Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. It involves romantic and/or sexual relationship between men. If you are offended of this subject matter, if you are a minor, or if you are in a place where it is illegal to read this type of literature, please stop reading now.
Copyright © 2013 by Fritz Diantan. All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the law, no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the Author.
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Love Assassin Chapter Four: In the Moment
It had been a few weeks since I gave my handpicked team the challenge of an ambitious project: to create a micro expression and voice modulation stress analyzer that is sophisticated enough to detect deceit without the requirement of special equipment or high processing power. My goal was to market it to Human Resource Departments of our client companies so they can use the software as part of their hiring procedures.
Including Vincent in the special team was part of my plan to finally push my Love Assassin assignment forward. By being his team leader, I can monitor his movements inside the company and I could influence his work, preventing him from screwing up too much and getting himself prematurely fired.
My second reason was to have an excuse to spend time with him without arousing suspicion, either from him or from our co-workers. I spent the time studying his habits, mentality, and reaction on certain situations. By the end of the first week, I got a clear impression of how he think and built a bond to make him less intimidated of me.
"Okay, we are in the final stage of this project," I said to the team as we gathered in a bar near the office for our usual powwow. It was kind of my thing to treat the teams I handle personally for drinks after work to go over what still needs to be done instead of talking in a boring conference room. It might be the less stuffy environment or the buzz from the alcohol but I found that a lot of great ideas were generated during those informal conversations.
"We still need to polish the interface," I said looking at Vincent who was in charge of that. "And the processing power required is still too high in my opinion. I need this program to be able to run and deliver even in a mid-range specs laptop."
"But boss," said Gerald, after sipping his beer. "I'm not sure if that's possible to do for both video and audio analysis unless our software is the only program running in that computer."
"What if processing expression and modulation are not done simultaneously?" said Natalie. "I mean, I saw the code and it can give results quickly but needed a ton of power. What if we let it handle each task one at a time? It might take longer but maybe it will reduce the processing requirement..."
"I actually thought of that but it will increase processing time by at least 40%," said Derek. "A 15-minute raw video and audio will take 30 minutes to process in a 1.5 gigahertz quadcore computer."
"That's too high," I said, making a mental calculation. "It will take five computers working non-stop for at least three days to process fifty fifteen-minute raw footage."
"How about cloud computing?" suggested Vincent, suddenly.
I turned to him and so did everyone else around the table. I saw him try to discreetly gulp down his nervousness due to suddenly being in the spotlight, so I smiled to encourage him to go on.
"We can tweak the code and send a part of the footage to our servers for processing. The data file will be smaller so bandwidth will not be a problem and I think Mobius servers can easily handle the load," said Vincent, looking obviously unsure whether it was a good idea to tell his seniors what to do.
"What about security?" I asked putting him further in the spot. "Our clients might not be inclined to share the data with us."
"Well, I was thinking we can recode the software to do what Natalie suggested. Separate the video from the audio. The audio can be processed locally then a copy of the audio-less video will be uploaded to our servers which will send back a report for micro expression analysis. I think without audio, temporarily sending an encrypted video file to our servers is not a big risk. I mean, nowadays, there are more sensitive corporate information getting shared through email in a daily basis."
The third and my most important reason was to give Vincent a way to earn my approval, despite being manipulated into having it. I wanted him to feel as though he gained my respect by doing good work and being in a team that I will praise in the end.
After stating his suggestion, Vincent looked at me and I grinned back at him. And by the looks of it, everyone in the team seemed to be in favor of his idea as well.
"I think that's a great solution to the speed and processing problem," I said. "We can release a slower but fully offline version and we can also offer the faster solution with cloud computing. We can even expand to a subscription service suite on that, heck even integrate it to other service we may offer in the future."
Vincent got a couple of pats on the back and we all toasted for the success of the software. After everyone finished their drinks, we all stood up and got out of the bar. As my team went our separate ways, I held Vincent's shoulder as we waited for cabs.
"Good job, newbie," I said, massaging his shoulder. I clearly heard him moan which made me chuckle. "Knotted shoulders huh? Typing all day will give you that."
"Ha ha ha. Yeah. I never thought working for a software company will be such a workout," Vincent said smiling. "I wasn't sure about my idea at first... didn't want to look as though I'm overstepping."
"We're a team and everyone understands what that means. Internally, you'll get the credit but at the end of the day, we are all working for Mobius. The work each of us do contributes to the company's credibility including everyone in it. A win-win no matter who thought of the solution," I said, gripping his shoulder firmly for a few seconds then letting it go.
A cab stopped in front of us and Vincent graciously offered it to me but I waved at him to take it.
"You go home and rest. You'll probably have to help out with the revising of the software. You got the idea, you write the code," I winked at him.
