Chapter 21
Nick
The office was eerily quiet. The usual hum of conversation and clicking keyboards was absent, replaced by an anticipatory silence that seemed to hang in the air.
I wasn’t that early and I figured with the CEO coming people would want to get in early to make sure their workspace was neat.
Instead, only a few of my colleagues were at their desks, and all but one was eating breakfast.
I’d woken before the alarm, too nervous to sleep any longer.
Henry and I switched off holding each other and it was incredibly comforting sleeping next to him.
It wasn’t nightmares, or insomnia that kept me up at night.
I hated that I was twenty-five and never had even a semi-serious boyfriend.
Alone at night I’d spend countless minutes wondering what was so wrong about me and how I could change.
The way Henry treated me made me feel special. There wasn’t anything wrong with me. He even tried to take care of me. Not like a parent, but as a partner. I wasn’t embarrassed to say I liked the attention.
“You’ve got this,” Henry had said between kisses before I left for work. “Just be yourself. That’s more than enough.”
I hoped he was right.
Settling into my chair, I powered up my computer and dove into work. The familiar routine helped ground me and keep my mind off Mr. Mancini’s visit. Spreadsheets, client reports, and statistics were my friends and I lost myself in the familiar.
It worked, until an email notice showed up at the bottom of my monitor.
From: Brenda Masterson
Subject: Heads up
They’re coming.
My heart rate instantly doubled, and I needed to take a deep breath to calm myself. “It’s just a meeting,” I muttered under my breath. “I got this.”
Everything Henry gave me suggested Ralph Mancini was a fair man, who talked about the company family. He’d enacted worker friendly benefits to make sure employees didn’t have to choose between family and work. There was no reason to be this nervous.
My palms missed the memo, and were sweaty in under a minute. I smoothed my tie, Henry’s tie, and tried to check my reflection in my monitor. It didn’t work, so I had to hope I was presentable.
The low murmur of voices grew louder, and I resisted the urge to peer over my cubicle wall. How weird would I look if Mr. Mancini saw me peeking over the wall to see if he was close. I decided I didn’t want that to be his first impression of me and double checked I’d cleaned my desk.
I heard them as they turned down my row.
Henry told me to stand up when he was close because I already knew he was coming to see me.
Mr. Mancini was tall, trim, looked young for fifty-five.
His brown hair had gone gray on the sides, which made him look distinguished.
He wore an expensive suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent.
But he smiled and greeted everyone he passed.
Beside him, looking decidedly less comfortable, was Janet Kowalski, our division’s Senior VP. She acted more nervous than I felt.
“And over here, we have our account management team,” she said a touch too loud and cheerful. “They’ve been instrumental in driving down our costs almost 15 percent.”
Ralph nodded politely, but his eyes had locked on me. I gulped, but was proud of myself for not trembling.
They approach my cubicle and Janet finally noticed me. “And this is….” She looked down at her notes.
“Nick Fenton,” Mr. Mancini said, smiling cheerfully at me. “The young man I came to see.”
Janet’s face flushed, clashing with her coral blouse. “Of course, sir. Nicholas Fenton.”
“Thank you, Janet,” Ralph said. It wasn’t sharp or angry, but it was clear he didn’t need her to keep talking. “I can take it from here.”
A young man threaded his way to the front of the group and had his camera out as Mr. Mancini approached me. He extended his hand to me and the camera clicked as we shook.
“A pleasure to meet you, Nick.” More pictures. “I’ve heard good things.”
Hoping my legs didn’t give out, I shook his hand. His grip was firm and surprisingly comforting. His gaze stayed on me, but his smile never faded. He wasn’t searching for faults, he was trying to put me at ease.
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” The pictures kept coming and I think I flinched.
“That’s enough, Jeremy,” he said, and the man lowered his camera. “You should call me Ralph.”
Seriously, the CEO of my company, my boss’s, boss’s boss to the power of a hundred, expected me to call him by his first name like we were old friends. “I’m not sure I can do that, sir. I mean, I’ll try, but it’s not respectful.
He laughed and looked back at the crowd following him. “Respectful. Did you hear that.” The group chuckled nervously. “Do you know what I did this morning, Nick. I got up, put my pants on one leg at a time just like you. I had coffee with my wife, and went to work. Does that sound familiar?”
The hangers on laughed. Except Jeremy. He smiled, but he didn’t feel the need to flatter his boss. “I did the same, except I had coffee with my boyfriend.”
“Good,” he said approvingly. “And since we have such similar lives, you can call me Ralph.”
I glanced down and smiled at how he’d played that. “Ralph it is.”
“Excellent.” He put his arm around me, his genuine way putting me at ease. “This is a good day, Nick. Jeremy doesn’t let me leave headquarters very often so I need to make the most of my freedom.”
Ralph was nothing like I expected and that was a good thing. “No offense, Ralph, but I’d have gone to a baseball game if I had a free day.”
