William Bassio

He wasn't opening the door.

Why?

Was he really sick or did he see me and decided to ignore me?

I spent the remainder of last night reliving the call with fitting a face to the voice. I spent the whole day today wondering why he didn't come to the office.

Now he would not even open the fucking door. I checked the address again on my phone. It was the correct door. Susan swore she talked to him this morning.

I sat down on the steps. Dan's flat is the only one on this top floor so I didn't have to worry about running into anyone. I need some proxy to make him open the door.

A discarded small cardboard box caught my attention. Perfect.

I googled the closest pizza shop and ordered for door delivery and waited. Within ten minutes I heard footsteps.

"Hey," a teenage girl greeted me.

"Hi... that's for me." I stretched my hand for the box in hers.

"Not so fast, mister. Why are you outside? Locked out? How do I know that you're the person who ordered? What if I give it to you and somebody else calls the shop and complains that they didn't get their dinner? What if—"

"Whoa... here." I pulled out my id card and thrust it in front of her face.

She checked her receipt and grunted. "Enjoy your dinner Mr. Bassio."

I tipped her and took the box. She would make it big in whatever field she chose.

She grinned at the twenty and gave me a salute and wandered off.

I took the pizza box and put my hand out strategically so that the box blocked the whole view of the door lens and pressed the doorbell again.

This time the fucking lock turned and a voice came out from the creak of the door.

"You have the wrong do—"

I wedged in before he could complete his sentence.

Dan stared at me open mouthed.

I gave a smirk and looked around for a place to put down the hot box.

My jaw slacked at the small flat I stood in. It's a studio, with a single bed and a TV on the wall, a sink and a single coil stove and fridge. No furniture, whatsoever. Not even a chair or stool to sit on. Even though there was enough empty space for a couch and table.

I put the box on the stove top and turned back to Dan. My mind was whirling with questions.

Am I not paying him enough? What's his pay? His whole flat is smaller than my bathroom.

That thought made me feel guilty.

"Are you sick?"

He looked like he always did but in a loose nightshirt and pants. I had not seen him in anything but full sleeve formals. He shook his head and studied me.

"Then why didn't you come to the office?"

Sighing he went to his bed. I followed h.

"Why didn't you answer the door or your phone?"

"Look, as I said before, I won't tell anyone about last night. You have nothing to worry about. If you thought firing me would raise eyebrows, I can resign on my own. Anything else?" He looked so tired all of a sudden and sat down on the bed.

I took a step closer. "Why would I fire you?"

He raised an eyebrow. I blinked.

"Last night's call? Aren't you freaking out that it's me?" He asked.

I nodded. Now though I was past freaking out.

"I'm making it easy for you." Dan said, studying his fingers.

"No. You don't have to go. I... I would..." I could not finish my thought out loud.

He did it for me. "Like to repeat last night? Is that it?"

When I stayed quiet he laughed.

"Fuck, Will. You're so pathetic. Now that you found a way to satisfy your needs secretly, you're eager to take it."

I sat down on the carpet. "You liked it too." His urgent breaths still echoed in my ears.

"That's not the fucking point. You'd still be in the closet!"

"How did you know that I'm gay?"

He chuckled. "I know you. Your subtle looks and stretches. You shamelessly checkout every stud, drooling like a dog. That's how I know I was never..." he shook his head. "Don't settle for phone sex just because it's easily available and safe. Date one of those studs you like and live your life for fucks sake. Now, leave."

I felt like a small kid being scolded for thinking of stealing. Dan was spot on.

That's exactly what I thought.

Having phone sex whenever I liked with someone I can trust, with no one being the wiser.

"Are you out?" I asked him.

"Don't compare yourself with me. Nobody cares about the little old me. I can be a unicorn and still no one would blink at the news..."

I sighed. "I can't... I can't come out. You know that. How..."

"Did you eat lunch?" He looked at me intently.

"No. I... you weren't there... I was distracted with meetings."

He shook his head, disappointed.

"I got pizza. We can share." I tried to redeem my standing.

"You're on a strict diet. Remember? No processed carbs."

I groaned. "I need processed carbs. Let's eat." I got up and grabbed the box. I must convince him to come back to the office.

Dan had pulled out a foldable small table from somewhere, I placed the pizza and sat down again on the floor leaning on the wall.

He got a water bottle from under his bed, and we had the perfect dinner spread.

"I can't remember when I last ate sitting on the floor." I grinned and took a cheesy slice.

He gave a small smile, "two years back, when there was that fire accident and we had to vacate the building for an afternoon."

I smiled, "yeah. You got me this horrible pizza from some food cart."

"Because you wouldn't shut up and wait like a normal adult.  I had to feed you something to keep you quiet."

Like an idiot, I blushed. He didn't mean it in any dirty way, but I did.

Thankfully Dan wasn't looking at me. I ate my pizza thinking of how to broach the subject again.

"Stop thinking about others, Will. You're twenty eight. How long are you going to wait to have a love life?" Dan asked.

"I don't see you having one. How old are you?" I retorted.

He growled. "This isn't about me, idiot."

"Hey, I'm your boss." I was sitting on his carpet, that didn't mean he could call me an idiot.

"I told you. I'm quitting."

"No, you're not."

"I refuse to be your phone sex provider."

"Why not?"

He glared at me. "I have a masters degree in business administration. I'm sure I'll get a better job than helping you wank."

I glared back. "This isn't fair. I didn't ask you to help! You started this. Now that's all I can think about."

"My fucking mistake. You know what? I'll make you think of something better. I'll book an escort to get you devirginized."

I turned red. "How did you know...?"

"That you're a virgin? Personal secretary, do you know what that means? Nothing happens in your life without me knowing about it!" He spat.

"Why are you being snappy?" This was a different Dan than the one I was used to. Sure, once in a while he made me do things I didn't like by persuading me. But this was a whole new level of treatment. I didn't even feel like he respected me anymore.

"Why are you being a coward?  What I did last night was sexual harassment. You know that. You should have got insulted and filed a case against me. At the least you should have realized what you're missing out on and set out to get a boyfriend. What the fuck are you doing here?"

My whole body tensed up. He was of course correct, but being called out still hurt. I looked away. Boyfriend. Me.

"Will... I didn't say that to hurt you." He whispered.

I stood up. "I know. Thanks. I should go."

I started towards the door and stopped. "Don't quit, please. Continue just as my secretary. I need at least one person on my side. Who actually cares."

He stared at me for a second and nodded. "Okay."

As I walked back to my car, something nagged me. There's a piece missing in the whole exchange I just had with Dan. I'm missing something important. We didn't address everything.

Crumpling the tissue in my hand, I vowed to find it.

**** End of Chapter Three ****