Nat had seen Alex come and go to the Peacock Club with a multitude of different men over the week that she was working the graveyard shift at the diner. Blonde, brunette, red heads, tall, short, muscled, toned, average, older, younger. It was like he was trying to ‘research’ every type of guy under the rainbow.

Tonight’s sacrifice in the name of his research included a tall, pale, skinny man, and a darker man with a beard as black as the night sky and an impressively broad chest highlighted by his smooth leather jacket. The two men were very different from each other and yet Alex looked equally happy to be with both of them as he entered the club.

Nat didn’t realise she’d been staring at the threesome when she was startled but a customer at the counter. She apologised for not noticing him come in and asked, “What can I get you?”. The man who entered wasn’t the normal sort who she’d see at night. He was tall, wearing a three-piece suit and had a handlebar moustache.

“I think a better question is what can I get you?” replied the mysterious stranger. Nat was confused and just stood unsure how to respond to the man. He continued, “I saw how you were staring at that man, is he the one that got away?”, Nat let out a startled laugh at that, “Oh no, we would never work like that, we’re friends but…” she trailed off unsure how to continue.

“You wish you were more like him, surrounding by desirable men”. Nat just nodded as the stranger read her mind. “I can make it happen for you, give you the men you desire”. Nat again just stood looking confused, was he trying to pick her up or pimp her out, she wasn’t sure, but she knew she didn’t feel comfortable.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but if you don’t order,” she paused as the man raised his hands to stop her. “Here, take my card” the man said as he made a business card appear in his hands like a magician would a playing card. Nat tentatively took the card and read the words;

Dr James
Scientist of Desires

She looked back up and the door was just closing behind the mysterious doctor. Her first thought was “who comes into a late-night diner and doesn’t order anything?”, but then her thoughts turned back to the card. ‘He was crazy wasn’t he’, ‘there’s no such thing as a scientist of desires’, ‘I can’t call him, can I?’.