A/N: Book two will be up around this time tomorrow so keep an eye out for it!

Frank sat in the back of the tinted and darkened car, unfocused on anything around him as he was being driven. Part of him had wanted to protest and say that Gerard didn't need to do this for him, but Frank honestly didn't have the energy to fight his overly-persuasive boss. Mikey had completely ripped him apart and had broken him down so viciously. Gerard's driver remained silent in the front, following the orders he had been given; Frank was grateful for that. He sat where he always did and tried hard not to notice the unoccupied space beside him.

Frank had felt completely useless and, in a way, he still felt like he was nothing that anyone could want. Gerard had made a mistake and Frank believed it wholeheartedly. He wasn't what he thought he could be; he couldn't be the person that his Master expected of him. How could he even continue to lie and pretend? That wouldn't have been fair on Gerard and it wouldn't have been fair on himself either.

That's what hurt the most. He was so sure that he had been kidding himself the whole time since he signed the contract Gerard had given him. Frank believed that he had it in him to be the person that his Master wanted but the mention of Adam and the other previous submissives had Frank turning cold all the way to his bones. Mikey talked about him as though he was shit that Adam could have easily stood on and not cared in the slightest. He wasn't well behaved; Frank knew that he had annoyed Gerard more than once because he had disobeyed orders and felt so stupid. He wasn't cut out for any of this, he wasn't built the same as anyone that Gerard had owned beforehand.

Frank wiped his eyes dry of tears when he noticed that the car was slowing down and turning. He frowned and looked out of the car window to see the front of the house. Frank really didn't want to be here; he just wanted to be taken straight to the hotel so he could hit the minibar and drink until he couldn't feel the emotions that were ripping him apart from the inside out.

"Mr. Way requested that I should bring you here first," The driver piped up, catching Frank's attention, "So you can collect your things before I take you to the hotel."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Frank nodded, realizing that all he had on was the suit in which he had gone to work this morning. Frank was grateful for knowing that Lindsey was at the office today. He knew that if he saw her then he would probably break down on her and want nothing more than some form of comfort to stop himself from hurting so much. But she was linked with Gerard and Frank just needed the distance. He let himself into the house and shut the front door behind him, he didn't hang around to see if the maid was still in the house. He caught a glimpse of himself in the large mirror in the entranceway and knew that he looked like shit. His face was blotchy and red, his eyes swollen from crying. He looked like nothing other than a mess in an overpriced suit that he didn't even want to be in anymore. He climbed the stairs sullenly, heading straight for his room.

Frank noticed that the sheets had been changed on his bed; clearly the maid had come and gone. Frank tugged at his tie, loosening it from around his neck before he tossed it onto the bed. He couldn't bear to be dressed in Gerard's clothes any longer. In his head, it didn't feel right because maybe he never deserved any of this. Gerard had probably only done this to win him over, and won him over, it had. He rid himself of the suit as the same thoughts barreled through his head.

I'm not built for this. I'm not cut out for this. I'm just not what I thought I could be.

Frank walked into the expanse of his closet and pulled his suitcase from a high shelf. He dropped it on the floor, opening it up. He threw on one of his old t-shirts as he put his clothes into the suitcase; only his clothes. He didn't want anything that Gerard had given him. That was all part of the lifestyle that Frank couldn't think about right now. He didn't want any reminders, nor did he want Gerard to think that he would steal from him. None of this was his. The rows of expensive suits and casual clothes that Gerard had bestowed upon Frank, none of this was his. Frank couldn't bring himself to look over it all as he pulled on a pair of his own jeans and pushed his feet into his socks and sneakers.

Frank was packed and dressed and out of the house as quickly as possible. He didn't even look over the house as he dragged his suitcase into the entrance that he had been in not fifteen minutes before. He didn't waste any time as he lugged the suitcase out of the house, setting it down by the car before turning back to the house, pulling the door closed.

He didn't even think twice when he pulled out his keys to unloop the front door key that Gerard had given him. He pushed it through the letterbox before he turned and headed back towards the car. Frank grabbed his suitcase again, pulling it towards the trunk of the car. He groaned under his breath when he heard the sound of the driver getting out to walk across the gravel driveway towards him.

"Let me help you with that," Gavin offered politely as he tried to grab at the suitcase while Frank got the trunk open. Frank knew that he was only trying to be nice. Hell, it was probably part of his job description to help in situations like this, but Frank didn't need the help. He was his own person and he could do this all by himself.

