The Lost Boys Emporium

The chief clerk busied herself in the meeting room, double-checking the seating plan, checking to ensure the room was appropriately clean, checking that the notepaper and pens were all perfectly aligned around the huge oval table. Eventually, with only ten minutes to spare, she was satisfied. This was her fist board meeting and she wanted to be certain everything was perfect.

The clock on the sideboard clicked over to 9:30 am. She unlocked the double doors and opened them. She looked out to the staff that were assembled and caught the eye of each of her team in turn. Good, they were ready.

The first young man arrived almost immediately. He was always on time but it frustrated the chief clerk that he seemed to be perpetually sauntering. She felt it belied his senior position.

“Master Elliot” she greeted him. He smiled at her, wandered into the room and found his place.

Within moments several of the others arrived. She greeted them all by name. “Masters Jenks and Connor, Mistress Anrey.” She said, nodding to each as they entered. She signalled to one of her team. Refreshments. Immediately. The staff hopped to it.

The chief clerk took a sharp intake of breath as she noticed the next two men approaching. They were engaged in conversation. One was Mistress Julia who had taken over from Master Connor as the head of administration. Mistress Julia was the chief clerk’s boss. Striding alongside her was Master Johns, a man who everyone loved and feared in equal measure.

She nodded to them, greeted them as they entered, and breathed a sigh of relief when they passed her without comment.

Finally the boss was here, rushing from the reception hall, his hat and coat dripping from the incessant rain. Everyone referred to him as Blue, without exception. The chief clerk could see why. He had the most striking azure eyes. They were kind, sad eyes, she always thought, and he was such a gentleman. She had never heard of a single soul who didn’t love him.

As he reached them he handed his hat and coat to a runner who had been trailing behind him. He took the time to greet the chief clerk’s team individually and commented on how well turned out they all looked. He stopped and greeted the chief clerk personally and thanked her for the effort he knew she had put in to making everything so special for the Board.

“Thank you, Master Sandu-St.John” she said and she gave a little curtsy. She didn’t have to do that, but she was flustered because He had spoken to her. He smiled warmly, touched her arm, and stepped through the portal.

As he passed her, he whispered “It’s just Jaimie okay?” and then he was gone, greeting his Board.

The chief clerk checked her watch. She decided it was time to close the doors. She knew the last two would be late. They were always late. In her mind she found it disrespectful to arrive after Jaimie Sandu-St.John, but where these two were concerned she would forgive much. They were well loved.

- - - - - -

Jaimie hugged each of his friends in turn. Jenks and Anrey still looked decidedly uncomfortable with that even after two years, but Connor and Jonno embraced Jaimie warmly.

Elliot saluted from his seat. In truth he wanted to get up and hug Jaimie, but he had a reputation to protect. Jaimie winked at him and smiled and Elliot smiled back. They both knew.

Everyone seated themselves and coffee was poured. Little pastries and biscuits were set down before the serving team left.

Jaimie took a sip of his coffee and glanced at his watch. He loved that watch, his first luxurious possession. It was the watch he’d been gifted by Jonno back when he was the slave and Jonno the Master. In some ways, Jonno would always be the Master. He smiled at that thought.

He looked around the room and at the four empty chairs. “What do we think?” He said to no-one in particular. “The first one should be here in……”

The doors burst open and Damien hurried into the room. He nodded at Jaimie. Red faced, he apologised. “I am so sorry to be late.” He said. “I…er….had….had a small matter to attend to…” he said, flustered.

Elliot coughed loudly having almost choked on a biscuit. Jonno laughed. The others all hid knowing smiles.

Jaimie sat back in his chair. “Speaking of small matters……” he said with a half-smile. “I predict Sam will be here…….now.” Jonno laughed again as Sam stepped through the open doors right on cue.

“I’m terribly sorry…..” He said. “I had a…..”

Elliot, who by now had recovered, interrupted. “Quite a large matter to attend to, if the reports are anything to go by…..?” There was a general round of laughter and Damian flushed pink. Elliot continued. “You do know, don’t you, that arriving separately hides nothing?”

Sam flushed pink, too.

Jaimie took another sip of coffee. “If you two can keep your hands off each other for five whole minutes, we’ll start this Board meeting?” He smiled broadly and he winked at Sam, who grinned back. Shameless, thought Jaimie, but loved Sam far too much to be annoyed.

“Let the records show that Christian and Pavel send their regrets as they are both out of the country on business of their own. As usual I will represent Christian and Uncle Jonno will represent Pavel.” He grinned.

“If you call me that again I swear I’ll put you over my knee…..” Said Jonno, but he was grinning too.

“Now, now, Uncle” Jaimie said with a wink. “You can’t spank the chairman until after the board meeting…..”

The quarterly board meeting of the Lost Boys Emporium went off without a hitch, as usual. In truth, there was little to say. Despite increased costs, mostly payroll costs as the Lost Boys, as they were all calling themselves, were now being paid handsomely, the Emporium had recently surpassed the record profits made under Pavel’s ownership. The workforce was happy, the risk of an incursion from a rival family was at an all-time low, and there was still room for growth. These were times of peace and prosperity.

As most of the group filed out to attend to other duties, Jaimie poured himself some water and called across the room. “Damien, Sam, would you mind giving me a minute?” There were some furtive glances as the others left.

