Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 11:15:05 +0100
From: Adam Stewart <stewad18@gmail.com>
Subject: The Hotelier

The Hotelier
By Adam Stewart

Author's note: Gay love before and shortly after it became legal in the UK.
Warning: It contains m/m sex.

1.

I first saw him whilst I was chilling out in a Soho bar where men like me
tended to gather albeit that homosexuality was still illegal. However, that
was shortly to change when the new legislation came into force in 1967
which was only a few months away. Even so, you had to be careful who you
looked at and how you did so but this lad, who had blue eyes and fair hair
had all the signs of being gay like me. I watched him for several minutes
as he gathered up empty glasses and cleaned the tables. I was struck by his
vigilance and efficiency as he did so. The landlord of the bar seemed to me
to be a complete slob yet this young man was clearly doing a great job.

I'd had a wearisome day having that afternoon discussed with my lawyers the
removal of my stepfather as manager from one of the hotels I now owned. My
dear mother, who'd sadly passed away some three months before, had been a
very successful hotelier and had owned four upmarket hotels; two in London,
one in Manchester and another in Bristol. The London hotels were situated
in Kensington and Earls Court. I now lived in the penthouse at the
Kensington Hotel.

I'd been born in 1943 and was now twenty four but my father had been killed
during the last year of the war so I never knew him. Ten years later my
mother met my stepfather and for some inexplicable reason married him. He
managed the Earls Court hotel which she bought because it was losing money
yet she kept him on as the manager. I'd frequently recommended to her that
she remove him but she never did. The man was an alcoholic, a womaniser and
was hopeless at managing his departmental managers. He knew I despised him
so he hated me and he knew that I knew all about the many mistresses he
had. Somehow I managed to keep my own sexuality from him even though
towards the end of her life I told my mother. She just smiled and said I
was still her only child who she loved dearly so didn't mind who I
preferred to share my bed. When she'd suddenly contracted cancer I was
overcome with grief and when she died a few months later I felt a deep
loss. My stepfather on the other hand seemed to show no feeling which made
me determined to kick him out of what was now my hotel.

My mother was a shrewd businesswoman and even she realised if the whole
chain ended up in her husband's grasp it would soon disappear which was
something she was determined to avoid. She therefore transferred everything
to me before she became incapable of making rational decisions. All he
received was a very small sum of money from her estate and since they lived
in the apartment that I now owned at the Kensington Hotel he was forced to
move once she'd passed away. He moved into a much smaller property in
Edgware and hated me for having to do so but my mother had tied up every
lose end in her will much to my relief.

Having asked my lawyers to go through his contract with a fine tooth-comb
that afternoon they'd given me the green light to remove him. I planned to
visit his hotel within the next few days along with three security guards,
who I'd employed specifically for the purpose, to forcibly remove him along
with most of the other departmental managers, who from what I could see
were also useless. I'd then put in place the replacements I'd already
recruited and had waiting in the wings. I was therefore having a drink to
celebrate and give myself Dutch courage to perform the final act. I had
also decided I needed a personal assistant who I could trust. My mother had
such a man but he'd decided to retire following her death having served her
well for many years. As I watched the young man going about his duties in
the bar I suddenly had a yearning to explore whether he'd be the person I
was seeking. Whether it was based on the stirring in my loins or for more
subjective reasons I wasn't sure but I knew I had to explore the matter
further.

I watched him slowly work towards my table and as he wiped and then
polished the table next to mine he smiled at me. I had a distinct feeling
he'd clocked me and wanted to find out if his feelings were the same as
mine.

"Hi, you're doing a grand job" I commented.

"Thank you sir; I try to do my best"

He then came to my table and although it was perfectly clean he still ran a
cloth across it followed by another dry cloth.

"Can I get you another drink sir?" he asked seeing that mine was nearly
finished.

"Yes, thank you" I smiled and gave him the coins to do so. I watched him go
to the bar and speak to the landlord who was idly standing behind it. The
landlord looked over to me and scowled. He said something to the lad who
then returned to me.

"I'm sorry sir but the landlord says I'm not allowed to serve you and you
have to go to the bar". I could see he was upset at not being able to serve
me as he returned the coins I'd given him. I picked them up off the table
and gave one to him.

"Don't worry and thanks for taking the trouble" I said as I palmed him the
coin so that the landlord could not see. I was tempted to walk out and go
elsewhere but I was desperate to find out more about the young man so I
made my way to the bar. When I got there he just looked at me; "A double
whiskey please". He poured the drink and almost slammed it down on the
counter. "I'm surprised you don't allow your staff to serve people when
they're willing to do so considering you are so short of customers" I
commented as I placed on the counter the exact sum of money since in no way
was I going to give him a tip. He glared at me and walked off disappearing
behind the bar. I returned to my seat and shortly afterwards the lad
returned pretending to clean tables nearby.

"I'm sorry about that"

"It's not your fault; the man is mad as well as being ignorant and rude;
I'm not surprised there are so few customers in here."

The lad nodded raising his eyebrows. "He doesn't like people... you know
like us, frequenting his bar".

I smiled. "You mean he doesn't like queers". The lad grinned looking over
to the bar to make sure the landlord had not returned. The only other two
customers were in another corner deep in conversation. "Why do you put up
with him?"

"Long story but I needed a job quickly and this was all I could find"

"But you'd like something better" I replied gently smiling at him.

"You bet but it's not easy"

"What's your name?"

"Drew"

"Well Drew, I may be able to help you with that; I own four hotels and am
looking for someone in particular; would you be interested in discussing
the matter further?"

Drew nearly choked with excitement and nodded vigorously. I ascertained
that he would be off duty within half an hour so I agreed to meet him
outside once he was finished. He gave me one of his winning smiles and
hastily moved off to complete his tasks. Not that there was much to do from
what I could see but he found jobs to do which included giving the whole
bar a good wipe down and a polish with his dry cloth. I made my drink last
the full thirty minutes and when I saw him go through a door at the rear I
casually walked outside. The landlord had now returned and gave me another
scowl which I ignored as I made my exit. I made a mental note never to
frequent the bar again whilst he owned it.

About five minutes later Drew appeared and walked to where I was standing
outside well away from the pub.

"Sorry to keep you waiting sir"

"No problem and by the way my name is Ewan so please drop the sir". Drew
grinned and nodded. "Now, have you eaten this evening?"

Drew explained he'd had a snack earlier but not a proper meal as such. I
too had not eaten much so despite the late hour suggested we go somewhere
for something to eat and where we could talk. For a moment he hesitated
clearly concerned about something.

"I'll be paying if that's your concern" I smiled guessing that he had
little means to buy a meal. For a moment he tried to resist but I wouldn't
take no for an answer so he nodded and smiled. I took him to a small
Italian restaurant I often frequented nearby. I knew the owner well since
he too was gay.

"Good evening Mr Cooper" the owner enthused as we walked in. He smiled at
Drew and then led us to a lone table in a booth at the other end of the
restaurant. "I trust this will be okay".

"Perfect Tony" I smiled as I shook his hand and introduced Drew.

Once we'd made our choice from the menu which I explained to Drew, Tony
took our order. I also ordered a bottle of white Italian Orvieto.

"So, why don't you tell me something about yourself Drew" I started once
Tony had left us. He looked at me for a moment and then told me his
story. He was nineteen, shortly to be twenty, and had been raised in
Essex. He'd done well at school and was in the process of studying for his
'A levels' when his father found out he was gay.

"The shit hit the fan as it were" he continued. His father literally threw
him out of the house with nowhere to go so he came to London and found the
bar job so he could earn sufficient to rent a small grubby room. I asked
what he'd been studying and he told me English and Maths. I immediately
realised he was no fool and now he was away from the environment of the bar
I could see he was an educated guy. Despite the downturn in his fortunes he
was still smartly dressed and presented himself well.

"What were your dreams before being thrown out by your father?"

"To get a job where I could use my English and Maths qualification because
I'm sure I could have achieved those."

I paused to think for a moment and whilst doing so our meals arrived. It
gave me time to think further. I had to be sure I was making the decision I
was about to make based on Drew's ability and not because he turned me
on. That fact was undeniable since he was an attractive guy both in looks
and personality. I had never met anyone quite like him. I'd had sex with
several guys over the years but none had interested me as much as Drew
despite me only having just met him. One thing I did know was that I had a
knack of knowing when people were right for a job almost as soon as I'd met
them.

I watched him tuck into his food and realised he was clearly hungry despite
his earlier hesitancy about joining me for a meal. I picked at mine as I
enjoyed his company. Every so often he'd look up and smile.

"Okay?"

"Mm, delicious" he grinned as he took a sip from his glass of wine. "I
don't normally drink wine but this is rather nice; could get used to this"
he grinned again.

That grin sent a shiver of excitement through my whole body. It also caused
a reaction in my crotch so I was glad that region was well covered by my
napkin beneath the table. When we'd both finished our food and waited for
our empty plates to be removed I looked into his eyes. He smiled and I made
my decision.

"I'm looking for a personal assistant to help me with day to day things
associated with the running of my chain of hotels. I also have other
business ideas so will need help with those too. The person selected will
work closely with me so I need to be sure that person feels comfortable
working with me."

Just then the waiter arrived to clear our plates. I ordered a coffee and
persuaded Drew to have a dessert. Having made his choice and the waiter had
left us I continued "So, would you be interested in such a job?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you" I grinned, "From what I've seen I think you'd be good at it and
we'd make a good team".

"Wow"

He then looked at me clearly thinking through the offer before asking for
more detail about the post, where he'd be based and what he'd be paid. When
I told him the salary I had in mind plus the fact that it included free
board and lodging at my hotel in Kensington where I lived and that my
office was based there as well, he gasped.

"Are you really serious about this?"

"Never more so" I smiled.

"But you've only just met me"

"I'm good at making assessments of people within a very short time. Just
ask all the other staff I've hired. Anyhow, I don't expect you to make a
decision now since you need to consider it so why don't you sleep on it and
come and see me tomorrow. What time are you back on shift at the bar
tomorrow?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He explained he had to turn up each day when the
bar opened and the landlord would say whether or not he wanted him that
evening. I couldn't believe that someone would treat an excellent worker
with such a casual attitude and was even more determined that I had made
the right decision.

"I'll do as you say and sleep on it but I'm fairly certain my decision will
be the same tomorrow as it is now" he grinned.

We arranged that he'd come to the Kensington hotel at ten in the morning so
I gave him my business card and told him to report to reception on his
arrival. Having checked that he had sufficient money for the fare to get to
Kensington I watched him tuck into his dessert whilst I drank my coffee.

When we were finished I paid the bill and we made our way into the night
air. I warmly shook his hand holding it far longer than necessary but I was
dying to feel his skin against mine. I immediately felt a reaction down
below and hoped Drew didn't notice. Having said our goodbye I watched him
dance along the pavement towards where he lived. Once he was out of view I
hailed a cab and made my way home. I felt elated and something told me that
this was just the start of something good.


2.

At five minutes to ten the secretary who services me and the management
team called me to say that Mr Miller was at reception and should she go and
fetch him. Wanting to see how he reacted to me in front of others I said
I'd go down. As I stepped out of the lift I saw a smart looking young man
standing near reception looking at some artwork on the wall. I hadn't
reckoned on him wearing a suit and tie although that would be what I'd
require him to wear for the job. I felt even more certain he was exactly
what I'd been looking for, in more ways than one. The question was whether
he felt the same way about me. The fact he was here told me that he wanted
the job otherwise I felt sure he'd have called me to cancel our
appointment. I was also impressed by the fact that he'd arrived on time. I
so hated people who weren't good time keepers and needed a very good reason
if anyone was late.

