Someone to Love Him

Chapter 1-2

“It’s been a while, Luke,” one of the volunteers said when Luke came into the room where they kept the clothes and other items that had been donated to the drop-in spot.

“You figured that out from the condition of my jeans?” he replied with a grin.

“That too. You could use a haircut while you’re here.”

“Naw. It would take away from my lean and hungry look if it was too short.”

“Cassius, you aren’t,” the man said with a laugh. “Okay, you know what you need. Just don’t empty out the joint.”

“My backpack’s not near big enough to do that.”

Luke went through the racks and tables, finding two pairs of jeans in much better condition than those he was wearing. He scooped up a sweatshirt, grinning at another kid who seemed to be after the same one. The kid shrugged, grabbing another one. After that, Luke found a two T-shirts and some underwear. Folding everything carefully, he put them in his pack, after taking out the worst of what was in it. Those, he dropped into a bin, knowing the volunteers would wash and repair anything that still had some use left in it.

From there, he crossed the hall to pick up a couple of hygiene packs and went into the washroom to shower and change clothes. Studying his reflection in the mirror, he decided he looked a lot better than he had an hour ago.

But is it enough to earn me some spare change? Only one way to find out.

He left, walking several blocks to the downtown area, where he stationed himself between a pair of restaurants and two tourist shops on Richwood Avenue, the main street though downtown. Setting down his pack, he sat—leaning against a shop wall—with his sign and a paper cup between his legs. He hoped today would be better than yesterday.

By mid-afternoon, he knew it wasn’t destined to happen. He’d made all of three dollars and change. Enough to buy a cheap burger and fries from the fast-food place a block down. Then he’d be broke—again.

He gathered up his things, went to get supper, and took off for an alley a few blocks away, behind three popular clubs. He settled on a loading dock across from the backdoor of one of the clubs and waited—along with two other guys about his age who were there for the same reason. To make some money by giving down-and-dirty blowjobs to men who knew this was a spot to get one.

He could have gone to a park that was noted as a pick-up spot, but he valued his life. Getting into a car could be safe enough, unless the wrong man was driving. In the past month, two guys that Luke knew hung out there had disappeared off the streets. Not that the cops give a damn, even if they’re aware of it.

Luke had been in the alley for a good hour, he figured, when he was finally approached by a slightly drunk man who came out the backdoor of one of the clubs. After negotiating a price and getting the money, Luke led the man to a safe place between two dumpsters. He got on his knees, and after sheathing the man’s c**k with a condom from the hygiene pack, proceeded to get the man off.

Luke got lucky two more times—or the men who needed some fast s*x did, he figured—before he decided he’d spent enough time on his knees. When the last man left, Luke folded the money he’d made, sticking it under the insole of his sneaker, and headed down toward the river to get some well-earned rest.