THE ESCORT - Part 1
SUMMARY: After his big breakup with Will, Gwen convinces Merlin to hire an escort to accompany him to a banquet.
RATING: R
WORD COUNT: ~16,500
POV: Merlin
Cover and Scene Art by dudufactory. Go have a look HERE and comment on this wonderful work!
THE ESCORT
“No, no, no, no!”
“Come on, Merlin,” Gwen coaxed. “It’s been months since your big breakup with Will. You need to start dating again.”
Merlin gave her a sour look. “Hiring an escort to accompany me to a banquet hardly counts as ‘dating’.” He looked at Lance for support. Lance looked to his girlfriend. Merlin sighed. No help there.
The ‘big breakup’ Gwen was referring to had happened exactly two months and ten days ago, hardly months as Gwen had put it. Until the BB - sometimes Gwen, who was his best friend and flatmate, referred to it this way - Merlin had been in a happy (at least that had been his perception) relationship with Will for almost two years. In fact, the day that Will had invited him over to ‘talk’, Merlin had been expecting Will to take the next step by asking him to move in with him. Instead Will had told him he wanted to see other people and wanted to try new things. It had been quite a devastating blow, not only to his ego, but to his heart as well. Merlin had been in love with Will.
To complicate things further, Merlin continued to see Will on a fairly regular basis, since they both worked for the same company. Albeit, Merlin was in R&D and Will in Marketing, but it was a relatively small branch of a larger corporation, so they often had need or occasion to interact.
Such as this banquet. Merlin would have been happy to bugger it off, but it so happened he was being honoured at this dinner, along with a few others, by the business community for developing and implementing “green” initiatives at his company, and he couldn’t very well tell the head honchos at the corporate head office that he wouldn’t attend.
Still, it meant another occasion in which he would likely have to endure close contact with Will, especially since Merlin knew Will never missed an opportunity to attend company functions and would probably take the opportunity to flaunt his newly acquired single status by bringing one of these ‘other people’ he so wanted to ‘try new things’ with.
Merlin refused to go solo. He had, of course, considered going with Gwen who, like Will, worked in Marketing and planned on attending the banquet, but figured that this would totally defeat the purpose of bringing a date to rub into his ex-boyfriend’s face. Merlin couldn’t think of anyone else to ask (Will knew Lance as Gwen’s boyfriend and the four of them had gone out together on numerous occasions, so asking Lance to stand as his date was out of the question) and Gwen had come up with the bright idea of hiring a professional escort.
“A professional what?” Merlin had asked. Even Lance had looked dubious.
“An escort,” Gwen had repeated, looking positively pleased with herself.
Merlin had frowned deeply. “Don’t you mean call girl or rent boy?” he had countered, shuddering at the thought of hiring a prostitute to accompany him to a dinner banquet. Gwen had finally lost her mind.
“No,” Gwen had said firmly, pursing her lips in disapproving censure. “I mean an escort. A person who escorts you somewhere. On a date.”
“Oh,” Merlin had said. “You mean there really is such a thing?” Merlin had raised an eyebrow at Lance who, knowing when best to stay out of a conversation, had offered a mere shrug.
Gwen had narrowed her eyes at the both of them and had snapped, “Of course there is.”
Which was where they were at now - with Merlin emphatically expressing “No!” to the whole idea.
“Suit yourself,” Gwen said, handing Merlin an advertisement for a place of business claiming to be an Escort Service. “But if you don’t want to go to the banquet in which you’re being honoured and will therefore be in the spotlight and all alone...”
Merlin rolled his eyes but snatched the paper from her, ignoring Gwen’s brief but gloating grin.
**
Two days later, after Merlin had caught wind through water cooler gossip that Will was intending to bring a “vivacious blonde with an impressive rack” (Will had always claimed bisexuality, Merlin was just gay) as his date for the banquet, Merlin started to think that maybe Gwen’s idea wasn’t such a bad one after all.
So, this was why Merlin now found himself in a room at EES - Elite Escort Service - looking through a large binder of glossy eight by ten photos of prospective “escorts”, each with accompanying short bios and basic stats.
“He’s kind of cute,” Gwen remarked, pointing to a photo of a roguishly handsome man with wavy brown hair, a hint of a beard, and a knee-bending smile.
Gwen and Lance had come along with Merlin - Gwen, mostly to “help” Merlin choose an appropriate escort and Lance because Gwen had told him to.
Merlin glanced at and read out the bio: “Gwaine Knight. Twenty-seven, five foot ten, model. Interests include rodeo riding, playing pool, competing in drinking contests, and general swashbuckling.”
“What kind of name is Gwaine?” Lance asked, offering his first verbal contribution since Gwen had brought up the whole escort thing. Merlin was thinking that someone whose birth name was really Lancelot should probably not cast any stones.
“General swashbuckling?” squeaked Gwen, peering over Merlin’s shoulder to get a look at the bio herself.
Merlin chuckled. “Made that one up,” he admitted. “But I bet the man probably likes pickled eggs and you know I have an egg allergy.”
Neither Gwen nor Lance offered a rebuke. Merlin continued flipping through the binder.
There was Percy who, according to Lance, had “way too big of biceps to be natural”; Leon, who claimed to be twenty-five but looked more on the side of thirty, though they all conceded it could have just been the beard that made him look more mature; Edwin who purported to have an interest in the ‘Dark Arts’ and, according to Gwen, was “too creepy looking.”
There was Cedric, Jonas, Matthew, a guy named Cenred (whose full leather outfit was either meant to be fashionable or was an indication he was into hardcore S&M, they couldn’t be sure), and a few more others whose bios were read and photos assessed. None of them struck Merlin’s fancy. He wasn’t looking to find Mr. Perfect, but he was hoping to find someone he could at least expect to enjoy an evening with. Tired of looking, he slid the binder closer to Gwen, giving her the green light to have a go at it while he rested his head on the table.
Nearly five minutes went by before he heard Gwen squeal, “Wait! This guy’s perfect!” She shoved the binder at Merlin, rousing him from his brief nap.
The eight by ten showed a good-looking-in-a-quirky-kind-of-way blonde, who was not quite smiling but not quite frowning either. It was almost like a seductive smirk but one that wasn’t done purposely. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue and sparkled warmly, welcomingly.
“He likes backyard BBQs, hanging out with friends, and reading spy novels,” Gwen announced, her face animated excitedly. “You like spy novels, Merlin.”
“International intrigue,” Merlin clarified and not for the first time, but he wasn’t going to argue semantics. He glanced over the bio for himself. Not too young or too old. No hint of ostentatious swashbuckling, possible steroid use, fondness for the occult, or sadomasochist tendencies (or, alternatively, suspect fashion sense). And this guy was hot to boot. The mental bell sounded.
“What do you think, sweet?” Gwen asked her boyfriend because, clearly, Lance’s opinion of Merlin’s date-to-the-banquet mattered.
