could feel the cloth rubbing against him.

As he was finishing André called him over and said “Tonight I would like you to come to my apartment on the third floor. There are some things I need to discuss with you about life here. We can talk and see how we get on together.” A few of the others laughed at this and told him that they looked forward to finding out about his experiences the next morning.

Later that evening Jason nervously knocked on André’s door. It opened quickly and he went in. The living room was luxurious with beautiful drapes, large sofa and in pride of place an enormous four-poster bed befitting the antiquity of the hotel. A fire blazed in the hearth. André himself was in a silk dressing gown and standing at a table mixed a Bellini for Jason. “If you haven’t had one before Jason, you will love it – it is a mix of peach brandy and champagne”

Jason took the glass, André chinked his glass on Jason’s and the young man began to sip carefully. The potent mixture soon began to make him feel more at ease.

The hotel manager gestured his guest to sit down on the sofa next to him facing the fire.

“Jason since I met you today I have been thinking so much what a lovely young man you are and how well you may fit in here. I am sure that our guests will adore you. But I want to check with you how willing you are to become involved in the kind of lifestyle we cater for here?”

“How do you mean?” Jason asked warily.

“Well you know that we run a men only establishment, Jason. We are very proud of our gay focus and do everything to meet our guests’ requests and needs. To be frank this includes their sexual needs. If you work here I am absolutely sure that many of them would want you to be a participant with them, you are such a lovely and beguiling youth. As I said to you at our talk this morning, there are very significant benefits that you can earn. Not only your salary but from the generosity of the guests you may have a relationship with and the introductions that they can make for you in the outside world – so many of them are persons of great influence in business, arts and politics. My impression was that you have no experience of this kind of thing and I wanted to see how you feel about it. Be honest with me, would you prefer to not go ahead or are you happy to be part of our team, knowing what I have just said?”

“If I’m honest,” Jason replied, “ I have very mixed feelings. I am very nervous about it all. I have no experience of this lifestyle but on the other hand the idea of funding my career is so attractive. It’s all a bit confusing for me”

“It is always hard to anticipate every possibility Jason, but being absolutely blunt, it means letting men make love to you and maybe doing the same for them. Our guests would see you as a major part of the service available to them. I have to tell you that they are not shy about asking. And this means sex – I can’t be more direct than that. Does this horrify you?”

“It’s what frightens me André. I have never done anything like this