Page 10 of Mutual Desire

“A year,” Damien joked, still laughing.

They laughed together for a few moments before Damien’s tone sobered. “It’s not even about that. We just... I don’t know, I miss him. We just need to feel each other’s presence, you know?”

“I get it, Dam. You two will work it out. And if not, I’ll finally have my shot with Craig,” she teased.

“Mom’s your competition. She’s got dibs,” Damien shot back, equally amused.

“I’ll show her no mercy,” Dana said, laughing.

Damien smiled softly, thinking of his mom. He missed her.

“Thanks, Dana. I needed this,” Damien said, smiling.

“You’ve got this, Dam. Craig’s an amazing guy, and you’re not bad yourself. Don’t let the little things get in the way.”

“I know. I’m going to fix it today. Don’t worry,” he promised, more determined than ever.

“Good.”

“I’ve got to go get dressed for this presentation I'm doing with Nick.”

“Go kill it at your presentation then and tell Nick I said hi.”

“Will do. Love you, Dana.”

“Love you too, Dam.”

After hanging up, Damien quickly showered.He then sifted through his wardrobe, pushing past hangers and pulling out jacket after jacket.The last time he’d worn a suit was at a Christmas party. Working at a school full of spoiled, wealthy kids meant dressing nicely, but not overly so—unlike some colleagues who sported questionable tie choices.

After a frustrating few minutes,Damien finally settled on a suit. He had found a basic black suit, paired with a white shirt and black pants. He spritzed on some expensive cologne and styled his hair, letting it down from his usual bun for a more polished look.

Checking himself in the mirror, Damien decided he looked decent enough. Nick would appreciate the effort. Suited up and ready, he packed his MacBook and iPad into his bag and headed out to Nick’s workplace, where he would help with the presentation.

It would be the first time Damien stepped foot there, though it wasn’t far from the private school where he taught.

After struggling to find a parking spot, Damien finally arrived at his destination. The building’s sheer size and imposing architecture immediately caught his attention. Even from the outside, it exuded luxury, and Damien felt a spark of curiosity about what awaited him inside. As he stepped into the lobby, his expectations were not only met but exceeded. The space was air-conditioned, brightly lit, and vast enough to house a security section, reminding him of a grand hotel lobby in Dubai.

Despite his own comfortable financial situation, mostly due to his father's life insurance policy, Damien lived modestly. The opulence of the building strangely made him feel more at ease. After being cleared by security, he continued through the lobby, marveling at the white marble floors, high ceilings, and palatial décor.

Finding his way was simple thanks to Nick’s detailed message about the floor where the presentation would be held. Glancing at his watch, Damien saw it was 2:43 pm—he still had some time to review some of the slides of the PowerPoint with Nick before the presentation. Picking up the pace, his phone buzzed, and he sighed before answering.

“I'm here,” Damien said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

“Just making sure. You said you'd be here an hour in advance,” Nick replied.

Damien rolled his eyes. “No! I said thirty minutes.”

“And yet, here you are... late,” Nick teased.

“Fifteen minutes circling for a parking spot,” Damien muttered through gritted teeth.

Nick laughed. “Why didn’t you park in the underground lot?”

“Maybe because you didn’t give me a visitor card, Einstein?” Damien shot back.

Nick’s laughter echoed through the line. “Hurry up, Clarke.”

Damien smirked, already plotting Nick’s murder as he hung up. He was definitely leaving this building in handcuffs.

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