His Forever

4

The first person I met as I walked out of the elevator from Drey's office was Amanda. She stood there, clutching a few files as she waited for the elevator to arrive. I had not noticed her standing in front of me as I stepped out, my mind was too occupied with thoughts about my supposed new job or if I were to be more precise, my new handsome, hot as f**k, clearly arrogant boss. 

"Hey there," she said drawing my attention, "I was hoping to see you before you left. How did that go?" 

"Well for starters, I think I got the wrong memo, I was interviewed for a different position," I said in a tired voice. 

"Oh I'm sorry dear, but I hope he was not too hard on you." 

"No, he was not, besides it's nothing I cannot handle," I flashed her a confident smile. 

"I like you already, and now time for the good news," she grinned, "did you get the job?"

"Well I'm supposed to be at his house tomorrow to get him some coffee so I guess...yeah." 

"That is amazing," she said, clearly trying to contain her excitement. I could not help but wonder if she was always this cheerful, well good for me if she was, I could really use some smiling faces and cheerfulness if I was going to be spending most of my day with the grumpy Mr. Asshole. My phone chimed and I looked to see Ron's message. "I cannot wait to have you as a colleague." 

"Me neither," I said honestly, "but for now, I have to go and prepare for my big first day tomorrow."

"I should also get these files to Mr. Carlson," she lifted the papers in her hand. "I was waiting for the lift," I stretched my neck to see three other elevators down the lobby. 

"Those three are not in use?" I asked. 

"Well one of them is broken and one of them is Mr. Carlson's personal elevator.." 

"He has a private elevator?" I did not bother to hide my shock. That would explain how he got to his office without me having a single clue of who he was. 

"Sometimes he has to get to work very quickly." she explained, "but right now, there are only two functioning and it's Monday, Monday's are hectic," she shrugged,

"Okay, cool," I nodded, eyes still fixed on the elevators, "I should let you go now, your boss seems like the kind that would blow a fuse if you did not attend to him quickly." 

"How did you read him so well in such a short time?" she chuckled, hitting the button to open the door. 

"Actually I was joking," 

She shook her head, amused, and stepped into the elevator. "I'll take your leave now. I hope to see you tomorrow," 

"Of course, have a great day," 

The air was warm and humid as I stepped out of into sidewalk, heading to the subway. I took out my phone and checked Ron's message. 

Nailed it?

Long story, but yeah. Also, I almost got maimed trying to reply to your message earlier mama duck. 

Oh my god, are you okay Lisa?  I could hear the worry that colored his message. 

I'm alive, so yeah. I'm not sure my dignity is though. Despite myself, I chuckled at how today's events had played out.      

Tell me all about it.

That would have to wait till I'm away from the busy streets of manhattan. I survived one accident, but I don't want to push my luck. 

Okay, love, just be safe, tell me about it once I'm home. 

Yeah, sure.

I'm out with Daniel, will try to come back early. TTYL... Love you

I love you too and send my love to Daniel.

Ron started modeling in our second year of college, and that's where he met his boyfriend, Daniel. They started dating a year later and could barely stay away from each other for a day. Since I didn't have any friends, Daniel became my friend too. The love and respect they had for each other, was just so adorable, and I knew if I ever had to be with anyone, it had to be someone that loved me the way they loved each other.  Sadly that was getting more difficult to find in a world too full of assholes. 

My ankle was still hurting, and now I cursed myself for wearing heels instead of flats as I walked to the subway. On the train, I googled how to treat a sore ankle, and I saw a few options I could do by myself at home. 

When I got off the train, I stopped by a restaurant to buy lunch. I didn't feel like making food myself. 30 minutes later, it was ready, and as I walked home with Noodle takeout in my hand, I couldn't get my mind off the day's events.

What did he mean when he said I would regret my actions. I could only hope I would handle the pressure of this job. It was my first real job after college graduation, and I had to keep it for at least one year to pay my dad's medical bills. Fears about not being able to meet up and quitting flooded my mind. 

No, I'm not a quitter I thought to myself, and I made a resolve to work for him for at least one year no matter the challenges. Thankfully he might not even notice how his presence made me feel. And that would make it easier to work with him. 

When I got to my apartment, Mrs. Garcia, my landlady, was on her way out. 

"Hola Mi Querido Lisa." She said with a wide grin. Mrs. Garcia, or Juana as she liked to be called, was a beautiful Hispanic woman in her late 60's and the closest thing I had to a mother or a female friend. 

Having lived in the apartment for four years, she had always been the second person I'd turn to when I needed someone to talk to, Ron being the first. She and her husband Mr. Antonio Garcia owned the apartment, and they lived on the first floor. With all their children grown and scattered all over the country, Ron and I became children to them as much as they became parents to us too. 

