by John Charles
"I've lived in Amity all my life. I went to school here, see hundreds of people when I work with the estate sale business, have worked on over a thousand pieces of furniture for people in Amity and Monroe, and still don't get the recognition you get. So yeah, it would scare the shit out of me if you were on the city council, but I wouldn't stop you from running."
They finished eating without interruption. When he finished his breakfast, Forrest leaned back, patted his stomach, and said, "I've got to go on a diet. Eating out all the time is killing me. And traveling keeps me away from my morning run and the gym, too."
"I'm not into running, but do enjoy working out. Ever think about a workout partner? I had one for a while, but he had to go out of town for an extended trip." Lance had finished eating, had his elbows firmly planted on the table, and was holding his coffee mug in front of his lips as he spoke. "Forrest, how do I fix this mess I created?" He looked up to see the man looking at him with a smirk on his face. "I guess I should ask that question differently. Do you want me to fix this mess I created?"
Forrest said nothing for the better part of two minutes causing Lance to wonder. "I'm going to be rock solid honest with you Lance. I like you and would certainly enjoy getting to know you better, but and there is a strong but to my statement. I am always going to be in the public eye. Right now, it's for my design work. In the near future, it's going to be in politics. If you can't handle that, then you should be the one to walk away from this. I can't and frankly won't accept your drama."
It was Lance's turn to be quiet. He had expected Forrest to be honest, but this was brutally honest. "I know my insecurities get in the way sometimes, but I'm not really a drama queen. It was just the suddenness that got to me. If you're willing to give me a second chance, I'd like to see where this goes." He sat waiting for the rejection he expected to hear.
Forrest nodded, smiled, and reached out for Lance's hand. "Let's give it a second try. You work on your security issues and I'll try to help you understand who I am. If after a few months, we are still talking about this topic, than we know it's not going to work. Fair?"
"Fair." Lance smiled as he held Forrest's hand. "What's on your agenda for the rest of the day?"
"Laundry, and the gym, but neither is carved in stone. You have something better in mind?"
Forrest let Lance pick up the check, leaving a nice tip for the server. They walked to Lance's car. "Follow me. I know just how to make all this up to you." He pulled Forrest into a tight hug, nibbled on his ear and whispered, "We can spend all day getting to know each other better. The workout I have planned will exceed anything you'd get at the gym."
*****
He had not expected to spend the weekend with Lance, but couldn't complain. Once they arrived at Lance's tiny apartment, it was like two men starved for sex. Lance was right. The workout he put Forrest through was better than going to the gym. He also never stayed naked for two full days. Every time he tried to get dressed, Lance pulled him into his arms and gave him reason to take his clothes off again.
He arrived home late on Sunday only to shower and slip into his bed. It felt different. Three nights ago, he was happy to be alone, that night he was not. Though extremely tired, sleep eluded him for several hours. His mind raced with thoughts. Could this work? Would Lance be okay with his public image? Would he be able to socialize with my friends? Would Lance's friends accept me? The questions were never ending. The only thing he felt sure about was that Lance was amazing in bed.
They had sex on every surface in Lance's apartment. They even fucked on the small balcony next to Lance's bedroom. At first, he was concerned being outside, but as soon as Lance assured him that no one could see them, his fears diminished. Lance was a sex animal and never seemed to tire.
Monday came too quickly for Forrest. He skipped his normal run, crawled into the office at 7: 30, later than he would have liked, and needed coffee injected into his veins. I hope the day is better than Friday.
It wasn't!
Chapter 16
"You look like shit!" Eyanna stood next to Forrest's desk with a new stack of folders. "I thought you said you were taking the weekend off."
"I did, but those plans changed. And please don't shout." Forrest took the stack of folders from her and set them down. "New clients or updates?"
"Some of both. It seems as if the world is enjoying the mayor's discomfort by giving us more work. All these came in over the weekend."
"Over the weekend? We can't handle this and I'm not going to hire people I can't continue to employ over the long run. Do you know of any temp firms that we can use for the less critical stuff?"
Eyanna sat in the chair in front of Forrest's desk, leaned forward and said, "You've worked all your life to get to this point. You worried that we didn't have enough work to pay the bills. Now that work is flowing in faster than we can handle it scares you, too. You need to stop worrying and realize that everything will be fine. Things are going to ebb and flow - that's normal." She had worked with Forrest long enough to know he would find a middle ground. "I'll contact some temp firms and find people who can help us out."
Forrest wasn't worried about work. He was sexed out from the long, unplanned weekend with Lance, but he'd never admit that to any of his staff. That was more than they needed to know about his personal life. "Has the mayor called or come back?"
Eyanna laughed. "No. I think we made it clear that you wouldn't cover his as on this one. The news conference is at nine. I bet our phones start ringing before it's over."
As she predicted, their phones did start ringing, but they did way before the conference ended. One call came from the CEO of Phila-Designs. "What the fuck are you doing Dentren? Our entry won the contest."
Forrest didn't know what prompted the call. "With all due respect sir, I have no idea what you are upset about. You won."
As he was trying to calm the man down, Eyanna dropped a note on his desk. It read: The mayor is calling for a new vote. He is planning to open the vote to the public.
