...Joe stepped into the old-fashioned elevator and pressed the elaborately decorated button for the third floor. A security guard had let him in through the staff entrance, just as Scott had promised he would. Now, the guard was keeping a discreet eye on him from the other side of the department store’s deserted foyer.

Their eyes met. The guard nodded politely to Joe and touched his uniform cap, as the elevator doors began to slide together. Just before the gap between the doors disappeared completely, Joe saw the guard’s face split into a wide grin. Oh, yes. The last of Joe’s doubts disappeared. The guy certainly knew that he and Scott were there to hook up with each other.

Whistling tunelessly under his breath as he waited for the elderly elevator to carry him up to the third floor, Joe once again tried, and once again failed, to work out what Scott might have planned for them that night.

——

10 P.M., Thursday. Harrington’s department store. Go to the staff entrance at the back of the store. The security guard will be expecting you. Take the lift up to the third floor.

——

And that was it.

It wasn’t really much to go on—just enough to have Joe spending damn near every minute of the three days since he’d received Scott’s note, playing guessing games with himself.

A small plaque hung just to the right of the numbered buttons indicating the various floors and which departments they contained. Joe made a point of not looking at it. Whatever surprise Scott had planned for him, Joe didn’t feel inclined to spoil it at the last moment.

Joe simply smiled to himself as he waited for the elderly elevator to bring him to his destination. Apparently, being a nice guy and playing by the rules could actually be quite fun. Who could have guessed that screwing the same man over and over again could actually be so interesting?

Finally, a genteel little ding indicated that Joe had reached his destination. The doors slid open. Joe stepped out into what looked like some sort of kitchenware department. Raising one eyebrow at the homely looking fare on offer, he glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of his new submissive between the displays of pots, pans and useless gadgets.

He smiled when he eventually spotted Scott standing in the adjoining department. The submissive was waiting for him well within sight of the elevators, but his back was toward Joe. Scott obviously had no idea he had company.

Joe stepped forward, taking care to keep his footfalls as silent as possible. His attempts to remain undetected worked perfectly. Scott continued to stare out of the window overlooking the car park none the wiser to Joe’s presence. Apparently it had never occurred to him that Joe might park his bike around the other side of the building.