Jonno and Connor, who had remained seated as they had already arranged to discuss some other matters with Jaimie, fidgeted in their seats. Jonno leaned forward. “You want to catch up later?” He asked.

Damien and Sam sat back down. “No,” Jaimie replied. “We’re all friends here.”

Damien began to speak but Jaimie raised a hand to stop him. “Hang on” he said. “Listen, both of you….. I get it. I really do and I am delighted that you can’t keep your hands off one another even after almost two years.” Sam went to make a flippant remark but Jaimie cut him off, too, waving his finger at his friend. “Ah!” He said. “All I want is for you two lovebirds to leave each other alone once, just once, every three months, and get your asses here on time.”

Sam shot a glance to Damien and they both looked sheepish. “Sorry, Jaimie,” said Damien. “Really. We’ll do as you instruct, of course.”

Jaimie chuckled. “I’m not instructing anything, you pair of idiots. I’m asking. Personally I could care less, but it’s really not fair on those members of the Board who still take all this very seriously. Besides, if Elliot can get here on time, and we all know he screws anything with a pulse, I’m pretty sure you two can.” He grinned at the two young men.

Sam smiled back. “Okay Blue, enough said.”

“Blue…..?” Said Jaimie. “Still…….?”

Jonno chuckled at that. He folded his arms. “Jaimie, there isn’t a man, woman, girl or boy who doesn’t exclusively refer to you as Blue.”

Connor sat forward, beaming. “Including all of us.” He said, amused at the look on Jaimie’s face.

Jamie grimmaced. “Ugh!” He exclaimed. He had tried so hard to get people to use their names. He’d wanted an end to nicknames and the use of Master or Mistress, but try as he might the crew couldn’t or wouldn’t comply. Then the runners joined in, and then security, and then the rest. He knew he’d lost the battle a long time ago, but he figured everyone referred to him by his name, at least. “Whatever” he said. “You guys staying to hear this?”

Sam and Damien shook their heads. “No” Damien replied. “We have a small matter to attend to”. Sam sniggered and Damien rolled his eyes. “Genuinely. A small genuine matter…..” Damien smacked Sam lightly around the back of the head. They said their goodbyes and left, closing the door behind them.

Jaimie sat back as Jonno and Connor filled him in on the impact of the floods across the city. He watched Connor closely. He had a new lease of life this past year. He had come to Jaimie and asked to do something more than run administration. He had been struggling with the demons of having been attacked on the day Jaimie had been taken. Between them, and with Jonno’s help, they forged a new role which he had taken to like a duck to water. He had overcome his fear of dogs by taking on two Dogues de Bordeaux which had grown into huge, incredibly well trained mastiffs. The irony was not lost on Connor or his friends. Connor’s new responsibilities included maintaining eyes on the street and organising what had become known as “collections”, where the Emporium would rescue kids and young adults from the street and take them in. A good percentage of the crew were now from the Collected.

Jaimie sighed. “Let’s hope these rains stop sooner rather than later, although there seems no sign of that from this morning’s weather forecast.” He said. Connor shifted in his seat. “What?” Jaimie asked.

“Well…… it’s just…… I’m not sure this is just about the rains.” He said thoughtfully. “The increase in gang behaviour feels too….. I don’t know, too organised? That last group won’t trouble anyone again, but that was the third time we’d come across them. And from what I have heard, there’s already another group of three roaming dockside and preying on the younger ones. I don’t like it.”

Jaimie looked thoughtful. “Why would someone organise that?” He asked.

“I don’t know yet” replied Connor. “But something isn’t quite right about it. I need to do some more digging.”

“You need more men?” Ask Jaimie.

“Possibly.” Said Connor. “Let me come back to you? The extra muscle you sent to the docks has helped, for sure. We also started a rumour there’s a gang going around looking to hurt anyone who touches kids down there, which appears to have taken hold quickly. I’m hoping that, at the very least, makes these roaming thugs think twice.”

“So tell me about the new collection? Jonno tells me he’s cute, but as Jonno is almost as bad as Sam, Elliot and Damien I’d rather hear it from you.”

Jonno chuckled softly. He knew better than to argue. Besides…….he’d had more fun in the last two years than in his whole life, so yeah, he was enjoying life.

“His name is Aiden. He is cute, for sure. Dark hair, skinny as you’d probably expect, and kind of shy. He’s been on the street a long time, so I just don’t know if we’ll ever be able to trust him with clients. He will have some long standing issues to deal with and some behaviour that he may never be able to shake off. My quick assessment is that he’s a good kid and how he survived so long without turning to sex work or worse is frankly beyond me. H’s either very lucky, or he got very streetwise very quickly. So far he’s shown no sign of violence though, which is a good sign. I suspect he got by on his wits and not on his fists.”

“Who’s he with?”

“I paired him with Mitch. Such a polite lad and so eager to please. Besides, it’s about time he had a bit of responsibility now he’s been granted his Silver status. They’re about the same age and as Mitch was one of our first Collected, they have some things in common.”

Jamie smiled at Connor’s wiliness. “Good choice.” He said. “Clever. You have any objection to me meeting him, maybe at the house later today? I’d like to see what I think about his prospects of becoming crew. I’ll admit we could use another Lost Boy. I hate to be selfish about it, but bookings are crazy. Through the roof.”

Connor grinned. “I was going to suggest that, actually. I’d really appreciate your insight. You have a way of reading people that I’m not sure I have.”

Jonno chuckled again. “You didn’t think to ask me?” He said.