As I walked towards him he turned and saw me. His face lit up and he gave
me one of his winning grins.

"Hi Drew; welcome". We shook hands and again I held on to his far longer
than necessary. As before I immediately felt my whole body shiver with
excitement. There was something about this guy that really turned me on. "I
take it your answer is a yes" I grinned.

"You bet; that's assuming the offer is still open"

"Of course" I nodded and led him up to my office suite on the second
floor. As we walked through the secretary's office to get to mine I
introduced her.

"Mary, I'd like to introduce Drew Miller; he's my new personal assistant".

Mary was in her late twenties and had only worked for me since my mother
passed away. Her secretary had decided she wanted to move onto pastures new
which suited me. She always struck me as being somewhat of a battle
axe. Mary was young and efficient but very personable and everybody liked
her. She was married and from what she'd told me, did not want children. I
also got the distinct feeling that she had no problem with the boss being a
younger single man and suspected she'd sussed that I was gay although
nothing had been said. She shook Drew's hand and welcomed him to the hotel
before asking if he'd like a coffee. He said he would and thanked her. I
was again impressed at how relaxed and professional he dealt with the
situation. He showed no sign of being nervous or out of his depth which
pleased me immensely.

"Come on in" I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder and led him into my
office.

"Wow, this is nice" he commented once I'd closed the door behind us. I
invited him to sit in one of the comfy chairs that were situated in front
of my desk and I sat in another opposite him. I much preferred having
meetings with people that way rather than sitting across a desk. For larger
meetings with staff I used the board room next to my office.

By the time we'd settled ourselves, Mary was bringing in a pot of
coffee. She much preferred to use the small kitchenette adjacent to her
office to make coffee for my guests rather than asking the kitchen to send
it up. She only used that facility for larger meetings.

"Would you like me to pour?" she asked smiling at me. I told her I'd deal
with it so she left us. I was fairly sure she'd sussed that Drew was also
gay but she gave no sign of being bothered. I poured two cups of black
coffee having noticed the previous evening that Drew took his like I did
and passed it over telling him to help himself to a biscuit if he wanted
one. I smiled as he immediately did so.

"So, you're quite sure you want to work with a fussy queen like me" I
grinned.

"Of course" he grinned, "Two fussy queens together because I like
everything in apple pie order".

"Great because that's what I want" I replied before going through the
conditions of employment and a few things about the company which he noted
down in a notebook. I said he'd meet the departmental managers later since
I had a meeting with all of them that afternoon but first I wanted to show
him where he'd be living. Once we'd drunk our coffee I took him back out to
see Mary and asked her to arrange a staff pass for Drew so he had access to
all areas and could eat in the restaurant. He gave her what information she
needed to get him on the payroll and I showed him the desk he'd be
using. I'd already agreed with Mary that my new PA would use her office as
their base even though a lot of the time they would be working alongside
me. Having found Drew I intended having him by my side as much as possible!

We then took the lift to the sixth floor where my penthouse was
situated. At one end of the corridor there was a small bedsit that had its
own bathroom. This would be Drew's quarters although if things went as I
hoped, he would be sharing my bed most nights and once the new act had come
into force my plan was that he'd move in with me. For the moment however I
needed to make it look as if he had his own room.

"Wow, this is brilliant" he exclaimed as he walked into the reasonably
spacious room that had a bed along one wall and two easy chairs in front of
the window.

"It's not over big but you do have your own bathroom and you can join me
for breakfast if you want or use the restaurant downstairs. I have my main
evening meal down there and make my own breakfast. At lunchtime I sometimes
come up here or arrange for a sandwich to be brought to me in my
office. It's up to you."

"It's brilliant; you should see the grubby broom cupboard I'm in at present
and I have to share a bathroom and kitchen with four other people who leave
the place in a complete mess."

I chuckled. He was like me and hated things in a muddle. "I have a young
guy come in each week to clean my rooms and do my washing and ironing so
I'll get him to do yours as well." Drew said he was happy to clean his own
room and do his own washing and ironing but I said Peter could do with the
extra money so unless he particularly wanted to do it himself, Peter would
love to do so. "He's gay, of course, twenty one and very good; not the
brightest button in the box but very keen to please and conscientious; I'm
sure you'll like him."

Drew looked at me and smiled. "You're so very kind to people, aren't you;
thank you so much for giving me this opportunity; I won't let you down."

I was touched by his words and took him into my arms. He wrapped his round
my waist and tucked his head onto my shoulder. He was a few inches shorter
than my six foot so I lightly kissed the side of his head. I suddenly
realised that I was gently rubbing my hand up and down his back and over
his butt. My crotch was bulging with excitement. He looked up into my eyes
and grinned as he pressed his own against mine. I was glad to see that he
too had a hard-on. I was dying to kiss him full on but didn't want to rush
things. He was clearly interested so that was a start.

"Right" I suddenly said moving him away slightly so I could look at his
face, "I'm going to take you shopping; as nice as that suit is I think we
need to get you something a bit better and perhaps some new shirts plus
anything else you need."

"But..." he started to say. I placed a finger on his lips and grinned.

"No buts; I'm paying so just accept it as a gift; I want you to look the
part when we meet the managers later." I then asked him how long it would
take him to pack up his things.

"I've not got much so fifteen minutes or so" he replied so I said once we'd
done the shopping we'd go round to his room and pack up. I wanted him to
move in immediately.

"I take it you want to start your new job immediately" I asked suddenly
realising that we'd not discussed that.

"Yeah, of course, if that's okay with you; I certainly don't have to give
my current boss any notice since there's no contractual arrangement."

"Will you tell him?"

"I wasn't planning to; do you think I should?"

I had to agree that from my contact with the landlord the previous evening
he certainly didn't deserve to be given that courtesy so we agreed Drew
would just not appear again so he'd be short of a pot man.

"To be honest I don't think he'll be in business much longer from what I've
heard; I know for a fact that he's up to his neck in debt" Drew commented
casually as I led him back downstairs. I made a mental note of that fact
since I'd always fancied owning a pub and making it one where gays would be
made welcome. I told Drew to keep his ear to the ground and once he heard
the place was up for sale to let me know.


I first took him to a men's outfitter I frequently used. We soon had him
fitted out with two new suits, three shirts with ties to match, socks and
underwear since I'd noticed his was looking the worse for wear as he tried
the suits on. We also added a pair of black shoes to our purchases so he
was now ready to be my personal assistant. Having had them charged to my
account I asked if they could be delivered that morning to the hotel. As I
was a good customer the assistant said he'd organise that immediately.

Since Drew didn't have a holdall to transport his belongings we purchased
two on our way to his room. Once inside I was shocked to see how small it
was and its general state of repair but as I expected everything was neat
and tidy despite the limitations he had to work with. We soon had all his
things packed into the new holdalls having chucked out some obvious items
that he wouldn't need so were ready to leave. Once done he gave me one of
his winning smiles.

"Do you do this for all the staff you employ?" he giggled.

"No, only very special ones" I chuckled as I pulled him into my arms. This
time I couldn't hold myself back and kissed him. It started as a simple
kiss but soon developed into a full blown one with our tongues probing each
other's mouth. He tasted every bit as good as I'd imagined and by the time
we finally pulled apart we both had erections straining to get out. It was
just as well we had to get back for a meeting otherwise I think I may have
stripped him naked and made love to him there and then. Besides, I wanted
our first time to be special and not a quick tumble.

Once outside I hailed a cab and we set off for the hotel. As we drew up
outside, the doorman rushed to open the door of the cab and helped Drew
with his holdalls whilst I paid off the cab driver.

"Good afternoon sir"

"Afternoon George; I'd like you to meet Drew who's my new personal
assistant; you'll be seeing a lot of him because he's going to live in".

"Pleased to meet you sir and if there's anything I can do to help you just
let me know" George replied as he shook Drew's hand. He then carried the
two holdalls inside and offered to get them taken up to Drew's room but I
said I'd go with him so Drew took charge of them whilst I collected from
reception our earlier purchases, which had now been delivered. Once inside
his room I suggested he change into one of his new suits and leave the
other unpacking until later. Whilst I unpacked a new shirt and removed the
labels from one of the suits he stripped off. I couldn't help but watch out
of the corner of my eye since I was itching to see what he looked like in
the flesh. To my amazement he stripped off naked as he wanted to wear a
pair of the new briefs we'd bought. I silently gasped at his beautiful
body. It was every bit as gorgeous as I'd imagined. He had a good sized
cock which hung down between two delectable balls with a nice matt of light
brown pubic hair. He grinned at me having seen me look but neither of us
said anything. I unbuttoned the crisp white shirt and held it open for him
to slip his arms in. Once on, he buttoned it up before stepping into his
trousers. Next he put on the new tie followed by his new black shoes. He
admired himself in the full length mirror inside the wardrobe and clearly
liked what he saw.

"You look great; very much the part" I said admiring the view which was
especially pleasing from the rear.

Once ready I took him into my apartment to make us a quick sandwich before
we went back downstairs for the departmental managers' meeting.

"Wow, this is some apartment" Drew enthused as he entered. It was indeed a
beautiful apartment and I'd had it refurbished and new modern furniture
fitted. It consisted of a large living room with a roof terrace, two
bedrooms, a small kitchen and bathroom.

As we ate I gave him a list of everyone's name and their department. In
particular I told him about David who was the hotel manager and in overall
charge of the hotel.

"He too is gay and has been the manager here for just over two years" I
explained, "You'll like him, he's a really nice guy and very efficient."


Just before two we went back to my office. The managers were gathering in
the board room so I waited until Mary announced that everyone had
arrived. Knowing my rules about meetings starting on time irrespective of
whether everyone was there, all managers made sure they got their early. As
I went into the board room everyone looked up and seeing Drew following
behind me raised their eyebrows.

"I'd first like to introduce Drew who's my new personal
assistant". Everyone said 'Hi' and I went round the table asking each of
them to introduce themselves. Drew sat beside me and he listed them one by
one in his notebook making a note of where they were sitting so he could
remember who was who. I was impressed and smiled to myself.

I asked David, the hotel manager, to give his report on what had happened
since our last meeting, any particular things coming up that we all needed
to be aware of and specific problems or items of interest. He too was very
efficient. When he'd finished I asked each manager to report on their
department. Drew rapidly took notes as each person spoke and even asked
questions in some cases. The managers were clearly impressed. Had they
known he had no hotel experience or any administration experience for that
matter they would have been amazed but he came across as if he was a pro. I
secretly smiled to myself feeling rather proud. We'd discussed how he would
answer the inevitable question of where he'd worked before and we'd agreed
he'd just say 'in the catering business' which was not a total untruth!

As usual the meeting sped through with its usual efficiency and when it had
ended I asked David to take Drew round the hotel for me whilst I got on
with some paperwork. When he was done, Drew would return to my office
before going to the restaurant for our evening meal.

"A bright lad" I overheard someone say as they left the meeting. 'Yeah and
very sexy' I thought to myself as I returned to my office.


