The Curator의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 6

I’m Charles to the professional world, Charlie to my friends, and Chaddie to the family that still refuses to believe I’ve outgrown the nickname. Being an openly gay man in my mid-30s has its own set of rhythms; the dating apps are a drag, sure, but the silence of being single isn't as loud as it used to be.It helps that I’m never actually alone. My 6'0" frame feels a lot smaller when I’m sharing the sofa with Bruce, my shadow-colored Black Lab, and Abe, a Border Collie who’s convinced he’s the smartest person in the room. Between the two of them and my own search for what I actually want out of life, there isn't much room left for the 'drag' of being single. I’m finally learning to just be me.Monday morning, 8:02 AM. My boss didn't even make it through his office door before the shouting started. He was barking priorities at the ceiling like a man possessed, completely ignoring the fact that we all have the same official online calendar. The one that pings our phones five minutes bef

"David, what are you even talking about?" I blurted out, pushing my chair back just an inch. The expensive wine suddenly tasted like copper in my mouth. "Where is this coming from? I’m so confused."David didn't blink. He just sat there, watching me with that same unreadable expression."You're acting like I'm some... prize," I continued, my voice rising as the absurdity of the day finally boiled over. "I remember the company anniversary last year at the Palace Hotel. I was coming out of the restroom, the hallway was packed, and I accidentally bumped into you. My hand brushed your backside as I tried to squeeze past. You looked at me with such pure disgust, David. You looked like I had physically violated you. You didn't speak to me for a month after that."I leaned forward, my hands flat on the table. "So don't sit here in a closed restaurant and tell me you’ve been 'curating' me. What exactly are you telling me right now? Because none of this adds up."David set his wine glass down with

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the playful energy of our Charmed debate melting into a dense, magnetic pull. I watched him prepare to leave, his movements heavy with the assumption that our night had reached its professional limit. But I wasn't finished. I wanted to show him that outside the walls of Black Industries, the power dynamic he was used to didn't just shift—it inverted.I reached out, my fingers curling around the silk of his tie. I didn't just tug; I commanded. I pulled him down until our faces were inches apart, feeling his breath hitch as his carefully maintained composure shattered."Tonight, I’m yours and you’re mine," I whispered against his lips, the authority in my voice making his eyes darken. "Call it a bed compatibility test. And David? In this room, I make the rules."I led him to the bedroom, the glow of the streetlights painting the walls in shades of amber and shadow. There was no CEO here, no titan of industry. As his clothes hit the floor, he looked at me