Page 43 of Everything That Kills Me
Alone in the corridor, Thomas mouthedwell done.
As Jack had expected, the next room was vile. He sat next to Thomas and muttered. “I don’t think I can do this.”
“That’s okay. I’ll do it.”
“Not that. I mean this room. I’m turning into a puddle.”
Thomas laughed. “Then wait outside.”
Jack sighed with relief once he’d emerged. He was still waiting when Kubat and the other man emerged from the first room. Jack saw the way Kubat looked at him, dragging his gaze down Jack’s body before returning to his face. That was interesting.
“Too hot for you?” Kubat spoke to him in English.
“Sitting in an oven isn’t my idea of fun.”
Kubat laughed. “Delicate English boy.”
Jack smiled. “That’s me.” It wasn’t.
“How old are you?” Kubat asked.
“Sixteen.”
He doubted that would matter to this guy.
Kubat and his companion joined Thomas. And Jack continued to wait.
When Thomas emerged, an attendant directed the pair of them to another area where they were to lie on marble blocks. Jack put his bath towel and shampoo to one side, took off his peshtemal and lay on his back, wearing the disposable underwear. This was the part he’d enjoyed last time. Attendants dousing him with bucket after bucket of hot water to rinse away sweat and dead skin. He wished his worries could be washed away as easily.
It was impossible not to be concerned about what he had to do. No matter how much time he and Thomas had spent rehearsing, there was always the chance of the unexpected. He decided he’d be better starting off on his front and rolled over. Kubat and the other guy entered and settled on slabs facing them. Kubat was on his front too, his face no more than a metre from Jack’s.
Jack met his gaze for a moment, smiled, then closed his eyes as the attendant began the body wash, scrubbing his skin with a cloth known as a kese. The foam wash that followed was pure luxury and Jack decided a groan might go down well with Kubat. It was like going through a car wash, so much soap and bubbles. As it was being rinsed off, Jack became aware that Thomas had risen to his feet.
“Going to the bathroom,” he told him.
Though half-open eyes Jack spotted Kubat’s companion follow Thomas and felt a moment of concern. There was no way anyone could know what they planned, but… The scrubbing of Jack’s body stopped and the attendants padded out too.Oh fuck.Now he could guess. The bottle of shampoo wasn’t within reach, though the plan wasn’t to do this now. Still, it was an opportunity he could take.
“Can I wash your hair?” Kubat stood next to him.
“Yes.” Jack didn’t recognise his own voice.
“It’s so beautiful. I use your shampoo?”
“Please.” There was enough in there to allow this, as long as he didn’t notice the base had been tampered with. Jack stayed face down and, for one crazy moment, imagined roles reversed, that Kubat was about to inject him with a drug that would paralyse him. It was enough to make his heart race.
He felt Kubat’s strong fingers pressing into his scalp and deliberately made what might have been a groan of distress into a moan of pleasure.
“Your father? Really?” Kubat asked.
Jack knew he was wondering if Thomas was his lover. “Yes.”
“Hmm. Lucky father.”
Jack was hardly aware of how long the hair washing went on but finally, a large quantity of water was tipped over his head to run down the drain. As Kubat returned to lie on his slab, Jack spotted the large bulge in the guy’s shorts and raised his head to look at him. “Are you a hairdresser?”
Kubat roared with laughter.
“Because you are very good at that.”
