Prologue
“Come in, gentlemen, please.I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
The doctor held the door for the two men who walked into his office from the plush waiting room.They both towered over him, although at five foot eleven he’d never thought of himself as short.They wouldn’t have struck him at first glance as either gay or a couple, and as his speciality was relationship counselling for gay men, he considered himself something of an expert.One of the men was incredibly striking: scarred with an aggressive, impatient air about him.Dressed in what the doctor immediately recognised as bespoke tailoring, he appeared the more dominant, coming through the door without apparently considering allowing his partner through first.He chose and took a seat without being asked, which in the doctor’s view wasunusual in these circumstances.
The second man was extraordinarily beautiful.It was the only way anyone could describe him.He had wide-set green eyes in a smooth face with cheekbones that drew the gaze, until he smiled, and then that was the only place you could look.The doctor was something of an expert on gay men—his job rather led to this expertise—but he’d never had a man so attractive in his office before.He shook himself slightly and noted more professionally that this man was some years younger than his partner and was dressed in ripped jeans and an old T-shirt that had clearly seen many washes.He was vaguely familiar, as were a lot of the doctor’s clients.Again, this went with the territory, given he ran, amongst other things, a counselling service for men in sexual crisis from one of the smartest addresses in London—he had a lot of celebrity clients.These men didn’t glance at each other as they sat opposite him, and he noted theyleant slightly away from the other’s chair, as if mere physical presence were oppressive.
Given all these considerations, he decided he’d never met a more mismatched couple in his many years in the business, and that he had his work cut out for him.There was nothing like a challenge to start the day.
The scarred man was now studying the certificates and framed photographs on the wall, his hands relaxed in his lap.Trying to decide an appropriate opener, the doctor couldn’t get a reading off him at all.It was as if the blond giant were there in body alone: he exuded no discernable emotion whatsoever.The younger man was far easier to read.He was staring at his nails, picking at the side of one of them, his foot tapping on the carpet.The doctor decided to go with something very simple.
“Gentlemen, to start with, I’ll outline how I like to work.This isn’t an easy process by any means, andit’s very important you’re both comfortable where we go on this journey and with the vehicle we choose to—”
“Please be concise, Doctor.”
His mouth still open a little from the interruption, attempting to untangle the heavily accented vowels, the doctor coughed to cover his annoyance with the blond-haired man who hadn’t even had the courtesy to turn from his examination of the certificates.
“Yes, thank you.I’d like us to all talk together for a while, but then I think it’s always beneficial for me to speak with you one to one.It gives each partner the freedom to express—”
“I’m not comfortable with that.”The scarred face turned to him at last.The amber eyes were cold with remote calculation.The doctor raised his eyebrows.He wasn’t used to being challenged like this so early in his sessions.Most men coming for couples’ therapy were far more nervous and unsure ofthemselves.He coughed lightly again and glanced at his notes.
“Mr.Mikkelsen.I assure you, it—”
“We speak together, or we don’t speak at all.”
“Don’t answer for me.You’re always doing that!”The younger man shot the older one a furious glance then added a little contritely,
“I think it’s a good idea to have a chance to speak separately.That way we can—”
The older man interjected a harsh, barked laugh.“That way you can tell him all the terrible things I do and say?I don’t think so.”
“Gentlemen, please.Can we focus for a moment on why we’re here?Put aside your anger.You’ve made an important first step by booking this appointment.It shows you’re trying to move forward.Let’s not waste this opportunity.I want you each to think about why you agreed to come here today and let the other know what you want out ofthis session.Ben, may I call you Ben?Perhaps you’d like to go first.”
“I just want him to—”
“Use his name, please.”
“I wantNikolasto decide what he fucking wants.I want a boyfriend—not an employer with an overactive cock.”
“Don’t swear at me.And don’t be crude.”
“You’renotmy boss anymore!Stop telling me what to do!”
“Right.Mr.Mikkelsen, Nikolas, perhaps you’d like to tell us why you agreed to come here?”
“I agreed to come here because if I didn’t I would probably not get laid tonight.”
Ben stood up, folding his arms, walking to the window.The doctor frowned deeply.“Ben, honesty is always good, even when something is just said in jest…”
“Who said I’m joking?”The older man crossed hislegs and checked his watch.“I have another appointment in half an hour.Can we please speed this up a little?”
The young man turned.“Why don’t you just fuck off then?You’re not taking this seriously.You’ve never taken one thing seriously in the whole time I’ve known you.”
“As usual you exaggerate.I take your moods very seriously.I have to live with them, after all.”
Ben sat back down, seemingly a little recovered in nerve.“No, actually, you don’t.Why don’t you go back to your wife?You give her more respect than you’ve ever given me.”
The doctor leant forward, scanning his notes very quickly as he did so.“You’re married?”