Lance murmured something that sounded like an approval and Gwen swept up the binder and carried it to the receptionist’s desk. Lance and Merlin followed.
“We’ll take this one!” Gwen told the woman excitedly. Merlin wondered when this had become a group decision (while also trying not to think that it sounded like they were picking out a puppy), but let Gwen lead on. It was always easier that way.
The woman, Mrs. Cuthbert, smiled. “Yes, Arthur Pendragon. He’s very popular with the ladies and the lads,” she commented. “Let me see if he’s available for the date requested.” She typed on her keyboard then squinted through her glasses at the screen. “You’re in luck. Looks like he’s available.”
After taking Merlin’s information down and accepting advance payment, Mrs. Cuthbert said to Merlin, “Mr. Pendragon will contact you in the next couple of days to get a few details about the event and to go over some ground rules.”
Ground rules? thought Merlin. He felt like he was entering some kind of duelling contest. Maybe he should have chosen the swashbuckler after all.
Regardless, he had a date now for the banquet and wouldn’t feel like a moron showing up solo while his ex-boyfriend paraded around some new fling.
**
Although he had been expecting it, Merlin was still nevertheless unprepared when he got the call.
“Hello,” said the pleasant voice on the other end of his mobile. “Merlin?”
“Yes.”
“This is Arthur. Arthur Pendragon,” the voice identified. “I’m calling to confirm a date set for this Saturday.”
He had a nice voice. Silky. Smooth.
“What kind of event is it?” Arthur asked. “And how would you like me to dress?”
“Uh, it’s a banquet,” Merlin said, finally finding his voice. “And dress should be somewhere between formal black tie and business casual.” Honestly, Merlin had no clue about such things, but this is what Gwen had told him to say when Arthur asked.
“Sounds fun,” Arthur responded then, “Did Mrs. Cuthbert mention that we would review some basic grounds rules?”
Oh yeah, there were ground rules, Merlin remembered. “Yes,” he said.
“Good. My only policy is ‘no kissing, no touching’ on the date. It’s not that kind of a service. If that’s what you’re looking for, I can put you in contact with a service I know of--”
“No, no,” Merlin said quickly, feeling the blush creeping up all the way from the depths of his toes. “I just want an escort for a company dinner I have to attend. That’s all.”
They made arrangements for Arthur to meet Merlin and Gwen at their shared flat where they would then take a taxi cab to the banquet hall.
“I’m looking forward to meeting you,” Arthur said in parting and he sounded genuine enough, but Merlin supposed it was his job to make his clients feel comfortable.
“Likewise,” he returned. As he pushed the button of his mobile off, Merlin couldn’t help but think: What had he gotten himself into?”
**
Gwen knotted his tie, a smile playing at her lips. “You’re not nervous, Merlin, are you?” she teased lightly.
“No,” Merlin answered. He was, of course. Nervous.
Knowing him as well as she did, Gwen wasn’t convinced. “There’s nothing to be nervous about,” she assured him, running her hand down to smooth out and straighten the now knotted black and purple tie. She leaned back to admire her handiwork and to give Merlin an appraising once over. “You look positively smashing,” she complimented then asked Lance, who was leaning against the breakfast bar watching them, “Don’t you think he looks gorgeous?” Lance uttered a dutiful “yes”. Gwen flashed Merlin a pearly white smile. “Will is going to wish he’d never given you up.”
Merlin’s retort was interrupted by a knock at the door of their flat. Lance, who was closest to the entrance, jumped up to answer it.
It was Merlin’s escort, of course, Arthur Pendragon. He must have assumed Lance was Merlin because, as he let Arthur in, Merlin heard Lance say, “That’s Merlin,” while gesturing with his hand over toward where Gwen was still fussing over his attire.
Arthur Pendragon looked absolutely stunning. He wore a very well-fitted black suit, complemented by a cornflower blue dress shirt and simple royal blue silk tie. The colours made the blue of his eyes stand out and the golden highlights of his hair shine. It was hard not to stare at the sheer beauty of the man.
Arthur moved towards him and Merlin quickly cut his eyes away so as not to be accused of staring. He extended and shook Merlin’s hand. “Hi, Merlin. I’m Arthur,” he said, smiling.
Merlin felt his heart skip a beat.
“Hi,” Merlin returned as steadily as he could then introduced Gwen and Lance.
He could tell by the way Gwen looked and gushed at Arthur that she was instantly smitten. Lance appeared to be quite charmed by the escort too.
“Oh Will is most definitely going to be jealous of you,” Gwen proclaimed, linking her arm through Arthur’s.
“Gwen--”Merlin warned.
“Who’s Will?” Arthur asked curiously.
Gwen was quite forthcoming in telling him. “Will is the guy who dumped Merlin a couple of months ago who didn’t ever deserve Merlin in the first place.”
“Gwen!”
“Well, it’s true, Merlin,” Gwen said. “You are far too good for Will.”
Arthur was smiling and Merlin was blushing. He loved Gwen but could she ever just let things be?
Gwen told Arthur the whole sordid tale of Merlin and Will’s breakup on the taxi ride to the hall where the banquet was being held.
“Sorry about that,” Merlin said to Arthur as they exited the cab.
Arthur chuckled. “Look on the bright side, mate. There’s no need to break the ice between us now.”
**
Cocktails were being served before dinner. Merlin tried to enjoy the pre-dinner gathering but his eyes kept darting to the entrance, vigilantly on the lookout for Will.
Gwen squeezed his hand for comfort. “Just relax,” she soothed.
“I am relaxed,” he told her. But, of course, he wasn’t. His mind and body were tensed up, waiting in nervous anticipation for his ex to show up. Two and a half months and Merlin still wasn’t over Will.
“I’ll get him a glass of wine,” Arthur told Gwen helpfully and Merlin realized he had momentarily forgotten about having an escort. Surely, Arthur Pendragon would think he was a basket case.
Merlin had just started to feel himself unwind a little when he saw Will come through the doors, the “vivacious blonde with the impressive rack” on his arm. Like radar, he spotted Merlin milling in a corner with Gwen and Lance and ambled forward with gorgeous date in tow.
“Great. Just great,” Merlin mumbled miserably.
“You have your own sexy blonde, remember,” Gwen whispered back at him.
Yes, Merlin thought, but that sexy blonde had gone to fetch his neurotic date a glass of liquid courage, courage that Merlin desperately needed right now.
“Hello, Merlin. Hi, Gwen. Lance,” Will greeted amicably enough. “This is Vivian,” he introduced the voluptuous blonde to the three of them. Gwen and Lance cooed hellos. Merlin nodded.
Merlin felt a hand lightly touch his elbow. Arthur slid a wine glass into his hand. He smiled at Merlin then at Will and Vivian. “Hello,” he said and Merlin was struck by the incredible sexy silkiness of his voice. “I’m Arthur.”
Vivian perked up with feminine interest. Will forced a smile, his expression, however, belied an inner scowl.
“This is Will and Vivian,” Gwen offered helpfully, attempting to ease the tension.
