Chapter 14 #2
“Yeah, but… I think I might have gotten him fired. I didn’t like the guy, but that wasn’t what I wanted.
I told the senior partner what his sister-in-law told me about him.
The thing is, that it was just rumor, but I think that might have gotten him fired.
Granted, if it was true, it was a real ethical issue, but I didn’t want to be the one to get him terminated. ”
“Okay,” Forrest said. “You’re going to have to start at the beginning.”
“Bethany and Rachel, from your class, they’re cousins.
Carrie is Rachel’s mother, and she told me about her sister and Lester.
God, it’s like this town is so interconnected sometimes.
Anyway, she told me that they received a sizeable inheritance when their parents died.
It seems that Lester put the money into their joint account back when he and Caroline were still married, which would mean that not only would he have access to it, but doing that could make a case that it was community property.
It was something he should never have done, and that called into question a lot of his professional ethics. ”
Forrest had already heard enough. “First thing. You had nothing to do with Lester losing his job. He did that all on his own. And somehow I think that accessing the server to delete emails was enough to get him fired. So while I know you’re having moral and ethical questions about this, you don’t need to. Lester did this to himself.”
“I suppose.”
“He did. Look, he wasn’t qualified for the position he was after.
He thought he could get a promotion on the backs of other people’s work, and that only highlighted that he wasn’t doing his current job.
So don’t blame yourself.” Forrest took his hands.
“Trust me. No one else is responsible for Lester other than Lester. So you go ahead and be happy for yourself. You deserve it. I’ve seen you busy weekends and nights to make sure that things are working right for your clients.
I doubt Lester ever did anything outside of work hours unless he got a phone call, and even then he messed things up. ”
“I know. I just hate thinking that I could be responsible for someone losing their job.” This had clearly upset Conrad.
“But you aren’t. If he wasn’t doing the work, then he didn’t deserve to have the job in the first place. So please don’t worry about all of it. Regardless of what you told your boss, Lester brought this on himself.” Forrest tried to be as firm as he could.
“I know, and I’m happy. I know I can do amazing work, and once I get the team together, we can do a lot for our clients. I just need to put all this with Lester out of my mind. If his life is messed up, then he’s the one who did it.”
“Exactly,” Forrest said. “Now let’s talk about something other than work… for both of us.” He looked around. “I really like the tree.”
Conrad chuckled. “So do I, though Lizzie keeps undecorating it and moving the ornaments around. I think she thinks that everything has to be in just the right place for Santa to bring her what she wants.”
“Did you get them for her?” Forrest asked.
“Well. The list keeps growing, …” he chuckled a little.
“Of course there will be Legos,” Forrest supplied.
“Yes, and enough Legos that I will never be able to walk barefoot in the house again.” He grinned, and Forrest knew Conrad would love it if Lizzie was a Lego girl. “But I don’t want to force it.”
“What do you mean?”
Conrad leaned closer. “Why do you think Lizzie has never seen what’s in the basement?” he asked.
Forrest paused. “I just thought it was because that was something that you wanted to keep for yourself.”
“No. You and I have worked down there. It’s not a private thing.
Building is something I’ve done in front of an audience.
That isn’t a big deal. But if I take Lizzie down there, she is going to see everything I have, everything I’ve built, and she might think that she has to build those kind of things too.
She doesn’t. I want Lizzie’s imagination to run wild, and I want her to build the kind of things she wants.
I think kids’ imaginations should be set free.
So I’ll give her a bunch of blocks, and she can build whatever she wants, tear it down, and build again.
” Conrad stood and took him by the hand. “Come on.”
“What?” Forrest asked with a grin.
“Let’s go on downstairs and build us some Lego.”
Forrest tugged Conrad to him. “How about we go to your room and we can spend some time, just you and I?” His answer was a nod, and Forrest led Conrad upstairs, where he stripped him down because damn, the man was wearing too many clothes, and Forrest was really coming to enjoy that view. Especially his bare backside.
“You really have a thing for my ass, don’t you?” Conrad asked. Forrest spun him around, slid his hand around his waist, and pulled his backside closer.
“Yes. This backside is a thing of beauty.” He stroked down his back and over the curve of what he thought of as the most perfect butt ever created. Forrest kissed his butt cheek, massaging the flesh tenderly.
“It’s just a butt. Everyone has one.” He turned around, and Forrest swallowed hard. “Now, you on the other hand.” Conrad pressed him back toward the bed. “You are sex on a stick.”
“I know you say that, but I have never been that. I’m pale as hell, and with the alopecia…’” He stopped himself.
“You think that makes a difference?” Conrad put his hands on his hips, glaring at him.
“Well, it does—it makes you hot and sexy. I like that you’re bald and smooth.
I like how soft your skin is, and how firm you are under it.
” Conrad drew closer, raising the heat between them.
“And I love how you don’t seem to know it.
” He snickered. “A few of the mothers in the school have asked about you. Rachel’s mom did at the Halloween party.
They all do. You exude this sex appeal that’s gentle and hot, and I love it.
So stop thinking that there’s anything wrong with you, because there isn’t.
” He wound his arms around Forrest’s neck.
“You really believe that,” Forrest said softly.
Conrad touched his lips. “Okay. You have to tell me in what universe….” He stepped back. “…all this isn’t hot.” He waved his hands like he was performing some kind of spell. “Because whoever did was feeding you a bill of goods.”