Companion Required Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Legal Page

  Book Description

  Dedication

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

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  About the Author

  COMPANION REQUIRED

  BRIAN LANCASTER

  Companion Required

  ISBN # 978-1-83943-084-8

  ©Copyright Brian Lancaster 2020

  Cover Art by Louisa Maggio ©Copyright November 2020

  Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

  Pride Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Pride Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Pride Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2020 by Pride Publishing, United Kingdom.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors’ rights. Purchase only authorised copies.

  Pride Publishing is an imprint of Totally Entwined Group Limited.

  If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book”.

  Successful CEO Kennedy Grey thought he had his life planned out nicely—until he hired supposedly straight Kieran West as this year’s holiday companion.

  For the past five years, CEO Kennedy Grey has advertised for a gay male holiday companion to join him on his single annual break. Although Kennedy claims to be neutral in his choice, he has certain non-negotiable requirements. Applicants must be between twenty-one and twenty-five, non-smoking, social drinkers, either versatile or passive, and be able to pull off the role of dutiful boyfriend in front of his clutch of gay friends. What does the candidate get out of the deal? An all-expenses-paid holiday and five grand in cash at the end, more if the candidate exceeds his expectations—a safe enough addendum, because for the past three years no one ever has.

  Kieran West sits in a quiet corner of the coffee shop, trying to finish an assignment. At twenty-nine, he is single once again. By now he should have settled down. But when his girlfriend of three years gives him an ultimatum—ring or road—he chooses the road. Worst of all, he has no qualms about doing so. As for his finances? Saddled with a string of outstanding student loans, he is struggling to finish his master’s while also supporting his brother through university. Losing his work at the estate agents’ could not have come at a worse time. Then he overhears the man at a nearby table recruiting for a job that pays a cool five grand. What does he have to lose?

  Dedication

  Thank you to all my fellow authors and readers at gayauthors.org—and in particular Timothy M—who tirelessly challenged me whenever I posted a new chapter, and helped me to reshape the story every time they thought the plot was becoming predictable.

  Thanks to the wonderful team at TEG for taking this rough diamond and helping me shape the story into something more polished, and also for your professionalism, support, helpful assistance and, most of all, for your friendliness.

  Thank you also to Osamu Toguchi, bar master of 036 in Naha, Okinawa, not only for the amazing nights we’ve spent over the years chatting and drinking, but for allowing me to use the name of your bar in this story.

  And last, but not least, to my husband, Christopher, and our needy and playful Ragdolls, Branston and Brie, without whom this story would have been completed years ago.

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  A Room With a View: E.M. Forster

  James Bond: Danjaq, LLC

  Netflix: Netflix, Inc.

  Botox: Allergan, Inc.

  Business Week: Bloomberg L.P. Limited

  Google: Google LLC

  Wikipedia: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

  Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi Alliance

  Skype: Skype Corporation

  Armani: Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

  Calvin Klein: Calvin Klein Trademark Trust

  Pretty Woman: Buena Vista Pictures

  HMV: EMI Group Canada

  Bentley: Bentley Motors Limited

  Uber: Uber Technologies Inc.

  RouteMaster: American Automobile Association

  Heathrow: Heathrow Land & Development Corporation

  Cosmopolitan: Hearst Communications, Inc.

  King Lear: William Shakespeare

  Evian: Societe Anonyme Des Eaux Minerales D’Evian Corporation

  Ken: Mattel, Inc.

  Hamlet: William Shakespeare

  Hennessy XO: Moet Hennessy U.S.A.

  Toyota Camry: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha TA Toyota Motor Corporation

  Mitsubishi: Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha, Ltd.

  Universal Studios: NBC Universal

  Titanic: Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox

  Jenny Craig: Craig Holdings, Inc.

  “I Kissed a Girl”: Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Cathy Dennis

  “Yellow”: Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion

  The Three Musketeers: Alexandre Dumas

  Moulin Rouge: 20th Century Fox

  “Roxanne”: Sting

  “Mamma Mia”: Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson

  Riverdale: Warner Bros. Television, CBS Television Studios

  Heineken: Heineken Brouwerijen B.V.

  Smurf: Culliford, Pierre Individual

  Licensed to Kill: Embassy Pictures

  Dick Tracy: Tribune Content Agency

  Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren Corporation

  Asahi: Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.

