Later that evening, at the close of work, Lucian began walking home just as he had walked in the morning.
He still hadn't gotten any money. His first paycheck wouldn't come until the end of the month, and the end of the month felt impossibly far away when his stomach was already complaining.
He was tired after the long day. Riley had taken her time to get him acquainted with exactly how he would be working for the insatiable, cold, emotionless CEO. He would be starting work properly tomorrow, and the thought both excited and exhausted him.
Lucian had learned nothing today other than the fact that Rowan Donovan was a very cold, ruthless CEO who fired employees for just breathing too loudly.
He had learned that Rowan was emotionless, picky and completely impossible to please.
"What a man!" Lucian had bemused, so perplexed by all of it.
He had never met anybody like that-someone so determined to keep the world at arm's length. And he was especially perplexed by the fact that Rowan hadn't seemed like that person last night on the bus. The man who had cried on his shoulder had been vulnerable and seemed broken.
Now, apparently, he was a monster.
Riley had spent the entire working hours just teaching him how to be the personal assistant that Rowan Donovan wanted. She would attend to Rowan's needs when called, then return to her lessons with Lucian.
Through her explanations, Lucian had learned that Rowan was cocky. According to the secretary, Rowan Donovan possessed all the bad behaviors in the world and working for him was a special kind of torture.
Lucian shook his head as he thought about it, walking through the city streets with the evening lights illuminating the environment.
At that moment, he was passing by a club. Or rather, a hotel with a club inside. The kind of place that catered to people looking for a good time, no questions asked.
Lucian stood still when he saw it, his feet stopping automatically. He looked at the building longingly, his eyes taking in the neon lights, the music thumping faintly from inside, the people laughing and stumbling in and out.
He wanted to enjoy himself so badly. He wanted to celebrate getting the job and to feel alive instead of exhausted and broke.
But he didn't have any money for that.
As he stood there elegantly, hands in his pockets, a gorgeous young man in a skimpy outfit stepped outside. A cigarette dangled from his mouth, smoke curling lazily into the evening air.
The man saw Lucian immediately and his face lit up with recognition.
"Lucian!" the man called out, his voice warm and teasing.
Lucian smiled. "Gum."
Gum was his nickname-something to do with how he stuck around once he liked someone. He was young, probably early twenties, with a body that was all smooth skin and deliberate curves. He made his living entertaining clients at the club, and he was very good at it.
Lucian had spent the first whole week when he'd first arrived in the city in that club, just flexing and enjoying his life. That was where he'd spent half of the money he'd brought with him to the city.
Gum winked at him, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Have you come to spend money on me again, handsome?"
Lucian's smile turned sad. He shook his head.
"I have no money to spend. Even though I have something to celebrate today." He divulged.
"Oh?" Gum's eyebrows shot up. "What are we celebrating?"
"I got a job," Lucian said simply.
Gum's face brightened immediately.
"A job! That's amazing!" Then he paused, tilting his head. "But you said you have no money?"
"First paycheck is at the end of the month," Lucian explained.
Gum waved his hand dismissively, like money was the least important thing in the world.
"Don't worry about that. Come inside. I'll help you celebrate."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Without money? How does that work?"
Gum took a drag from his cigarette, then flicked it away. He stepped closer to Lucian, his voice dropping to something playful and inviting.
"I'm feeling bored tonight anyway. And a hot guy like you? You can take care of my boredom just fine."
Lucian's smile returned, super bright this time, his eyes twinkling with excitement. "You sure?"
"Absolutely," Gum said, grabbing Lucian's hand. "Come on. Let's have some fun."
Lucian let himself be led inside. The club was dim, the music low and pulsing, the kind that vibrated in your chest. The air smelled like smoke and alcohol and expensive perfume.
Gum led him to a private room-one of the smaller ones, but still comfortable. A bed dominated the space, covered in dark sheets.
The moment they got inside, Gum pushed Lucian toward the bed.
"Eager, aren't we?" Lucian sat down, his eyebrows raising in amusement.
Gum didn't answer with words. Instead, he moved to the center of the room, his body swaying to the low music playing in the background.
Then he started dancing.
It was slow at first, his hips moving in smooth, hypnotic circles. His hands traveled up his own body, tracing the lines of his torso, his chest, his neck. His eyes never left Lucian's face, watching for every reaction.
Then he began stripping.
His skimpy shirt came off first, revealing smooth skin and a toned body that caught the light perfectly. Then his pants, sliding down slowly, teasingly, until he was left in almost nothing.
"Oh, wow..." Lucian gasped, his breath catching in his throat. Heat flooded through him instantly, his body responding before his mind could catch up.
Gum's lips curved into a smile, satisfied with the reaction. He moved closer, his body still swaying, his hands reaching out to trace Lucian's jawline.
"Relax, handsome. Let me take care of you tonight." Gum whispered, his voice low and sultry.
Then Lucian's eyes blinked as he remembered something important.
"Are you sure we should start? You know how I can be when..." Lucian was saying, his eyes holding concern but Gum cut him short.
"I know. I told you I'm bored tonight. I need someone like you to get rid of that boredom." Gum said and he leaned closer, his lips mere inches away from Lucian's lips with his hot breath fanning his face.
"Okayyyy..." Lucian drew out the word with that infamous twinkle of his in his eyes and relaxed.
It was going to be a very, very, very long night...