HIDE

EPISODE 17 - LAST DAY OF BET.

For a full minute, it was Brandon and the other unfortunate staff that endured the heat of power emanating from both men. They didn't speak or even blink. Just sat confidently in their seats, staring at each other with hate. You could see that Edward Snr was disgusted and unimpressed with his son. While Wilson Jr had hate, anger and frustration plastered on his face.

“So, what is this little show of yours about, father?” Wilson asked with a bored tone.

“My lawyers have handled everything. Comply and there will be no further issues. You don't want to make your father an enemy, boy,” Edward Snr said with warning underlying in his tone.

“If you called me during my busy work schedule to utter such nonsense, then you are really a disappointment to the existing circle of fatherhood. If you don't have things done, I do.” Abruptly standing from his chair, “make sure to remove the monopoly you place on my adjoining company. If you cause me any more discomfort, I won't let it slide anymore.” Without waiting for his father's response, he stormed out the door. Brandon had no other choice than to follow his master or, more appropriately, his boss behind.

The event died as fast as it happened. It was not spoken of, and Brandon didn't try to play his normal comforting heroic role. Wilson on his own path became moody afterwards.

***********

The HR department did have a replacement lined up, apparently. Lewis Robert was an extremely capable PA with years of experience working for executives of big companies. Frankly, she made Brandon feel awkward and self-conscious about his own, very limited job experience. It was kind of difficult to teach your replacement when that replacement was far more capable at this job than you were.

“Don’t worry, I am a fast learner,” Lewis said, smiling her perfect little smile as she gently took the notebook from Brandon and followed Wilson into the conference room.

'No, you don't understand what you are in for,' Branson thought in his head. He was left standing there, looking at the door that closed in his face. Okay. It was fine. It wasn’t like he even liked this job or something. Lewis-the-perfect PA could totally keep acting like he could do everything better than Brandon. He probably really could. It shouldn’t have bothered him. And it didn’t. Not at all. Brandon was f*****g delighted. It was nice to just chill for a while at his desk, doing nothing productive.

Brandon was playing soccer when Wilson and Lewis finally returned from the meeting. He probably shouldn’t have taken such pleasure from seeing the hurried, nervous look on Lewis’s face as she timidly followed their boss. The boss in question emitted irritation in tangible waves, his jaw clenched and his face like stone. For once, Wilson’s insufferable attitude was very welcome. It made Brandon feel less useless when Wilson fixed him with a heavy look out of black eyes and motioned to his office with his head.

Violently quashing the urge to follow the silent order, Brandon didn’t move. He smiled. “I’m sure your new assistant can assist you, sir.”

A muscle twitched in Wilson’s temple. For a moment, he said nothing, just looking at Brandon.

Then, that familiar glint appeared in his eyes. “Come to think of it, you’re right. Lewis.”

Before Brandon could process that, Lewis followed Wilson into his office. The door closed with a thud.

Brandon stared at it, feeling… he didn’t know what. Had the asshole really meant that he was going to use Lewis to take care of his unofficial duties? But then again, why wouldn’t he? It was apparently part of the job description now. What difference did it make for Wilson? A mouth was a mouth. It even got better, a p***y was now involved. It wasn’t like Wilson was attracted to Brandon —or other men, for that matter. It was just stress relief for him, nothing more. It was still utterly disgusting. Forcing a girl who hadn’t even started working for him officially to suck his c**k… it was… it was objectionable. Despicable. Now poor Lewis would feel obligated to do it to get the job. Brandon obviously couldn’t allow that to happen. It was s****l harassment!

He got to his feet and strode to the door. He pushed it, but it didn’t budge. It was locked. Brandon stared at it, indignation making him see red. Wilson had never bothered to lock the door for Brandon’s sake, but apparently, Lewis-the-perfect PA deserved that consideration.

Clenching his jaw, Brandon knocked sharply. For a long, excruciating moment, no one answered. But then again, who would answer? Lewis was probably too busy sucking Wilson’s thick c**k, slurping all over it or getting pounded like a w***e—

The door opened.

“Yes?” Lewis said.

Brandon narrowed his eyes, studying her suspiciously. She didn’t seem out of breath. And her lips didn’t look red and well-used, like Brandon’s own lips often did after sucking Wilson’s c**k. Moreover, she looked neatly dressed. Her clothes didn't show any signs of tampering.

“Why was the door locked?” he said testily.

Lewis blinked. “I locked it for Mr. Wilson’s privacy while he changed. That’s what any good PA would do.”

Brandon curled his fingers into a fist. “Right,” he said, looking over Lewis’s shoulder.

Wilson’s dark eyes met his. He really was changing, his white shirt half-unbuttoned, revealing his muscular chest and stomach.

Brandon pursed his lips and turned away. He was fuming as he returned to his desk, feeling annoyed and angry for no damn reason. f**k, he couldn’t wait for everything to be over. He hated this, hated Wilson and his arrogant face and his stupid c**k and his insufferable attitude. He couldn’t wait to be out of his reach and away from his presence.