Forrest sat back in his chair and groaned. This was the last thing he wanted. A controversy was never good. "Sir, believe me when I say I had no idea about this and would never do anything to cause your firm's reputation any harm." Eyanna watched as Forrest tried to navigate the call. It was obvious by his answers that he was not succeeding in calming the CEO. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but believe me when I tell you that no judge will agree with you. Neither Dentren Designs, nor I had anything to do with this. In fact I don't agree with the mayor. The decision should stand."
That comment did calm tempers a bit. "Yes sir, I'll do that, but I doubt it will change anything at this point. The mayor apparently feels the need to re-open the voting and I doubt anything you or I do will change his mind." He sat in silence for several minutes, listening to the excited voice from the west coast. "As I said, we had nothing to do with this and yes, I will talk to the mayor." He hung up, put his head in his hands and sighed. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"
Though he wanted to win the contest, he never wanted the controversy that the mayor had brought to his life. Many people called with their compliments - others with hateful messages that Forrest was playing unfairly. The newspapers agreed with the mayor suggesting the people should have had a say in the contest from the beginning. One paper said the mayor should be impeached for his poor handling of the situation.
The week was so stressful for everyone at Dentren Designs that other projects slipped, deadlines were missed and the staff had troubles with the most mundane things. "We can't let this control us," he said at the Friday morning meeting. "When we lost the vote, we all pledged to do better. Now we are flailing our arms trying to cope with the stress this has caused. If any of you feel you want to leave then do so. I won't stop you."
Everyone looked around the bullpen and shook their heads. Several people voiced their objections to Forrest's comment. "We don't want to leave you." Nods could be seen from most in the room. Others had their arms crossed
in anger that Forrest would even consider the thought that they would leave him.
"Good. We need to let this pass, and it will, and get back to the clients that helped make us strong." People nodded and shouted their agreement. "I, for one, need a break so we are closing at three today, for a refreshing weekend. When we return on Monday, I expect to see a rested staff ready to give their all to our clients."
The next two hours were spent discussing the entire project schedule. Each project manager was given the floor to update the staff. Designers showed their latest ideas for new clients, even the interns were allowed time to talk about their assignments. When the meeting finished, everyone felt better. Forrest did too.
When he reached his desk, he picked up his phone and sent a text to Lance. Shutting down at three today. Want to spend the weekend at my place?
He received a reply before he set the phone down. Working an estate sale tomorrow, but can come over around 6. That OK?
Come over tonight. We'll go to dinner than we'll come back to my place for desert. You can leave from here tomorrow morning.
*****
Though Lance's week was less exciting, he did have more drama than he wanted. His mother asked about Forrest. "Did you two have the talk I suggested?" Lance gave her the minimum of details he could say without causing her to go crazy on him.
She wanted more but Lance was not giving in. "Mom, you don't need to know every word. We agreed to a two-month trial. If I can learn to handle his public life and his money, then we'll continue. If not, I have other options."
"You would prefer to be back with Dale?"
"I agreed to two months, mom. Dale is out of the picture for now." His mother was not happy, but didn't press further.
His sister tried to kidnap him for lunch. He refused knowing better than to let her have him in her clutches for an hour. She was always prying into his personal life and even though she wanted the best for him, he felt she pried too much.
Matthew Kailen brought in a side table for refinishing. "How are you and Forrest doing?" Lance tried to be diplomatic by telling Matthew that they were doing well. "Must be tough with all the publicity. You getting any shit from this?"
Lance was taken aback by Matthew's comment. He had never thought that he would receive any criticism due to Forrest's situation. If he were seen with Forrest, it would make sense that people would think he was part of whatever was happening. "No, but we've not been out together since last weekend."
"Well I hope it stays that way. People can be fickle when it comes to their heroes."
Lance was shocked. "I'm sure he doesn't think of himself as a hero. All he wants is to do the right thing. It was the stupid mayor that put him in the middle of this shit."
Matthew shook his head as he listened to Lance. "You don't get it do you? Forrest is the epitome of hero to these people. He grew up in Amity, came from a poor middle class family to become a star. And unlike others, he didn't abandon his roots and go someplace more glamorous. He stayed here in Amity and grew his business. Now he's the man who lost the contest. Those people out there don't like what happened to him and let the mayor know their discontent. Yeah, he's their hero, Lance. And by association you'll be in their sights, too."
"I hope I can be a safe landing zone for him. He needs someone who doesn't feel the need for all this confusion and drama."
"Yeah, I agree. I would kill to have someone like Forrest in my life, but I don't do relationships." Before Lance could ask, Matthew said, "Hold that question for another time, years into the future, please."
"You two all squared away?" Dale leaned against a workbench; legs spread wide, arms crossed over his too tight shirt.
"We agreed to a two month trial." Lance continued polishing the tabletop he had been working on.
"Two months? You think that's long enough?"
"No, but its fair. I walked out on him, remember?"
Dale pushed off the bench, walked to Lance, and pulled him to his chest. "Why are you doing this? Do you really want what he offers?"
Lance leaned against Dale's rock solid chest, put his head back, and said, "I like him, Dale. I don't want to hurt you, but yeah, I do like him."
