“You needed something, Mr. Leung?” I asked as I unlocked my car door and sat behind the steering wheel.
The stare he gave me was unreadable. “Yeah. Uh, can we do lunch sometime this week? I’ve been scheduling meetings with other managers who technically fall under me.” He ran a hand through his hair, and naturally, it fell back into place. Maybe he used some kind of magic formula. “I want to hear about any complaints, suggestions, successes, and failures in your department. It would give me a place to start in trying to improve things in the building.”
Good luck, buddy. “I could do a half-hour coffee break around ten tomorrow morning. Wednesdays are inspection days for housekeeping, so I’ll be focused on that the rest of the day, among other things.”
He smiled. “Great, okay. Well, ten it is. Meet me in the café on the third floor?”
“Sure.” I stifled a yawn, not wanting to be rude. “Have a nice night, Mr. Leung.”
I shut the door and turned on the engine. Titus stepped back and watched me as I drove out of the almost-empty parking area. I knew this because I saw him still standing there in my rearview mirror. Coffee the next day would be interesting. Maybe I had misjudged him. Perhaps he could make a difference here. And anything else I might be interested in would simply have to fizzle out, eventually.
* * * *
At precisely ten in the morning on Wednesday, I sat across from the new facilities director, my walkie-talkie on the table between us as we both sipped our black coffee.
“You often work nights?” Titus asked as he turned on his tablet and tapped the screen.
“As needed,” was my brief reply.
“How long have you worked here?” he continued, apparently making notes on his device.
“Ten years, Mr. Leung.”
He glanced up. “Titus, please.”
I shrugged and waited for him to continue. In the meantime, I secretly enjoyed the snug, long-sleeved, red Polo neck shirt he wore tucked into a pair of navy blue slacks. Everything showcased a very strong body, in excellent shape. Unlike mine, though I wasn’t overweight by any means. I just wasn’t as toned as he was.
“Ed?” He waved a hand in front of my face.
Geez, he’d caught me wool-gathering. “Sorry. You were saying?”
“Any problems you’d care to mention, either in your department or elsewhere?”
“Well, it would be nice to have an online system where building occupants can send in requests for maintenance of whatever kind. You could even reserve the service elevators and conference rooms with it, too. I know there’s software like that out there. A lot of other buildings have this. It would centralize and streamline things and help us have a quicker response to leaks, overflowing toilets, requests to take out large amounts of trash due to a move, and so on.
“I’m sure maintenance has talked to you, or will do so, about old plumbing that needs to be updated, air conditioning units that should be replaced, and the service elevator keeps getting stuck, no matter how many times it’s fixed. Also, our recycling program is for shit. We used to use two cans to separate the trash, but the effort was half-hearted at best, and there’s no one here anymore to spearhead and keep track of that effort.
“Our cleaning equipment is aging. For example, we steam-clean the sidewalks on weekends, but stuff keeps breaking down. Our vacuum cleaners are ancient. Our uniforms are old. As for the way my staff is treated, the list of slights and pranks played upon them daily is too long to enumerate. I don’t know if this will ever stop, but it would be nice for my team members to be treated with respect for a change. I doubt there’s anything you can do about that, though.
“New signage would probably be good in the small parks surrounding the building regarding smoking, litter and dog shit. The old signs are faded and people ignore them.” I paused to think for a few seconds. “I believe that’s all I have at the moment.”
“That’s quite a lot, actually,” Titus replied, fingers flying over the screen. When he was finished, he set his tablet on the table. “The idea for a centralized online system for maintenance and so forth is an excellent one. My old building installed that software and it made things a whole lot easier and more streamlined for everyone.”
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled together as he watched me with curious eyes. “Have you mentioned any of these ideas to anyone else before?”
“Yes.”
“I see.” And I really think he did.
