Page 124 of Due Dilligence (Takeover)
“No, I wouldn’t. I thought wehadsomething here, after all those years apart. And you’re going to toss that away forwork?”
Fazil leaned down, his face filling the screen. “It’s my life! It’s my goddamned life, Todd! You want me to leave my job and everything I’ve built so I can be... what? Your mindless fuck toy?”
What the hell?“No, Z!” He rubbed his hands over his face and stared back at Fazil. “What?”
Slowly Fazil sat down. “You had this planned, all along. Like before. I’d quit my job, move to Seattle, and get a job close to you—whatever’s available. We’d move in together and live happily ever after with me in your bed. That’s what you want, right?”
“I thought... that’s what you wanted, too.” To be with him and loved by him. They’d spend their timetogether.
“I was supposed to go to UPenn and become a teacher and we’d live in Warminster together for the rest of our lives.”
He had wanted that, too. A high school pipe dream, one that shattered when Fazil left for California. “Well, you killed that idea.”
“Because I didn’twantit,” Fazil said. “I adored you, but I had no desire to be a teacher and didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in fucking Warminster.”
“You never said—”
“You never let me say otherwise! Just assumed.”
Little fucking bastard. “I guess that makes two of us. At least I didn’tcheatbecause of it.”
Fazil’s color rose. “Don’t you throw that at me. I apologized and you fucked the crap out of me in vengeance and—”
“You liked that!” Moaned and squirmed and begged for it. Cried in his arms. Todd’s stomach churned.
Fazil stared back. “Yeah. I did.” Quiet words. He leaned against his chair and his face fell into shadows. “I never should have left you like I did then.”
“And now?” Because Fazil was doing itagain.
Fazil searched the air for words. “I told you. I don’t want to be a cog. Work for Microsoft or Amazon or Boeing or whoever—that wouldkillme.” He shifted in his chair. “Working for Sam is my dream job, Todd. Don’t...” He swallowed. “Don’t assume that I’m going to leave everything just because I made a mistake fifteen years ago. I don’t owe you my life.”
Todd stared at his screen. Hewasbeing dumped for a fucking job. “You said you’d move.”
“No.” Anger returned to Fazil’s voice, sharpening it to points. “I said I’dthinkabout moving. I’d ask Sam if I could work from Seattle.” His face came closer to the camera. “What happens when I get there? We have some fucking awesome sex and... what?”
Todd thumped against his chair. “We... do stuff. Together, as a couple. Build a life.”
Tears glittered at the corner of Fazil’s eyes. “I have a life, Todd.”
“What life? Alone in Pittsburgh? You have ajob, Fazil. You can get one out here. Everything you have there, you can have here,withme.”
Silence, and the coldest look he’d ever seen from Fazil. “I have acareer. I worked fucking hard to get where I am. I have friends and...” He deflated. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not moving to Seattle.”
Todd gripped his desk because the floor was spinning away from under him. “So that’s it? We’re done?”
Fazil opened his mouth and a croak came out. “I don’twantto be done.”
“But you damn well don’t care enough to be with me.” Anguish bubbled up from his soul. Work was something you did to afford the other parts of your life. It was the pain necessary for the pleasure of living. “Jesus, Z! Over a fucking stupid contracting job?”
Fazil blinked a few times, as if Todd had slapped him. “Wow. You’re not listening to me, are you?” His voice was shaky and quiet.
“I’m listening, but I’m not hearing anything worthwhile.” Fazil wasn’t making anysense.
There were tears running down Fazil’s face. “I guess wearedone, then.” He reached a trembling finger out...
“Wait, don’t—” The computer chimed and the screen went dark. Todd raced to open a message window, but the dot by Fazil’s name was hideously gray.
Todd’s heart lodged in his throat and he rubbed his face. Dumped for ajob. He tried clinging to the anger and fury, but that slipped away and his own tears started.
