Hired, page 12
“No judgment at all, but aren’t you tired of it? No desire for something more permanent?”
With most people, Sebastian would've thought that the “no judgment at all” was an excuse to judge, as most people were prone to do, but not with Floris. True to his Dutch upbringing, he was as liberal and tolerant as Sebastian had ever seen, and it was one of the many things he appreciated about Floris. He took people as they were without wanting to change them. Besides, as a bisexual man, Floris had availed himself of the wide choice of men during his college years, and he and Sebastian had even done a threesome at some point—still a fun, if somewhat hazy memory because of their level of inebriation.
But the quick denial Sebastian wanted to utter died on his lips. Instead, he said, “I don't know. I just can't see myself settling down with someone.”
“Like, ever? Or is it more like you've never met a man you could see yourself with long term?”
It made no sense that he would think of Hadley, but he did, Hadley's moss-green eyes popping into his head. Ridiculous. Was he now so tired that he was conflating sexual attraction with something else? “The latter, I think? It's not that I'm opposed to it on principle. My sister is nauseatingly happy in her marriage, and so are my parents, so I have nothing against it. But I don't have the time or the energy to date. It seems like so much trouble, with too much risk for it to be worth my while.”
Floris smiled at him. “I see some things haven't changed. You're still the same, rational geek.”
Sebastian chuckled. “Geek? I gotta say, not many people get away anymore with calling me that.”
“No wonder, Mr. Hotshot Millionaire CEO,” Floris teased. “Don't forget your humble roots, man.”
“No chance of that, trust me. You know I don't give two shits about the money.”
Floris shrugged. “Sure, but it makes life a hell of a lot easier. We both know that money opens doors.”
Sebastian couldn't deny that, but as always, the topic made him uncomfortable. “How's the new job?” he changed the subject.
Floris had recently switched jobs to work for a small start-up, where he had become their chief technical officer, only answering to the CEO. “I love it. So much better than being stuck in the middle layers of a big corporation.”
“Yeah, you like it better?”
“Oh my god, yes. I hated how slow everything was before, how political. I know it’s the standard complaint of middle management, but it was driving me insane. Now I’m in a position where I can call the shots, where I can make decisions and move fast. Much more my speed.”
Sebastian sipped his whiskey. “I can imagine. The company politics aren’t my favorite part of the job.”
“I would think they’re a big part of your job as CEO.”
Sebastian played with his glass. “Unfortunately, yes. That's just the way it is.”
“Funny, I never thought you’d become CEO.”
Sebastian looked up. “Why not? I never made a secret of my ambition to work in my father's company.”
“Yeah, but… I don't know. I thought you’d prefer to stay in a more technical job. You always loved coming up with new ideas. Weren't you a record holder at the university for the most patents filed by a student?”
Sebastian smiled. He'd loved his university years. Sure, a lot of people said that, but they referred to the partying, the drinking, or the sleeping around and hanging out with friends. He'd done all that, and it wasn't like he hadn't enjoyed it, but what he had loved most was the freedom. He had learned so much, and he'd had the luck of having professors who had encouraged him to experiment.
Some of his best ideas had taken root back then, even the first origins of products he hadn't developed until later in his company. He and a few others, which had included Floris, had spent many a night in one of the labs, tinkering with electronics and robotics. They'd even won a prestigious competition between universities where they’d built robots who had successfully navigated an obstacle parcourse.
“I do miss it.” Hell, he couldn't remember the last time he'd spent an evening playing with something, just messing around for fun. Then he caught himself. “But I can hardly complain, considering how successful LeClerc is.”
Whatever Floris had wanted to say in response was cut off when the groom made it over to their table. “Guys!” Tom shouted.
Sebastian put his whiskey down and got up to give him a firm hug. “Congratulations on your lovely bride, man. Wishing you many years of happiness.”
“Thank you, thank you. I'm so happy. I don't even have words for it.”
He hugged Floris, who uttered similar sentiments to Sebastian. Much to Sebastian’s surprise, Tom joined their table, scooting his chair over to sit between Floris and Sebastian. “I'm so glad you guys could make it,” he said, slurring slightly.
Sebastian grinned. It had been a long time since he'd seen Tom drunk, but he'd always been a fun guy when he'd been drinking. Affectionate, sweet, adorably clingy, and sentimental.
“We wouldn't have missed it for the world,” Floris said.
“Oh, and thank you for your gift,” Tom said to Sebastian. “It was a big hit with Corey.”
Knowing how much they both loved to travel, Sebastian had surprised them with a high-quality luggage set. Maybe not the most romantic gift but a practical one that they would enjoy for years to come. “My pleasure.”
“We were talking about our university time,” Floris said.
“I miss it.” Tom let out a wistful sigh. “Not that I’d want that kind of life back, but I loved the lack of responsibility.”
Sebastian laughed. “Staying up all night to work on James.”
“Oh god, yes, James.” Floris chuckled. “We had so much fun with that.”
James had been their winning robot in the obstacle parcourse, and for shits and giggles, they’d dressed him in a black bow tie and had given him the most Oxford English voice they could find, courtesy of a fellow student from England who’d been all too happy to lend his voice. What else could they have named the robot but James?
