so i've went on a couple POT (that's "potentials" for you newbies out there) dates this past week. mostly salty daddies, which is sad for the new york bowl. the game here is nothing like qingdao. you either strike it rich or you go home broke as .

one of them though, i'll call him Wagyu, because that's what we both ordered on our dinner, might be worth the trouble. he's new, so maybe i can get a bit more $$$ out of him if he doesn't know the ropes, you know? ;) he had himself a black card too. mmm i can taste the valentino!!

i miss all my sugar baby girls and boys back home ;( i hope you guys are doing well in the bowl. hustle that money!!

Zitao clicks submit on his weibo post, sighing a bit to himself as he curls up on his white couch, glancing idly at the clock before pulling up the essay he'd been working on earlier. The sugaring game in America is nothing like back home; he'd been a hit there, where male sugar babies were an exotic rarity. But here, the gross, married business men that went looking for babies tended to want women. The ones who did want men usually made Zitao's skin crawl; but the money was a good medicine for that.

it, he can't focus on his essay at all. Saving the document and closing the window, he sets his laptop aside and climbs from the couch. A shower'd do good to ease his mind. Lately, all he's gone out with were salts, or worse, Pay Per Meets. Zitao isn't an , and he'll make it damn clear to any man that offers him some petty amount to on the first date. He sets his phone on the dock, letting his music shuffle while he turns on the water.

His mind wanders back to Joonmyun, an amused smile on his lips while he strips. He can't lie, he hasn't gone out with a Daddy as attractive as him before, nor as young, and there's a rush of adrenaline in his stomach. The guy has to be a trust fund baby or something, because who runs a company at thirty six and manages to look that good? While Joonmyun'd been in the bathroom, Zitao'd snuck a look at the bill, caught the other's name, and done his share of Spokeo and Google once he'd gotten home that night ($200 richer, might he add); the guy's background checked out. So Zitao was at least certain he wasn't a liar.

Climbing into the water, he sighs, relaxing into the hot stream, dropping his head back. He'll have to set up another date quickly; his rent's due in a couple weeks.

---

Joonmyun's afraid he's become a little obsessed. He checks his phone at every interval between paperwork and meetings and conferences; the Chinese blonde has invaded his every thought. Yifan's amused once Joonmyun tells him about the date, and pats him on the back, then proceeds to pat himself on the back.

"You did well, Yifan. You did well," he nods, gummy smile directed at Joonmyun who laughs, rolling his eyes. "Here's to Joonmyunnie actually getting laid this century."

Once Yifan is back in the confines of his own office, Joonmyun leans back in his chair, sighing a bit. He's never felt so giddy, so nervous before. Sure, he tried to date a little in college, but even then, it was always forced and awkward, and he spent more time thinking about his paper due on the weekend than the girls he was supposed to be wining and dining.

Part of his problem, he'd come to find out after a drunken night with his English professor's TA, had been that they were in fact girls. He'd only ever told Yifan about that night.

But this wasn't really dating, was it? Like Yifan said, he was paying for Tao's time. Wasn't this an investment of sorts? An uneasy feeling settles into his stomach at the thought, but he does his best to brush it aside. This isn't like buying an ; this isn't ion. He's just buying someone's companionship. As the site had said, it was a "Mutually Beneficial Arrangement." He helped with Tao's bills and needs, and Tao returned the favor.

Picking up his phone, he scrolled quietly through the texts they'd exchanged. It was only a few -- mostly goodnights, good mornings, and discussions about their arrangement. Tao wanted an 'allowance' each month. Joonmyun could handle that, he figured, though the thought was a little unnerving. It really did make him feel like a 'Sugar Daddy,' which sounded lame and awful and he really didn't like referring to himself as that. Tao didn't come at a cheap price either; $3k a month, paid twice a month. And he wanted it in cash. Joonmyun felt awkward discussing it so bluntly, but part of him liked how forward Tao was -- how upfront with what this was and what he wanted.

Rubbing his face, he set aside his phone again and pushed himself from the chair. Friday night, after Tao's classes, he'd take the other on another date. Worried that Tao might lose interest, or worse, find someone else, Joonmyun makes sure to turn around and page Baekhyun.

"Can you do me a favor...? I need you to book some tickets for me."

---

'Dress nice! I'm going to take you all over tonight. Come hungry!'

Zitao glanced back over Joonmyun's text, chuckling quietly to himself. This guy was way too polite; he wasn't used to it. Normally, by the second date, he was already getting the ts and 'wear something nice underneath ;]'. Or the 'which hotel do u prefer???' He wasn't sure if this was Joonmyun's way of ting, but if it was, it was pretty lame. Dropping his phone on the bed, he made his way to his closet, sliding the creaky door open and breathing in the scent of designers.

