All characters are 18+
Brief summary: Rich and important Victor sought out the delightful sweetheart, Garrett, to be his administrative assistant. But Victor had other plans, and they soon became a couple, having to hide their ‘inappropriate workplace relationship’. But there are many ways they differ, and both men aren’t sure quite how to navigate.
——
I, quite frankly, didn’t even believe that Victor ‘forgot’ to tell me. In the moment, I understood the frog in the boiling pot of water. Like I hadn’t realized just how deep I’d gotten already.
But I like him… a lot.
And I didn’t want to. Despite the luxuries, all the glamorous and wonderful things I’d seen and done, life was easier before all of it. Before I became aware that this stratospheric level of a life was even possible outside of cartoons and comic books.
“Well, are you going to just sit in silence for the rest of the night?” He asked, staring straight ahead. Him avoiding eye contact felt so foreign that it almost hurt something inside me. Those eyes of jade had hypnotized me; there was simply no other explanation.
“I’m pretty sure I talked last, so it was your turn,” I mumbled. “But, no. I’m not going to be silent, because I’m upset. I feel undermined. And I’m a little scared.”
“Garrett,” he said softly, finally looking at me. I could’ve cried from the tidal wave of relief. “I don’t want you to feel scared. I’d never want that.“
“No, it’s not like that. I just mean… Relationships aren’t a guaranteed forever. We all know that. Obviously, ideally, they work out. But a lot of times, they don’t,” I started. Victor nodded, still looking in my eyes. “So let’s say you and I don’t work out. Then I have legal documents dictating what I can say or do. I have to find a way to make sure all my housing stuff is fully in my name. I have to find a new job, because you know Wallace won’t have me back.”
The more I said, the more real it all became. And the scariest part of all was that staying with Victor was the most obvious and easiest choice. And it was scary because yet again, it didn’t feel like a choice.
“I understand. I’ll take my name off the lease. I don’t think they’ll refund such a large check, but I’d still just like to consider that an attempted act of kindness. I don’t want that money back, and it makes me feel better that, at the very least, my partner, an important employee, a friend of mine, doesn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over his head.” He put a hand behind me, out of the hot water. “I know you can, but I want to do this.”
“And I do, really, appreciate that.” In my mind, I flashed back to earlier in the evening, talking with Karoline. I had thought of the ways I would help her if I had Victor’s money. Was that condescending of me? Or, perhaps, was this truly Victor trying to be nice?
But I was hesitant to give him the benefit of the doubt. And—even worse—there was no way for me to repay Victor for any of it. I had nothing to give to him except myself. Was that really all he wanted?
“If you look at it from my perspective,” he said, “I’ve never had a romantic partner like this. I’ve come close, sure, but you’re the only one. Money is the only way my father has ever shown he cares about me… So maybe I’m misguided because of that, and I’m sorry that it’s coming across as condescending.”
That made sense. And it made my heart hurt. By all accounts, Victor had been emotionally stunted when his mother took ill, and his father didn’t—or couldn’t—provide the love he needed. Maybe this was the only way he knew.
“I don’t think you’re some charity case, Garrett. Trust me, I’ve donated to hundreds of those without a second thought.” He sensed me bristle up, and he added, “…I realize that’s not helping my case. What I meant is that if I simply viewed you as a charity, I’d have anonymously donated or something. I’d have left you to live your life. But I wanted you in my life.”
I still didn’t understand why. If we can just sneak around like this, why couldn’t we have done that without the complications of a work dynamic thrown in there?
“Why me, Victor? You could have anyone. You could have some dignitary from another country and go on lavish vacations. Or some tech start-up genius on the Forbes list.”
“I know.”
His simple answer spoke volumes, and I felt the anger receding a bit. But I still didn’t know why. Yet.
“I don’t want to be mad, Victor,” I said calmly. “I don’t like feeling angry. I actually have tried really hard to just… not be angry.”
In all honesty, I didn’t like any big emotions.
