First Night Seduction - 4. Chapter 4 An early morning surprise

Adrien, having chosen to stay with Theo, relaxed further as they sat with their drinks.

“Could you go for a few nibbles? Cheese, grapes, crackers type thing or would you prefer more of a tapas selection?”

“Tapas has its place when you’re sat outside a café or bar in parts foreign watching the world go by but otherwise I’m definitely in the cheese camp.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah, well, no it’s ok, some other time, maybe.”

“Nope, sorry, I didn’t really get the gist of that,” Theo smiled.

“Something an old girlfriend introduced me to but it’s not something most people just happen to have in.”

“Still in the dark over here.”

“Sorry, one of the nearest things to a desert I really enjoy, grapes with mascarpone.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Theo picked up a handset from its base on the table beside him,

“Hello, yes that’s right, ask chef to put a decent cheese platter together if you would please, with crackers, chutneys, grapes and such enough for two. Oh and ask if there’s any mascarpone to be had as well.”

Theo waited for whoever was on the other end to reply.

“Thank-you, twenty minutes will be fine.”

Adrien marvelled at Theo’s absolute expectation that the hotel’s room service would extend to the private apartments especially so late at night.

“How did you manage to wangle that?”

“I know the owner, gets me a few perks.”

“Huh, some perk.”

Right on time there was a knock on the door.

“Merrill! I didn’t expect you.”

“I’m about off home sir, thought I’d check if there was anything else you need or if you need me to pass a message on to the day-staff,” the man Theo had spoken to in the lobby wheeled in a trolley bearing a number of covered platters.

“Everything’s good but I’ll definitely need more towels tomorrow.”

“I’ll inform housekeeping, if there’s nothing else I’ll wish you both a good night,” the man gave the barest of nods to them both, seemingly unfazed by encountering two men dressed in only pyjama bottoms, turned on his heels and all but marched from the apartments.

Theo moved the trolley to the dining table which was set end-on to the windows and transferred the plates to it.

“Bring the drinks Ade,” he called quietly across the space turning to face the couch but Adrien was already only a couple of paces away.

“What brought things to a head for you?” he asked as they sat, Theo at the head of the table with Adrien to his left both able to look out across the cityscape and to the countryside beyond.

“I was away on business, alone, in a city I’d not visited before, one that takes a far more relaxed view of sex and sexuality. I tracked down where the gay bars were, took me the rest of the week to get my arse through the door of one though.”

Adrien huffed a short laugh,

“You did better than me.”

“How so?”

Adrien explained about the things he’d done trying to get himself into the bar where they’d met, the way he told the story had them both laughing like drains by the end.

“Even the bloody clothes?!” Theo exclaimed incredulously.

“Do I strike you as the baseball cap and Doc Martens type?”

“Knowing what I know about you now no I probably wouldn’t take that for your usual attire but back then how was I to know otherwise? Besides you still looked fucking sexy. Is that really any good?” he pointed at the grape Adrien was about to sweep through the mascarpone.

“Try it yourself,” without stopping to think he covered half the grape with the cheese and popped it into Theo’s mouth.

Theo had been so surprised by it he’d accepted the fruit without demur. Both men looked at each other in shock, each realising how intimate an act it was and also how easily done. Theo bit into the grape feeling the difference between the firm flesh of the fruit and yielding softness of the mascarpone, he savoured the contrasting tastes nodding in approval,

“Nice,” he looked at the grapes then at Adrien his brows raised in expectation.

Again Adrien passed a grape through the cheese and offered it to Theo although not to his lips, Theo gently wrapped his hand around Adrien’s wrist and brought them both forward, without looking away from Adrien’s face he took the grape between his teeth and held it there . As if mesmerised Adrien leaned forward and bit off half the plump fruit.

“Oi young man that was my grape!” Theo laughed.

“Ok old man here’s a chance to get your own back.”

This time it was Adrien who held a grape between his teeth.

“You are a temptation,” Theo smiled as he moved to repeat Adrien’s actions.

The men laughed at what they’d done, not out of embarrassment simply the silliness of it.

“Ade,” Theo began.

“Adrien, it’s Adrien.”

“Better,” Theo commented before carrying on, “Adrien if you feel you need it the offer of the guest room’s still there.”