I looked at my watch, a gift from my mother when I turned twenty-five, right before she retired to Mexico. It had been her way of apologizing for leaving me all by my lonesome, I supposed. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have to meet with the inspector in five minutes.” I stood. “Please feel free to email me with any questions. You probably have access to the staff directory by now.” I leaned over slightly and shook his hand, ignoring the firmness of his grip. “I wish you well in your position here at Regent.” You’re gonna need all the luck you can get, man.
“Thanks,” he said, though I barely heard that as I hurried toward the staircase to jog down to the basement. I wasn’t sure if Titus would actually make a difference in this building, but at least he’d asked the right questions.
I made it to my office with ten seconds to spare before Liz informed me that Cara had arrived to do the inspection. Here goes nothing.
* * * *
By Friday afternoon, I was ready to crash. I’d worked late Wednesday and Thursday, and the prospect of having to get up at eight on a Saturday morning for a stupid picnic did not make me happy. Especially since it would cut into my regular extracurricular activities that meant a lot more to me than enduring my coworkers.
Interestingly enough, a memo had gone out via email on Thursday afternoon from Titus to all management heads. In it, he stated that Workspeed software would be installed in a month or so to help streamline property management activities. Training would take place, then it would trickle down to the rest of the building.
Wow, I guess he really had listened to me. He sure worked fast. Barb probably wanted to have his babies by now. I sent a quick reply, thanking him for the heads up, then went back to getting the schedule straight for next week, since Monday was Memorial Day and that would mess with things a bit. We’d have to play catch-up on Tuesday to make up for being off the day before.
I had just placed the schedule on the huge tackboard in the hallway when Liz called me on the walkie-talkie. “Need you in the lobby right away, over.”
I pressed the button to reply, “On my way, over.” A call like that usually meant something happened that needed two of us to sort out.
I jogged the four flights of stairs up to the lobby level and raced around the corner, past the unmanned security desk. Gee, I felt so secure. Immediately I saw the problem. A delivery guy was flat on his back on the floor in front of the nearest elevator, lying in a pool of clear liquid, the tattered remains of its packaging all around him. He was trying to sit up, but was having a little difficulty. Two members of my staff had cordoned off the area, for which I was thankful. Another member had already retrieved a mop and bucket and begun the cleanup.
Liz motioned me over. “The box he was carrying burst open and down he went.”
I went to check on the man. “Sir, are you hurt? Do we need to get you to a hospital?” I asked, stepping carefully on the wet surface and crouching beside him.
“No, I’m okay,” he wheezed. “Just knocked the breath out of me. Help me up?”
I did so, and grimaced at how soaked he was on the backside. “Do you have a change of clothes? I can loan you a shirt and pants, if you want to borrow them.” Though they might not fit, since this guy was a little taller and broader than me.
“I’ll be okay, I think. I just need to head back to my truck and get myself sorted out.” He looked around the floor and shook his head. “Sorry about all this mess.”
“It’ll dry,” I said, smiling. “I’m more concerned about you.”
He waved that away. “Nothing to worry about. And no, I won’t sue.” He winked at me and I laughed.
“That hadn’t even crossed my mind, truly, but it’s still good to hear.” I picked up his dripping clipboard with now-soggy papers. “Let me accompany you to your vehicle, okay? Least I can do.”
We walked together down the narrow hallway to the backside of the building where delivery trucks were supposed to park. Titus Leung passed us along the way, his gaze curious even as he nodded at me. Great, I’d have to deal with him when I got back.
* * * *
When I returned fifteen minutes later, the floor was mopped, caution signs strategically placed, and neither Titus nor Liz were anywhere in sight.
I went back to the basement, and there they were, standing next to Liz’s desk, deep in conversation about…hair products? Okay…
I nodded to both of them and went into my office to check my email. Titus knocked on my door a minute later.
“Quick job on the cleanup, Ed. You run a tight ship.” Well, that was a first. People rarely noticed how efficient my staff could be. They were well trained and did a great job, every one of them.
