Chapter 4
BEAU
Almost two weeks later, I have my new routine down pat, a great rapport building with baby Bastian, good headway made on my master’s degree, meaning I should be able to move on to finalizing my dissertation soon so I can present it during the next semester and actually graduate in the spring.
If I can find an open teaching position before next summer is over, I’ll be golden, and the new standing with my master’s will mean a better starting salary come the school year.
It’s slow-going but it’s movement. I actually have very little to complain about.
Other than the increasing crush on my employer.
The only thing keeping it bearable is knowing that Arik has to be straight. He has to be. Right? I’ve caught enough of his bed partners sneaking out in the morning to be pretty sure about that.
Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I’ve started enjoying the extra doses of Christmas springing up around the city, something I have a very nice view of at all angles from the penthouse windows.
I’ve even added a few things inside the apartment.
I can’t help it! I want to enjoy this time of year the way I used to.
I went down to the storage area to check on my things and found that Arik had a slew of decorations that looked like they hadn’t come up from the basement in years.
When I asked if I could put some of it up, he said, “Go nuts. The only reason I don’t is lack of time.
I don’t mind holiday cheer. But no tree until after Turkey Day. ”
Something I completely agree with. I may have also made sure to take my ugly sweater out of storage to be donned when putting up said tree come Friday.
Black Friday counts as after Turkey Day!
It’s after. And better to stay in and put up the Christmas tree rather than face Black Friday insanity out in the world.
I haven’t worn this sweater yet, but it is covered in red and green textbooks and says:
Don’t make me repeat myself.
-History
It’s cute and silly more than ugly. I think.
But I’m excited for when I do wear it, because Bastian is starting to notice the color red.
I’ve had a lot of red things out while picking decorations, and anything red near him always draws his eye.
I first noticed when Arik wore his red tie again the other day, and Bastian was completely fixated on it, like he was really looking.
It made Arik’s face light up so sweetly, he was like a different person for a minute.
He’s always nice, just a little guarded and bantery, always on, but for a second there he was…
soft. Exuding the kind of genuine joy that just pulls you in.
I am not weathering this crush well.
“Bello! All food is in the refrigerator or freezer! Understand?”
I’m on a foot stool draping tinsel above the sitting room windows.
Gabby, Arik’s maid, is here today. She took to calling me Bello as soon as I introduced myself and mentioned my brother Bellamy.
She reminds me a lot of my mom who, despite me not knowing much Spanish, still always calls me mijo.
I guess bello is one of many Spanish words for handsome, which makes it hard to argue with her.
Plus, you never argue with an auntie.
Gabby enters from the kitchen with a bit of sweat on her brow that she wipes away.
She’s been cooking all afternoon—after her usual cleaning—which is not part of her normal duties, but she is apparently an excellent cook, and Arik paid her extra this week to make some Thanksgiving staples for us.
He has obligations on Thursday, despite the holiday, while his employees enjoy their time off, so he still needs me to stay with Bastian.
Which I don’t mind! Honestly, I’m grateful to not have to go home and field more endless, “So what happened between you and Emily?” questions and the accompanying pitying looks. Dinner here sounds far better.
“You are a godsend,” I tell Gabby—a little quieter than she called to me, since Bastien is dozing in the sitting room swing.
“No, no, the godsend is you,” she says, looking around at the very tasteful decorating I’ve been doing, if I do say so myself.
She’s not as old as my mother, more like one of my older sisters, but both Gabby and my sisters treat me like I’m fifteen.
“Lovely job, Bello. This place needed a good, um…”
“Maternal touch?” I snicker.
“Yes!” She doesn’t even say it jokingly. “Instructions are written down, but if I forgot something, you don’t hesitate to call.”
“I will not call you,” I argue, “because you are going to enjoy your weekend too. See you next week?”
“Yes, yes. You too, carino.” She coos quietly at Bastian and blows him a kiss before heading out.
I finish my work on the windows just as I hear the front door shut behind her.
It isn’t a loud slam by any means, but it’s enough to rouse Bastian, who almost immediately begins fussing.