"It's fine. You really don't have to do this," Frank insisted but the driver clearly wasn't having any of it, only making Frank irate that he was still being treated like this, "Seriously, stop!" Frank snapped, snatching his suitcase handle from the driver's hands, "I can do it by my-fucking-self."

He didn't mean to snap; he hated the fact that he had snapped at the driver, but he hated the fact that he was still being treated like he was worthy of this. He just wanted to feel somewhat normal even though he swore that he was going to break down and cry again. Frank told himself that he wasn't going to cry anymore, but he also knew that he was only lying to himself.

"Sorry, dude. Sorry..." He muttered guiltily as he put his suitcase in the trunk. Gavin didn't say a word to him as they both got back into the car. He didn't say a word to Frank for the rest of the journey either. He was alone with himself in his head, replaying the moment in the office over and over again. He was reliving it and hating how he had been talked about. Yes, Gerard had defended him, but that didn't stop Frank from the sad epiphany that had bitch-slapped him harder than a pimp with a slow-day hooker.

He was too fragile to properly process anything so he tried his best to zone out, feeling somewhat numb and hurt from how it had all come to an end. He tried his best not to cry, but he couldn't stop the stray tears from escaping. He only wiped them away just so he could tell himself that he wasn't properly crying. If he accepted that he was, then it would only make him cry more. He couldn't do that now, especially when the car slowed and pulled up underneath the elegant Longway of the hotel.

"The Hotel Plaza, sir." The driver told Frank, looking at him in the rearview mirror. Frank took a second to glance out at the hotel, instantly feeling like he was not supposed to be in a place like this; the front of the hotel looked far too extravagant. Frank's stomach churned as he took in the sight of the hotel, wishing he could be anywhere else.

"Thanks," Frank said weakly, getting out of the car to get his suitcase from the trunk. He heaved the case out, setting it down on the pavement to see the driver standing by the side of the car, waiting for him, "Look, if you're about to offer to carry that in for me, you really don't have to."

"Very well, sir," The driver smiled at him, "I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Yeah... I'll try to," Frank muttered under his breath as he lugged the suitcase behind him and he made his way towards the entrance of the hotel. Frank swallowed nervously as he walked up to the black revolving doors. Instantly, he knew that they were going to look down their noses at him. The doormen were already watching him as he made his way up the rich-red carpet that led to the doors. He knew that he was already dressed far too inappropriately for such a high-class hotel like this one. Maybe if he had kept his suit on then he would have fit in a little better, but there was no way that he was going to be keeping anything that Gerard had given him. He just tried his best to ignore the judging looks he was getting from the doormen, keeping his tear-stained face down while he pushed himself and his suitcase into the hotel.

All of a sudden, he knew that he was so out of place, and he couldn't stop his eyes widening. The magnitude of decadence that surrounded Frank had him dropping his suitcase down on the marble floor. He barely made it a few meters passed the doors before he was completely taken aback by the sheer elegance.

The lobby was lit brightly but it was warm and welcoming, marble pillars lined with swathes of stunning flower arrangements circled a lavish and oversized carpet in the center of the floor. Swirls of red and cream grey patterns covered the circular carpet that Frank didn't dare to step on. He walked around it, still pulling his suitcase while taking in as much as he could of the lobby at once. He ran his hand over one of the marble pillars as he walked past it, feeling like a kid in some overly exorbitant candy store where he knew that he wouldn't be able to afford anything that would be offered to him. Thank God he had Gerard's card. At least when he flashed thee card at the concierge, he knew that he wouldn't be thrown out onto the street because he didn't officially belong here.

Frank gazed over the rest of the lobby while he slowly made his way towards the front desk. A delicately gorgeous chandelier hung in the center of the lobby, red silk-lined chairs sat between some of the pillars on the far side of the front room, and small tables and chairs sat by the windows. Frank couldn't help but wonder what lay passed the lobby as he walked backward towards the front desk. Frank was so in awe, no matter how he shit he looked and felt; he still couldn't believe that he was in a place like this.

"Can I help you at all, sir?" Frank heard behind him, making him turn on his feet, his sneakers squeaking on the marble floor. He came face to face with a rather unpleasant looking member of the hotel staff. Her blonde hair was in a sleek ponytail, her grey eyes piercing his soul and her brown-painted lips pulled into a purse of expectancy. Frank smiled weakly, trying not to look like he had just been through one of the worst experiences of his life. He noticed the look of disdain on the front desk clerk's face, but still, he tried to be as confident as possible.

"Yeah," Frank nodded and grabbed his wallet out of his jeans. He pulled the card out of his wallet and slid it across the front desk. The clerk looked more displeased when she watched Frank push the white card towards her. He offered a polite smile, "I've come to stay for a few nights."

