moved energetically, showing off their Nautilus-hardened muscles, thrusting their groins into empty air in bizarre parodies of sex. Stifling a sigh, Merrick pushed his way through the crowd to the bar. He ordered a bottle of American beer that tasted unbelievably insipid to a palate trained to expect the nutty sweetness of Newcastle Brown.
Turning round to face the dance floor again, Merrick leaned against the bar and Surveyed the room, desperately ; trying to avoid eye contact with anyone in particular. He'd been standing like that for about ten minutes when he became aware that the man standing next to him wasn't actually trying to be served.
Merrick glanced round to discover the man's eyes fixed on him. He was almost as tall ; as the detective, but with a broader, more muscular build. He wore tight black leather trousers and a white vest. His blond hair was cut short at the sides, longer on top, and his body was as tanned and smooth as a Chippendale. He raised his eyebrows and said,
"Hi. I'm ian."
Merrick grinned weakly.
"Don," he replied, raising his voice to combat the music.
"I've not seen you in here before, Don," ian said, moving closer so that his naked arm pressed against the worn leather of Merrick's sleeve.
"It's my first time," Merrick said.
"You new in town, then? You don't sound local."
"I'm from the North East," Merrick said carefully.
That explains it. A bonny laddie from Geordieland," ian said, with a bad imitation of Merrick's accent.
Merrick felt his smile grow sick and die.
"You a regular here, then?" he asked.
"Never miss it. Best bar in town for the kind of guy I like." ian winked.
"Can I buy you a drink, Don?"
The sweat trickling down Merrick's back had nothing to do with the warmth of the bar.
"I'll have another one of these," he said.
ian nodded and turned round to the bar, using the crowd around him as an excuse to thrust himself against Merrick. Merrick stared across the room, his jaw set. He noticed one of the other murder squad detectives watching him. His colleague gave a grotesque wink and mimed one finger pumping into the closed fist of his other hand.
Merrick turned away, coming face to face with ian, who had been served.
"There you go, bonny laddie," ian said.
"So, you looking for a bit of fun tonight, Geordie?"
"Just checking out the scene," Merrick said.
"What's the scene like up in Newcastle, then?" ian asked. "Bit lively? Cater for all tastes, does it?"
Merrick shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm not from New- castle. I come from a little village up on the coast. It's not the kind of place where you can be yourself."
"I get you," ian said, laying a hand on Merrick's arm.
"Well, Don, if you want to be yourself, you've come to the right place. And you've found the right guy."
Chapter 10
Merrick prayed he didn't look as terrified as he felt.
"It's certainly busy enough," he tried.
"We could go somewhere quieter, if you like. There's another room through the back there, where the music isn't so loud."
"No, I'm fine here," Merrick said quickly.
"I like the music, if I'm honest."
ian moved forward so his torso leaned against Merrick's. "What is it you're into, Don? Top or bottom?"
Merrick choked on his beer.
"I'm sorry?" he gasped.
ian laughed and rumpled Merrick's hair. His light-blue eyes glinted wickedly, holding Merrick's stare.
"You really are an innocent abroad, aren't you? What I'm saying is, what do you like best?
Handing it out or taking it? " His hand strayed down to Merrick's trousers, just when the detective thought he was going to be groped in a way that no one apart from his wife had ever done, ian's hand slid to one side and moved round to stroke Merrick's buttock.
"That depends," Merrick croaked.
"On what?" ian asked suggestively, moving so close that Merrick could feel the other man's erection against his leg.
"On how much I trust the person I'm with," Merrick replied, trying not to let his revulsion show in voice or expression.
"Oh, I'm very trustworthy, me. And you look like the reliable kind too."
"Are yez not a bit worried, like, about strangers? With this serial killer doing the rounds?" Merrick asked, using the opportunity of putting his empty bottle back on the bar to move away slightly from ian's insistent body.
ian's smile was cocky.
"Why should I be? These guys that are getting topped don't hang out in places like this. Stands to reason that this isn't where this mad bastard's picking them up."