The Butler - 6. Chapter VI

When I rejoined Mr. Montgomery, a side table had been set while I’d been away, on it a selection of sandwiches. It made my mouth water just by looking. I chose a croissant with…what was that? A little taste with my pinky revealed it to be marmalade. Not bad.

I also chose one with ham, putting both on a plate and then went to join Mr. Montgomery, who’d been watching me as soon as I’d come in. I made a slowly turn for him.

“Better?”

He smiled and nodded.

“Much better, Christopher.”

“I can definitely get used to this, that’s for sure,” I replied, taking a big bite out of the marmalade croissant. Washing it down with juice, I swallowed. “I’m gonna get me a set of these as soon as we’re done here. Including the jacket.”
It elicited another smile and his eyes twinkled.

“I’d also go for shoes?” he said, looking down at my feet, chuckling. “I’m glad you like the clothes. They suit you very well. Please, sit.”
I grinned too and started on the second croissant and I eyed the dossier, which rested on his lap.

“Whacha got there?”

“Some necessary paperwork we need to fill out. But before we do that, some things have to be done first. Have you had enough to eat, for now?”

No.

“Ehr, I could go for…”

“I’m sure you could; maybe later. For now, we should get started. There is a lot of work to be done, and we should start as soon as possible. Basil will be leaving very soon, and I’d like to make the switch as soon as possible.”
Wow, he moved fast! He’d already sacked Basil?

“You really don’t like him, do you?”
He chose his words carefully.

“It’s not a matter of dislike. More one of…incompatibility. He’s very critical, and has an opinion on everything. That is fine, but most times, our opinions do not match. I’ve found that to be a…lacking quality.”

He sat back.

“Before anything else, we’ll need to get you checked out. I’ve made an appointment with my doctor for tomorrow. He will give you a complete physical. Don’t worry, it’s for insurance purposes. No offense is meant, of course, but we have to make sure you’re in good health. You can’t croak on me before I go myself.”
I grinned. Fine with me.

“Good. Then we’ll start to work on your appearance.”

“Wait a minute; what’s wrong with how I look?” I asked, a little insulted. I know I’m not bad looking, so…

“Nothing, Christopher. But you’ll need your own wardrobe. You need a few more items, don’t you think?”
Ah, okay.
“So we will begin with that, after the doctor has cleared you. You’ll also visit a dentist, and may I suggest a haircut?”
So far so good…

“For now, I think you should rest a lot. You’re my guest until the doctor has cleared you for work. Or, if you think you’re up to it, perhaps you could talk to Basil. He should be able to give you tips and information. General things; what my routine is, how to keep my agenda, what your duties will be, that sort of thing.”

Damn. And I wanted to go out and spend some of that money, which was burning a hole in my pocket. But I guess that could wait…

**********

May 24th, 2005, New York

Mr. Montgomery’s personal physician, Doctor Sullivan, was a man in his late fifties, kind, patient and gentle. And he had warm hands. Nice, that.

He thoroughly examined me, drew several vials of blood and tried to make me feel as comfortable as possible, under the circumstances. How comfortable can you be when someone’s juggling your nuts? Actually, quite comfortable; I’ve never had a problem with men touching me intimately; the advantage of being in the pleasure business, I guess. Growing hard in his hand, almost instantly, didn’t bother me at all. It elicited a raised eyebrow from him, though. His fault for fondling me that…well.

When he was done, I got dressed again and sat down when he invited me to do so.

“So what’s the verdict doc? Will I live?”

I grinned and he looked up at me over the top edge of his glasses.

“We’ll have to wait for the results on the tests Gregory has requested I do. That’ll take a while. For now, though; you have a mild case of dehydration and a little underfed. Keep up your fluids, make sure you get vitamins; eat moderately for the next few days. Eat lots of fruit, go easy on fat and salt, and you’ll be fine in a few days.”

He set his elbows on his desk and gave me a stern look.

“I understand you were living on the street?”

I nodded.

“Mmm. How long has that been going on?”

“About seven months.”

“And what’s your profession?”

“Entertainment,” I answered, which prompted another raised eyebrow.

“Oh I see. And you’ve… ‘entertained’ a lot?”

“Frequently. Several times a day, usually.”

“Safe?”

“No. Not always.”

He frowned at that and made a note.

“Gay, straight, bisexual?”
I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Gay.”

“I’m sorry, I have to ask, so I can determine the risk you may have had. Do you know how many times you were unsafe?”
I knew the number by heart.

“73 times.”

“You realize that makes you a high risk case.”

I bit my lower lip and nodded.

“Yeah. And I know it was a stupid thing to do but the money was good, so…”

He wrote down another few lines.

“I understand. Well, young man,” he took off his glasses and rose. “I’ll try to get the results back to you as soon as possible. But if I may give you some advice?”

“Sure.”

“Gregory is a friend of mine. A dear, personal friend.”
He made a point of making that very clear.
“I’d hate for him to be…taken for a ride.”

I met his eyes and held his gaze.

“Don’t worry Doc…I screwed up my life once already. I’m not about to screw it up again. But consider your message received, loud and clear. If it’s my past you’re worried about; as said, it is in the past.”

He smiled and extended his hand.

“Good.