On Paper [mxm]

01.

Note: This is just a sample chapter. There could be some mistakes (such as names, as I've been switching them a few times). Would really love to hear what you think, who you want  as the cast and whether you think its worth continuing. Enjoy!

Outside of his computer, Paige Chandler was nothing. He was twenty-one, introverted and working in a bookstore. His social life was static and his experiences were, to put it politely, limited. On the other hand, when he sat down at his desk, went online and logged in as P.C. Roberts everything was glorious.

Writing was his ultimate escape. Through his characters, he'd been to countless places and done so many things. It was exciting to write and even better to know that other people loved it just as much as he did. When he first started posting his work, he didn't expect to receive the attention he'd gained. Now, he had a following and a decent fan base behind what had once been a day dream in his head.

His life inside of that online account never left the computer. He came to it in the evening and lost himself, but an escape was all it was supposed to be. He should have been over the moon when he'd received the email, ecstatic.

He was anything but that. Yet, now he was walking inside a coffee shop to go and talk to a publisher.

He'd googled to see if it was legit. It was. It was a publishing house – mostly romance. He'd seen a few of the covers on the websites at work, though he was always too afraid to actually pick them up. The man who'd emailed him – Rhys Graham – wanted to set up a meeting between them. He'd read his online stories and wanted to talk about working together for a new project.

Rhys was sat at the back of the cosy coffee shop. Paige had chosen this place specifically because if he was going to do this, he wanted to do it in a place he was comfortable in. The publisher had agreed and there he was. He sat at the back of the room at a two-seater table, typing away on his laptop.

He ordered his drink at the counter first – a hot chocolate, because he needed something sweet and comforting to help him get through this – before turning to go over. He hesitated in his approach but eventually forced one foot in front of the other. You can do this, he thought to himself, nearing the table. He stopped in front of the table but the busy man did not look up, concentrated.

Well, damn. The man was dressed in smart, dark clothing, though the skin that was bare was golden and tan. He looked a lot older than Paige, intimidating too, but he made his mouth water at bare sight. He had short black hair, a trimmed beard and dark blue eyes that could probably kill you with a stare.

"Mr Graham," Paige finally said, "I'm P.C. Roberts."

Rhys looked up, and there was a flicker of surprise on his sharp face. His eyes registered him, sliding up and down him, processing him. Or eyeing his prey, that's what it felt like. His dark brows knitted together and the look in his eyes was hard, but not cold. "Please," He began, nodding opposite him, "Take a seat."

Paige slid down onto the chair, his body tense and uncomfortable. Rhys intense stare remained on him and he could not bring his own to meet it. Instead, his eyes were glued to the table.

"I'll admit," Rhys said as he closed his laptop, "I wasn't expecting a man."

Paige forced a small smile, but it was weak and awkward. "I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear." Online, he'd never explicitly said whether he was a man or a woman – though most just assumed that P.C. Roberts was female because he wrote in the romance genre and he mostly wrote in a female's perspective. He didn't really give out any details at all. He just wrote.