Adrien looked out of the windows seeing nothing but the night sky. Then tilted his head back ran his hands over his face to his hair and left them there as he had once before, Theo immediately recognised this as something Adrien did when confronting a difficult topic.

“I don’t know Theo, I can honestly say I can’t think my way through it. Jeez this is going to sound really fucked-up if I don’t get it right. Give me a minute to try and unscramble it in my head.”

Theo waited breaking off a piece of his favourite stilton to enjoy as he did.

“When I, whenever I’ve allowed myself to think of myself in terms of being bi or gay it was in the context of sex wondering if it really could or would be better than it’d been before. Taking that one step further to think in terms of a full-blown gay relationship never happened. I’ve obviously shared a bed with someone else but I was in a relationship with them. It has its own kind of intimacy, actually sleeping with someone. Then again leaving a nice warm bed occupied by a person you’ve been intimate with to sleep in a different one seems not only odd but bloody cold-hearted.”

“Not deciding things too far in advance has served us pretty well so far perhaps we should carry on in the same vein. First thing is, are you working tomorrow?”

“No, I’m on leave all week it’s the one reason I’d decided that tonight was my last chance to visit the bar. That way if I got home having not got through the door I could drown my sorrows at home without worrying about the consequences.”

The pachyderm in the room was beginning to make itself known. They may have by-passed the post-sex embarrassment earlier but they were fast heading to the pre-sex awkwardness.

“What about you and your work?”

“Fortunately I can work from practically anywhere, I can drop a message to my P.A. to let her know I won’t be in whenever I need to be out of the office.”

“Would you do that? Should this turn into an even later night than it already has.”

“Nothing would please me more than the need to.”

“I noticed some bottles of water in the chiller may I get one?”

“Help yourself or would you prefer tea or coffee? There should even be some hot chocolate, for when I have my nieces in tow.”

“Water’s fine.”

Adrien hunkered down in front of the glass-fronted chiller noting the broad selection of alcoholic beverages within as well as the water, mixers and juices. When he returned to the table he was carrying two bottles in one hand,

“One each,” he held up his cache as he stood beside his former seat.

“Are you expecting us to need one each?” Theo asked as he stood up, bringing him close to Adrien.

“Expecting, no,” he looked down sucking in a deep breath, “hoping yes.”

Theo’s cock twitched in response to Adrien’s actions as much as his words, he’d sometimes wandered into the realms of B.D.S.M. either to scratch his own itch or to satisfy that of a partner, for himself he wasn’t into much more than the simple dominance aspect of it and Adrien had just put himself right into the middle of that, unwittingly or otherwise.

“Adrien,” the younger man looked up at him and Theo smiled, “you tell me what you want, I have already had one hell of a night and if it carries on I’ll be bloody ecstatic.”

“This is sodding ridiculous, I’m a grown man for pity’s sake, not some virginal little girl, I mean I’ve had a sex life for crying out loud albeit the wrong one, so why do I feel so dumbstruck.”

“I’ve already asked you to trust me, I hope I didn’t abuse that, if I didn’t then I’d like you to do so again.”

“I can do that.”

“Thank-you. Come with me.”

“Sorry no can do unless you plan on taking all this with us.”

“I wasn’t planning on it no but if you want to carry on eating we can take it with us.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, sorry but I’m a tad O.C.D. about mess, comes of being a surgeon I suppose.”

“You want to tidy up!” Theo guffawed, “Well that’s a new one, come on then many hands make light work they say.”

“Like I said sorry, books, magazines, newspapers, even clothes to a certain extent I can handle being left around but food or anything that attracts bacteria drives me nuts if it’s left out,” Adrien chortled as they finished.

“It’s ok, we all have our quirks.”

“Come on I shared, give me one of yours.”

Instead of speaking Theo took Adrien’s hand to lead him back to the master bedroom this time to the bed, a very large bed.

“Wait here,” Theo said heading to a dark wood tallboy, from its cupboard he began pulling cushions and pillows of various shapes and sizes, “catch,” he called tossing his haul one at a time across the room to Adrien.

“Not sure this qualifies as a quirk but I can’t abide having to shove all these off the bed just to get a night’s kip but apparently it’s en vogue to cover half the bed with the ruddy things according to my nieces,” he continued, “although I admit I find them useful when I want to sit reading or to watch a movie or,” he’d moved back to the bed.

