Jeremy Longden is working towards his PhD in molecular biology, paying bills by part-time teaching. California is a nice place to live, but the Bay Area is expensive. Which is the only reason why Jeremy considers a dining club's offer to pay him for something unconventional. DIRTY DINING is on the cards. Having checked Jeremy out at the gym, a gay club rep tells him there's good money in taking his clothes off for entertainment. Well. Jeremy is not that kind of guy. Good money though. Worth thinking twice.

I was amused by the changeover from the usual viewpoint of a girl being obliged to strip for money, to a young man being a table waiter and doing the same. The other waiters are upfront and casual about sometimes being asked for more personal services, which they may offer as individuals but the club cannot. Jeremy isn't keen on being used for pay, but a new diner, younger than the ogling old men, might be just his cup of tea if they met casually. Brice Martin doesn't know what to expect, as a guest of a regular, but he is promised that anything must occur by mutual agreement. How far will the two newcomers be prepared to go?

While this is definitely an adult erotic tale, I liked that Brice makes up his mind immediately that paying a man for sex off a menu, just like ordering a pizza, would be disrespectful. As the story progresses however, we see that corporate entertainment can be corrupting, while I was early wondering how long it would be before Jeremy's teaching work or grant was in jeopardy. Amusingly we're told that businesswomen don't want adult entertainment; they're all business. In between nights, we get a convincing look at the worlds in which the men earn their living. I thought Jeremy's vocabulary was too scanty for such an educated person; maybe he was just trying to fit in at the club.

EM Lynley has spent over a decade working in the area of finance, and in DIRTY DINING she tries to show how funding for medical research is being reduced in many countries. That's the serious side. The moral dilemmas posed by the gay club and the balance of power between partners also make interesting reading. But the focus of the story is repeatedly and unashamedly on DIRTY DINING so be ready for strong language and adult behaviour throughout.

Book Summary

Jeremy Linden’s a PhD student researching an HIV vaccine. He’s always short of money, and when biotech startup PharmaTek reduces funding for his fellowship, he’s tempted to take a job at a men’s dining club as a serving boy. The uniforms are skimpy, and he’s expected to remove an item of clothing after each course. He can handle that, but he soon discovers there’s more on the menu here than fine cuisine. How far will he go to pay his tuition, and will money get in the way when he realizes he’s interested in more from one of his gentlemen?

Brice Martin is an attorney for a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. When he’s asked to take a client to the infamous Dinner Club, he finds himself unexpectedly turned on by the atmosphere and especially by his server, Remy. He senses there’s more to the sexy young man than meets the eye. The paradox fascinates him, and he can’t get enough of Remy.

Their relationship quickly extends beyond the club and sex. But the trust and affection they’ve worked to achieve may crumble when Jeremy discovers Brice’s VC firm is the one that pulled the plug on PharmaTek—and Jeremy’s research grant.

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