“Anger is just as valid as every other feeling,” Victor replied. “I understand if it feels uncomfortable, but I don’t think it’s healthy to just… eliminate an emotion.”
“No, I know,” I said softly. “I just want to be content. I think I just crave stability and contentedness.”
“Two things I’ve taken for granted,” Victor whispered, seemingly to himself.
“But what I’m saying is that at I’m not actively trying to be combative and defensive. But I’d be doing us both a disservice if I didn’t say anything. We, both of us, need to be more open with our communication if this is going to work.” I took a deep breath and prepared for his reply. “And I’m admitting fault, too, here. A relationship is a two-way street.”
But his lane of the street was paved with gold, and mine was loose cobblestones and dusty dirt.
“Okay, yes. I agree. I like you too much to let my pride ruin this.”
Was it my pride as well? Is that why I was so upset? I was prideful of the life I’d built, however meager it was. I’d built it up on my own. My kindness and my work ethic had gotten me to where I was. I felt like I was in a modern Jane Austen novel. Was Victor my Mr. Darcy?
I also questioned how much of my disdain stemmed from envy. I wished I could drop thousands of dollars on a whim. I wished I could help people I cared about. But I couldn’t. Victor could.
“So you’ll take your name off my lease?” I asked for clarification. “I am by no means saying I don’t want to be with you, or live with you down the road if it gets to it… But right now, at this point in my life as a man in my early 30s, I need to have things that are mine. I don’t expect you to fully understand, but I really have worked hard for everything I have, no matter how small it may seem.”
“Nothing about you or your life is small to me, Garrett. Nothing. I will take my name off the lease. I apologize for crossing a boundary so carelessly.” He found my hand under the water and grabbed it. “I know I promised never to make you feel this way again, and I’ve already fucked it up. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. I think we both still have a lot to learn about each other,” I breathed.
Victor nodded, sighing. “You’re right. I need to be more sensitive and listen more.”
“I can’t say I’m the most open-book person in the world,” I admitted. “Being alone for so long, I guess I live a lot of my life in my head. But I need to remember that people can’t read my mind.”
My thoughts were constantly racing, and at times, it was like catching a salmon in a spawning stream just to string a sentence together. And here I was, doing it again, succumbing to my spiraling thoughts and retreating further inside my mind.
So I did my best.
“In the interest of being open,” I started, “I should probably explain a little bit about why I am the way I am.”
“Lovely? Kind?” He gave me a half-smile that made me melt.
“No,” I chuckled, mad at myself for letting him creep back in so easily. But was he creeping back in if I couldn’t actually send him out in the first place? He’d already burrowed into my heart, and I knew it would be a painful extraction. I continued. “I meant, like, emotionally.”
“I’m listening,” he said, encouraging me.
“As a kid, I cried a lot. Like, a lot. And my dad didn’t like it. He called me a baby, a girl, all things that I know aren’t bad, but when he said it, it stung. So I think I taught myself to turn it off, from the outside in… Like, I’d be miserable inside, but I trained myself not to cry. And eventually, I just stopped feeling that deep sadness. But then I barely felt anything at all.”
Victor squeezed my hand. He said, “I want you to know that I will never, ever shame you for your feelings. Okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered. “I mean, I still have feelings, obviously. But any time I got angry as a kid, or even in my younger adult years, it always came back to bite me in the ass. I lost a job because I was venting to a coworker about something that had happened, and she told my supervisor.”
“You got in trouble for being angry?” Victor gasped.
“Yep. So I try not to get angry anymore.”
“I mean, I understand. And I’m sorry that I’ve caused more anger in you, but I’d rather you be angry than numb. Anger stems from passion, a lot of the time.”
I nodded, agreeing with him. “You’re right… And thank you. Even after my dad died, I still feel like he’s always judging me.”
“I know that feeling,” Victor sighed, leaning his head against my shoulder and displaying that softer side I liked so much.
We sat in silence together for a while, contemplating.