"Hola Mrs. Garcia," I said hugging her. 

"How are you my darling?" 

"I'm fine thanks for asking," I replied, my eyes not leaving the ground. 

She had that worried look on her face as she pushed a loose strand of hair back from my face. "You don't look so fine to me." 

"Just a little stressed lately." 

"Ronnie said you had an interview today. Did that go well?"

"It could have gone better," I admitted.

"Why don't you and Ronnie come over for dinner tonight. I'm making chicken soup," She said with a smile "we could talk about it then, okay?"

"Okay." I was thankful that she did not make me talk about it there. I didn't trust myself to not break down in tears.

"I'm going to the store to pick up a few things." 

"Do you need me to do that for you?' I offered. 

"Oh no dear," she leaned closer to whisper, "you already look so stressed, I'll handle this. Have lunch and rest over whatever it is that's bothering you, and we'll sort it out in the evening."

I nodded and said goodbye to her, making sure to let her go first, so she wouldn't ask why I was almost limping. When I got to my flat, I put some ice into an ice bag and sat on the couch as I applied it to my sore ankle. Thankfully it was not sprained, and I felt much better after applying the ice. Then I put on some balm to soothe it.

After taking a bath, I decided to watch a movie to calm my nerves. I put on The bridesmaids on Netflix, and I was ready to start watching with my noodle in my hand when the door was unlocked. Ron and Daniel strolled in, each of them holding some gift pack in their hands.

"Hey...hey...hey," Ron greeted first with a broad smile that made his already handsome face even more alluring. He held up the bottle of wine in his hands. "I got wine."

"Hey Ron, hello Daniel." I greeted, giving Ron a quizzical smile.

"Hey, Lisa," Daniel said and plopped on the couch beside me, while Ron went into the kitchen to get wine glasses. He held out the small gift bag he was holding to me. "Ron told me you got the job, congrats." 

Trust my best friend to scream every little win I made from the top of the highest building in the state. "Thank you, Daniel, you really didn't have to." I took the gift from him with an excited smile.

"It's from me and Ron," he added. 

"Well, it was your idea," Ron said as he made his way back to us, holding 3 glasses in one hand and the wine in the other. 

I opened the gift and found a beautiful silver bracelet. It was exactly my style. Simple and beautiful, and It had heart-shaped charms dangling from the main piece. I loved it immediately. 

"Guys, this is so beautiful," I whispered, my eyes almost watering.

Ron dropped the glasses on the table and removed the wine cork. "We're glad you like it." They said together, and we all laughed at their jinx. 

Ron filled up the glasses and gave one to me and Daniel each. ''Now, we celebrate. Nothing says hello to a new job like a glass of wine that is not shitty." 

I wanted to protest given my bad mood earlier, but I didn't. I could only be thankful for having my two amazing friends around when I needed them. 

We all raised our glasses, and Daniel made the first toast. "To a new job." 

"To a new beginning," Ron added.

"And to the two most amazing friends anyone can ask for." I chipped in, and we all drank. 

After the toast, Ron took a seat on the other side of the couch, so I was sitting in between both of them. We turned our attention to the movie playing. 

"So, tell me about your interview," Ron started, "you said it was a long story in your text."

"Well..." I filled them in on the events of the day, and when I got to the part about my ankle, Ron dropped his glass and started examining my ankle. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

Daniel leaned down too and joined Ron. "Whoa whoa whoa. Slow down doctor couple. I'm fine," I said with a laugh. "I put some ice on it. Thankfully, it's just sore and not sprained."

"Okay. Good." Ron said as he carefully put my leg down and took his seat back on the couch.

"Did you have anything for the pain?" Daniel asked.

"No. But only because I don't feel a lot of pain. I'm sure it would be gone by morning." This seemed to make them relaxed, and I continued my account, skipping the details of how handsome he was and how I turned into a nervous wreck in front of him. 

"Damn, that's a lot." Ron seemed to be more upset that I would only have Sundays free for me. "I can't believe you would have to work all day every day, with barely anytime for yourself or me."

"I know right." I made a pout, thinking of something to say to console him. "At least I have Sundays off," I added with a convincing smile.

"Don't worry Lisa, he won't sulk for long because I'll make sure he doesn't miss you too much," Daniel said suggestively and wiggled his brows. Ron's mood lifted a bit at this, and he smiled, throwing a wink at his lover. 

"You guys, I'm sitting right here between you," I said, trying and failing to hold back my laugh.  

"What?" Ron asked, feigning innocence.

"It's not our fault you have sworn a self-imposed celibacy," Daniel said

We all laughed, and I realized that Ron would be okay. Between pursuing his career and spending time with Daniel, I was sure he would be busy but still be taken care of by Daniel. 