Once there my main task was to get everything in place for the big event
the following day. The time had finally come for my stepfather to be
removed as manager of the Earls Court hotel plus his deputy, the chief
cashier, the restaurant manager and the housekeeper. This left the head of
security, the maintenance manager and the reception manager who I trusted
and valued. In fact it had been them who I'd used as my moles to keep me
informed about what the others were up to. The action I was about to take
was only known by the five new managers I had waiting in the wings so that
they could take over as soon as I'd removed the others. I'd sworn them to
secrecy and said that if any whisper of what I planned got back to the five
being dismissed, then none of them would be employed so they'd all lose
out. I knew I was being hard but it was the only way and my instincts told
me I could trust every one of them. I also happened to know that the new
hotel manager, his deputy and the chief cashier were gay.

By the time Drew appeared I'd gone through every piece of paperwork I was
to rely on the next day. I'd produced a dossier on each one of them with
sufficient evidence to bring them down with an almighty crash if they
didn't accept my terms. I felt elated and nervous at the same time.

"Hi, you okay?" Drew asked as he walked in.

"Yeah fine" I smiled, "just slightly nervous about something I've got to do
tomorrow". He came and stood beside me and lightly kissed me on the cheek.

"Am I allowed to kiss the boss during working hours?" he grinned.

"Provided it only happens in this office with nobody else present" I
laughed rather enjoying his tenderness. "So how was your grand tour?"

"Brilliant, David is a lovely guy and treated me with respect; I learned a
lot from what he showed and told me."

"Good, you need to be up to speed with all that goes on as soon as possible
and tomorrow you'll learn a lot more" I grinned.

"Do I get the feeling that tomorrow is the day of the big bang?"

"Mm, but not a word to anyone"

"My lips are sealed; well except when they're kissing yours" he grinned.

I laughed and pulled him down onto my lap. "I can see we're going to get on
well" I replied.

"I hope so because I want to make a success of this job ...and our
relationship" he added.

"Are we in a relationship then?" I grinned.

"I hope so; I want it to be, don't you?"

"Yep, but we've only known each other for barely twenty four hours"

"Like you I know immediately whether or not I like someone and will get on
with them and I've certainly got no doubts about you."

I grinned and pulled him tight against my chest. I used my free hand to
bring his face to mine and kissed him. It was intense and our tongues
fought with each other. As we did so I felt his hand exploring my crotch
and grasping my erection. I was rock hard and desperate to feel his hand
surround my excited flesh but it would have to wait. Suddenly my phone
buzzed and Drew immediately got off my lap. I grinned as I picked up the
phone. It was Mary to say she was off and would see me in the morning.

"I take it that group of five guests are still coming tomorrow" she said.

I confirmed they were and that they'd be arriving around eleven. I'd
invited the five new managers along to meet each other in confidence and
then have lunch before we made our way over to the Earls Court hotel. This
gave them time to get to know each other before the balloon rose.


I could see that Drew enjoyed his meal. I suspected he'd lived on fast food
since leaving home which on his low pay was probably not up to much in any
event. Now he could enjoy at least one decent a meal a day and not worry
about the cost. Although I didn't mind cooking I tended to always eat in
the restaurant and just use my kitchen for the odd snack. A table was
always reserved for me so I told the restaurant manager to include Drew on
the table in future. When we'd finished we went upstairs to my apartment. I
suggested to Drew that he might like to unpack his things and then join me
later. After about an hour he was knocking on the door.

"All done?"

"Yep, all unpacked and put away; it's so much better than my other place;
thanks so much; I keep thinking I must be dreaming all this."

Like me he'd changed out of his suit and had put on casual clothes. He no
longer looked like the efficient PA but instead looked really sexy and
inviting. I took him into my arms and kissed him. I just couldn't keep my
hands off of him. I'd never felt this way about anyone before and I kept
asking myself if I was rushing things but he too seemed to want to move
things forward.

"Come on in and relax, I expect you're tired, it's been a busy day for you"

"I feel I've suddenly moved into another world; yesterday I was cleaning
tables in a bar and today I'm a personal assistant for a gorgeous sexy
successful hotelier."

"Mm, gorgeous and sexy eh" I laughed.

"Yes, gorgeous, sexy and a beautiful guy" he replied as he swept me up in
his arms and held me tight. "Do you believe in love at first sight; because
I've fallen in love with you".

For a moment I was stunned. Okay I knew he liked me and no doubt lusted
after me as I did him but I'd not got round to thinking of it in terms of
love, but yes, he was right, I had fallen in love with him and I rather
liked the feeling. I felt tears forming in my eyes as I kissed and
hugged. "Yeah, same here; are we mad?"

"Well I'm not but I can't say about you" he laughed. We collapsed on the
sofa and giggled like two school boys. We were both so happy and I knew we
were made for each other. My only regret was that my mother couldn't meet
him because I was sure she'd have loved him as much as I did.

"Fancy a brandy?" I asked once we'd finally stopped giggling. He nodded so
I went to get one.

"God you look so sexy in those tight casual trousers" he giggled as I
poured two generous glasses.

"And you look sexy in that tight fitting shirt" I chuckled as I gave him
his glass and sat down beside him.

"So what's the plan tomorrow?"

"I have a rule; no talk of work after I've eaten my evening meal unless
it's an emergency otherwise I never get away from it as I live over the
shop as it were; I'll brief you tomorrow morning."

"Fair enough so what do you want to talk about?"

"Us; I'll go first and tell you all about my life to date, then you can
tell me about yours"

I then gave him a potted history of my childhood, how I'd been bullied at
school because everyone knew I was different even though I'd never realised
until I was older and had my first encounter with an older man; how I'd
never known my dad and then ten years later my mother had married my
stepfather who was a complete bastard, alcoholic and a thief, since that
was what he was having fleeced the hotel for years and got his cronies to
cover it up; how my mother built up the hotel chain and been so successful
yet was completely blind when it came to her husband. I even told him about
various guys I'd had sex with, none of whom were relationships, just casual
sex because I was desperate, and how I'd looked for the perfect guy for so
long until I saw Drew the other night.

"Wow, that's some story; not sure mine is so interesting"

"Well, I do have a five year advantage on you" I laughed.

"True"

He then told me about his childhood. He too was an only son and was also
bullied at school because other boys recognised he was different. Like me
he was called a poof and queer but ignored it. His father was a machinist
at an engineering company and his mother was a kitchen assistant at the
local school. He was fairly sure his mum knew about his sexuality but said
nothing. At school he had a close friend who thinking back was also gay but
all they did was grope each other. When he went to senior school to do his
'A levels' he met a guy who was clearly gay and they became good
friends. Late one night when they were coming home from seeing a film
together his father saw them kiss in an alleyway near to where they
lived. When he got home the balloon rose and his father told him to pack
his bags. He did and his friend put him up for the night but he knew he
couldn't stay so gave up his studies and moved to London.

"The rest is history as they say"

"And did you, you know...do it with this guy you met at senior school?"

"Oh yes, regularly; his parents were frequently away so we'd use his house;
so I've got plenty of experience you know" he grinned.

I laughed, not that it bothered me whether he was a virgin or not but it
was nice to know all the same. For a few moments we sat silent with our own
thoughts as we sipped our brandy. We were both feeling relaxed, especially
Drew since he wasn't used to drinking spirits like me. After a while he
rested his head on my lap and lay out along the sofa. I caressed his face
with one hand whilst I ran the other up and down his leg. I could see he
was excited so I gently ran my fingers up and down the length that was now
showing through his thin trousers.

"Mm, that's nice" he groaned with pleasure so I rubbed some more. As he
continued groaning I unzipped his fly and slipped a finger inside. I was
soon feeling his hardness through his briefs and he groaned some more. I
unfastened his belt, pulled his trousers wide open and slipped my hand down
inside his briefs to feel the hot hard organ. "Oh god, yes, that feels so
good Ewan".

I stopped and looked into his eyes. I wanted to continue what I was doing
but I didn't want it to end with him releasing his load inside his pants. I
wanted so much more than that.

"Would you like to come to bed with me?" I whispered. He nodded so I eased
him off my lap and led him into my bedroom.

Within minutes we were both naked and in each other's arms.

"Oh god you feel so beautiful" he groaned.

"And you" I managed to say between kisses.

After a minute or so of frantic kissing and feeling each other's nakedness,
I slowly led him towards the bed, flipped off the covers and we lay
down. We rolled over and over each other frantically kissing and feeling
whatever we could touch. Finally I landed on top of him and kissed him down
his chest, licking and tweaking each of his nipples which immediately
formed into hard nubs. I slowly moved southwards until his erection was in
my mouth. I heard him gasp as my hot lips surrounded his weeping
head. Unlike me he had not been circumcised so I slipped my tongue down
inside his foreskin making him squirm with excitement. His pre-cum tasted
like nectar and I wanted more.

Having given him a good long suck which also included licking and sucking
his gorgeous balls, I looked up. I knew I could bring him off had I
continued but I wanted our first time to be special.

"Are you a top or a bottom?" I asked.

He giggled. "A bottom normally but that's not to say I don't also enjoy
being a top".

"Good because I love being a top but I also enjoy being a bottom. Can I
fuck you?"

"Thought you'd never ask" he giggled, "I hope you've got lube" he grinned.

"Of course; I'm the true boy scout and ready for every occasion" I laughed
as I reached into the bedside cabinet and pulled out a tube of KY.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me" he laughed as he opened his legs wide
apart and I lifted them over his head to view the prize I was aching to
see.

"Mm, beautiful" I mumbled as I gently caressed his entrance with lube
before slowly pressing two fingers inside. He was tight which made it all
the better. I just hoped he could take my large head which was aching for
action. I hastily lubricated it and the shaft before offering it to the
hole before me. We looked into each other's eyes as I slowly pushed against
it.

"Fuck, that feels so good" he exclaimed once my head had breached him. I
held it there for a moment to allow him to get used to the invasion before
slowly pressing the rest of my long shaft inside. "Oh yes, fuck, yes that
feels so good" he cried out. "Fuck you're big but I love it" he cried
again.

"Fully engaged" I chuckled once I felt my balls pressing against his
buttocks and I was right inside him.

"Yeah, now fuck that arse, please" he pleaded. I was more than happy to do
just that so slowly thrust back and forth gradually increasing the pace
until I was literally slamming into him. By now my sexual urges had taken
over my conscious mind and I continued until I felt my whole body tense.

"Oh yes" I shouted as my climax erupted and I felt my hot seed shoot inside
him. It was the best sex I'd had for a long time if not ever.

All the while I'd been massaging his erection and soon after I'd climaxed
his erupted shooting creamy cum right up over his chest. It was a beautiful
sight. Finally we both came down from our highs and I collapsed on top of
him. We kissed for several minutes before speaking.

"Fuck, that was good" he grinned, "Thanks".

"And thank you; may there be many more" I grinned.

"Sure hope so"

After a few more minutes I suggested we clean up so both went into the
bathroom. When we were done I looked at him. "You want to sleep with me? Or
would you rather sleep in your own bed?"

He thought for a moment and I wondered whether I'd gone too far too
quickly. "Don't feel you have to, it's just..." I started to say but he put
a finger on my lips.

"Of course I'd like to sleep with you but I was thinking about your
position"

I was struck by his concern for me bearing in mind that at this point in
time homosexuality was still illegal but the new legislation was due to be
made law very shortly according to all accounts. I grinned. "The front door
is locked and only I have a key so if you're prepared to take the risk so
am I".

He grinned and said he'd go and fetch his toiletries. He grabbed a dressing
gown from the back of the door and I watched him trot off down the hallway,
out of my front door and along to his room to fetch what he needed for the
morning. When he returned I locked the front door behind him and told him
to place his toiletries in the bathroom. As he did so, I had a feeling they
would stay there from now on!