Connor laughed out loud. “I’m looking for insight about his character, not a report on what he’s like in bed. He’s far too much your type, Jonno. Besides, he’s a virgin. He isn’t ready for you, that’s for sure.

Jaimie and Connor laughed. Jonno joined in too, after he’d got past his embarrassment.

“Well, he was a virgin.” Said Jonno. “If he’s with Mitch, I’d say there’s a very good chance he has given up claim to that title. Mitch moves fast!”

All three men nodded. They agreed to meet at the house later that day.

- - - - - -

The bed had just been too comfortable for me and it had prevented me from getting to sleep. I wasn’t used to this level of luxury and it felt wrong, somehow. I had moved onto the rug on the floor and covered myself with blankets. I had hoped not to wake Mitch, but as I had started to drift off he had climbed out of bed and snuggled up behind me.

“I couldn’t sleep up there” I said quietly by way of explanation. I had been about to tell him he didn’t need to be down here with me but he interrupted me.

“I know. It’s okay.” He had said. There was so much understanding in what he had said. He had cuddled up to me in a spoon position, his body pressed against mine. I had no words, so I held his hand and we had fallen asleep like that.

When I woke we were still spooning, neither of having moved much in the night. I was flooded with new sensations, new emotions. I wasn’t sore, but my ass still felt warm and used and my balls felt pleasantly empty. They were good feelings and as soon as I latched onto them I started to feel horny again. I felt good, too, in myself. Even after my first time having sex, I felt clean. And I was well fed and warm and dry. And I felt like there was someone here who cared about me. I wasn’t some doe-eyed simp, I knew this wasn’t love at first sight, but equally this was more than a quick bunk-up. Mitch didn’t have to sleep on the floor with me, or stay with me at all for that matter.

I started to think that maybe - just maybe - I could stay here. I was trying not to get my hopes up though. It would be just my luck to finally believe I had found a place to belong only to have that ripped away from me.

I wondered whether I could have sex for money, whether it was something I could ever be okay with. Before Mitch, I worried that sex would be painful and that sex for money would involve basically being raped on a regular basis. But talking with people yesterday opened my eyes to a new possibility. They all seemed to genuinely love what they did. They weren’t being raped, they were having a lot of fun living out their fantasies. And sex hadn’t been painful. In fact quite the opposite, it had been so good that I wanted more. It was a confusing situation. The more I thought about it, the more I worried that I wouldn’t be good enough anyway, that I’d mess something up and then be asked to leave.

I wanted to think about something else, so I focussed on the sex from last night. It had been wonderful, so much better than I ever thought my first time would be. As I thought about how attentive Mitch had been, how gentle with me, I wanted more. I began to wonder if my sleeping partner might just wake up and take me right now. I felt like I wanted it. To feel him inside me again, touching me again. I reached down and stroked my cock, which was hard now and ready for action.

I looked over my shoulder. Mitch was fast asleep, his arm draped over me. He showed no signs of waking. I was disappointed, but pragmatic. I decided to get up, to take a hot shower and make the most of the facilities while I had them. I moved quietly so as not to wake Mitch. I stood, having untangled myself from him. I laughed quietly under my breath. I got the impression that an earthquake wouldn’t wake my blonde friend.

I walked naked into the en suite bathroom. It was huge, with a large shower cubicle, a separate bath, two sinks, a toilet and bidet, heated towels and cabinet full of expensive toiletries and what looked like sex aides. I cleaned myself up and while I was there I used one of the products, new and boxed and thankfully with instructions, to rinse myself out. I wanted to be ready just in case. I’d never done that before but I had heard about it. It made me feel even hornier knowing that I was ready for action.

I rolled my eyes. One night in bed with a boy and suddenly I was a slut!

I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair needed cutting and Mitch had already told me he could organise that for me, but I decided I could use a shave and make myself look a little bit more presentable. I used the shaving oil and a new razor and plenty of hot water and carefully removed the few whiskers that I had. I got a little thrill every time I turned the tap and found I had steaming hot water. It was such a novelty and I loved it.

Having cleaned myself out and shaved, I turned and tried to decide between bath and shower. In the end my pragmatic side won out and I decided a shower would be more practical. Maybe if they let me stay I could treat myself to a bath. I had never had one, but I remembered from my early days on the streets looking jealously in the windows of TV stores, seeing people in adverts covered in bubbles and soaking in huge bath tubs. I had always wanted to try that. To my young mind it seemed like the mark of someone who had made it. Their own bath tub and time to just lay there! Such luxury!

I ran the shower and before I stepped in I caught sight of myself in the mirror. I was a bruised mess, with big green and red-black marks down both sides where I had been beaten by wrench-man. I also had a nasty looking hand mark where he had grabbed my ass, and a yellow bruise on the side of my face. I’d had worse, but I knew I had been lucky. I made a deal with myself to be more careful when I got back to the streets. When? If? Oh…..whatever!

I stepped under the hot flow of water. The feeling of that water running over my nude body was just incredible. I put both hands on the wall and leaned forward, allowing the cascade to run through my hair, over my shoulders, and down my back. It tickled me down there. I closed my eyes, content to stand like that for a minute or two. My dick was standing to attention, the sensations from the shower and my memories of last night bringing my mind back to base concerns. I gripped it with one hand, still leaning against the wall of the shower with the other.

