Only You Read online

  It started with that darn Single’s Through Europe travel bundle. What had begun as an almost sarcastic suggestion from his friend and work colleague, Nick, had somehow morphed into a reality. The more that Sherman had thought about it, the more he had realized that he may as well go. There was a lot of money riding on the success of this travel package and if anyone could figure out why it wasn’t hitting the way it was supposed to, it was Sherman.

  It didn’t help either that he came to this conclusion when he was wasted off a bottle of very expensive vodka, emailing his boss in the heat of the moment. It was the next morning when he remembered what he had done and by then, it was too late.

  And then a problem arose that almost saved Sherman.

  Sherman was a little too rich. This trip was aimed at the ‘every man’ that wanted to go on a budgeted vacation through Europe without spending thousands and thousands of dollars. That just wasn’t Sherman. Sherman dressed in fine suits, and drove expensive cars and ate at restaurants that even he was embarrassed to tell people about. The idea of him going on a budget trip was laughable.

  As such, Sherman was forced to ‘dress down’ and act as if he didn’t have more money than God. Technically, the first leg of the tour, a bus ride through the countryside with twenty other men and women just like him, didn’t start until the next afternoon, which meant that he could have easily come dressed how he pleased. But he had opted to get a start on his new persona early.

  Tonight, Sherman was dressed in a cheap pair of jeans, a basic polo-T-shirt from off the rack, and literal white joggers of no real brand. It was the shabbiest that Sherman had looked in a long, long time, and right away he could tell the difference.

  Sherman wasn’t that great looking. He wasn’t tall, he didn’t stand out in a crowd and barely, if ever, had he knocked the wind from someone based purely on his presence. It was always handy that Sherman was rich, so none of this had ever really mattered... until now.

  Being perceived as average, while also looking average, really opened Sherman’s eyes up to how hard the world actually was! People didn’t move when they saw him coming, people didn’t offer him help or advice or even a friendly smile. When he walked through a club such as this one, Sherman felt as if he had food on his face from dinner that he hadn’t noticed but everyone else had.

  Indeed, his attempt to move through the club toward the bathrooms soon became a wrestling match as not a single body bothered to step to the side for him. He was forced to push, wrench and shove the masses in a way he never had before. It was awful!

  Even when Sherman did make it to the bathroom, and spotted the large Dutchman with the drugs – hopefully – he was treated like a third-class citizen that was being done some sort of favor.

  “Hey!” Sherman shouted once he saw the large Dutchman hovering by the bathrooms. “I just want to confirm, it’s —”

  The large man held a finger to his mouth and bulged his eyes at Sherman. He then continued to glare as he subtly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out from it; he had it cupped in his closed hand, so that Sherman could see.

  Sherman resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he hurriedly fished out eighty euro and made the exchange. And then, the second it was done, the large Dutchman pushed past and was gone.

  This whole thing was so humiliating, and not at all what Sherman had in mind for his first night in Amsterdam, let alone Europe. He’d only arrived a few hours ago, and had every intent of going to bed if it weren’t for a quick call with Nick.

  “You need a hook-up?” Nick had asked, once they had covered all the basics.

  “For what? Men – no, I don’t pay for —”

  “Not that,” Nick had sighed and then laughed. “You know... white powder.”

  “Ohhhhh,” Sherman had said. He then thought quickly, “Ah.... maybe? Is it worth it?”

  “So worth it,” Nick had assured him. “The stuff in Australia is shit. But the stuff over there... boy oh boy, you would think you died and went to heaven.”

  Sherman wasn’t that into drugs. For him, booze was more than enough to take the edge off, and with the amount that he drank, he kind of figured it would be best to not add drugs into the equation. But he was in Europe, he was feeling kind of down and figured that it might be fun to try. So, Nick gave him the name of a club, told him how to go about getting it, and here he was.

  Sherman took a peek at the little white bag in his hands. He didn’t want it for tonight. It would be for tomorrow... and the day after... and the day after that too. He'd need something if he was going to get through all the small talk he was sure to be having with boring straight men for the next month straight.