Arthur nodded pleasantly. Vivian smiled brightly. Will looked Arthur over, critically assessing.
Merlin tipped the wine glass into his mouth and gulped back a good portion of the fine chardonnay. Within seconds, his cheeks flushed an alcohol-induced pink.
He saw Will smirk. “Better pace yourself, Merlin,” he counselled. “You know how tipsy you get when you drink wine.” And, with that advice imparted, Will took Vivian by the elbow and directed her toward the bar.
“So that’s Will,” Arthur remarked once the pair was gone.
Gwen nodded then kissed Merlin’s rosy cheek. “You did great, Merlin,” she assured him. “You made it through that awkward moment wonderfully.”
He had. With Arthur’s help. Having Arthur Pendragon as his escort for the evening was proving to be quite beneficial. At the very least, his nerves were less frayed and he had felt somewhat more confident in facing Will.
Unfortunately, that awkward moment wasn’t the only one to be faced during the evening. It turned out there was assigned seating for diner and someone had had the wisdom to place Will and his plus one at the dinner table, set for six, with Gwen and Lance, Merlin and Arthur.
Merlin would have liked to have had another glass of wine, but he didn’t want Will (who did know him very well) to comment any further on his inability to hold that particular form of liquor. He filled a glass with water instead and drank greedily. With any luck, maybe he could spend most of dinner in the loo.
Appetizer salads with balsamic vinaigrette were served first and Merlin picked through his greens, hoping conversation at the dinner table would be forsaken in favour of enjoying the meal. Thankfully, he got his wish. A few appreciative murmurs about tastiness aside, salad was enjoyed in relative silence.
Merlin was feeling rather optimistic about getting through dinner when the main course arrived - mushroom-stuffed chicken breasts served over creamy risotto with a side of steamed asparagus. He started to dig in, but Gwen put a hand on his arm. She caught the attention of the server and asked him, “Could you tell us if egg was used to prepare the rice or chicken?”
The server quirked an eyebrow. “I do not believe so, ma’am, but I can inquire in the kitchen, if you would like?”
“Would you please?” Gwen asked sweetly. The server smiled and then went off to the kitchen.
“Thanks,” Merlin mumbled gratefully to Gwen. He suffered from an egg allergy and often forgot that eggs were sometimes used in preparation of foods. If egg didn’t show itself visibly in a dish, Merlin didn’t much think about it. But thankfully Gwen did. Although his allergic reaction tended to be mild (hives mostly), any reaction would likely put a damper on the evening.
The server returned and announced the main dish egg-free, so Merlin felt he could now tuck in safely. Gwen had waited (as she usually did so that Merlin didn’t feel singled out) for the food to be cleared and also picked up her fork and started eating. Merlin appreciated Gwen’s vigilance on his health’s behalf, but he still felt embarrassed about having his dietary shortcomings revealed to Vivian and Arthur.
His hope of no dinner conversation ended after his second bite.
“So, Merlin, how did you and Arthur meet?” Vivian asked brightly, spearing a tender stalk of asparagus.
Merlin’s fork stopped abruptly on the way to his mouth. He had been dreading this question. Of course, someone was bound to ask the question. But did it have to be someone who was with his ex-boyfriend, the ex-boyfriend who would find it highly amusing that Merlin had basically rented a date for the evening?
But before he could think of a polite way of saying that he and Arthur had just met and saying it in a way that would come across the least embarrassing for both of them, he heard Arthur say, “I bumped into Merlin at the bookstore.”
“Oh, how sweet!” Vivian gushed. Will snorted and, to be fair, Merlin did have to wonder what was so sweet about bumping into someone at a bookstore.
“Bet he was buying more of those spy novels he likes to read,” Will grumbled and Merlin mentally bristled. Will had never appreciated Merlin’s taste in literature or his love of reading.
“International intrigue, actually,” Arthur corrected, giving Will a bright smile.
Will rolled his eyes and Gwen giggled beside him. Merlin suddenly found he was even more glad he had taken Gwen’s advice about hiring an escort.
Arthur and Merlin spent the next fifteen minutes over the main course explaining to a wide-eyed and interested Vivian the allure of the international intrigue (or “spy”) genre, while Will ate in silence, occasionally yawning in boredom.
After dessert and tea had been served around the table, Will looked to Arthur and asked suddenly, “So, Arthur, what is it that you do?”
“I’m pretty much a loafer,” Arthur answered easily, grinning. “But I moonlight as a consultant at a big corporation in London,” he added. “I figured I might as well put my MBA to some use.”
“A consultant,” Vivian cooed. “That sounds fascinating.”
Merlin may have been mistaken but it looked like Will rolled his eyes at her. At this rate, his eyeballs were going to start to turn inside out.
And, Merlin noted, another point for Arthur, his mental grin spreading. This dinner was turning out to be wonderfully fun.
The “fun” started to slip away halfway through the obligatory speeches prior to the award presentation. Merlin felt the itchy welts forming on his chest, spreading up his neck.
Hives.
Resisting the urge to scratch, he leaned toward Gwen and whispered, “I thought he said there was no egg in the main dish.” Dessert had been fresh fruit cocktail and so Merlin was reasonably certain there had been no egg in that, so it must have been the chicken or rice.
Gwen’s eyes widened when she saw the red bumps wrecking havoc on his neck. “Oh my God, Merlin,” she whispered back fretfully. She grabbed and fumbled through her handbag. “I don’t think I have any anti-histamine in my bag.”
He could feel the hives growing in number and size on both his chest and neck. They were unbearably itchy and uncomfortable. He needed anti-histamine and some hydrocortisone cream. Gwen looked at him wide-eyed and helpless.
The award presentation had begun. Merlin knew he would be called up soon, but he couldn’t handle being thrust into the spotlight, a hundred pairs of eyes or so on him, with angry and itchy red splotches visibly peeking out from his collar on his neck.
He told Gwen, “You’ll have to accept the award for me.” Then he rushed off to find the nearest restroom.
In the loo, he wet some paper towel with cold water and pressed it against his neck. He had found that applying cold helped take some of the itch away. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his dress shirt, wet another wad of paper towels and applied the cold compress to the welts on his chest.
The restroom door opened and in stepped Arthur, his expression concerned but calm. He handed Merlin two caplets.
“Vivian had some anti-histamine in her purse,” he explained.
Merlin popped the caplets into his mouth, cupped a handful of water from the tap, and swallowed. “Thanks,” he told Arthur, feeling totally embarrassed. He looked ridiculous with his shirt open, ugly red splotches covering his chest and neck.
“Apparently, eggs were used in the mushroom stuffing mix,” Arthur said. He wet some more paper towels for Merlin and traded them for the used wads in his hands, which he threw into the trash bin.
Merlin exhaled a sigh. “I bet Gwen took a piece out of someone,” he said.
Arthur smiled. “Actually, Gwen was busy getting your award so Will took up that fight.”
“He did?”
