by Tricia Owens
"So you'll be back again... sometime?" he asked as he followed Sebastian out of the restroom.
"If I get hungry," was Sebastian's reply.
Wringing his hands anxiously, Matthew nodded. "Um. Okay. I'll be here. I work every night except Sundays and Mondays. Same hours every time. Eleven to seven. I usually take my break around three but I can change it to whenever -- whenever you want."
Sebastian fixed his hair in the diner's mirror walls. "I'll keep that in mind."
Theo didn't come out of the kitchen until well after Sebastian had left with his food -- free of course, courtesy of Matthew. The Goth man took one look at Matthew's fierce blush and grinned.
"So I guess you and Master Sebastian got along after all," he teased. "I tried to warn you, girlfriend."
"Shut up," Matthew muttered absently as he gazed with yearning at the simple black door across the street. As confused as he was over all that had just happened to him, the best he could retort with was, "You suck."
Chapter Two
Matthew was slowly losing his mind. It wasn't a pretty thing to watch as Theo so helpfully told him each night when Matthew crawled in to work at eleven.
"Girlfriend, you're a wreck."
Matthew didn't care what Theo thought of him but what he did care that staring at his reflection in the mirrored walls of the Lonely Diner was like coming out gay all over again.
"What's wrong with you?" Theo nagged as the black-haired Goth scrubbed at a puddle of dried-up ketchup in booth four. "You're all emo on me and it's freaking me out. I'm afraid you're going to go into the pantry and slash your wrists."
Matthew rolled his eyes and stuffed more napkins into its holder. "I haven't slept much. I've got a lot on my mind."
"Well, duh. You look like you haven't slept in a week. You look like shit, girlfriend, and that's coming from someone who loves you. Or at least loves your dick."
Likening Theo to a gnat that refused to be swatted away, Matthew sighed and moved on to the next half-empty napkin holder. "Maybe that's what I need," he said without much enthusiasm. "I need a good fuck. Are you offering?"
"What, do you think I'm easy or something?" Theo stopped scrubbing to prop his hands on his hips.
"Pretty much, yeah."
Pouting, Theo spun around and attacked the stain again. "I'm just in tune with my sexuality. Unlike some people I could name."
"Shut the hell up," Matthew snapped. "You tricked me. You should have told me who Sebastian was. Once I was committed I couldn't back out."
"Committed." Theo snickered. "You mean once his balls were touching your ass you realized you had his dick up there."
Matthew glared at him but said nothing. He didn't want to talk about what had happened two weeks ago with Sebastian from the Raven. Sebastian, the angelic but clearly evil Dom in disguise who'd scammed Matthew into bottoming for him in the restroom.
Oh, god, it had happened in the restroom. How humiliating. Matthew closed his eyes and willed his face to stop flaming. How he could still be embarrassed after all this time he had no idea, but he couldn't shake it from his head. He'd come on to Sebastian with the intention of being the fucker. Instead he'd had his ass handed to him.
"I thought you were okay with it," Theo went on, unaware of Matthew's dirty looks. "You came out of that restroom acting like you were ready to buy yourself a collar."
"The hell I did!" Matthew threw the wad of napkins to the table of the booth and stomped away. "I was in shock. I'd been assaulted. I didn't know what the hell was going on."
"O-kay," Theo said, sounding skeptical. "Then how come you were staring out the window at the Raven for the next two days? You were hoping he would come back and give you a repeat performance. But hey, it's okay that you've changed your tactic. Playing hard to get might appeal to Master Sebastian more than being a pitiful little puppy."
"What the fuck, Theo?" Matthew began to pace the narrow diner. "First of all I was never a 'pitiful little puppy', and secondly I'm not playing hard to get. I'm so not interested in Sebastian that it's not even funny. I told you: I'm a Dom and I only date guys who can handle that."
"Uh huh."
"I'm serious. The guy forced himself on me. He's lucky I didn't kick his ass."
"That's weird," Theo commented, pausing to tap a black-painted fingernail against his lip, "because the Master Sebastian that I know weighs at least twenty pounds less than you and is a good three inches shorter. Seems like if someone like him forced himself on a big, strong guy like you..."