  “... outside?!” A random, Australian voice yelled out just behind Sherman. “Why is he out there?!”

  Sherman spun around and spotted a young Australian man speaking with a tall, skinny Dutchman. The Australian was dressed to the nines, in his best tight shirt, skinny jeans and a little too much jewelry and hair product. The smell wafting from him was thick and a little intense, but he was also so damn hot that it didn’t matter. God damn, he was a hottie. Tall, well-built and with a jawline so strong Sherman couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to sit on it...

  The Dutchman on the other hand looked sleazy, and a little creepy, and like he had something sinister on his mind. There was no way they were together and from the looks of things, this was purely a business transaction similar to the one that Sherman had just partaken in.

  “Okay! Okay!” the hot Australian nodded eagerly. He was rather young though, somewhere in his mid-twenties, Sherman guessed. His wide-eyed enthusiasm stood out the most as he indicated for the Dutchman to show him the way. A moment later they were gone.

  Sherman didn’t hang around for too much longer that night. He literally popped into the bathroom and then got the heck out of the club before he was reminded again of how utterly out of place he was. But he didn’t head straight back to his hotel either, although not for the reason one might expect.

  He was just leaving the club and had to cross the road before hailing a cab. It was there, sitting on the sidewalk, head in hands, looking as broken as a man ever had, that he saw the hot Australian from the club.

  “Hello?” Sherman asked immediately. He didn’t even think about it, feeling an instant desire to make sure he was all right. “Is everything all right, mate?”

  “Huh?” the hot Australian looked up to see who had spoken. His eyes were red and his cheeks were puffy. There could be no illusions as to what he was doing. “Oh... yeah. I’m.... fine...”

  “I believe you.” Sherman crouched down by the Australian. Up this close, he was even better looking than he had appeared in the club; his lips were thick, his skin was tanned and his eyes were a piercing blue. “I just wanted to see if that street corner was a cozy as it looked?”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m joking.” Sherman sat down beside the Australian, who didn’t try and move away or act like it even bothered him. If anything, he actually relaxed slightly.

  “Right.”

  “They robbed you?” Sherman asked.

  “Who?”

  “The guys you came out here to see – I overheard you a minute ago in the bathroom,” he explained. “They robbed you?”

  “Yeah.” His entire body sagged. “They were nice about it though,” he tried for a laugh. “They just took my cash, but left the wallet when I told them it was a gift from my mom. Didn’t try and take my passport either.”

  “What friendly guys.”

  “Yeah. Even in Amsterdam, the crime is friendly.” The Australian man smiled for a moment and he seemed to relax a little more.

  “Ah well,” Sherman clapped his hands together. “Look on the bright side. At least now you have a cool, got robbed in Europe story. And, seeing as no one was here to see it, you can embellish a little when you tell your friends back home."

  The Australian man smiled out the side of his mouth. “Oh yea? L
ike what, they pulled a gun on me?”

  “And you fought them off,” Sherman continued seriously. “A spin kick disarmed the gun. A quick punch to your left dropped the other fella. And if it wasn’t for how dark it was, you would have seen the third come up behind you. Seriously, the fact you’re in one piece is a miracle.”

  The Australian was outright smiling now, and he’d stopped shaking. “You’re right... it is.”

  “And I didn’t see the other guys, but you messed them up good, right? They were limping away, weren’t they?”

  “You know it.” He was beaming now, no longer shaking, actually looking like he was having a good time.

  Sherman wasn’t sure why, but he felt immediately comfortable around this guy. Maybe it was because he had sensed how relaxed the Australian had become once the two had started talking, it gave him a confidence he hadn’t expected. Or maybe it was just because he was so ridiculously good looking that Sherman never even dreamed the two would hook-up. So why bother worrying?

  “Well, come on then.” Sherman slapped at his legs and got to his feet. “Let’s get you home. On the way you can tell me all about it – leave nothing out.”

