2. Oscar
CHAPTER 2
OSCAR
“You’ve got to get rid of him, Oscar.”
Oscar pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. Claire, his finance director, was right, but what could he do? His hands were tied. And now his mind was wandering to inappropriate places. God, he needed to get laid.
“What’s he done this time?” he asked, focussing back on the meeting.
“Told Jefferson to fuck off.”
“He did what?”
Jefferson was one of his biggest clients. Four years ago, he’d decided not to join his father’s business, but he’d needed investors to get started. He was determined not to use his trust fund. Paul Jefferson was one of those people who’d believed in him from the start. Yes, he’d probably done it to get one over on Oscar’s dad – those men hated each other with a passion – but since then, they had both made a lot of money.
“Do I need to call Paul to sort this out?” he asked.
“No, I dealt with it. You’re lucky he thinks the sun shines out your arse, but he doesn’t want to deal with Barty anymore. We’ll need to give the account to someone else.”
“I’ll take it.”
“You’re the CEO. You’re supposed to be doing CEO thingies, not managing accounts.”
“CEO thingies?”
“I don’t know what you do,” she said with a laugh.
“Hilarious. It’ll just be temporary until I get someone else in.”
“Great, so you’ll fire him.”
“You know I can’t. Just tell Amanda to contact one of the search firms to get a new portfolio manager.”
“We don’t have the budget.”
“This is me you’re talking to.”
She snorted. “Fair. Did you want to see Barty?”
“Not today. I’ll end up saying something I regret. Can you ask Josh to come in?”
“Sure. You okay, boss?”
“Why are you calling me boss?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“It felt like a boss moment.”
He rolled his eyes, causing Claire to laugh.
“I’ll be fine, but I think I need a conversation with my mother.”
“Good luck with that,” she said as she stood up. “If I don’t see you before, have a good weekend. Try to have some fun.”
“What’s that?”
“You know, that thing you do with other men, usually when you’re both –”
“Let me stop you right there. We’re not having this conversation.”
She walked out laughing.
Oscar leant back in his chair, closing his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on. Thank fuck it was Friday. This week needed to be over with.
The sound of Josh clearing his throat startled him. He opened his eyes to see his immaculately dressed executive assistant, standing there poised, with his tablet and stylus. Oscar had definitely been born in the wrong generation. Pen and paper would always be superior for note taking.
“You asked to see me, sir.”
“We’ve had this conversation a million times, Josh. Please don’t call me sir. It makes me feel old.”
“I’m just being respectful of your position... sir... erm... Mr Montgomery.”
“And that is what my father’s called. Everyone else calls me Oscar. Now, have a seat. I need you to clear the afternoon for me. I’m going to head off after lunch. Is there anything I can’t move?”
“Your coffee date with Mr Gardiner.”
“Oh fuck, I forgot about that.”
Another well-bred man his mother had set him up with. She was determined to marry him off before he turned thirty, which was only a few months away. If he was still single when he hit the milestone, it would be a social faux pas, apparently. She was relentless, and if he cancelled the coffee date, he would never hear the end of it.
He loved his mother, she’d been incredibly supportive when he came out after university, but he’d never been close to his father. The man was away a lot on business, and when Oscar had said he didn’t want to join his firm, the distance between them had only gotten wider. But despite being cold and distant, he’d been nothing but supportive when Oscar had come out. Probably his mother’s doing, though he’d take it after hearing the horror stories that had befallen others, including Gregory Balfour. Oscar just wished his mother’s support didn’t spill over into wanting to pimp him out to as many well-connected families as she could.
“What time is the meeting?”
“You mean date.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Three o’clock.”
“Would it be acceptable for me to leave after thirty minutes?”
Oscar saw Josh’s lip twitch as he suppressed a smile.
“I think your mother may be dissatisfied with that outcome.”
He chuckled. That was putting it mildly.
