La Luna (BoyxBoy)

The First Night

Cyl and a dozen or so of his colleagues waited nervously in La Luna's main foyer, eyes on Satzki as he beamed proudly at them and began to hand out hotel room keys much like the ones their patrons kept around their necks.

"You'll have one hour to prepare anything you need before the others make their way upstairs," he was saying as Cyl took his key and pocketed it. "There are comfier clothes for you to change into in your rooms. You can keep your suit on if you prefer, but they are quite difficult to clean." Satzki widened his eyes as he said the last word; as if he were daring the others to make him pay for extra dry cleaning.

Glancing down, Cyl read the words 'Venus Suite' printed on his key in gold cursive letters.

"If you decide to shower," Satzki continued. "I recommend reapplying your cologne. Also, if anyone is nervous, or worried they can't perform, come and see me." His mouth twitched with the tiniest of smirks as he pulled a small metal container out of his pocket and rattled it.

Cyl's eyes scanned the foyer, desperately searching for a familiar face. There were a few Hearts he recognised from their photoshoot; but he'd never actually spoken to any of them. The only truly familiar face was the young man Gear had been speaking to at the bar, but it wasn't as though they'd actually been introduced.

The only thing left to do was to head upstairs. As Cyl made his way toward the elevators he caught a small figure approaching Satzki out of the corner of his eye. Cyl remembered seeing the same mess of fluffy chestnut hair with the other Hearts, though he'd never caught the man's name. The petite brunette glanced around nervously before whispering something to Satzki, who popped open his metal container, though Cyl was too far away to see what was inside.

The elevator doors closed as Cyl scanned his key, opening seconds later to the familiar selection of themed suites. Unlocking his assigned door, Cyl felt his throat tighten at the lavish setup. Large tea lights designed to look like real candles were placed throughout the room, adding a warm glow to the puce walls. White Roman columns stretched up to the high ceiling, surrounding a large heart-shaped jacuzzi that had already been filled with steaming water and a variety of rose petals. A massive dark window took up the majority of the far wall, offering a stunning view of the city Cyl hadn't seen in weeks.

A chill ran down Cyl's spine as he pried his gaze away from the room, refusing to look at the bed entirely, and moved into the en suite bathroom. The bright light on the white and gold marble was a harsh but welcome contrast to the rest of the room. It allowed him to think; to strategise.

Satzki had said there would be clothes for him to change into, but all that hung on the back of the bathroom door was a simple white bathrobe with a small red heart embroidered on one side of the chest. Surely that wasn't what he'd meant -- or was it?

Cyl loosened his tie and reached for the robe, his mouth dry as the realisation of exactly what he'd signed up for hit him like a ton of bricks. They'd been so careful to introduce his colleagues slowly, to give them time to settle in and have fun, to buddy them up and make them feel safe, that he hadn't truly prepared himself for what his job actually entailed. He suddenly regretted not going to Satzki like the small brunette had.

Tightening the robe around himself, Cyl headed back out to the main room, finally forcing himself to confront the king-sized bed. He ran his hand along the thick satin covers, up to the velvet throw pillows whose dark purple shades stood out against the pinks and reds of the rest of the room. The dark wood of the nightstand was carved ornately, the elegance of the piece of furniture stunted by the fact that the drawers were filled with boxes of condoms and bottles of lubricant. Cyl closed the drawer quickly and moved toward the window, finding calm in the twinkling neon lights of the city.