Once all the lights had been turned off we settled down for the night. It
had been a long time since I'd had another man in my bed for the night and
it felt good. I was now ready to face the future and all that it brought;
including the wrath of my stepfather which I was sure would happen when he
heard what I had to say the next day.


3.

The following morning we both woke early. Having kissed and cuddled for a
while we got up, washed and dressed before having breakfast. I seldom
wanted a cooked breakfast and Drew said the same so we tucked into cereal
and toast plus black coffee and a glass of orange juice. As we ate, I went
through the plan for the day and what I wanted Drew to do. His main task
was to take notes at the meeting with my stepfather and the other managers.

Just before nine, we made our way down to my office where Mary was already
busy working at her desk. She greeted both of us warmly and passed me the
previous day's bookings as usual. Business was doing well in all hotels
with the exception of Earls Court even though the accounts didn't show the
true picture because of the figures being massaged by the chief cashier,
but that was soon to change.

Once inside my office I asked Drew if he knew how to produce graphs. He
nodded so I gave him the figures Mary had just given me along with the file
of back figures and asked him to produce a graph showing the pattern over
the last twelve months. I said he could work at a table in my office rather
than using the desk in Mary's. The main reason was that I wanted him with
me as much as possible. Whether that need would wane as time went by I
wasn't sure but for the moment I loved having him near me. He obtained what
he needed from Mary and set to work whilst I did other paperwork and made a
few calls. As my personal assistant I wanted him to be an extension of me
so the more he heard about what I did the better. There would be very few
times when he couldn't be present because of confidentiality or because a
member of staff wished to see me privately about something. My only problem
was getting used to his presence and trying to work without continually
admiring his gorgeous form sitting there. Every so often he'd look up and
we'd smile but in the main he got on with his work without disrupting me.


Just before eleven, Mary announced that my party of five guests were
downstairs so I asked Drew to fetch them telling him to explain he was my
personal assistant. I'd booked the boardroom since that was the most
confidential place in the building.

A few minutes later I heard them assemble so went to greet them. Having
made sure the outer door was fully closed I sat down with them and asked
Drew to serve the coffee which had arrived earlier from the kitchen.

"Welcome and I'd like to remind you about the strictly confidential nature
of this visit until you are all formally in position this afternoon so
please don't talk about why you're here or about your new jobs outside this
room. If anyone asks questions whilst you are having lunch then just say
you're here for a meeting." Everyone nodded and settled down.

I first of all got everyone to introduce themselves and say what position
they were taking up at the Earls Court hotel. Each person spoke in a low
tone as if someone was listening at the door. I knew in fact that the walls
and the doors of the boardroom were thick so nothing could be heard outside
even if you attempted to do so but I was pleased to see their diligence in
keeping everything confidential for the moment.

I then gave them a quick history of the hotel group, how my mother had
developed it over the years and why it was now necessary to do what I was
about to do.

"I know you said the Earls Court hotel has ninety rooms but how about the
others?" Francis asked. He was the replacement for my stepfather so would
be managing everything. He was gay, eight years older than me, and very
experienced in the hotel business. His references had been exemplary so I
felt certain he'd do a good job.

"This hotel has one hundred and twenty beds, Bristol has eighty and
Manchester ninety eight" I replied. Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"Impressive" someone else replied.

"As I explained at each of your interviews, you will have a hard task ahead
of you in order to bring the EC hotel round since it has been mismanaged
for years. However, those mainly responsible will be gone and I think you
will find that those remaining will want to work with you. The reception
manager is particularly good as is the head of security and the maintenance
manager so you will have their support along with many of the frontline
staff."

I spent the rest of the meeting going through administrative matters and
giving them some guidance on where each of them needed to start to bring
things round. I added that I would be having a weekly meeting with them
until I was satisfied that all was well and that Drew would be visiting
regularly as well on my behalf. "Basically forget what's gone on in the
past and start afresh so if you have staff saying 'we always do it this
way' then say 'not any longer' unless of course you agree with it." They
all laughed and a couple said they were used to that in other work places.

Finally it was twelve thirty and time for lunch so I asked Drew to take
them to the restaurant. I didn't want to be seen with them just yet so I
suggested that Drew have something to eat with them to keep an eye on
things and bring them back up at one thirty.


As soon as they arrived back to the board room after their lunch I asked
them to leave immediately and take a cab to the Earls Court hotel. I told
them to sit in the lounge area, order tea and wait there until Drew came to
fetch them later. Once they'd gone Drew and I went down to a back entrance
where the hotel car was waiting for us. The company only had one chauffeur
driven car which I used occasionally. It was mainly used to ferry guests
from the station to either of the London hotels and was one of the many
services we offered our premium clients. To maintain secrecy I'd not told
Maurice, the chauffeur, where we were going so as we climbed in I asked him
to take us to ECH which was the usual code we used for the hotel in Earls
Court. I also introduced him to Drew saying he'd see him around. Maurice
was a guy in his fifties and had worked for the group for many years. He
was a lovely guy and was always in good humour.

When we arrived outside the ECH I told Maurice he could leave since we
wouldn't need him again that day. Bill, the doorman, immediately opened the
car door and greeted me.

"Afternoon Bill, how's your wife?"

"As well as can be expected" he replied. Bill's wife had been diagnosed
with cancer so whenever I saw him I always asked. He too was in his fifties
and had been working for the hotel for as long as I could remember. He was
very much like George at the Kensington hotel, always bright and breezy and
ready to do anything to help. He was another of my moles and despised my
stepfather because of the way he was running the hotel into the ground.

Once inside I called the head of security who I trusted implicitly and told
him that operation 'exit' was about to take place. I asked him to gather
together all the departmental managers in the small conference room on the
first floor and hold them there until I arrived. I emphasised that under no
circumstances were any to be allowed to leave the room until I arrived
since I didn't want to risk any of them making waves. He said he'd round
them up immediately. As I walked through reception I saw the three security
guys I'd employed for the afternoon and indicated for them to follow me. I
led them to the first floor and having pointed out the door to the
conference room asked two of them to hover in the corridor and not allow
any of the managers to leave that room once they were inside. I took Drew
and the other guy with me into the hotel manager's office. The secretary
looked surprised to see me but she was another one of my moles who I
trusted. She'd worked at the hotel for just over three years and was
appalled at what went on so was very much one of my allies.

"Is he in his office?" I asked not bothering to introduce Drew or the
security guy. She nodded. I went straight in with Drew and the other guy
following on behind. Frank, my stepfather was slouched behind his desk. It
was clear he was well lubricated from his lunchtime drinking session as
usual. He looked up and was shocked to see me.

"What the fuck do you want?" he said slurring his words "and who are these
goons".

I ignored his language and introduced Drew as my new personal assistant and
explained the other guy was present to assist me in doing what I'd come to
do. He looked at me somewhat bemused.

"I think you'd better read this before we go any further" I said as I
placed a letter in front of him. My lawyer had drawn the letter up on my
behalf and basically said Frank was being immediately dismissed on the
grounds of incompetence and fraud. It also stated that I would be suing him
for the loss to the business.

He read the letter and threw it back at me. "You'll be fucking lucky;
you've got nothing on me". I pulled out of my briefcase a large file that
contained copies of the main evidence I had against him and slammed it down
in front of him with a large bang which made him jump.

"Try that for a start and that's just a small part of what evidence I have
against you"

He reluctantly opened the file and I watched him go paler and paler as he
flipped through the pages. He knew damn well that I had him where it hurt.

"I'll fight you all the way" he grunted but I could see he'd lost his will
to do so.

"Your prerogative; I'll see you in court but in the meantime I want you out
of here now this very minute so hand over your keys and hotel pass." I then
indicated to the security guy to deal with that part. He was good and
immediately stepped forward and told Frank to empty his pockets onto the
desk. Frank looked at him about to resist but seeing the size of the guy
decided not to. Instead he did as told and I picked out the items that I
knew belonged to the hotel.

The security guy then took hold of his arm and frog marched him out of the
office. Drew stood open mouthed. He'd been making notes of what was said as
I'd instructed but I could see he was shocked to see me deal with my
stepfather in this way. We followed them out and the secretary also looked
shocked but relieved to see him being taken away.

"I shall be calling a meeting of all staff shortly so just stay put for the
moment" I told her as I hastily went along the corridor to the conference
room. I told the head of security to follow Frank and the other security
guy and remain at the main door to make sure that Frank left and didn't
return. Once he'd seen him leave he'd also inform his doorman. The security
guy was told to join me in the conference room when done.

The other departmental managers seated in the conference room looked at me
and then at Drew wondering what the hell was going on. The other two
security guys also followed me into the room. I told the maintenance
manager and the reception manager that they could leave but to stay in
reception until they were called. The deputy hotel manager, the chief
cashier, the restaurant manager and the housekeeper all looked at me even
more perplexed. I then gave each of them a letter and told them to read
it. In these I'd given them two options. One was to leave quietly
immediately and I'd pay them an amount of severance pay which I felt was
reasonable in the circumstances and the other was to be dismissed
immediately on the grounds of incompetence and fraudulent behaviour. With
each letter was a document for them to sign if they accepted the first
option.

The chief cashier, the restaurant manager and the housekeeper went white
from shock since the letters also included a flavour of the evidence I had
against them. I'd also laid out on the table four thick files each one
bearing their name. They soon realised that was the evidence I had against
them.

"In no way am I going to sign this so you can fuck off; you wait until
Frank hears about this" the deputy shouted at me. Even the other managers
were shocked at his reaction and watched him tear up his letter and the
other document.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you" I smiled, "I've just sacked Frank so he's no
longer employed as hotel manager".

The four of them looked aghast including the deputy who suddenly realised
he was out on a limb. The other three hastily signed their documents and
passed them over to me. I indicated to the security guys to take over and
as before they asked each person to empty their pockets so that I could
remove keys and their pass plus anything else that I knew belonged to the
hotel. As I expected, the chief cashier also pulled out a company cheque
book, not that it would have been any use to him since I'd instructed the
bank that morning to remove his name and Frank's as signatories. The deputy
just watched as the other three were removed from the room.

"What about personal items in our offices?" one asked. I told them any
personal things would be boxed up and delivered to their home later that
day. I already had a delivery van lined up to do that.

"Please escort them off the premises" I told two of the security guys.

Once they'd left the room I picked up the file of evidence I had on the
deputy and dropped it from a height in front of him. "Perhaps you'd like to
see that before I have you forcibly removed" I told him as I gathered up
the torn pieces of letter that he'd strewn across the table. After flipping
through a few pages and realising he was in the shit up to his neck he
closed the file.

"Okay, I'll accept your offer"

"Too late my friend, you've torn up your letter" I said waving the pieces
in the air. "You had your chance with the others so now you're being
dismissed with immediate effect and I will be suing the pants off you". I
then indicated to the security guy remaining for him to do his
stuff. Within minutes I had the items I needed which I gave to Drew to
place in pre-prepared envelopes. Once they'd left the room I asked Drew to
fetch the five new managers sitting downstairs plus the head of security
and the reception manager. He grinned and set off immediately. I went into
the secretary's office and asked her to make an announcement on the hotel's
public address system for all staff, with the exception of the reception
staff, to gather immediately in the restaurant for an urgent announcement
from me.

Within minutes the five new managers and the two remaining ones appeared
with Drew. I explained that the hotel manager and the other four managers
had been dismissed with immediate effect and introduced everybody.

"I'd now like you all to come down to the restaurant to meet the staff
whilst I explain what has happened. After that you can all go off to your
respective departments.