  “Ha!” The hot Australian slapped his legs too and stood. He was taller than Sherman, almost by a foot it felt like. But he had a warmth about him, and seemed to genuinely be warming up to Sherman too. He was probably the first person to not look right through him since he had arrived. “I’m not too far from here.”

  “Me either,” Sherman said. “Oh. Dumb. I’m Sherman, by the way – stupid name, I know.” He held his hand out to shake.

  “Ha! It’s unique, that’s for sure,” the hot Australian assured him as he took his hand. It was a strong grip. “I’m Bradley. Nice to meet you.”

  “You too, Bradley. You too.” And he meant it.

  ***

  When Sherman woke the following morning, he felt more excited than he had in a long time, and there was no trouble in guessing why. He and Bradley had made plans to spend the morning together and God damn, he could not wait.

  It was the unexpected nature of the arrangement that had Sherman buzzing as he quickly got himself ready. Bumping into Bradley outside the club was random, actually talking to him was bold, and then walking him back to where he was staying was unlike anything that Sherman could have expected from himself. Nothing happened, of course, and Sherman hadn’t expected it to. They had just talked. But to be fair, even that seemed to undersell it.

  Sherman wasn’t a shy guy by any means, but he also wasn’t the type to randomly hit on strange, hot men either. Not that what he was doing was technically ‘hitting on’ Bradley. Perhaps that was why it was so easy and effortless? He knew he didn’t stand a chance, so why bother playing it safe?

  When Sherman and Bradley had reached Bradley’s B&B, the hot Australian was noticeably much more relaxed and far more comfortable than he had been outside the club. The two were talking like old friends and Sherman didn’t even think before asking if he’d want to catch up again while here.

  “Yes!” Bradley had seemed to cry, although Sherman might have also been exaggerating that slightly in his memory. “I’d love to – what were you thinking?”

  “Oh...” Sherman had thought quickly. The next afternoon was when he was first forced to meet up with his tour group, so it was going to have to be something tomorrow morning. “Well... I’ve always wanted to see the Van Gough museum. Apparently, it’s unrivaled in... boredom...” he had finished with a nervous chuckle. What was he thinking, suggesting a museum?

  “Sounds good!” Bradley had responded eagerly and immediately. “I need some culture in my life. What did you say his name was – Van Gough? Is this Gough guy a big deal?”

  Sherman had smiled at that. “Yeah, he kind of is.”

  The Van Gough Museum was a must see highlight for anyone visiting Amsterdam, and to be fair it was also the last port of call for the Singles Through Europe trip in three days' time; when Sherman had been helping to organize it, he had theorized it would be a good way to end the Amsterdam leg of the trip. It looked like he was going to be going twice, which honestly didn’t bother him so long as one of them was with Bradley.

  As Sherman got ready that morning, he found himself wishing that he’d packed some of his own clothes. He would have killed to have had his expensive kicks with him, or a pair of shorts that he hadn’t quickly bought online at Target. Sherman wasn’t even that into fashion, but he knew what looked good and what didn’t, and what he was forced to wear right now certainly did not.

  But he tried not to let that bother him. Although Bradley was almost certainly gay, Sherman didn’t actually think today was anything more than two lonely guys hanging out and enjoying the sights. Bradley was here by himself and clearly out of his depth. And Sherman had an entire morning to kill and figured why not kill it with a hunk by his side?

  The two men met outside the museum, on the outskirts of the main part of the city at just past 10am. To be honest, Sherman wouldn’t have been surprised if Bradley didn’t turn up at all. The whole thing had been rushed – they hadn’t even exchanged contact details – and Bradley had been in a bad place at the time. Odds were that he would wake up in the morning and change his mind. In fact, Sherman half expected him to.

  It was so silly, but as Sherman approached the museum, he felt himself getting nervous. This felt like a date, even though it wasn’t. And although he tried to tell himself that Bradley wouldn’t even be there, and that he wasn’t as hot as he had pictured in his head, he still found himself desperately hoping that he was there... and that he was even hotter.