“It was the most fun I’ve ever had,” Sebastian said, and then he froze as the truth of that casual statement hit him.
It had been the most fun he’d ever had. What a sobering realization that he’d peaked at twenty-one and had never managed to find something he’d loved as much as that time in his life. He put his whiskey down as a pang of pain pierced his chest. Here he was, thirty-eight years old, and his best moments were way in the past. Somehow, all his money, power, the position he held as CEO, and even the sex with cute guys couldn’t hold a candle to the thrill of playing around with robots.
What a sad, sad feeling. When had he stopped being happy? He couldn’t even remember, and that thought wouldn’t let him go, even as he resumed chatting with Tom and Floris. Somewhere, somehow, he’d lost something valuable along the way, but how did he get that back?
13
Hadley had informed Sebastian he’d let him know over the weekend if he’d be coming back on Monday, and after the dinner with his brothers and the phone call with Caitlyn, Hadley had made up his mind. If he were honest with himself, he’d already decided to stay before raising the topic with his brothers. He’d just needed an excuse, a reason, and well, Nordin had provided him with one.
He waited until Saturday afternoon to call Sebastian, not wanting to interrupt him in case he was sleeping in.
“Hmm?” Sebastian answered the phone.
“Mr. LeClerc? It’s Hadley.”
“I know. You programmed your number into my phone, remember?”
In the background, sheets rustled, and then soft footsteps padded as Sebastian apparently walked to another room.
“Yes, of course. I apol—” He caught himself just in time.
Sebastian’s low chuckle tickled his belly. “Good catch.”
“I wanted to talk about next week.”
“Don’t tell me you’re leaving.” Sebastian’s voice was sharper now.
Hadley took a deep breath. “No, but I have conditions.”
Sebastian’s exhale was audible. “Name them.”
“I don’t want to work for you directly, only through Flextechs. It will be more expensive for you. I realize that, but—”
“I don’t care about the money.”
Hadley’s mouth curled up. “This will be a lot easier if you let me finish my sentences.”
He could practically see Sebastian roll his eyes at him. “Whatever. Contract through Flextechs. Understood.”
“I’m committing to a period of three months, and that’s it. After that, I’ll reevaluate.”
“Fine. I’d prefer you to commit to much longer, but I can live with three months.”
“You allow me to streamline the processes in the office.”
“Streamline away. What else?”
“That’s it.”
Sebastian was quiet for a beat. “You’re not gonna ask for more money? A raise? A sign-on bonus?”
“Why would I?”
“Because you know I would pay whatever I have to to keep you?”
Hadley shrugged, even though Sebastian couldn’t see that. “Just because I can doesn't mean I should.”
“Well, I insist on paying you more. You deserve it.”
“Do you even know how much you’re paying me now?”
“I don’t, but it can’t be enough.”
Hadley shook his head, smiling. “Okay, how about you pay me a bonus after the three months are up? That way, you’re actually rewarding me for something.”
Combined with the bonus Flextechs was paying him after four weeks, he’d have a nice little egg nest.
“Done.”
“And I—” He heard a voice in the background and stopped.
“Aren’t you coming back to bed?” a male voice said, coming closer.
Hadley held his breath, listening intently.
“I’m on the phone.” Sebastian’s tone was that of a parent talking to a toddler.
“Why waste time on boring things when you could be inside me again?”
Wow, that was some high-level pouting right there. Hadley could easily picture the man who’d said this: a twink, young, cute, and probably using a pair of full, pink lips to his advantage while showing off his ass.
“Because some people have to work for a living. Go wait in bed. I’ll be right there.”
Hadley suppressed a snicker. If a hookup ever talked to him like that, he’d be gone in an instant.
“Sorry about that,” Sebastian said with a sigh. “I didn’t pick him for his brains.”
“I didn’t think so,” Hadley said dryly.
“Let’s just say I had some sexual frustration to release. He volunteered.”
Was Sebastian referring to what he’d said about wanting to fuck Hadley? He swallowed. “I’m sure he did.”
“He’s cute, and he’s quite talented with his mouth.”
Hadley almost choked on his breath. “And you thought I needed to know this, why?”
“I figured you might be interested.”
“I can’t possibly express in words how not interested I am in the oral skills of the twink currently occupying your bed.”
“He’s not… Never mind. What did you want to say earlier?”
“It can wait till Monday. Go fuck your twink before he throws a temper tantrum.”
Sebastian’s low chuckle echoed in his ears, even after ending the call. Ugh, the man was insufferable.
“Did I just hear you tell your boss to go fuck a twink?” Lagan asked.
Hadley spun around, his cheeks heating. “I didn’t know you were done showering.”
Lagan quirked an eyebrow. “I’d think that with how small this place is, you should’ve been able to hear that. I mean, sound travels so well I can hear you jerk off in the shower in the morning.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t had a good dicking in ages, so sue me.”
“And why is it that you’re embracing celibacy all of a sudden?”
“I’m not… Look, I was super busy with my previous job, and I’d planned to relax for a week and score some hot sex, but then this new job happened, okay? It’s not like I did this on purpose.”
