by Jack Harbon
Kit thanked the receptionist and took the box from her. The light shake he gave it wasn’t enough to help him figure out what was inside. He headed back up to the sixth floor and marched into Roman’s office. He had been in there all day making a suspicious amount of phone calls.
Roman was just getting off the phone when Kit marched in. “This was downstairs. It’s for you.” He shook the box one more time before tossing it to Roman. He caught it and sat it down on his desk. “So, what’ve you been up to today? I feel like I haven’t seen you all day long.”
“It’s only noon, Kit,” Roman said lightly. He searched his desk for a letter opener.
“I know, but usually you have me running in and out of your office. Today you’ve just been on the phone.”
“I’ve been making calls,” he said absently. He removed the packaging inside the box, then let out a breath. “I forgot I ordered these three weeks ago.” Roman pulled out five expensive looking ties and laid them down on the table.
“What are these for? You already have plenty of ties back at your place?” Kit had spent a few minutes going through Roman’s closet while he ran out for food. He’d been shocked to see all the suits and accessories.
“They were a birthday gift for myself,” Roman said, waving his hand. Kit was stunned. He watched Roman put the ties back in the box and return to work.
“Excuse me? Did you say it was for your birthday? Is…is your birthday today?”
Roman let out a long sigh. “Yes, it is my birthday. But if anyone else besides you finds out, I’m going to fire your ass on the spot, you understand me?” Roman looked at him hard. It was clear that he wasn’t messing around.
“Why? Birthdays are fun!”
“No,” Roman said, shaking his head, “Birthdays are not fun. They’re work. Everyone wants to come down and see me, or throw me a party, or take me out. Family I haven’t seen since this time last year. On any other day, they’re nowhere to be seen. I wish people would just send a card and leave me alone.”
Kit cracked a smile. Roman’s grumpiness was cute. “I won’t tell anyone, okay? It’ll be our secret.”
“Thank you. Speaking of our secret, I wanted to tell you that you need to clear your schedule for the first of the month.”
Kit pulled out his phone and opened his calendar. There was only one week left in September, and most of that was already clear. He swiped to October and tapped on the first day of the month. “What should I put down?”
“Just write something like, ‘Surprise.’”
“Surprise,” Kit repeated. “What kind of surprise is it?”
“Well, I was going to tell you then that today was my birthday but I wanted to spend it alone with you and not have to worry about work getting in the way of that.”
Kit put his hand over his heart. “You wanted to take me on a secret birthday trip?”
“And I’m going to, as long as you behave and nobody else finds out about this. The last thing I need is everyone getting distracted with their work because of something as unnecessary as throwing me a party.”
Kit nodded. “I won’t tell anyone. But it’s going to cost you.” He walked his fingers across the desk, inching closer to Roman. He leaned in for a kiss, smiling against Roman’s lips. When he least expected it, he threw a leg over Roman’s and straddled him.
“Kit,” Roman sighed, shaking his head.
“I have to sing to you,” he insisted. Roman started to argue but the look on Kit’s face said it all. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he sang the stupid little song. Roman gave a conceding nod.
Kit took his time, and despite the fact that he was no world-renown vocalist, he managed to stay in his vocal range and finish off strong. “Happy birthday, Romy,” he said softly. He stole another kiss before he placed his head on Roman’s chest. Roman’s hands slid up and down his back as they sat together in the silence.
Kit heard Roman’s heartbeat skyrocket when there was a knock at the door. In a hurry, Kit jumped up and tried rounding the desk as quickly as he could. A moment later, the door opened and Yolanda stepped inside. She looked between the two of them and said,
“Roman, Ari needs to see you. It’s probably about…”
“Ah. I should go see him,” Roman said, glancing at Kit. Kit nodded. Roman rose from his seat and walked out of the room briskly. Now that it was just him and Yolanda, Kit stood up as well. He started to leave when she smiled at him and held up her hand.
“You know, Roman really does see something good in you,” she said.