Matthew grunted in annoyance as Theo trailed off. "Whatever, Theo. You weren't there. You don't know what went down."
Theo tossed the rag onto the table. "Oh, but, boy would I like to know! Do share the details, girlfriend!"
"Stop calling me girlfriend," Matthew muttered before storming off to the kitchen.
The Lonely Diner was empty and had been for the last two hours but the smell of grease and bacon hung like a raincloud in the kitchen. Most days Matthew went home smelling like fried chicken even when he didn't recall having served it. Some smells just haunted the place.
Pele, the big Brazilian cook, was chopping onions with a huge meat cleaver. Matthew had no idea why Pele was preparing food for customers who didn't exist but he'd learned not to mess with the big man or his kitchen. The servers might run the floor on night shift, but there was no mistaking who ruled the back of the house.
Flinging himself into a chair next to the card table that stood beside the dry pantry, Matthew drummed his fingers restlessly atop the table as he watched Pele hack away.
"You're staring," Pele mumbled.
"I've got nothing better to do."
"Get out of my kitchen. Go work."
"Theo's doing it."
Pele turned around, the cleaver held above his head. "Get out!"
"Alright, alright! Sheesh!" Hands held up defensively, Matthew stumbled to the backdoor. "I'm taking my break. Tell Theo when you see him."
Pele just grunted and went back to his onion massacre. Matthew thought it telling that the big cook didn't shed a tear.
Out in the alley behind the diner, he leaned back against the building's wall and scowled at the pavement. He wished he smoked. Maybe he should take up smoking. It would make him look tougher.
"Idiot," he mumbled.
He was really messed up. It was all Sebastian's fault. Instead of behaving the way Matthew wanted him to -- being the submissive he was supposed to be -- Sebastian had fucked with his head. That whole tricking him with pretending to be Matthew's dream guy and then turning the tables -- yeah, not cool at all. In fact it had been a dick move and the next time Matthew saw Sebastian he'd let him know it.
"Like with a spanking," he muttered. He reached down and idly shifted his dick into a more comfortable position. "Or if he's still giving me attitude he'll get the paddle. Hell, I could see him deserving a good whipping."
The fantasy unfolded in his mind with ease: Sebastian's slender body bent over his lap, with that delectable little ass sticking up and his head of pale blond curls near the floor. Sebastian would wiggle, trying to get out of his punishment, but Matthew was a firm Dom. His sub had tried to humiliate him and thus deserved to be put back in his place. That meant a bare ass spanking.
As he leaned against the wall he rubbed his erection through his apron and pants. He really liked the fantasy of Sebastian over his lap. But he realized he wanted to see the cute blond's face. Sebastian was adorable, like a doll. Maybe Matthew would spank Sebastian ten times or so, enough to rosy up his cheeks, and then force the smaller man upright and onto his cock. Then he could ride Matthew while facing him.
"Yeah," Matthew breathed. He started to slip his hand beneath his work apron when the back door slammed open, coming within inches of hitting his head.
"Hey, we've got customers," Theo blurted. He eyed Matthew suspiciously. "You weren't jerking it, were you?"
"What? No. I'm not a pervert." Glad for the concealing apron, Matthew straightene
d off the wall and pushed Theo back inside. "Come on, get going. We need some good tips. I'm broke."
Theo rolled his eyes.
There were three tables of customers, much to Matthew's surprise. It pretty much constituted a 'rush'.
"Did they all come in together?" he whispered to Theo as he grabbed an order pad and a pen.
"Yeah. From across the street." Theo snickered.
Matthew nearly ran into the counter top. "You mean... the Raven?" He hated that his voice squeaked.
"Yep. I think they might work there." Theo pretended to fan himself. "Subs and maybe those two guys are Doms. That's the vibe I'm getting, anyway."
Matthew looked over the three booths which each held three to four men. He could instantly pick out the supposed Doms: a big blond guy and another equally physically impressive dark-haired guy with a satyr-like goatee. They each commandeered a booth with two smaller companions while the middle booth consisted of three willowy brunette twinks.