Vincent grimaced then laughed. He got into the cab and waved at me through the window.
I watched the cab until it rounded a corner and smiled to myself. Vincent was young, opinionated, and though a bit green in many ways, I knew he had a great future in Mobius or even beyond. As I climb to my cab and told the driver my address, I began think what will happen to him after I'm done with my assignment for Love Assassin. Many of my targets learned my lesson about love being a dangerous illusion and now spend their time, as far as I know, enjoying their unattached status.
But some targets also got scarred like the one guy I made realize he can get attracted to men. I knew from the beginning that hurt can sometimes be inevitable and sometimes even necessary to make people realize what love and romantic relationships really is. But, as the my cab swerved around the almost empty streets towards my home, I wondered if scarring Vincent was the best way to go, being young as he was... or maybe I should postpone the assignment and let him discover it on his own?
"Hmm..." I found myself sighing.
I never had second thoughts before.
After more weeks of calibrating, recoding, testing and retesting, I was confident that the analysis software (we named "Phoebus" after the Greek god of prophecy) was ready to be launched and pitched to our clients. Alex and Bong were ecstatic when my team did the first internal test and had given their full support from then on. Both executives were also excited by the implications and what the software can do for the credibility of the company and many of the employees were also very impressed by the work my team accomplished.
As a way to celebrate the program's completion and also as a way to formally introduce it to clients, Penny suggested we hold a company gala. And in just a week, she organized one of the grandest events our company had ever done. Even if it was short notice, a lot of our clients here and abroad gave confirmation to attend due to the software's promised capabilities and low price tag.
Everyone was dressed to kill and as I arrived, I saw that Bong, Alex, and Penny were already charming many clients. I walked around and watched at a distance as some members of the development team helped them demo the software in separate showcase tables where we set-up ordinary desktop and laptop computers. After seeing that the clients looked genuinely impressed by the demonstrations, I let myself appreciate the large hotel ballroom that Penny chose for the event.
Everything looked grand and the room was decorated beautifully as music played all around. Large banners and LED monitors displayed the Mobius logo and played videos about the software. The buffet table looked like heaven and even had a champagne tower. I wondered how my assistant pulled off such a feat in just a week.
"The man of the hour has finally arrived," Bong announced after spotting me.
"Mr. Jorvina," said one of the CEO's beside Bong as I approached. "This is quite an accomplishment you've done. Congratulations!"
Shaking his hand, I said, "Well, I'm very fortunate to have brilliant and dedicated co-workers."
Many clients expressed their congratulations and interest to get access with the affordable software. After smiling and entertaining several customers for an hour, I went to get a drink and saw Vincent near the bar with a pretty girl I recognized as Jenna. As I approached, I sensed the tension between them after seeing the small frown forming on Vincent's forehead and the disinterested, almost bored expression on Jenna's face.
"Well, what does my protege feel about his first corporate party?" I asked loudly. Vincent turned and completely changed his expression upon seeing me.
"This is awesome and great turnout! Never thought Mobius knew how to party in style," he said as I shook his hand. "Oh, sir. This Jenna Rodriguez, my girlfriend. Jenna, this is Mr. Dante Jorvina, Mobious' CEO."
Vincent introduced my with so much pride but Jenna just gave a small smile as she shook my hand.
"Pleasure to meet you," she said though I did not miss the hint of sarcasm.
After researching Jenna's background, I knew she came from money. Meeting her for the first time gave me the impression that she was a spoiled brat that knew how to look sophisticated and classy, at least on the surface. Her father was a big shot business man with various companies and well-known for owning one of the largest fast-food chains in the country.
"The pleasure's all mine," I said, giving her my most charming smile. "You must be very proud of Vincent? He did a great job."
"Yes, of course," Jenna said, smiling thinly. "Digitizing the corporate hiring process is an interesting idea, though I hope it turn into something more than a fad."
"I agree and I'm reassured by the reaction I got tonight from many clients," I said not letting my charming smile fade. "Are you enjoying the party?"
"It's good. Almost reminds me of the corporate galas my father hold for TechnoSAT. This is smaller though but it's charming."
"The last TechnoSAT gala I attended was really great. But I do hope they recover the loss they garnered last quarter or I might sell my stocks," I said winking at her then added, "Well, enjoy the rest of the party. It's nice to meet you Ms. Rodriguez."
She just smiled as I walked towards the open bar. I stopped my eyes from rolling as I ordered a shot of vodka. I always hated talking to privileged people like Jenna. I have encountered CEOs who just inhereted their status and it always gave me a headache when I had to be polite and courteous when all I wanted to do was stuff things up their pompous asses. Well, I guess I did that with Mr. Hendri Chen...
