Author's note:
I hope you are all enjoying this story! It's been a lot of fun to work on. I'm trying to ensure that there's plenty of romance and tension, but I'm a happy ending person, so things do work out! But the trip to get there is always worth it!
As always, comments are welcome! Email me at beyondanytherapy@gmail.com or visit www.randyscorner.blogspot.com for story updates!
Thanks again!
Randy Zak
Chapter 2
Ethan slid into his office chair and leaned his head back against the headrest. He hated mornings like this one. It seemed that everything was going wrong, no matter how odd or trivial. So far, the coffee maker in the break room had shorted out and the frayed wire caught a dishtowel on fire, a file he had requested had been misplaced because most of the filing staff was out sick and several of the companies Michael was dealing with on the Skyrise project were hounding them for updates on the decision process. Ethan was feeling the start of a headache creeping up. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed at the bridge of his nose.
Sometimes he wondered why he hadn't just become a bookkeeper like his father. So much less drama staring at a computer and balancing numbers all day. The worst his father complained about was having to rerun the same figures multiple times. The higher Ethan had risen in the company, the more problems appeared. When Michael had first expressed interest in him becoming an assistant, Ethan had been delighted. The position afforded him more responsibility, but also more flexibility with his duties. And it didn't hurt that Michael was arguably the most respected executive at the company. Ethan had to admit he'd watched him from the sidelines for a long time. Maybe it was a childish infatuation, but he liked Michael's character. He was different than the others, more open and honest. And easy on the eyes went without saying. . .
With a shake of his head, Ethan tore himself from his thoughts and logged in to his computer. After checking his emails, he pulled up his calendar. He glanced over it, seeing that Michael had a conference call in an hour. Ethan gathered up the paperwork he had accumulated for him to sign and made his way down the hall to Michael's office. He knocked quietly, opening the door and looking inside. The office was empty. It startled Ethan for a moment and he glanced at his watch again. 9:30. Michael was never this late.
Ethan pulled out his cell phone and dialed Michael's number quickly, almost nervous. What if something had happened to him?
After three rings, a strange deep voice answered.
"'Lo?"
Ethan almost dropped the phone in shock. He stammered for a moment, unable to form words. Finally, he managed to blurt out, "Michael?"
A grunt came from the other end. "Hang on." There was the sound of shuffling that sounded suspiciously like rustling sheets and then a thump. "Phone," muttered the unknown voice. Ethan could hear Michael's voice on the other line, grumbling. More shuffling and a tired, "hello?" At least this time, it was Michael.
Ethan felt the shock giving way to irritation, and an anger that surprised him. "What the HELL!? Do you have ANY idea what time it is?!"
"Ethan?" Michael sounded genuinely surprised. A pause, then Michael swore. "Sorry, I didn't realize. I'll be in as soon as I can."
"You had better!" Ethan suddenly realized he was chewing out his boss, and quickly amended, "You have a conference call in one hour. I suggest you drag yourself out of that stupor and get in immediately!" He hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket. The anger was still boiling inside him and he slammed the files down on Michael's desk before stalking back to his own.
By the time he sat down, his mind was spinning with all sorts of questions. Who was that other man on the phone? Why were they together, sounding like in the same bed? Where was Michael and what had happened?
And why did it bother Ethan so much?
Michael stepped off the elevator at 10:20 a.m., turning and walking down the hallway briskly. It wasn't just being late that hurried his steps. The sound of Ethan's voice had bothered him deeply. Ethan might chide him now and then when he slipped up, but he'd never once yelled at him like that. Once Michael had shaken off the fog of sleep and drink, he'd realized that Jack's voice on the phone might have contributed to the anger. But maybe that was just a strange, twisted sense of wishful thinking on his part.
He walked past Ethan's empty desk, wondering where his assistant was. He didn't have time to investigate; he just went to his office, gathered the prepared files and gave them a quick once over. He barely had enough time to grab some coffee before he hurried to the conference room to join the other executives dialed in on the conference call. By the time they were finished over two hours later, he wasn't in a much better mood. As usual, Kingston was running the show, even from Italy. Michael was starting to think last night's talk with Jack might end up being more helpful than he expected.