“That’s good,” Kit said. He was sure Roman could see a lot of things inside Kit.
“I wish I could say the same, though. I’ve tried and tried, but I just…don’t get it. I mean, the office looks decent, but he didn’t need to hire you to get that done. Aside from that, I’m not sure you do anything special that somebody else couldn’t do.”
Kit was just about sick of this. “Look, I’m not sure why you ever had a problem with me in the first place, but I’m tired of dealing with your bitchy comments and your smartass mouth, Yolanda. I don’t know who the fuck you bullied and pushed around in the past, but I swear on every single three-dollar AliExpress bandage wrap dress you have in your closet, I am not the one nor the motherfuckin’ two. I do my job, and I mind my own business. Maybe if you stopped worrying about what I’m doing, your edges wouldn’t be the only thing looking up for you.”
Yolanda crossed her arms and smiled at him. “You know what I think?”
“No, but I also don’t give a damn, so.”
“I think that you’re the one who’s been stealing money,” Yolanda said. “When you’re not here, I get to hear all about the money troubles that this company has going on. And it wouldn’t surprise me if it was you. You just got out of college, and this is just some job to you. Who cares if you get fired? But let me tell you this, Kenneth. If I find out that you’re the one fucking with the company I’ve given so much of my time and effort, I’ll make sure you never get hired at any establishment that doesn’t have a dollar menu.”
She took a slow breath, then smiled. Kit shook his head slightly. “Is there anything else you wanted to wrongly accuse me of?”
“No, I think that’s about it.” She glanced at the ties on the table, thought for a moment, then added, “Tell Roman I said happy birthday.” She turned on her heels and walked out back into the main room. Kit clenched his fists.
Not only had she gotten the last word, but she also knew something about Roman that he thought he’d been the only one to know. There was something seriously wrong with that woman, and Kit couldn’t put his finger on it. He’d never been around someone who had so quickly disrespected and distrusted him upon their first meeting.
Kit looked out at the employees in the main room, talking and working in little groups. The mystery of the missing money was still in full swing, and Kit was getting more and more tired of having to deal with it each and every day. It could be anybody, really.
Logan’s wife just had a baby, and he probably needed the extra money.
Patricia’s washer and dryer had both crapped out at the same time, and now she was making regular trips to the laundromat.
Yolanda needed surgery to remove whatever was stuck up her ass, and Barbie had her thing with Kevin. Nearly everyone had a reason for taking money when nobody was looking. Kit swallowed hard.
If everybody was a suspect, did that mean it could just as easily be Roman behind this?
24
Frisky Feline
It wasn’t until two in the morning that Kit finally fell asleep.
The night before, he’d been up getting his work done ahead of schedule, tapping away on his tablet until his vision went fuzzy and his eyelids grew heavy. Whether he was exhausted or not, he needed to get ahead of the curve and clear out Roman’s email inbox. So, he spent all night putting on his business voice and replying to everyone that was waiting for a response.
Finally, when he was sure he�
��d end up using his tablet as a pillow, he logged off for the night and slid under the covers for some much-needed sleep. He was treated to a peaceful, dreamless night, and in the morning, he woke feeling refreshed and ready for whatever this mysterious date Roman planned had to offer.
Just as he finished breakfast, Kit’s phone buzzed. Roman’s text message informed him to be ready in an hour. Trying not to get too excited, he hurried to wash up and get changed into something comfortable. Roman’s text said to dress casually. Luckily for him, his entire wardrobe, save for what he wore to work, was casual.
By the time he was done and ready to go, Roman had pulled up to the curb downstairs. He grabbed the gift box he’d wrapped last night, then headed down. He found Roman leaning against his car while he waited.
“Hey handsome,” Kit said, pushing up on his toes to kiss the man on the cheek. “I got you this.”
Roman chuckled in surprise when Kit thrusted the large box in his direction. “You know you didn’t have to get me anything, right?”
