Page 4 of The Titan and the Trainer

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Thursday 9th January 25

Thursday night was even stranger than Tuesday.

Callum arrived at the Vance Global offices with a bit more swagger, bolstered by the lingering heat of their last encounter, only to be met by a wall of corporate indifference.

The elevator doors opened to reveal a lit office, and a woman in a sharp grey suit sitting at the manned reception desk that had been vacant two nights ago. She didn’t look up from her monitor for a full ten seconds.

“Ah, Mr. West. Mr. Newman sends his sincere apologies,” she said, her voice as clipped as a recorded message. “An emergency board matter in London meant he had to fly out this morning.”

Callum felt a sharp spike of irritation. “Right. Well, a heads-up would have been nice before I hauled myself across the bridge.”

“He would like to reschedule for tomorrow. Say 10:45 p.m.”

Callum stiffened. “Tomorrow is Friday. I have other commitments.”

“Mr. Newman was very specific,” she said, finally looking up. Her eyes were cold and professional. “He’s willing to double your fee for the inconvenience of the short notice and the very late session.”

The double rate hit Callum right where it hurt, like a gut-punch.

But Friday nights were his big earner. At 11:30 p.m. he had to be at The Vault, a gay basement club in Chelsea, wearing nothing but a leather harness, hotpants and Doc Martens, dancing under neon lights on a podium.

It was a logistical nightmare. If he trained Julian until 11:30 p.m., he’d never make it home, shower, then across town, through the club’s back door, and into his gear in time. Unless…

“Fine,” Callum sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Tell him I’ll be here. But I’ll be coming straight from his session to my next job. Are there any general staff showers in this building I could use please? I can’t exactly show up to my next gig smelling like a gym floor.”

The assistant tapped a few keys. “There is an executive fitness suite on the forty-eighth floor. It’s mostly used by the senior VPs. I can authorise your keycard for the showers there. There are complimentary towels and toiletries. Will that be sufficient?”

“Perfect,” Callum said, a smirk playing on his lips. If they didn’t remove the option from his card, he might shower there each time. He thought those showers were probably nicer than the dribbling cramped one he had at home.

He wondered what the senior VPs would think if they saw him scrubbing off after a workout before heading out to shake his ass wrapped in tight leather for tips in a dark room full of strobe lights. Not exactly the ‘corporate’ image, hey!

What would Julian think if he knew he was being coached by some club dancer Callum found himself wondering as he left the office.

Chapter 3 - Train, Shower, Bump & Go-Go

Fri. 10th Jan. 25

The office was again empty and dark when Callum arrived on Friday.

The ceiling illumination was a soft amber glow, but bright light spilled across the vast floor from the far doorway and gym area.

Callum walked across nervously. During the day, he’d been unable to focus, constantly thinking about this next session and Julian. Had he remembered him correctly, or had he built up his physical prowess with rose-coloured spectacles?

Callum stepped through the doorway to find Julian in the gym area, and he most definitely wasn’t wearing his suit this time. Flesh was fully on show.

He was wearing a white compression vest that hugged every muscle of his chest and torso, paired with some expensive-looking grey sweatpants.

His body looked incredible. Callum hadn’t overstated just how fit this guy was. However, his face didn’t look so great. He looked tired and stressed.

“You made it,” Julian said, his voice a bit raspy. He was standing by the window, a glass of water in hand.

“Double the rate is hard to turn down,” Callum said, dropping his holdall. He noticed Julian’s eyes immediately dart to the bag, which was bulging more than usual because it contained his other work clothes: a combination of leather, metal and boots.

“I appreciate the flexibility,” Julian said, stepping towards him. The corporate mask was back on, but there was a flicker of something, relief maybe at seeing Callum. “I’ve had a hell of a week.”

“So I heard.” Callum decided not to kick a guy when he was down, so he didn’t mention how annoyed he was about last night’s no-show.