The thought of Jack reminded him he needed to talk to Ethan. He made his way back to his office, glancing towards Ethan's desk. Still empty. He frowned, wondering just what was wrong. He walked into his office, surprised to see the person in question standing there, sorting through papers. He felt a little tightness in his chest ease. Michael let the door shut behind him as he walked towards the desk.
"I was starting to wonder if you were going to hide from me all day."
Ethan glanced up at him briefly, then back to the papers. "Your 3 o'clock meeting canceled today. They'll reschedule for next week. You have several phone calls from this morning to return, I left the messages beside your phone. These are the latest figures for the SkyLine project from Morquite..."
Michael held up a hand to interrupt him, glancing at Ethan. "Work can wait just a second, ok? I wanted to talk about what happened this morning."
Ethan fixed him with a flat stare that seemed to bore into him from behind the rimless glasses, and Michael felt that tightness returning. "Nothing happened this morning. You overslept. You're here now, and you have work to do. These are the files you requested yesterday, except for one. I'm leaving them all here. I'll bring in the Nemann file when they can find it."
He turned to leave, but Michael caught his arm. "Ethan, wait. Please, just let me explain. Let me take you to lunch, we can talk there."
Ethan kept his gaze averted. "There is nothing to talk about. I have some phone calls to make, so if you'll excuse me." He pulled out of Michael's grip and walked out of the office.
Michael didn't try to stop him again. He stared at the closed door for a moment in confusion. Ethan was obviously angry, but just what was making him this angry? The fact that someone else answered the phone this morning? Surely not; Ethan had made it clear that he didn't care about Michael's personal life. But he wouldn't be this upset over just the fact that Michael was late, right?
Michael sighed, walking over and collapsing into his chair. He turned and stared out the window of his office. That always helped him think. He wanted to tell Ethan the truth about what happened, why he was late, but he knew he couldn't give out too much information. At least not yet. He should have known better than to drink so much at dinner the night before, but he never expected that his oversleeping would bring all this on. Even though nothing happened between himself and Jack, somehow Ethan was upset over something. Could he possibly have thought Jack was a lover? Michael had always tried to keep any of his affairs very private, but surely Ethan had to know he wasn't a priest. So what if another man had answered his phone, was that really so bad? But why did it bother him so much? If Ethan truly didn't have any feelings towards him, he shouldn't be that upset.
"Maybe I'm just reading too much into this," Michael muttered to himself. He glanced at the clock. 12:45. He didn't have much of an appetite right then, so he reached over, pulling a file across the desk and opened it. Maybe burying himself in work would help focus his mind.
"You've been sighing and picking at your food for almost an hour now. What's wrong with you; have a fight with your boyfriend?"
Ethan's head shot up from where he was bent over his lunch at the sidewalk café and he stared at his aunt in horror. "Aunt Tessa, he is NOT my boyfriend!"
A smirk curled his aunt's lips and she took a slow pull from her cigarette. She blew the smoke away and leaned back in her chair. "Sure he's not. You only talk about him all the time. I feel like I know him from all you've said. From his amazing work ethic to his generous personality. Not to mention he happens to have the face of a god and the butt you could bounce a quarter --"
"I get the point!" Ethan felt his face heating up and he looked back down at his half eaten meal. "Yes, I admire the man, but he is not my boyfriend. He's my boss, nothing more. And he was late to work this morning, so things got a little crazy."
His aunt gave a rich, throaty laugh and blew out another stream of smoke. "Why would his being late make things crazy? Or did it just make you crazy?"
He fixed his aunt with a glare. "Stop that."
She smiled, reaching over to pat his hand. "I'm sorry, dear. But it's obvious to everyone but yourself that you have some kind of feelings for this man. Why do you still hold back?"
"Because he's my boss.. because..." He sighed. "It's complicated."
"Obviously," she muttered, inhaling on her cigarette again, leaning back to slowly blow the smoke trail out. "Look, love is complicated in itself without making it any harder. This is the guy who confessed to you, right?"
"He was drunk, that doesn't count," Ethan quickly countered.
She arched a thin-penciled eyebrow at him. "Since when? With some men, especially in his situation, that might be the only way he could say anything."
Ethan hadn't quite thought of that, and he paused for a moment to think on that. He shook his head, taking another bite. "It doesn't matter anyway. Even if there was a chance in the past, there's not now."
