(Joshua's POV - Mon. 30 September 2013)

"Good morning, Sir," the security guy at the entrance of the building says sternly as I pass the doors shortly after 7am.

"Good morning, Markus," I answer before I head straight to my private lift.

Once again, I'm glad to be back in the office. Last week was an awfully long and boring one; long because I spent it in meetings, visits of apartment buildings, mansions, lands, building sites, then I attended business lunches and dinners. I met eight important customers and two potential ones. I bought two old buildings which are going to be destroyed and rebuilt into modern and luxurious ones; not to mention I started in Los Angeles and ended up in Sacramento. All of this in four days and a half, so, to say I was exhausted when I came back is an understatement. However, exactly like in New York a month ago, everything went perfectly well and I obtained everything I wanted, so it remains a positive business trip.

And it was boring because I was on my own all the time since Allan was busy with another trip to Texas. At least, when we travel together, we get to spend some time together, having a few drinks at the hotel bar after our business dinners and talking during the car transfers. Well, we did talk over the phone since he needed my approval for a few sensitive points on what was happening in Texas and I wanted his opinion on what I was doing in California too, but this is not the same. Once I was done with all the meetings and dinners, I was on my own, so I just spent more time working in my suite until late at night.

And I also naturally missed my little blond-headed assistant. I did try not to think about him too much but unfortunately, I wasn't as successful as with the contracts I got there. I was able to concentrate while I was working but as soon as I was no longer with customers or other types of business contacts, my thoughts headed straight to him.

I kept remembering how I spied him at The Lost Paradise on the previous Saturday night. I still can't believe I stayed there the whole night, that is until the club closed its doors and I saw him meet his friend and go back home. At that moment, I wondered if he spent all his weekends this way. Now I know that he doesn't.

I must shamefully admit that, despite the exhausting week in California, I went back to the Lost Paradise this past Saturday. Being known by the staff there, I didn't have any problem accessing the VIP room from where I would be able to watch him again. Of course, that was my goal: just to watch him for a couple of hours before I would join the guys at the Black Diamond. However stupid I thought it was to do this, I just couldn't wait until this Monday to see him again.

Nevertheless, high was my disappointment when I saw his friend turn up on his own, and without Liam. I stayed there for a moment to see if my personal assistant was going to join him, but after only a few minutes, I understood that his friend's intentions that evening were definitely not the same as the previous weekend.

He was obviously there to hook up with anyone who would be willing to spend the rest of the night with him and I have to say that the young twink had some success. There was quite a bunch of guys ready to get into his pants. When it was clear I wouldn't see Liam that night, I just left and spent the rest of the evening with my friends at the Diamond.

I guess Liam is not that much of a clubber in the end. All in all, this is not really a surprise seeing how reserved and timid he is. I can't imagine him going out with the sole purpose of getting laid - which is totally fine with me by the way. I am not sure I would have appreciated to find out he was that kind of guy and I don't know how I would have reacted if I had seen hands other than mine groping his crotch like it was the case for his friend. I know he's not mine - yet - but I well intend this to happen at some point.

When I reach the 21st floor, I first go to my office to hang my jacket and log into my laptop. I can't help a chuckle when I notice the window panes have been unfrozen in my absence. Of course, Liam has a key to my office door but I wonder if he did that to have more light from my own windows or if he thought I would have forgotten I had frozen the panes the week before I left and would leave them unfrozen when I return.

Whatever his intentions were, I freeze the windows again and then quietly scurry to his office. As usual, and as was the case with Ally, his desk is perfectly tidied and clean. However, I notice something new here. It is a little frame that I can't see from where I stand, so I walk around his desk to sit down in his armchair and look at the two pictures there. The main photo is one of his parents I guess, an old one I believe, as the little blond-haired boy between them can't be more than 5 or 6 years old. Yet, his features are exactly the same and now I know where he got that angel face.

The second photo is an ID-format picture of Liam and another young man whom I recognize as his friend from the club, although his hair is much longer. Their features look more juvenile too, which makes me think it dates back from high school time. Both of them are making a funny face and sticking their tongue out. The picture is small, but I soon find myself thinking about how great it would be to feel Liam's tongue on certain places of my body. This has me hurry back to my office before I start the week with a hard-on I won't be able to relieve any time soon.

The sudden move revives this stupid pain in my back.

Yesterday, I had Allan and his wife Amely for lunch at home, as well as their two-year-old son Tom. It had been a long time since they had come over for a lunch or dinner. While Amely spent some time in the kitchen with Liz who was cooking our lunch, Allan and I went to my office and discussed about our respective business week.

In the afternoon and after Tom's nap, since the weather was rather fine, we spent some time in the garden and while I played plane with Tom, I had an awkward movement and somehow blocked my back. Despite the pills I took to ease the pain away, it is still there. I guess it will earn me another visit to my good friend Camden. He will probably grumble because Mondays are always busy for him, but I know a way to soothe him so that he accepts an additional patient for today.

