Chapter Eleven #2
Nick pressed a gentle kiss to Zach’s hair. “I couldn’t tell you anything before. I’ve been in phone calls with HO since Monday, sorting out details. Now I can tell you.”
“Let me guess. You’ve worked a miracle, and they’re sending you to Manhattan,” he joked. I’m not that lucky.
Nick’s breathing hitched. “I don’t believe you said that.”
The hairs on Zach’s arms stood on end, and he sat up, his pulse quickening. “What do you mean?”
“I got the final confirmation this morning. They’ve decided on a new initiative. Instead of sending me to all these branches, they want me to train staff to do what I do.” Nick’s gaze met his. “And I’ll be based in the Head Office in Manhattan.”
Zach’s heart hammered. “For how long?”
Nick’s eyes gleamed. “For good. Staff will either come to HO for training, or I’ll do it online. Either way, it will be a permanent base. Five years of me turning branches around, and they figure this is a better use of my time.”
“And did you tell HO? About us, I mean. I know you said you were going to.” Zach didn’t think it was anyone’s business but theirs.
Nick nodded. “When I spoke with them yesterday, the first thing I did was inform them of our situation. And before you ask, I told them, because it’s best to be above board with HR, just in case.
Not that there’s a specific written company policy about this, which is surprising in this day and age.
” He bit his lip. “A situation HR is now rectifying, it seems. Expect a new policy any day now.”
“Did they offer you the job before or after your confession?” Zach air-quoted.
“Oh, they’d already made up their minds on the new position before I brought it up.
I didn’t know that, though. And the fact that we’re going to be working in different places?
Less of a headache for them.” He grinned.
“So it looks like I need to start looking for a place to live. It’s not a lot of notice, but they say they’ll pay for me to stay in a hotel till I’ve found somewhere. ”
Zach’s heart was in his mouth. “You don’t need to do that. How about you stay here? It’s not that huge a commute, right? I’ve been to HO. We’re talking less than thirty minutes by train from here.”
Nick stilled. “Now wait. We’ve only known each other—”
“Four months,” Zach interjected. “And before you say it’s too soon, think about it.” He couldn’t let go of the thought of Nick moving in. “You’re staying here for the holidays, right?” Nick nodded, his eyes wide. Zach squeezed his hand. “When do you start the new job?”
“January sixth.”
Zach smiled. “That gives us plenty of time to see if we can live together without killing each other, right?”
Nick coughed. “I was thinking more along the lines of it giving us time and opportunity to grow the relationship, but hey, I’ll go with that.” Then his smile faded a little. “Except… Dad invited me to stay with them between Christmas and New Year’s.”
Zach couldn’t hold back his grin. “Mom gave me the same invitation. Coincidence? I don’t think so.” That sneaky pair…
Nick’s face lit up. “A family Christmas, in a house big enough that we’d never be in their way, nor them in ours. I like it.”
Zach loved it. He leaned over and kissed Nick on the lips, taking his time.
“There’s one more thing,” Nick said as he drew back.
Zach let out an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. “And there you go again, stopping.”
Nick laughed. “Patience. There’ll be a lot more kissing once we’ve had dinner. And more besides.”
Zach loved that they were on the same page. “That tree wasn’t the only thing I went shopping for.” The largest bottle of lube he could find was sitting on the nightstand. Zach wasn’t about to be coy.
Nick grinned. “I hope you bought more than two packets this time.”
“I bought a value pack. Thirty-six condoms.”
“That should last us till the weekend.” When Zach gaped at him, Nick burst out laughing. “Oh sweetheart, your face…”
Oh, to have the stamina for such sexual shenanigans. Then he checked himself. Hey, you never know, I might have. Never tried it before. Zach forced himself not to think about that. “What were you about to say, before I interrupted?”
“It was about us staying with Dad and Becky. With all the acreage Dad has, that’s a lot of snow.” When Zach frowned, Nick’s eyes danced with glee. “Snowball fights.”
Zach chuckled. “And you aim to win, don’t you?”
Nick burst out laughing. “You’re learning.” He curved his hand around Zach’s cheek. “So… this is a trial period?”
Zach bit his lip. “You living here? Sure. Us? Uh-uh.”
Nick arched his eyebrows. “That confident, huh?”
“You just informed HO we’re an item.” Zach smiled. “That sounds pretty certain.”
Nick gazed at him warmly. “Because I believe in this. In us.”
“So do I.” The words came out as a whisper. Zach looked into a pair of brown eyes that had once held only apathy, or so he’d thought. Now? They held the promise of many more Christmases together.
“Zach?”
He blinked.
Nick did a fair impression of Puss in Boots from the Shrek movie, right down to the imploring eyes and quivering chin. “Feed me?”
Zach made as if to unzip his pants. “Well, if you insist…”
Nick bit back a smile. “That’s just an appetizer.”
He gave Nick a mock glare. “Bitch.” Then he grinned.
Nick was where he belonged—with Zach.
The End