"I'll take six," Matthew announced, his eyes locked on the booth full of apparent subs.
"Why? Afraid of the big guys?"
"No, but they'll appreciate your wimpy ass better than mine," Matthew retorted.
"Whatever, girlfriend." Theo sauntered forward, batting his thick, mascara-laden lashes.
Matthew approached his booth head-on so he wouldn't have to pass either of the other two booths. The submissives -- which he was sure they must be because one of them had visible ligature marks around his wrists -- looked up at him with expressions ranging from guarded to shy. Matthew found it difficult to pull his eyes from the evidence of restraint. He could feel his cock growing hard. He cleared his throat.
"Hey, guys. Can I start you off with some drinks?"
Three sets of brown eyes shifted from his face to his name tag. Matthew resisted the urge to look down.
"We'll take waters, please," the man nearest to him said. He had a long face and short brown hair shaved at the sides and kept long on top. A lock of it fell across his left eyebrow. "We won't be ordering anything yet. We're waiting on one more."
Matthew's fingers tensed around the order pad. "Someone from across the street?"
One of the other men nodded. "But he said we could order if someone named Matthew selected for us. Are you that Matthew?"
Shit. He looked quickly to the other booth but Theo was chatting away with the blond Master and acting like a sycophant completely unaware of Matthew's mounting distress.
"Are you Matthew?"
Groaning beneath his breath, he turned back to his booth. "The only one I know of," he said as breezily as he could. "Didn't know I was so popular."
The three brunettes exchanged glances and, he was very disturbed to see, weird little smirking smiles. The one with the wayward hair addressed him again.
"Then you can order for us. Or we'll just wait for him to arrive."
Matthew didn't need to ask who the 'him' was. The only question on his mind was how to make a break for it while still managing to collect his half of the tips that he pooled with Theo.
"Well, I'm going on break soon so you guys can sit tight and my buddy Theo will take your order when your friend arrives."
He did a private smirk of his own when the three young men looked dismayed by the news.
"You have to go now?"
"Yeah, sorry about that. I just came by to get your drink order. I'll have those waters out to you in a jiffy."
He spun off the table and hustled back into the kitchen. He peered through the window of the swinging door, muttering for Theo to get his ass back there. Pele ignored him. He was too busy mixing up a big bowl of eggs.
When Theo left the booths and returned to the service station Matthew waved him back into the kitchen.
"Girlfriend, what the hell? I'm not taking all three--"
"Sebastian sent them! They know my name!"
Theo's dark eyes went round. "Why would he care about you?"
Matthew scowled. "Because we had a - a thing. Look, never mind about that. He's coming to the diner. There's no way in hell I'm waiting on him. You've got to do it, Theo."
"What?! No way. I'm not doing all the work. Not even your hunk of man meat is enough to make me work for you, girlfriend."
"Jesus fuck, Theo, I'll take the rest of the tables for the evening. Whatever. I just don't want to wait on Sebastian."
Theo began to laugh. He actually pointed his finger at Matthew. "You're afraid of him!"
"I'm afraid I'm going to pour a pot of hot coffee on his head if I see him," Matthew gritted out. "I am not afraid of a girlie guy like him."
"So you were dominated by a girlie guy? That just makes it worse."
Matthew wanted to lock Theo inside the walk-in freezer for a couple of hours.
"Are you going to take the booth or not?" he growled. "If you don't, something really bad is going to go down out there. I promise you."
Theo waved him away as if he were a pretty but annoying butterfly. "Oh, go scamper away. I'll handle the big, bad Sebastian. But after this I'm taking the night off. I need to touch up my pedicure."
Matthew made a gagging noise but he was grateful to Theo all the same. "Thanks, man. I'll be out back."
"I'll call you when the coast is clear," Theo called after him, giggling a little.
Matthew flipped him the bird as he pushed out the back door and into the alley.
He couldn't believe this was happening. Why would Sebastian care about him after all this time? Had the blond decided he was still irritated by Matthew's attempt to treat him as a submissive? Was he here for revenge?
