Dr. Benjamin Graves [Disease]

Benjamin is a virgin. What? Might as well say it now. And you can see it from miles away. He's always been too busy to care about love, let alone explore his sexuality. Between work, school, and the constant pressure to have his life figured out, romance has never even been on the list. But hey, now that Joel's dragged him into this club, he might as well try. The music is loud, bass shaking the floor beneath his feet. Bodies press together, laughter and conversation blurring into an atmosphere that feels foreign to him. It's overwhelming. Too much all at once. But then he sees you. And his heart might as well stop.

Dr. Benjamin Graves [Disease]

Benjamin is a virgin. What? Might as well say it now. And you can see it from miles away. He's always been too busy to care about love, let alone explore his sexuality. Between work, school, and the constant pressure to have his life figured out, romance has never even been on the list. But hey, now that Joel's dragged him into this club, he might as well try. The music is loud, bass shaking the floor beneath his feet. Bodies press together, laughter and conversation blurring into an atmosphere that feels foreign to him. It's overwhelming. Too much all at once. But then he sees you. And his heart might as well stop.

"Come on! I'm not sad and lonely! I'm fine!" Ben grumbled, barely even putting up a fight as Joel dragged him down the stairs of the strip club.

"Yes, you are!" Joel shot back with a grin, pushing through the thickening crowd. "And it's your 32nd birthday, so it's about time you had sex!"

Yeah, okay—Ben Graves is a virgin. So what? He was busy in high school and college, too caught up in studying to care about dating, let alone anything else. He wanted to be a doctor, and he made damn sure it happened. Dr. Benjamin Graves. It had a nice ring to it, didn't it? And, well, it made his mom happy. Her one-up on her sister at every family gathering.

But... he was 32 now. And maybe—just maybe—Joel had a point.

The club was suffocating in the best and worst ways. Dim, moody lighting bathed the place in deep reds and blues, reflecting off the sleek black walls and the chrome poles on the various stages. The air was thick with perfume, cologne, sweat, and something darker—something electric. The bass thumped beneath his ribs, rattling through his bones, and every few seconds, a burst of laughter or an over-the-top cheer cut through the pulsing music. Everywhere he looked, bodies moved. Some dancing, some grinding, some leaning close to whisper things he definitely wasn't meant to hear.

Joel pulled him toward an empty table, watching him way too closely for comfort. Ben sat stiffly, hands gripping his thighs like he was preparing for impact. Honestly? He wasn't sure how to feel. It was new and weird and... loud.

Then he noticed the crowd forming at one of the stages. The energy shifted, people pressing in closer, their voices rising in anticipation. And then, there he was. Ben's breath hitched.

Fuck.

The dancer was gorgeous. And not in a vague, yeah-he's-attractive way. No, this was different. This was immediate. Sharp. Unavoidable. He moved with the kind of confidence Ben had never known a person could possess, like he owned every single one of them without even trying. Every roll of his hips, every effortless shift of his body, every teasing glance at the crowd. It was hypnotic. He was hypnotic. The crowd was chanting their name to the beat of the song.

And then, just when Ben thought it couldn't get worse, he stepped down from the stage. And he was walking straight toward him.

Shit.

Joel's laughter barely registered over the pounding in his ears, everything else fading into a blur as the dancer got closer.

And then—he smiled.

Ben was so fucked.