“I like you a lot, Victor,” I blurted, breaking the silence. “And I mean that I like you. Beyond your house, the hotels, the private jet… All of that is great, but I keep coming back for you.”
“Thank you for saying that,” he whispered, his head still on my shoulder. “I, to be honest with you, have had a hard time keeping friends. When I was younger, back in college, of course everyone wanted to hang out with Vic Tanner the rich kid with all the cool shit. I was a big partier in college… at boarding school, too. But everyone graduated and grew up, and I kept having fun, and then suddenly I felt like I was behind.”
Ironic, I thought.
“Ironic, I know: the guy who has everything, who started a step ahead of everyone, felt like he was behind.” I almost laughed at how he had read my mind. “But that’s how I felt. And then not long after that, I was snatched up into the CFO position at TannerCorp, and we moved out here, and then when I tried to meet new people, they had to be Vic Sr.-approved.”
It was interesting to think about how much power our fathers still had over us, even in our 30s. I felt for him, especially as I learned more.
“I partied a bit in college, too,” I said. “But I was one of the weird kids who waited until I was 21. So in a way, all the friends my age were already partied-out, and I was just beginning, and I dove right in. I definitely felt a little isolated in that way, so I guess I kinda feel your pain.”
He sighed again. “You’re so sweet. So fucking sweet.”
I smiled, laughing softly through my nose.
“I mean it,” he said, sitting up. He slid his arm back under the water and wrapped it around my waist. “You’re literally one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. You put out this undeniable energy. It’s quite magnetic, really.”
I didn’t believe him, but not as a statement on his character. I just didn’t think I was desirable. Especially not to a man like Victor. But at every turn, he’d made it clear he was truly into me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, trying to just accept the compliment.
“I understand that I’ve upset you, and I think I truly do understand how and why. And I just truly hope I get the chance to prove I’m better than that. I have a lot of beds and couches here, but I really hope you’ll sleep in mine with me tonight.”
I thought for a moment. Just minutes prior, I was ready to leave, and now I was ready to climb back into bed with him.
“Of course I will,” I said quietly.
So we got out of the hot tub and carried our clothes back inside, towels wrapped around our waists. We slowly made our way back to the bedroom, walking close to one another. I felt better, but not just because Victor had said some nice words. I believed, maybe to my own detriment, that he was genuine with what he said.
Then Victor stopped by the door to the secret room. My eyes got really wide.
“Do you want me to show you this room? I realize it’s unfair to keep secrets. I just… don’t know how you’ll react.”
My heart started to beat faster. After a few deeper emotional talks, I was almost afraid of what he might show me if he was still worried.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to discuss it first?” I swallowed hard.
His small hand rested on the doorknob, unmoving.
“I did, but perhaps there’s no better way than to just dive in. I will say… it is something sexual in nature. My staff does not go in here unless I request it.”
My mind was reeling once more. ‘Something sexual in nature’ eliminated the murder dungeon—I hoped—but the possibilities were endless, really. I was fairly reserved, sexually, but I considered myself rather open to new experiences. And life with Victor thus far had been full of new experiences.
“Just… just show me,” I said, nodding almost furiously.
Victor took a deep breath, also nodding, and turned the handle. He pushed the heavy wooden door inward, revealing a very dark room. Like the home theater, it was windowless.
“Now, I need to preface what you’re about to see with this: the contents of this room can remain locked away for the rest of our relationship. This is, by no means, something I expect you to participate in. It’s simply something I discovered along the way that I… really enjoy.” His voice was shaky.
I’ve never seen him this nervous, I thought to myself, a bead of sweat dripping down my forehead. But I guess revealing a kink or whatever can be nerve wracking.
“It’s not, like, a gimp suit or anything, is it?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, no, not like that. Just something many people might turn up their noses at.” Then he reached in and flicked the light switch.
A dim, mid-century swag lamp hung from the center of the room, casting an orange glow that reflected from the sheen of the polished concrete floor. As my gaze peered deeper in the room, I noticed what looked like a bench, or a cot, or something long and wide enough to lie on.