The desk clerk, Frank noticed her name was pinned to her lapel. Camille picked the card up, checking it briefly before putting it back down, "This card is for the royal suite."

Frank knew that Gerard had a suite here but he had no idea what the suite was called. He just assumed that he had a room and that was that. Frank nodded, trying to look like he knew exactly what the clerk was talking about, "I know what the card is for, that is why I want to stay here, dude."

"Please can you just take a seat for a moment, sir," Camille said far too insipidly for Frank's liking. She pointed towards the chairs behind Frank and forced an obviously fake smile while she picked up the card, "I must make a phone call to... make sure the suite is ready..."

Frank knew exactly what the clerk was doing; he wasn't stupid. He dragged his suitcase away and went over to where he had been told to sit. Frank just knew that the desk clerk was calling someone to say that an obviously unwanted person was trying to use a suite- The royal suite in fact. They probably assumed that Frank had stolen the card. Frank sat patiently in the rather uncomfortable chair opposite the front desk, watching the clerk talking on the phone for at least a minute or two.

Eventually, Camille put the phone down before picking it back up again. Frank sighed heavily as he shifted in the chair because they really were uncomfortable. Frank tried to lip-read, but he could barely make out what was being said. All he knew was that the clerk was reading out what was on the card to whoever was at the end of the phone. Then she looked shocked, rather put out before he looked annoyed and unhappy about whatever had been said to her on the other end of the phone. She looked over at Frank again, nodding before she hung up. Camille stepped out from behind the front desk, walking over to him.

"Your suite will be ready for you in five minutes, sir," She said flatly but more politely than before the call, "Your concierge will be with you shortly to take you to your suite."

Five minutes later, Frank was impressed because he assumed that he would be late going up to his suite, but a young gentleman in a navy suit with gold trim, similar to that of the desk clerk had been wearing, walked up to him and gave him a bright smile. Lowell introduced himself to Frank as his personal concierge before offering to take his suitcase for him. Frank was about to protest, but how could he refuse when he had never been treated like this in a hotel before?

He remembered the one time he and Ryan stayed in a hotel on holiday in Chicago. He had to lug everything up to the hotel room while Ryan decided that he needed to make sure that the hotel had everything that it said it did on the website- That had been exhausting. As much as Frank knew he could easily carry his suitcase up a few flights of stairs to Gerard's suite, he let the concierge put his case on a golden bag-trolley and pushed it alongside them both. The room was near the top of the hotel and Frank was surprised when he saw that only one door seemed to be on that floor. If the lobby was anything to go by then his suite was probably a hundred times more extravagant.

"The royal suite for you, sir," Lowell said, running the card over a sensor on the door before he opened it. The card got handed back to and Frank pocketed it before stepping into the suite, expecting how it would be, but not actually expecting what he saw.

"Holy Ben Kenobi," Frank whispered under his breath, absolutely gobsmacked about his surroundings. It was like a palace fit for a king- Or a congressman at least. He took a few steps before stopping, not knowing what to look at first. There was so much about the suite that had knocked Frank stunned, "Th-This is the royal suite?"

"This is our most spectacular and opulent suite. Our largest in the hotel," Lowell began, stepping closer to Frank as he held a hand out, pointing out the wonder of the suite that Frank was standing a few feet in from the door, "Four bedrooms and bathrooms, with a jacuzzi and steam room."

"Jesus..." Frank said under his breath, looking over the decadent decor that filled the place. It felt more like a grand house than a suite in a hotel. The finest furniture dotted the room, sitting perfectly placed in the suite. For a moment, Frank couldn't understand why Gerard would need four bedrooms and bathrooms in a suite. Then again, if he could afford something like this, which he obviously could, then the number of rooms probably didn't matter to him. It was the elegance of it and the status that Gerard had which meant that this suite was definitely one in which Frank could see him staying.

"Only the finest antique furnishings are used in our royal suite," Lowell went on, giving Frank a moment to look over what he assumed was technically the main room in the suite. The furnishings caught Frank's eye; gorgeous cream sofas and gold-lined chairs surrounded a large glass and mahogany coffee table. Every item in the suite screamed 'high class', from the red silk cushions that were perfectly placed on the sofas, to the gold lamps that were dotted on priceless cabinets and tables. Frank didn't have a word to say about the suite. Lowell continued, "The suite boasts two living rooms, one which we are in now... A private kitchen and a spacious dining room that can seat up to eight people."

