wl_fanfiction | Business and Pleasure

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Title: Business and Pleasure
Author: Saiya_tina
Pairing: Brad/Ryan.
Rating: PG for this chapter, but there probably will be future R and NC-17
Word Count: 2,285

Summary: Brad's running his own large business and has everything but what he wants the most: someone to be there for him. After 'purchasing' Ryan from the Utopia group to serve the purpose, he slowly realizes that he's breaking their most important rule: he's falling in love with him.

A/N: Before you ask, no I have no idea what gave me this idea....

Bradley Sherwood let out a curse as he rubbed at his eyes tiredly, dismissing the paper in front of him for a minute. Going over his company’s stats was possibly the most boring part of his job. He knew that he had responsibility and an empire as big as his did not run on it’s own but sometimes, he felt as though he had done nothing in his life except work in the company.

Started by his grandfather, Sherwood Enterprises was now one of the biggest businesses in the country thanks to the combined efforts of his grandfather, then his father and finally himself. However, since there was a great deal of emphasis on keeping the enterprise alive and in the family, Brad had literally been raised only to care for the business. When his father passed away from a heart attack soon after his 18^th birthday, he had been forced to leave his studies to run the business. His sister had been too young at the time and had shown no interest in the company, preferring to become an interior designer. Brad had decided that if he couldn’t do what he liked, at least his sister would.

However, none of those thoughts chased away the lingering loneliness that he felt day after day. His sex life was good, after all, with the money he had, he could afford the best of the best, but he longed for the feel of having someone who truly cared about you waiting for you when you came back from work. The short time he spent at his large, nearly empty home made him so uncomfortable that he tried to stay away from it as long as he could.

The phone rang and he answered it quickly, “Sherwood.”

“Hey Sherwood, it’s Wayne,” the familiar voice of his only friend was welcome to his ears, “I wanted to know if you would be dining at home tonight.”

“Nah, I’ll be out tonight. And for the record, it’s Brad, okay?” Brad let out a small smile. Wayne was his only friend in the world and his roommate. Wayne’s job as a performer had brought him to the city where he had agreed to stay with Brad, saying he couldn’t get a better place anywhere else. However, since he was always away at work, he barely stayed there aside to sleep.

“Sorry Brad,” Wayne’s grin was clear in his voice, “Just slips out sometimes.”

“Well, get better brakes for it, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Brad, you okay?” Wayne’s tone turned from friendly to concerned when he heard the sadness in Brad’s tone.

“Yeah, it’s.....you know, just the usual thing.....” Brad sighed.

“Oh, Brad....” Wayne sounded sympathetic, “You’ll find someone soon, man. You just gotta keep looking.”

“I’m not even looking for love anymore. I just want someone who’ll, you know, be there. Not like a prostitute or anything, just someone who’ll be at home when I come back.....”

“Basically, you’re looking for one that doesn’t leave in the morning? Well, I don’t know if you want to hear this, but I’ve heard of this man who apparently ‘sells’ people. It’s not like slavery or anything, they’re basically like rented husbands or wives. They can be your escorts, your assistants, anything. Want me to find out where you can find him?”

“Is that even legal?”

“Yup, it’s a pretty sophisticated system, but also very secret so not a lot know about it. They don’t really have billboards, ya know?”

“I dunno, this sounds pretty fishy to me.....what if someone finds out?”

“No one’s ever discovered the system and it’s been running for decades. There are no worries. Just give him a check, Brad. I know it’s confusing, but there’s no harm in trying.”

“......Fine, give me the number and place.”

Brad shifted uncomfortably as he waited at the bar for the dealer to show up. If it wasn’t bad enough that he was planning to ‘buy’ someone, he had to come to a seedy bar in one of the most unfriendly areas in the city. He thanked God that he had stayed away from the press enough that very few people would recognize him even a bit if at all. If anyone knew about his true identity....he shivered at the thought.

“You Ramone?” a portly man asked gruffly. Brad turned to face the newcomer. He was shorter than him, with a buzz cut and big glasses. He looked more like a comedian rather than a dealer.

“Yup,” Brad answered, not wanting to seem rude. It wouldn’t do to piss someone like this off.

“You want to know about the, uh, ‘goods’?” he asked, looking around suspiciously.

“Yes.”

“Follow me.” The man turned away and walked out of the back of the bar into one of the dirty alleys. After walking through the back streets for a few minutes, Brad began to wonder if he had been recognized and was about to be mugged. The thought made him tense, but he hid his fear well.

“The name’s Drew,” the dealer announced as he pulled back a rickety old door to an abandoned building, looking around before he closed it behind them. “What I deal in isn’t prostitutes or anything like that. There are plenty who do that. My business is more like to provide for people who want something like marriage without the love and commitment part. I know it’s odd, but you’d be surprised at how well this does. Lots of people need to at least be fooled into thinking someone’s there, but we have a strict rule here against that. We also have an age limit. How old are you?”

“24,” Brad answered automatically.

“Young guy, huh? Well, then you have a choice between 20-28. The youngest people you can get are 18 years, but the age gap exceeds your limit,” Drew explained as he led him down a corridor.

“What about kids below 18?”

Drew stopped and looked back at him, “I’ll tell you now, we don’t do or allow anything like that. The kids we have working for us are either picked from the street or are abandoned here. We raise them until they’re old enough and then they work. They are allowed to choose who they work for and report to us if there’s any harassment. We take this business and these kids very seriously.”

“Good to know. Why is this business so underground?” Brad asked.

“People think we force the kids, but we don’t. We don’t rent them out to just anyone for a night and they are not slaves. They have free will and rights like everyone.” Drew stopped in front of a large bolted door and opened it, waving Brad inside, “Welcome to Utopia.”

