Phaze Fantasies, Vol. III

by J Buchanan, Jade Falconer, Eliza Gayle

  He started to say it wasn't month's end bothering him, but then she'd want to know what was. Jeff wasn't sure he could answer that question, so it was better to let her believe it was work. “Yeah,” he answered noncommittally.

  Lana double-checked her appearance in the mirror one last time before turning to face him. “I've got to go. I have a seven-thirty appointment to go over some real estate listings, and I want to pick up coffee and rolls first."

  "See you later.” He waved one hand in the air, and she grabbed it and squeezed.

  "You bet you will. Want a bearclaw? I can leave it on your desk."

  "Sure.” Jeff tried to muster enthusiasm he didn't feel.

  She was in too much of a hurry to notice. Placing a light kiss on his forehead, she murmured “Goodbye,” and left the bedroom. He heard the front door to their condo open and close, and he exhaled. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding his breath.

  Jeff showered and dressed in his normal workday attire: Khaki Dockers and a white shirt, with a black necktie and shiny black loafers. He brushed his short blond hair to the side and noticed it reached the top of his ear again—time for a trim. He'd stop by the barbershop in the next couple days after work.

  He locked the house and exited through the garage. When the weather was bad, he let Lana park there, but the fall had been mild, so whoever arrived home first claimed the inside parking spot. It didn't matter that much to him, but winter was coming and Lana had begun nagging about finding a bigger place to live—one with a double garage. Backing out, he pushed the remote button and made sure the garage door closed before heading to work.

  The offices for Birdwell Development were located in a sprawling complex in suburban Kansas City, Kansas. Myron Birdwell, Lana's father, formed and ran both divisions of the organization—the construction company and the real estate agency. Lana was his brightest star, an up and coming Realtor who made deals frequently, and with little apparent effort. Her father couldn't speak highly enough about her, sometimes to the disdain of other employees.

  Jeff was one of three who worked in the finance department. He was also held in fairly high esteem, and it was common knowledge when the chief financial officer retired in a few years, Jeff was next in line for his job.

  Myron was fifty-seven, and the way Lana had it figured, by the time he was ready to retire, Jeff would be there to step into his shoes. The elder Birdwell had never spoken to him about it, but Jeff knew Lana got whatever Lana wanted when it came to her father. Her mother was a quiet, mousy woman who conceded to her husband in all matters. Myron's pride and joy, besides his company, was Lana. The two were destined to go hand in hand.

  Jeff was content to go along for the ride. He'd graduated from college with a degree in business finance, and hoped to work himself up in a company such as this one. Meeting Lana and falling in love had apparently put him on the fast track to achieving his goals, which he didn't mind one bit.

  Entering the building, he greeted the receptionist with a smile. “Hey, Sara."

  "Good morning, Jeff. How's it going?"

  He liked his coworkers in the front office. Cindy and Diane worked with him in finance, and Sara covered the secretarial and reception duties. Lana didn't get along with any of them. She said Sara shoved her size sixteen ass into size twelve slacks, and it showed. He didn't notice, and didn't care. The woman was nice to him and competent in her job, which was all he cared about. “Pretty good so far today. Anything going on?” He glanced around. The office appeared quiet.

  "Nothing yet. A real estate meeting going on in the back, but I guess you knew about that."

  "I did, thanks.” He smiled and headed to the cubicle where he worked. A glazed bearclaw sat on a napkin on the edge of his desk. His stomach rumbled, but the sweet roll wasn't what he wanted.

  "Hey, how'd you rate?” Cindy glanced in his cubicle at the bearclaw.

  "Good morning, Cindy.” He smiled and ignored the question.

  "Oh,” she nodded with understanding, snapping her gum and pushing her black framed glasses up her nose.

  "Would you like it? I'm honestly not hungry this morning."

  "No, it's for you,” she replied without much conviction.

  He picked up the napkin and roll, and passed them to her. “You take it, or give it to Sara. I'm not going to eat it, really."

  Cindy smiled. “Thanks, Jeff. You're too good for her, you know."