“I think that’s for me” said Mitch. He had stepped into the shower behind me. I heard the door slide shut again and he reached around and gently moved my hand out of the way. He touched me, pulled my foreskin back, and ground into me from behind. I could feel he was hard already. Big and hard.

Mitch took my wrist and placed my hand back on the wall. He traced his hand over my shoulders, down my side. He was running his fingers over my bruises, tutting as he touched them. “Who could treat you this way?” he asked. It was a rhetorical question. I didn’t have an answer anyway.

Mitch examined me thoroughly in the light of the bathroom. Something about the way he moved his hands made the process feel sensuous. It didn’t stop me flushing red with embarrassment though. I was used to keeping my scrapes and bruises very much to myself and yet here I was, naked, being examined by a hot, muscular boy. How times change, I thought.

Mitch left the mark on my buttock to last. He lay his hand flat against the red imprint of wrench-guy’s hand. “He was a big brute, the man who did this to you” he said softly.

“Yes” I said. The examination of my injuries and Mitch’s comment was making me emotional. I didn’t want to think about what nearly happened. I turned and took Mitch’s face in my hands and I kissed him, pushing him back against the wall. It was full of passionate, naked desire.

Mitch returned my kiss, his tongue exploring my mouth as he had done last night. After a minute of wet, shower-drenched open-mouthed kissing he pushed me back and examined the bruise on my face. His pretty green eyes seemed sad as he took in the state of me. He kissed me again and then said “Please stay. Stay so that you never have to be bruised like this ever again”.

His care made me weak at the knees. I could either answer and probably find myself crying like a baby, or I could do something else. I chose the latter. I sank down, kissing him all the way down his chiseled torso. I knelt in the cubicle and as the hot water gushed over us, I took his dick in my mouth.

I took him all the way back, sliding his cock along my tongue slowly and deliberately, pushing my head forward until I could feel him right at the back of my throat. I never had much of a gag reflex, something I always attributed to being hardened by the sights and smells of homelessness, so it was easy to hold him there and swirl my tongue around his shaft. I sucked him gently, careful to keep my teeth out of the way. I used my lips along his shaft and I tongued the head of his cock. He moaned and took my head in his hands, his fingers running through my wet hair.

I sucked him for a long time. I enjoyed the warmth of the water, the feel of Mitch’s hard penis sliding over my tongue, even the slightly salty taste of his precum. I fondled his balls and ran my finger down and between his legs where I caressed his perineum and his anus. I might not have been the most experienced guy in the world, but I knew how to give a great blowjob.

Mitch pulled me upright and kissed me full on. He pushed me against the wall and quickly turned me around and out of the flow of the shower. He spat into his hand and massaged the saliva into my ass. He spat again and he fingered it into me. I pushed my hips out, reached back and pulled my cheeks apart. I wanted him so badly.

Mitch lined himself up and thrust into me. He was rougher than last night, but not too rough. It hurt a little going in and I cried out softly with an “ahhhh”. But then the pain was gone, replaced by a feeling of fullness and of throbbing pleasure. I pushed back and Mitch fucked in and out of me. It was every bit as good as last night, but this wasn’t gentle lovemaking. This was passionate fucking. We both wanted this equally, immediately, urgently.

I moaned ever more loudly as he thrust deep into me. I pushed back in time with his thrusts and my knees started to tremble. I bent over and steadied myself first on the shower wall, then I bent over almost double so that my hands were on the floor. Mitch gripped my hips and he fucked me hard. I begged him to fuck me harder. It felt so good and the harder he fucked me, the louder he slapped against my ass, the more wonder I felt inside.

I felt an orgasm building and I wasn’t even touching myself. “Oh god, I might come!” I explained. Mitch redoubled his efforts, really pounding me now. He took one hand and gently slapped my wet buttock and that made me moan even more. Then Mitch’s strokes began to slow. They were deep and strong but not so fast. I knew he was almost there and it felt wonderful to me that I had brought him to this point so quickly, that my body was enough to make this guy come.

Finally Mitch pulled out. That feeling, of his pulsating cock sliding down my passage and out of my throbbing anus tipped me over and I shot wads of cum in the shower. Mitch shot too, coating my hole in thick salty cream. He rubbed the head of his cock around my ring and then pushed back into me, fucking some of his cum back into my rectum. I whimpered as my anus was stretched out again. He reached around and touched me, wringing the last drops of my own orgasm from me.

He pulled out, helped me to stand, and he pressed his body against mine and we kissed for the longest time, his hands everywhere all at once.

Finally he pulled away and he grinned at me. “You are one hot guy, Aiden” he said. “I don’t usually get involved, but damn! You could give me a serious case of heartache!”

I giggled and I kissed him. “You’re not so bad yourself” I said. “It’s taken me a long time to give up my cherry. I’m glad it was with you. I never knew it could be this…..awesome.” I said with a sloppy smile on my face.

With looked into each other’ eyes and smiled. He rubbed my nose with his and his said “Come on. Let’s get clean. We’ll get some breakfast and then you’re going to trust me while I get the stylist to sort your hair out. I guess we should check in with Master Connor after that. You’re going to stay, right?”

I looked at Mitch and impulsively I made a decision. I would put myself out there and see what would come of it. It was hard for me, but I said “If they’ll have me…..”

He smiled, kissed me again, and then he washed us both from head to toe before we dressed and headed down for breakfast.