Arthur nodded. “He gave management and staff quite an earful.”
Merlin was impressed. Will was not shy about giving people a piece of his mind, but Merlin hadn’t expected him to take up on his behalf. He tossed the makeshift compresses into the trash, buttoned up his shirt, and loosely re-knotted his tie. It wouldn’t take long for the anti-histamine to kick in, but Merlin felt the evening was pretty much now done for him.
“Would you mind if we cut out of here early?” he asked Arthur.
Arthur shook his head and smiled. “I think we’ve reached the highlight of the evening,” he said. “Let’s collect your award and tell Gwen we’re taking a cab back to your flat.” He waved a hand at Merlin’s neck. “You probably can’t wait to put something on those hives. They look terribly itchy.”
At the table, Gwen cooed concern over Merlin and asked if he wanted her and Lance to come back to the flat with him.
“I’ll make sure he gets home safely,” Arthur promised.
Merlin asked Gwen to express his regrets to the appropriate parties, took his award plaque, and allowed Gwen to plant a peck on his cheek before mouthing “thank you” to Vivian and giving Will a sincere appreciative nod. Will may no longer be his boyfriend but at least he still cared enough to give the banquet staff a good tongue-lashing.
They said little on the cab ride back to Merlin’s flat. Merlin did some mental exercises to help take his mind off the itching. Arthur kept an eye on the route while intermittently glancing sidelong at Merlin, checking his status.
When the cabbie pulled up in front of Merlin’s building, Arthur made to get out but Merlin stopped him, saying “You might as well go on from here.” He wasn’t about to make his first-time date suffer through the ritual of him spreading hydrocortisone cream all over his body.
“Are you sure?” Arthur asked kindly.
Merlin nodded. “You were great tonight, Arthur. Thanks.” He grimaced. “Even if I was probably the lamest date ever.”
“Not lame at all,” Arthur said and smiled. “In fact, it would be my pleasure to escort you anywhere anytime, Merlin.”
Merlin knew it was the professional escort talking but it still made him smile inside to hear Arthur say he wasn’t that lame of a date.
Merlin let himself into his flat and went immediately into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers, took the tube of hydrocortisone cream out of the medicine cabinet, and began coating his chest and neck with the topical ointment. He then carried his clothes to his room, pulled on a t-shirt and crawled into bed. It was still early but Merlin figured he had put in a full evening.
All in all, he thought, breaking-out-in-hives notwithstanding, he had made it through the banquet okay. His escort had dazzled those Merlin had wanted to dazzle and had made Merlin appear like he was completely over Will, even if he wasn’t. Arthur Pendragon was not only good-looking but sharp-witted (his quick quips had been lifesavers) and Merlin had felt comfortable with him, had enjoyed his company. He was pretty sure Will had been mildly jealous (bonus points) or, at the very least, slightly annoyed (still bonus points) that Merlin had showed up with a date - and one that had rivalled (if had not beaten out) his ex’s own date.
Merlin sank his head back into his pillow, already feeling the anti-histamine and hydrocortisone cream working. The evening had not been perfect but it hadn’t been a complete disaster either, even if he hadn’t been able to accept the award he was given because he had been in the loo applying cold compresses to his hive outbreak.
Fifteen minutes later, as he drifted off to sleep, a thought struck him: He had forgotten his award plaque on the seat of the taxi cab. Damn.
**
It was Monday morning. Merlin was in his office, at his desk, pouring over a preliminary report that had all its Is dotted and Ts crossed but, for some reason, the numbers didn’t quite add up (he was currently trying to trace where the starting error had been made) when he heard a soft rap at his open door.
Still concentrating, he didn’t bother to look up and mumbled “c’m in” around the pencil he held between his teeth.
“Well, you certainly look busy,” a silky smooth voice said, a hint of amusement behind the words.
Merlin looked up to see Arthur Pendragon leaning against the door frame of his office, a tilted smile on his face. Merlin dropped the pencil from his mouth and, somewhat self-consciously, reached up to pat down any stray tufts of hair that might have been sticking out of place.
“Arthur,” he acknowledged, hoping his voice didn’t sound as squeaky as it seemed. “What brings you here?”
Arthur moved off the door frame and crossed to the desk. He handed Merlin his award plaque. “You left this behind in the cab,” he said. “I was out of town yesterday or I would have dropped it by your flat. I happened to be in the neighbourhood this morning so I thought I’d stop by your work instead and return it.”
“Thank you,” Merlin said. “That’s...That was really nice.” He had been about to ask Arthur how he knew where Merlin worked but remembered that Arthur had been at the banquet. Besides, the name of his company was written right on the plaque underneath Merlin’s name.
“I see you’ve recovered nicely,” Arthur observed, eyeing Merlin’s neck.
“Yeah,” Merlin said. Arthur’s attentive gaze caused a flush now to begin creeping up his neck. “Some anti-histamine and hydrocortisone and the hives are pretty much gone in a couple of hours,” he rambled. Merlin figured he would probably go down in Arthur’s dating book as the “Weird Guy Who Got Hives”.
“That’s good,” Arthur commented. He fidgeted slightly, looking as though he were contemplating whether he was now obligated to stay a few minutes or whether it would be okay to just go.
“Thanks again,” Merlin said, holding up the plaque, feeling awkward. He wanted to invite Arthur out for coffee or something, to thank him for going out of his way to return his award, but he didn’t know if it was appropriate given Arthur’s work as an escort-for-hire.
Arthur gave him a smile. “No problem.”
Merlin watched as Arthur turned to leave and headed out of his office, running smack into Will who had chosen that moment to burst through his door. Arthur stepped to the side to allow Will to pass through, gave Merlin another quick parting smile, and then went on his good-samaritan way.
Will followed Arthur’s retreat from Merlin’s office with a steady gaze then turned his attention to Merlin.
“What are you doing here, Will?” Merlin asked, his nerves on edge. “I wasn’t aware that the Marketing Department got moved to the R&D floor.”
Will huffed out a sigh. “Gwen comes up to see you all the time,” he pointed out then, “I just wanted to check on how you were doing. I know you sometimes get a really bad outbreak.”
“I’m fine,” Merlin told him, his voice clipped. “But you could have saved yourself a trip up and just asked Gwen.”
Merlin knew he wasn’t being very nice but it was such a struggle for him to go on interacting with Will as though nothing had happened between them - no intimate relationship, no heart-wrenching break up. Will may be over him but Merlin was not yet over Will. And though it seemed that Will wanted them to be friends, trying to redefine their relationship in terms of friendship was absolute hell on Merlin’s heart.
“Merlin...”
“Really, Will, I’m fine,” he said more gently. “It was a run-of-the-mill outbreak. Easily cured.”
Will nodded and went to leave. He stopped just outside the door, turned and said, “I didn’t get the chance to tell you the other night but congratulations on the award. You really deserve it.”
“Thanks,” Merlin mumbled. Thankfully, Will was already on his way gone so that he didn’t see the blush that spread across Merlin’s cheeks.