"Hello, babies," he cooed in soft Mandarin, humming happily to himself. "Who do I feel like wearing today, mm?"

---

Joonmyun checked his watch, shrugging further into his coat for warmth. The chill of December was strong in New York, cutting him to the bone despite his layers and the thick red scarf tucked into the lip of his jacket. The hustle bustle around him isn't even enough to warm him, and he glances up at the hotel he's currently standing beneath, waiting. Then again, he's about ten minutes early, making up for the near hour and a half he'd been late on their last date.

Within the next five minutes, he hears a familiar voice and quickly spins on his heel. "Hi Joonmyun," Tao coos out, and Joonmyun can't even see his breath in the frosty air because it's gone, right out of his chest. Tao's clad in black again -- the color is wonderful on him -- and his jeans are skin-tight, pointed boots reflecting the lights of the marquee. His blonde hair is obscured by a deep red fedora, and the eyeliner makes his eyes lok sharp enough to impale with their gaze, a pair of glasses at the very tip of his bridge.

"Tao! Hey; nice to see you," Joonmyun fumbles over his words, laughing weakly as he first reaches out to shake the other's hand before realizing how stunted and formal that was, quickly dropping it. Tao, amused, leans in to hug the other, bending just slightly at the waist to pull Joonmyun in flush against his chest. Joonmyun swallows audibly, but quickly hugs back, and there's that rich scent again. He's definitely going to have to buy a bottle of that for the other at some point.

"Are you hungry?" he questions once Tao's released him and he's regained his heartbeat. Tao nods, smile light on his lips as the older man takes him gently by the elbow, guiding him inside and out of the chill of the night.

Dinner goes fairly smooth and Joonmyun doesn't make too much of a fool of himself. His eyes wander everywhere but Tao, to the food, the other patrons, the wine, and at some point, Tao has to reach over and place a hand over his as he talks to garner his attention, effectively shutting him up. With a smirk, Tao tilts his head. "I'm not boring you, am I, Joonmyun?" Blinking, Joonmyun's quick to shake his head, giving another nervous laugh.

"Ah, no, no...Sorry; does it seem that way?"

"A little..." Tao retracts his hand, still smirking before setting his napkin on his empty plate. "Should we go find something more entertaining?" Joonmyun nods, waving for the bill before standing, quick to help Tao from his chair. On their way out the door, Tao lightly hooks arms with Joonmyun, leaning down to whisper quietly against his ear.

"Relax a little..." Joonmyun pinkens slightly, which causes Tao to giggle, and he guides him off towards the curbside to hail a cab.

---

"It was wonderful!" Tao gushes slightly, still humming along to Chicago, tugging Joonmyun from the doors of the theatre. "And such nice seats." With a grin, Tao huddles close to Joonmyun, biting onto his bottom lip as he peers down at the other through his glasses. Joonmyun's all smiles, pleased with himself for choosing such a hit with the other, preening slightly in the attention. Tao has such a nice smile, and Joonmyun'd be lying if he said he'd paid more attention to the musical than the other's face.

"Where to next, mm? The night's not over is it?" he murmurs with a faux pout, nudging Joonmyun softly. Quickly shaking his head, the brunette gestures towards the cars, smiling.

"No, no, of course not...What would Tao like to do next?" Joonmyun laughs lightly, pulling open the door to a cab and letting Tao climb in first before climbing in as well. Once they're in the car, the driver glances at them expectantly, waiting for an address.

"Well...you know, it's rather cold isn't it?" Tao speaks softly, glancing briefly at the cab driver before looking back to Joonmyun, a hand carefully sliding down over the older man's knee. "I could really use a new jacket...This one isn't very warm, you know?"

Joonmyun swallows hard. That jacket looks perfectly warm to him, but then again, the hand on his knee is making the cab feel like a sauna. Nodding immediately, he agrees wholeheartedly, looking to the driver. "Uhm, Eighth Avenue, please," he manages to speak surprisingly stable. Tao seems pleased with that, sitting back, hand retreating as he rides in relative silence.

The ride is rather suffocating on Joonmyun's end, and he pulls out his phone to distract himself with work emails, scrolling through and answering what he can. It helps calm his heart rate at least, and before he knows it, they've reached Chelsea, the long line of menswear shops at their disposal. Pocketing his phone, he pays the driver and helps Tao from the cab, gesturing down the road. "Wherever your heart leads you, Tao," he tries with a smile.