  "Don't be saying that,” he admonished lightly. It was no secret he treated his co-workers far better than Lana did, but that was his manner. He wasn't apt to change, whether he was in management or on the lowest rung. It was simply the way he was, and people seemed to like that about him.

  She stepped around the corner to her desk and raised her voice. “Let me know when you want to start running month's end."

  "I need to enter a few more figures and then I'll get with you,” he replied, and heard her acknowledge him with a full mouth. Jeff smiled, then the humor faded. It wouldn't kill Lana to bring donuts for everyone, but she never did. If he'd mention it, she'd react with surprise, like the thought never occurred to her. He was quite sure it hadn't. She was just that way.

  He rinsed his coffee mug out in the break room and poured himself a fresh cup. There were the usual crackers and other snacks on the counter, and he grabbed a pack of saltines before heading to his desk. He needed something in his stomach. It felt unsettled; he wasn't sure why.

  The end of month computer reports took hours to run and print. Either he or Cindy had to stay near the printer to make sure it didn't jam and wreak havoc. Once they were done, it was his responsibility to give the various copies to different people in the office. Max, the real estate broker, needed sales figures, and Joe, the construction manager, wanted payroll reports. Myron Birdwell got the computer generated payroll checks along with copies of everything. If there was the slightest error, he'd find it. It was Jeff's responsibility to catch mistakes before the boss did.

  "Real estate is done,” Cindy stated a little later, stacking the lengthy report on his desk.

  "Excellent. I'll start going over it."

  "They had a good month.” The report was impressively bulky.

  "I know.” He smiled at her. Lana kept him updated on their daily activities, plus the sales paperwork now landed in his office with their co-worker Diane on maternity leave.

  "Two more weeks and Diane's back. I feel bad that you've taken most of the burden,” Cindy told him, her eyes on the computer printer as it clicked away.

  "Nah, it's fine. I want to learn all aspects, and doing is the best way to learn."

  Before she could reply, a man in a t-shirt and blue jeans stepped into their office. He had thick, wavy brown hair that touched his collar and a three-day growth of beard. Dark brown eyes glanced at Cindy but settled on Jeff. “I'm supposed to fill out form number four or some such thing to get paid,” he said.

  Cindy spoke up. “It's a W-4, and you should have filled it out before you started working. Payroll checks come out today, but you won't get paid without your paperwork."

  "Joe hired me and put me right to work. He said there'd be time for paperwork later.” He spoke in a slow, leisurely drawl.

  "Joe knows better,” Cindy insisted.

  The man simply looked at her, and Jeff spotted a hint of amusement in his eyes. Cindy crossed her arms and stared back, all business and matter-of-fact.

  He didn't plan to do it, but Jeff found himself speaking up. “I'll take care of it, Cindy.” Against his better judgment, he motioned to the chair beside his desk and said, “Have a seat,” to the handsome new employee.

  "You're busy,” she protested. “I suppose I can do it. But it's too late to get paid this month.” She cast a haughty glance at the construction worker.

  "Thanks Cindy,” Jeff told her. “But he's been working a couple weeks and probably needs his check. I can float him an advance that'll be pretty close to his paycheck amount.” He winked at her. “You learn how to sidestep t
he system, sometimes."

  "Thanks.” The man dropped into the chair by Jeff's desk.

  Cindy made a face behind his back and told Jeff, “I'll keep an eye on the printer."

  "Great.” He swiveled his chair and yanked open a file cabinet, removing the new employee paperwork the man needed to fill out.

  "How'd you know I've worked here a couple weeks?"

  "Joe sent in your time sheet. We couldn't authorize payment without the signed paperwork, though. Sorry, you know how it is.” It was a good story, but it was a lie. Jeff had spotted the new guy his first day on the job. He was impossible to miss.

  The development company offices were attached to a big garage and warehouse where the construction workers kept supplies. Most days the workers were in and out of the warehouse, picking up things for their various jobs.