Breakfast was another feast even though we were very late for it, with every possible option catered for. My eyes were wide at the sheer volume of food that was available and that was before we got onto options for drinks. There fruit juices here that I had never even heard of, let alone tasted.

Mitch seemed to delight in showing me everything and introducing me to everyone. I remained struck by how happy everyone was, how open and trusting. On the street, trust was thin and people were rarely chatty and helpful. I spent most of the time feeling like I had been swept up in a whirlwind and I wondered where I would be when it set me down.

We were one of the last groups to finish eating. All of Mitch’s friends had already left as they had appointments to attend. Mitch was still what he called “off-schedule” so he was free to do what he wanted, which was great because we had already been here for a couple of hours. I asked him if he was okay spending his precious free time babysitting me and he had laughed and told me he was enjoying himself far more with me than he would have done alone. I shook my head. I hadn’t met anyone like him. I was trying not to get too attached, but he was making it difficult!

As I was finishing my fourth glass of unknown fruit juices and delighting in these new sweet flavours, the one handed man appeared and asked if he could join us. Mitch stood, obviously a sign of respect. I decided it would be best if I copied him. The man he called “Master Connor” sat and smiled at me.

“How are you boys getting along?” He asked as one of the servers poured him some hot coffee. “You seem to be settling in, Aiden.”

I looked at Mitch who smiled and winked at me. “We’re getting along just fine, Master Conner,” he replied. “It’s not my place to say, but I’d really love it if we could find a place for Aiden here. I’d like to spend……ah…..some more time with him if that’s possible?”

Master Connor gave a knowing smile and a nod. “I see.” He said. “And what about you, Aiden? How are you finding our Emporium? Real enough for you?” He asked with a little chuckle.

I couldn’t help but smile back and I blushed at his reference. “Yes, sir…… it’s definitely real enough.” I said. “It has been…… I don’t know if I have the words to describe the experience.” I wanted to ensure Mitch took some credit, so I add “Mitch has been wonderful, sir. I appreciate you asking him to show me around.”

Master Connor studied me over his coffee cup for a long minute before he placed his cup down on the table and sat back in his chair. “You’re an unusual one, Aiden. For someone who has been on the street as long as you have, you are unusually able to tun on the charm and take big changes in your stride. I like that about you. I have the sense that you could go far.” There was a pause. Master Connor looked thoughtful. Finally he said “We’ll find something for you to do here, have no doubt about that. If you want to stay and you are prepared t work, I won’t see you back on the street. However, if you think you might want to join the crew - to do what young Mitch here does - you need to see the boss. That’s why I stopped by actually. Blue would like to meet you this afternoon.”

I looked across at Mitch’s whose green eyes were wide. “Blue?” He said, quickly apologising.

Master Connor laughed. “No need to apologise, Mitch. Yes, Blue would like to meet with Aiden, here, and see for himself what he thinks of our latest Collection.”

I sat forward. “Can someone please tell me what Blue is? And what is a Collection?”

Master Connor grinned. “Of course. You are our latest Collection. That’s what I do. I locate boys and girls, usually those who are homeless and in some difficulty, and I recruit them for our Emporium. I collect them. That wasn’t my term, I hasten to add. It just sort of came about. The crew here will put a name to anything.” He winked at Mitch, who smiled. “And as for Blue…… that’s Jaimie Sandu-St.John. He is the original Lost Boy. He was originally crew, just like Mitch here. He’s now the owner of our Emporium and he’s my boss. I’m going to let you pick up the rest of the story as you go.” He paused again. I wondered what someone must be like to have gone from my low station to owner of such a grand place. Master Connor cut across my thought process. “So, are you up for meeting Blue?”

I looked across at Mitch who grinned and nodded vigorously. I giggled and turned back to Master Connor. “Yeah, okay…… I guess I’d like that!” I said. I suddenly remembered my manners and added a quick “Please. Sir” which seemed to amuse the one-handed man no end.

“Mitch, perhaps you’d walk Aiden to the house for 4.30? It appears the rain has at last ceased. Of course, if it’s wet again by then have one of the drivers take you.”

Mitch agreed immediately.

- - - - - -

I walked through the double doors to a lounge and bar area. It was very richly appointed, with antique bookshelves along the walls, clusters of sofas and little tables, and a bar that ran the full length of the back wall. The plush carpet was a deep crimson. This room was even more opulent than anything I had seen in the big house.
There was a guy behind the bar. He didn’t look that much older than me. He was drying some glasses and pottering about. I took a seat in the middle of the room, nervous and unsure of myself. I wished that Mitch had been permitted to come with me, but the concierge at the main entrance had informed Mitch that he should wait in one of the guest lounges and we were forced to separate.

As I sat there waiting I got more and more nervous. The barman kept glancing over at me. He was a good looking guy with a kind face, a nice smile and bright blue eyes. I decided I would go and see if I could get him to pour me a drink, maybe something that would steady my nerves.

I approached the bar and the barman stopped wiping glasses. I sat on up one of the high barstools. As politely as I could, I said “Erm…. Would it be possible to have a drink. Please?” My voice sounded thin and nerves made it high pitched. I felt younger and more out of my depth than I had in a very long time.

The barman smiled at me. “Sure. What would you like?”

I suddenly realised that I had no way of paying. I didn’t know if that mattered. I had never seen Mitch pay for anything, but that didn’t mean I was on a free ride when I wasn’t with him. “Ah, I just thought….. I don’t have any money. Maybe I could pay you later or something…..? Or maybe it’s okay if I’m with Mitch, you know from the big house?”

