orbs, they were warm, caring eyes, paired with the genuine smile and concern of their owner.

Alex smiled. “Thank you. I accept. I-the last thing I wanted to do was insult you. I’m sorry too.”

Mason cocked his head. The ponytail spilled over his shoulder, catching Alex’s eye. The hue was blond, but he wondered if it was dyed at all. It appeared soft and well-cared for. “Sorry for what? Being nervous? You’re in a bar full of strange men in a foreign country. You have every right to be nervous! I’d think it odd if you weren’t.”

Alex nodded. What Mason said made a lot of sense. He felt his pulse slow and his color return.

The stout Irishman noticed right away. “Aye, you're looking better lad. Go out and get some air.”

“Thanks, I think I will.” Alex balled up the towel and tossed it into the trash. All three men helped the young man stand up. Once he was sure he was ok, he thanked the Italian and the Irishman by shaking their hands. “Guess there really are good people all over the world.”

Mason smiled and put his arm around Alex’s slight shoulders. He could smell Mason’s cologne, it was fairly strong. He guessed it was something expensive. “There sure are. You are one of them.”

Alex looked up into his companion’s eyes and grinned at him. Mason tried to move in for a kiss, but held back. He opted for a hug instead. Alex wrapped his arms around his newly found friend and breathed in his scent even deeper. Instead of some exotic cologne, Mason smelled like cigarettes combined with musk oil. Alex found it highly stimulating and wanted to hang on, but digressed.

“Let’s go get some air.” Mason offered.

Alex nodded. “Lead the way.”

The duo fought their way through the crowd to the exit. Outside had become a bit more populated. Alex looked up at his companion and tried to decipher his body language. He decided to just take a wild guess. “Would you like to take a walk?”

Mason grinned. “That’d be great. Get us away from the smoke and the crowd.”

The two strode forth on their journey in tandem. They walked away from the club scene and into the London night. The weather was agreeable, not chilly and not hot. They walked for 20 minutes before the crowd and loud music was a mere whisper in the distance. Alex looked around at where they’d wandered and stopped in his tracks. He’d been so intently engaged in conversation. Mason stopped and looked back.

“What is it, Alex?”

“I-I don’t recognize these buildings.” Alex said with a note of fear in his voice. “How far have we walked?” His mind began to conjure every paranoid predicament possible. What was he doing out here with a man he hardly knew, in a part of town he’d never been to. It sent his pulse soaring yet again.

Mason walked over to him and put a warm hand upon his shoulder.

“Alex? Hey, relax my friend. We’re not too far from my hotel. I know this district.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I stay here when I come to London. Downtown is too damn expensive.”

Alex took a sigh of relief and ran his hand through his hair. He felt a wave of relief. They began walking again in tandem until he pieced the sentence together in his mind. Hotel? How was this evening going to end? He slowed his pace and stopped again. “Whoa. Wait a minute, Mason. Why are we going to your hotel? What do you expect from me? I just met you two hours ago!”

Mason rolled his eyes, and walked back again. “Alex, relax. You’re so high strung!”

“Maybe I am! Maybe this whole thing is just some ploy to get me in bed with you. I barely know you!”

Mason ran his hand over his face and sighed. He looked into his companion’s eyes for a moment and walked over to him. He rested his strong hands onto Alex’s slight shoulders.

“Relax, ok? As awesome as that’d be, I know you’re not exactly ready. Okay?”

Alex smiled in relief. “Thank you. That’s all I ask. So, what were we going to do?”

Mason grinned and looked down at his shorter companion. “I thought we’d get a drink or maybe even dessert? This hotel has the best key lime pie. I mean the best! It even beats my mother’s recipe.”

Alex exhaled at last and nearly laughed with relief. Pie? That was it? How much more homespun could one get? He felt as if a weight were released from his chest.

Mason grinned. “See, nothing sinister. There’s even an all-night cabbie who can take you back at whatever time you want.”

Alex tried to smile but also felt badly for having assumed the worst. He was so new to all of this his greenness may be skewing his judgment. This was a simple meeting and a simple dessert date, nothing more.

“I love pie.” He finally answered. His tone was more upbeat.

“Let’s hurry, they run out pretty quick.” The two strode side-by-side.

At times, their hands almost touched.

As a mirage’s sudden appearance in the desert, the hotel came seemingly from nowhere. It was a Hilton, a famous name. Its lights were dim on this cloudy night. London’s notorious fog moved in already. All 12 floors were cast in the shadows that enveloped it in a cloak of darkness. Alex caught a glimpse of his watch while passing under a streetlamp. It was 10:30 pm. He’d decided to throw caution to the wind and stay out as long as he could. Britain itself was mesmerizing, now tripled with the introduction of Mason.