They went through the rest of his diary, and decided he could move everything else out to next week. Then while Josh popped out to grab him a sandwich, Oscar called Jefferson to share that he would now look after his portfolio. He was delighted at the special treatment he was getting from the CEO. Claire was right, in that it wasn’t a long-term solution, but until they had someone new, there weren’t any other options.
He’d worked tirelessly to build up his private equity firm. There was a lot of competition in London, and he’d struggled at first to find investors willing to take a chance on a newbie. His father had a strong reputation in the city, but Oscar had been adamant about not riding on his coattails. Of course, his father had given him the talk of doom when he started the business, but now it was successful he kept trying to interfere, and had even offered to sit on his board of directors. He’d declined the offer, which only further widened the rift between them.
Laurence Gardiner looked like he was on the wrong side of forty. Oscar preferred guys his own age, although he wasn’t opposed to someone older. His mother probably just assumed he was after an older guy, given that all the dates she’d arranged with men in their twenties had been a disaster.
Laurence was dressed in a suit, as was Oscar, and they were meeting in Spitalfields, near Oscar’s office. He wasn’t sure where Laurence worked, but he was a lawyer and partner in his own firm, so probably in the city as well. He vaguely remembered his mother saying Laurence lived in Mayfair, so the guy clearly had money. For Oscar, wealth was the biggest turn off.
Laurence gave Oscar an appreciative look up and down, which lingered long enough that it felt slightly creepy. Oscar knew he attracted attention. He’d always been broad given how much sport he’d played at school, but he had a rigorous workout routine to keep himself in top condition. Being six feet seven, his size intimidated people. The fact he’d run away screaming if he saw a spider in the shower was proof you should never judge a book by its cover, though. From the heated look in Laurence’s eyes, he was clearly interested. The guy oozed confidence, which was never a bad thing unless it veered into arrogance.
“Oscar, it’s wonderful to finally meet you.”
They kissed each other on both cheeks. It was how posh gays greeted each other, even if they were strangers. His mother had raised him to have manners.
“Shall we?” Laurence asked
He held open the door of the pretentious coffee shop – which was probably frequented by yummy mummies who’d never worked a day in their life – and Oscar smiled and walked inside. The warmth was welcome, given the mild chill outside. Summer was officially over, but then, you typically only got about two weeks of it in England before it started raining again. At least it was dry today.
They ordered their coffees. Of course Laurence had an oat-milk flat white. Could he be any more of a cliché? Oscar was going to have to play nice to keep his mother happy, but he’d known the second he met Laurence that there was zero chemistry between them. For Oscar, it was an instant thing. You just knew if you were going to click with someone, whether it be for a night of fun, or the potential for something more. He wasn’t against the idea of a relationship, but he was still in his twenties and running a business. If he met someone by chance, he’d be open to it, but this constant merry-go-round of future-husband-hunting dates was putting him off the idea completely.
Laurence chose a table in the corner, away from the other customers. It wasn’t a big place, and there weren’t many customers at this time of day on a Friday. They made small talk until their coffees were brought over – the journey and weather were always safe options. Oscar was a philistine with coffee, and preferred it from a chain where he knew what he was getting. There was nothing worse than bitter coffee or burnt milk. He was hopeful they couldn’t fuck up a cappuccino, but you never knew. The server delivered their drinks, and the first sip dissipated Oscar’s concerns.
“How’s business?” asked Laurence.
Ooh, sexy talk! “Can’t complain.”
“I guess there’s always wealth to exploit if you know where to find it.”
“The same could be said for the law,” he snapped back, without thinking.
Laurence chuckled, his eyes sparkling. “Feisty thing, aren’t you? I like that. Are you always such a bad boy, Oscar?”
Of course, that was the exact moment he was drinking his coffee, and he spluttered. Did he just say that?
“Don’t worry, I’ll soon pull you into line.”