"And why do you say that?"
He sighed. "Because this morning, he was late because he had overslept. I called his phone to find out what was wrong. Another man answered and it sure as hell sounded like they were in the same bed. They both sounded very tired."
His aunt gave a heavy sigh, looking at him with a consoling gaze. "You don't know that wasn't just a one-time thing. Every man needs someone in his bed now and then, and there's no reason to jump ahead and think your man has found someone else."
"He isn't MY man, and I don't care what he does or whom he does it with!" Ethan stabbed the tomato in his salad with more force than was probably necessary.
Tessa shook her head slowly, giving him a level look. "Ethan, dear, I've known you long enough. I can see you're upset over the idea he may have someone else. That should mean you feel something for him. Why are you denying it?"
Ethan stared at his aunt for a long time before he looked away. "I've seen what happens with office romances. I don't want to go through that. The awkwardness at work, the looks and whispers from everyone else. Not to mention that he's my boss and that would look badly on both of us. I don't want to ruin his reputation."
"I'm sure he would appreciate the thought, dear, but he's a grown man, too." She looked at him with a sharp eye. "If he confessed to you, then he obviously must want something."
Ethan had thought that too, and deep down, he had almost brought himself around to asking Michael out to dinner. But now that was all over. "He obviously doesn't need me if he's found someone else."
Tessa sighed. "I can't force you to talk to him, I know that. But just don't rule anything out, alright?"
As much as he would like to believe that, Ethan didn't think it would ever happen. It might make a nice daydream though.
He gave a shrug, smiling lightly at her. "I'll try."
Two weeks crawled by. Each morning, Michael struggled to find the resolve and drive to get out of bed and go to work. Every day was filled with more patronizing bullshit from his boss, and a coolly professional assistant. It was driving him insane and made it hard for him to focus on anything productive.
Michael tried to talk to Ethan several times each day, only to be met by clipped, distant answers that sent a pain through Michael's chest. Ethan refused to meet his gaze any more than necessary. That more than anything confused Michael. If Ethan didn't feel anything, would he be so removed, acting for all the world like he was upset and trying to hide it? The more he thought about it, the more it all made Michael dizzy thinking himself in circles. Finally, Michael had reached his wits end. He had to talk to Ethan. No matter what the outcome, he had to find out what Ethan was thinking.
Friday afternoon arrived and after Michael managed to disengage himself from an entirely unproductive meeting, he trudged back toward his office. It was 3 o'clock and Michael wasn't sure how he was going to face the last few hours before leaving for the weekend. He couldn't focus on anything. Emails were tedious, the words blurring together in his mind until he had no idea what he had read. The files sitting on his desk were the last things he wanted to look at. His mind was on too many other things to focus on numbers and blueprints that would mean nothing in the end.
A knock sounded at his door and Ethan stepped in with a handful of envelopes. "Mail is here. It was late today, but there were a few letters that looked like they might be important, so I went ahead and brought them up."
Michael looked up, nodding. "Thank you. Ethan --"
Without looking at him, Ethan interrupted swiftly. "The rest of your afternoon is open, but there are a few companies requesting a call back from you so I would suggest making a few phone calls. Even if it is just to placate them for the short term."
"Fine, I'll give them a call later. Ethan, can we â€""
"I'll go find the files you might need." Ethan turned and began to head for the office door. "I'll have them sent up. If you need anything, I'll be at my desk."
Michael raised his voice slightly, trying to cut through the evasion by firming his tone in the hopes he could get a response. "Ethan. Wait."
The younger man paused uneasily. Slowly, he turned back to Michael. "Yes, sir?"
Michael stood, walking around his desk to approach Ethan and look intently into his eyes. "You've been avoiding me for weeks now. I've tried to talk to you several times, and yet you keep dodging me. Please, can I have just a few minutes to talk?"
Ethan seemed to tense and stepped back. "There is nothing to talk about, sir. If you'll excuse me..."
"No, I won't." Michael reached forward to take Ethan's elbow in his hand firmly. "I want to know what has you so unhappy."
"I don't know what you mean. I'm perfectly fine."
"No, you're not." Michael sighed. "Ethan, please be honest with me."