“Or to help seduce a willing but inexperienced partner,” Adrien laughed.

“Never thought about that, must add it to my repertoire,” Theo laughed with him.

“From personal experience I think your repertoire’s already wide enough.”

“For a beginner you’ve shown you have a variety of skills of your own.”

“Just did what you did really.”

“And that’s how it works, you think about what you like and pass it on or you do the things someone’s done for you to them. There’s no trick to this Adrien simply two adults enjoying what feels good between them.”

“In my head I know all this, the logical part’s all but screaming it at me so why am I in this state,” he held up a trembling hand, “why is my heart going like a jackhammer? If I saw a patient with a heart beating this fast,” he took hold of Theo’s right hand and placed it on his own chest over his heart, “they’d be having a pace-maker fitted within the hour. It’s not as if we haven’t done anything already.”

“There’s one thing you haven’t tried, in amongst all that anxiety is that what’s bothering you?”

Adrien gulped and nodded,

“I think we’re back to your opening gambit aren’t we?” he said quietly.

“Which I’ll amend to are you in the mood to fuck and or be fucked?”

“The latter for now I think.”

“Then I suggest we make ourselves comfortable , want to go for another first when we are?” Theo asked as he tucked a couple of pillows behind him as support where he was propped against the headboard.”

“What’re you thinking?” Adrien took a slightly more supine position beside Theo as he spoke.

“Christ!” Theo thought, “he has absolutely no idea how many of my buttons he’s pushing.”

He was surprised to find how powerful his dominant tendencies were becoming, yes he used them frequently in his business life but not so very often in his private one; from what he’d seen a lot of the men who sought a dominant partner were too needy and clingy for his own taste but he doubted Adrien was one to fall into either category. If for now it helped him move forward then Theo was more than happy to provide whatever support Adrien needed.

Theo produced another remote from the bedside cabinet beside him, in short order the room lights dimmed and a projection screen lowered on the wall opposite the foot of the bed; a moment later a generic background image appeared covered in writing, Theo scrolled through it too fast for Adrien to take it all in.

For his part Theo knew exactly what he was looking for, it was one of his favourite porno films, coincidentally it was based around a young man experiencing gay sex if not for the first time then at most for the second or third. As an added bonus it actually had a pretty decent storyline.

“Smooth,” Adrien chuckled when he realised what Theo had chosen for them to watch.

Over the ninety minutes or so the film took to play Adrien had gradually slipped further down the bed his head was mow close to Theo’s left thigh and almost without thinking Theo began stroking Adrien’s hair.

“Mmm,” he moaned in response.

Theo took a small cushion from beside him, placed it on his leg and tapped it, wondering if Adrien would follow his unspoken command; he did but not exactly.

“Do you mind?” Adrien had removed the cushion so he could rest his head directly on Theo’s leg.

Smiling, Theo shook his head, he now had not only a much better understanding of where Adrien’s psyche was but also that here was a man with whom he wanted more than a one night stand; he could only hope Adrien would want to remain the serial monogamist he’d described himself being in his straight life.

As the film approached its close Theo saw that Adrien was fighting sleep, before they’d laid on the bed Theo had thrown the duvet back so it was laying across the foot of it; patience was one of Theo’s greatest personal assets so he didn’t move until he heard the deep, even, breathing only sleep can bring then with infinite care he hooked his right foot under the quilt and brought it slowly up the bed spread it out over Adrien and his own legs then eased himself down to his left curling himself around Adrien’s head and shoulders. The decision about where Adrien would be sleeping had been made it seemed.

At some point in the night, or rather early morning, they had moved instinctively around each other until they were front to front but not face to face; Adrien’s face was resting on Theo’s chest with his left arm draped around Theo’s torso whilst Theo had both his right arm and leg thrown almost possessively across Adrien which was how they were when Theo woke up.

Theo looked over his shoulder to his bedside clock – it was barely past seven but he needed to let his P.A. Lily know he would be absent for the foreseeable future; to that end he gradually eased his limbs from around his lover not wanting to disturb him – Theo guessed he hadn’t been sleeping well of late.