“Oh please, what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t splurge on you? You better accept that gift too. I don’t take presents back.”
Roman placed it in the back of his car and opened Kit’s door for him. Kit watched him round the car to the other side, and to anyone that knew what Roman was like on any other given day, it was clear to see how excited he was. Kit had never seen him this eager before, aside from the time he’d been writhing in Roman’s lap. His smile was persistent, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, and he kept glancing at Kit out of the corner of his eye.
“So, where to?” he asked Roman.
“Like I would spoil the surprise. Just trust me, you’re going to love it.”
Kit wanted to nag until he knew where they were headed, but there was also fun in the mystery of the unknown. Roman could just as easily take him to some seventeen-star restaurant as he could take him to the subways to watch people twerk for spare change. He wasn’t sure what to expect, and that was the enjoyable part.
Kit instantly recognized West Village when they entered the neighborhood. Back before he started working at Yellow Fall, he’d been to this side of town a few times for some parties.
Roman parked the car outside of a little pub called Frisky Feline. Kit couldn’t say that he knew it, but if Roman thought it would be the perfect place to spend his birthday date, he’d go along with it. They walked inside, hand in hand, and it was in that moment that he realized why Roman had driven so far away from their usual restaurants.
Nobody from work would recognize them here. At Frisky Feline, they could be themselves and enjoy each other’s company without worrying that they might get caught by a coworker. A warm feeling came over Kit. Here, they could just be boyfriends, not a boss and an assistant.
They took their seats and ordered a couple of burgers and beers. Roman took Kit’s hand in his and stroked over his fingers. “Thank you for coming out here with me,” he said, looking up into his eyes.
“You don’t have to thank me, Romy. I’d want to spend your birthday with you wherever we went. We could literally just sit at your house and watch TV and it would be the perfect date. That said, this place is… It’s really cute.”
On the left side of the room, a few pool and ping pong tables were set up, and in the back corner, a collection of old school arcade games were nestled close together. It was the exact opposite of Roman, and he loved that this is where the man had wanted to spend their day together.
After they ate, they carried their drinks to one of the pool tables. Roman popped a mint into his mouth and started the game off while Kit watched, sitting perched on the corner of the table.
“Green stripe,” Roman said, calling out his shot. He worked the stick between his fingers a few times before he let it shoot forward. With incredible precision, he pocketed the green striped ball like it was nothing. He sank two more balls before it was Kit’s turn.
“I’m gonna pretend like I don’t know how to play this game,” Kit said, rubbing chalk over the tip of his pool cue. “Why don’t you come over here, get behind me, and teach me?”
With a mischievous smile on his face, Roman wrapped himself around Kit’s body and bent him over the table, his hands on top of Kit’s.
“Like this?” Kit asked, turning his head to look up at Roman.
“Just like that,” he said coolly, his minty breath intoxicating.
Kit thrusted the cue forward exaggeratedly, letting out a little noise of effort. The orange ball rolled across the table and fell into the pocket. He laughed lightly. “You’re good at working a stick.”
“I’m also good at sinking balls, too,” Roman teased.
This kind of banter continued between the two of them until the end of the game. Though Kit had begged and pleaded for Roman to let him win the game, the man was determined to be the champion, and before Kit could even get half of his balls, Roman tapped the 8 ball into the pocket. Kit reluctantly congratulated him on his victory, muttering to himself as he wandered over to the arcade games.
“Holy shit,” Roman exclaimed. Kit looked at him curiously. “I can’t believe they have this game. Me and my cousins used to spend hours at the skating rink playing this.” Roman looked over the Simpsons arcade machine.
Roman had never been cuter, and Kit could tell this clearly had meaning to him. He slipped in the appropriate amount of quarters and said, “Let’s play then!”
While they’d both been good when competing against each other, Kit and Roman were even better when they were on the same team. The two of them fought their way through Springfield, karate-chopping and side-kicking any enemy that got in their way. Kit hadn’t heard Roman laugh this much in a month, let alone an hour. It was almost hard playing the game when all he wanted to do was sigh and listen to Roman laugh and jab at buttons in a frenzy.