The night went on and the party started to calm down. I talked to more clients and was not even surprised by how receptive they were to the Phoebus Program because I knew the price tag was a steal and the possible benefits was clear during the demos. Plus, I made sure to instruct Bong, Alex, and Penny to make an impression that the software can actually give companies a cutting-edge image. Knowing that all companies want to look cool and high-tech, I knew clients will eat it up.
As most clients started to leave, Mobius employees started to enjoy themselves and dance as the music got more upbeat. I went to get another drink and saw Vincent talking to Jenna at a distance from most of the crowd. There was no shouting but I knew by the upset look on Vincent's face and defiant expression on Jenna's that they were arguing. I observed them discreetly and smiled a little as Jenna walked away, leaving her boyfriend standing alone with a scowl. He then walked straight to the bar where I stood casually drinking a brandy.
"Everything okay? Where's Jenna?" I asked after Vincent drank a shot of tequila and ordered another immediately.
He only answered after two more shots which amused me as he started to turn red.
"She left. Said she's bored and wanted us to leave. I told her it was rude to go when the rest of Mobious are still here," said Vincent drinking another shot.
"Okay, okay, pace yourself," I said holding his arm when he grabbed for another shot. "Tell me what happened."
Vincent's head was bowed as he looked at the bar for a few seconds, then said, "I'm sorry on how she acted. You were polite and professional even after she insulted our party."
"Well, TechnoSAT's quarterly loss put her in her place but I'm pretty sure you're upset by something more important than that."
"She didn't care," Vincent murmured softly. "My first big software project for Mobius and she just couldn't care less."
I squeezed his arm gently then stroked it a few time to comfort him.
"I know you love her and pardon this comment but screw what she thinks."
Vincent turned his head to me and his bloodshot eyes grew in surprise. I smiled at him and we started to laugh. It was probably due to the alcohol in our system but it took a while for us to calm down.
"The software is great because you and the team did a brilliant, magnificent job. You deserve to be proud. You earned it. Enjoy this moment and don't care what other people think," I said, giving his arm another squeeze then let go handing him the shot glass.
Vincent took the shot glass and we toasted.
The party started to die down and many Mobius employees either went home or went upstairs to several rooms the company booked for those we expected to get wasted. I had a good buzz but not enough to make the world turn but Vincent was another matter. Upset by his girlfriend's abrupt exit, he drank a shot too many and swayed as he stood up. I caught him as his knees buckled and we laughed drunkenly.
"Dude, you're going upstairs," I said to Vincent then instructed one of the bartenders to go to the front desk and get me a key for an available room.
After the bartender returned, I helped Vincent to the elevator and we ascended. Feeling embarrassed that the CEO was holding him up, Vincent tried with all his might to stand straight but I kept his arm around my shoulder to keep him from swaying. Feeling his body next to mine, I got the first impression on how fit and toned he was.
We entered the room and after I turned on a light, I saw that there was only one bed. It was not a big deal as I did not plan on staying but as I closed the door with my foot and walked towards the mattress, Vincent stopped walking and entwined his other arm to my shoulder, hugging me.
"Thanks boss," he whispered, the side of his face next to mine. "I'm sorry for... the inconvenience."
He could barely finish a sentence without hiccuping midway which I found cute. I hugged him back and as his body pressed to me, I could not help but start to get aroused.
"It's part of the executive package," I said softly, moving my hands on his back comfortingly.
In his drunken state, Vincent's head lolled and rested on my shoulder as I continued to massage him. We stood there silent for a few minutes and I let my hands travel on the length of his back. He sighed several times so I let my hands venture lower and lower until one touched his ass gently. I did not get a reaction the first time so I repeated it and let one stay there. I started to massage between his shoulder blades and gently squeeze his butt when I distinctly heard him moan.
"You like this?" I asked gently and felt him tense up a little but did not move away. I continued to massage his ass and felt his embrace tighten, both his hands grabbing the back of my suit. I felt a stir on his pants and a growing lump pressing on my thigh.
"It's okay," I reassured him as he started to back away. I tightened my arms around him and his forehead rested on my shoulder.
I moved my head and kissed his cheek. He did not react so I kissed the corner of his mouth. I felt his jaw set and his hands tighten its grip. I thought he will pull off but when Vincent moved his head to the side, I pressed my lips on his. He let his mouth open a bit I sucked his lower lip gently. He moaned.
Grabbing his ass hard with both hands, I pressed our bodies together. He started to kiss back and as I gave him my tongue, sucked it lightly. We kissed like lovers as I continued to fondle his butt and the more pressure I used the more passionate he got with the kiss. I pulled away and looked at his face. Vincent's eyes were close and his slightly parted lips looked red.