Oscar could feel his face heating, and couldn’t help but glance around, hoping nobody else could hear what Laurence was saying. They’d literally just met. Was he giving off some vibe, or had his mother said something? No, that wasn’t possible. He had a close relationship with her, but there were still boundaries.
“I can see you like what I’m saying. I can always spot someone who likes to give up control.”
For one of only a few times in his life, Oscar was genuinely speechless. He took another sip of his drink so he had a reason for not replying, and Laurence leaned forward. He was whispering, but there was a commanding edge to his tone.
“How about we go back to my place so I can test those limits of yours? I think we’ll be very compatible.”
This could not be happening. His mother has set him up with a Dom. Did she think that’s what he wanted? There was no way she could know about all that. Although when he’d first come out there had been some awkward conversations as she’d been researching things on the internet so she could be supportive. It was sweet and terrifying at the same time.
Laurence was giving Oscar a heated look. He knew this man would know what he was doing in the bedroom, but he had no desire to find out. It was time to call this date to a close.
“I don’t think this is going to work out,” said Oscar, standing up.
“Interesting. You never struck me as the shy type, Oscar. I saw you as a man who knew what he wanted and took it. Isn’t that why you’ve been so successful in business? I must say, it’s admirable that you’ve built Montgomery Equity on your own. I wrongly assumed you were equally assertive about sexual matters.”
“I’m fine in that department. Thank you.”
“ Fine . Interesting choice of word. Trust me, when I’m done with you, you won’t be fine. You’ll be begging for more.”
“I’m just gonna go,” he said, before practically running from the place.
What the fuck had just happened? One minute they were talking about business, the next he was contemplating what Laurence could do to him. He wasn’t even attracted to him physically, but the things he said spoke to him on a subconscious level.
The last thing he wanted to do was go back to the office, and he wasn’t going to speak to his mother... not until he’d thought about what he wanted to say. Did she know Laurence was going to proposition her son within five minutes of their meeting? She’d set him up on some disastrous dates, but this was a new experience he hopec he never had to repeat. Oscar needed to get home and unwind, but knew he’d be restless. There had to be somewhere he could go to let off some steam.
The club was heaving. Wall to wall, topless Muscle Mary’s and their geeky admirers. He’d only been to the Nerds and Jocks night once before, and never on his own. In fact, he’d never been into a bar or club on his own before. There was always someone with him – usually his bestie, Abby, who would complain about how it was unfair to be surrounded by so many gorgeous men yet none of them wanted to fuck her.
Oscar just needed to find a body for some tension relief. A smaller body than his, which wouldn’t be difficult to find. He even towered over the muscle queens, although they didn’t interest him. There were plenty of geeks giving him the eye, but he knew they weren’t offering what he needed.
It wasn’t a big venue, with probably two hundred people at most inside, and it was five deep at the bar. A quick circuit to check out the talent, and he pushed through the crowd to get a drink. One advantage of being built like a brick shithouse was people got out of your way.
As he edged closer to the bar, he got a glimpse of the back of someone’s head... who looked familiar. But there was no way it could be him. Why would he be here? Oscar looked to the right of the guy who’d grabbed his attention, and smiled; that explained it.
There was an opening at the bar, so Oscar used his bulk to occupy the space, which resulted in a few twinky pouts and fluttering eyelashes. They could look all they wanted, but Oscar had his eyes on a particular man. Oscar grabbed the barman’s attention, who gave him a nod before coming over.
“Large vodka and diet Coke,” he said. “Gregory, what can I get you?”
Gregory Balfour spun round with a confused expression on his face, but once he saw it was Oscar, he glared. The guy was so adorable, and he didn’t even realise it.
“We can get our own drinks, thank you.”
“Like fuck. We’ve been waiting ten minutes,” said Jason.
Oscar knew Gregory’s friend, although to be fair, most of Soho knew who Jason was. Oscar had never been there, but he knew some of his friends had. The guy got around, but each to their own. Gregory was more of a puzzle, and one Oscar wanted to solve.