By the time we reached the restaurant where everyone was assembled the
place was buzzing. News travels fast and it was clear that some knew what
had taken place. I announced the changes and introduced the new managers
asking their deputies to take them back to their departments and assist as
necessary. I also introduced Drew as my new personal assistant and said
he'd be visiting regularly on my behalf to see how things were progressing.

"Let me make it clear that from now on this hotel is going to be run
properly, efficiently and pay its way. There will be no more covering up or
any kind of fraudulent activity. If anyone is found doing so they will
receive the same treatment as the hotel manager and the other four senior
staff. Do I make myself clear?"

A general 'yes sir' buzzed round the room and I also heard one or two
comment 'about bloody time too'. I ended the meeting and walked round to
reception to find the three security guys. I thanked them for their duties
and said they could go. The head of security and Bill were now guarding the
main entrance. I told the maintenance manager to go round and change the
locks on the back entrance and each of the office doors of those who'd been
dismissed. The head of security had already purchased new locks for the
purpose although at the time he didn't know why I'd asked him to do so. I
was leaving nothing to chance because I didn't trust my stepfather or the
other dismissed managers for that matter.

I left the reception manager to explain to his staff what had happened and
took Drew round the hotel since he'd not had a chance to see it so far.

"You looked whacked" he commented as we set off.

"I am" I smiled and thanked him for being there.

"All I've done is take notes, which by the way I'll get typed up for the
record"

"You can type as well can you" I grinned, "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Not much but I'm not sure I could have handled what you've just done; you
were brilliant".

"Thanks" I grinned and gave him a quick pat on the back since we were now
walking down a corridor on our own.

As we made our way round the building I looked in on each department and
welcomed the new manager as I did so. I was pleased to see each of them was
already stuck in, talking to their staff and seeing what had been going on.

By the time we returned home I was feeling totally whacked. I wasn't even
sure I wanted to eat in the restaurant so Drew suggested we ask the kitchen
to send our meal up to my apartment. The place was already buzzing with
news about ECH so I knew I had to get a note round to all managers
immediately. The secretary had already left so Drew said he'd type it up if
I dictated what I wanted to say. We went into the secretary's office and
once I'd closed the door I pulled him into my arms. I needed him and I
needed him there and then.

"What would I do without you" I managed to say before we kissed
passionately. As our mouths interlocked I knew without doubt I'd made the
right choice by taking this guy into my business but more importantly into
my life.

"Come on, we'd better get this announcement typed up before I split my
trousers" he laughed. I looked down and saw the large bulge that was
visible before looking at my own. It was just as well we were on our own.

Within half an hour I'd dictated what I needed to say and Drew had typed it
up. I was amazed at how adept he was on the keys of the typewriter. "Where
did you learn to type?"

"A mate of mine had a typewriter so I taught myself. I had a feeling it
would come in handy one day. I also reckon that one day computers will
become everyday things. I was reading an article about them recently."

I laughed having heard that large companies used mainframe computers but
they were expensive and took up whole rooms so I couldn't see them becoming
part of my business but Drew was probably right, technology was moving fast
so perhaps one day it would happen.

Once I'd read what he'd typed and signed it he duplicated sufficient copies
on the Xerox machine. That was another new item of equipment I'd recently
purchased for each hotel since I could definitely see the benefit of that
to save producing unreadable carbon copies of documents.

"You go up whilst I deliver these to each manager" Drew told me. I kissed
him and said I'd see him upstairs. I'd already given him a key to my
apartment since I'd reckoned he'd spend most of his time in it.

When I got in I felt done in so I stripped off and decided to have a hot
bath to relax. When I heard Drew open the front door I called out to
him. He came into the bathroom and grinned.

"Can I join you? That bath looks big enough for two."

I laughed and said of course he could so he too stripped off and climbed
in. It wasn't long before we were both showing signs of excitement. We
rubbed our organs together and kissed. It was just perfect.


When we'd finished our bath we put on a bathrobe and moved into the living
room. Drew had brought up the food menu from the restaurant so we chose
what we wanted. I called down and gave the order saying that Drew was also
eating with me. I was still slightly concerned what staff would think about
him almost living with me.

"It'll be up in about half an hour so I'd better put some clothes on" I
laughed, "If I'm seen like this and it's known you're with me tongues will
certainly wag".

As promised there was a knock on the front door about thirty minutes later
so I went to open it. One of the young waiters was standing there with a
small trolley.

"Shall I wheel it in for you sir". I was tempted to say yes because it was
young Tom who was very delectable and I often wondered if he was of the
same persuasion but knowing that Drew was in the living room in just a
bathrobe I smiled sweetly and said I could manage. I told him I'd leave the
trolley in the main hallway outside when we were finished so to come up
later to collect it. He smiled and said if there was anything else I needed
to ring down. 'Yeah I might just do that' I grinned once I'd closed the
door and wheeled the trolley into the living room.

Whilst Drew put everything onto the table in readiness for us to eat, I
hastily stripped off again and donned my robe. If Drew was only clad in one
then I was going to be as well. I suddenly felt full of energy again and
looked forward to a long night of sex!


4.

The following morning the hotel was buzzing with the news about ECH so I
decided I'd better call an emergency meeting of managers to inform them
what had happened. I asked Drew to gather them together in the boardroom
and once all there I joined them. I told them who had been removed and why
as well as giving them the names of the new managers since they frequently
communicated with each other.

"I want to make it clear that nothing like this will be allowed to happen
in the future and if I find anyone trying to hide things, acting in an
unprofessional way or deliberately trying to defraud the company I will be
on top of them immediately. Hopefully you all know that I operate an open
style of management so if you have any problems then see David or me to
discuss the matter before things get too bad. I am happy to support people
if I feel they are working with me."

There was a general nod of approval and one or two thanked me for taking
the action I had since they felt it reflected on them as well. With that
said, everyone left to carry on their work but David hovered clearly
wanting to speak to me. I invited him into my office and I nodded to Drew
to follow.

"I just wanted to say thanks for doing what you've done Ewan; it can't have
been easy in the circumstances but your stepfather was certainly taking the
piss to say the least. We here felt helpless to do anything and I know you
tried your best to get your mother to deal with it, bless her soul."

I smiled and thanked David for his kind words. He was a lovely guy and it
always amazed me that he'd never found someone to share his life with. I
knew he'd had several lovers in the past but his whole life now seemed
totally wrapped up in the hotel.


Once David had left us I dictated to Drew an announcement to the hotels in
Bristol and Manchester since I guessed they too would soon find out what
had happened. Once signed, I asked him to fax it to the managers of those
hotels for circulation to their managers. The Xerox fax machine was another
piece of technology I'd introduced within the last year into all hotels. It
certainly made communication easier for such things and was now being
regularly used.

Once I'd dealt with the morning post, Drew and I made our way to ECH. Since
Maurice was available I got him to take us. As usual he was his chatty self
and he too had heard the news.

"Not before time" he commented. It seemed everyone fully agreed with my
actions, which was nice to know.

I suggested to Drew that he do a tour of the hotel and see the departmental
managers whilst I spoke to Francis, the new hotel manager, and then the new
chief cashier. We agreed to meet up later. Already I was pleased with the
way Drew had thrown himself into the work. I was also very happy with
having him share my bed!


When I walked into the hotel manager's outer office the secretary beamed at
me.

"Happy?" I grinned.

"I should say so; I was on the point of handing in my resignation because I
was sick and tired of you know who, so your timing was perfect."

"And Francis?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"He's delightful, so much better; already he's changed things and taken on
some of my ideas" she expounded with a big wide grin before adding in a
whisper "And he's nice looking".

I chuckled knowing that Francis was gay but I said nothing and just
smiled. When I went in to see Francis he too beamed and stood up to shake
my hand.

"I know its early days but how are things?" I asked as I closed the door
behind me. He sat down and patted a pile of files and papers on his desk.

"Slowly going through these to see what was going on and what I've seen so
far is not good, but give me another week or so and everything will be back
on track."

I smiled as I sat down and looked at him. He was even better looking than
I'd remembered from his interview. "You've made an impression on your
secretary; she thinks you're delightful and nice looking as well as taking
on some of her ideas".

Francis grinned and I noticed a slight blush go across his face. "Yeah,
she's good; such a shame the previous incumbent didn't take notice of her."

"He probably did but not in the right way" I chuckled, "but I doubt he'd
have got far with her; she's not easily flattered."


Having satisfied myself that Francis was on top of everything, I went to
see Trevor, the new chief cashier. He was five years older than Francis and
not as good looking but I'd employed him for his expertise so had high
hopes. When I went into his office he was knee deep in paperwork.

"I'll say one thing, my predecessor was a very inventive guy when it came
to doing accounts but as you've already found out, his cover-ups are easily
uncovered. I can't believe a qualified accountant would operate such sloppy
procedures."

I spent the next hour looking through things and agreeing new procedures
with him and came away satisfied that I'd made the right choice. I found
Drew talking to the new restaurant manager in the kitchen busy trying new
dishes. "I see, feeding your face are you" I teased him.

"Just giving my opinion on some new dishes" he grinned, "They're delicious,
you should try some".

"Mm, I value my waistline too much but carry on" I grinned.

Once I'd satisfied myself the new manager was okay, we went off to find the
reception manager to see how things were with the staff in
general. Although he only managed the reception and bookings, he was well
respected by other staff so I guessed he'd have picked up on any
problems. In fact, it seemed the vast majority of staff members were
pleased to see the back of the five people I'd sacked so all was well.


Much later we made our way back home having taken a taxi and decided it was
time to finish for the day so we went up to my apartment, stripped off, had
a bath together and fell into bed. We made passionate love before going
down to the restaurant for a meal.

When we'd finished our meal we walked back through reception. As we did so
one of the receptionists called Drew over. She was a young girl relatively
new to the job and I noticed her flutter her eyes at Drew, which made me
chuckle; if she did but know. She wanted his assistance in dealing with one
of our premium guests. They were always the most difficult expecting
everything to revolve round them. She clearly expected Drew to know how to
handle him so I held back and watched from afar. I was both amused and
pleased to see how he dealt with the guy and within minutes he had the guy
eating out of the palm of his hand before finally going off clearly
satisfied. The receptionist gave Drew a smile relieved that he'd resolved
the issue and fluttered her eyelids at him once again but he just smiled
and walked over to where I was standing.

"Well done" I whispered as we made our way to the lift.

"Am used to dealing with difficult customers like him" he chuckled. I could
tell; he certainly was which made me even more certain I'd made the right
choice in selecting him as my assistant; assuming I needed to be since he'd
more than met my expectations in more ways than one!


Over the next few weeks we fell into a pattern of working. Things at ECH
were getting back on track with the new managers and it was clear that Drew
was well respected by them and the managers in Kensington. I noticed in
particular that Francis, the new hotel manager at ECH, had taken a fancy to
him but Drew just smiled and let the admiration flow over him. The more I
got to know him the deeper was my love for him. He was everything I'd ever
dreamed of and at times I couldn't believe I'd found such a guy. He was
intelligent, good looking, in fact gorgeous, as well as very loving, not to
mention what he was like in bed!


Finally the 1967 legislation was given Royal approval which meant that my
relationship with Drew was legal since we'd celebrated his twenty first
birthday just a few days earlier. We immediately moved his things into my
apartment and lived as a couple. The other staff were unaware but the lad
who did the cleaning grinned knowingly when I asked him to give the room
that Drew had supposedly been using a good clean. In reality he'd not spent
a single night in it!