I sent my email, then focused on him. “My staff would be happy to hear that from someone else other than me, I bet.”
He smiled. “You’re coming to the picnic tomorrow, right?”
I did my best not to grouse. “I usually do. Probably won’t stay long since I have other things to do with my day.”
His brow furrowed. “You don’t normally have a good time or something? This seems like a fun group of people. Everyone’s been real friendly and helpful.” Yeah, they probably kiss your ass every second of the day.
I went around the question. “I’m glad you’ve been made to feel so welcome. I’ll probably see you tomorrow at some point.” I waited a beat to see if he would say anything else. “Well, if you don’t need anything, I have to finish up some stuff here before heading out tonight.” Thankfully I wouldn’t have to work late again, so I could get a little sleep before tomorrow’s nightmare.
Titus hesitated, then said, “Okay, well, see you Saturday.” I nodded and watched him walk out of the office after he waved goodbye to Liz.
As soon as he left, she bounced into my office. “Isn’t he dreamy? And he’s so nice, compared to some of the other jerk-offs we work with.” Her upper lip curled at the thought.
“He seems to be taking a real interest in things. I hope he lasts.”
Liz sighed. “Yeah, me, too.” We’d both watched senior managers try, and fail, to make a difference here. But Titus may be cut from a different cloth.
* * * *
At five-thirty, Liz left, then it was just me to make sure the night crew had everything it needed before I locked my office and went home.
My cat, Voldemort—he who shall be named, though what was the point when he rarely listened to me?—greeted me at the door, then promptly fell on his side so I could give him a belly rub. Right, must do the Dark Lord’s bidding.
After five minutes of that, I stepped over him and shed my clothing on the way to a very hot shower. I took my time, letting the water ease away the stress of the day. I soaped my body, and found my hand lingering at my cock, thoughts of Titus making me hard. It was useless to go down this road, but my dick would not be denied. A minute later, white spunk spattered the wall, his name on my lips, and I finished my evening ritual.
What the hell was I in for tomorrow? They usually played stupid games and had karaoke contests. I never bothered to participate in those, not seeing the point. It wasn’t that I couldn’t sing. I simply didn’t want to. I didn’t need others to stroke my ego.
I prepared dinner, fed the cat, and tumbled into bed two hours later, too exhausted to even turn on the TV. God, tomorrow would be the pits.
* * * *
When I arrived at the park where the event was being held at nine the next morning, the sun was shining, damn it. I’d wanted gloom, rain, or a nice scary thunderstorm. Dry lightning? No such luck.
I was dressed in old jeans and a faded light blue T-shirt since it was a warm day in May. I waved at Liz, who was being hit on by one of the maintenance guys. She looked ready to swat him one upside the head. I hoped someone took a picture of that when it happened, which seemed likely. It might become my new screensaver.
Barb practically skipped over to where I stood by the food table, dragging an amused Titus behind her by the arm.
“You’ve met Titus, right, Ed?” She beamed at us both before abandoning us for other prey. Woe be unto them.
“Barb is…high energy,” Titus said with a grin.
I gave him a small smile. “You’ll get used to her.” I tried not to notice how hot he looked in knee-length jeans shorts and a fitted, purple, short-sleeve button-down, tucked in with a thick black leather belt and Vans to complete the look. Dude, the muscles in his legs…those calves…
I mentally shook myself back to reality. “I’m sure they’ll have something you’re interested in today. There’s a softball game in the afternoon, some volleyball and basketball, too.”
“Outstanding!” Yup, I thought so. “You’re going to join in, too, right?”
Great. “I’m not much of a—”
My words were cut off by a hefty, unexpected shove from behind. I turned to see Myron, head of security, grinning at me, like he thought he was funny. His partners in crime, Bryce and Gus from maintenance, stood next to him.
“Hey, Titus. What’re you doing over here talkin’ to the trash man? He don’t play sports and the day’s a-wastin’. Come on, let’s go shoot some hoops!”
