by Oliver Rill
“How’s the training going?” Aristo pulled me back down to earth with his question.
“Huh, I often go with Aaron, but not as regularly as he does, of course. I’d rather go swimming here, if I’m honest.”
“And are you still keeping to the foods that Matt prescribed?”
“Gavin is keeping to it with his menus, but when we go out, I just eat what I fancy. It depends. Let’s say I keep to it in principle.”
“Wow! You still do. That’s good.”
“That goes for today too. We’re going out to eat. Let’s go to Christos.”
“But I’m paying.” Aristo stated firmly.
“You want to treat me? Ok I’m just having a starter.”
“Ella re, Oli!” Aristo exploded into his native Greek. “If I can stay at your house for free, then I can treat you to a whole meal!”
“Ok, ok. Anything you want. But if we go drinking afterwards, that’s my treat. Do you want me to help you unpack?”
“No, I’ll do that. Aaron’s got the front room, hasn’t he?”
“Yeah, take the other one. I like that one, too.”
Aristo unpacked, then came back and sat down.
“Maybe it’s good that we’ve got this chance to talk. I keep hearing that we are short of staff, but there are ever more people being taken on. I can’t keep up with them all!”
“True, Oli. I just have to keep having to ask Melvin whether we can put someone in post, he has to give permission and mostly he does. But there is beginning to be a real problem finding suitably qualified people in L.A. We seem to have snapped them all up.”
“Have you made a forecast for this year and maybe next year too?”
“I already know about this year. Next year I’ll have to think about. It depends on whether we take on new routes or not.”
“Oh we’re going to have around 340 planes.”
“Then we need another building to put them in and a city like New York to find them all. Judging by that we’re going to need about 10,000 people.”
“How many?”
“You can reckon in about 50 people for each plane.”
“50?”
“Delta has 60.”
“You can’t be serious!” I was dumbfounded.
“Just on one flight you have ten people on board. It’s flying nearly 24 hours, so you need two shifts. That’s 20 people. Then you have your engineers and the administration on land. Maybe we’ll get away with a few less, or we’ll streamline a bit.”
“Firstly, you really surprise me and secondly, let’s seriously think about whether we can move a few operations to New York.”
“But I’m staying in L.A.”
“If you want to employ 10,000 people in New York, then I don’t think you’re going to be in L.A. much. Darling, we can have a long distance relationship.” I said, trying to lighten his darkened face.
“Very funny, Oli. I’m going to need a few middle managers too. How am I going to do it otherwise? I can’t on my own. So many posts!”
“Broadway, Times Square, 5th Avenue. Can’t you see yourself there in your mind’s eye?” I persisted.
“No, seriously, Oli. How are we going to manage?”
“We’ll manage. But you’re really going to have to hire a load of managers so that we don’t drown in applications. We’ll have to give Rebecca a budget, too, so that she can advertise the posts. There’s no other way. We need an office in New York.”
“Ok. Will you help me?”
“You’re not serious! Of course I’ll help you. We’ll get right on it when we get back. I need an exact forecast of how many people you need in which areas. An office in Manhattan is going to be expensive, but there it is.”
Aaron got back from the gym and stood behind my chair. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as I thought momentarily, he was going to do something to make it obvious to everyone, but he didn’t and the moment passed.
“You’re not all talking shop again, are you? We’re on holiday!”
“It was important to clear something up. I hadn’t realized how bad the situation had got. And where better to discuss these things than on the terrace with a glass of wine in your hand?”
“Bad?”
“Yes we need … we need everything! Staff, offices, you name it, we need it.”
“Should I ask my sister? I’m sure she’d make a good stewardess.”
“We’re talking about around 10,000 staff.”
“Fuck me! No kidding?”
“Aristo may be exaggerating just a little, but …”
“You’ll see! I’ll put the figures together for you.”
“Ok, boys! I’m going to take a shower and then we can go out to eat. What do we want to do after? Apollinia? Kastro? What tickles your fancy?”