The walls were a deep red color, like blood depleted of its oxygen, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust. And that was when I saw the rows and rows of shelves lining the walls, and the multitude of candles that covered them.
The candles were of every shape, size, and color one could imagine. Some were burned and melted down, their drippings clinging like stalactites below. Others seemed newer, and others were unused entirely. My eyes darted across the room, unsure what, exactly I was looking at. Then I took a step in, and I started to noticed patches of hardened wax surrounding the table, like blood spatter.
“Victor, what… is this?” I asked, walking farther in. He left the door open behind us, and he walked up next to me. We still had our clothes in our hands, and we still were clad only in our towels.
“How do I begin?” He said softly. “As a kid, I always had a fascination with candles. Loved them. I’d get them as gifts from family, from places I hadn’t even heard of. And for some reason, one of my favorite things to do was stick my fingers in melted wax and let it harden like a shell.”
“I mean, I guess I’ve done that,” I remarked, my voice unintentionally hushed.
“Yeah, that’s all pretty normal. But I guess I grew out of that eventually. The dormitories at my boarding school didn’t allow candles—believe me, I had tried—so I kind of forgot, in a way, about my fascination.” He walked and sat on the edge of the table, seemingly searching around the room as he spoke. “But then there was one time, and please forgive me for discussing precious sexual partners, but it’s relevant.”
“Oh, I don’t mind. We’re in our 30s, we have pasts,” I replied. I couldn’t maintain my focus on anything; I was very overwhelmed, and as my eyes adjusted to the pale glow, I noticed just how many candles there were. I was particularly transfixed by a deep green one that was as wide as a soup can and as tall as a table lamp, and it appeared to only have been lit once or twice.
“Well, I had a little fling in Bali one time, and he had a large headboard, covered in candles, very ambient, the whole works. Obviously, I liked to look at them, but we were… getting to business, and that knocked over one of the candles. The hot wax dripped down onto my chest, and I came instantly.” He flashed his eyes at me, intensely reading my face to gauge my reaction.
I didn’t know what to think. But I wasn’t appalled or dismayed. And I was certainly curious to learn more.
“Huh,” I shrugged. “Go on.”
“So I did a little research—after trying to remove hardened wax from my chest hair, which I started shaving after that—and I found some interesting resources, and I fleas fortunately to have the means to explore.” He seemed to relax a bit, finally, which helped me to relax.
“When did you stop shaving your chest?” I was wondering, especially since I didn’t realize he had done that at all.
“It’s been a while. It was hard to find anyone else into it, and it’s only so fun for solo play, to be honest. I think part of it is letting go. It’s an intense sensation you can’t control, and for some reason, I like it.” He looked, somehow, even deeper into my eyes.
“That’s different, I’ll admit. But I’m interested to see it in action, kind of. Do you prefer to be the… dripper or the drippee?”
He chuckled, softening even more. I heard him try to stifle a relieved sigh, but he held a pretty good poker face.
“I don’t know if drippee is a word, but that’s usually what I prefer. But I’d like to try being the dripper some time, honestly,” he smiled.
I peered around the room a bit more, taking everything in—especially what Victor had told me—and I came to a pretty solid conclusion.
“I’m willing to try anything. Especially with you.” I knew I was too forgiving, yet again, but I was only human.
“R-really?” Victor put a hand on mine. “You don’t have to just say that. I promise. I can go without.”
“I mean it!” I smiled. “Why not? I can drip wax, no problem. If it gets you off? Hell fuckin’ yeah!”
Victor cracked up, practically cackling. I realized that was probably his real laugh. The laugh that only the closest people get to hear. The one that might be embarrassing, but it still sneaks out sometimes.
“You’re… incredible, Garrett. I need to be better. For you.” He leaned back a bit, hands on his knees.
“No, Victor, I don’t think you need to be better. I just think we need to understand each other better.”
“Well, I’d like to be better…” He muttered.
