Free I'm Your Man by Timothy James Beck Page A

advertising.”
    â€œHow long are you staying?” Todd asked.
    This was the part I hated. Until Daniel and I split up, he’d been the only man I’d slept with. After we broke up, I made up for lost time, feeling like I’d spent my twenties in two dead-end relationships. I’d married Sydney because I thought it was the right thing to do. I’d been with Daniel for love. I’d quickly learned that one-night stands were about instant gratification, so I didn’t see the point of forced conversations or shared histories.
    â€œLong enough to fuck you,” I answered.
    He started toward my side of the table, and I turned on my barstool to face him. He nudged his way between my legs and put his arms around my waist. Without another word, we tilted our heads and pressed our lips together as I put my arms around him, bringing him closer to me.
    When I opened my eyes the next morning, it took me a minute to recognize the hotel room and another minute to realize that I wasn’t alone, although I couldn’t remember his name. I ran through the alphabet until I got to T. Todd. That was it.
    I did remember the previous night and how removed I felt when Todd gripped the railing on the balcony overlooking the harbor until his knuckles turned white. Physically, it had been exciting to discover a new body, and a rather nice body at that. Something was missing though. Or maybe it just felt wrong because I’d let him spend the night. Sleeping together in the same bed implied an intimacy that I didn’t feel.
    I rubbed my eyes and decided to take a shower to rid myself of the smell of Todd. I got up without causing him to stir, then looked back at him. I feared that in daylight, I would discover that I’d brought home a monster whose imperfections had been hidden by shadow and the dim lighting of the bar.
    The blinds cast vertical lines up and down his firm body. In the slats of light, I could see that my first impression had been right. He was handsome. But I felt a shocking rush of discomfort when I realized something else. He reminded me of Daniel. A rougher and less put-together version of him, but a resemblance nonetheless. Maybe I was looking for similarities, but the end result was the same. I wanted to get him out of my bed and my life and get in the shower to wash away the night before. I almost sprinted toward the bathroom, but something squished between my toes. I looked down and saw a hastily discarded condom.
    â€œYuck!” I exclaimed, not meaning to say it out loud.
    â€œWhat?” a sleepy voice asked from the bed.
    I turned my back to him as I spoke. “Nothing. I’m just going to hop in the shower.”
    Todd didn’t respond, and I shut the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower. As the water ran over me, I became conscious of the sore muscles in my back, neck, and legs. Gavin’s warning had come true. I felt as if I’d had a brutal workout rather than a soothing massage. I twisted the nozzle to turn the spray to a pounding stream, centering my sorest muscles beneath the water. I felt like I was trying to beat out more than the stiffness.
    When the soreness eased, I turned off the shower and got out quickly to towel dry. Hopefully, I would have the day to myself and not feel obligated to spend it with Todd. I wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped out of the bathroom.
    My gaze fell on the bed, empty except for a hastily scribbled note lying on top of Todd’s pillow. I walked over and picked it up.

    Dear Brad,
    Â 
    You’ve definitely made my top ten best tricks list. Sorry I had to run. I forgot I have a meeting today. Maybe some other time.
    Â 
    Todd

    Brad. I rolled my eyes, offended that he couldn’t even remember my name. I whipped the towel from my waist, and it fell limply on the back of the oak desk chair.
    After I dressed, I did a quick sweep of the room, looking under the bed for any misplaced items or stray