Page 12 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

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Hector

Holding Nico in my arms felt incredibly good and right. He had managed to silence the nagging voice in my head. No secrets, no guilty conscience reminding me constantly that I had made a vow to Viktoria—especially in the church.

I enjoyed feeling Nico’s head on my shoulder and the gentle tickling on my skin as he stroked my chest with his finger. Meanwhile, I caressed the back of his head and drew strength from his body warmth.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he whispered.

He was right; I couldn’t deny that. “I guess I thought that if I ignored you for a while, I could somehow undo what happened after the poker game.”

Nico laughed and gently pinched my nipple. “Why would you want to undo it? That would be a shame.”

His almost childlike naivety made me smile. “You’re probably right.”

“Besides, it doesn’t seem like you view this as a mistake. Otherwise, you’d have gotten up by now and checked into another hotel—no matter how far you had to drive.”

“You know me better than I expected.”

“Does your family know that you’re into men?”

“No.”

I didn’t like where the conversation was going, but I couldn’t think of anything to steer it in another direction. As Nico shifted and sat cross-legged next to me, covering his groin with the sheet, I forgot everything for a moment.

He was a sight to behold. His toned body and the way his muscles moved was breathtaking. His expression was gentle, and he looked at me in such a loving way that the fear melted away.

“When was the last time you had sex with a man?” he asked bluntly. “Not counting me.”

I laughed and leaned against the headboard. “That was …” I was actually surprised myself. “Almost two months ago.”

Luca, my subtenant, had brought Juri to his place after Juri had twisted his ankle. A stupid coincidence I would have gladly avoided, but when Luca was at work, one thing led to another, and circumstances led me to have sex with Juri.

“Two months ago?” Nico asked, his voice full of disbelief. “How do you handle that? Your wife must be amazing. I mean … You’re obviously into both, but still …”

My expression froze at Nico’s amused reaction.

How could he take all this so lightly? For more than fourteen years, I had known I was into guys, and with each year that I kept it a secret from my wife, the weight on my shoulders grew heavier.

I carried around a ton of baggage and was still doing everything to keep it hidden.

I reminded myself that I owed Nico no explanations but still felt the urge to come clean. He probably had a completely wrong impression of me—which was quite justified. He was the first one I didn’t pay for sex.

“I … uh … Yeah, two months is a long time,” I said, somewhat incredulously. “That’s probably why I let myself get involved with you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Nico tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and looked at me with interest. It was so obvious that he enjoyed spending time with me.

The glow emanating from him seemed much brighter than usual.

And I felt the same way. I loved every second with him, even if what I was about to say didn’t reflect me in the best light. But it was just a part of me.

“For years, I’ve been hiring a callboy every month,” I said, awkwardly rubbing my mouth and clearing my throat. “The past few weeks have been so crazy that I was literally drowning in work and had no time for … you know.”

Nico listened intently, his eyes not as wide open as before.

“But work isn’t the only reason I haven’t had sex. Well, maybe a bit, or maybe it’s just complicated.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“But it’s related to work, and sooner or later, you might wonder … The Juri Vinzens case.”

“That case seems special. You’re keeping it secret from all of us.”

“Yes,” I admitted quietly. “Maybe because Juri was one of my callboys.”

“Oh …”

“What?”

“Well, I saw him on my first day. You went to lunch together. I wondered what kind of guy he was. So young and already rich enough to afford you.” Nico paused. “So young … Were they always that young?”

I felt my pulse quicken. I couldn’t answer that question, so I just continued. “He was drugged, raped, and beaten up by three guys during a job. That was the last job he did. He was very lucky to have gotten out.”

“Shit … That sounds bad.” Nico furrowed his brow and looked at me with a probing gaze. “The way you talk about him … You care about him.”

“I … Sure, I care about him; but not in the way you think. I’ve known him for years. He’s a really good guy, and my subtenant’s boyfriend. When Luca told me the story and asked if something could be done, I knew I had to take the case pro bono. Those kinds of assholes should be locked up.”

“Did you stop hiring callboys after that?”

“I don’t know. Somehow, I feel like the case hit too close to home, and I can’t …

Although there’s actually nothing wrong with it.

They’re hard-working young men who earn their money this way.

Some do it voluntarily, making extra money on the side.