The barman smiled again, took a glass from a shelf behind him, and began polishing it. “You mean the boy from the Emporium? Sure, that’s cool. What’ll you have?”

This guy, like everyone else I had met, seemed okay. I leaned forward and asked quietly “Got anything that might steady my nerves?”

The barman chuckled softly to himself. “Sure I have. We’ve got almost anything you can think of back here. But how come you need to steady your nerves?”

I looked around. The room was still empty apart from the two of us. “I’m supposed to meet the big boss here today.” I confided.

“Ah, the big boss….” The bartender said. “You in trouble or something?”

I flushed red. “I er…… no. I don’t think so” I said. That made me wonder. Was I in trouble? I hadn’t done anything. Or at least I didn’t think I had. Would I be in trouble for having sex with Mitch? Was I supposed to pay for that? My mind was all over the place.

“So, why the nerves?” He asked. He placed the tumbler down on the bar and started looking around at the bottles behind him.

“I don’t know really” I said and I shrugged.

“Yeah, you do.” Came the immediate response. “Come on, I can’t select the right medicine if you don’t tell me your symptoms.”

I laughed at that, which made me feel a little better. “I should know better than to bluff a bartender in this city.” I said. “I’ve met enough of you to know that most of you have some kind of sixth sense. Must be in the training, right?”

The man looked over his shoulder at me. He flashed me a wink of those big blue eyes. “Right. Must be.” He said, and he turned his attention back to the bottles.

“Well…… I guess I just don’t know what I’m doing here.” I said. “I am not usually welcome in places like this.”

“Oh?” He said. “Where would I find you if not here?”

“Well, I’ve lived on the streets for….. for a long time, actually. Since I was a little kid. I was brought here by a weird older guy. One handed. Don’t know if you know him?”

The barman chuckled again. “Yeah, I think I have seen that guy around.” He said. “What, did he kidnap you or something?”

“No, no!” I said. “He kind of helped me out of a tight spot actually. Brought me here and said I might like it. So I think this is some kind of job interview. I’ve never had a job interview. Or a job.” I said.

“Ah, I see.” He said, turning to face me again. “Now we’re getting to it. I’m guessing there’s more to it than nerves about a job though, am I right?” He tilted his head to one side and smiled warmly at me.

“Well, I guess……” I said.

“They asked you if you want to stick around?” He asked.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone is saying.” I said, and I shrugged again.

“And….. what? You are wondering if they really mean it? Like, maybe if you say ‘yeah I’ll stay’ someone will jump out of the bushes and yell ‘surprise’ at you as they cart you back to the docks?”

I smiled an embarrassed smile. “Yeah, I guess.” I said.

The bartender poured some green liquid into the glass. He topped it up with ice, then topped up the glass with something fizzy from the tap. He placed a mat down on the bar in front of me and carefully placed the drink on it. “Try that?’ He said, and he stood back.

I took a sip. It was nice. It had a sweet, fruity taste with a bit of sourness. I smiled. “What’s that?” I asked. I was sure it was strong, something that might give me a bit of Dutch courage.

The barman looked me up and down. “You seem like a pragmatic guy. You know what that means?” He asked.

“Er…..yes.” I said. “I think.” I shrugged again.

“It just means you are practical. You live in the real world. Am I right?”

“Yeah.” I said. I was starting to think that being pragmatic just meant I should accept that I belonged on the streets.

“So you want to know what I think?”

“Yeah, go on then.” I said.

“I think one of two things could happen. Either they keep you here and you land on your feet. All good. Or they’re on the world’s most elaborate joke and you end up back where you started, back in the alley in the docklands, but with new sneakers and some nice memories. Sound about right?”

I raised my eyebrows as I thought about that. “Yeah, I guess.” I said.

“So, tell me where you’re worse off than you were?” He asked.

“Er…… I’m…… I’m not, I guess” I said. I took another sip. And another.

“Look kid” he said. I smiled at that. He really couldn’t be much older than me. He did seem a bit wiser than me, though. I’d give him that. “I have met a few people like you. I don’t think you’re afraid of anything except the idea you might fail. How does that grab you?”

I blushed again. He was right. I was used to bartenders being the font of all knowledge, but this young, cute guy was making a lot of sense to me. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I have had two days that I can barely describe. The guy who’s been showing me around, Mitch….. he has been….. I don’t have words. I haven’t met people as nice as him for…… well, I haven’t met someone as nice as him.” I was close to tears and I couldn’t work out why. I never cried.

The barman jumped in and I was grateful. “He’s a good looking lad, that Mitch. Good kisser from everything I heard.” He grinned and his blue eyes sparkled. Man, this guy was cute.

I grinned back. “Yeah” I said. I couldn’t help but blush as the bartender nodded knowingly. God yeah, Mitch was a good kisser. I took a long drink. I was sure it was working and I felt like I was loosening up.

“You….er….. you get with him?” The man asked.

Now I really blushed! “Er….. well…… he came to my room and….. last night….. and I haven’t done anything like that before, honest…… but……”

“Hey, kid, it’s no skin off my nose. What consenting adults do up at the Emporium is none of my business. I just wondered, is all.”

