Page 6 of A Reindeer Wish for Love
“He’s a straight dude, Marty.Has a wife and everything and they’ve been married over ten years.”It was a good thing Marty didn’t know what I was thinking.
“Make sure he stays that way because the minute you get your dream job and you get to fucking around with any of the employees, then that’s the end of it.”
“There is a Christmas party tomorrow night, and Mason asked me personally to go.He said I would be expected to show.Meaning if I didn’t then don’t show up for work Monday.”
“Whatever you do don’t drink too much and sleep with anyone.Tyler and I met at a Christmas party and it ended with us sleeping together and getting drunk and forgetting to go to work the next day.That’s why they shouldn’t have parties on a weekday.”
“It’s not on a weekday Marty.It’s Friday.Like tomorrow.And I’ll be super careful not to drink or fuck a stranger.”Especially someone who works for Morgan and Halifax,I thought.I didn’t drink much, therefore, that wouldn’t be on to-do list.
“What do you have in those packages?”Marty asked, looking away from his preparation of salad for tonight’s dinner.
I scrambled through the large fancy shopping bag, reached for the top box and opened it and judiciously held up the suit after I’d reached for a towel and wiped my hands.Marty strode around after cleaning his hands and wiping them to touch the fabric and check the designer label.“Fuck me, but that is a Tom Ford.I’d give Tyler up for a Tom Ford suit any day of the week.”
Chapter 4
Clay
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Tyler had the heavyfront door ajar when he heard his name being mentioned.He opened it after taking out his keys, and dropping them in a bowl in the foyer.He strode over to Marty, kissed him, and raised his eyebrow in my direction and offered me a wide smile.
“I see some of us can afford to shop.You must have snagged that position you wanted.”
Shaking my head with an equally broad smile.“That I did and I caught more than this.”I raised the suit still on the expensive hanger after it had been tailored for my height in less time it took for the salesman to bring a cup of coffee and an apple Danish dessert which I scoffed down.I couldn’t get over how much better the coffee and pastry tasted.Not because it was free and I was hungry, but because the atmosphere had been different.
Tyler spotted the glaringly expensive suit.“Clay, what the fuck?”And Marty glared at Tyler with sad doe eyes and pursed lips.
“You know, baby, we can’t afford clothes that expensive, but I promise you I will buy you a Tom Ford one day after I get my raise and after we can afford a better apartment.”
“That could take years,” Marty said pouting as he looked into Tyler’s eyes and slanted his head to the side.Finally, Marty admitted, “I know.I don’t have anywhere to wear it, but if we ever had fuck you money, I’d buy one just to say I could and just look at it.I’d probably mount it on the wall like a fine painting.It’s Clay’s he just got a job,” Marty said, passing his hand over my suit as if it was a lover he was preparing to claim.
“I hope that job pays enough for you to afford that because our rent is going up and the utilities.As well as the food for that cat and whose cat is it anyway?”They both glanced at each other not wanting to take credit for the cat who was invaluable in New York because in old buildings it is a given that there will be a need for it.
As I reached to separate Marty from my suit in order to hang it up before placing it in the garment bag, I moved to rest my palm on Tyler’s shoulder to calm him.“I’ll be able to pay for your portion of the rent and utilities and mine, if it calls for it because I got a signing bonus,” I said, strolling to the nearby closet I’d claimed, then hanging that Tom Ford masterpiece up and depositing the shoes inside there as well.
“And who paid you enough where you can be that generous?”Tyler questioned.Tyler was one of those glass half full guys and thought if it sounded too good, it was more or less too good to be true.