The duo entered the hotel and seated themselves at the counter of the café. Alex glanced around. The style was oddly retro American. There were the jukeboxes on every table, a soda fountain, even the help was in candy-colored uniforms. It was bright against the darkness of the outside. The counter seats were all empty. There were perhaps four other patrons present, all tucked into the red metallic booths. He was thankful it was quiet and mostly private. They had been seated for only a moment when a slim, red-haired waitress named Calliope came their way. She seemed to match the linoleum counter in her bright green uniform dress.

“Hiya! What can I getcha, sugar?” She snapped her gum and smiled.

Mason glanced over at his new friend and the two shared a look.

“We’d like two slices of key lime pie and I’d like coffee. Alex?”

“Uh, yeah, coffee for me too, thanks.” He smiled back at the pretty waitress as she winked at them and put her order pad away.

“You two are lucky. That’s my last two slices. Coming right up, darlins.” The accent was distinctively southern. Mason and Alex shared a laugh over the lovely young lady. She seemed so out-ofplace, yet fit right in. She was a college student they guessed, working her way through school. Perhaps her family wanted a change and came across the pond. Whatever her story was, they were glad she was there. She represented a piece of America in the heart of London.

Within moments, their coffee mugs were filled and their conversation began again. Not a minute later, the pie arrived. Alex wanted to dive right in, but thought it rude while trying to talk. They simply took a moment to savor the dessert.

“Damn, this is good pie! How’d you find this place?”

Mason grinned. “See, told ya! Now you’ll have to trust my judgment.”

Alex laughed to himself. He wondered just what Mason meant, but let it go for the time being. “Yeah, I guess so. Well, once I’ve known you longer.” Alex blurted out.

Mason nodded and took another bite of pie. Within five minutes, the dessert was gone. “Compliments to the chef!” Mason announced aloud. Alex cringed a bit, he was drawing attention. He took his companion’s arm and pulled him back.

“Dude, I think they heard you.” Alex tried not to hide his face.

Mason scowled. “Hey, if I like something, I let ‘em know it. Sorry if it embarrasses you.”

Alex recoiled a bit from the tone. He opened his mouth to speak, but again the words escaped him. He watched Mason sip his coffee and look over his shoulder out the windows. Alex shut his eyes for a moment and let out a breath. “Mason?”

“What?”

“Let’s not do this whole misunderstanding thing again, alright?”

Mason’s expression went from angry to amused. He fumbled for his coffee cup and took a nervous sip. “Let’s talk about something else.”

Alex nodded in agreement. “So, what’s your last name?”

“Adams. It’s pretty common where I come from. I was born in Richmond, and my favorite food is Italian.” He paused and took a sip of coffee. “I went to the University of Virginia and graduated with honors just four years ago.”

Alex raised an impressed brow. “That’s a really hard thing to do! How’d you do it?”

Mason grinned. “It’s called not having much of a life.” The two laughed together. It was a genuine laugh, not nervous or forced at all. “I stayed and pursued a Masters degree too, so I have an MBA.”

Alex raised a brow again and toasted with his drink. “That’s great! I’m a big advocate for education. So, uh, what do you do with all that learning? I mean, what brings you to England?”

Mason laughed. “My job. I’m in sales. They ship us all over the damn globe. I got lucky enough to land the UK. I really like it here. Sometimes, there’s a nice bonus to it.” Mason raised his cup and winked at his companion.

Alex felt his pulse rise and his face blush. He turned away, a bit embarrassed by the attention. Mason smiled. Such perfect teeth he had. Alex couldn’t help but wonder if they were real or those fancy implants. Either way, it didn’t matter. Here was this hot guy whose attention he’d garnered. He didn’t intend on letting it go.

Mason gently tapped Alex’s knee. “Your turn. What’s your story?”

“Well, my last name is Winthrop. There’s only a few in our area. I was born in Salina, Kansas, and my favorite food is Mexican.” Alex paused and asked for a refill on his coffee. “I just graduated college, now I’m going into law school.”

Mason sat up, impressed. “That’s awesome! Not to mention law school to boot? Good job! You must be your parent’s pride and joy.”

Alex tried to hide his delighted smile and shrugged. “Eh, I guess so. I knew what I wanted to be when I was a little kid. I used to hold court in my room.”

Mason chuckled. “What’s your win record?”

Alex felt a wave of cockiness. “Oh, I’m undefeated. Perry Mason of Salina.”

The two laughed together again. “Hey, like your outfit. Tried to go with the clean cut look, eh?”

Alex looked himself over. His shirt was wrinkled due to the humidity. “Well, I did look nice, earlier. Running into all those men ya know…” they chuckled lightly. “I couldn’t tell you were a salesman at all. You look like an artist, or a poet.”

Mason smiled widely. “A poet, huh? Maybe do some stand up and recite my “Ode to Alex?” both men laughed.

They scooted as close as they could without falling off the stools. Alex happened to glance at the clock, it was midnight. He needed to get back to his rooming house.