The following Saturday we went out and celebrated along with numerous other
couples who at last could be open about their relationship.


One Friday evening a few weeks later, Drew and I went to a bar in Soho
where gay men gathered together. In years gone by it had been raided by the
police on frequent occasions, not because of what the men were doing, which
was just drinking and talking to each other, but because the authorities
felt it was wrong for men to enjoy the company of men like us. However,
because of the imminent change in the law the police had ceased bothering
but now they had no reason to do so.

We entered the semi dark bar and I bought our drinks before moving to one
side where there was room to sit and gaze. As we did so we whispered about
our neighbours saying which we fancied. One particular guy, who looked
about Drew's age, was standing alone. He kept looking our way and when I
smiled he quickly averted his eyes. He had a dark complexion with black
hair and I guessed he was Arabic, which turned out to be correct.

After several more glances he slowly made his way towards us. As he did so
he made nervous glances around him as if he was afraid of someone suddenly
accosting him. When he was within speaking distance I said "Hi" and he
smiled. He asked in broken English, which was almost perfect, whether he
could sit on the seat near us. "Yes, please do" I replied. He sat down and
smiled.

Seeing he was clearly nervous, I held out my hand, "I'm Ewan and this is
Drew". He relaxed and shook my hand before taking Drew's hand.

"I'm Youssef" he grinned clearly pleased that someone had acknowledged
him. I bought him a drink and we chatted for the next hour. At one point he
noticed we'd finished our drinks and offered to buy us some but by this
time I'd ascertained that he had little money so I declined and bought us
all another round. He tried to resist but I placed a hand on his shoulder
and told him he was more than welcome.

It seemed he'd been hounded out of his home town in Saudi Arabia because of
his sexuality. Not only were family members giving him grief but neighbours
were doing the same. In the end he feared for his life so he escaped and
came to England having read about the pending legislation that would make
homosexuality legal. By the time he arrived the Act of Parliament had been
passed. All he now had to do was get a job and find somewhere to live. He'd
left his home town in such a hurry that all he had were a few clothes in a
small rucksack and just enough money to get him to England. I could see
that Drew felt for him and so did I for that matter. Why humans had to
treat others so badly just because of difference never ceased to horrify me
so I decided I'd do whatever I could to help him.

As we talked it came to light that he'd been studying accountancy before he
fled. As it happened I knew that Trevor, the new Chief Cashier at ECH,
needed someone in his department because one of his assistants had
left. He'd been a supporter of the guy I'd sacked so felt somewhat
vulnerable when Trevor brought in new procedures to control things. I
questioned Youssef on what he knew and the kind of job he was seeking. He
certainly seemed a likely candidate so I said I might be able to help
him. Drew gave me a satisfying smile clearly pleased I was able to assist
his new found friend.

"In the meantime you can use our guest room since you have nowhere to stay"

Youssef said he couldn't put us to that trouble but Drew told him it was
the least we could do. Reluctantly he agreed and came back to the hotel
with us once we'd finished our drinks.

During our conversation we'd ascertained that Youssef hadn't eaten a proper
meal all day, if not two days so as we passed through reception I asked
Drew to go to the kitchen to collect some eggs so we could make him an
omelette. In the meantime I led Youssef up to our apartment. When I took
him into the guest room he looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you so much, you are both so kind"

I took him into my arms and hugged him. I tried to imagine what he was
feeling. To have to flee from your home country must be horrendous and
frightening. I gently kissed the side of his head and he looked into my
eyes as if nobody had ever done that before.

"What's going to become of me?" he asked as more tears slid down his face.

"First you're welcome to stay here for as long as you wish and second I'll
see what I can do to find you a job". He looked at me as if he couldn't
believe someone was being so kind. He then gave me a weak smile. "I reckon
you'd like a bath as you've been travelling for several days" I smiled.

"Do I smell?" he grinned. I grimaced rather than responding.

"If you want I could put your clothes in the washer; you can borrow a
bathrobe"

He nodded and immediately started undressing much to my surprise. I grabbed
the robe from the back of the door and held it for him as he stripped
off. He had a beautiful body and I couldn't stop myself from admiring
it. When he'd removed everything and donned the robe I showed him the
bathroom and ran a bath. When it was ready I left him and put his clothes
into the washing machine. Drew had now arrived laden with eggs, a tomato
and a slice of chocolate cake.

"I feel so sorry for him; you can help him can't you" he said as he broke
the eggs into a bowl before beating them. I nodded and looked at my watch
to see if it was too late to call Trevor. I decided it wasn't so did
so. Having explained the situation I asked if he would be interested in
seeing Youssef. He said he was so it was arranged I'd take him to ECH the
following morning.

By the time I came off the phone, he was tucking into his omelette. When
he'd finished I told him what I'd arranged and gave him brief details of
the job. He gasped, smiled and jumped up to give me a kiss much to Drew's
amusement.


After he'd eaten, Youssef told us more about how dangerous it was to be
identified as homosexual in his country and how it was not uncommon for
families to conduct honour killings of those considered to bring shame on
the family. It was for this reason he'd fled because he'd overheard his
uncle talking about him. I'd read about these atrocities but Drew was
shocked.

"My father was bad enough when he threw me out of the house but how can
family kill their own flesh and blood just because you're different"

Youssef nodded and I could see his eyes were glistening with tears as he
thought about it. I wanted to take him into my arms and hug him tight and I
sensed Drew wanted to do the same.

Eventually we went to bed and I told Youssef that if he wanted us he should
wake us. He thanked us and went into his own room leaving the door
ajar. Drew and I did the same and settled down.

"I feel so sorry for him" Drew whispered.

"Yes, we are lucky, at least the law recognises us now even if society in
general still views us as being perverse"

"Will things ever change do you think?"

"Perhaps one day" I replied, "but I suspect it's a long way off yet"


It was in the early hours of the morning that I woke and heard Youssef
sobbing. I waited a while to see if he stopped but he didn't so I put on my
robe and went in to see him. He was sitting on the side of the bed in his
boxer shorts with his head in his hands. I sat down beside him and put my
arm round him. I guessed how he felt but there was little I could say to
placate him. All I could do was show I was there for him and that he was
safe.

After a while Drew appeared having woken and seen I was gone. He looked at
Youssef and sat down beside him before putting his arm round him. I watched
as he gently rubbed his back. I loved the way he showed his support and it
made me love him so much.

"It's okay Youssef, we're here for you" he whispered. Youssef looked at him
and gave a weak smile. His sobbing had stopped and he rested his head on
Drew's shoulder which I found rather touching.

"Would you like Drew to remain with you?" I asked. Youssef looked at me
hardly believing what I'd suggested. "You wouldn't mind would you Drew?".

"Of course not; I'd be happy to do so" he told Youssef.

Youssef said nothing and I sensed he wanted Drew to stay but couldn't say
so. "I'll leave you" I nodded to Drew and made my leave. As I did so I felt
a pang of jealousy which was stupid really since I knew Drew loved me and
me alone. He'd agreed to stay because he felt sorry for Youssef and not for
any other reason. Even so it felt lonely in my bed alone.

I must have slipped off to sleep because when I woke in the morning Drew
was lying beside me.

"Is he okay?"

Drew nodded sleepily. "We got into bed and I held him until he finally went
to sleep. When I returned you were snoring peacefully" he chuckled.

"I don't snore" I replied indignantly.

"Yes you do, but it's a nice snore" he laughed. I turned towards him and
then climbed on top,of him.

"Ooh, I'm being attacked by a gorgeous man" he giggled.

"You complaining" I laughed.

"No, no, carry on" he laughed.

We then made passionate love and as we did so my mind briefly went back to
Youssef in the room next door.

When I'd showered I popped my head into Youssef's room. He grinned at me
and I guessed he'd probably heard us having sex.

"How are you?"

"Okay; sorry about last night"

"Nothing to be sorry about" I replied as I sat on the side of the bed and
held his hand.

"You're both very kind"

"You've had a lot to deal with but just remember we're here for you
whenever you need us".

He reached out and held my hand. "Thanks"


Whilst we had breakfast I asked him how he'd got into the UK since I was
sure he'd need a visa of some sort. He grinned and tapped his nose.

"Despite their religious beliefs the authorities are only too ready to be
bribed. Fortunately I had money and knew who to contact to get what papers
I needed. The papers I bought show that I have family over here who will
support me which satisfied UK immigration."

"Well, we will be your family" Drew giggled "so we will support you won't
we Ewan"

"Of course we will"

"Do people know that you are both ... you know, gay?"

"We don't hide the fact but nor do we talk about it publicly" I
explained. "There are still plenty of people around who don't approve but
at least we are now recognised by the law; provided you're twenty one or
over; you are over twenty one aren't you". He nodded and said he'd reached
twenty one three months previous. "One thing is certain" I continued, "I
don't tolerate any form of discrimination in my business so if you receive
any comments about your race or sexuality you let me know immediately".


5.

After we'd finished breakfast I told him I was taking him out to buy a suit
and whatever else he needed. He said he couldn't accept but when I told him
I couldn't take him for interview with what he had to wear he relented. I
left Drew to get on with his work and took Youssef to my normal
outfitters. Once dressed in a smart suit, shirt and tie, he looked the
smart young man that I imagined him to be. From what he'd said he came from
an educated high class family which made his situation all the more
difficult to understand but that was religion for you. I'd never been
devout and was never likely to be having seen how so called religious
people treated others.

Finally it was time to take Youssef to see Trevor. I'd told him that Trevor
was gay so he had no fears on that account. I'd also had to explain to
Trevor the situation Youssef was in although I'd told him he should only
employ him if he was sure he was right for the job.

As soon as I saw how they both reacted to each other I could tell they
would get on. I decided to leave them to talk whilst I went to see Francis
to get his latest report. I briefly told him about Youssef but he said it
would be Trevor's decision as to whether or not he hired him. In the
meantime Francis gave me his latest report. He was excited and I could see
why once I'd looked at it. Already things were improving, including the
occupancy and profits.

"Well done, this is brilliant" I congratulated him. Once again I was
pleased to see I'd made a good choice in recruiting him.


When I rejoined Trevor and Youssef about an hour later I found them
laughing and joking with each other. It was good to see Youssef smiling and
happy and I noticed a warm glow in his eyes as he looked at Trevor which I
found interesting. On joining them, Trevor suggested that Youssef go and
sit downstairs in the lounge area whilst he and I had a chat so I took him
down and asked reception to organise a coffee for him.

"How did you get on?"

"Good; the job sounds interesting and Trevor is a nice guy"

I smiled. "Shan't be long".

When I returned to Trevor's office he seemed excited at the thought of
hiring Youssef. "He's an intelligent guy and has a good knowledge of
accountancy; okay, he doesn't have experience but he knows the theory which
is good".

"So you'd like to hire him?"

"Most definitely" he replied before adding with a big grin "and he's rather
gorgeous isn't he".

I laughed and agreed. Having discussed the salary we called reception to
ask Youssef to rejoin us. When he entered Trevor's office he looked
worried. Trevor smiled and indicated for him to sit down. He then told him
that if he was still interested in the job then it was his. Youssef gave a
big sigh of relief and nodded enthusiastically.  When he heard the salary
and the conditions of employment he could hardly control his excitement.

"I won't let you down" he said, "I will work very hard for you".

Trevor and I smiled. We were sure he would because he was so grateful. I
then said he was welcome to use the studio flat near my apartment in the
Kensington hotel. He gasped and for a moment I thought he was going to jump
up and kiss me. Not that I would have minded! Trevor then asked when he
would like to start his new job. Since he had nothing else to do it was
agreed he'd start immediately so I left them to it having asked Trevor to
bring Youssef back to Kensington that evening since he didn't know his way
around London as yet.

