Page 35 of Together We Burn
“I think our boy needs to get laid,” Alton said with a shit-eating grin that I wanted to knock off his face. Were my blue balls actually emitting a high-frequency signal that only horny dogs and sluts like Alton could hear? They weren’t the reason for my sudden bad mood, but they sure as fuck weren’t helping.
“You’re a pain in my ass,” I replied shortly, rubbing at my temple as a headache started to form from having to deal with these two.
“Come on, you two, enough,” Victor scolded, like we were children. “We’ve just done something none of us thought we could do, and you’re acting like this isn’t the biggest achievement in your career.”
“You’re right,” I sighed, scraping a hand down my face.
“So, any ideas on what we are going to call this baby?” Alton asked as he joined Victor in the empty seat.
“Does it matter? It’s not like we’re taking it to the FDA for approval or anything.” Victor shrugged. “We’re more likeBreaking Badthan official pharmaceutical manufacturers right now.”
“Fucking loved that show.” Alton leaned toward Victor with his hand in the air and a ridiculous grin on his face.
“The name is redundant,” I snapped. I was being an asshole, but I needed this to hurry the fuck up. I had to see Stefany. “It will be known as something different once it’s on the streets in no time.”
“Man, you really are in need of a good fuck, aren’t you, Jakey boy?”
“What happened to that girl you were seeing? The one you brought to the work picnic?” Victor asked.
The work picnic seemed like a different lifetime ago. A glimpse of what could have been if things had started off differently.
“…I mean, if you’re done with her, I’d be more than happy to take her off your hands,” Alton interjected, turning to face me, the pair of them obviously still talking, even though I hadn’t heard a word either had said.
“You’d have this dickhead’s sloppy seconds?” Victor laughed as he loosened his tie.
“Hey, I’m not fussy. She looks like she’d like it rough,” he replied, wiggling his brows and looking impishly between us both. “You know when they look all sweet and innocent but get them between the sheets, they’re real freaks?”
The pair laughed as Alton started to mime some sex position from his seat. Grabbing a stress ball supplied by one of my clients as merch, I threw it hard at Alton’s head. The small blue ball with the white and red logo bounced off his forehead before falling to the floor.
“You’ll keep your dick away from her if you enjoy it still being attached to your body,” I growled and bared my teeth as the irrational, primal side saw red at Alton’s comments.
“Alright, dude, chill out,” he said, holding his hands up defensively and looking a little hurt at my outburst. “I was only joking. Who knows what venereal diseases she's carrying after you—”
I was on him before he even managed to finish his sentence, grabbing him by the collar, and was up in his face so that our noses were almost touching. The fucker could have anyone he wanted. Hell, I’d had to relocate one of my best scientists because he couldn’t keep it in his pants. He was the typical college jock type; tall, big muscles, and a face that would have girls drop their panties without being asked. But Stefany was off limits.
“Say that again, asshole,” I snarled.
“Jake.” Victor’s voice was low with a warning, and even though I couldn’t see him, I knew he was perched on the edge of his seat, ready to jump in between us if needed.
On the outside, he may look calm and collected, like nothing would faze him with his long dark hair and dark attire to match. He may never be the one to throw the first punch, but he’d always be the last.
Breathing heavily, I pushed off Alton, the smug bastard grinning like an idiot as I dragged my hand through my hair.
“Get out,” I said, turning my back while heading toward the window overlooking the city.
Unlike all the other clichéd CEO offices, my office was located in the middle of Weston Pharmaceutical’s tower block. The first couple of floors housed the manufacturing labs, quality control labs, and packing. Then there were the admin staff quarters, followed by a floor solely for Alton and Victor, and then above them was me. Ten or so floors at the top were used for archiving and storage, not that it mattered. My office still had a pretty damn good view of the city, and I liked being close to my employees.
And just like my mood, the city was now filled with dark skies threatening thunder.
“Oh, c’mon, man. I was only joking,” Alton argued, getting to his feet with a scrape of his chair. “Thought we were going drinking? Today was huge!”
“Not tonight,” I replied, shoving my hands in my pockets to hide my balled fists. They were taking too long to leave my office. “Something’s come up.”
“Yeah? Like what? What could be more important than coming out with your mates to celebrate the biggest fucking milestone in our careers?”
“Alton, leave it,” Victor, ever the voice of reason, rang out. “If he’s said something’s come up, something’s come up.”
“This is bullshit, man, and you know it,” Alton said, and I heard a tussle between my two friends. No doubt Victor was trying to usher Alton to the door, much to his annoyance.