“Shit! I gotta get home. I have class tomorrow!”

Mason cocked his head. “Damn.” he said in a very disappointed tone.

“Listen, why don’t we do this again tomorrow night?”

Mason brightened. His posture visibly straightened and his mood cleared. “Yeah! I’d like that. You obviously know where I’m staying. Here’s the number…” Mason fumbled for a pen. “Damn, no pockets!”

Calliope saw and came over to assist. “Whatcha need, sugar?”

Mason laughed. “Can I borrow your pen?”

Calliope smiled wide and looked the pair over with her huge green eyes. “Why sure, honey. I hope it works out for you two.”

Mason quickly grabbed a napkin and scrawled the phone number and his room number. He handed the napkin to Alex and the pen back to Calliope. “Thank you. So do I.” With a wink and a loud snap of her gum, Calliope took the pen back and walked away. Mason turned back toward Alex. “Call me tomorrow; we’ll decide where to go.”

“I will.” Alex stood up to leave, pleased that Mason was following him to the lobby. Alex grinned to himself. “Thank you, Mason. I had a great time.” He looked behind him and saw that the man hadn’t left his side. Alex smiled to himself. “Walking me out?”

“Well, we mustn’t let anything happen to you.” Mason quipped.

Their eyes met for a moment.

Suddenly, the loud sound of the cab’s horn startled both men. Alex had fought every bit of lust that swelled inside of him and tempered it with his logic. As much as he wanted to jump Mason right then and there, he didn’t want to appear desperate. He did the most conservative thing he could thing of. He took Mason’s hand and shook it firmly.

“Thank you again, Mason. I had a great time.”

Mason looked quite disappointed but at least seemed to understand. He held onto the hand for a moment. “Good night, Alex. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon.”

They parted ways and Alex climbed into the cab. It was a clean cab, the first he’d seen in a while.

“Driver, #8 Ivy Way.”

“#8 Ivy way, got it.” The driver echoed. He put the car into gear.

Alex sat back and waved goodbye to Mason as they drove away.

**

After a fairly enjoyable taxi ride home, Alex arrived back at his rooming house and ran up to his room right away. Surprisingly, he was greeted by silence. He looked around the living room and kitchen for a moment.

“Hello? Anybody home?” he queried. No answer at all. “Wow, for once I have this place to myself. Figures; I sent my date home!”

Alex admonished himself. His mind was a small tornado of thoughts. The “should I haves” and “what ifs” kept cropping up like flowers in a spring field. He paced the floor, his mind awash with thoughts of all things Mason. Finally, after 10 minutes of his one room walk, he gave in and settled into his desk chair in front of his laptop. As he waited for the machine to boot up, he shut his eyes and ran his hands through his short, spiked brown hair. All he could picture was Mason standing in front of him. A wide smile placed itself on Alex’s lips. He could envision the man in a fine suit. It enticed him even more. Alex’s brain took a slow, meandering tour through the nuances of the man named Mason Adams.

He began with the long, silky blond hair trapped in that ponytail. He longed to feel the strands running through his fingers. Next was the face. He had a Romanesque, chiseled, statue-like features that caught your eye. Long nose, firm chin, and those mesmerizing blue eyes. Then, there were the lips. Alex had wanted to feel those lips tonight, but didn’t. He’d watched them, memorized their every curve. He could only fathom a guess as to how soft they were. Alex suddenly opened his eyes and discovered how aroused he was. He rushed down to the kitchen for a tall glass of water, cold water.

He retrieved a large, blue glass from the cabinet and filled it to top. As he drank his beverage, he stood quietly and looked out the small window just above the sink. The moon was a mere sliver, enveloped in the darkness of the nighttime sky. He glanced over his shoulder to see the clock. He had to squint to see the time, nearly 1 am. Alex laughed to himself. Just an hour ago he was saying goodbye to Mason. He felt it’d been hours upon hours since they parted. He sniffed his shirt, praying to capture even a whiff of Mason’s intoxicating cologne. Anything that would remind him of the tall, handsome businessman was more than welcome.

Finally, the excitement of the evening began to wear off. Alex had the sobering realization that he had class later that day. He finished off his water and left the glass by the sink. He groaned a bit and rolled his eyes. School was the mundane part of this trip. At least it was only one class, and a lecture at that, European law. He longed to be an attorney, the third in his family line. He wondered how long he could stand it; though being in London made it easier, made especially sweet by Mason’s presence.

Alex stretched tall and yawned wide. His jaw clicked, and he flinched. He shut his mouth quickly, fearing lockjaw. With one final glare at the clock, he slowly sauntered upstairs and readied for bed.

His arousal had gone to sleep for the time being. However, when he awoke was a different story, his body had sprung to life yet again. It was just in time for him to wake up and go in to class.