PART 2
RATING: R
WORD COUNT: ~16,500
POV: Merlin
Cover and Scene Art by dudufactory. Go have a look HERE and comment on this wonderful work!
THE ESCORT
“No, no, no, no!”
“Come on, Merlin,” Gwen coaxed. “It’s been months since your big breakup with Will. You need to start dating again.”
Merlin gave her a sour look. “Hiring an escort to accompany me to a banquet hardly counts as ‘dating’.” He looked at Lance for support. Lance looked to his girlfriend. Merlin sighed. No help there.
The ‘big breakup’ Gwen was referring to had happened exactly two months and ten days ago, hardly months as Gwen had put it. Until the BB - sometimes Gwen, who was his best friend and flatmate, referred to it this way - Merlin had been in a happy (at least that had been his perception) relationship with Will for almost two years. In fact, the day that Will had invited him over to ‘talk’, Merlin had been expecting Will to take the next step by asking him to move in with him. Instead Will had told him he wanted to see other people and wanted to try new things. It had been quite a devastating blow, not only to his ego, but to his heart as well. Merlin had been in love with Will.
To complicate things further, Merlin continued to see Will on a fairly regular basis, since they both worked for the same company. Albeit, Merlin was in R&D and Will in Marketing, but it was a relatively small branch of a larger corporation, so they often had need or occasion to interact.
Such as this banquet. Merlin would have been happy to bugger it off, but it so happened he was being honoured at this dinner, along with a few others, by the business community for developing and implementing “green” initiatives at his company, and he couldn’t very well tell the head honchos at the corporate head office that he wouldn’t attend.
Still, it meant another occasion in which he would likely have to endure close contact with Will, especially since Merlin knew Will never missed an opportunity to attend company functions and would probably take the opportunity to flaunt his newly acquired single status by bringing one of these ‘other people’ he so wanted to ‘try new things’ with.
Merlin refused to go solo. He had, of course, considered going with Gwen who, like Will, worked in Marketing and planned on attending the banquet, but figured that this would totally defeat the purpose of bringing a date to rub into his ex-boyfriend’s face. Merlin couldn’t think of anyone else to ask (Will knew Lance as Gwen’s boyfriend and the four of them had gone out together on numerous occasions, so asking Lance to stand as his date was out of the question) and Gwen had come up with the bright idea of hiring a professional escort.
“A professional what?” Merlin had asked. Even Lance had looked dubious.
“An escort,” Gwen had repeated, looking positively pleased with herself.
Merlin had frowned deeply. “Don’t you mean call girl or rent boy?” he had countered, shuddering at the thought of hiring a prostitute to accompany him to a dinner banquet. Gwen had finally lost her mind.
“No,” Gwen had said firmly, pursing her lips in disapproving censure. “I mean an escort. A person who escorts you somewhere. On a date.”
“Oh,” Merlin had said. “You mean there really is such a thing?” Merlin had raised an eyebrow at Lance who, knowing when best to stay out of a conversation, had offered a mere shrug.
Gwen had narrowed her eyes at the both of them and had snapped, “Of course there is.”
Which was where they were at now - with Merlin emphatically expressing “No!” to the whole idea.
“Suit yourself,” Gwen said, handing Merlin an advertisement for a place of business claiming to be an Escort Service. “But if you don’t want to go to the banquet in which you’re being honoured and will therefore be in the spotlight and all alone...”
Merlin rolled his eyes but snatched the paper from her, ignoring Gwen’s brief but gloating grin.
**
Two days later, after Merlin had caught wind through water cooler gossip that Will was intending to bring a “vivacious blonde with an impressive rack” (Will had always claimed bisexuality, Merlin was just gay) as his date for the banquet, Merlin started to think that maybe Gwen’s idea wasn’t such a bad one after all.
So, this was why Merlin now found himself in a room at EES - Elite Escort Service - looking through a large binder of glossy eight by ten photos of prospective “escorts”, each with accompanying short bios and basic stats.
“He’s kind of cute,” Gwen remarked, pointing to a photo of a roguishly handsome man with wavy brown hair, a hint of a beard, and a knee-bending smile.
Gwen and Lance had come along with Merlin - Gwen, mostly to “help” Merlin choose an appropriate escort and Lance because Gwen had told him to.
Merlin glanced at and read out the bio: “Gwaine Knight. Twenty-seven, five foot ten, model. Interests include rodeo riding, playing pool, competing in drinking contests, and general swashbuckling.”
“What kind of name is Gwaine?” Lance asked, offering his first verbal contribution since Gwen had brought up the whole escort thing. Merlin was thinking that someone whose birth name was really Lancelot should probably not cast any stones.
“General swashbuckling?” squeaked Gwen, peering over Merlin’s shoulder to get a look at the bio herself.
Merlin chuckled. “Made that one up,” he admitted. “But I bet the man probably likes pickled eggs and you know I have an egg allergy.”
Neither Gwen nor Lance offered a rebuke. Merlin continued flipping through the binder.
There was Percy who, according to Lance, had “way too big of biceps to be natural”; Leon, who claimed to be twenty-five but looked more on the side of thirty, though they all conceded it could have just been the beard that made him look more mature; Edwin who purported to have an interest in the ‘Dark Arts’ and, according to Gwen, was “too creepy looking.”
There was Cedric, Jonas, Matthew, a guy named Cenred (whose full leather outfit was either meant to be fashionable or was an indication he was into hardcore S&M, they couldn’t be sure), and a few more others whose bios were read and photos assessed. None of them struck Merlin’s fancy. He wasn’t looking to find Mr. Perfect, but he was hoping to find someone he could at least expect to enjoy an evening with. Tired of looking, he slid the binder closer to Gwen, giving her the green light to have a go at it while he rested his head on the table.
Nearly five minutes went by before he heard Gwen squeal, “Wait! This guy’s perfect!” She shoved the binder at Merlin, rousing him from his brief nap.
The eight by ten showed a good-looking-in-a-quirky-kind-of-way blonde, who was not quite smiling but not quite frowning either. It was almost like a seductive smirk but one that wasn’t done purposely. His eyes were a beautiful shade of blue and sparkled warmly, welcomingly.
“He likes backyard BBQs, hanging out with friends, and reading spy novels,” Gwen announced, her face animated excitedly. “You like spy novels, Merlin.”
“International intrigue,” Merlin clarified and not for the first time, but he wasn’t going to argue semantics. He glanced over the bio for himself. Not too young or too old. No hint of ostentatious swashbuckling, possible steroid use, fondness for the occult, or sadomasochist tendencies (or, alternatively, suspect fashion sense). And this guy was hot to boot. The mental bell sounded.
“What do you think, sweet?” Gwen asked her boyfriend because, clearly, Lance’s opinion of Merlin’s date-to-the-banquet mattered.
Lance murmured something that sounded like an approval and Gwen swept up the binder and carried it to the receptionist’s desk. Lance and Merlin followed.