“Vodka, lime and soda for me, and a whisky and Coke with no ice for this one,” said Jason, motioning to Gregory with his head.
Oscar didn’t wait for a response from Gregory as he put the order in. The barman quickly made their drinks. Before Gregory could say anything, Oscar tapped his card to pay and passed Jason his drink, then picked up his own and Gregory’s before motioning for him to follow. Oscar wasn’t sure if he would.
“What are you doing here, Oscar?” asked Gregory.
“The same as you, I’m sure. Looking for a bit of tension relief after a hard week.”
Gregory flushed before his glare was back again. He took his drink and mumbled a thank you. Even when he was pissed off, Gregory was still polite. They came from the same breeding.
“We are nothing alike.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Gregory. I think we could help each other out.”
He’d always flirted and gotten nowhere with Gregory. He knew tonight would not be any different.
“I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire,” he snapped.
Why had that given Oscar a semi? He wasn’t even into that. There had always been something about Gregory which appealed, which is why he enjoyed winding him up. When he got all grouchy, it made Oscar’s body tingle all over.
“Where did Jason go?” he asked, trying to keep Gregory talking.
“He had his eye on someone.”
Oscar chuckled. “Let me guess. Some guy in his forties with muscles.”
Gregory smirked and then hid it by taking a sip of his drink.
“Was that a smile from Gregory Balfour?”
“Isn’t there someone else you can talk to?” he snapped.
“No. I’m having too much fun talking to you.”
“Well, the feeling is not mutual.”
Oscar couldn’t help but laugh. He might not get laid tonight, but a bit of verbal sparring with Gregory always cheered him up. They had been such close friends when they were kids. In secondary school Oscar had realised he was gay but stayed deep in the closet. Gregory wasn’t out either, probably because he knew how his parents would react, but people made assumptions. He was bullied for it, as well as for being a geek. Oscar was ashamed he’d been one of the people to give Gregory a hard time, but he’d been so terrified of anyone finding out about him. His life at school would have been unbearable. It was no excuse for his behaviour, but he’d been a stupid kid and had regretted it ever since.
He’d apologised several times, but all Gregory had done each time was say “okay” and nothing else. Yet there was still this tension between them. Oscar would prefer a different type of tension from Gregory. As they’d hit their teenage years, Oscar had become more attracted to him, which was another reason he’d kept his distance and hung out with the popular boys.
Most people weren’t wearing many clothes in the club. Oscar was wearing jeans and a tight white T-shirt – something which had been in style since the eighties, he’d been told – and Gregory had on a shirt that was buttoned to the neck. His black-rimmed glasses framed his emerald-green eyes, which had always mesmerised Oscar. To put it bluntly, Gregory Balfour was hot as fuck, and ticked all of Oscar’s boxes. He had an inkling there would be more than fireworks in the bedroom and that Gregory was one of those dynamos in the sack. He’d had many a fantasy as a teenager, but he knew nothing would ever happen between them. All he could do now was tease the man, which he intended to do more of. You had to get your entertainment somewhere.
“Do you want to come back to my place?” asked Oscar.
Gregory’s eyes widened for a second before the scowl was back. He took a sip of his drink, not breaking eye contact. Those green eyes had a hardness to them. Why was that such a turn on?
“I’d have fun taking you apart,” he added, just to see how far he could push it.
Gregory reacted too fast for Oscar to do anything as a whisky and Coke was flung into his face. They attracted a few looks, but it didn’t last long. People were too busy with their own business – one of the advantages of London. Add in the fact that the men in this place were only thinking about dick, nobody gave them a second look.
Before Oscar could say anything, Gregory leaned forward to speak into his ear.
“It’s never going to happen. But just so you know, it would be me taking you apart.”
Oscar’s mouth went dry, his cock plumped, and his face felt like it was on fire. The last thing he saw was a smug grin from Gregory Balfour before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.