Before Titus could even respond, they dragged him away. They were soon laughing and backslapping each other like long-lost jock buddies. Well, at least Titus treated me like a human being with a brain, which was more than I could say for most of these people. I looked at my watch. It was only fifteen past eight. God, noon couldn’t come soon enough.
* * * *
At eleven o’clock, karaoke began. Barb started out the contest with a rousingly awful rendition of “One Way or Another.” Blondie would have smacked her ass for the presumption. With such an awesome beginning, it had to get better, right? Er, no.
My ears seemingly bled for the next three songs, then my eyes were scarred for life when a woman got up on stage and proceeded to pretend fellatio on the microphone while croaking out a Madonna tune. She must be popular at parties.
“Jesus, God, tell me it gets better.” Titus’s pained voice startled me. He’d come to stand on my left and I hadn’t even noticed, too horrified by the prospect before us on the stage. And this was without alcohol! Unless someone had snuck some in on the sly. I hoped the woman wasn’t really like this sober.
I shook my head. “Nope, sorry to inform you. This seems to be as good as it gets.”
“And this is without alcohol?”
I laughed. “I was just thinking that.” A minute later, I asked, “Weren’t you playing sports or something? Where are your buddies?” I tried not to be envious. After all, I couldn’t compete.
He shrugged. “I left them arguing over who scored the most points. I’m here to have fun, not bitch and moan. Though, if this goes on any longer…Hey,” he said, turning to me, eyes sharpening their focus. “I think we should go up there and do a song together.”
I recoiled in horror. “What? No way! I’m leaving at noon. I’m sure the list is filled up anyway.”
He seemed determined now and would not be swayed. “Anything would be better than this, I believe, and I’m not a great singer, but I was in chorus in school and can hold a tune. What about you?”
“Well, yeah, I can sing a little, but…”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Great! Tenor? Bass?”
“High tenor. But I haven’t said ‘yes.’”
Titus dragged me behind him anyway, heading for a smiling Barb and her perky signup sheet. “I’m a tenor, too. You like Justin Timberlake?”
Fuck ye
ah. “Maybe.”
“Me, too.” I listened as he charmed us onto the list, then pushed me on stage before him. I turned to bolt, but he grabbed me by the forearm and dragged me back. “Don’t even think about it. I’m not doing this without you.”
I pouted and crossed my arms. “I’m performing under protest.”
He smiled wickedly. “You’re doing it anyway.”
“Whatever.”
The strains of “Drink You Away” came over the speakers, and I was lost. This song spoke to me on so many levels. I gave in and let music wash over me. Titus sang the first few lines. He had a good voice, strong, no vibrato, clear and solid. I liked that. I started to harmonize with him, and noticed his shock out of the corner of my eye.
I kept on going, pitching in with highs and lows, taking the lead sometimes and then coming in under him. We made a good team, and where before there wasn’t a crowd, it seemed like everyone was now in front of the stage, cheering us on.
I could see the managers who always got on my case looking astonished at the edge of the crowd. I didn’t care. The song would be over soon, and I could leave and get on with my Saturday. I hoped it wouldn’t cause me any problems at work next week.
The audience cheered when we were done, then I beat a hasty retreat, practically running to my truck since it was noon.
“Ed! Wait up, man!” It was Titus, and I really didn’t want to talk to him right now. I reached my truck seconds later, unlocked the door, and hopped in. But before I could even close the door, Titus grabbed it. “What’s your hurry, buddy?”
“It’s past midday. I’ve got a previous engagement.” I tried to close the door but he wouldn’t let me.
He frowned. “Are you always this…difficult to talk to?”
“You got what you wanted. What the fuck else is there?”
“We won, doofus. And you had fun, right?”
“I’m late.” This time, when I yanked on the door, he let go. I started the car and peeled out of the park, not daring to look back.
* * * *
By the time I got to my local Meals on Wheels office, it was close to twelve-thirty.
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