"In fact why don't you join us for a meal" I asked Trevor. I'd decided we'd
make it a celebration meal since I'd done nothing special for Drew's twenty
first birthday because of everything else going on at the time. The legal
action against Frank and the previous chief cashier had now come to an
end. The chief cashier had agreed an out of court settlement which had more
or less bankrupted him and caused his wife and family to leave him because
they were disgusted when they heard what he'd been up to. I'd also heard
that soon after handing over the money he'd committed suicide, not that I
felt any sorrow for him because he'd been stealing from my mother and then
me for years.

Frank on the other hand had refused to settle despite his solicitor's
advice, so it went to court and as expected he was found guilty and given a
prison sentence for fraud and theft. I later heard that he'd got into a
brawl in prison and had died from his injuries so he was another for whom I
shed no tears, and I got some of the money he owed me when his property was
sold.

On my way back to Kensington I called in at my favourite jeweller. I'd
bought Drew a gold bracelet for his twenty first and I'd noticed Youssef
admiring it and trying it on the previous evening so I decided to buy him
something similar. I chose one which I was sure he would like and had it
gift wrapped. I added a card and wrote on it 'To Youssef from your new
friends Ewan and Drew and to wish you all happiness with your new life in
London'. When I got back to the hotel I spoke to the restaurant manager and
asked him to prepare a special meal for the four of us and to include
champagne.


"Wow, what's this for?" Drew asked when he saw our usual table beautifully
decked out with flowers.

"To celebrate your twenty first somewhat belatedly" I chuckled "and to
celebrate Youssef's new life in London". Both looked at me aching to give
me a kiss but didn't because others were around. Instead I put an arm round
each of their shoulders and led them to the table. I told Youssef to sit
where I'd placed his gift earlier and Drew to sit beside him. Trevor and I
sat opposite them to admire the view. Youssef looked at the small packet
not sure what to do. "It's a small gift to welcome you to your new home".

He picked it up and looked at me. I could see emotional tears in his
eyes. He mouthed "Thank you" too overcome with emotion as he read the card.

"Open it" Drew chuckled so Youssef slowly unfastened the ribbon which the
assistant had tied round the packet. When he'd opened the small box and saw
the gold and leather bracelet he gasped placing his hands to his mouth.

"It's beautiful" he cried with tears running down his face.

"Put it on" Drew said and helped him with it. "Wow that looks great".

"Thank you so much; I don't know what to say"

"Hopefully it will remind you of the welcome you received in London" I said
gently touching his hand.

"It will and I shall wear it always to remind me of the kindness I've
received from all of you. If the Imams showed half the kindness all of you
have shown me everyone in my country would be much happier"

His words stayed with me for a long time. If only they could show more
compassion then his people would be far better off.

After our meal I suggested to Drew that he show Youssef the studio
flat. When they'd left, Trevor smiled. "He's such a lovely guy isn't he".

"I hope you've based your decision to hire him on his ability to do the
job" I teased him.

"Of course; in the same way as you hired Drew"

"Touché" I grinned, "I have to admit they are both rather gorgeous".


When the other two returned Youssef was grinning from ear to ear. "It is
perfect, thank you". I later learnt that Drew had helped him move his
things from the guest room since he wanted to start using it immediately.

When we were in bed later, Drew climbed on top of me. I could feel his
erection pressing against mine as we kissed. "You are such a kind guy" he
said, "I'm going to give you a long hard fuck".

"Mm can't wait" I grinned and wrapped my legs round his naked buttocks.


We didn't see much of Youssef over the next few days. By the time we'd
emerged having had breakfast he'd made his way to work at ECH. In the
evening he seemed to eat with Trevor and not return till late. When the
next meeting of managers was due I made a point of seeking him out to see
how he was getting on. Trevor was over the moon with him, which I assumed
was due to Youssef's professional ability, and Youssef was in love with the
job and from what I could see, also Trevor! Anyhow, I realised I needn't
have any worries about him fitting in.


On the Thursday I was due to visit the hotels in Bristol and Manchester. I
visited every three months to show my face and have meetings with the
management team. As I'd not taken Drew to see these hotels yet I decided to
take him with me. Besides, I knew I'd miss him if I didn't.

I always travelled by train since it was easier and more comfortable so we
set off early that morning for Bristol. It took just over two hours to get
to Bristol Temple Meads which was not far from the hotel. A car picked us
up so we were soon at the hotel. The receptionist smiled and welcomed me as
usual. She'd worked at the hotel for several years so knew me well. I
introduced Drew and she welcomed him just as warmly.

"You're in your usual suite Mr Cooper" she beamed, "and you have use of the
adjoining room" she added looking at Drew. I guessed that news of my
relationship with Drew had travelled to the outposts but she clearly had no
problem with it. I wasn't aware of any gay employees but that didn't mean
to say there weren't some even though Bristol was not a hotbed for gays at
that time.

She then called for the bellboy to take our luggage up to our suite. I
hadn't seen him before and as he picked it up he glared at me and then
muttered to Drew "So you're the boss's queer assistant". It was said with
malice and Drew stared at him and then me.

"What did you just say boy" a voice boomed behind him. He'd not seen Tim,
the hotel manager walk up behind him. The lad froze waiting for Tim's
wrath. "Go to my office immediately and wait there until I decide what to
do with you". The lad dropped our bags and scuttled off.

"My sincere apologies Mr Cooper and to you Mr Miller; I will not accept
such behaviour in this hotel."

I smiled and shook Tim's hand. I knew he ran the place with a rod of iron
yet the majority of staff liked and respected him. Those who didn't were
soon packed on their way and I guessed the lad in question would be one of
those.

Having introduced Drew, we made our way to the suite on the second floor
with another young man dutifully following us with the luggage. I knew this
lad and smiled at him which made him go bright red. He was a sweet lad who
was very attentive and willing to do anything provided it was spelt out to
him in clear language.

Once in our suite of rooms I took Drew into my arms and kissed him.

"Wow, Tim is some tyrant isn't he; I reckon that lad is for the high jump"

"And so he should be" I smiled as I pulled him up against me. It didn't
take long for two erections to be pressing against each other.

"Have we got time for a quickie?" Drew grinned.

"Yeah, why not" I laughed as we both hastily stripped off and made our way
into the bedroom.

Having been well and truly serviced by Drew, we bathed and got dressed in a
clean set of clothes. I just had time to show Drew around before lunch,
after which we had the managers' meeting.


As usual everything was running smoothly and the room occupancy was well
up. Drew's new systems had shown that in any event and his new graphs and
spreadsheets showed the hotel was still making a good profit. However, what
they also showed was why and which areas needed watching. I got him to
explain his new systems at the meeting and I could see several managers
were impressed by his young mind and knowledge.

After our meal that evening, at which Tim joined us, I took Drew out to
show him some of Bristol's highlights. When we got back to our suite he
said he preferred London!

Although we slept together we made it look as if he'd used the small
adjoining room. Hopefully at some point in the future such subterfuge would
not be necessary but for the time being we decided it was necessary.


6.

The following morning we set off for Manchester. It always took at least
three hours so was a tedious journey but we relaxed into our first class
seats and made the best of it. I always enjoyed visiting the Manchester
hotel which was situated not far from Manchester Piccadilly station. I knew
the hotel manager was gay and no doubt employed others. He was in his
forties and was a lovely guy. He was also a good manager and ran a tight
ship.

Canal Street had one bar that gays used although the windows were blacked
out and you had to knock on the door to get in. On our first night I took
Drew there. Once inside we relaxed and kissed each other alongside other
guys. It felt wonderful to be that relaxed with Drew in public, albeit with
a gay crowd.


The following morning I had the meeting with all the managers. Drew once
again gave his presentation on his new systems and I watched the managers
being mesmerised by his charts and graphs. Even though his new systems
meant tighter control on their departments they could all see the benefits
so were happy to go along with them. I sat back and admired his enthusiasm
and his ability to take people along with his ideas. I felt so proud of him
and for a moment I was choked with emotion.

When the meeting ended I heard several managers comment on what a bright
guy Drew was and that he clearly knew his stuff. I smiled to myself. Even I
was amazed at how quickly he'd understood the workings of hotel management
and I knew they'd be too if they knew I'd found him cleaning tables and
washing up glasses in a bar.

After lunch Drew and I visited a property just off Canal Street. It had
been a restaurant but the owner had not moved with the times so had gone
bust. As such the lease was being sold off at a rock bottom price and I had
plans to open my own restaurant which would be staffed by gays, or at least
gay friendly people and be predominantly for gays, although straights would
be welcome provided they accepted gays. I'd decided that now the law
recognised us we should stand up and be counted.

I needed someone to run it for me and I knew the perfect person. His name
was Rupert who was twenty five and was one of the assistant chefs at the
Manchester hotel. He was an excellent chef and I knew he was ambitious but
because the chef in charge was also young there was little prospect of
promotion for Rupert. I didn't want to lose him so asked if he'd be
interested in running a restaurant for me. He jumped at the idea and said
his partner, Darren, would be interested in helping him. Darren, who was a
year older was also in catering management and he too wanted to move on
because he didn't like where he was working. In fact he was currently
working out his notice.

We'd agreed to meet at the premises to see if it would be suitable. I'd
taken out an option on the lease and had ten days in which to say whether
or not I was interested in proceeding. Since we didn't want anyone at the
hotel to know that Rupert might be leaving, everything was kept quiet and
we arranged the meeting on one of Rupert's rest days.

Having introduced each other, Rupert and Drew worked on the kitchen plan
and Darren and I worked on the plans for front of house. The whole place
needed refurbishment so we started from scratch and worked out which walls
could be knocked down to make the kitchen larger and how the restaurant
area could be improved. Using the floor plans we'd reckoned we could
accommodate eighty covers when full so we now had to see if that was
possible. The idea was to open from ten in the morning through to eight at
night to serve lunches and evening meals plus whatever snacks we could in
between. Rupert had great ideas and I was prepared to support him. The
restaurant would be part of the group so would come under Drew's new
control systems. He'd already looked into the use of electric cash
registers to make life easier for the staff and provide better control so
one of these would be installed.

We'd gone armed with measuring tapes so by the end of the day we had
detailed plans of how the kitchen would look with the equipment Rupert
would need, and had planned out the restaurant, where the main counter
would be situated and how the tables could be arranged. Rupert and Darren
were brimming with excitement and were convinced they could make a go of
it. The property was situated on a corner and in an excellent
location. Upstairs there was a two bedroom flat which Rupert and Darren
would use. This needed a new kitchen and bathroom plus redecoration
throughout. The next step was to get a builder in to advise on whether our
ideas were possible and produce a quote for the work. Drew had lined one up
for the following morning on the basis that we felt the premises were a
possibility.

Since we couldn't discuss our plans back at the hotel I took all of us to a
restaurant I knew. I'd known the owner for several years so we were well
looked after and had a table in a quiet area where we could continue our
discussions.

"So what do you reckon Mr Cooper, is it a goer?" Rupert asked excitedly.

"If you two are happy with the premises and how you could fit everything in
then provided the building work is possible and the cost is not prohibitive
then I reckon it is."