"Wherever? Okay~." Tao quickly grins, taking Joonmyun's hand lightly and pulling him down the street. Considering Joonmyun really only shops in the same two stores, much to Yifan's chagrin, he isn't really sure which stores have what. Of course, to Tao, this means they must go into all of them.

Joonmyun finds himself on chaise after chaise, sitting outside fitting room after fitting room. Tao does a good job of modelling everything that catches his eyes, and soon enough they've gone from 'a jacket' to 'a jacket, two new pairs of shoes, three shirts, and a new hat.' Joonmyun can't even find himself to care, because each new piece that Tao comes out in looks better than the last, and his eyes are more locked on the curves of his hips than the price on the tags.

Even if his hands are starting to hurt from the number of bags he's toting along. As they make their way back towards the cabs, Joonmyun loads the bags into the back of a car as Tao climbs in ahead of time. Once he's in the car as well, he turns to ask Tao where he'd like to be let off, only to find his voice die in his throat. The other's grinning at him, eyes predatory as he slides a hand down Joonmyun's leg. "Let's go somewhere nice, 'myun...So I can thank you for my presents," he murmurs playfully.

Tao's like a siren and Joonmyun is his sailor, hopelessly lost at sea as he nods. He can't even hear himself giving the driver the address of the first hotel he can think of, and the trip that in reality takes twenty minutes feels more like five. Tao's hand never leaves his leg, though his eyes go back out the window, and Joonmyun has to lean against his door, his own hand pressed firmly against his jaw in an attempt to will his blood pressure down.

He wasn't expecting things to lead to this, but who's he to deny. After all, isn't this the sort of thing he's paying for? Again, there's the brief ball of guilt in his stomach before he shakes it off, clambering out of the cab outside of the Pestana and moving to get Tao's bags. Tao slips out behind him at some point, and Joonmyun can feel the heat of his presence behind him all the way through the lobby and up to the desk.

He's almost worried the receptionist is going to question him when he asks for a room without a reservation, but his smile seems to be reassuring enough that he gathers a card without trouble, signs the receipt, and turns to lead Tao towards the elevators. The ride up is mostly silent, the thick tension hanging in the air. Tao seems rather relaxed, but Joonmyun's tucked into a corner awkwardly.

As they exit and make their way to their room, Joonmyun's conscience takes over. 'What're you doing?!' 'This is ion, you know.' 'Where'd Good Boy Kim Joonmyun go?!' Joonmyun isn't entirely sure where he went, but as his keycard slides through the door and they step into the wide suite, he's not sure he gives a .

Setting Tao's bags down next to the desk against the wall, he slips from his shoes and fishes out his wallet, hand brushing against something else within his pocket. He'd almost forgotten. Pulling out the folded envelope in his pocket, he turned to find himself face to face with Tao, stumbling back a bit in shock, earning a cute laugh from the blonde. "Did I spook you? Sorry..." he murmurs, glancing down at the envelope curiously. "What's that?"

"Oh, uhm...Your allowance, I suppose..." Joonmyun feels awkward when he says it out loud, handing the envelope over, $1500 in crisp bills folded within. Tao takes it easily, not even bothering to look inside as he tucks it neatly into his jacket, grin spreading more than before.

"You can take a shower or something, if you'd like, Joonmyun," Tao nods towards the bathroom, moving away from the other's personal space and allowing him to breathe again as he moved to inspect the room curiously, fingers dancing along any surface he passes. He tugs the curtains open, peering down at the streets with a raised brow.

"Are you saying I stink...?" Joonmyun tries to joke, laughing a little. He's not sure if Tao's responding laugh is fake or not, but either way, Joonmyun likes it. "No, no, of course not," the other shakes his head. Regardless, Joonmyun takes him up on his offer, shedding his scarf and jacket on the chair and wringing his hands together gently as he heads to the bathroom. Running the water, he strips and steps inside, drowning his face in the water; anything to calm himself down.

He hopes to God Tao doesn't run off while he's in there.

---

Zitao unfolds the envelope once he hears the lock click, and soon after, the water run. Flipping through the bills, he counts them quickly, smirking a bit before pocketing the envelope again and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He considers leaving; Joonmyun's rather trusting and nervous and all of it's a bit of a turn off to Zitao if he's going to be honest. But something in his gut convinces him to stay, so instead he tugs out his phone.

'pestana. suite 341. kim joonmyun.' he texts to a contact listed in his phone only as 'shixun♡.' After a few minutes, his phone dings in reply. 'k. dnt choke.' Zitao rolls his eyes, undoing his jacket and draping it over the chaise near the balcony, setting his hat on the edge and moving towards the mirror to fix his hair. Might as well get his job over with so he could go home and still have time to watch the new episode of Dance Moms.