He sent a brief, non-specific, email to Lily, made a swift detour to the bathroom and headed to the kitchen; Adrien was stirring when he returned to the bedroom.

“Coffee,” he announced as he slid a tray onto the nightstand closest to Adrien.

On it were two mugs, a jug of milk and one of the largest caffetiéres Adrien had ever seen.

“Help yourself or would you prefer tea?”

“Coffee’s good,” Adrien moaned as he stretched out on the bed before he sat up.

“I’m throwing myself in the shower, won’t be long.”

Adrien’s curiosity was piqued when he heard the buzz of a mobile turning his head he saw Theo’s ‘phone on the other bedside cabinet he had no intention of answering it but couldn’t resist taking a look at the screen, curious to see who was contacting Theo at seven-thirty on a Bank Holiday Monday morning; it wasn’t a call but a message the screen displaying that it was from Thepson H.Q.. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened he was glad he wasn’t holding his mug because otherwise he was damned sure he’d be wearing its contents.

Thepson Holdings the world’s largest privately owned company and Adrien was certain that he’d just spent the night being seduced and schooled by its owner, the phenomenally rich Theo Jepson.

Even the name of the bar “T.J.’s” and how easy it was for him to get what he wanted there and here at the apartment made sense now, he was also starting to suspect that Theo’s comment about knowing the owner of this building had referred Theo himself; Adrien looked again at his mug when he sniffed and tasted its contents his suspicions were confirmed - it was the same as they’d had after their meal.

Although nothing had changed when Theo exited the bathroom, a towel secured round his waist and a smaller one in his hand with which he was drying his hair, everything had; his eyes were drawn by the flashing light on his mobile,

“Shit!” he thought whatever had happened had everything to do with that.

“So?” he asked simply as he sat on the edge of the bed beside Adrien to pour himself a coffee.

“You got a message,” Adrien inclined his head towards the other nightstand.

“And?”

“And obviously I didn’t read it.”

“But?”

“But I read the screen,” Adrien admitted unable to look at Theo, “Sorry Mr. Jepson.”

“Ah, so you know.”

“Yes, the name’s Adrien Leadbeater, pleased to meet you,” he smiled holding out his hand.

“Theo Jepson the feeling’s mutual,” he chuckled shaking hands for the second time with Adrien, “does it make a difference?”

“No, I don’t think so, it’s easy to understand why you don’t give your name to all and sundry.”

“Like you I’ve had my moments of picking the wrong partner but for very different reasons I must add, bad experience is a harsh teacher.”

Adrien pondered his words, wondering how bad it could possibly have been for a man like Theo.

“Does me knowing make a difference to you?”

“Had we both decided that last night was a one-off then yes I would have preferred to keep my full name out of things but I find that’s not what I want; I’d like to spend more time with you Adrien if it appeals to you.”

“I told you I’m not the hit and run type but you’ve got to know I don’t mix in the same exalted company as your good self.”

“Thank fuck for that, you cannot begin to imagine what a set of wankers most of them are.”

Adrien smiled as he sipped more of his coffee,

“So what’s next?”

“Breakfast, I don’t know about you but I’m bloody starving! I’m a full English man, is the cardiac surgeon more of a muesli and fat-free yoghurt kind of guy?”

“Mum lived by the notion that you should breakfast like a king, take lunch like a lord and supper like a pauper, she always insisted on us having a decent breakfast.”

“Same with mine, mind you a day’s farming needs it.”

“Do you ever help on the farm?”

“Sometimes, it’s the best way of remembering where my roots are, what’s important.”

“Where is it or is that a red-light question?”

“Leicestershire, good red earth, Where are your roots?”

“Here in Cambridge, well just outside, both my parents worked at the university.”

“You mentioned your mum was an archaeologist but not what your father lectured in.”

“A bit like Tolkien he specialised in old European languages but mostly Old and Middle English.”

“I have enough trouble with English full stop never mind other versions.” Theo laughed, “Anyway about this breakfast, I’ll get on it anything you don’t like?”

“No black pudding after that it’s a bog-standard crispy bacon, sausage, beans, tinned tomatoes not cooked fresh ones, fried or scrambled egg, fried slice or good old white sliced bread or any permutation of that and builder’s tea type brekky for me please.”

