Fourteen Days in February

Sugar Daddy, Sugar Baby

Dan always liked the idea of being someone's sugar baby but never had the guts to find himself a daddy, until now.

Though he was fully capable of paying his own tuition and working a "respectable" job, Dan wanted more. He wanted to be spoiled and pampered by an older male who he could call "Daddy."

Dan started looking into it after watching an episode of MTV's True Life. He was young, attractive, polite, and willing to serve another person. He specifically wanted a male, knowing full well that sugar mamas existed. Truth be told, Dan was much more attracted to men, despite what others believed. It was not was not exactly a secret that his sexuality was complicated, though his parents in particular, hoped for a tendency toward females.

Dan was drawn to older males who had made their own way. He liked their independence, their confidence. At only 19, Dan was neither fully independent or confident.

An online search led him to a Sugar Baby/ Sugar Daddy Matchmaker Party at a bar in the city. It did not specify male or female babies, so Dan made a plan to show. He told no one.

On the night of the gathering, Dan took extra time to straighten his dark, curly hair. He went over it twice, convinced that his natural curls would not win him any attention. He wore skinny jeans, a studded belt, and a black button-up shirt, though he left the collar open. He applied lip balm to his full, pink lips, and wore his sexiest aftershave by Gucci.

Dan knew that people liked his smile. It was the compliment that he received most often. He decided that he would smile a lot and relax with a drink or two.

He arrived thirty minutes into the gathering, and he could see that potential matches were already being made. There was an even mix of Mamas and Daddies, though mostly young women turned out to be babies.

Dan decided to start with a drink. He ordered a Gin and Tonic and sat back to assess the room. The men wore suits, but for a few, and the women dressed classily in mostly skirts. Dan spotted two other young men, approximately his age. One wore inexplicably tight jeans and a tank top, and the other wore an oversized jumper and trousers. Dan wondered if they were looking for a mama or a daddy.

One man in particular caught Dan's eye. He was speaking with a hopeful young lady, who appeared to be auditioning. Dan cringed.

The man was tall, slim, and devastatingly handsome. He was well groomed, with black hair and piercing blue eyes. Dan noticed his smile straight away. He had nice teeth and beautiful, creamy skin.

Dan wasn't one to wait for things to happen, so he collected his drink and walked up behind the girl, who incidentally, failed to hold the man's interest. She smiled feebly and moved on just in time for Dan to make his move.

The man seemed almost relieved to see him, though Dan couldn't tell if it was because he liked what he saw or because he was finally rid of the girl.

"So, are you here to find yourself a baby or did you just wander in here by accident like I did?" Dan made eye contact and laughed.

The man laughed too, clearly not expecting humor.

"Is that what's going on in here? I thought I was crashing a Bar Mitzvah." The man smiled at Dan. "Phil Lester." He held out his right hand.

"Dan...Daniel Howell." He smiled and felt a pang of something previously unknown to him. A shiver maybe?

"Can I buy you a drink? Yours looks almost empty." Phil nodded toward the watery glass in his hand. Dan looked down with surprise. He must have had more than he realized.

"Sure, thanks." Dan smiled, though he didn't have to remind himself to show off his dimples; they appeared naturally.

"Follow me." Phil walked confidently to the bar and gestured to the high-top stool to his right.