CHANNING
Yesterday was a disaster.
Another day like that would be worse.
What am I going to do?
Max had been absent without leave for a few days and the place just didn’t seem the same without him.
Yes, it may have been tidier but Channing was even beginning to miss the sight of Max’s black boots being left next to the kitchen worktop rather than in the shoe cage by the apartment door.
‘Okay. Okay. Think…’ Channing said, opening up the cupboard where he kept his selection of herbal teas. ‘I need something soothing… good for sleep… not too stimulating.’
Channing fingered his way through the various types of tea available to him and settled on a calming rose and chamomile tea that he had used to good effect a few months ago.
As he waited for the kettle to boil, Channing absentmindedly fiddled with the tea bag and tried as hard as he could to keep any worrying thoughts out of his mind.
‘I wonder if Rick or Tommy are awake?’ Channing mumbled, reaching over to his cellphone and having a look at his messages. ‘Nope. Doesn’t look like it.’
Channing wasn’t expecting to see any unread messages this late but was nonetheless disappointed to see that he had nothing to occupy his mind. Of course the ultimate distraction would be a message from Max…
I miss Max. I miss Daddy Max to be precise.
He’s big, wild, and totally unreliable.
But he was mine… I just hope wherever he is, he’s safe.
Channing poured the now boiled water into his mug and dropped the tea bag into the piping hot water.
Just as he was turning to walk back to the bedroom and attempt to get some sleep, Channing heard the sound of someone attempting to open the apartment door.
Channing nearly dropped the mug of herbal tea on the floor.
What the hell was happening?
Was he about to be the victim of a break-in?
‘Hey! Hey! Whoever you are, go away!’ Channing shouted, doing his absolute best to hide the trembling fear in his voice. ‘I’m calling the cops right this second!’
Channing gripped Billy in one hand, and even held his mug of tea in the other and readied himself to throw it should the unknown intruder manage to open the door and enter the house.
‘I’m warning you!’ Channing said, his voice now full of belief. ‘I don’t back down for anyone!’
Then, the sound of a key jangling in the door lock was quickly followed by the door itself opening.
‘Well, that’s good to hear,’ Max said, a knowing smile on his face. ‘Looks like you’ve gotten all tough in my absence, baby boy.’
Channing paused and allowed himself to take a breath.
With his heart racing and emotions rapidly escalating inside, Channing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Max was back, but there were so many questions. Channing tried to speak, but the words simply wouldn’t come out.
‘I… I… I don’t know what to…’ Channing stammered, his brain trying to process the situation, but failing.
‘No need for words,’ Max replied, stepping into the apartment fully and walking toward Channing. ‘Can I give you a big specialty Max Manchester bear hug?’
Channing nodded, a big smile on his face as his eyes filled with tears of joy.
The two hugged and Channing felt a tangible sense of love and acceptance between him and Max. There was a lot to talk about, but unless Channing was very much mistaken, Max was back – and back for good too.
‘I love you, Channing,’ Max said, his voice tender and sincere. ‘And I want to be your Forever Daddy. All the way. No holding back.’
‘And I love you too!’ Channing replied, the quiver in his voice one of excitement. ‘And want you to stay and be my Forever Daddy too! And I want it to be forever too. I insist, in fact.’
‘Well, seeing as you put it like that,’ Max replied. ‘Nothing would make me happier than to stay with you, boy. I know I fucked up. I should have talked to you. But I’m back. And I want this time to be the real thing.’
Channing and Max looked at one another for a moment before leaning in and kissing. It was a kiss full of passion, love, and carried the kind of intensity that Channing would remember for the rest of his days.
‘Okay, I think it’s time we talked, don’t you?’ Max said, breaking away from the embrace and holding Channing’s hand. ‘Any chance of a cup of that herbal tea for me too?’
Channing chuckled.
‘If you’re asking for herbal tea, then I know something’s different!’ Channing said, smiling. ‘I’ll make you all the herbal teas you want if it means we’re together again.’
Max smiled and walked over into the kitchen with Channing.
Channing made the tea for Max and the pair of them sat down at the table together and began to talk. The conversation flowed back and forth as both Channing and Max got some things off their chest and laid out their truths as they saw them.
Fortunately, both Channing and Max were now very much on the same page.
To Channing’s great joy, it turned out that Max wanted exactly the same thing as he did. But Channing still had some questions he needed answering…
‘But… why not just tell me about Judd, I could have helped?’ Channing said, a slight hint of frustration in his voice. ‘I’m actually kinda smart, you know?’
‘Of course. I know you’re smart,’ Max said. ‘You’re smarter than me, that’s for sure. But I know how important your work is. The last thing I wanted was for you to jeopardize your career. I could never have lived with that.’