Brad gaped as he looked inside and saw several kids and many adults as well, talking to one another, laughing and even saw a couple of kids run around chasing each other.

“Toldja they like it here,” Drew grinned as he led him to his office. “I’ll give you a tour first and later we’ll find you your ‘wife’.....or is it a husband you’re looking for?”

Brad turned bright red and stuttered, “I-I’m not-”

“I know who you are, Bradley,” Drew shut his office door firmly behind them, “I do follow the news. Don’t worry, what happens here, stays here. No one will ever know about this.”

Brad sat down shakily in a chair, “Oh God, this could ruin me.”

“We have had plenty of celebrities and business men here. They all go satisfied and no one’s the wiser,” Drew grinned reassuringly.

“Well, even if I do decide to do this, I want a wife,” Brad nodded firmly, the look in his eyes saying the matter was closed.

“Whatever you want,” Drew shrugged, then headed out, “Time for the tour.” He led Brad up a ladder to catwalk from where he could see Utopia properly and the heads of most of the people. We entered the main hall and we also have a mess hall along with several bedrooms. There are about five people to a room. Since the money we get from this is pretty good, we’re able to look after them really well.”

“What started this?” Brad questioned.

Drew shrugged, “No idea. I just joined because I was one of these kids a long time ago. I had a good head for business so they made me manager of this branch. I handle it well, though.”

Brad nodded and quietly followed Drew, listening to him go on about some girls that Brad might like until they entered the children’s room. Brad looked down from the catwalk and spotted a tall young man sitting in the middle of the room with a little girl in his lap and surrounded by children, laughing and talking. Several children waved their drawings and other work in his face and Brad found a small smile creeping across his own face.

“Who’s that?” he pointed at the young man.

“Hm?” Drew looked down and smiled as well, “That there is the heart and soul of this organization. His name’s Ryan, he just became 20 a couple weeks ago. Young guy and well loved here. He’s been in demand by nearly every guy and girl who comes in here, but we’ve never actually found anyone worthy of getting him aside from one guy. That turned out to be a mistake.”

“He’s a good guy?” Brad asked, fascinated by the youth.

“The best. He takes care of everyone. He hangs out with the kids, plays with them, draws with them and generally becomes their ‘parent’. Finds time for all of them. The adults like him too. If someone’s hurt or sick, he takes care of them. He’s the confident for a lot of them. Some who come back from abusive clients, he’s the first one they run to. I have to say, sometimes I wish he wasn’t here. He deserves better than this place,” Drew sighed.

“How’d he get here?” Brad smiled as Ryan picked up a small boy and tickled him.

“Abandoned. Whoever his parents were, they just left him here on the doorstep. He was a baby at the time and was raised here. Pity though, he could made for a happy household.”

Brad just stayed there and stared at Ryan, taking in the blonde, curly hair that was nearly down to his shoulder and the thin frame. He could feel his pulse rate increase and before he knew it, the words had slipped out of his mouth, “Can I get him?”

Drew looked shocked, “I thought you wanted a girl.”

Brad sighed, “I am gay.....but I don’t want anyone to know. That’s why I told you that I wanted a girl.”

Drew nodded, “No one will know you’re gay unless you want them to. Are you sure you want Ryan?”

“Yes.” Brad nodded.

Drew looked at him for a long moment before nodding, “You seem like a good guy, sincere and kind. Fine, you can have Ryan, but I warn you. If anyone thinks Ryan is mistreated while he’s with you, you’ll have the wrath of Utopia on your head. He’s like the baby of the place and you have to promise he won’t become a plaything of yours. If he’s not willing for sex, tell us, we’ll replace him, but you are not to force yourself on him. He’s still a little traumatized by what happened with the first guy he was with.”

“I’d never force myself on him!” Brad looked disgusted.

“There’s another rule,” Drew interrupted, “You cannot fall in love with him. Utopia is bound by that one rule.”

Brad looked over at Ryan again. It’s just sex and companionship, he mind yelled, you don’t even want love! Take the opportunity, you fool!

“I agree.”

Drew looked down at Ryan, “Ryan, come to my office immediately.”

Ryan looked up in confusion as he saw the man next to Drew before he told the children he would be back and set off towards Drew’ office.

“Have a seat,” Drew nodded towards one. Ryan sat down, glancing at the handsome stranger in the other seat, wondering what was the matter.

“This is Bradley Sherwood. He’s interested in making a deal with you for two years.” Drew spoke professionally.

Ryan looked shocked. Several people had expressed their desire to make a deal with him, but Drew had always rejected their offers. Why had he agreed to this one?

“I’m not forcing you into this, Ry. It’s entirely your choice,” Drew reassured him.

Ryan looked apprehensive. He had never actually been with anyone since the incident and didn’t want to mess up the business. He had been told several times that he was the best in Utopia but had never seen it himself. He always thought that there were others much better at their work than him, but apparently, most didn’t think so.

“Drew, you know I’ve not done this since.....”

“I know,” Brad spoke up instead of Drew. He took the time while Drew spoke to properly get a look of Ryan. The young man seemed to be nothing more than a scrawny teenager which, Brad thought, he was in a way. “But I still want you to make the deal with me. Do you agree?”

Brad looked into Ryan’s emerald green eyes with all the sincerity he could force into his look alone. You’ll be safe, his eyes conveyed, I won’t let you get hurt. You don’t have to be afraid of me.

Ryan swallowed and looked down for a few seconds, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and then looked up, a nervous smile on his lips, “Alright.”.

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