“Throw yourself in the shower and I’ll see you downstairs, help yourself to some threads, there’s a collection of gym wear in the bottom two drawers, I’ll have the stuff you wore last night laundered while we eat.”

“Mrister Jepson are you trying to impress me?” Adrien laughed.

“I was hoping that my seduction skills had done that already.”

“You got that right.”

Fifteen minutes later, having showered and dressed, Adrien followed the smells and sounds of cooking – he’d not only ordered breakfast from one of the world’s wealthiest people the man was cooking it for him as well!

“Well timed that man, you be mother and I’ll get this lot onto a couple of plates.”

Theo had pulled on a pair of grey sweats but otherwise wore nothing, if you didn’t count the blue and white striped chef’s apron.

“You can really pull off that look.”

“Some of us just have it I suppose,” Theo smiled as he pirouetted, a cooking implement in each outstretched hand.

“Good grief Theo,” Adrien exclaimed, “how many are coming?”

“The two of us later, I hope,” Theo smirked and winked.

“Daft bat. You know what I meant.”

“Crispy bacon, as requested, sausages, both from my family’s farm, beans, tinned tomatoes, scrambled eggs, fried slice, white bread and builder’s tea. Think that covers what you said.”

“Well yeah, but I didn’t expect half a pig and a hen’s coop worth of eggs!”

“A young man like you shouldn’t have any problems finishing off a decent plateful.”

Adrien poured their tea and followed Theo to the dining table.

“Do you mind if I leave the radio on?”

“No, Radio 4 works for me.”

As they ate the two men added their own comments to those of the programme’s participants, their views were surprisingly similar.

“What would you normally do with a day off, golf?”

“I believe it was Mark Twain who said that golf is the ruination of a good walk, besides there’s far too many dickheads on a golf-course. I sometimes go fishing, usually when I’m back at the farm, believe it or not I enjoy visiting stately homes, cathedrals, minsters, castles, battle sites, historical places and cooking.”

“Dad and I went to places like that.”

“What’s your preference?”

“I like swimming, reading, museums, mostly quiet pass-times. You would not believe how noisy a hospital can be. I can definitely believe you enjoy the cooking this is brilliant.”

“I’m offering a day of normality, why don’t we decide,” Theo stopped.

“Decide what?”

“Forget it, I’m sorry I was getting way ahead of things.”

“How?”

It was Theo’s turn to not know how to explain himself, he cleared his throat a couple of times, swallowed then sighed,

“Why don’t we decide what to have for dinner then go shopping for the ingredients and a decent bottle of wine? I’ll cook. We can have lunch somewhere. That’s what I was intending to say.”

“So how were you getting ahead?”

“Because I hadn’t even had the courtesy to ask if you had plans for the day let alone if you would consider staying for dinner.”

“The outline plan’s good but there are a couple of flaws in it. First my car’s still at the club, second I only have my disguise to wear, as and when it reappears.”

As if on cue there was a quiet double-tap at the door and Theo went to answer it.

“Good morning sir,” a young man greeted Theo, “I have your laundry and the other items.”

“Thank-you Paul, we’ve just finished breakfast, it’s time to attack the day.”

“Mr. Merrill left a message to say he’d passed your request on to housekeeping, there’s a driver available should you need it and Mr. Merrill will be back on duty at two o’clock.”

“All good to know, tell my driver to bring my car from the club now if you would, I’ll probably see you later Paul.”

“Yes, sir, if that’s all I hope you enjoy your day.”

“Solution to flaw number one,” Theo informed Adrien as he carried a hanger across the room, “we can give your car keys to the driver and he can bring both cars here. Solution to flaw number two your disguise is back or, and I’m about to get previous again, I asked for a few other bits and pieces to be sent up.”

From behind Adrien’s own clothes he produced another couple of hangers, on these were shirts and trousers much more akin to Adrien’s usual attire.

“Before you say anything if it makes you feel better you can pay me for them. They may not even fit.”

Somehow Adrien doubted that, he took the clothes, all of them, from Theo and headed to the stairs, with one foot on the bottom tread he looked over his shoulder at Theo,

“Let’s go and see shall we?”

Theo was dressed in minutes in a pair of cream linen trousers and a mid-blue fine weave cotton shirt, Adrien was wearing the new clothes but his brows were furrowed as he looked at his reflection,

“I think the scruffy, unshaved look goes better with the disguise.”