Another man came into the room. He was tall, dark, handsome. I couldn’t stop staring at him until he looked over at me. I looked away, caught. I wondered if this was the boss. He certainly oozed a kind of raw power. He was pretty hot stuff, too. He sat himself down at the other end of the bar and the bartender went to him and poured him a drink. They whispered for a minute and then the barman came back to me.

“How’s it going with that drink?” He said.

I took another sip. “Good” I said. I remembered he hadn’t told me what it was and I was about to ask when he cut me off with a question.

“So, how do you feel about having sex with guys for money?”

That question took the wind out of my sails. I blinked, thinking about that. “I….. I don’t know……” I said honestly.

“What don’t you know?” He asked. “You worried about the sex for money part, or just the sex part?”

His eyes were boring into me. I looked down the bar to the other guy, the one who I thought was the boss. He seemed happy with his drink and he was ignoring the barman and me at this end of the bar. I took a deep breath. “I don’t really have any opinion about the money part. I never had any money for myself so…..yeah. And I know plenty of people out on the streets who did stuff for money.”

“Like you?” He asked.

Wow, he was getting direct now. “I…..I did a couple of times. Nothing much. But yeah, I guess.” I knew I had flushed red again.

He nodded. “So, not the money……” He prompted.

“No. I just…… I haven’t….. I, well, I don’t have very much experience.” I said, eventually making my point.

“But you enjoyed sex with Mitch?” He asked.

A took a deep breath again. I was beginning to feel like I was being interrogated. “Yes. Yes I did.” I paused, thinking about Mitch for a second. That thought helps to ground me. “Yeah, I really did.” I added. I grinned. I couldn’t help myself, and I certainly felt better for getting that off my chest.

“So you reckon it might be just as much fun with other guys?”

“I…… I don’t know.” I said. “I guess it could be, but most people who ever wanted anything from me have been rough sorts. I’m not used to…..er…..nice people.”

The barman laughed. “Yeah I get that” he said. “But I think you’ll find our clients here are….nice.” her said. He shrugged. “Or so I hear.”

I took a sip of my drink and once again I was about to ask what it was when he asked me a question. “So, what are you going to do?” He said.

I thought about it for a minute. I thought about what the barman had said. “I guess I’d like to give it a try. I just don’t know if I can try it first, and then decide properly afterwards. I don’t know if it works like that. I…… I don’t want to fuck things up for anyone. I guess I might be rubbish at it. And then I’d get kicked out.” I said, and I hung my head a little suddenly feeling a bit dejected.

The barman put his hand on my shoulder. “I reckon you’ll do just fine.” He said. “I have somewhere I need to be. I guess I’ll leave you to figure it out. If you’ll take my advice, start telling people what you want. What you want is important. So’s how you feel. People won’t know unless you tell them.” And with that he turned away.

As he went through the doors I called after him. “Hey, thanks. You were really helpful!” He waved and left.

I looked down the bar to the dark-haired, good looking man. He was looking back at me. I guessed I had better go and introduce myself. I took a big swig of my drink and kept hold of the glass, taking some comfort in having something to hold on to. I hoped that whatever was in it would continue to calm my nerves. I certainly felt better now than when I arrived here. I walked purposefully to the man and cleared my throat. He turned on his stool and faced me. He was handsome! After sex with Mitch, I was beginning to look at attractive men in a whole new light.

“I’m Aiden” I said. “I guess you’re the boss man? I’m supposed to meet you here, I think.” I said.

The guy turned to me. “Aiden….?” He said. “You the guy who Connor collected from the docks?”

I frowned. “Yeah” I said. I suddenly realised that the barman had known I was from the dockland area too. How did he know that? I wondered if I had mentioned it first, or if he had.

The man held out his hand and I shook it. “I’m Craig.” He said. “But I don’t think I’m the guy you’re looking for.”

“Oh…..” I said, confused. “I’ve been here a while. I must be in the wrong place or maybe I missed him.” My heart sank. My guess was, a big and powerful boss who was offering me the chance of a lifetime would not take kindly to me being late.

The man who had called himself Craig smiled at me. Everyone around here smiled. It was infectious. “Don’t worry Aiden. You’re in the right place.” He said. “And I don’t think you missed him.”

I frowned again. Now I was really confused. There had only been me, the barman and this guy, so I must have missed him. “Why d’you say that?” I asked.

“You came here to meet Blue, right?” He said with a grin. I nodded. That’s what they all called him, yes. “Do you know why they call him that?”

I shrugged. “No…. Actually I don’t” I said.

“Well, Blue is my husband. He’s cute as a button and they started to call him Blue when he was one of the crew. It’s because he has the most amazing blue eyes you’ve ever seen. That’s what you’ll remember about him when you think back about your conversation with him.” I know I looked confused. My conversation with him? Craig leaned forward and took the straw from my drink between his lips and took a sip. “Sprite, by the way.” He said. “Sprite and lime.” He winked at me. “That’s all.”

I held up the glass. Craig got off the barstool and pushed his unfinished drink to the back of the bar. “I’ll tel Mitch to come and fetch you. I’m sure I’ll see you around from time to time. It was nice to meet you Aiden. Good luck. I reckon you’ll do okay as a Lost Boy.” He smiled again and then he turned and left.

I stood there feeling confused. I took a sip of the drink which obviously didn’t have any alcoholic content at all. I blinked. I remembered the barman. He was cute, sure. He was really cute if I was honest. And he had lovely blue eyes. An amazing colour blue, actually. A cold feeling started to creep through me as I tried to remember if he had told me he was barman here. Had I just assumed that………?