“Let’s go eat, then we can make a decision.” Said Aristo.
We got a table al fresco at ‘Da Claudio’. I ordered a stuffed chicken filet marinated in a garlic and yoghurt marinade. Christos let us know that the today’s desert were crepes with vanilla-mascarpone and orange sauce. Delicious! I couldn’t resist them.
“Guys, you have to have them. They’re like porn on a plate! Really!”
After, we drove over to Apollonia and Bar 34 near Aristo’s place. Of course he put his head around the door and had a short word with his sister, who was working in the shop that day.
“Do you think he noticed anything?” I asked Aaron.
“Should he? That’s easy to remedy, watch.” And he made a mock move towards Aristo and his sister.
“No!” I hissed in a panicked stage whisper, laughing.
“Are you ashamed of me?”
“Not at all! It’s just that, well, we’ve only slept with each other once. I mean, it’s such early days yet.”
“You don’t want to back out, do you?”
“Not in the least! I just want to take it steady. There is after all a lot of you to take in!” I discretely indicated the length and breadth of his body with an arm movement.
“We’ll that’s ok then. What are we drinking? I’m on it tonight!”
“Gin and tonic?”
“Gin and tonic it is.”
We ended the night with a nightcap on the terrace. Moonlight played gently on the waves in the harbor. Tiny lights twinkled on the far shore, bringing it to life and distant sounds reached our ears. I was fully relaxed in my shorts, T-shirt and flip flops in the wonderfully warm night air. The others retired one after the other and I was left sitting. Sifnos was my second home even before I had this crazy job. I always felt good here amongst friends who not only liked me but I would say loved me. And I loved them in return. I felt safe on Sifnos and above all, relaxed. And now I was sitting here on the terrace, belonging to a house that I had always wanted. The most beautiful place on the island. I breathed in a sigh of contentment and expelled it in a relaxed acceptance. It was all working out as I wanted. I sloped off to bed.
A few minutes later I heard the door click as Aaron came in.
“I forgot something here earlier.”
“Oh just a minute, I’ll turn the light on. What did you forget?”
“I forgot how your kisses tasted.” I reminded him of that amongst other things then we fell asleep.
“Oli, I’m going back to my room so that Aristo doesn’t get wind of us. Ok?” Aaron whispered in my ear as he slipped out of the room. It was already after eight a.m. and he slunk away on tiptoes in his shorts. From outside I heard muffled voices.
“Morning Aristo. You’re up early!”
I rolled my eyes and buried my hot face in the pillow. Damn!
The door opened again and Aaron called out loudly. “Oli, do you want coffee too? Here or on the terrace?” The day had officially started.
I showered, dressed and went outside. Aaron hadn’t bothered to dress any further than when I had last seen him. He was still wearing his boxers.
I grinned in embarrassment with Aristo there.
“I didn’t kno
w that you two were an item.”
“We didn’t know until yesterday ourselves.”
“Ok. Since yesterday, huh?”
“Oli always fancied me, but didn’t have the confidence to do anything about it until yesterday, did you?” Aaron said turning to me. I had to laugh.
“Was that how it was? Huh?” I acquiesced. “Since you mention it, yes.”
“And is it official? Are you a thing now, or was that a one off?” Aristo wanted to know, taking a gulp of coffee. Aaron looked at me and grinned.
“You say. I’m drinking my coffee.” I said, picking up my cup.
“I think we’re going to enjoy each other’s company for a while yet, isn’t that right, Oli?”
“Well to be honest. We are always in each other’s company. Where I go, you go. So it’s really the best practical solution to the boyfriend problem. Yes. If I had a boyfriend in accounting, for example, I’d hardly see him.”
“Are we boyfriends now? I thought we were just having fun.” Said Aaron.
“And I thought that Americans didn’t have sex until the third date. We haven’t dated at all yet.”