Channing was about to answer Max, but paused.
I don’t know what Max will think of me if I explain…
He thinks I’m a highflier.
But the disastrous presentation has probably changed all of that.
Channing needn’t have worried.
After explaining the situation with Kyle Peters and how it had gone from bad to worse, Channing went into the details of the presentation disaster and didn’t hold back. It felt good to get it off his chest, and Max listened attentively and without judgement.
‘Okay, the first thing is that everyone screws up sometimes,’ Max said, taking a sip of his tea and putting his hand on Channing’s.
‘Even the smartest boy in San Frisco has a whoopsy sometimes. Screwing up is how we learn. You’ll do better next time.
You’re going all the way to the top, I know you are. ’
It felt so comforting to hear Max talking like this. Max may not have operated in the corporate world, but his life experience was invaluable, Channing knew that.
But that still didn’t solve the issue of Kyle Peters.
For all of the positive talk, Kyle would still be at work the following day.
And the day after.
And the day after that.
Kyle was a problem that wasn’t going to go away in a hurry, and unless Channing did something the situation wasn’t going to get any better.
‘Bullies like Kyle never win,’ Max said, his voice carrying a hint of stern authority to it.
‘As long as you stand up to him, he will fold in the end. If I know the kind of man he is, and I think I do, then you’ll beat him.
But just to be on the safe side, I’m going to come to work with you tomorrow just to cast my eyes over him. ’
‘Thank you, Daddy,’ Channing said. ‘I want to sort it by myself, but that would mean a lot to me.’
‘Good. That’s agreed then,’ Max said. ‘Now, if we go to bed now and get straight to sleep, you should still get a decent amount of down time before work.’
‘But I want to stay up and talk!’ Channing protested, stifling a yawn.
‘Yeah, that would be fun,’ Max said. ‘But I think I’m going to put my foot down on this one and say it’s bedtime. Daddy’s orders.’
Channing knew that Max was right.
It was indeed bedtime. And with a new day at work tomorrow and a fresh dawn to his relationship with Max, Channing had every cause for optimism.
The only slight shadow still hanging over things was Kyle. But Channing wasn’t going to let that bully stop him getting his head down and enjoying a nice sleep next to Max, his one true love.
* * *
Channing woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. It may have been far from the ideal night’s sleep, but simply having Max back in bed with him made Channing feel like a brand-new guy.
Channing downed his juice in record time and decided to cycle into work. Max even said that he would run in behind Channing, albeit at a more leisurely pace of course. Max wasn’t ready to ditch his muscle car just yet, but running instead of driving where possible was a good enough start.
The cycle into work was glorious too, with the early morning sun beating down on Channing as he whizzed through all his favorite neighborhoods.
Channing knew that he still had to face the senior bosses and try to explain what had happened with his presentation, but he was going to do it with a whole new sense of purpose.
Max’s right.
I CAN make it to the top.
I just need to learn from the presentation and keep growing…
As he parked his bicycle in the bike shed, Channing noticed that all the senior management parking spots were fully loaded with the top of the range, latest model Teslas.
All the bosses must have been in super-early for one reason or another.
This made Channing’s heart skip a beat.
But rather than worry, Channing decided that he was going to seize upon this moment. He may have been a careful planner, but now maybe it was time to take a leaf out of Max’s impulsive book of tricks.
Channing had an idea. It may have been crazy, but Channing was going to go straight to the top floor and formally request a do-over of the presentation.
Without waiting a single second longer, Channing entered the Green Sky Future building and made his way to the top floor. Nothing was going to stop him. Even as his heart thumped in his chest, Channing was determined to follow through on his gut instinct.
Be brave.
Be bold.
You can change their minds about you…
After fighting past their initially skeptical and surprised response, Channing was able to deliver pretty much a pitch-perfect presentation that received a standing round of applause from the senior members of the board.
To say that Channing’s presentation went over well would be an understatement. Even the notoriously prickly CEO Mr. Neil Joss was impressed.
‘Damn it,’ Neil said. ‘I really wasn’t sure what to expect after yesterday. But you’ve just shown me the future of this whole organization. And I know now that you absolutely must be front and center of that future too. Anyone care to disagree?
Neil’s fellow board members dare not disagree with him. It was undeniable, Channing had smashed the presentation so far out of the park it was practically entering the next state.
Neil Joss offered Channing the role of Future Organization Development VP on the spot, and Channing received it with as much enthusiasm as you might expect. This was huge news, and Channing wanted to share it with the man who made it possible.
The only question was, had Channing’s Daddy made it to Green Sky Future yet?