“That seems cruel,” Keller says.
Giovanni nods, thinking he is winning at this game. “I think so too.”
“If you two are quite finished,” I cut in. “Keller was just telling me about a possible new line of cookies he’s creating. Would you like to offer your input?”
“Yes, sir.”
Keller lists out the flavors he’s proposing while I absently stroke Giovanni’s hair and wonder if the back-and-forth between them was only to tease me or if it spoke to something more intentional. I’ve been putting off the conversation for a while now, thinking Giovanni’s curiosity will pass, but I doubt he’ll let me dodge his questions much longer. When my attention returns to the topic at hand, I find they’ve veered from hazelnut vs. praline to the domestic duties of a houseboy.
“He does whatever chores we mutually agree on,” Keller says. “Cooking, laundry, housekeeping, that sort of thing.”
Giovanni’s been reading up on the lifestyle and asking a lot of questions. At this new information, he frowns. “I play for Valentin and cook breakfast, and I tidy up the penthouse.”
Keller nods. “You’re very talented on the piano.”
“What else do houseboys do?” Giovanni asks and I can’t tell if he’s feigning ignorance to steer the conversation or if he truly doesn’t know.
“They perform sexual favors for my roommate and I, and if they are consenting, for a few of our guests on occasion.”
“Oh,” Giovanni says with a furrowed brow. His jersey-knit top has a wide collar, exposing his flushed neck and the tendons that throb so temptingly. Keller glances at me and I give him a pointed look to tread carefully.
“I’m sure Valentin could tell you more,” Keller says, deferring to me. “Every dynamic is different.”
Giovanni turns to me then, eyes wide and full of wanting. “May I service you sexually, sir?”
My heart feels as though it’s skipped its rhythm. This kid is going to send me into atrial fibrillation. Instead of answering straightaway, I take a measured breath and say to him, “Not all dynamics involve sex, Giovanni.”
“I know, but I want that, with you.”
His words are seductive, thrilling, but he is so young and still in recovery. Even without the sexual component, I’m navigating a land mine already. “That is a much larger conversation and not one we’re going to tackle tonight.”
“You said I was your boy,” he says softly, pouting at me as if I’ve hurt his feelings.Oh, poverino!
“Youaremy boy,” I assure him.
“Keller’s boys pleasure him.”
I nod slowly. “They do.”
“Then, may I pleasure you?”
He’s given me a simple equation that’s difficult to contradict. He’s very clever, as is Keller to play along. Perhaps my sexual frustration is that apparent or Keller is more of an opportunist than me. I lean forward and take Giovanni’s hand. “I need to know why you’re asking for this, sweetheart. I don’t want you thinking it’s a condition to stay here. You’re welcome in my home for as long as you want.”
“I want to be your sexual submissive,” he says earnestly. “I want to bring you pleasure, and I want you to touch me and spank me. I want the rewards and the punishments too.”
I’m not sure he could make his desires any plainer, but there is no need to rush into this haphazardly, so I tell him, “Tonight, we are sharing conversation, and that is all we are doing, but if you’d like, we can have a much longer discussion about it tomorrow after breakfast.”
“Fine,” he says with a sulky pout.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes,sir.”
Keller smiles at this exchange and offers a sympathetic look. I go back to brushing along Gio’s scalp. His soft hair falls like cascading water through my fingers, soothing to us both. Keller and I resume our conversation about his various marketing strategies, and Giovanni offers his own input when asked.
When the night is over and we’re lying together in bed, I reach for Giovanni’s hand and tell him, “You did very well tonight.”
“Thank you, sir. I look forward to our conversation in the morning.”
