Chapter 6 - Awkward Questions & Requests
What could Julian be texting him about on a Saturday afternoon? His next session was already arranged for Tuesday; it was in his diary, he knew it was.
Fuuuuuck.
This felt ominous.
Please God, don’t end our arrangement.
Callum would be devastated if he was getting the brush-off. He immediately felt hot from head to toe. Maybe the touching had been too much, and he’d decided to end their sessions?
“Hey, handsome,” and a familiar voice broke Callum from his thoughts as Sophia chose that exact moment to arrive, kissing him on the cheek, before sliding into the chair into the chair opposite.
“Cal, you look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something. Is everything okay?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin, but first I need to read this WhatsApp message from Julian,” he said quietly. “This is the guy I’m bringing you up to date about today”.
“Ahhh,” said Sophia, rolling her eyes. “Yes, this businessman client you keep messaging me about. What do you think the message is?” She had some idea of all that had gone on, but this lunch was to bring her up to date on their last training session.
Callum and Sophia had flat-shared for several years when he was in college and she was at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
She’d done well since and now owned a boutique downtown, her own atelier, where she designed custom gowns and suits for the rich and famous.
She’d had some quite high-profile clients, and the business was doing well.
Sophia had even dragged Callum along as her ‘plus one’ to several high-society events.
Despite spending most of his life in sweatpants, he did scrub up well.
Callum was still in a state of shock, as he blankly handed the phone to her. “Can you read it, please, I think I’m going to either pass out or vomit. I don’t want him to end our sessions.”
Sophia took the phone and unlocked it, knowing his PIN was four-five-zero-seven, the flat number they shared. Callum was a creature of habit.
Callum put his hands over his face, feeling quite ill, as Sophia went into his WhatsApp to read the message. Callum couldn’t see her, expecting her to read out the message. When she didn’t immediately, he moved his hands and peeked to see what she was doing.
Sophia was looking quizzically at the phone.
“Sophia, hello… what does the message say?”
She read it out:-
Client: Julian: Good afternoon trainer on this fine Saturday. What exactly did you mean to text me at 4:15 am this morning?
It took a moment to sink in.
“I never texted him this morning. I was going to do it in the Uber, I mean I opened a chat, but then… I… didn’t… I’m sure I put my phone back in my pocket”.
Sophia started laughing and handed the phone back to Callum for him to see.
He had, in fact, texted Julian at 4:15 am, with a really important message.
The message read:-
Callum: Vmmfkgkgblg lklkjihjkjm,m,m, kjjhjhgfdvj mhjk klkjmnhhunmkiujkloij,mnm kjkjkmkijn jhnmkjnmkmnm bnjkl;km,lkjklk
He’d clearly sent Julian a lovely long pocket-dial message, full of absolute garbage.
His face was burning. “Fuuuuck,” he exclaimed, way too loudly in a public place. The couple at the table next door frowned at him with a disapproving look.
“Ssssshhhhh” said Sophia, “calm down. It’s a simple mistake anyone could make. You went out, you got drunk, you made a mistake. Could happen to any of us. Just reply and say that, and I’m sure he’ll understand, this ‘Client Newman’. Does he actually have a first name, by the way?”
“Yes, he does. It’s Julian,” said Callum curtly.
“But why would I have a new chat open with him at 4 a.m.? He probably thinks it was some booty call situation? How on earth do I explain that?” He took a deep breath.
“I’m not going to reply. I’ll do it later, when I’ve had time to think about what to say. ”
“Alcohol can do marvellous things; we know this, my dear. Speaking of which…” She called the waiter over and ordered champagne. “I need details Cal; tell me all the juicy gossip about Mr Julian Newman.”
Callum started with the backstory, filling in the gaps between what he’d texted her and what had happened. Their fizz took too long to come, so by the time it did, he’d updated Sophia on the history of their sessions so far, including the shirt, the bathroom, everything.
“You stole his vest? Are you crazy? What if he’d caught you? Sophia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I know, I know. It was stupid. I wasn’t thinking rationally,” Callum said, dejected. The thought of losing the financial income, but also more importantly, not seeing Julian, was now playing heavily on his mind. He wasn’t sure which mattered most.
While the champagne was poured they also ordered food and raised their glasses to ‘the unexpected’.
“Why do you think he was so freaked out about the harness and shorts? Do you think he’s a bit of a prude or what?” Sophia was curious.
“I don’t know, but I’ve thought about it a lot myself. I think he was just shocked. I wonder if he’d assumed the sort of person I was and this maybe opened his eyes?”
“How much do you really know about this guy Cal? Do you trust him?” She seemed genuinely concerned.
Callum was about to answer her, but his phone pinged with another WhatsApp message. He read it.
Client Newman: I haven’t been able to focus all morning, so I’ve moved some meetings around. I need your services. Any chance of an afternoon session today please – around 4 p.m.?
Callum checked his watch; it was already 2:30 p.m.
“Now he wants a session at 4 p.m. at the office!” he panicked, his eyes darting around as if a solution would manifest in the greenery and diners of the bistro.
“Soph, I don't have my gym kit. I'm in jeans and a sweater and we just ordered food.
I don't have time to go home or even swing by my locker at the gym.”
The thought of turning Julian down made him feel physically ill, but showing up unprepared felt like professional suicide.
Then, a reckless spark lit up his brown eyes.
“I’m going,” Callum said, his voice dropping an octave.
“I’ll just have to work out in my underwear.
” Callum pulled his jeans away from his body to check.
“I've got a pair of black trunks on underneath these. They’re neutral, much like sportswear. It's the only way.” He hesitated for a moment, brought his hand up to his lips. Could he really do this? Did he have the balls? “I’m doing it,” he said decisively.
Sophia nearly choked on her champagne, a slow, predatory grin spreading across her face.
She looked Callum up and down, taking in his broad shoulders and the sheer physicality he couldn't hide even in casual clothes.
“Honey,” she purred, “if the sight of you training him in nothing but your underwear doesn't get that man to break his rigid exterior, then I’d officially give up. Go-Melt-The-Fucking-Iceberg!” She emphasised each word by tapping her glass with a manicured fingernail.
With trembling thumbs, Callum typed his response:-
Callum: I can make 4 pm work. See you then.
They finished their lunch in a blur of excited nerves.
Callum hugged Sophia tightly, feeling the weight of the afternoon ahead, before turning toward the subway.
He wasn't just heading to a training session; he was heading into the =Titan’s den, and he was going to be spectacularly, intentionally, underdressed for the occasion.
The thought alone gave him a semi in his tight jeans.