Shaking his head, Ethan moved to step away. "Sir, nothing is wrong..."
Michael wanted to scream in frustration. Ethan seemed to be sticking with the denial, but no matter what, Michael was going to get through to him.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You've been upset ever since that morning I was late. I know something about it is bothering you and I wanted to talk about it. To see if we can move past it."
Finally, there was a spark of something in Ethan's green eyes. It seemed like, just maybe, his assistant was beginning to consider the idea and Michael seized the opening. "Let me take you to dinner. Somewhere we can relax and talk seriously, away from work."
When Ethan looked apprehensive, glancing around as though seeking an escape route, Michael softened his approach. "Please? I'm not going to corner you and do something stupid. I just want to talk and find out what's bothering you so much lately. Nothing else, just talk."
Sighing, Ethan closed his eyes and nodded. "Very well. I suppose I can agree to that."
Michael didn't know if he wanted to cry or shout for joy at having gotten the younger man to agree. "Great, thank you." He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. "I'll come by and get you a little after 5. Is that okay?"
Ethan looked back up at him, a vulnerable look on his face for a moment. Gathering himself, he nodded again. "That's fine."
Michael let the younger man walk away, feeling the best he had in days. Maybe now he could get to the bottom of this and get his life back on track. Hopefully with a better understanding of Ethan at the end of it all.
The restaurant was already filling up even early on a Friday evening. Michael must have called ahead though, because they were whisked back to a table quickly after their arrival.
Once they were seated and their orders placed, Michael looked at him with a smile. "Thank you for coming. I was really beginning to think you might never talk to me again."
Ethan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Michael. I know I've been acting badly recently. I've just had a lot on my mind."
"Are you willing to talk to me now? To tell me what was bothering you?"
Ethan hesitated. Could he really be honest with what had been on his mind? He'd spent weeks trying to put it behind him, but never managing to forget. Every time he saw Michael, all he could think about was the other man's voice and what it might mean. He knew his attitude was different, but until today, he had been able to avoid talking to Michael about it.
"Please, Ethan. I want to try and make this right. I want us to be back the way we were before all this happened."
He couldn't resist asking. "And what way was that?"
Michael smiled. "The dynamic duo."
The unexpected answer surprised a laugh out of him. Ethan smiled back. "Oh really, is that what we were?"
"Of course! We're Batman and Robin. The Lone Ranger and Tonto. Starsky and Hutch."
Ethan smirked. "Maybe more like Batman and Alfred."
There was a gleam in Michael's eye that told Ethan he might regret his words. "Well, you do look best in a suit and tie…"
A blush began to creep up his neck, but Ethan replied before he could stop himself. "So does that mean you get to wear the latex body suit and cape?"
Michael laughed. "Pointy ears and all!"
Ethan chuckled, feeling a little more relaxed now. He had to admit he had missed the playful banter between them. Michael was an easy man to like and to be around, but with all the tension that had been between them lately, Ethan had felt so on edge that he hadn't been able to appreciate it.
A waiter drifted over and delivered their drinks. Michael took a sip of his beer, then looked over at Ethan with a more serious expression. "Ready to talk now," he asked quietly.
The change of subject wasn't easy to swallow, even after the light-hearted exchange earlier. But Ethan knew he owed it to Michael to come clean. Maybe if he explained it all Michael would understand why he felt the way he did. And why it would be a very bad idea to pursue any sort of relationship.
Now if only he could convince himself of that fact.
He sighed, nodding. "I think so."
Michael nodded, leaning back in his chair slightly. "I'm all ears."
"Pointy ones?" Ethan couldn't resist the jab.
Michael grinned in response, giving a wink. "You know it."
The smile Ethan felt stretching over his face slowly faded in the silence that followed. He knew there was no point in putting it off any more.
Ethan spun his drink glass between the tips of his fingers slowly, watching the growing ring of condensation on the tabletop as he spoke. "That morning. . ." He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "That morning you were late. When I called you... another man answered your phone."
Michael nodded. "Yeah, that was my old college friend, Jack. We had gone out to a pub the night before and the bastard drank me under the table. Instead of making me take a cab home, he told me he could crash with him that night."
Ethan slowly raised his gaze, a feeling of hope growing in his chest that almost scared him. "Your friend. I see. So, this friend... does he have a small apartment?"
