Chapter 16
Preston
The first time I spanked Sage, he said one word. “Harder.”
We began a routine of spanking. He’d mouth off and pretend to be bad. That was my cue.
He had the creamiest, firmest ass, the skin soft as down. I loved to see it turn pink, and to watch my baby zone out to the slaps. I didn’t do it hard and I caressed the skin after every spank.
He wiggled and moaned in my lap, begging to suck me so I’d be good and ready to fuck him. I loved his sucking, so I didn’t tell him the spanking already made me good and ready.
Spanking had been something I loved back in my youth. I guess the thrill hadn’t left me. I loved being the giver in this scene.
For the next three weeks, we met as often as we could for sleepovers, working around both our busy schedules.
Sage was hardly ever home. He stayed at my place more and more.
I’d even cleared a dresser drawer and some closet space for him.
I welcomed his stuffies in my bed. Ponce was often a witness to our lovemaking antics.
When we left each other, we couldn’t wait to see each other again. I was learning how to be the best daddy. Sage was already the best baby boy ever.
At work, my friends noticed a change.
“Boyfriend?” they asked.
I finally felt safe enough to admit it. Sage wasn’t going anywhere and I wanted him in my life for as long as he’d have me.
We still hadn’t said the three magic words: I love you.
But it was in our mannerisms, our body language, the way we melted together in bed.
I loved him hard with all my heart. I didn’t want to scare him away, so I waited to say it.
In the right moment, it would be special. Hopefully forever.
Slowly, my friends got details out of me.
“What’s his name?”
“Sage.”
“How old is he?”
“A bit younger.”
I wasn’t a gossip, but I couldn’t hold back answering their questions. Sage meant everything to me and I wanted to shout it to the world.
One morning, I’d been working hard on a project for hours. I finally decided to take a break for some coffee and a snack.
I walked into the hall toward the break room. When I passed the elevator doors, they opened. And there stood Sage.
My mouth dropped open. So did his.
“Hey,” I began.
“Hey?” The way he framed it into a question didn’t sound right.
“Is everything all right? What are you doing here?”
The look on his face told me he was confused. I went to him. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“I—I didn’t know you worked here. You never said.”
“I never—” That was when I realized I’d given him one of my personal cards back at the kink club. Not my professional one.
“I had no idea,” he said.
“Well, you found me anyway.” I started to reach out to him.
“I didn’t come here to find you.”
My arm fell.
All the air left the world. In that moment I was a fish on land gasping its last breath. “You didn’t?”
“No. I have a deposition in this building.”
“In this building? Here?”
Sage nodded.
“That can’t be right.”
“It is. It’s part of a case this company is representing except they’re defending and I’m the prosecution’s witness. But I had to come here for the defense to conduct an interview.”
“You are a witness?”
“Yep. I can’t discuss it, really. Wait….” His face scrunched up. “You aren’t part of the case, are you?”
“Which case?” My mind was still moving slowly, not grasping it all. Or all the consequences.
“Um. Bremerton and Johnson.”
“Never heard of it.” Whew. Conflict of interest erased. Oxygen deprived brain working again.
“Oh. Good. I remember you told me you work the financial stuff here. This isn’t about that.”
But still…. My mind raced. Sage was part of a case this firm was working on. I wasn’t sure it would be a problem, but I’d have to find out. If it was and I didn’t say anything, I could be fired or, worse, lose my license.
“That’s a relief,” I said. “All right, then, can you find your way?”
“I was told to go to conference room four.”
“It’s right down the hall to your left.”
Sage took on his boy look, gnawing at his lower lip. “I’m looking forward to tonight.”
It was his day off work. We had made plans. Great plans. A nice dinner out and of course a sleepover which had become a regular routine. The tiny flame that was always there for him, even when we weren’t together, quickened.
“Me, too.” He gave me a little wave and trotted off down the hall.
For a moment, I stood staring after him, coffee and snack forgotten. Then I turned and headed for Harold’s office. My boss. His assistant was gone but I could see through the glass door he was alone. I knocked.
From inside, a voice said, “Come.”
I entered and the door snicked closed behind me. Harold looked up.
“Hi, are you busy?”
“Preston. Hey. What can I do for you?”
My legs felt a little wobbly as I stepped forward and sat in one of two chairs facing his desk.
Harold smiled and closed his laptop. “How’s your work going? Hit a snag?”
“No. It’s all fine.”
“That’s what I like to hear. You’re one of the best. But you know that. I’ve always rated your performance as excellent to the higher-ups.”
“Thanks.” I hadn’t come here for a pep talk. But it was nice to hear.
“You look worried. I don’t like that. Something’s wrong?”
“No. Uh, at least I don’t think so. But….”
“But what?” He leaned forward. “Spit it out, man.”
I had to say something. It was my duty. It was about doing the right thing. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Good for you.” He slapped his desk. “About time. Who is he?”