“Do you want a date?”
“I just want coffee!” I spluttered.
Aaron stood up and gave me a big smacking kiss, right on my lips, then went in to fetch coffee.
“Did he force you? Should I call the police?” Aristo asked with twinkling eyes. “No, I’m just joshing you, but do you know what? I really think Aaron is a really nice guy and he’s quite cool, too. I didn’t see this coming, but now it’s here …” He nodded appreciatively.
“Thanks, ‘Risto.” I said gruffly. “I was a little confused about it myself, but somehow, well, it just seems right.”
The next days passed in a haze of swimming with Christos and his girlfriend Nina, sitting on the terrace gazing at the harbor or out in one of Sifnos’ many bars drinking. Our time on the island was coming far too quickly to an end.
“Aaron, come on. Tell me seriously, what are we going to do when we get to L.A?”
“Seriously? Work, gym, plenty of sex! What do you think?”
“You think we can carry on just as we have here? I mean, everything is different there, isn’t it?”
“What do you want to hear? I like you, we have fun together and I really like being with you. Why would I want to stop using you in L.A?”
“Using me?” My voice went up with worry.
“Yes you are my personal sex slave.”
“You had better come in out of the sun. You’re getting befuddled. Ok. Right. You want to be my partner, right?”
“That sounds so final and official.”
“I just want to know how you see us, moving forward.”
“I just see it as an extension of what we’ve been doing here.”
“What? You pull over to the side and then we go at it like rabbits?”
“No, I mean we work together and we sleep together.”
“Secretly?”
“I don’t give a damn. As far as I’m concerned, you can shout it from the rooftops.”
“And you don’t think people will get funny about it because you’re ‘just the chauffeur’?”
“I was ‘just the bouncer’ before that. Some people would give their right arm for my life now. The real question is if you have a problem with the fact that the guy you’re with isn’t called Einstein or Zuckerberg.”
“For me no. I don’t have a problem with it. But I think people will gossip.”
“Then you have to make up your mind whether you want to carry on seeing me, if you want to keep ‘us’ secret, or if you want to put me in a different job that doesn’t cause people to gossip. I do know, though that I don’t like playing hide and seek or being kept secret for long. I think you should know that.”
Suddenly the tables were turned. I was the one keeping a secret. I blushed to think that I had succumbed to my baser instincts, like a dog on heat.
“Do you want to make it official then? I just have to be sure that it’s not a three month wonder and then you disappear off the face of the earth.” I said reluctantly, not really wanting him to take up my offer.
“I get that. But can you see into the future?”
“No, but I can recognize a tendency.”
“Ok, Oli. I’ll say it once more. I like you, I think you’re really great and I go weak at the knees when we kiss. I can’t say more than that.”
“Right ok. Well I can’t let you off the hook. The other gays have to be protected from your rampant ways. I’m only agreeing to give them some peace and quiet.” I wasn’t ready to lose his great body.
“You are crazy! Fantastic, but totally crazy!”
The journey back in the helicopter was anything but glamorous. It was blowing a gale and we were tossed around. I had a horrible feeling that I was going to be sick, but I ground my teeth and we landed in Athens without incident. I would rather have taken a boat.
“’Risto, call the office and … huh, the time difference.” I stopped and took stock. “Ok, I’ll email the office and let them know that we are spending a couple of days in New York. I’ll look up a real estate agent and ask him to look for something for us.”
“Cool! New York! Where are we going to stay there?”
“I’ll have a look. The Marriott is one of our partners. I’m sure they’ll find us something.” I tapped the email app on the handset and booked us in.
“Aaron, two rooms or three?”
“This is the start of it, isn’t it?”
“If I book two rooms, there are bound to be questions asked. I will book two. They can mind their own business and you can tell the office that you slept at a girlfriend’s and are blowing the expenses on her!”
“I don’t want to get in trouble with the boss.”
“No you don’t. I’ve heard he’s really strict!”
