A wave of dizziness overcame me, and I swayed but stayed upright.
This Toyota had been on its last leg for years, and now it was DOA.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my cell, lighting up the generic blue screen. Tears rushed to my eyes when I saw it, and I let them fall, disguised by the rain. Now wasn’t the time to feel sorry for myself.
I dialed 9-1-1 because I didn’t know who else to call, and I was suddenlyverytired. The line rang, and I looked up just as a car rushed past, swerving around my busted rig and spraying me with more water while they laid on the horn.
The operator came on the line and spoke into my ear, but I couldn’t make out their words. Another car appeared, the headlights so bright that spots swam before my eyes. I blinked, trying to clear them, but it didn’t work. In fact, it only made things worse.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” the voice on the line asked.
“I need help,” I rasped and then crumpled to the unforgiving ground.
CHAPTER
TWO
Kieran
My phone vibrated against the counter, and I abandoned what I was doing to read the text that had just come through.
Confirmation received.
Seconds later, my phone vibrated again. After swiping out of the message, I went into another app that required two fingerprints for verification. Once that was complete, I watched the numbers in my account rise by several million dollars.
Closing all the applications, I set aside the phone and went back to the steak I was cooking. I didn’t need to reply. I was paid for a job, not unnecessary chatter.
Once the sirloin was broiled to perfection, I plated it up with a side of roasted potatoes and sat at the counter with a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The TV was on behind me, but I barely glanced at it, instead enjoying my meal and the completion of another successful job.
If twenty-year-old me could see me now, he’d ask me why I sold out. I was a pompous little shit ten years ago. As I drained my wine, I smirked.
I didn’t sell out. I’m just for sale to the highest bidder.
I was idealistic at twenty, but now, at thirty, I was realistic. Which was why I was at home alone instead of celebrating with friends.
Friends. I didn’t have those. I didn’t want them. People were a disappointment and better left as acquaintances. Or one-night stands.
Pushing away my empty plate, I side-eyed my cell. It had been a while since I’d indulged in one of those. The job I’d just finished took longer than expected, and I hadn’t wanted any distractions. But it was over now, and with nothing on the books for a couple weeks, a fuck seemed like a damn good idea. I could go down to the club, find someone there, but I wasn’t in the mood for socialization. I wanted a body in my bed, not conversation.
After cleaning up my dinner mess, I carried my phone into the living room and sprawled on the couch. The old movie playing on the flatscreen cast light and shadows around the dim room. Scrolling through my apps, I came to the one I wanted and scoffed.
Heart2Heart.What a stupid name.As if people actually found love on there. People weren’t looking to connect with someone’s heart. They were looking for something more satisfying. Like dick.
Or maybe not. I guess that depended on their orientation.
I was gay, so my preferences were set to men.
Maybe some people needed the hope of finding love on an app like this, hence the romantic name. In my line of work, hope was for the weak. And name aside, the app was a good one. I’dbeen using it for several months since I’d heard about it and always found what I was looking for.
After loading it up, I searched for men near me and then went a step farther and narrowed it down to those currently online. A fair number of profiles came up, one of the many benefits of living in the city.
I scrolled through a few, dismissing them almost the second I saw them. For a man who just wanted to get off, I shouldn’t have been so picky, but now that I was on the prowl, I wanted something specific. I just wasn’t sure what it was yet. But I’d know it when I saw it.
A profile caught my eye—@mister_right_now—and it made me smirk. I took a moment to scroll through the album of photos he had saved. He had a nice body, lithe and defined. His nipples were pink, and his belly button was pierced. His hair was bleach blond and the pout he pulled in every photo was fake, but if I fucked him in the dark, I wouldn’t have to look at either.
My finger hovered over the message button, but before I could ask him if he was interested, a message notification flashed onto my screen. Curious, I tapped it, and the screen shifted into a private message.
@IntrovertedVibes: Hi. Are you available tonight?