“We’ll take this one!” Gwen told the woman excitedly. Merlin wondered when this had become a group decision (while also trying not to think that it sounded like they were picking out a puppy), but let Gwen lead on. It was always easier that way.
The woman, Mrs. Cuthbert, smiled. “Yes, Arthur Pendragon. He’s very popular with the ladies and the lads,” she commented. “Let me see if he’s available for the date requested.” She typed on her keyboard then squinted through her glasses at the screen. “You’re in luck. Looks like he’s available.”
After taking Merlin’s information down and accepting advance payment, Mrs. Cuthbert said to Merlin, “Mr. Pendragon will contact you in the next couple of days to get a few details about the event and to go over some ground rules.”
Ground rules? thought Merlin. He felt like he was entering some kind of duelling contest. Maybe he should have chosen the swashbuckler after all.
Regardless, he had a date now for the banquet and wouldn’t feel like a moron showing up solo while his ex-boyfriend paraded around some new fling.
**
Although he had been expecting it, Merlin was still nevertheless unprepared when he got the call.
“Hello,” said the pleasant voice on the other end of his mobile. “Merlin?”
“Yes.”
“This is Arthur. Arthur Pendragon,” the voice identified. “I’m calling to confirm a date set for this Saturday.”
He had a nice voice. Silky. Smooth.
“What kind of event is it?” Arthur asked. “And how would you like me to dress?”
“Uh, it’s a banquet,” Merlin said, finally finding his voice. “And dress should be somewhere between formal black tie and business casual.” Honestly, Merlin had no clue about such things, but this is what Gwen had told him to say when Arthur asked.
“Sounds fun,” Arthur responded then, “Did Mrs. Cuthbert mention that we would review some basic grounds rules?”
Oh yeah, there were ground rules, Merlin remembered. “Yes,” he said.
“Good. My only policy is ‘no kissing, no touching’ on the date. It’s not that kind of a service. If that’s what you’re looking for, I can put you in contact with a service I know of--”
“No, no,” Merlin said quickly, feeling the blush creeping up all the way from the depths of his toes. “I just want an escort for a company dinner I have to attend. That’s all.”
They made arrangements for Arthur to meet Merlin and Gwen at their shared flat where they would then take a taxi cab to the banquet hall.
“I’m looking forward to meeting you,” Arthur said in parting and he sounded genuine enough, but Merlin supposed it was his job to make his clients feel comfortable.
“Likewise,” he returned. As he pushed the button of his mobile off, Merlin couldn’t help but think: What had he gotten himself into?”
**
Gwen knotted his tie, a smile playing at her lips. “You’re not nervous, Merlin, are you?” she teased lightly.
“No,” Merlin answered. He was, of course. Nervous.
Knowing him as well as she did, Gwen wasn’t convinced. “There’s nothing to be nervous about,” she assured him, running her hand down to smooth out and straighten the now knotted black and purple tie. She leaned back to admire her handiwork and to give Merlin an appraising once over. “You look positively smashing,” she complimented then asked Lance, who was leaning against the breakfast bar watching them, “Don’t you think he looks gorgeous?” Lance uttered a dutiful “yes”. Gwen flashed Merlin a pearly white smile. “Will is going to wish he’d never given you up.”
Merlin’s retort was interrupted by a knock at the door of their flat. Lance, who was closest to the entrance, jumped up to answer it.
It was Merlin’s escort, of course, Arthur Pendragon. He must have assumed Lance was Merlin because, as he let Arthur in, Merlin heard Lance say, “That’s Merlin,” while gesturing with his hand over toward where Gwen was still fussing over his attire.
Arthur Pendragon looked absolutely stunning. He wore a very well-fitted black suit, complemented by a cornflower blue dress shirt and simple royal blue silk tie. The colours made the blue of his eyes stand out and the golden highlights of his hair shine. It was hard not to stare at the sheer beauty of the man.
Arthur moved towards him and Merlin quickly cut his eyes away so as not to be accused of staring. He extended and shook Merlin’s hand. “Hi, Merlin. I’m Arthur,” he said, smiling.
Merlin felt his heart skip a beat.
“Hi,” Merlin returned as steadily as he could then introduced Gwen and Lance.
He could tell by the way Gwen looked and gushed at Arthur that she was instantly smitten. Lance appeared to be quite charmed by the escort too.
“Oh Will is most definitely going to be jealous of you,” Gwen proclaimed, linking her arm through Arthur’s.
“Gwen--”Merlin warned.
“Who’s Will?” Arthur asked curiously.
Gwen was quite forthcoming in telling him. “Will is the guy who dumped Merlin a couple of months ago who didn’t ever deserve Merlin in the first place.”
“Gwen!”
“Well, it’s true, Merlin,” Gwen said. “You are far too good for Will.”
Arthur was smiling and Merlin was blushing. He loved Gwen but could she ever just let things be?
Gwen told Arthur the whole sordid tale of Merlin and Will’s breakup on the taxi ride to the hall where the banquet was being held.
“Sorry about that,” Merlin said to Arthur as they exited the cab.
Arthur chuckled. “Look on the bright side, mate. There’s no need to break the ice between us now.”
**
Cocktails were being served before dinner. Merlin tried to enjoy the pre-dinner gathering but his eyes kept darting to the entrance, vigilantly on the lookout for Will.
Gwen squeezed his hand for comfort. “Just relax,” she soothed.
“I am relaxed,” he told her. But, of course, he wasn’t. His mind and body were tensed up, waiting in nervous anticipation for his ex to show up. Two and a half months and Merlin still wasn’t over Will.
“I’ll get him a glass of wine,” Arthur told Gwen helpfully and Merlin realized he had momentarily forgotten about having an escort. Surely, Arthur Pendragon would think he was a basket case.
Merlin had just started to feel himself unwind a little when he saw Will come through the doors, the “vivacious blonde with the impressive rack” on his arm. Like radar, he spotted Merlin milling in a corner with Gwen and Lance and ambled forward with gorgeous date in tow.
“Great. Just great,” Merlin mumbled miserably.
“You have your own sexy blonde, remember,” Gwen whispered back at him.
Yes, Merlin thought, but that sexy blonde had gone to fetch his neurotic date a glass of liquid courage, courage that Merlin desperately needed right now.
“Hello, Merlin. Hi, Gwen. Lance,” Will greeted amicably enough. “This is Vivian,” he introduced the voluptuous blonde to the three of them. Gwen and Lance cooed hellos. Merlin nodded.
Merlin felt a hand lightly touch his elbow. Arthur slid a wine glass into his hand. He smiled at Merlin then at Will and Vivian. “Hello,” he said and Merlin was struck by the incredible sexy silkiness of his voice. “I’m Arthur.”
Vivian perked up with feminine interest. Will forced a smile, his expression, however, belied an inner scowl.
“This is Will and Vivian,” Gwen offered helpfully, attempting to ease the tension.