*******

If there was one good thing about Lewis’s presence, it was that she was always there. She followed Brandon everywhere when she wasn’t tripping over his feet to be helpful and show that he was the better PA. That meant that there literally was no opportunity for Brandon to perform… his unofficial responsibilities. Speaking plainly, he hadn’t sucked or touched his boss’s c**k in six days. Not that he was counting or anything. It was just… weird.

Brandon sometimes entertained the thought that Wilson’s increasingly foul mood over the week might have had something to do with not having his c**k sucked any time he wanted, but it was unlikely that he didn’t get laid by someone else. Brandon wouldn’t know: Lewis was now the one in possession of Wilson’s work phone, and he might have been arranging the boss’s booty calls every day for all Brandon knew. Brandon didn’t ask. Something always kept him from asking. Or, she could have as well joined the ring. Yes. If she was a desperate fellow, no one could vouch for that situation.

Before Brandon knew it, it was his last day at the EW Group, and he was saying his goodbyes to his co-workers. Former co-workers now.

“I wish you’d stay,” Brenda said, hugging him. “You can manage him so much better than the other assistants he’s had.”

“Me, managing him?” Brandon said with a laugh. “Is that a joke?”

Brenda shook her head with a pitiful smile. “You weren’t here. You can’t see the difference between how he was with them and you.”

The subject was starting to make him uncomfortable, so Brandon changed it and went to say his goodbyes to the guys in other departments. Saying goodbye felt a little bittersweet. He may not have wanted this job, but it was the first real job he’d ever had, and he’d made a lot of friends. He didn't know what next was in line waiting for him. Maybe he will go back to cooking or really take that recommendation from Wilson.

By the time he finished, it was evening and there was only one thing left. He returned to the top floor. Lewis was seated at Brandon’s—her own desk. Ignoring the weirdly uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, Brandon smiled. “I’m leaving. He’s in, right?”

Lewis nodded, glancing at the closed door. “He doesn’t seem to be in a good mood,” she said timidly.  

All the confidence and smugness she had exuded last week was now gone. Now she seemed as scared of Wilson as Becky was.

It shouldn’t have pleased Brandon. “Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he said with a shrug and entered the office without knocking.

He closed the door and stared at the man seated behind the desk.

Edward Wilson, who had a remarkable taste in perfection. The horrible boss who had worked Brandon like a personal slave for the past half a year. He was free of him now. Free.

The thought was… strange. It didn’t seem real. He didn’t feel the satisfaction, the closure he had expected to feel.

When Wilson lifted his gaze from his computer, they just looked at each other in silence.

Brandon moistened his lips with his tongue. “I’m leaving.”

The other man said nothing, his expression unreadable.

Swallowing, Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you have the recommendation letter?”

Wilson nodded, glancing at the piece of paper on his desk.

Brandon walked over and picked it up. He read it with some suspicion, but it was a perfectly good recommendation letter. A great one, even. Lifting his gaze, Brandon peered at Wilson suspiciously. “What about organizing an apology conference with the press?”

Wilson shrugged. “I ordered an article to be published addressing the occurrence of that day. Coming out to hold a press conference over something so minor is a waste of time." 

“But you promised,” Brandon said. “You shouldn’t have bet on something you can’t do.”

“I didn’t promise it. I humoured you.” A strange expression passed over Wilson’s face. “Frankly, I expected you to quit within a few weeks. I didn’t know how annoyingly stubborn you were.”

Brandon scoffed, but it wasn’t hard to believe, knowing Wilson’s arrogance. He always thought he was right.

“Fine,” he said sullenly. “As long as you try becoming nice to your employers because those people work through their teeth to keep this place up and running.”

Wilson said nothing, just gazing at him with the same unreadable look.

Brandon wet his lips again. “I guess this is it, then?”

He didn’t know what he expected, but it was oddly disappointing when Wilson just nodded and turned back to his computer.

Right. All right. This was fine.

“Bye,” Brandon said bitingly, feeling annoyed and maybe even a little upset at being dismissed as if he were nothing. Unimportant. Replaceable. Just a minor bug under Edward Wilson’s expensive shoe. He probably wouldn’t even remember Brandon’s name in a month. He didn’t know why that thought bothered him so much.

The bastard said nothing, still looking at his computer. Brandon slammed the door shut on his way out. What was a mere bet turned into an appointment of the clumsiest PA the CEO of the EW Group has ever had. Who would have thought that Brandon would survive a day with Wilson, talk more of six months? If it was worth celebrating, he should be jumping up and his head hitting the roof. A lot of self-determination did justice to the job. Now, he truly cleaned the huge grin off Wilson's face. The only problem was that, this victory did not gladden Brandon's heart. A part of him was missing out on having to wake up every day and deal with this job. Was he liking more than just the job?