“Well, I—I he’s great. His name is Sage.”
“Great name.”
“Yeah, uh….”
“So, what’s up? You need a little time off? You got it. Just tell me when.”
“It’s not that. I—I just saw him.”
“Okay….”
“I mean I saw him here.”
“Here? You mean here-here? As in this building?”
I nodded slowly. “On this floor.”
“He works here?”
I shook my head.
“Come on, Preston. Don’t hedge.”
“He’s being deposed right now.”
The smile dropped from Harold’s face. “On a case of yours?”
“No. No, not that. The Bremerton and Johnson case.”
Harold’s eyes darted up as if he was trying to remember. “Bremerton, Bremerton,” he mumbled to himself. “Oh, yeah. That’s the rich brat kid whose father hired us. College student or something.”
“I don’t know anything about it. I just found out today my boyfriend is a witness. I came directly here.”
Harold frowned. “Good thing you did. And thank you.” He folded his hands across his chest. “Are you thinking conflict of interest?”
“Not really. I guess maybe. That’s what I need to find out. I don’t know anything about this case and Sage never told me about it.”
Harold opened his laptop. He typed for about ten seconds.
Then read his screen. “It’s no secret. This Johnson kid was caught spiking drinks at a college pub.
Used Rohypnol. He’s accused of sexual assault on Bremerton.
” He squinted, reading more. “Apparently, your boyfriend saw him do it. Not the assault, but the drink spiking.”
Why hadn’t Sage mentioned any of this? “Shit. Well, then he’s a key witness.”
Harold nodded. “How serious are you two?”
I shrugged, not sure what to say.
“If it’s not that serious, break up with him now. I won’t say a word.”
My body chilled. “What?”
“You just went totally pale, dude. Seriously, I think this might be a problem but we’d have to go to HR, get a review and all that.”
“How long will that take?”
Harold glanced away, sighing, then looked at me again. “Maybe days. Could be weeks.”
My stomach bottomed out. “Weeks?”
“I can see that’s a problem.”
I took a shaky breath. “He’s practically living with me right now.”
“We still have to go through this process with HR and the bosses. He has somewhere else to live, right?”
“His apartment.”
“Until this is over….”
“You mean the case?” I interrupted. “When’s the trial?”
Harold glanced at his screen. “Not until spring.”
“What?” I couldn’t do this. Not to Sage. Not to myself.
“Yeah. That’s what it says.”
“I can’t—” I twisted my hands together. “I can’t do this.”
“Look, go to HR. Make a report. Maybe it won’t be any big deal. I’m just saying you have to see it through.”
“Or there are consequences, right?”
Harold stayed silent.
“Like losing my job? Or my license to practice?”
“We don’t know that.”
“I’d quit then. Give my notice.”
Harold’s face looked pained. “You can’t quit. You’re my best financial guy.”
“I—it’s serious. There. I said it. I—I am….”
“In love with him?”
I’d only admitted that in silence. Never to another person. My head dropped, chin to chest. “Yeah.”
Harold’s voice softened. “Go to HR. Make a report. I’ll make sure the bosses get it today. I’ll put a rush on it. They’ll decide.”
“But if it is a conflict, I’ll have to quit.”
“Or not see him.”
I stood quickly, thoroughly annoyed. “That’s not an option.”
Harold stood. “Preston, I really don’t want to lose you. I’ll do anything I can. I promise. But right now, I suggest you don’t see him. Not until the report comes back.”
Turning toward the door, I said, “I’ll head down to HR right now.”
The office door closed behind me before I heard his response.
At HR, I filled out a form giving every detail I knew, including that I’d gone straight to my boss when I found out Sage was a witness.
I tried to get information from them about how long it might take for the report to be reviewed and the bosses to come back with a decision.
No one at HR had any clue. But they did say I could not contact Sage until the report was seen and a decision finalized.
I wanted to quit right then and there.
When I got back to my office, I was sweating and clammy. I couldn’t focus. I sat at my desk and looked out the window at the traffic in downtown. Ugly. Everything was ugly to me right now.
I kept taking out my phone and looking at it.
I’d never felt so bereft. And angry. I had to cancel our plans tonight but I didn’t know how to do that.
Sage would be devastated. If I told him the truth, he’d hate that my job was in jeopardy.
I knew he’d want me to keep it even if it meant he couldn’t see me.
He’d want to break it off to save me. I just knew it.
He couldn’t know. I had to come up with a story. Something believable. But that was hard. Even if I told him I had to go out of town on business, there was still texting and phone calls and video. I wasn’t allowed to have any of that with him.
I couldn’t think. I was frozen in place.
Maybe it was best not to lie, but to not say much at all. Just cancel. That would be it. Fewer words meant less confusion.
Finally, I picked up my phone and began to type. Immediately, I erased and tried again. Then I erased it all and turned off my phone.