Arthur nodded pleasantly. Vivian smiled brightly. Will looked Arthur over, critically assessing.
Merlin tipped the wine glass into his mouth and gulped back a good portion of the fine chardonnay. Within seconds, his cheeks flushed an alcohol-induced pink.
He saw Will smirk. “Better pace yourself, Merlin,” he counselled. “You know how tipsy you get when you drink wine.” And, with that advice imparted, Will took Vivian by the elbow and directed her toward the bar.
“So that’s Will,” Arthur remarked once the pair was gone.
Gwen nodded then kissed Merlin’s rosy cheek. “You did great, Merlin,” she assured him. “You made it through that awkward moment wonderfully.”
He had. With Arthur’s help. Having Arthur Pendragon as his escort for the evening was proving to be quite beneficial. At the very least, his nerves were less frayed and he had felt somewhat more confident in facing Will.
Unfortunately, that awkward moment wasn’t the only one to be faced during the evening. It turned out there was assigned seating for diner and someone had had the wisdom to place Will and his plus one at the dinner table, set for six, with Gwen and Lance, Merlin and Arthur.
Merlin would have liked to have had another glass of wine, but he didn’t want Will (who did know him very well) to comment any further on his inability to hold that particular form of liquor. He filled a glass with water instead and drank greedily. With any luck, maybe he could spend most of dinner in the loo.
Appetizer salads with balsamic vinaigrette were served first and Merlin picked through his greens, hoping conversation at the dinner table would be forsaken in favour of enjoying the meal. Thankfully, he got his wish. A few appreciative murmurs about tastiness aside, salad was enjoyed in relative silence.
Merlin was feeling rather optimistic about getting through dinner when the main course arrived - mushroom-stuffed chicken breasts served over creamy risotto with a side of steamed asparagus. He started to dig in, but Gwen put a hand on his arm. She caught the attention of the server and asked him, “Could you tell us if egg was used to prepare the rice or chicken?”
The server quirked an eyebrow. “I do not believe so, ma’am, but I can inquire in the kitchen, if you would like?”
“Would you please?” Gwen asked sweetly. The server smiled and then went off to the kitchen.
“Thanks,” Merlin mumbled gratefully to Gwen. He suffered from an egg allergy and often forgot that eggs were sometimes used in preparation of foods. If egg didn’t show itself visibly in a dish, Merlin didn’t much think about it. But thankfully Gwen did. Although his allergic reaction tended to be mild (hives mostly), any reaction would likely put a damper on the evening.
The server returned and announced the main dish egg-free, so Merlin felt he could now tuck in safely. Gwen had waited (as she usually did so that Merlin didn’t feel singled out) for the food to be cleared and also picked up her fork and started eating. Merlin appreciated Gwen’s vigilance on his health’s behalf, but he still felt embarrassed about having his dietary shortcomings revealed to Vivian and Arthur.
His hope of no dinner conversation ended after his second bite.
“So, Merlin, how did you and Arthur meet?” Vivian asked brightly, spearing a tender stalk of asparagus.
Merlin’s fork stopped abruptly on the way to his mouth. He had been dreading this question. Of course, someone was bound to ask the question. But did it have to be someone who was with his ex-boyfriend, the ex-boyfriend who would find it highly amusing that Merlin had basically rented a date for the evening?
But before he could think of a polite way of saying that he and Arthur had just met and saying it in a way that would come across the least embarrassing for both of them, he heard Arthur say, “I bumped into Merlin at the bookstore.”
“Oh, how sweet!” Vivian gushed. Will snorted and, to be fair, Merlin did have to wonder what was so sweet about bumping into someone at a bookstore.
“Bet he was buying more of those spy novels he likes to read,” Will grumbled and Merlin mentally bristled. Will had never appreciated Merlin’s taste in literature or his love of reading.
“International intrigue, actually,” Arthur corrected, giving Will a bright smile.
Will rolled his eyes and Gwen giggled beside him. Merlin suddenly found he was even more glad he had taken Gwen’s advice about hiring an escort.
Arthur and Merlin spent the next fifteen minutes over the main course explaining to a wide-eyed and interested Vivian the allure of the international intrigue (or “spy”) genre, while Will ate in silence, occasionally yawning in boredom.
After dessert and tea had been served around the table, Will looked to Arthur and asked suddenly, “So, Arthur, what is it that you do?”
“I’m pretty much a loafer,” Arthur answered easily, grinning. “But I moonlight as a consultant at a big corporation in London,” he added. “I figured I might as well put my MBA to some use.”
“A consultant,” Vivian cooed. “That sounds fascinating.”
Merlin may have been mistaken but it looked like Will rolled his eyes at her. At this rate, his eyeballs were going to start to turn inside out.
And, Merlin noted, another point for Arthur, his mental grin spreading. This dinner was turning out to be wonderfully fun.
The “fun” started to slip away halfway through the obligatory speeches prior to the award presentation. Merlin felt the itchy welts forming on his chest, spreading up his neck.
Hives.
Resisting the urge to scratch, he leaned toward Gwen and whispered, “I thought he said there was no egg in the main dish.” Dessert had been fresh fruit cocktail and so Merlin was reasonably certain there had been no egg in that, so it must have been the chicken or rice.
Gwen’s eyes widened when she saw the red bumps wrecking havoc on his neck. “Oh my God, Merlin,” she whispered back fretfully. She grabbed and fumbled through her handbag. “I don’t think I have any anti-histamine in my bag.”
He could feel the hives growing in number and size on both his chest and neck. They were unbearably itchy and uncomfortable. He needed anti-histamine and some hydrocortisone cream. Gwen looked at him wide-eyed and helpless.
The award presentation had begun. Merlin knew he would be called up soon, but he couldn’t handle being thrust into the spotlight, a hundred pairs of eyes or so on him, with angry and itchy red splotches visibly peeking out from his collar on his neck.
He told Gwen, “You’ll have to accept the award for me.” Then he rushed off to find the nearest restroom.
In the loo, he wet some paper towel with cold water and pressed it against his neck. He had found that applying cold helped take some of the itch away. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his dress shirt, wet another wad of paper towels and applied the cold compress to the welts on his chest.
The restroom door opened and in stepped Arthur, his expression concerned but calm. He handed Merlin two caplets.
“Vivian had some anti-histamine in her purse,” he explained.
Merlin popped the caplets into his mouth, cupped a handful of water from the tap, and swallowed. “Thanks,” he told Arthur, feeling totally embarrassed. He looked ridiculous with his shirt open, ugly red splotches covering his chest and neck.
“Apparently, eggs were used in the mushroom stuffing mix,” Arthur said. He wet some more paper towels for Merlin and traded them for the used wads in his hands, which he threw into the trash bin.
Merlin exhaled a sigh. “I bet Gwen took a piece out of someone,” he said.
Arthur smiled. “Actually, Gwen was busy getting your award so Will took up that fight.”
“He did?”
Arthur nodded. “He gave management and staff quite an earful.”