“Well said,” he said lowering his arm. “Is your direct supervisor here? I’d like to speak to you both.”
“That would be me, sir.” Brenda’s voice floated up from behind the pack.
Those in front begrudgingly let her through.
She was more serious than I’d ever seen her.
Gone was her usual playful smirk, replaced by a professional mask.
She’d even traded her typical colorful blazer for a more subdued navy suit.
“Excellent,” Ralph said, his smile widening just before he gave me a conspiratorial wink. “Other than she missed our discussion on how to address me.”
Brenda’s expression cracked a bit, and I couldn’t tell if she was afraid or about to laugh. “She’s the one who taught me to be respectful, so she’s trying to set a good example.”
Ralph laughed and shook his head. “You’re like siblings who always cover for each other. It makes me happy to see my talks about our family aren’t completely ignored.”
Brenda smiled and gave me a barely visible nod.
“Is there a conference room nearby?” Jeremy asked.
“This way,” Brenda said, pointing toward the room we used for staff meetings.
Jeremy shut the door after Brenda, me and Ralph entered. In the brief moment I could see her, Janet looked almost outraged.
We settled into the plush chairs that hadn’t been there the day before and Ralph turned to Brenda. “All kidding aside, good employees almost always work for good managers. Nick clearly has your back, so keep up the good work.”
The color in her cheeks was the first time I’d seen Brenda blush. “Nick makes it easy. He’s an exceptional employee.”
“Like I said, one lies, the other swears to it.” Ralph glanced at Jeremy who shrugged.
Ralph turned his attention to me, his gaze intense but kind. “I’m sure you wondered why I came here and singled you out. Well, this is one of my favorite things to do as CEO. I’m here to let you know, you were selected as Consolidated Mid-Atlantic Life’s employee of the month.”
My jaw dropped, and for a moment, I was sure I’d misheard him. “I... what? How?”
Ralph’s eyes twinkled and his lips quirked up a fraction.
“We have a select group of employees who have been with us for years. They nominate employees who they feel are exemplary. Your peers told us about your great work, but also how you treat your co-workers. The words they used to describe you were kind, thoughtful, and respectful.”
The thought that people noticed me and took the time to nominate me gave me a warm feeling inside. “Wow.”
Jeremy handed Ralph a piece of paper and he stood. “Let’s get a few pictures of you accepting your award.”
After several shots of Ralph handing me the certificate, Brenda joined us for a few more. Ralph and I shook hands for at least a minute straight. Normally, I’d find it awkward, but I was comfortable around him.
Brenda and Jeremy left once the pictures were taken, and it was just me and Ralph.
“You’ll get a certificate for your wall,” Ralph said. “There’s also a small monetary award, and you’ll receive a pay raise as well.”
I was completely gobsmacked. Everyone said this was a good thing, but I’d still had some doubts. “Thank you so much,” I finally said.
“You’re welcome.” He patted me on the back. “You earned it.”
I assumed the interview was over, but Ralph leaned back in his chair, studying me. The leather creaked slightly as he shifted. “Have you considered applying for a management position?”
My stomach fluttered. This was another surprise in a day of unpredictable events. “Not really,” I said. “For the last three years I’ve been focused on survival, if that makes sense.”
Ralph’s expression softened. “How so?”
Normally, I didn’t share my back story with people I’d just met, but there was something about his presence that invited honesty. “My family disowned me when I came out. It took a few years to build a safety net, get settled in my apartment, that sort of thing.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ralph said, his voice gentle. The sympathy in his eyes seemed genuine, not the practiced compassion of a corporate figurehead. “Your parents sound foolish. Any normal parents would be thrilled to have a son like you.”
His words reinforced two things I already knew. Most people not named Fenton, didn’t care I was gay, and I cared more about what the Fenton’s thought of me than I should. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a business card, and slid it across the polished table. “When you find a position you’re interested in, contact me. I’ll make sure you’re considered, though as Employee of the Month, you’ll already have an edge.”
I picked up the card with embossed lettering and held it like it was unimaginably valuable and delicate. “Thank you again.”
Ralph glanced at his watch and I knew my ten minutes of fame had ended.
“I’d planned to take you and Brenda to lunch, but I couldn’t reschedule an important meeting. Jeremy has given Brenda the authorization to take you out to lunch and charge it to the company. Go have lunch on me, and then start your weekend early.”
Funny how we all thought it was shitty he chose to come in on a Friday. Nothing crappy about me getting a half day off with pay. He stood and we shook hands again. Like before, he put his left hand over our clasped hands. Ralph was obviously a hugger, something I wasn’t.
We walked out together, and my co-workers clapped and cheered.
Embarrassed by the attention, I waved awkwardly to acknowledge the applause.
Ralph and the other senior manager departed leaving me with just Brenda and my peers.
Some were genuinely happy for me, others were jealous or upset it wasn’t them. In other words, typical for any office.
I reached my cubicle and my only thought was to share the news with Trevor and Henry. Only, maybe not in that order.