APPRENTICE BLUE Chapter 1 - The Interview

About this scene

Cole sat back in the chair, feeling his heart race as Master Kamp began to tie his hands together. His back began to perspire, causing his undershirt to cling to him. He tried his best to show no fear, to present himself to Kamp with the commitment and bravery he thought his apprenticeship would require, but as he felt himself lose his control, the emerging sweat revealed his struggle... Cole was fairly ambitious and driven. He’d always been pushed to excel, giving all he had to succeed and grow. And as his life played out, he found there was little he wasn’t able to achieve. Blessed with handsome good looks, a winning smile, a tall, athletic frame, and friendly disposition, doors seemed to open wherever Cole went. For a time, it seemed the only thing he wouldn’t have is the standard, heteronormative life his parents imagined for him: a wife, a family, the dog and the picket fence. Not because women didn’t throw themselves at him. It was simply that Cole found himself much more attracted to the other boys… even the older men. Cole didn’t know how to navigate those social expectations, but he knew that given his youth and other attributes, he could simply be “focused on career” for a while longer. Still, it didn’t hurt having some other sort of social advantage going forward. Felix Kamp was a handsome man of great authority. A pillar in the community with a deep, booming voice and rugged good looks. He was known by all as a great man of character and true leader. When Cole went looking for a mentor, he could think of no one better than Kamp. Kamp was happy to take Cole under his wing, telling him that he was actually a member of a special fraternal order that sought to help young men like himself. He invited Cole to his office for a formal intake interview to see if he would be a good candidate, insisting that he arrive dressed appropriately and with a strong will. It seemed a little archaic and esoteric, but Cole would do whatever it took to get in good with th

ModelsFelix Kamp