I was starting to get cold, there in just a towel.
“It’s chilly in here,” I said, trying not to shiver.
“Yeah, I keep it cool… The candles can make a lot of heat. Do you want to go to bed? We can stand under the dryer first.” He stood up, and we started out of the door, turning off the light.
Under the dryer, we dropped our towels, and the warm air was very pleasant. Victor pushed the button a few times, and we were both entirely dry by the end of it, so we headed to bed together. He put something on his big TV, and he spooned me. The pressure of his strong arms around me was like a weighted blanket, calming me at last.
“I feel like you’re the first person to see me,” Victor whispered. I had thought he’d fallen asleep, so he startled me a bit. “You call me out, but instead of running from me, you’ve stayed. That’s why I said I want to be better. ”
“I have no problem calling you out,” I chuckled softly, running my fingertips along the arm he had wrapped around me. “And I’d hope you’d do the same if I’m ever on some bullshit. Just be nice about it.”
“I can do that, but I can’t imagine you ever doing it saying anything that would constitute as ‘bullshit.’” He gave me a light squeeze, and then I felt his hot breath against my neck.
“What time do the cars come tomorrow?” I could feel my eyelids getting heavier.
“Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you that, too! The office is closed tomorrow. My father and I are giving everyone the day off, since we’re up from last quarter.”
“What? When did you decide that?”
“Have you checked your work email this evening?”
“No,” I said. I tried not to devote much time to work outside of work.
“I decided in the drive up, honestly. My father approved it in minutes, and we sent out an email to everyone.”
I smiled. Can’t complain.
“I hope you stay tomorrow. I have some ideas. You have to try Karoline’s full breakfast spread. It’s quite impressive.”
“I’d love to stay, Victor.”
It wasn’t long before I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Victor’s deep, rhythmic breathing was a lullaby.
——
I didn’t know what time it was when I awoke again, but I felt a heavy weight on top of me, and I was lying on my back. As I opened my eyes, I could make out a silhouette in top of me, and when I extended my arm to where Victor would be, he wasn’t there.
“Sorry,” he whispered. “I had a dream about us, and… I couldn’t wait.”
That’s when I realized he was straddling me, both cocks in his hand, slowly jerking us. In my half-dazed state, I reached up to grab his hips, sighing heavily as I realized how good it all felt. I must have been hard in my sleep when Victor climbed up on me.
“Ohh, fuck,” I breathed as my mind woke up. “That feels good.”
As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the features on Victor’s face, his chestnut hair catching the moon line. He was cranking our shafts pretty rapidly, like he had a clear goal in his mind.
“Mmm, I want to make you feel good whenever I can, Garrett,” his gravelly voice cut through the dark.
I rubbed my thumbs back and forth against his hipbones. The heat radiating from our hard cocks was intense and tingly, and I saw a glint of moonlight reflecting off of precum that dripped from our tips.
“Ohh,” I moaned, louder now. I wondered how far through the mansion my voice carried.
Victor started to get his hips into it, too, rocking them forward, pushing his cockhead into mine. I groaned, my eyes fluttering in the dark, and I could hear Victor’s breathing getting deeper, heavier.
“Oh, mmm, fuck,” I heard him grunt. “I’m gonna—ohh!!”
And then I felt his hot but splattering all over my stomach and my chest. His strokes slowed, but I was getting close.
“Mmm, keep going,” I moaned. And Victor responded wordlessly, cranking us together, faster again, now lubricated by his nut. After a few more seconds, I was at the edge. “Oh, I’m cumming!”
The mess on my torso doubled as my nut rained down on me. Victor milked me dry, and he climbed back off of me. I reached into the drawer for a towel, and I cleaned myself up as Victor came crashing down next to me on the bed. Within seconds, he was snoring again, and I rolled over, resting my head on him.
There was still much to discuss. A lot to learn about each other. And there were still plenty of alarm bells going off in my head. But I couldn’t deny what my heart and my body wanted.