Michael's look of confusion was almost amusing. "Not particularly, I would say."
Ethan tried to appear nonchalant, as if the reason were entirely unimportant. "Well, it just.. it didn't take long to hand the phone to you that morning, so I was just wondering…"
A grin began to tug at the corner of Michael's mouth and Ethan suddenly felt himself flushing.
"You're asking where I slept?"
Ethan averted his gaze again, picking up his drink and taking a long sip to avoid answering.
A chuckle rumbled in his boss' chest. "I'll answer it anyway. He doesn't have much furniture in his apartment yet, so there was no couch. He let me sleep on the bed with him. But nothing happened, or ever will happen with him. For one, he's straight, and even if he wasn't, he's more like an annoying older brother to me."
The answer pleased Ethan more than he wanted to admit. The fact that Michael hadn't been sleeping with someone else lifted a weight off his shoulders. Not that he had any kind of claim to his boss, and it was really rather ridiculous for him to expect Michael to not be involved with anyone. Nevertheless, a tiny feeling of triumph grew deep down at the knowledge.
However, Michael's look of amusement at his unease over the idea was not quite what he was hoping for.
Michael looked at him with a rather pleased little smile. "Is this really what has been bothering you all this time?"
Ethan tried to find the words, scared to tell the truth. What would happen if he admitted it, and Michael took him up on it? They could both lose their jobs faster than they could blink, and Michael deserved better than that.
Focusing on the tablecloth, Ethan began to fidget nervously. "I just didn't want you to possibly be seeing someone who might be bad for you is all. Someone who might be keeping you out late when you had so much work to do the next day."
A hand reached over and covered his, stilling his fingers. Nervously, he looked up to meet Michael's smiling eyes.
"Tell me the truth, Ethan. Were you upset because you thought I was in bed with someone else?"
And there it was... the big question. Could he answer honestly? Could he really tell his boss, the man he respected so much, that he had been upset and jealous at the thought of him being with someone else?
"I..."
The feeling of Michael's fingers gently stroking over the back of his hand was almost his undoing. He wanted those fingers to touch him, to feel more of him. Why now? Why was he feeling like this now? He had been able to bury his desire and his feelings for so long. Was it just the fact that he thought his chance was gone forever, and he was scared?
Ethan swallowed past the growing lump in his throat and tried to find his words. "What I might feel is probably not best to discuss, given our respective places at the company."
"Screw the company," Michael responded vehemently. He leaned in, eyes boring into Ethan's. "Tell me what you want. Tell me if you were upset, or worried. Tell me what you feel, Ethan."
Could he really be so honest? Ethan swallowed again and decided to throw caution to the wind for once in his life.
"When he answered your phone, I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach," he blurted out. Blushing, he looked down at the table again and forced himself to continue talking. "The thought that you might be with someone else was almost impossible to think about. I've admired you for a long time, Michael. When you confessed at the party, I wanted to accept. More than even I realized ... I wanted to say yes."
A cautious glance at his boss' face revealed a broad smile on the older man's handsome features.
"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that." Michael squeezed Ethan's hand gently. "I've been so worried that I was pushing too hard. I don't want to be one of those lecherous businessmen who goes after their assistants because it makes them feel powerful or young. I truly wanted to get to know you better, Ethan. You're a wonderful guy, and an amazing worker. I kept hoping that I hadn't upset you too much with the way I acted that night."
"I was concerned for you. Even drunk, the others at the party would remember what you said. I didn't want that to get around and hurt you."
Michael shook his head. "I don't care if they know about me. I've never lied to anyone. I just don't talk about my personal life. But something about that night made me want to confess to you. To ask you out." He sighed heavily. "I'm just sorry it took me getting drunk to say something, and I didn't intend to embarrass you."
Ethan felt a smile pull at his lips. "You shocked me, you know. I never suspected you might have feelings for me. Or any other man, for that matter. I figured that kind of news would be all over the company if it were true, so when you asked me out at the party, I panicked. I thought that you were either so drunk you didn't know what you were saying and you weren't really gay, or that you were and then anything between us would bring about trouble when rumors started."
"Rumors be damned," Michael replied. "They don't mean anything. There are rumors everywhere and most of the time they're no where close to the truth."