A few minutes after I started to catch up on my emails, the subject of my obsession arrives. I lean back in my armchair to observe him and revel in the beautiful sight of him frowning at the frozen windows - hahaha I might have been right when I thought he did it on purpose... - and neatly resting his jacket on the back of his chair. To see him again awakens all my senses and I realize this is becoming more than an obsession. My heart flutters at the thought of having him with me for the whole week. The emotions I feel are hard to describe, because I don't think I ever felt like this before. I get back to my screen when he finally knocks on my door and walks in.

"Good morning, Mr. Pierce..." Liam says nervously. Now that I see him better, I find him rather tired and wonder what he did last weekend.

"Good morning Liam, how are you?" I ask as he puts a mug of coffee and milk on my desk.

"I'm fine, thank you. How are you? How was your trip to California?"

"I'm good, thanks. And it all went well. Thank you by the way for the organization, everything was perfect!" I praise him.

Congratulating an employee is important. A manager cannot only make reproaches when things aren't going well. He also has to express it when things go well. This is something my father never did when he owned the business: congratulating his employees was not in his habits, and I, as his son, was the first to experiment his lack of recognition and gratitude, so when I took over the company, I decided I wouldn't be the same. The employees in New Jersey were a bit surprised in the beginning but I soon felt the benefits of my positive behavior; people worked harder and much better.

"Please take a seat, Liam. We're going to go through my schedule now."

"Sure," he says, sitting down across my desk.

"Did you have a nice weekend?" I first ask. His eyebrows briefly furrow at the question.

"Yes... It was nice..."

"You look tired. Did you party too much?" I ask jokingly wondering if he might have been to another nightclub than the Lost Paradise.

"No... I just stayed home..." he replies, blushing.

"So you just watched movies with your friend?" I insist, testing him a bit further.

"Err... not really. I just read and chilled out. My friend went out on his own... Did you have a good weekend?" he suddenly dares.

"Yes, quite relaxing, thank you. I just blocked my back yesterday while playing with a toddler. By the way, please call my friend Camden Hall, the osteopath - you must have his contact details in Ally's files - and see if I can get an appointment with him today."

Camden is going to love hearing him and that should help in getting a free slot. Calculating, me? Yeah, definitely!

"Sure, will do... Is there anything to change in your calendar or upcoming trips, Sir?"

"Not for the moment. Is everything all set for tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mr. Cole confirmed he is available for lunch and then for the meeting until 4:00 pm the latest as his flight takes off at six."

"Perfect, we will have enough time. Please book a table for three at La Seine. This is another French restaurant outside of the Loop. And I want you to join us for lunch." He tenses a little at that.

"Hmm... Are you sure?" he asks hesitantly. Should I remind him that he is not supposed to discuss my orders?

"Positive. Cole is an important contact for the new division and I will need your help in the coming weeks on this project. I believe it's good for you to meet the most important actors of the project. I'd like you to also attend and take notes during the afternoon meeting."

"Sure. Thank you, Sir."

"Great! I have blocked an hour this afternoon with you and Allan to finalize tomorrow's details. Please make sure the documents are ready."

"They almost are... I will send you the draft this morning."

"Thanks, you can go now. And you can leave the door open, Liam."

He nods and heads back to his desk while I get to my own work. I honestly want to involve him in this project. The development of the new division has only begun but I want to see how I can include him. The works on the 7th floor will soon start and Connie, my HR manager, is currently working on the recruitment of staff. Later this week, we are going to interview some candidates for the position of manager of the division and soon we will be looking for architects and engineers. When Ally returns, and once Liam has finished his internship, I'd like to maybe hire him within this division.

"Good morning, I am Mr. Pierce's assistant," I hear him say a bit later on the phone. "I need to set up an appointment for him this..."

".........." Camden seems to have interrupted him.

"Yes, my name is Liam..."

".........."

"He apparently blocked his back yesterday... are you available this late afternoon or in the evening?"

".........."

"I'm afraid he can't before 4:30, Sir..." Liam replies nervously.

".........."

"I'm not sure... Hold on a second, I'll see if he is available..." My own phone then rings, making me smile. "Sir... Mr. Hall would like to speak with you... May I put him through?"

"Yes, you can, thanks Liam." I put on my headphones and go to shut the door. "Hi Cam," I say in a smug tone when the line connects.

"You bastard! You think I don't see through you?" Cam says grumpily.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I reply with mock innocence.

"Did you really think it would help making him call instead of you? You know Mondays are always difficult!"

"I know Cam... but at least you got to hear his voice..." I chuckle. "Please I really need your magic fingers..."

"What did you do again?" Cam asks irritatingly.

"I just had an awkward movement playing with Allan's son..."

"Fine..." he sighs. "But I can't see you until 10 pm tonight. My calendar is fully blocked until then. The only other option is 2:30 this afternoon during my lunch break."

"I have a meeting at 2. I'll go for 10 pm then."

"Right. You'd better be on time," he warns me.

"I will, darling! Thanks Cam, you know you're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah... Gotta go for my next patient now. I'll see you tonight."

Camden can be such a grumpy bear! If someone ever manages to put up with him and tame his fucking temper, I'll take my hat off to him and worship that person forever! Never mind, at least I got what I needed.

Published on 7 Sept 2016