“I think,” Theo said from where he stood close behind Adrien as he had in the bar the night before, looking at the younger man’s reflection, “that it looks pretty damned good,” he ran the backs of his fingers along Adrien’s jaw.

Theo’s choice for Adrien was a pair of stone-coloured smart casual trousers and a maroon shirt, fortunately the black Doc. Martens would look ok with them, Adrien had been surprised how comfortable they were and had seriously begun to think he should be far less formal at work.

“Ready to be seen out and about with a gay man?”

“Are you?” Adrien retorted.

“Don’t forget your car keys, I’ll drive us your car will be here when we get back.”

“There’s one thing we haven’t done. What’s for dinner?”

“There’s a very good farmer’s market about twenty miles away, I say we see what takes our fancy.”

“I thought I’d taken yours,” Adrien smirked as he turned away from the mirror to face Theo.

“I’ll have to keep my eye on you young man,” Theo put a finger under Adrien’s chin tilting it up, “you’re turning into quite the little flirt.”

Adrien brushed his lips over Theo’s too quickly for Theo to respond,

“Am I? Hmm, must be something about the company I’m keeping.”

“Out or we’ll never get anywhere,” Theo ordered laughing light-heartedly pointing to the bedroom door as he tapped Adrien’s behind.

“Give me some clues about what you like to cook as we travel.”

They’d been wandering round the market for almost an hour, laughing, arguing in a friendly manner about different world cuisines and buying seemingly random foodstuffs as they went when Adrien suddenly stopped moving, his face frozen in shock.

“Adrien what’s wrong, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Sorry, the woman approaching us at speed, short blonde hair, your age, five-two, slim, is my senior theatre nurse,” Adrien muttered as he tried to smile.

“Just breathe handsome, just breathe.”

“Theo, that just reminds me of,”

“I know,” Theo interrupted him, “that’s the idea, trying to get you to a happy place.”

“Maria! Fancy seeing you here, are you alone or is Derek hereabouts?” Adrien beamed at the woman as she got close.

“He’s over at the home-brew stand.”

“Maria this is Theo, a friend of mine.”

“Pleased to meet you,” she held out her hand.

“Theo this is Maria my senior theatre nurse and keeper of my sanity.”

“The pleasure’s mine, is Derek your lucky husband?”

“Yes it’s our silver-wedding next year.”

“Congratulations. Has he been making home-brew for long?”

“A few years, he’s quite good at it actually.”

“Wine or ale?”

“Wine but he does brew a little beer for friends sometimes.”

“My dad and his dad dabbled, the vast majority was enjoyable but every drop was lethal,” Theo chortled.

“I know what you mean, Derek made a parsnip and raisin once, it was like a desert wine heaven only knows how high the alcohol content was, knocked us and two of our friends for six,” she giggled.

They chatted for a few minutes before Maria decided her husband had been alone long enough.

“I’ll see you next week Maria unless we get the call to arms.”

“Nice to meet you Maria.”

“You too Theo.”

“Breathe, just breathe, it’s all over,” Theo whispered as they watched Maria walk away.

“Do you think she caught on?”

“No, like you I know how to be straight,” he started walking with Adrien following suit.

“I don’t want anyone to know until I’ve talked with my parents.”

“That I understand, my wife had to be first, then my family, after that I didn’t care who knew I just didn’t advertise it.”

As they crossed the car-park Maria and her husband drove past them, both men waved; when the car was out of sight Theo moved close enough to Adrien’s side for their hands to brush together. Adrien took hold of Theo’s, there was no-one around to see and if he was being brutally honest he didn’t much care if there was.

Theo told Adrien about a couple of country pubs he knew as they stowed their bags on the car’s back seat,

“Can we go back to your place instead? Not because I’m afraid of being seen,” Adrien took hold of Theo’s hand again, “I need to talk, seeing Maria, having to say you’re just a friend, I think I’ve run out of time and I have no idea how the next part goes, or any other part for that matter.”

“The offer of whatever you need is still on the table, how about we order lunch from the hotel kitchen?”

“Sounds good,” Adrien murmured looking at their joined hands as he had in the restaurant.

