Joey was petrified as he followed Dominic onto the dancefloor. His silly liaison with David was nothing compared to the way this guy made him feel. Dominic was a man, not some confused schoolboy.

Chatting to a transvestite at the bar, Frankie watched her brother with interest. He and Dominic had been dancing for over ten minutes now and were getting on like a house on fire.

As the DJ changed the tempo, Dominic took Joey in his arms. ‘Are you OK?’ he asked gently.

Joey nodded. Truthfully, he felt anything but OK. His heart was beating like a drum, his palms were sweaty and he was talking rubbish. ‘I think I’m a little bit nervous. I’ve never done anything like this before,’ he admitted.

Dominic smiled at him. This boy was so different from any of the others he had ever met. He was innocent and gorgeous. Aware that Dominic had an erection, Joey didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Conscious of Joey’s predicament, Dominic brushed his lips against his. He smiled and spoke softly. ‘Relax Joey. I’ll be gentle with you, I promise.’

TWENTY-SIX

Joey and Dominic’s relationship developed quickly and, within a few weeks of meeting, both of them were head over heels in love. The situation was awkward. Dominic lived near the Angel in Islington. He had a demanding job working as a money broker in the city. Joey was studying for his GCSEs and finding time to see one another regularly was virtually impossible.

On a healthy wage, Dominic had his own property, a two-bedroom flat. He kept begging Joey to stay over, but Joey had only been able to do so twice.

Dominic had a very manly voice, so Joey had given him his home telephone number and had told his parents that he and Frankie had met a new mate. Desperate not to arouse suspicion, he told Dominic to ask for either him or his sister if his dad or mum answered the phone.

‘Oi, oi! So how was last night, then, lover boy?’

Joey smiled as his sister entered his room and sat on the edge of his bed. He had spent the previous night at Dominic’s and told his parents he was staying at David’s to revise for his exams. ‘It was wonderful,’ Joey said, beaming.

‘Well, give us the gory details, then.’

Joey ordered Frankie to shut the bedroom door. He had stayed around Dominic’s once before, but his nerves had got the better of him. Last night, he had actually done it and had enjoyed every second. ‘It was fantastic, Frankie. Dom’s got a body to die for and his willy is absolutely enormous.’

Inquisitive by nature, Frankie was desperate for more detail. ‘So, what exactly happened then? I mean it ain’t like a girl and a boy, is it?’