"And in first place, Blake Kennedy."
As I received my medal from the podium, there was not a hint of happiness inside me, only disappointment and a slight sense of relief. I had just won the Midwestern Sectionals, but for some reason I felt myself undeserving of the gold medal. Maybe this is what they call the imposter syndrome, I guess, which seemed weird when I thought about it further. Figure skating had been my whole life even since I was a little kid. There was just something about the rink that called to me, a pull that could not be explained. All I knew is that the ice is where I felt genuine joy. The moment my blade hit the ice, my body felt free of its shell, like I was floating in the air. When I made my debut in competitive skating, everyone who had seen my performances were raving about my natural talent and fluid grace on the ice. While I was grateful for the support and praise I was receiving, the weight of their expectations eventually took their toll on me. While I was still able to replicate my success on the ice, the joy that I felt when I stepped onto the rink had all but disappeared.
---
I had just came off with a gold medal at sectionals two days before, when I got a phone call from my coach.
"You won't believe this, Blake. I just received a call from Vince Carney. He said he's interested in taking you on."
Vince Carney, the coach that anyone would be lucky to have. A former skater with countless accolades under his belt who was forced to retire after a career-ending leg injury, he then went on to coach multiple young up-and-coming male talents to national and international success over the past twenty years. While he had announced that he was taking a break three years ago, he had recently revealed that he was ready to return to coaching.
My coach had confessed to me right before sectionals that he was not confident in being able to help me take my game to the national level and beyond, which was why he sounded so elated when he broke the news to me. It was not that I was not excited, because I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was just bewildered by his choice. Sure, I did achieve respectable results in the circuit for a 19-year-old, but I could not wrap my mind around what exactly he saw in me or my performance. Besides, I was reminded of some of the things I had heard about him from my peers a couple of years ago. It was apparently a well-known secret that Vince's "intensive training" also carried over to the bedroom in private, though there was never any concrete evidence. I was thinking of asking my coach about the matter, but decided against it.
"I know it's not a decision to be made lightly. You don't have to give me the answer right away. Take your time and think about it. I'll forward his email to you."
I understood that if I took on his offer, I would be bound for stardom. None of his students had failed to achieve any sort of success nationally and internationally, and some of them even went on to represent the country at the Olympics. Was that not what I had worked for all these years? But then again, I was not sure if I was willing to go so far as to sell my body out for it. Not to mention my lack of experience in man-to-man affairs. I would love to be taken by a man, but this was not exactly the way I wanted it to happen.
My mind was racing with all kinds of what ifs, but eventually, I came to a decision.
----
The first time I met Vince in person in the restaurant, I was completely awestruck. He was much more attractive in person. Despite being in his late forties, he had remained ruggedly handsome, and he still managed to maintain a trim athletic figure. That with his impeccable fashion sense made for a deadly combination. I had thought I was mentally prepared beforehand, but seeing him in person was sending butterflies to my stomach.
"Glad you could make it, Blake."
"I'm the one that should be thankful for the opportunity, sir." I said as I took my seat.
"Congratulations on your win at the sectionals. You probably did not know, but I happened to be there that day and saw your performance."
"Thank you sir. Were you satisfied with what you saw?"
"Yes it was magnificent, although there were certain things you could definitely improve on. In fact, I already had my eye on you a couple of months ago when I watched your performance at regionals." Vince paused briefly before continuing. "You have an immense amount of talent, and I'm confident that I'm able to turn you into the next big star. I assume you have given much thought about my proposition, so what's your final answer?" He asked, gazing into my eyes. My heart almost skipped a beat, but I reminded myself that I needed the answer to the burning question I had.
"Sir, is there anything you want in return from me?"
He sat silent for a while as he continued gazing into my eyes.
"You. All of it."
I had not expected his bluntness. But regardless of his reply, I already had my answer at the back of my head.
"Yes, sir."
"I'm glad to hear that. That being said, I do need to examine your skills in detail with my own eyes. Only then would I be able to finalize my decision. Are you okay with that?" His hand was now under mine on the table, squeezing it gently as his thumb was caressing the back of it.
.
.
.
"Yes, sir."
---
I came out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around my waist. Vince, now completely naked, sat up on the bed and kept his eyes glued to me as I walked towards the center of the room. I started to become nervous when I saw his well-endowed member. There was no way I was going to fit that in me when this was only my first time, I thought to myself.