“Aw, who’s a little grouchy pants?” I say as I step off the foot stool to retrieve him.
It’s not Gabby’s fault. He was due to wake up.
I glance at my watch before scooping Bastian into my arms. He was due to wake up half an hour ago actually.
He needed the rest, but I didn’t realize how late it had become.
Arik should have been done with his meetings by now.
He worked from home today and was hoping to fit in private time with Bastian, knowing he’ll be busy most of tomorrow and reheating leftovers long after I’ve dug into Gabby’s hard work.
It’s a little sad Gabby went to all this trouble when we won’t even be eating together. Not that we should be sharing meals, being employer and employee, but it would have been nice.
I glance toward the nearby stairs. Bastian is quieting now that I’m holding him, but it’ll be short lived, since he needs changing and is bound to be hungry.
Arik has a changing station in his office, and a mini fridge that we put some formula in each day so he can always fit in at least one bottle feeding.
He could probably use some interruption, just a little peek of my head in to remind him of the time.
There’s some big merger with a company he’s acquiring that has been stretching longer than expected.
I don’t know the details and wouldn’t try asking for any, but it’s been keeping him occupied almost twenty-four-seven.
Which, sure, helps keep my growing crush in check to not see him all the time, but Bastian needs his father.
That’s the whole point of Arik being here today.
Mind made up, I traipse upstairs. I honestly usually avoid coming up here, so I haven’t added any holiday decorations to the second floor.
It’s just so much more Arik’s space. His bedroom.
His office. It feels too intimate, even though I did explore up here the first day.
Only enough to see his huge master bedroom, which has all the extras of mine, like a sitting area and small desk, but the master bath is to die for.
It's this weird horseshoe shape that is sink first, then a right turn to the enormous soaking tub that of course faces the windows, then right again to get to the separate commode room. I peeked in his closet that first day too, and holy crap, talk about a walk-in. I think it’s half the size of my first apartment.
The bedroom and bathroom doors are both open today, so I know Arik must be in his office.
That door is closed. I avoid that room unless absolutely necessary, but it’s one of my favorites in the apartment.
It’s all cool blues with abstract paintings, more huge windows, and is just this long narrow room like approaching a throne when looking in at Arik’s desk.
It should be intimidating, and I’m sure that’s what he was going for, but for me, it adds to the anticipation of reaching him.
Wow, I have this crush bad. Not seeing him as often is not tempering it enough.
I bounce Bastian to keep him soothed and listen at the door to be sure Arik isn’t on some hostile takeover conference call. I don’t think I hear anything. Maybe he’s finished and just writing up notes or something. I could lightly knock first and—
“Ah!”
A cry from inside sounds as if Arik is in pain, and my instincts kick in so immediately that I open the door and call out in concern with barely a thought. “Arik! Are you o…kay…”
Down that long, narrow stretch to the end of the office is not at all the view I expect to walk in on.
Arik is leaning against his desk, standing in front of it, with his pants down around his ankles, and a very trim and beautiful young man with long blond hair pulls up to sneer at me from having been deep throating Arik like a porn star.
“Sorry!” I slam the door shut again, and as I cradle Bastian to me, I want nothing more than to get as far away from this floor as possible.
ARIK
Shit.
Shit.
I never wanted Beau to walk in on something like that.
Especially not while holding my infant son.
As annoyed as today’s afternoon delight might be at the interruption, I cannot possibly let him finish me off or return the favor.
This merger has had me drowning in bureaucracy and nitpicking for far too many weeks, leaving me no time for dalliances, so I had Kevin slip in after I knew my meetings would be over.
So much for stealth.
“Sorry, Kev. Raincheck?” I hurry him downstairs and out the door around the opposite direction from Beau’s room. I then straighten my appearance as best I can before seeking him out.
I find him in the nursery, trying to calm a now crying Bastian.
“Knock, knock,” I say, and though Beau doesn’t directly look at me, his cheeks remain as bright red as they turned when he opened my office door.
“I thought you were working,” he says.
“I was. My meetings ended less than an hour ago, but given my hectic schedule—”