  Bradley was there, waiting at the entrance. He spotted Sherman coming from across the way and waved enthusiastically; like a child spotting a best friend he hadn’t seen in months. When Sherman spied him, his heart did a little leap in his chest with excitement... but then it quickly dove back down into his stomach and out his backside as if trying to hide. This Bradley guy was even sexier than Sherman remembered.

  Not only was he tall, and broad in the shoulders and back, and thick in the arms, and well dressed in his tight shorts and singlet top, and handsome with his square chin and sparkling eyes and... and... and... yeah, he was hot. His smile was big and enthusiastic too and seemed to show all his pure white teeth at once.

  “Hey!” Bradley hurried up to Sherman. When they reached, it looked like he was about to go for a hug... then a handshake... then he just kind of shrugged and indicated back to the museum. “You know, I did some reading on this Van Gough guy this morning. Apparently, he’s like, really big.”

  “He was,” Sherman laughed. “When he was alive anyway.”

  “Actually, that’s not even true.” Bradley smiled knowingly and puffed out his chest, looking just so proud of himself. “I read that he wasn’t even famous until after he died. When he was alive, no one even knew who he was.”

  “Really?” Sherman already knew that, but he was enjoying how much Bradley seemed to like telling him.

  “Really,” Bradley nodded proudly. “Pretty interesting, huh?”

  “Wow... I guess we don’t have to go in anymore – I'm joking,” Sherman hurried when he saw his joke getting taken as a literal suggestion. “I’m just glad you’re interested.”

  “I’m a little shook, to be honest,” Bradley explained as the two men headed toward the entrance, already filling up with dozens of eager tourists. “I’m never usually into this nerdy kind of stuff at all.”

  “Oh yeah?” Sherman tried to hide his smile. “What are you usually in to? Non-nerdy stuff?”

  “I dunno,” he shrugged. “Just not this.”

  Two men more different to one another didn’t exist, yet for some reason – one that Sherman was struggling to comprehend – they got along famously, like old high school friends catching up at their ten-year reunion. It was a connection that neither could have expected.

  On the physical side... well, that went without saying. Sherman was shorter than Bradle
y, he wasn’t as good looking in any known metric, and he wasn’t athletic either. Anyone that saw the two together must have just assumed them old friends from long before puberty shone through to highlight how different they were going to be. Indeed, as they wandered through the three-story museum, Sherman had to pinch himself again and again to make sure that he actually was here with this guy.

  Now, to be fair, Sherman had been with his fair share of men out of his league, but that had always come with the caveat of money and success. Every time Sherman was with a man who looked like Bradley, they knew what he did and how much he made. They were essentially with him for his wallet and not his personality.

  But that wasn’t Bradley. In fact, as far as Bradley was aware, he was the breadwinner of the two and Sherman was punching in every single way.

  “So, what do you do?” Sherman asked Bradley as they lined up for the museum. It was a busy morning and it was going to take at least ten minutes to get in. “I didn’t even ask last night, sorry.”

  “In your defense, you might have been a little distracted. You were nursing a big cry baby back to health,” he joked. Then he added quickly, “I’m an actor actually.”

  “Really?” Sherman was actually impressed. “What do you act in – have I seen you in anything?”

  “Oh....” Bradley thought for a moment, looking a tad uncomfortable. “... To be honest, I doubt it – unless you like crappy soap dramas and things like that? I do a lot of guest staring in shows like Home and Away... and Neighbors... and that kind of thing – oh, and a lot of plays too.”

  “Fuck. Awesome.” Sherman didn’t even try and hide how impressed he was. He shouldn’t have been surprised though. Who wouldn’t pay good money to see this guy in the flesh?

  “What about you?” Bradley then quickly asked.

  “Right... me.” This was where it got annoying. Sherman was here under the guise of being an ‘every-man.’ He had a made-up backstory to tell people when they asked, but he didn’t like it. “I work in travel,” he spoke softly.