Yeah it is. Julien peels off the nomex shirt with difficulty and tosses it onto the floor. “I should shower first.” And openhimself up. “Wanna send me your room number? I can swing by afterwards?”
“I have a shower.” Rafael shamelessly watches as Julien strips. “Pretty good one too. Not sure what your room situation is like, but?—”
Yeah, Rafael’s place is probably much nicer.
“Got it.”
“Want to get dinner beforehand? There’s a nice sushi place in the hotel. They’ll let us sneak through the back door.”
Julien chuckles, but the Brazilian remains stoic. “Oh, you’re serious? Oh man,no!We can eat after, but you don’t want to givethisback door a bunch of Japanese food before you get acquainted with it.”
He wants Rafael to keep helping him during race weekends, not be turned off from anal for the rest of his life.
Once Julien’s in his team kit again, they head out. Rafael gives him a play-by-play of the other fights that happened throughout the field and, for the first time since before the race, Julien feels unburdened.
Rafael’s hotel shower is one of those stupid rainfall ones that rich people only pretend to like. There’s no place for Julien’s head to escape the spray while he shoves fingers up his ass. It’s a bit like being waterboarded.
The body wash smells like cedar, though, and he much prefers that over old, dry champagne.
“Feel better?” Rafael stands when a towel-clad Julien wanders out into the living room. He looks at home amongst the white leather couches and gilded side tables with fresh cut flowers in crystal vases.
Julien, on the other hand, feels like a fish out of water. “Smell better, at least.” His hair drips to the wooden floor, and he pushes it back, out of his face.
Rafael watches the movement and his eyes trail down, over Julien’s uncovered body. He looks hungry, though he watched the reserve driver change just an hour before. “Drink? Pretty sure it’s sake.”
“Sounds good.”
Julien accepts the small bottle and sips slowly. It’s strong enough to taste the alcohol, which is probably a good idea. Anything to calm his thudding heartbeat.
“Nervous?”
“Not really,” Julien lies. “It’s been a while since I’ve had penetrative sex, though.”
“Yeah, me too. Months, I think?” Well, obviously. The man only recently got permission to move his arm again. “Even longer since I’ve been with someone I know.”
“When were you last with a man?”
Rafael laughs, though it’s a reasonable enough question. “Well, there was the blowjob in China and the handjob in Australia.”
Alright, wise guy. “I was there for those, yeah. Before me?”
“None.” Rafael shrugs. “I didn’t really consider men until last year. After it didn’t work out with that guy, I broke my collarbone.”
Oh no.
“You’veneverhad sex with a man?”
“I told you I hadn’t when we did the blowjob thing.”
“You said you hadn’t received a blowjob from one, not—” Oh no no no. “You’ve never doneanythingwith another man until me? Are you straight?!”
“Uh… I don’t think so? I mean—” Rafael’s gaze dips down and back up again. “Not entirely, at least. You look good like that.”
“Holy fuck.”
“What’s the problem? I’ve done anal with women.” That’s not the same thing. “It’s basically the same thing.”
“Except there’s another dick and balls in the equation!” This was a horrible idea. Their whole agreement was a horrible idea.
