Lucas groggily opened his eyes, hearing the soft chirp of the alarm on his phone steadily getting louder. It was the first Monday in his new apartment, a 2 bedroom with a roommate he met on craigslist. Laying back he couldn't help but feel a bit hopeless, he did everything right, great grades high school, a great college with a degree in English yet here he was at 25. Waking up in a small apartment with a near complete stranger, working at a grocery store for slightly over minimum wage. Hardly enough to make ends meet, he had no idea how to move forward with his life, let alone dating. Picking up his phone he saw a few notifications from the well-known flame icon, the little red bubbles most certainly catfish or scams. Opening the app, his suspicions were confirmed, every woman was a picturesque model taking immaculate selfies, all of them initiating a conversation with some variation of hello handsome. He knew it was his own fault, mindlessly swiping while watching TV hadn't helped weed out the fakes. Groaning, he turned and got out of bed, the chilly air and floor hitting his skin causing immediate goosebumps. He wasn't overweight, but was sitting comfortably at average, he was never much of a gym goer and never had the inclination. Walking over to his on suite bathroom, one of the few luxuries of this apartment, he stumbled into the tiny shower cubicle and began showering for the day. It was the first day of his new independent life, and he was dreading it.
The walk to the grocery store was cold, Lucas was bundled as much as he could, but the frigid morning air was constantly attacking his face. Half of his decision to work at this store came from the convenience of the walk, saving what little he could on gas given all the rising prices. Opening the door his manager Dennis greeted him with a wide beaming smile, this was the man that hired him last week. He was taller than Lucas, forcing him to crane his neck up slightly. Dennis was big man, with a slight paunch and plenty of muscle, his dark skin contrasted the white shelving of the store.
"Welcome to your first day on the job!" Dennis said, extending his hand, staring Lucas straight in the eyes.
Lucas took the handshake and put on his best face responding, "Thank you, it's great to be here, maybe not at this hour in the morning but I can manage."
With a big laugh Dennis responded, "Well let's get you some coffee then, that may ease the pain."
The rest of the day went without incident, Dennis showed Lucas his responsibilities, which were stocking shelves and general cleaning, which he did mindlessly until the end of the day finally clocking out and returning home.
The rest of the week continued in the same fashion, wake up, check for any potential matches, chase off existential dread, shower, go to work, rinse and repeat. It didn't help his situation that the only food he could afford was a PB&J he packed for lunch, and ramen for dinner. Friday rolled around starting much the same as the rest of the week, Dennis greeting him at the door, always friendly and beaming. He breathed positivity into the store, and it was one of the only things that made this chore bearable. He was always giving him positive reassurance and mentorship, encouraging him to do the best he could without trying to manage his every move. Once lunch rolled around, he sat down in the breakroom unpacking his fifth PB&J sandwich of the week, taking a slow bite mulling over how much he wanted something different and all his other problems. Dennis strolled in shortly after sitting down at the same round table pulling out his own lunch, unwrapping what looked like a giant turkey sandwich loaded with veggies and bag of chips.
"You must really like PB&J" Dennis said with a smile, taking a large bite of his sandwich.
Lucas sighed, looking up from his sandwich "This is about all I can afford right now, I'm working on expanding my selection of jellies next paycheck."
Dennis smirked, "How about we trade, half my sandwich for half of yours?"
Lucas looked at him quizzically, "You mean it?"
"Sure, here is half, its probably the best thing you'll eat all week," Dennis said handing over half his prized lunch.
Lucas took one bite and immediately felt some comfort, it was indeed the best thing he had eaten all week, maybe even in the last few years. The collegiate diet wasn't known for culinary excellence.
"This is amazing, do you always eat like this?"
Dennis smiled back, "Of course, I'm something of a chef, this is just leftovers, it's even better fresh."
Lucas looked down at the sandwich and took another bite, savoring it.
"Do you have any friends here?" Dennis asked casually.
Lucas looked down again, "I don't, I haven't had a chance to check the city out, or the finances to really do anything. I live a pretty boring and simple life right now" chuckling a little at the end, trying not to make it sound so pathetic.
Dennis smiled back at him, "How about coming to my house tomorrow for a barbeque then? There will be plenty of people and some decent food. Maybe it will help you get acquainted with the neighborhood."
Lucas smiled back "Sure is there anything I can bring?"
Dennis laughed "I don't want you taking out a loan for a package of buns, just come over as my guest."
Lucas smiled and agreed, getting directions to his house, and making a mental note that it was more than a walk away, forcing him to drive. An expense that was well worth it to him at this point.
The sun beamed into Lucas' window, hitting him in the face. Today was Saturday, his first day off. He stretched in bed, enjoying sleeping in while hearing the stirring in the hall of his roommate. A constant reminder that he didn't truly have his own space. Lucas leisurely got out of bed and strolled into the shower, enjoying the hot water, and taking his time. There was no rush today, and he could just focus on relaxing as he let his mind wander while he soaped himself up. He thought of his ex-girlfriend from college, she had introduced him to the joys of anal with a gentle finger inside of him during blowjobs. Something he experimented with himself from time to time. He slowly started stroking himself, imagining her there bobbing up and down. His other hand found its way to the back, mimicking the way she had done it, slowly inserting a finger into himself. It didn't take long for his pace to quicken and shoot a stream of white liquid at the wall. He leaned back satisfied and after taking a moment cleaned off the soap and got ready for his day.
He pulled up in front of Dennis' house a few hours later, the parking was packed on the street, so Lucas has to drive quite a ways until he found a side street with an empty spot. He strolled out onto the street and up the house in no time, knocking on the door. Another equally large Black man, answered the door with the same beaming smile Dennis wore. The inside of the house behind him was spacious, hard wood flooring and plain white walls. There were a few levels, from what he could see, but Dennis was living very well off, in stark contrast to his own living situation.
"Hello you must be Lucas" the man said holding out his hand.
Lucas shook the man's hand meeting his smile "Yes I am, did Dennis prep everyone for my arrival?" and chuckled.
"No, just me, my name is Jerome, its good to finally meet you, Dennis has told me all about his favorite new coworker."