Frank was still astounded as Lowell strode across the off-cream carpet, making his way over to a set of doors in the corner of the room, waiting for Frank to join him. He did eventually when he noticed, mouth still hanging open in shock as he made his way over to the door that Lowell had opened for him.

"This is the master bedroom out of the four bedrooms in this suite," Lowell explained letting Frank take a few steps into the oversized bedroom, breathing out a quiet 'wow' as he did so, "Each bedroom comes with its own en-suite marble bathroom, and in this bedroom, you have a king-size bed. Twin beds in the other rooms."

"You don't say..." Frank spoke, captivated by just how grand this whole suite was turning out to be. Gold trim lined the top of the pure white walls, silk curtains were pinned open at the windows and large, most likely silk again, drapes were tucked behind the bed that Frank swore was the biggest bed he had ever seen. The most sumptuous cream and purple trim sheets lined the bed. Lilac and purple pillows were placed meticulously at the head of the bed against the gold-lined headboard. More antique and priceless furnishings filled the room, each item seeming more and more elegant as Frank looked over them. Another glass coffee table, smaller than the one in the first living room, sat atop a silver and off-white rug with more gorgeous sofas and armchairs placed around it. For a second he merely basked in the amazing wonder of the suite in which he was going to be staying. He to look at Lowell, "Does Gera- I mean, Congressman Way stay here often?"

"A few times a year," Lowell smiled, "When on business."

"And the rest of the time it just sits empty?"

Lowell chuckled, not answering Frank's question as he turned and walked out of the bedroom. Frank frowned, going to follow only to find the young concierge in the living room again, holding onto an iPad, "All of your in-room services and pillow menu can be found on this iPad. Any problems you can call me anytime on my personal number which is...this." He said before handing Frank a small card with his name, position, and number on it.

"Okay," Frank nodded, staring at the small embossed gold-printed numbers on the card. He nodded again before he pushed the card into his jeans pocket, "Thanks."

Lowell smiled, "I do hope you enjoy your stay here."

"I hope so, too." Frank nodded, forcing out a fake and dry chuckle, almost forgetting what had happened earlier. Lowell eventually left Frank all to himself.

He took a moment to look around the suite again, running a hand through his hair "Fuck."

For five minutes, Frank went looking around the whole suite, inspecting every bedroom- They weren't as elegant as the master bedroom and he knew he was definitely going to be sleeping in it, but they were still fancy and decked out with the most exquisite decor. He checked out the en-suite bathrooms, gawking when he took in the sight of just how stunning a bathroom could be. Syrup and rich platinum tiles covered the floor, matching the warm russet marble that lined the bath and sink. Frank caught sight of himself in one of the mirrors that covered the bathroom walls; he ignored how red his face looked. A sinking feeling grew in him, but he tried his best to ignore it while he continued to look around the suite.

Passing through the second living room that was attached to the first one, he found himself walking into the dining room. On the large dining room table, he found an ice bucket perched with a bottle of Krug champagne sat in it in ice. Frank half-thought about opening it, but he didn't want to seem like the sad lonely type who would put away a bottle of alcohol on his own. Frank ignored it, walking around the dining room before he went back into the living room, not quite knowing what to do with himself now that he had searched the place.

He half considered watching TV, but that seemed like such a dull thing to do while he was staying in this suite. It didn't matter that he had counted nine flat-screen TVs that he could choose from. Frank just didn't feel like doing anything while he stood in the middle of the living room, hands stuffed inside his jeans pockets, all of a sudden feeling somewhat out of place.

And the sinking sadness that Frank had tried to ignore was rearing its head up inside of him. As much as he tried to push it back down, he just couldn't as his eyes began to sting again. He screwed them shut and fought it, but it was no use. The lump in his throat got too much to handle when a quiet sob left him in the deafeningly quiet suite- It reminded him so much of the one person from which he had walked away.

He wiped his eyes dry, going into denial about the fact that he was crying because he felt so alone. He felt emotionally bruised and unable to cope with being alone again. Frank wished that he could pick up his phone and call Jamia because he knew that she would know exactly what to say to him to make him feel better. But he couldn't. He wished that he could call someone who would understand and help him through this, but Frank honestly didn't know who to call. It wasn't like he had anyone who would understand and want to be there for him.

Frank half-considered calling one person in particular because it seemed like the most obvious thing to do. It had been an option before, but Gerard had been there late at night for Frank. Gerard was no longer in the picture so the option finally made sense. He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket, dialing the memorized number slowly, thinking this all through. He made sure that this was going to be a good idea before Frank hit 'dial', holding his breath until there was an answer, "Hey... It's me, Frank."