it, he was pissed off.
Who the hell did Luke Addison think he was, walking away from Affton--twice!--like he wasn't worth even a fucking backward look?
He stomped all the way back to his office, grabbed his gym bag and headed up to the gym three floors up to do a rep, or five hundred.
* * * *
"God, he's a prick."
Luke shrugged. "He's a businessman." And an ex. And he wasn't supposed to have to see the bastard, ever. His oldest friend was head of HR and promised him that the job would be worth the risk.
"Well, someone has to work on this crappy piece of shit account." Louise handed the file over to him.
"I'm not dealing with him. I'll design the logo." It wouldn't take him three hours. Hell, he'd have it done before he left for the day.
"Just drop the file back in his office when you leave. He'll be gone by then. You know the execs--they're never in the office after lunch." She made a disparaging face.
"Okay. Just let me work. I'll get on it." Luke took the file. "I'll email it." He couldn't see Affton again. He couldn't. Not after... He shook his head. He wasn't going there.
"Just don't get us fired, kid."
"I won't. I got this." Static design was a no-brainer.
She patted his shoulder and headed back to her cubicle.
Luke did the work, sent the file, forcing himself not to think, then he grabbed his stuff. He'd finish the rest of his shit from home.
He got on the elevator without looking, only realizing his mistake as a choked noise sounded. He looked up, and up, right into Affton's eyes as the doors slid closed. He didn't say a word, he couldn't. His throat just closed up. He'd never been so happy, as he'd been with this man.
"Luke." The word came out strangled. He didn't know if it was an acknowledgement or accusation.
"Affie. I. Did you get your file?" Oh, God.
"I got it." Affton bit the words out. "I didn't know you were working for Fillian."
"For about a year. Don got me the job. I work from home."
"You're here today." Was that an accusation?
"Yeah. Louise asked me."
Affton stared at him for a long moment and then--thank God--the elevator doors opened.
He made to hurry out, but Affton grabbed his arm, tugged him to the side. "Let's get a drink."
"A drink?" Oh, God. No one had touched him in so long...
"Coffee, a beer. I don't care where we go, but I think you owe me an explanation."
"Coffee. I don't drink." Ever.
"There's a shop across the street."
Eddie's would be quiet this time of day, too.
God, he couldn't do this. He couldn't. He needed his job, though. He had rent. Bills. "Okay. One cup of coffee."
Affton nodded, hand sliding around his arm, holding on as they left the building and headed across the street.
His shirt tugged off his shoulder, baring his skin and he pulled it up. "I won't run away."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
He didn't have anything to say to that.
They went up to the counter and Affton ordered for them both. The man still remembered how he took his coffee. Luke wanted to just sit down and sob.
"Was the file okay?" he asked.
"I don't care about the fucking file."
"You sure cared about it three hours ago."
"Yeah, well. I've had three hours to think since I saw you for the first time since you walked out on me without so much as a good-bye."
The coffees came and they sat, and Luke just stared at the steam coming from the latte.
"I was hoping you'd have an explanation for me." The words weren't loud or angry, they were quiet. Hurt.
"I..." Like stared at his hands and the images from that awful night played out in his head. Bright lights. A group of men. Liquor. Music. "How could you think I'd stay, Affie?"
"What?" Affton frowned at him. "I loved you, why wouldn't I think you'd stay?"
"If you loved me... Why did you do it?" Why on earth would Affton take him to a party and...give him to a group of men like he was worthless?
"Do what ? What is it I'm supposed to have done?" How could Affton look so earnest?
He drank his coffee, the heat scalding his
Who the hell did Luke Addison think he was, walking away from Affton--twice!--like he wasn't worth even a fucking backward look?
He stomped all the way back to his office, grabbed his gym bag and headed up to the gym three floors up to do a rep, or five hundred.
* * * *
"God, he's a prick."
Luke shrugged. "He's a businessman." And an ex. And he wasn't supposed to have to see the bastard, ever. His oldest friend was head of HR and promised him that the job would be worth the risk.
"Well, someone has to work on this crappy piece of shit account." Louise handed the file over to him.
"I'm not dealing with him. I'll design the logo." It wouldn't take him three hours. Hell, he'd have it done before he left for the day.
"Just drop the file back in his office when you leave. He'll be gone by then. You know the execs--they're never in the office after lunch." She made a disparaging face.
"Okay. Just let me work. I'll get on it." Luke took the file. "I'll email it." He couldn't see Affton again. He couldn't. Not after... He shook his head. He wasn't going there.
"Just don't get us fired, kid."
"I won't. I got this." Static design was a no-brainer.
She patted his shoulder and headed back to her cubicle.
Luke did the work, sent the file, forcing himself not to think, then he grabbed his stuff. He'd finish the rest of his shit from home.
He got on the elevator without looking, only realizing his mistake as a choked noise sounded. He looked up, and up, right into Affton's eyes as the doors slid closed. He didn't say a word, he couldn't. His throat just closed up. He'd never been so happy, as he'd been with this man.
"Luke." The word came out strangled. He didn't know if it was an acknowledgement or accusation.
"Affie. I. Did you get your file?" Oh, God.
"I got it." Affton bit the words out. "I didn't know you were working for Fillian."
"For about a year. Don got me the job. I work from home."
"You're here today." Was that an accusation?
"Yeah. Louise asked me."
Affton stared at him for a long moment and then--thank God--the elevator doors opened.
He made to hurry out, but Affton grabbed his arm, tugged him to the side. "Let's get a drink."
"A drink?" Oh, God. No one had touched him in so long...
"Coffee, a beer. I don't care where we go, but I think you owe me an explanation."
"Coffee. I don't drink." Ever.
"There's a shop across the street."
Eddie's would be quiet this time of day, too.
God, he couldn't do this. He couldn't. He needed his job, though. He had rent. Bills. "Okay. One cup of coffee."
Affton nodded, hand sliding around his arm, holding on as they left the building and headed across the street.
His shirt tugged off his shoulder, baring his skin and he pulled it up. "I won't run away."
"It wouldn't be the first time."
He didn't have anything to say to that.
They went up to the counter and Affton ordered for them both. The man still remembered how he took his coffee. Luke wanted to just sit down and sob.
"Was the file okay?" he asked.
"I don't care about the fucking file."
"You sure cared about it three hours ago."
"Yeah, well. I've had three hours to think since I saw you for the first time since you walked out on me without so much as a good-bye."
The coffees came and they sat, and Luke just stared at the steam coming from the latte.
"I was hoping you'd have an explanation for me." The words weren't loud or angry, they were quiet. Hurt.
"I..." Like stared at his hands and the images from that awful night played out in his head. Bright lights. A group of men. Liquor. Music. "How could you think I'd stay, Affie?"
"What?" Affton frowned at him. "I loved you, why wouldn't I think you'd stay?"
"If you loved me... Why did you do it?" Why on earth would Affton take him to a party and...give him to a group of men like he was worthless?
"Do what ? What is it I'm supposed to have done?" How could Affton look so earnest?
He drank his coffee, the heat scalding his
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