Over lunch Adrien asked Theo how he’d gone about telling his family and friends about himself.

“The first thing is, and this bit of advice came from one of my first real friends in the gay scene, don’t act like you’re there to tell them you’ve got something terminal or you’re emigrating to Outer Mongolia. Keep your mood as upbeat or at the very least as neutral as you can.”

“I’ll try.”

“Second is to let them say whatever they need to without interrupting.”

“And if they say nothing?”

“Highly unlikely, Adrien you are a son any parent would be proud of, they’ve had thirty odd years of you conforming to what everyone else thinks you should be I really don’t imagine they would cut you off without a shilling for being gay.”

“I’m their only child, the name ends with me.”

“You are far more than the bearer of their name.”

“I think that’s my biggest fear, that they’ll be disappointed I’ll never have a family. Not that I’ve ever shown any inclination for having one and they’ve never made anything of it.”

“Perhaps that’s your way in, asking if they’ve ever wondered why that is.”

“It’s be so much easier if I’d got a brother or a sister, someone I could,”

“Talk to, confide in?” Theo put in.

“Yeah or hold my cowardly hand while I try to say ‘Hey mum, dad, guess what I’m gay.”

“Adrien you have someone who can be all of those things, except be a sibling obviously, I can be, want to be, the friend who helps you through this.”

“Theo this time yesterday I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up and that was just at the idea of going to a gay bar and we both know the back-story to that. Today I actually held hands with another man in public,” he held up a hand to stop Theo saying whatever he was about to, “yes, I know we were in a different town and unlikely to be noticed doing so in the few yards to your car doesn’t mean it was any less important to me. I think you’ve already done more for me than I could’ve imagined possible.”

Adrien took a deep breath before carrying on,

“Things have happened so fast between us and I’m starting to think, no feel, that’s because, that it’s due to more than just,” he looked at Theo begging silently for him to understand what Adrien was signally unable to put into words.

“I admit that when I was sure you weren’t at the bar to meet someone specific or that you hadn’t been stood up I acted out of lust. Who the fuck wouldn’t? I did tell you other people were eyeing you up when we’d been sat at the bar. Then I got to know something about you the person, how absolutely extraordinary you are and I found myself wanting to know everything. It didn’t matter if you were bi, gay or merely a straight guy in a mess, it mattered not if you really did simply want a quiet place to talk when we got here, what did matter to me was that if nothing else we could be friends first and foremost. That I then had the best night of my life was an unexpected and spectacular bonus. I do not want this, us,” he waved a hand between the two of them, “to be only this, a night and a day together ending with a farewell dinner cooked by yours truly. And no I’m not only responding to what you’ve just said, I am guilty of having had one night stands but like you I’m more of a monogamous long-term relationship bloke, I was married faithfully for almost twenty years after all. Since I came out I’ve had a few relationships, most of those lasted a year or more but for one reason or another I knew I wouldn’t be with any of those men long-term in the real sense. You, however, have made me start to think I could have again what I had with my wife Li-anne, a home, a real loving home, with someone, you to be exact, to share it with. If that’s what you’re looking for, if we could go on from here, together, taking one day at a time until we’re sure of each other and what we have between us, then I’m sure as hell willing to try,” he smiled at Adrien, “because crazy as I know this sounds I’m falling for you, hard.”

“Ditto,” Adrien replied quietly, “I was not looking forward to walking out of here after breakfast. I mean I know we could have exchanged ‘phone numbers and whatnot but having to actually leave was not an appealing prospect.”

“I have a suggestion, I’ll have my driver take us to your place so you can check everything’s ship-shape, grab a few clothes, feed the goldfish, all that kind of gubbins and we’ll come back here, where I will amaze you with my culinary skills.”

“You’ve already amazed me with your other skills,” Adrien ran a hand up Theo’s thigh, squeezing the toned muscle, “you’ve set the amazing bar pretty high.”

“Carry on like that and another bar’s going to get that way too.”

Adrien moved his hand a little higher, close enough to flick the tip of his forefinger across the tip of Theo’s growing cock,

“I think I know what I’d like for desert,” he smiled.

“Before or after we clear away?” Theo chuckled.

“For you I can overlook the mess.”

“I feel honoured.”

“And I’m feeling incredibly horny.”