We arrived on the Sunday and I had the papers brought up to me, to look for real estate adverts. Since I didn’t’ really know our requirements yet, I had trouble working out whether the dealers were ones that would or could help us. We didn’t want a shop front. I found four numbers and began to call them. Of course on a Sunday, I didn’t have much luck. On Sundays the real estate guys were either out showing people around or taking the weekend themselves. I simply left a message saying who I was and we went off to get to know the city a little before dinner in Soho.
“Guys, I know we are in one of the most exciting cities in the world, but I just want a drink then collapse into bed. If you want to do an all-nighter, that’s up to you, but I’m knocked out.”
Aristo and Aaron really did want to go to a club, but I went back to my room and my eyes closed the moment my head hit the pillow.
“Oli, you still awake?”
“No, I am fast asleep and dreaming of a better world. Hey there you are! Did you have fun?”
“It was ok. Phew! Do you know what I hate about skinny T-shirts? That they are skinny!” He said answering himself.
“But skinny T-shirts look especially good on you!”
“And boxers look especially good on you, as soon as they slide off! Go on, move over a bit. I have to check everything is where I left it.”
We snuggled down together and slept entwined.
The dealer was small. Very small. We had called in the morning and he came straight to the hotel to discuss what we were looking for. It was hard for me to formulate exactly what it was we wanted. I gave him a vague, all-encompassing description and he showed me a few places in his portfolio. I had an impression of a short, pleasant, slightly cheeky man, who would do his best to find us exactly the right property. He couldn’t hide his disappointment in the fact that he only had a few properties that he was able to show us around. The rest he had to show us on his tablet.
“I’ll find just the thing for you as soon as I have a better idea of what it is you have in mind, you mark my words.”
I don’t know if he thought I was just some random crazy perso
n, but he would soon find out that we were deadly serious. We packed our things and flew back to L.A. on the next plane out of there and went straight to the office from the airport. Aristo and I put our heads together over the figures.
“We need about 2000 management posts and as we grow in size, then around 4,000. That would be, let’s see, I reckon about 45 square feet per employee. Wow. That’s around 60 thousand! How is that even possible?”
“Well maybe there are also a couple of open plan offices. You don’t need so much space per person with those.” Aristo countered.
“Well in that case I’ll call the little New York guy and tell him what we need.”
I called him and told him, but came away still thinking he thought I was some sort of nut job.
“We need 150,000 square feet in Manhattan. Is that a possibility?”
“I did hear about something going, but not with that sort of size. Let me make a few calls and get back to you.”
Aaron turned out to be really playful. He had got me the jock straps that time, which I had never worn, but now he insisted that I wear them. I demanded that if I did, he was going to as well. He played with candles and enjoyed keeping me in suspense. Not in the office. In bed. He drew it out, often to what seemed eternity, before he was more than a hundred percent certain that I was ready to climax. When I was in the office I often caught myself looking at the clock, counting down the hours until I was picked up. We didn’t tell everyone about us. No one caught on that he hardly used his apartment anymore and we spent a lot of time in Santa Barbara.
I finally caved in and got Gavin a car. Up until that time he was forced to use my old, pepped-up Lincoln in Santa Barbara to go shopping. I didn’t think that was appropriate. I got him a Ford Flex, which looked a bit like a Playmobil car. It was, however, very spacious and if you needed to, you could unfold a third row of seats. Gavin wasn’t especially worried what he drove, at least that’s how it looked to me as I handed over the keys to ‘his’ car.
Our vertically challenged real estate agent called form New York and described the only two options he had for us. A factory building near Holland Tunnel, that needed work done on it to be made suitable for offices, but did offer a whole load of benefits. Or something that was directly on Park Avenue in a very large building. There were only two stories with a total of 30,000 square feet at present, but it seemed that every other day another office was made available so that by the end of 2018, we would have the necessary 150 thousand, but spread over ten floors.