Merlin was impressed. Will was not shy about giving people a piece of his mind, but Merlin hadn’t expected him to take up on his behalf. He tossed the makeshift compresses into the trash, buttoned up his shirt, and loosely re-knotted his tie. It wouldn’t take long for the anti-histamine to kick in, but Merlin felt the evening was pretty much now done for him.
“Would you mind if we cut out of here early?” he asked Arthur.
Arthur shook his head and smiled. “I think we’ve reached the highlight of the evening,” he said. “Let’s collect your award and tell Gwen we’re taking a cab back to your flat.” He waved a hand at Merlin’s neck. “You probably can’t wait to put something on those hives. They look terribly itchy.”
At the table, Gwen cooed concern over Merlin and asked if he wanted her and Lance to come back to the flat with him.
“I’ll make sure he gets home safely,” Arthur promised.
Merlin asked Gwen to express his regrets to the appropriate parties, took his award plaque, and allowed Gwen to plant a peck on his cheek before mouthing “thank you” to Vivian and giving Will a sincere appreciative nod. Will may no longer be his boyfriend but at least he still cared enough to give the banquet staff a good tongue-lashing.
They said little on the cab ride back to Merlin’s flat. Merlin did some mental exercises to help take his mind off the itching. Arthur kept an eye on the route while intermittently glancing sidelong at Merlin, checking his status.
When the cabbie pulled up in front of Merlin’s building, Arthur made to get out but Merlin stopped him, saying “You might as well go on from here.” He wasn’t about to make his first-time date suffer through the ritual of him spreading hydrocortisone cream all over his body.
“Are you sure?” Arthur asked kindly.
Merlin nodded. “You were great tonight, Arthur. Thanks.” He grimaced. “Even if I was probably the lamest date ever.”
“Not lame at all,” Arthur said and smiled. “In fact, it would be my pleasure to escort you anywhere anytime, Merlin.”
Merlin knew it was the professional escort talking but it still made him smile inside to hear Arthur say he wasn’t that lame of a date.
Merlin let himself into his flat and went immediately into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers, took the tube of hydrocortisone cream out of the medicine cabinet, and began coating his chest and neck with the topical ointment. He then carried his clothes to his room, pulled on a t-shirt and crawled into bed. It was still early but Merlin figured he had put in a full evening.
All in all, he thought, breaking-out-in-hives notwithstanding, he had made it through the banquet okay. His escort had dazzled those Merlin had wanted to dazzle and had made Merlin appear like he was completely over Will, even if he wasn’t. Arthur Pendragon was not only good-looking but sharp-witted (his quick quips had been lifesavers) and Merlin had felt comfortable with him, had enjoyed his company. He was pretty sure Will had been mildly jealous (bonus points) or, at the very least, slightly annoyed (still bonus points) that Merlin had showed up with a date - and one that had rivalled (if had not beaten out) his ex’s own date.
Merlin sank his head back into his pillow, already feeling the anti-histamine and hydrocortisone cream working. The evening had not been perfect but it hadn’t been a complete disaster either, even if he hadn’t been able to accept the award he was given because he had been in the loo applying cold compresses to his hive outbreak.
Fifteen minutes later, as he drifted off to sleep, a thought struck him: He had forgotten his award plaque on the seat of the taxi cab. Damn.
**
It was Monday morning. Merlin was in his office, at his desk, pouring over a preliminary report that had all its Is dotted and Ts crossed but, for some reason, the numbers didn’t quite add up (he was currently trying to trace where the starting error had been made) when he heard a soft rap at his open door.
Still concentrating, he didn’t bother to look up and mumbled “c’m in” around the pencil he held between his teeth.
“Well, you certainly look busy,” a silky smooth voice said, a hint of amusement behind the words.
Merlin looked up to see Arthur Pendragon leaning against the door frame of his office, a tilted smile on his face. Merlin dropped the pencil from his mouth and, somewhat self-consciously, reached up to pat down any stray tufts of hair that might have been sticking out of place.
“Arthur,” he acknowledged, hoping his voice didn’t sound as squeaky as it seemed. “What brings you here?”
Arthur moved off the door frame and crossed to the desk. He handed Merlin his award plaque. “You left this behind in the cab,” he said. “I was out of town yesterday or I would have dropped it by your flat. I happened to be in the neighbourhood this morning so I thought I’d stop by your work instead and return it.”
“Thank you,” Merlin said. “That’s...That was really nice.” He had been about to ask Arthur how he knew where Merlin worked but remembered that Arthur had been at the banquet. Besides, the name of his company was written right on the plaque underneath Merlin’s name.
“I see you’ve recovered nicely,” Arthur observed, eyeing Merlin’s neck.
“Yeah,” Merlin said. Arthur’s attentive gaze caused a flush now to begin creeping up his neck. “Some anti-histamine and hydrocortisone and the hives are pretty much gone in a couple of hours,” he rambled. Merlin figured he would probably go down in Arthur’s dating book as the “Weird Guy Who Got Hives”.
“That’s good,” Arthur commented. He fidgeted slightly, looking as though he were contemplating whether he was now obligated to stay a few minutes or whether it would be okay to just go.
“Thanks again,” Merlin said, holding up the plaque, feeling awkward. He wanted to invite Arthur out for coffee or something, to thank him for going out of his way to return his award, but he didn’t know if it was appropriate given Arthur’s work as an escort-for-hire.
Arthur gave him a smile. “No problem.”
Merlin watched as Arthur turned to leave and headed out of his office, running smack into Will who had chosen that moment to burst through his door. Arthur stepped to the side to allow Will to pass through, gave Merlin another quick parting smile, and then went on his good-samaritan way.
Will followed Arthur’s retreat from Merlin’s office with a steady gaze then turned his attention to Merlin.
“What are you doing here, Will?” Merlin asked, his nerves on edge. “I wasn’t aware that the Marketing Department got moved to the R&D floor.”
Will huffed out a sigh. “Gwen comes up to see you all the time,” he pointed out then, “I just wanted to check on how you were doing. I know you sometimes get a really bad outbreak.”
“I’m fine,” Merlin told him, his voice clipped. “But you could have saved yourself a trip up and just asked Gwen.”
Merlin knew he wasn’t being very nice but it was such a struggle for him to go on interacting with Will as though nothing had happened between them - no intimate relationship, no heart-wrenching break up. Will may be over him but Merlin was not yet over Will. And though it seemed that Will wanted them to be friends, trying to redefine their relationship in terms of friendship was absolute hell on Merlin’s heart.
“Merlin...”
“Really, Will, I’m fine,” he said more gently. “It was a run-of-the-mill outbreak. Easily cured.”
Will nodded and went to leave. He stopped just outside the door, turned and said, “I didn’t get the chance to tell you the other night but congratulations on the award. You really deserve it.”
“Thanks,” Merlin mumbled. Thankfully, Will was already on his way gone so that he didn’t see the blush that spread across Merlin’s cheeks.
PART 2