  Awamori: Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association

  Marmite: Marmi
te Food Extract Co., Limited

  Cadbury: Cadbury Limited Corporation

  Tetley: Tetley USA, Inc.

  Securiton: Hanchett Entry Systems, Inc.

  Mandarin Oriental: Mandarin Oriental Services B.V.

  Disneyland: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Spam: Hormel Foods Inc., LLC

  Aussiebum: Sean Peter Ashby Unknown

  HBO: Home Box Office, Inc.

  FTSE: London Stock Exchange PLC

  NASDAQ: Nasdaq, Inc.

  Speedos: Speedo International Limited

  Bintang: Heineken Asia Pacific PTE. LTD.

  Disneyland (US): Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  RuPaul’s Drag Race: Passion Distribution

  Wonder Woman: DC Comics

  Disney: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Attitude: Stream Publishing Limited

  Chapter One

  Kennedy

  London, England, August 2016

  Two triple-shot espressos down and Kennedy Grey massaged his fingers into his temples. Dull throbbing had begun to resemble a migraine. Not because of the coffee—his lifeblood most days—but because the previous candidate had tried his patience to the limit. ‘Is the food safe to eat? Isn’t Singapore in China? Aren’t gays banned in China? And will there be any fringe benefits?’ Questions about food safety he could accept, especially if a candidate had allergies. He could even appreciate them not being familiar with the geography of the travel destination. For that very reason, he had brought along a one-page map of Asia highlighting Singapore. But asking if there would be any fringe benefits had tipped him over the edge. The advert had been straightforward enough on the subject of remuneration.

  Not for the first time that afternoon, Kennedy considered throwing in the towel and abandoning the whole precious idea. Maybe this was the year he made a change. After all, the signs of madness were everywhere, what with a game show host being chosen as the official Republican candidate to run for the US presidency and the people of Britain filing for divorce from Europe.

  As a penniless young man straight out of university, he would have trampled heads for a heaven-sent dream of a job like this. On the laptop, he scrolled down to the UK Gay Society billboard and reread the contents of the advert.

  Gay Holiday Companion Required

  Based in or around London. Must have full ten-year passport with at least seven months remaining and be freely available to travel overseas for the whole month of September 2016. Candidate should ideally be between 21 and 25, non-smoking, social drinker, drug free, and must be able to pull off the role of dutiful boyfriend in front of male sponsor’s close-knit circle of friends. Acting experience a distinct advantage. Any ethnicity considered.

  Successful candidate will receive an all-expenses-paid holiday to Southeast Asia, starting with round-trip flights from London Heathrow to Singapore’s Changi Airport, a three-night stay in Singapore, followed by a 14-night gay cruise to Hong Kong. After a two-night stay in Hong Kong, the holiday will culminate in a flight to Bali, Indonesia and eight nights staying at the sponsor’s private luxury villa.

  Candidate will receive a guaranteed five thousand pounds in cash for services rendered, and a discretionary bonus, should the candidate’s performance exceed expectations.

  If you are interested, please respond to [email protected] with a recent photo (headshots only, thank you) and CV, to arrange a mutually agreeable time for an interview.

  So what if the advert bordered on politically incorrect? Marketing staff at UKGS had assured him that he had breached no advertising codes or legal regulations. Besides, the ‘exceed expectations’ line had only been tacked on this year, a suggestion from his best friend, Steph—a safe enough addendum, since for the past three years no one ever had.

  Moreover, the advertised list of requirements told only half a story. He peered up and scanned the coffee shop. Even a couple of the young men sitting at various tables could have made the grade. In his head, Kennedy had an unspoken list of other requirements, undocumentable, such as the companion being a toned, blond twink, pretty as a royal wedding, but with a relatively low IQ. They should be no more than five feet six, and definitely shorter than his five-ten. Most importantly, they needed to be totally and utterly compliant to Kennedy’s whims and wishes. And finally, once they had been paid off and returned to dear old mother England, he never wanted to see or hear from them again.

  Since his split with Patrick, his partner of nine years, he’d made a point of continuing to join his friends’ annual sojourn to different parts of the globe—his one break each year from the office and the boardroom—but now with a beautiful young acquaintance. Yes, perhaps bringing along a twink companion smacked of vanity, or desperation even, especially for someone in his early forties whose dark hair had begun to display grey streaks at the temples. But the simple truth was that while Kennedy found meeting and conversing with people for business purposes effortless, he found socialising awkward, especially on his own, and had always relied on Patrick to be the catalyst when meeting friends, old and new. Hence, for the past four years, he had paid for a companion to join him.