Others have no other choice. Although it never occurred to me to ever hit a callboy or break their rules … Maybe that’s why it makes me so angry.”

“In my eyes, it’s just a normal case you took on pro bono. It doesn’t matter …”

“If others find out, then …”

“I don’t think that …”

“I already have enough trouble keeping it a secret from my family.”

“No one is demanding that from you.”

“I’m demanding it of myself.”

“Could it be that your mysophobia has gotten worse because of this?”

“My … What?” Nico’s question threw me completely off guard. I really wasn’t expecting that.

“You washed your hands seven times in Canonica’s house within nine hours today,” Nico said calmly. “And not just a little. You scrubbed them thoroughly.” He reached for my hand. “They’re all rough and cracked. The dry, cold air here isn’t helping.”

I made a puzzled face. How did we get to discussing a disorder that might affect me? Of course, I was glad that the topic of callboys was over, but mysophobia?

“It’s okay,” Nico said, clearly sensing when the mood was about to shift. He let go of my hand and smiled. “I feel honored.”

“Why’s that?”

“That I’m the first one after all those callboys.”

When he winked at me, I had to laugh. The kid had an incredible charm.

I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was having fun with a different guy every weekend.

Although this fact left a bitter aftertaste, I couldn’t help but find Nico absolutely lovable.

He was, whether he knew it—and played with it intentionally—or not.

“Are you really a writer?” I asked. “Or was that just a gimmick on poker night?”

“It wasn’t a gimmick,” he said, a touch of sadness in his tone. “I wrote a book. Just one. Since then, I’ve had writer’s block.”

“Can I read it?”

“Of course. You can find it almost in every bookstore which is incredible considering it was published nine years ago.”

“Nine years? You were eighteen!”

“Not quite,” he said with a shrug.

I wasn’t familiar with the publishing industry, but if a book had been around for nine years and was still being read, it had to be … I don’t know … important? Or good?

“And is it listed under Nico Simeon? No …” I corrected myself. “I tried to google you. You’re untraceable.”

“I write under … You’re going to laugh. Nicola Rossi.”

I paused. “Your poker name?”

“It’s my mother’s maiden name.”

“And what’s the book called, if I may ask?”

“ The Birds’ Song of Laughter .”

“Why does that title sound familiar?”

“I won a few awards with it,” he replied nonchalantly. “Do you read?”

“Occasionally. When I have time. Mostly just during vacations. My wife reads a lot. She always has a book on the nightstand.”

The nostalgia in Nico’s face refused to fade, and sadness soon took over. He didn’t need to explain it to me. I could see how much the writer’s block was affecting him.

“Why did you study law?”

Nico scoffed. “I had almost no choice but to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

“That’s not a good enough reason,” I teased.

Nico sighed and fell back into the pillow next to me.

“I had no idea what to do. No, actually, I did. After writing a bestseller, you don’t just stop writing.

But then came the block. And eventually, my father.

He didn’t demand that I study law. He just wanted me to do something. So, I chose law school.”

“Yes, but why? Wouldn’t German studies have been more obvious?”

“I suddenly had such a huge aversion to literature. I wanted something easy.”

“Easy?” I laughed. “There’s hardly a drier subject than law.”

“I have a good memory. For every little thing. That got me through law school easily.”

I stared at Nico for a while, unable to believe what he was saying. “Is that what Leo means when he brags about his little genius?”

“Probably,” Nico admitted, embarrassed. “And why did you become a lawyer?”

“Because I’m good at it,” I replied without thinking much. “I find it easy to come up with the right arguments to convince people of something. But wait, back up. Do you have a photographic memory?”

“I wouldn’t call it that.”

“That’s what it’s called, though.”

“When you put it that way, it sounds like a disease.”

I chuckled. “Why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“I don’t like to make a big deal out of it. I prefer people to think of me as a little genius rather than having to play the clown for them.”

“The clown? How so?”

“Oh, you have no idea how creative people get when it comes to disproving something. Oops, sorry. You probably know exactly what I mean.”

It was incredible how comfortable I felt in his presence.

Our conversations flowed so casually and effortlessly.

We both found the same things funny and had a similar sense of humor.

As we continued talking about everything and anything, I secretly enjoyed the forbidden pleasure of knowing I could enjoy Nico’s company for the entire weekend.