Page 72 of Need Him
“You can do this. I have faith,” he whispered in his ear.
Ben exhaled heavily and smiled at the newcomers. “Hi! How are you?”
And so the night went. If Gareth wasn’t mistaken, the entire store, bar the ones who still had to work, had come. Whether it was to see Ben, get a cheap night out, or just show their faces, he didn’t care. What he cared about was the smile on Ben’s face as he spoke to those who had said things behind his back when Gareth had first started working there. From what Gareth could see, those feelings had changed, and they were completely on board with the true Ben.
The live band played all night, drinks flowed, and food was eaten. As the night drew to a close, a man and a woman approached.
“Mr Mycroft,” the man said, holding his glass close to his chest.
“Clive. Melissa. Thank you for coming.”
Gareth could feel the tension in the air, and he moved a step closer to Ben.
“We want to give our apologies for how the team meetings have been recently,” Melissa said. “It wasn’t our intention to upset you. We care about the company as much as you do, but we need to remember that it’s not just on your shoulders that this all rests. It’s on everyone.”
“Thank you for that. I won’t say it’s been an easy few weeks with the meetings, but I’m hoping to prove to you all that the company can still thrive without an ogre for a manager.”
Melissa chuckled. “We know it can.”
Gareth glanced at Clive, who hadn’t said anything after the initial greeting. He didn’t look like he was going to add anything until he opened his mouth. “I need to learn to look at the bigger picture, Mr Mycroft, not the smaller one.”
“Please call me Ben. And it’s fine. We start the next meeting with fresh eyes. See what we can achieve together. How about that?”
“Sounds good.”
They said their goodbyes, and Ben blew out a breath. “That was bracing. I didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t that.”
Gareth pulled him close. “Everyone can see that you’re a good man, Ben. Even before, you were not an ogre. You had standards you had to live up to, and it made things difficult, but you’re the same person, except the inside person is now on the outside for all to see how amazing he is.”
Ben smiled and sniffed. “Don’t make me cry.”
Gareth chuckled. “Sorry.”
“I think we can probably leave everyone to their night now. What do you think?”
“I don’t know, Mr Mycroft. Do you have something else in mind?”
Ben wrapped his arms around Gareth’s neck, surprising him with the public display, and kissed him for all to see. The crowd threw cheers and whistles their way, and they finished the kiss laughing. Ben hid his face in Gareth’s chest and groaned.
“Right, everyone,” Gareth called. “I’m taking your boss home. Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do, will you?”
“Doesn’t leave much, I’m sure,” Lindsay shouted.
Ben lifted his head and glared at her, and Gareth grinned. “I don’t know. I’m sure we could come with a few things.” Ben slapped his chest and tried to pull away, but Gareth wouldn’t let him. “Be good.”
Ben bit his lip, and Gareth grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the exit. They stopped to thank Lindsay and raced home. For the rest of the evening, Gareth showed Ben exactly what he meant to him. Several times over.
****
Chapter 27
Ben
“Are you sure we have everything ready?” Ben asked, leaning over the counters and checking each plate. “I don’t see the fruit bowls.”
“That’s because they’re in the fridge, keeping cold,” Gareth replied.
Ben sighed. “I want this to be perfect.”
