Page 30 of A Reindeer Wish for Love
Chapter 15
Clay
On my way to my office, I passed the secretary only one of two women in the entire office team.A boy’s club, I guessed.Stopping outside her office, she glanced up, rose from her desk and met me halfway.
“What can I do for you, Mr.Clayton.”Somehow, I felt that my job had been secure when the secretary a pleasant looking woman in her late thirties or early forties greeted me with a smile.Women that age never saw me as a threat, and that was a good thing.They were more interested in finding the son they never took time to have, and I guessed I’d gotten lucky this time.
“I wanted to know if you knew when Mr.Mason would return.He was the one who hired me and I wanted to check in with him before Mr.Halifax sent me into the research room.”I wanted to say for good or until I got the message and resigned, but I thought better of it.
She turned and strolled over to her computer.I followed her as I got a better look at how she decorated her office with pictures of her dogs, and since it was the holidays she brought out pictures of them in warm Christmas sweaters and one wearing reindeer antlers.
The secretary had old photos of people who appeared to be her parents.There was one where she appeared to be holding hands with a woman close to her age, and I didn’t know if the woman was a sister, girlfriend, or lover.I would be the last person to ask her business.And I didn’t know her that well.
For some reason I picked up the photo of the dog wearing reindeer antlers.“Oh, that’s Winnie, she was such a cute puppy when I bought her.She always wanted to please and she took to me and ran and jumped into my arms.She was the only one of my dogs who would let me take her picture wearing those antlers.The others would growl if I showed them.However, Winnie wanted to please me because she needed someone to love her after the owners took her from her mother too soon.”
I was like Winnie, and I wished someone would love me who wasn’t a parent or friend.I wished for love, and it finally came.
The secretary tapped on her office computer after sitting down at her desk in front of her screen.I stood because I didn’t want to get too familiar and have someone report to Halifax.She glanced up at me.“I shouldn’t do this, but I don’t see any harm in it.Mr.Mason is in California and then he’s off to Europe for another two weeks.You won’t see him for a month.”
My heart sank and beat quickly, and I didn’t know what to think.Mason and I had parted with the understanding that he would return within a week.We didn’t have time to exchange numbers, and I couldn’t ask anyone for his personal number, especially the secretary.
“Thank you for your help.”
“I’m happy to help you.If you need anything just stop by.I don’t get to talk to many people.Mr.Halifax has me chained to this desk and computer so to speak.
Smiling, I backed out of her office before she asked me questions I didn’t want to answer.However, I needed to leave our communications open and her generosity available when I needed it.
I had enough information for now where I had to never be on Halifax’s radar.I guessed that saying out of sight out of mind would do in this case with Halifax, but it would work against me with Mason.I didn’t know about him, but I couldn’t get that man out of my mind.
Stumbling back to my office, I fired up my computer and as soon as I sat and had a chance to close my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief, an email came in, and I stopped wondering what Halifax had in store for me.I had a few seconds and I would find out.
You have to report to the basement of this building for your next assignment.
I can’t get a break,I thought.Yeah, but I did get a break, and I managed to fuck it up by being too eager and too needy when it came to Mason.But if I remember I was trying to run away from him, and he was the one who chased me down and offered me what I couldn’t turn down—a chance to be with the man of my dreams.
I wasn’t going to beat myself up over this because few gay men would turn down this type of offer at this age—the age of innocence and the age of stupidity.