Suddenly it hit me like a truck and I felt completely stupid. I replayed the whole conversation we’d had, trying to work out if I had said anything stupid.

That’s when Mitch arrived. “Wow! “ he said and he clapped me on the back. “Top brass for you. Blue AND his partner! I nearly got a hernia when he came to fetch me!” He laughed. “That guy could do anything he wanted to me. Damn, he’s hot!”

I shook my head trying to clear it.

“You okay?” Mitch asked. He looked worried all of a sudden.

I explained what had happened. Mitch listened intently, his eyes growing wider and his grin getting broader. “So, you assumed he was the barman?” He asked. I looked up and nodded. There was a pause, and then Mitch burst out laughing. He was hysterical. I punched him playfully on the arm. Mitch was almost bent double with laughter. “Hey!” I said. “It’s not funny!” But I couldn’t but laugh too.

“Oh, it is….” He said. “It’s the funniest thing I ever heard. And…..sprite……” he said and he went off on another jag of laughter. I sat up on the barstool and sighed. I guess it was a little bit funny.

Eventually Mitch pulled himself together. “Come on” he said. “Let’s go back to the big house. I promise I won’t tell everyone” he said.

We got a car back to the big house as it was raining heavily again. We met up with some of Mitch’s friends and played some games and had dinner. I felt so welcome, even with Mitch telling literally everyone that I thought Blue was the barman and had an entire meeting with him about my future without realising. One of the boys put his arm around me. “Don’t be mean, Mitch” he said. “You’re embarrassing him.”

Mitch sniggered. “Sorry Aiden. I’m just having a bit of fun. You okay?”

I smiled. “Yeah” I said. “I’m really okay, you know? To be honest I was expecting some big boss man who was going to read me the riot act. I wasn’t expecting some cute young guy with sparkly eyes. From what you guys have told me he’s quite something.”

The boy who had his arm around me nodded vigorously. He launched into a long but fascinating tale about Blue’s life and how he got to be the boss. I was sure that the gathered boys and girls had heard the story a hundred times before, but this boy told it well and I was transfixed.

As he got to the end and the bit about Craig and Jaimie getting married, I sat back into the sofa, astounded. “Is that true?” I asked. It had been a good story but surely it was exaggerated.

“All true.” Came a woman’s voice. Everyone jumped. I looked up. There was a woman standing over us, very prim and proper.

All the boys and girls stood, so I did too. I figured she must be important, like Master Connor, and despite wanted to play it cool, I really wanted not to piss off anyone important and ruin my chances.

“Mistress Anrey” Mitch said. “Good evening”

“Good evening Mitch. All of you” she said. “I was looking for Aiden. I wonder if I might have a word. Mitch, why don’t you join us?” I expected to go to one side with this new character, but everyone else seemed to find they had somewhere else to be so we were left alone with her and the boy who had stuck up for me.

“Billy,” she said. “I supposed you might as well hear this this too, if Aiden doesn’t mind? You might even make yourself useful for a change.” The other boy nodded and grinned. I got the sense that this woman’s demeanour was all show. You get a sense of people when you live on the streets. She had a tough exterior, but she was definitely soft-centred.

“Aiden” she began. “I spoke with Blue after your meeting today.” Mitch sniggered and I kicked him as discreetly as I could. I thought I saw Mistress Anrey’s mouth begin to form a smile and I guessed she knew the story too, but from Blue’s side. The smile was gone as soon as I noticed it. “I understand, in summary, that you are interested in the prospect of joining our service personnel but that you are not certain you’d like it or be good at it. Is that right?”

I took a gulp. I had the barman’s words ringing in my ears. Tell them what you want and how you feel…… “Yes.” I said. “Exactly. I’m worried I’ll be rubbish and make you look bad. Or that I’ll hate it….. but….. but I like the idea of it, I think.” I said. I glanced at Mitch and he nodded at me. It felt good to say that out loud.

“Very well.” Mistress Anrey said. “Mitch, Billy, I wonder if you could help Aiden to understand what is required of our service personnel. You have tonight and tomorrow. On the day after I have scheduled a client for you. He’s a beta list client. These two can explain that to you. What you need to know is that he’s going to be easy to please. If you want to continue I’ll have two further clients from the beta list for the day after. How does that sound?”

Before I could answer, Mitch asked a question. “Mistress, do you know he’s probably a pink?”

The woman shot a withering look at Mitch. “Young man” she said. “I have been doing this since before you were born. He’s a pink, obviously, and there’s no probably about it.”

Mitch opened his mouth like a goldfish and Billy laughed openly. I smiled. I looked at Mistress Anrey. “Thank you, Mistress.” I said. “I appreciate what you are doing for me and I’m sorry if it’s any trouble.”

She put a hand on my arm and looked me directly in the eyes. “You sweet boy….. If you need anything…..” she said, then she stood and left and quickly as she’d arrived.

I turned to Mitch. “What’s a pink?” I asked.

Billy giggled. “I’m a pink!” He said. I obviously still looked confused because he turned around and stuck his ass out. “I like to go on the bottom. I like to take big cocks. As many of them as I can get!”

I blushed, then I laughed. Mitch laughed too. “I didn’t want to assume, but……”

“That’s okay.” I said. “I think I’m a pink.”

To be continued…..