"Yeah, you already got that in spades," Matthew grumbled, remembering being pushed face-first against the wall and fucked like a truck stop whore. He made a face and pounded his fist against the wall, letting out his frustration. He was annoyed to notice that his cock was starting to fatten up and that wasn't acceptable. Okay, yeah, he'd jerked himself off a few times while recalling what Sebastian had done to him, but that didn't mean anything. He could imagine himself having sex with a woman and he could still manage to cum if he used enough lube and his hand was tight enough.
"I hate you," he muttered to the trash cans.
"I doubt that."
His heart tried to fly out of his throat. Only the fact that he'd bitten his tongue kept it inside. Sebastian stood at the mouth of the alley, not smiling or anything, just standing and looking. He wore the same black leather pants he'd worn the first time. He'd topped it with a white pullover. His cheeks were stained pink, his curls in slight disarray as if he'd yanked the sweater on carelessly. He looked adorable and angelic. He was basically evil.
"Your -- your friends are inside," Matthew stammered, taking a step backwards off the wall.
"I know where they are. I sent them over here."
"You haven't been here in two weeks."
Matthew blushed. Why did that have to come out sounding like a complaint?
Sebastian's lips twitched as if he thought the same thing. "I'm a busy man. I'm very... popular."
Matthew's body went hot all over. He couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over Sebastian from head to toe. Though he still thought there must be something wrong with his own eyes -- someone this cute and small couldn't be a Dom -- his mind and cock seemed more than willing to accept Sebastian's role over at the Raven.
"That's nice that you've got a clientele," he said with as much disinterest as he could muster. "Not really into the whole making fat guys crawl around on the floor and lick my boots scene, myself."
"No. You'd rather be the guy crawling on the floor and licking my boots," Sebastian said with a small smile. He looked down at his white sneakers. "Looks like you're out of luck. I usually leave my work boots in my locker." He glanced up, blue eyes dancing. "Maybe next time."
Matthew took another step backwards and promptly banged into a trashcan -- loudly.
Sebastian broke into a grin. Matthew wanted to crawl into the trashcan and pull the lid over his head.<
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"Why are you back here and not inside serving my friends?" Sebastian asked him.
"I'm on break."
"You take your break at three o'clock. You told me that. Numerous times."
Matthew flushed. He couldn't believe how pathetic he'd been. Pretty much like a girl with a crush, really. He felt like punching something to regain his masculinity.
"I take my breaks whenever I want them," he said, straightening his shoulders. "I wanted one now. Sorry for the bad timing but Theo will take care of you just fine."
"Oh, I'm sure he'd be glad to." Sebastian tapped a foot against the pavement. "But I prefer my perfect sub."
Taking another step back and not caring if he fell into a bottomless pit, Matthew retorted, "Good luck finding one around here. They're all inside."
Sebastian laughed, a perfect sound. Matthew stared at his smiling lips.
"Are you still convinced you're a Dom?" Sebastian asked him.
"I know I am." Matthew lifted his chin. "That's all I've ever been."
Sebastian's face remained open and pleasant. "Or at least until I fucked you. I seem to remember spanking you too. You liked that."
The situation was beyond his control. Matthew accepted it. Whatever weird Angel/Voodoo powers that Sebastian possessed were too powerful for a mere mortal like him to combat. He held up his hands, palms out, in a gesture of surrender.
"Look, I know what you think I am but I'm not interested. What happened before -- it was a total fluke. I didn't like it and I don't want a repeat of it. Please go find someone else to harass."
"At least you said please," Sebastian murmured, still smiling. "It's a start."
Was Matthew standing in quicksand? This was getting worse and worse.
"I'm not submissive," Matthew said firmly, letting his frustration color his tone. "Just back off, alright? I like controlling and fucking guys."
To his horror Sebastian stepped into the alley. "And I like controlling and fucking guys who think they like controlling and fucking guys but secretly prefer to be controlled and fucked by guys. Wow, that was a mouthful." He kept coming. "Guys like you, Matthew."