Rupert and Darren beamed. Rupert then hugged Drew who was sitting beside
him and kissed him on the cheek. Rupert was always a very tactile guy so it
didn't bother me. I'd noticed earlier that he was touching Drew whenever he
had the chance and at times flirted with him but I also knew that he and
Darren were devoted to each other having been together for six years. Drew
took it all in his stride but I sensed that Darren didn't approve.

"Put him down Rupert" Darren chided, "You'll embarrass Drew".

"I doubt it" I laughed and blew a kiss to Drew who blew one back.

By the end of the evening we had got to know each other well and were all
on first name terms. Even though I would own the business, which would be
called Coopers, Rupert and Darren would have a share of the profits on top
of their basic salary.


The following morning we met up with the builder who confirmed all that we
wanted to do was possible. He said he'd prepare a quote and fax it through
to me within the next two days. Drew meanwhile would obtain costs for the
kitchen equipment and the restaurant furniture from my usual suppliers.


By the end of the following week, and just within the ten day option
period, I had all the quotes so gave the green light for work to proceed. I
informed the chef in charge at the Manchester hotel that he'd be losing
Rupert but he was happy for him. Besides it meant that someone else in the
team would get a leg up so everyone was happy.


Once the lease had been transferred, the building work and installation of
all the equipment took a further month to complete. Drew had also designed
a sign which was now proudly showing outside. We went up for the opening
and I couldn't believe the transformation. It was brilliant and both Rupert
and Danny were happy bunnies. They'd recruited a couple of staff to help in
the kitchen and two more to help Danny in the restaurant as and when
required. The first night was packed and it was soon the place to be
seen. Rupert's menus were well received and they'd pitched the prices
exactly right. I was more than happy with the results, especially as it was
my first new venture since my mother had died. I was certain she'd have
been proud of me.


The next few months went well. My relationship with Drew became known by
most employees and everyone seemed to accept it without comment. Drew
received the odd remark from some junior staff about what it was like
sleeping with the boss but he said he always replied "none of your
business" which shut them up. It meant that when we visited Bristol and
Manchester we didn't bother about arranging for an adjoining room. Drew and
I worked well together; he was a brilliant assistant and became my right
hand man. In fact most queries would come to him which he often sorted out
leaving me to deal with the longer term plans which suited me fine.

One day Youssef asked to see me and I wondered if there was a problem but
when he entered my office he was smiling and seemed happy enough. Each time
I'd asked Trevor how he was doing he sang his praises so I knew he'd
settled in to the work.

"Have you a moment?" he asked tentatively as he entered.

"Of course, come on in" I replied. I certainly never minded seeing him!

"I just wanted your advice on something" he started as he sat down. I
noticed he was fidgeting with his hands and could see he was having
difficulty with saying what he wanted.

"Is there a problem?

"No" he replied immediately.

"Then what is it Youssef?"

He smiled. "As you probably know Trevor and I get on very well". I had
noticed that so nodded waiting for him to continue. "Well, he's asked me to
move in with him."

"That's great news, isn't it or do you have doubts?"

"No, I just wanted your advice"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes" he nodded with a big grin.

"And are you sure he loves you?"

"Yes, no doubt about that; he's been trying to persuade me to move in with
him for several weeks now."

"So what's the problem?"

"I've never lived with another man before; what will people think,
especially as I work for him"

I smiled and leant forward to take his hand. He really was a lovely guy. To
be honest if I'd not found Drew I'd have had him any time. He reminded me
so much of Drew.

"If you both love each other then what other people think is
immaterial. People are used to me and Drew working and living together and
if anyone makes any comment or causes a problem you just come and see me. I
think it's wonderful that you've found someone to love and be with so if
you're sure then go for it."

"Thanks; I just wanted to speak to you first"

When we stood up I took him into my arms and hugged him. "I'm sure you'll
both be very happy together; Trevor is a lovely guy. When are you planning
on moving in with him?"

"This weekend"

I smiled; that was just two days away and I told him if he needed any help
I was sure Drew would be only too happy to do so.

The next day, Drew came running in to see me. "Guess what; the lease of the
bar where we met is up for sale; seems the miserable landlord has been
losing money hand over fist for months now so has to sell to keep the bank
off his back."

I smiled and pondered for a moment. I'd always wanted to own a bar and to
own this one in Soho would be perfect. The Manchester restaurant had worked
out well so I decided to go for it. Drew contacted the agent dealing with
the sale and I placed an option on it pending a survey and a look
round. Two days later we visited the bar which by now had closed down and
the landlord, who was still living in the flat above, opened the door. He
seemed not to remember me but he recognised Drew.

"What the fuck do you want?" he asked in his usual aggressive mood, "We're
shut down so there's no job for you here now."

Drew laughed as he stood wearing his smart business suit. "Does it look as
if I need a job you miserable bastard". The guy looked at him and shrugged
before looking at me.

"My partner and I are considering buying the lease so have come to look
round" I said with a satisfied smile. The guy shuffled before letting us
in. He knew he had no option but to let us in since according to the agent
nobody else had shown any interest despite the low price.

Drew and I spent the next two hours going round and measuring up. The whole
place needed refurbishment and Drew also felt it would be good if food was
offered. They would only be snacks but it would bring in more
customers. Other bars were beginning to do this so we'd need to do the
same. Our plan was to make it a gay friendly venue with a gay manager to
run it and we had someone in mind. We also wanted to modernise it and get
away from its dark unwelcome atmosphere. There was a one bedroom flat above
that came with it so the current landlord would have to move out, which
delighted Drew and I. He wasn't keen on letting us look upstairs but I
insisted saying that it was part of the property. Eventually he did and we
could see why he was reluctant. The place was a tip and also needed a
complete refurbishment but once done it would make a nice flat.

The person we had in mind was a guy called Robin who was twenty two and
very keen. He was currently a barman in the Kensington hotel and I'd
casually mentioned to him the possibility of adding a pub to the
portfolio. He'd immediately shown an interest and I also happened to know
that he had a boyfriend with whom he was planning to rent a place to live
together. Dean was twenty one and worked as a waiter in the restaurant so I
knew he was good with customers.

Once we'd left misery guts to drown his sorrows, we went immediately to the
agent and said we'd have the place but we needed the landlord out on the
day of transfer. According to the lease he had no option but to vacate the
flat above so that was not a problem. We went back to the hotel and I asked
Robin and Dean to see me.

Once we'd told them they both jumped with joy. It was great to see their
enthusiasm and I knew instinctively that they'd make a success of it. I'd
received good reports for both of them in their current positions so knew
they were both reliable and hardworking. Neither of them were my type but
they flirted with Drew much to my amusement.

"And you're sure you are able to work and live together" I asked knowing
that they'd only been together for about two years.

"Oh yeah; Dean always does what I say" Robin laughed.

"Yeah, he's the boss alright" Dean laughed but I had the feeling they were
teasing each other.

"But seriously, I'm sure we can and we have talked it through thoroughly"
Robin added. "How do you two find it?"

I smiled at Drew and said nothing.

"Yeah, it works well; okay Ewan is the boss but he lets me have my say and
gives me my own space to do what I want whenever possible."

"I feel the most important thing to remember whether it is with employees
or your partner is to not forget they too are human beings and have a mind
of their own. Everyone has their own ideas and thoughts on things so it's
important to listen to them and take their views into account whenever you
can as well as giving people responsibility."

Both Robin and Dean nodded taking it all in. I knew it would be a challenge
for them but I was confident they'd be able to cope. "And of course you've
always got access to both Drew and myself for advice whenever you need it."


A few weeks later the lease had been signed over to me so we were able to
get in and start work. Both Robin and Dean knew the bar having used it in
the past but had not been able to go round it to see how the ideas Drew and
I had come up with would work. On the first day of our ownership we took
them round and went through our plans. We'd done so on paper in the office
but they needed to see them in situ. Apart from a few minor amendments they
agreed our ideas were good. Drew had already lined up a builder to start
work so we decided to get the flat above sorted out first so that Robin and
Drew could move in and be on site to manage the work downstairs. They chose
what kitchen units and bathroom suite they wanted and the builder came in
the following day to rip out the old and fit the new. Within a week
everything was done and the whole place had been redecorated so Robin and
Dean moved in. I'd had them released from their duties at the hotel so they
could concentrate on managing the building work downstairs.

Drew and I went round to see them settled in and they were two very happy
bunnies.

"Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity" Robin exclaimed as he
gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I hugged him back and kissed him
before doing the same to Dean.

On the Monday the builder was due back to start work on the refurbishment
downstairs. We decided in the end to gut the place since the dark furniture
and panelling didn't fit in with the plan we had in mind. A room behind the
bar that the previous guy had used as a junk room was to be converted into
a small kitchen where Robin could produce pie and chips, and chicken in a
basket type bar food. He'd obtain the readymade pies from the hotel kitchen
so they only had to be heated up as required. A new modern bar would be
installed with new bench seating and small tables. The toilets also needed
revamping since they were pretty disgusting. The builder reckoned he could
get it all done within three weeks including a new coat of paint on the
outside. We also decided to rename the bar and call it 'The Cooper' so as
to get away from the old name which had become associated with a down in
the dumps bar with a miserable landlord.


Finally everything was in place and we arranged a grand opening offering
discounted drinks and food for the first two days. The place was soon
heaving with interested customers and Robin and Dean were worked off their
feet. They'd employed a young lad to help out during the busy periods but I
had a feeling they'd need him full-time. Since the bar was selling food we
were allowed under the licensing laws to open over the lunchtime period,
then close and reopen early evening to the end of the licensing time
allowed.

That night when Drew and I got home he mounted me once in bed and gave me a
big kiss.

"You've done it again" he grinned.

"Done what?"

"Made two people very happy"

I laughed, "And what about you, are you happy?"

"Of course; you want me to show you how much?"

"Mm, I think I might" I giggled as he started working his charm all over my
naked body. It didn't take long for two erections to be pressing against
each other. He worked his way down me kissing and licking until he reached
my hard organ. I gasped as I felt him take it into his mouth.

"Oh yes, that feels so good"

He giggled and tremors vibrated through my organ. When he'd done enough to
have me begging for him to stop before I shot my load he lubricated himself
and sat on it. He spent the next half hour riding it like a stallion during
which time I managed to come twice whilst I massaged his gorgeous organ.


The next seven years seemed to fly by. Business flourished at all the
establishments and those in charge of each were still in place and enjoying
what they were doing. Drew and I were still as much in love with each other
if not more so. He was the perfect mate. I was also pleased to see that
Trevor and Youssef were still very much in love and working well together.

Youssef worked with Drew on more improvements to the systems throughout the
company and in 1975 suggested that we should introduce computers into each
establishment. It was a big step and one which I knew little about but
Drew's enthusiasm encouraged me to look into his ideas more closely. I'd
heard that other businesses were starting to use them so decided we needed
to move with the times. Drew took me along to a demonstration at a supplier
of IBM computers who seemed to be the leaders at the time and I was blown
away with what could be achieved.

I agreed to buy one for the Kensington hotel but soon realised its
potential and the information it could produce in half the time so I gave
the go ahead for one to be purchased for each of the other hotels, the Soho
bar and the restaurant in Manchester, which had now expanded into an
adjoining property.

It was a major landmark in the company's development because shortly
afterwards we bought out two more hotels; one in Brighton and another in
Leeds. Life was perfect; I had the man of my dreams beside me and a
thriving business with a great team of people. I just hoped it would
continue but one thing I knew was that life sometimes didn't always go as
you planned or hoped. I therefore made the most of it whilst I could.

~~~~~

Other stories by this author can be found under the list of Prolific Authors.
If you like these stories please support Nifty with a donation.