  Jeff's office had windows facing that side of the building. He usually paid little notice to the comings and goings, but the new guy captured his attention. A firm, muscular physique was common for construction workers, but this guy was in really great shape. Tight abs bulged through his thin t-shirts as he worked. He walked with a self-confident swagger, and Jeff was mesmerized watching him. When he found himself checking out the other man's tight ass, he became worried.

  He admired the man's build, was envious of his obviously excellent physical condition. That's what he told himself, but deep down Jeff realized there was more to it. When he caught himself checking out the bulge in the other man's denims, he had to face facts. Like it or not, this guy turned him on.

  The erection that tented his Dockers whenever he spotted the man was difficult to ignore. At first, he tried keeping his blinds closed, but that only made it worse. He found himself peeking out between the slats, hoping for a glimpse of his unknowing subject. Searching for him became all-consuming, with Jeff giving the man far more thought than he should have.

  He'd felt this way a couple times before. The first was as a senior in high school when a new student entered his class. That situation ended painfully and wound up humiliating Jeff. He'd graduated and moved two hundred miles away for college, hoping for a fresh start.

  The man who captured his attention in college made the first move, so there were no mortifying misinterpretations to deal with. Jeff cared for the man, but felt a constant sense of something being wrong in the pit of his stomach. Finally, determining he needed to straighten his life out, both figuratively and literally, he broke off the relationship. When college ended, once again he moved hundreds of miles away.

  He liked Kansas City and enjoyed his job at Birdwell Development. Lana was an unexpected bonus. They became friendly when she began working for her father, about a year after Jeff did. Six months later, they were sleeping together, and after another year he moved into her spacious condo.

  He scraped together enough for a decent diamond ring and proposed. They hadn't set a date, at the time neither felt rushed to do so. But another half year had passed, and she began pressuring him, dropping little hints that they needed to pick a date. Then Kurt Lacey appeared at Birdwell Construction, and suddenly Jeff was dragging his feet again.

  He looked across the desk at the dark-haired man, and slid the paperwork his way. “I just need you to fill these out ... Kurt, isn't it?"

  "Yeah.” Brown eyes locked onto his and held. “Kurt Lacey."

  Jeff forced his gaze away and searched for a pen. He shoved it over. “Here you go. While you do that, I'll add up your time sheet and see how much you were supposed to get paid."

  "Thanks.” He drew the word out into two syllables.

  His cowboy drawl had Jeff's erection throbbing again, and he rolled his chair under the desk to make sure the bulge was hidden. He cleared his throat, trying desperately to clear his mind. “Where you from?"

  "San Antonio, Texas.” His eyes still watched Jeff, even as he picked up the pen and began filling out the forms.

  "Texas, wow. How'd you end up in Kansas City?"

  Kurt signed the last paper and smiled, shoving them in front of Jeff. “Fate, I guess. Looking for something different."

  "Fate, huh?” Jeff chuckled nervously. “Well, I don't know how different things are here, but they're pretty interesting sometimes."

  "Oh, I definitely agree.” He glanced at the desk and picked up the pen. “Here you go. Thanks.” Handing it over, Kurt let his fingers scrape across Jeff's palm.

  His palm tingled at the contact, and it took him a moment to form a coherent sentence. He finally managed, “I've estimated your wages and did a quick tax calculation. I think I can get you five hundred dollars in pay. If we go ahead and deduct the taxes now, it won't be such a hit from your next check."

  "Sounds fine. Should I wait, or stop back by after work?"

  Jeff nodded. “If you could come back, that'd be great. I can write the check, but Mr. Birdwell has to sign it, and he's out until about three."

  Kurt stood, and Jeff forced himself to look at the man's face, rather than stare at his eye-level crotch. It wasn't easy, but Kurt got his attention when he asked, “Being as it's Friday night and I'm getting my first paycheck, I was thinking about grabbing a beer after work. Care to join me?"

  "Oh,” Jeff mumbled, surprised. As appealing as the offer sounded, he knew he couldn't. “I—uh, sorry. I've got to get home. Thanks, though."

  "Too bad.” Kurt's eyes twinkled.

  Jeff's stomach clutched. It was too bad. “Yeah, well, like I said, sorry ... and thanks."