"Okay then. Give him two months and see if you feel the same. By the way, did you see the news this week? Your man is the center of controversy in Monroe."
Lance turned in Dale's arms, looked him in the eyes, and said, "Yeah, I saw and that's the only part of him I don't like. But even you have faults and I still like you." He leaned in for a short sweet kiss and broke from Dale's hug. "I have to finish this today, so unless you plan on helping me," he left the last few words unsaid.
Dale picked up a piece of cheesecloth and started on the other side.
Chapter 17
Forrest was thankful that Lance had to work on Saturday. He doubted he could continue the non-stop sex they were having a second weekend in a row. "I have to be in good shape on Monday or my team will begin to wonder if I'm as committed as I say I am."
Lance smiled as he kissed Forrest at the door. Just before entering his car, he turned his head. "If you'd rather, I can go back home after work," his smile made it clear he was joking. He enjoyed teasing Forrest, both in and out of bed. Not waiting for a reply, he got into his car and drove away.
The mayor's decision to hold a re-vote loomed heavy on Forrest's head. The local paper had headlined the stupidity of the decision and proclaimed the mayor as one of the dumbest politicians in decades. For Dentren Designs, it could be a milestone event, giving his firm the coveted design win in his own back yard. This is wrong for so many reasons. Damn, how would I feel if the situation was reversed? Phila-Designs won the contest and they should have the bragging rights.
The wheels in his head were in motion and he needed some exercise. It was later than normal for his morning run. The streets were busy with traffic, cars didn't slow or give him space as he tried to navigate the roads, and it was Saturday morning, when most people were out for breakfast or other weekend ventures.
By the time he returned home, Forrest felt good. His run allowed him to burn off some of his frustrations with the mayor, and it gave him the high he enjoyed. It further helped him solidify his ideas. A quick protein shake was followed by a cool shower. It was nine thirty when he sat on his balcony with his phone in hand. He could and would fix this. Forrest made several calls and smiled after the third one. Everyone he spoke with agreed to his plan.
He put the phone down and picked up a book he had wanted to read for too long - Ancient Ruins of Rome - An Architect's Dream. It was turning into a great day.
Their weekend was less of a fuck fest than he had thought it would be. Lance enjoyed dancing, as did Forrest, so they went to The Hole Saturday evening and found it crowded but not overly packed. They danced, drank, laughed with friends, and had a great time. When they returned to Forrest's condo, both men were too tired for anything beyond a quick shower and a cuddle in bed.
Sunday morning brought the sex fest back in high gear, followed by another steamy shower, and brunch at the Monroe Diner with several friends, including Rachell and Dale. "I can see why he likes you so much," said Dale as he stabbed a pile of pancakes. His fork raised to his mouth, Dale continued, "Lance is a good guy Forrest. Please don't hurt him." Just as Forrest was going to reply, Lance returned from the buffet.
Rachell smiled, as the two men seemed to cuddle into each other on the bench. They have it bad.
The balance of the day was spent playing board games with their two best friends. Neither wanted to end the weekend, but Forrest insisted that he get a good night's sleep and a run in the morning. "I have something very important to do tomorrow and I need to be rested and looking good." Lance pulled his body tight, kissed him with the passion of someone thinking he would starve without the other, and left.
Forrest arrived at Dentren Designs before seven on Monday. His run was better then on Saturday and he felt refreshed and happy. For the first time in weeks, the office was em
pty when he opened the door. He almost forgot to turn off the alarm, but the loud beeping from the control panel couldn't be ignored.
He enjoyed the solitude of the morning and found himself humming as he reviewed the folders Eyanna had left on his desk. "Someone's in a good mood." Her smile said she knew something. "I gather you had a good weekend?" Eyanna leaned against the doorframe.
Forrest stopped humming when he heard her, looked up from his desk, and said, "Yes it was nice." He looked down at the papers he had been reading, expecting Eyanna's next comment. He knew she would want more and enjoyed their banter.
"What's his name?" Forrest looked at her with a questioning face, struggling to hold back the laugh that was attempting to break free. "Don't think you can fool me. After ten years working with you, I know you, and I know when someone has gotten to you. Now give!" She sat in the chair in front of his desk, arms crossed, and waiting.
"Oh, it's more than a person. If everything works as planned, we should be swamped with press by ten this morning." His smile said it all. Forrest Dentren did something over the weekend that would make people either very happy or very mad. Either way, Eyanna would enjoy the ride.
"Should I open the gun vault?" she joked. "You're not going to tell me are you?" Forrest shaking his head would have gotten others angry, but Eyanna took it in stride. "Well I hope you know what you are doing."
"I hope so, too." He held his coffee to his lips and said, "I may have made a few enemies, but they'll get over it." Eyanna's smile faded.
The morning seemed average to everyone in the firm. Too many projects, not enough people or time to complete them, phones ringing, and people talking. Suddenly the door slammed open and everything stopped. There stood the mayor of Monroe. He was fuming. The look of anger on his face would have had most people running in the opposite direction, but Eyanna smiled her knowing smile and said, "Good morning mayor. To what do we owe this unexpected visit?"