  Palm Springs gay festivals, Hawaiian island hopping, gay tour of Barcelona and Sitges, cruising around the Greek islands with a week in Mykonos.

  Pure culture? Maybe not. But a welcome respite from a punishing work life.

  Ollie, his first post-Patrick choice, had turned out to be perfect. Previously an intern at Kennedy’s corporate security company, the blond Adonis had flirted shamelessly with Kennedy and all other male staff, whether straight or gay. And even though Kennedy had been flattered and tempted, he had never succumbed. After the placement had ended, however, he’d made a point of keeping in touch. Once Patrick had decided to walk, Ollie had been his natural choice as lab rat companion. Perfect, as things had turned out, because Ollie had recently lost his job, so Kennedy had sweetened the deal by offering a sum of money to accompany him. Which was how the arrangement had first begun.

  That first year the holiday had gone so well, Kennedy had not only stayed in touch but had invited Ollie along for a second helping. A huge mistake, as things transpired, because Ollie had incorrectly translated the gesture to mean that not only were they equals, but that they were going steady. And Kennedy no longer did ‘steady’ with anyone.

  If his friends suspected anything, they said nothing. Only Steph knew the truth. And he made a point of telling any candidate the arrangement would be strictly nonsexual, unless they wanted more—which was how the idea of the playing card had come into being. But more than anything, he wanted a companion, not an escort. If the rationalisation might have meant anything to any of them, he would have cited Forster’s novel A Room With A View and the chaperone arrangement between the two main female characters. But after he’d mentioned the reference to Ollie, and had then been lectured about that ‘old James Bond movie they keep showing on Netflix’, he’d stopped bothering to explain altogether.

  For the first time since Patrick had walked out, he had been in two minds whether to ditch the charade, to simply bite the bullet and turn up alone. Only five friends had signed up for this year’s sojourn—after last year’s debacle—and one of those was Leonard Day. Kennedy not only had feelings for him but respected his business acumen. Maybe this year he would finally make his feelings known. If only Leonard didn’t come with baggage of his own.

  But Kennedy accompanying a plaything had become something of a tradition, a joke among his friends, and he wouldn’t want to let them down.

  “S’cuse me. You Kennedy Grey?”

  Kennedy peered up from his thoughts to find an extremely blond, extremely buff young man standing over him. Steroid buff, Steph would have labelled him.

  “I am, yes. And who might you be?”

  “Who might I what?”

  “Who… What is your name?”

  “Francis.”

  Kennedy glanced down at his notes. Francis Slade, twenty-five years old, three o’clock appointmen
t. Ten minutes ahead of schedule. One point in his favour. Kennedy swore by punctuality.

  “Ah yes, Francis. Please sit down. So do you prefer Francis, Frank or Frankie?”

  “Francis.”

  “Great. You’ve read the advert?”

  “Yep.”

  “Good. So let me go into a bit more detail, give you a few minutes to relax. Then I’ll ask you a few questions and finally let you ask any questions you may have. I’ve got other candidates to see, but I’ll let you know whether you’ve been successful or not by Friday. How does that sound?”

  “S’all okay.”

  Taking the response as his cue, Kennedy went into further detail about the holiday, explaining that in Singapore they would be staying in Kennedy’s parents’ house. However, the person would be introduced as a friend and would have their own bedroom. Whenever he delved into specifics—especially the rawer aspects—he always studied the candidate’s face carefully to see if any of the information caused a reaction. Francis’ flat face appeared incapable of showing any kind of emotion.

  Whenever Kennedy got onto the subject of the cruise and his friends, he found himself becoming defensive. Yes, they could be a bitchy bunch, and a couple of companions had found them bordering on rude, but they were his long-time friends.

  Bali, at the end of the holiday, was not only the cherry on the cake, but the icing, marzipan and ornate decoration. If the companion managed to survive until then, they would be able to enjoy the delights of that magical Indonesian island. By then Kennedy would usually be ready to get back to work, so would spend most of the last week either on his laptop, mobile phone, or writing up proposals.

  “So far, so good?”

  “Yep,” said Francis, yawning and stretching his hands above his head. When his tee pulled tight, Kennedy spotted the outline of nipple rings beneath the material. Tick. Another point in the boy’s favour.

  “How tall are you?”

  “Five-seven.”