Kit didn’t want to leave the Frisky Feline when it was time to go. If it were up to him, he’d spend the entire night there, trying to finally beat Roman in a game of pool. They hadn’t even gotten to play ping pong, but Roman promised that the next time they came here, they’d try that game out.
Roman took Kit back to his house and helped carry the box inside. “Jesus, what’d you put in this thing?”
“You should open it and see!” Kit hurried after him, closing the door and flopping down on the rug in the living room. Roman took a seat on the couch and began opening the wrapping paper from one end, careful and concise. Impatiently, Kit grabbed the paper and tore it down the middle.
“Hey!”
“You were taking too long!” Kit said with a shrug. Roman shook his head and tore off the rest of the paper rather than prudently peeling it open. Inside was a pretty box filled with a variety of body care products.
“Jeez, Kit, you really didn’t have to…”
“I know you pretend like it doesn’t bother you, but I can practically feel the knots in your shoulders whenever we hug. All of this stuff is supposed to help you relax and decompress after all the hard work you do.” Kit dug through the tissue paper and grabbed a purple bottle. “See this? This is a soothing lotion. There’s also some massage oil and lots of bath bombs inside as well. Plus, this…”
Kit reached into the basket and pulled out a watch. He’d seen it at the store and knew Roman would love it. Perhaps it wasn’t as nice as the Rolex he usually wore, but Kit hoped that the thought would count more than the price tag.
“This is amazing, kitten. Thank you.” Roman leaned in to give Kit a hug.
“I’m glad you like it. I normally just get ties for guys, but you already bought yourself some, so I had to get a little more creative with it.”
“Well, I love this. And I think that you should show me how this massage oil works. What do you say?” Roman made his brows jump as he gave the bottle a little shake.
Kit tapped his chin for a moment. “Hmmm… I think I can do that. Go take your shirt off and lay down in bed, I’ll find some nice, calming music and
then I’ll be in there in a minute.”
Roman didn’t need to be told twice. He tugged his shirt off and walked to the bedroom, slipping his pants off on the way.
“I hate you,” Kit laughed.
“You love me,” Roman replied.
Kit sat back on his haunches and looked over everything. For not knowing what exactly to get Roman, he’d done a pretty good job if he did say so himself.
He made a quick search through his playlists on his phone until he found one he used for sleeping. There were plenty of relaxing songs on there. Kit hopped up and hurried into the bedroom after Roman.
“Alright, let’s get to it,” he said. Kit cracked open the bottle of oil and warmed it up in his hands. With firm pressure, he massaged it into Roman’s back. “How’s that feel?”
Roman let out a groan of approval.
“Good,” Kit said. He worked his hands up and down Roman’s body, each little noise the man made acting as more encouragement. The music playing from his phone even helped Kit relax, and soon he fell into a groove. He dragged his fingers over Roman’s shoulder blades, pressing hard to help relieve the knots he found just below the skin. When he reached his lower back, he switched to his elbow, rolling it in circles, gentler this time. The last thing he needed was to hurt Roman before birthday sex.
After he finished the massage, Kit leaned down to Roman’s ear. “How was that?” he asked softly. When there was no response, he leaned to the side and saw that Roman was asleep. Kit smiled to himself and eased himself down onto the bed, cuddling up next to him.
“Happy birthday,” he whispered.
25
Free Money
As much as he loved getting to see Roman every day at work, Kit needed a break. Desperately. This past week had been the busiest he’d ever had, and he’d designed an entire office in less than a month.
Not only were there talk about hiring new people—and by association, talk about firing old employees—but there’d been a meeting Roman needed notes taken on every single day. Kit had scheduled his next three weeks down to the time he was supposed to eat and sleep. On top of all that, he’d kept up with the lives of his coworkers.