Parker paced back and forth. Every now and then, he stopped to look out the window, checking the bustling high street below. Then at his watch.
2:30.
Maybe he cancel—?
The loud knock at the door made him jump.
With a heavy sigh, he crossed the sparse hotel room and swung open the door.
Standing in the doorway was a rugged man in his early thirties, roughly his own age. He was in good shape — toned arms and chest visible through a tight-fit T-shirt, a shadow of stubble darkening his jaw.
“Alright?”
“H…hi. Cole, right?”
“Yup. Parker?”
“Y… yeah. Erm… ple… please, come in.”
“Thanks.”
Cole followed Parker inside, removing his shoes.
Parker's hands trembled as he gestured vaguely toward the chair by the window.
"Do you want to, um, sit down? Or—"
"I'm good."
Cole's eyes swept the room.
“Could do with a drink though.”
“S…sure, s… sure. Um, I only have water. Or I can get something from the Spar round the cor—”
He trailed off.
“Water’s great, mate. I can get it. You make yourself comfortable. Want one yourself?”
“P…please.”
"First time?" His voice was muffled by the sudden gush from the bathroom.
“Is it obvious?”
Cole returned, handing Parker a mug.
“A little.”
“Sorry,” Parker muttered, gulping his water.
“No worries, mate.”
He fixed him a reassuring smile and sipped from his own mug.
“So…”
“So.”
“Um… How do…?”
“That’s up to you. You call the shots.”
“Oh… okay...”
“And there’s no rush. You paid for the day. My time is your time.”
“O… okay.”
Parker sat down on the bed.
“So, um… You do this often?”
Cole laughed.
“Fairly often, yes. So you can relax. You're in good hands.”
Catching sight of his reflection in the mirror, Parker averted his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, still not entirely sure of what to expect.
“C… can I ask a q…question?”
“Course. Ask away.”
“Can we j… just chat … first?”
“Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?”
“I do… I don't really know. Um… what kind of stuff are you into?”
“Video games. Comic books. Football. Formula One.”
“R…really?”
“Really, really.”
"That's … s… so cool. Formula One. That's… um… where the cars go round the track."
“Yep, that’s the one.”
Parker chuckled softly.
“My kid’s into Top Gear.”
“You have a kid?”
“Two.”
“Oh, nice.”
“Y… yeah. They’re… they’re good kids. Just like their mother.”
“Your wife?”
“W… wife? No. No. My best friend. I’m not married. Not dating. I’m actually… Well, I’m actually … actually aromantic.”
“Yeah?”
“Y… yeah…”
“That’s cool.”
“Y… yeah. Yeah, it is. Don’t … Don't get me wrong, I’ve had … had partners in the past. It just… just didn’t feel right. And then… after listening to Loveless on Audible with my daughter, it kind of just clicked. You know?”
“I … Ha. I actually do. I had a similar thing back when I was about … thirteen, fourteen. Back then, I didn’t quite have the right words. But I saw Nadia Almada on BB5 and … well, the rest is history.”
“Oh my God, I remember that series. The first time I watched the show, the whole way through.”
“You still watch it?”
“No. Well… I dabble. From time to time? Do you?”
“Yep. In fact, this season has a trans man as a housemate. His name’s Zelah. He seems pretty swell.”
*****
They talked like this for hours. Laughed. Had dinner. A Chinese takeaway, which they had sent up to the room. Watched TV.
“This is Divina. You are live on Channel 4, please do not say fuck, or cunt.”
It's a terrible impression, but Cole laughs.
“That wouldn’t leave me with a lot of options.”
“No? Ha!”
So by the time the magic happened, Parker felt like he was in the same safe hands Cole promised.
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