"But that doesn't stop them from being damaging," Ethan pointed out. He wanted to have Michael's strength and view on life, but he wasn't as secure in his job and he couldn't risk it.
"I didn't want to let fear get in my way. I had to take a chance, to try. I wanted to know if there might be more here." He sighed, taking another sip of his beer while he seemed to gather his thoughts. "For months after you started working at Dynatech, I didn't even know if I would have a chance with you. I remember the first time I saw you. I noticed you one day in the lobby, talking with one of your coworkers. You were still new, but they were intently listening to your opinion. It didn't take long before you had people trusting you." Michael paused with a smile. "I knew right then that I wanted you to come work with me. Even if I never got a chance past that, I knew I had to have you beside me."
A thought struck Ethan and he was curious to find out something. "When did you realize that I might say yes? That I might be 'on your team,' as some people are so fond of saying."
Michael smirked. "I never did! I just took a stab at it. I figured I could blame it on being drunk if I was wrong!"
"You liar!" Ethan laughed, shaking his head with a smile. "Surely you had to have found out! You wouldn't really have asked me out if you thought I might not be gay."
Chuckling, Michael nodded. "Sometime last year, I overheard someone asking you about a date you had gone on. When you said 'he,' I thought I was going to faint for joy."
Ethan shifted uneasily. "I must admit the thought that anyone could have overheard me makes me uncomfortable. What if the wrong person had heard?"
"They didn't. Don't worry about something like that, Ethan." Michael gave him a winning smile. "Just relax and enjoy tonight."
Despite his caution, Ethan had a feeling he would do just that. Their food arrived shortly after and the conversation fell into a relaxed flow. They knew enough about each other to have familiar topics, but there was still so much to learn on a personal level. Ethan realized sometime before dessert that he was beginning to feel more for his boss than he had ever intended.
As they walked from the restaurant after dinner, Ethan smiled over at Michael. "Thank you for that. Dinner was wonderful, and I think the talk was very worthwhile."
Michael nodded. "I agree. I'm glad we got all that out in the open." He smiled. "Maybe now I can actually get a date out of you."
Ethan smirked. "And what was tonight?"
"Tonight was putting things back the way they should be. I still have plans to take you on a real date soon. If you still want to," he added hastily.
Seeing Michael nervous about his response made Ethan suddenly realize how much he wanted to agree. As they neared Michael's car, he turned, smiling up at the older man.
"I'd like that a lot."
Their eyes met for a long moment, then Michael leaned in, capturing Ethan's lips with his own. The surprise of the movement froze Ethan in place, unsure of how to respond.
Michael seemed to come to his senses and pulled back, looking horrified. "God, Ethan, I'm sorry. I.. I don't know what came over me."
The tingling on his lips spread out through his entire body. Ethan felt a heat growing inside him. He suddenly wanted more. That kiss broke something inside Ethan and he stepped forward, throwing his arms around his boss' neck. He pulled the taller man close, dying to feel the touch of his lips again. He kissed Michael with a fervor that surprised even himself.
Michael didn't hesitate. His arms slid around Ethan's waist and pulled him close. Ethan could feel the hard muscles beneath his boss' clothing. The thought of Michael's body against his threatened to short-circuit his brain. He could feel strong hands roaming over his back, up and down, never straying too far south. Suddenly, he realized how much he wanted those hands to touch him everywhere.
A moan escaped his mouth into the kiss. The heat between them was growing rapidly, fueled by the weeks of tension breaking so strongly. Ethan was both excited and terrified by where this might lead.
Michael pulled back slightly, looking down into his eyes with a worried expression. "I want us to be completely on the same level. If you don't say no now, then this is going to end up being more of a date than either of us bargained for. Stop me right now if you don't want this to go any farther, Ethan. I don't want to do anything you aren't willing to do."
Ethan licked his lips, feeling his mouth going dry suddenly. He stared into Michael's dark brown eyes, the intensity and passion he saw there was almost as hot as the man's kissing. Ethan's brain caught up with what his boss had just said.
Sex.
With Michael.
After all the agonizing he had done recently, he knew the answer right away.
He smiled, leaning up to brush their lips together again. "Take me home, Michael," he whispered.