“You’re off on the weekends, like today. But let’s forget about that for a moment and come back to the topic of you telling your new boss to go fuck someone. And not even himself, which I would’ve understood after what you told me about him.”
Hadley looked away. “I interrupted him while he was in bed with someone, so I said I’d talk to him on Monday and that he could go back to his previous activities.”
“You told him to go fuck his twink before he threw a temper tantrum. That’s a rather explicit statement to make to your boss.”
“You’re reading too much into it. He’s like that.”
“Sexually inappropriate?”
“No! Maybe? I don’t know. I don’t mind. If I minded, I would’ve told him to stop.”
Lagan lowered himself onto their rackety couch. “Hadley, babe, what the hell is going on with you and this guy? I’ve never seen you like this. This is some serious foreplay.”
“Foreplay? I don’t even like him.”
“Methinks you protest a little too much, but regardless. You don’t have to like someone to want him to rail your ass good.”
“You’re exaggerating. It’s not that bad.”
“Sure, and hell is just a sauna. You talk about him more than any other boss you’ve ever had, and you’ve had some weird ones.”
Hadley frowned. “I don’t talk about him that much.”
“Erm, yeah, you do.”
Hadley groaned as he buried his face in his hands. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on. I’ve never felt this way about someone before.”
“And what way would that be?”
“He’s infuriating and annoying and arrogant and so goddamn sexy I want to rip his clothes off and climb him like a tree.”
Lagan’s eyes widened. “Wow. You got it bad. I knew you were attracted to him, and you admitted as much yesterday evening, but this is a whole new level.”
“Tell me how to get rid of it.”
“Fuck it out of your system like Nordin suggested?”
“He’s my boss!”
“So you keep telling me, but he doesn’t behave like one. If that had been all he was to you, you wouldn’t have told him to go fuck a twink. In fact, you wouldn’t even have known he had someone there in the first place.”
Hadley sighed. “Yeah, he told me. Even gave a glowing review of the guy’s oral skills.”
Lagan snorted. “My god, this is like an R-rated rom-com. Looks like I wasn’t far off by labeling this foreplay. Let him fuck you already so you can get over it and move on.”
“Even if I thought that was a good idea—and for the record, I don’t—how the hell would you suggest I approach this? Like, come to work Monday morning and proposition him between meetings? Have him bend me over his desk?”
Lagan cleared his throat, readjusting himself. “There’s a visual I didn’t need. Thanks for that.”
Hadley grinned. “You’re welcome. Happy to let you share in my sexual suffering.”
“On that note, I’m gonna get on Grindr and score myself a hookup for tonight,” Lagan said. “And I hate to remind you, but it’s my weekend, so unless I can find someone who has their own place, you’ll have to entertain yourself elsewhere tonight.”
Hadley sighed. The biggest downside of sharing an apartment so small was that they had to take turns bringing guys back. “I’ll find something to do.”
He couldn't blame Lagan for wanting to relax. The guy worked his ass off, combining a full-time job and part-time law school. Hadley wasn’t sure how Lagan did it. He would’ve gone crazy from the stress.
But yeah, he’d have to find a place to hang out in case Lagan needed their apartment. Before, Jaren had often been an option, but since he was with Reid, he spent his weekends with his boyfriend. Completely logical and yet it stung. Was Nordin in town? He texted him and got a reply within a minute.
Nordin
I’d love to hang out. Meet me at the bar of the Hilton Garden Inn. 8?
The Hilton Garden Inn? What the hell was Nordin doing there? Not that it mattered. If he picked a place like that, he’d pay. Nordin knew damn well Hadley couldn’t afford that on his salary.
Hadley
Sounds good. See you there at 8.
He dressed a little nicer than he would otherwise, since he never knew who he might run into. He had a lot of former clients, and he preferred to come across as professional. Besides, if he was going to a place like that, he was dressing the part. Lagan informed him he had indeed scored and that it would be at their apartment. Hadley wished him luck and left at seven thirty, freshly showered and wearing a pair of tight slacks and a slim-fit polo shirt that looked nice on him. At least he had the car, though he prayed during the drive over that it would hold. One never knew with that piece of junk. He parked a few blocks away in a free parking spot, then walked over.
When he entered the bar, Nordin was already sitting there, looking sharp in a suit and sipping what was probably a whiskey. Hadley joined him, greeting his brother with a hug. “What can I get you?” Nordin asked.
“You paying?”
“Of course.”
“See if they have any Irish single malt? Neat, please.”
Nordin signaled the bartender, a stocky, tattooed bear of a man named Dustin, and placed his order with quick gestures and flirty smiles. How did Nordin always blend in so well? He was like a chameleon, adapting to his environment, and it fascinated Hadley. He’d seen him on equal footing with everyone, ranging from construction workers to businessmen, politicians, and the guy who worked the McDonald’s drive-through. Nordin could talk to anyone and make them feel seen. Such a gift.
“It’s a whiskey called Writer’s Tears,” Dustin said as he poured Hadley a glass. “It’s a bit of a funny name, but if you love Irish whiskey, you’ll appreciate this one. Very smooth.”