"Do you want this?" I asked him almost lovingly, then licked his lips softly. I saw him swallow then bit his lower lip. I moved my lips between his shoulder and neck then nibbled it mildly. He gasped when my teeth scraped his flesh.
"I won't do anything you don't want," I whispered. "But if you want me to go on, tell me..."
Vincent continued to bit his lip then lowered his head to my shoulder. His hug tightened a little bit so I continued to massage his back and ass for a few more minutes. He was no longer tense and gave out a few deep breaths, almost like a purring kitten.
After a while, I stopped and released his embrace by taking his arms off my shoulder. I unbuttoned his shirt while he swayed in place, his head still on my shoulder. I guided him towards the bed then gently pushed dropped his torso to the mattress and lifted his feet up. I took off his shoes and gave both his feet a short massage.
I looked up and saw that Vincent's eyes were now half open due to be drunk, looking at me with a sad, confused expression. I stood up at the side of the bed then patted his head and started to turn when he grabbed my arm.
"I..." he began hoarsely but did not continue.
His grip on my arm was firm but not painful. I looked at him and saw that he was staring up at me. Sitting at the mattress, I held the side of his face and lowered my lips to his, all the while looking at his eyes. We kissed tenderly and I felt Vincent's hand hold the back of my head.
"It's okay," I said, ending our kiss and smiling at him gently. "We can figure it out later."
He just gazed at me, looking lost. I gave him another peck then stood up and left the room before I could not stop myself.
I walked quickly to the elevator and pushed the button to the parking garage. My buzz was gone but my heart was pounding. I did not plan to make a move on Vincent tonight and even though he was receptive, I'm worried that my actions might scare or freak him out. As the elevator descended, I tried to think of the worst case scenarios after what just happened in that room. But my mind was not working the way it should because all I could think about was how much I enjoyed kissing Vincent.
The elevator doors opened and I walked out as confident as I can manage despite the hard-on that was making a prominent bulge in my pants. The parking garage was deserted except for a lone security guard making his rounds. I caught him discreetly glance down to my crotch and lick his lips. I knew that look very well as Hendri Chen gave it to me every time I saw him.
I stopped walking, took out my phone and pretended to check for messages. The guard went behind a pillar shining his flashlight to a dark corner of the garage but was looking at me instead. I pocketed my phone and approached the stocky, young man.
"When's your break?" I asked him, looking straight at his eyes.
"Sir?" he replied, surprised.
"I said, when's your break?" I said as I closed the distance between us and quickly taking his free hand then putting it to my hard-on. He tried to pull his hand back but I gripped it tightly.
"Sir, this is--"
"You're not interested?" I growled. "But you looked as though you wanted to eat me. When's your break? Answer me."
He stopped struggling and I felt his hand grabbed my bulge. I released my hold but his hand remained on my crotch.
"I'm... I'm just finishing my shift, sir. Last round..." the guard said nervously.
I was not worried about getting discovered. I knew there were no CCTVs near our area and the pillar casted a shadow on us. Plus, being a CEO who just spent hundreds of thousands to use the hotel for a well-publicized event, I'm sure the management will believe my version of the story over whatever this guard said.
"Clock out and meet me in front of the convenience store near the hotel in ten minutes," I said authoritatively. "Be a second late and I'll be gone."
I walked to my car. Looking up the rear view, the guard quickly run towards the security office. I started my car and exited the garage then parked in front of the convenience store. I walked in to buy some energy drink and when I got out, the guard was standing near my car.
"Get in," I said.
Immediately after closing the passenger door, I grabbed the back of his head and pushed his face down my lap.
"Pull it out and suck it," I commanded after starting the car.
I felt my fly open and a hand pulling my dick out of my boxers. Warm wetness engulfed my dick but I pushed the guard's head down forcefully so I can change gears. I heard him choke but continued on sucking as I searched for the nearest drive-in motel.
To be continued...
From the Author:
Yes! Finally another chapter. It took a while and I apologize for those who were expecting it sooner. Last month got crazy because I turned 25 (yehey!) got a bit overwhelmed by family and friends activities. But November will hopefully be a slow month for me (in the aspect of social and personal obligations, at least) so I'm aiming to write more chapters. Fingers crossed!
My contemporary, fantasy, adventure novel ~ ADLAO: The Hidden Tribe ~ is now available in Amazon.com (Kindle Edition). If you like my writing and want to express your support, please get a copy :) Paperback edition is still getting sort out but will be available soon.
ADLAO: The Hidden Tribe: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1JUK7S
You can also show support by sending words of encouragement or a simple hello so I'm reassured that there are actual people reading this story. If you wish, I also notify you when a chapter is available. Drop an email at theadlaotribe@gmail.com
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Thanks for reading!
Peace, Fritz Diantan