  "Catch you later,” he drawled, giving a quick nod before leaving the office.

  Jeff breathed deeply a few times, trying to compose himself. There was no mistaking the other man's meaning, that much was clear. For a moment his cock throbbed, and the idea of going with Kurt seemed wildly exciting. Then Cindy reentered the room and reality came back into focus.

  "The last of the payroll reports and checks printed off fine. The invoices are printing now."

  "Great, thanks. Put everything on my desk. I'll sort it all out after lunch."

  "You bet. See you later."

  "Right.” Jeff hurried to the men's room and washed his face with cold water. He needed to find Lana. Maybe she'd want to have lunch with him. Maybe she'd want to skip lunch, and they'd go somewhere and fuck like they did when they first started dating. He went into a private stall to pee, and squeezed his half-erect cock a few times after he was finished. He really hoped Lana was free for lunch—or something.

  With that thought in mind, he strolled to the back of the building. She wasn't in her office, so he used her desk phone to call her cell.

  "Lana Birdwell,” she answered.

  "Hello, Lana Birdwell. This is an obscene phone call."

  She chuckled. “Oh, goodie! If I'd have known it was you, I would have answered differently. But the first time I do that and it's daddy on the line, I'm screwed."

  He glanced around and saw the office was empty. “Actually, screwing you was what I had in mind. Where can I meet you, and how long will it take to yank your skirt up?"

  She gave another throaty chuckle. “What's gotten into you? Last night when I was hot and bothered, I practically had to beg you. Now you're looking for a nooner?"

  "Just trying to keep things interesting. So what about it? You game?"

  "I'm sorry, sweetie. I have an appointment in ten minutes and another at two. But I'm done early today, and should be home about the same time as you. Maybe I can meet you in the shower for a game of drop the soap? I know how much you like that."

  He bit back a groan. She was right, he loved anal sex. She just didn't know why. He'd never shared his past with her. Somehow he sensed she wouldn't understand. “I guess I can wait."

  "I thought so. Gotta go, sugar. See you later.” Lana disconnected the call.

  Jeff clutched the phone tightly before returning it to the cradle. Not as sure as she was that he could wait, he thought about returning to the bathroom for some privacy and relief.

  The sound of laughter permeate
d the air. People were gathered in the break room for lunch. The break room and the bathroom were side by side. He'd never be able to get off with noisy people on the other side of the wall. Adjusting his slacks around his deflated erection, he wandered into the break room and grabbed his sack lunch from the fridge. Might as well join them, he decided, and found a place to sit.

  * * * *

  Just past four-thirty, Jeff kept an eye out for Kurt. He'd be back at anytime to pick up his check. It was in an envelope with his name on it, but Jeff kept it at his desk so he'd have to give it to the man, personally.

  His phone buzzed and he picked up the receiver. “Hello?"

  "Lana's on line two,” Sara told him.

  "Thank you.” He punched the second line and said, “Hi there."

  "Don't kill me,” she began. “I just got a call from a couple who are only in town for the day. They've been looking at houses with another agent but haven't found anything. They spotted one of my listings, and if I can get them in to see it tonight, I might have a sale on my hands. They're very motivated."

  "Tonight?” He pouted. The only thing that got him through the afternoon was thinking about what waited for him at home. Now, apparently, that was nothing. “It has to be tonight?"

  "They're only in town for one day."

  He knew she wasn't really asking, but waited for his approval anyway. “Okay, sure,” he replied, and heard her sigh of relief.

  Her words tumbled out in one long sentence. “Thank you, sweetheart! You're such a wonderful man! I'll make it up to you, I promise! Don't wait up. I have no way of knowing how late I'll be."

  "Okay, yeah, all right. Bye.” He heard her click, and knew she'd already hung up. So much for their evening plans. Her ‘don't wait up’ sealed it.

  "Excuse me?” Kurt stepped around the corner in front of his desk.

  "Oh, hey.” Jeff glanced at him. The man had been working in the sun and wind all day, and still looked fucking incredible—and sexy as hell. It was almost more than he could bear.