Sometimes Ron could be a mother hen, but other times he was just a big baby that required just as much love and attention as others. So I was happy that Daniel was there for him when I couldn't be. They were so perfect for each other. 

"I don't like him," Ron said when the laughter had died down

Daniel relaxed on the edge of the chair "That makes two of us."

"Well, that makes three of us." I flinched at my lie, okay not a total lie, but there was a part of me that hated his arrogance. 

"I mean, what kind of guy needs his private assistant to make him coffee by 7 am?" Daniel said. "Who wakes up at 7 am?"

"The same thing I thought" I cried

"He better not hurt you or the Kung-fu master in me shall arise," Ron said as he did a dramatic martial art pose, and this time Daniel and I were rolling on the floor with laughter. Ron could not help but join in. I didn't bother telling him that Drey would probably beat the s**t out of him with his large muscles, and his broad shoulders and chest. I would not be surprised to hear that his favorite hubby was working out. But I did appreciate Ron's enthusiasm to protect me, and I didn't want to ruin the moment.

Later, I informed Ron that Mrs. Garcia invited us for dinner, and Daniel asked if he could come along.

"I guess you can. Mr. and Mrs. Garcia always love having you and Ron around." I said

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies, and at 7 pm, Ron and David went down to the store to get some drinks for us to bring to dinner. I used the chance to change my outfit. I wanted a simple look, so I threw on a ripped jean skirt and a white turtle neck top, then let my hair down. About 30 minutes later, they came back, and we all cleaned up the apartment a bit before heading downstairs to the Garcia's. 

Mr. Garcia answered the door after the first ring and greeted us with a warm smile. "Hello there! Good evening"

"Good evening Antonio," I said and returned his smile.

Antonio was a war veteran and although in his mid 70's he was still full of strength and very jovial. He loved talking about his time served during the war every time we would visit. I did not doubt that he would talk about it this time too. While he was fully Mexican, his wife Juana, was Hispanic and her accent was almost unnoticeable compared to his thick accent. 

As the two boys greeted Mr. Garcia, I joined Juana in the kitchen.

"Oh, you're here. Welcome, dear." She said as she took her apron off and picked up a bowl of salad.

"Thank you." I walked to where she was standing with the bowl of salad in her hand. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Oh, no dear. I already finished. Let's head to the dining room."

"Okay." 

"Dinner is served, boys." She called from the table. The boys paused their conversation with Antonio, and they all came to take their seats at the table. 

"Hello, Juana." Ronnie greeted, flashing her one of his charming smiles.

"Hello darling, and oh look who we have here?" Daniel, you came." Now she was grinning.

Daniel stood up to hug her. "Hello Juana, How are you?"

"How can I not be fine? I'm hosting two very good-looking men for dinner tonight." Mr. Garcia cleared his throat softly as he raised his brow amusedly at her, "Three," she chuckled. "Three good-looking men," 

"That's what I thought," Mr. Garcia laughed and kissed her frail hands softly. It was always heartwarming to see the love between them despite the time and age that no longer played in their side. "let's eat."

We all had an amazing dinner filled with jokes and funny stories from Antonio on how he met the love of his life, Juana. She could not stop smiling. It was so much fun, and it made me miss my dad. Before his kidney problems, we would have dinner like this every two weeks and talk about different topics. Me, Ron, and Dad. We were like a small family. But everything suddenly changed, when dad was diagnosed to be in the 3rd stage of kidney disease. 

I was so heartbroken that he hadn't told me earlier even though he knew for a long time. The man had given everything to make sure I was always happy even with my mom gone, yet he could not trust me enough to handle the news that he was slowly dying. He had to stay at the hospital so he could be monitored while being treated, and that's why I badly needed a job. I would do anything to make sure my dad got better and came back home. Waking up every morning knowing that I was one day closer to losing him had become my motivation to be the best I could be and Ron had been really supportive through it all. I could not imagine what my life would be without Ron. 

Ron must have read my mind because he reached across the table and gave my hand a tight squeeze with a reassuring smile, and I gave him a weak but grateful smile in return, and at that moment, I just couldn't be more grateful for having him.

After dinner, Ron and Daniel cleared out the table, and Antonio brought out a chess game. Ron and Daniel were about to clean up the dishes, but Juana told them not to worry about it. "Oh don't worry dear, we'll do it. We want to have some girl talk." She said with a playful wink.

They both chuckled and went to join Antonio in his game. Juana gestured to the kitchen, and I followed her.

When we entered the kitchen, Juana turned on the tap for the dishwasher, and I went to the sink to clear out the leftover food.

 "So, how did the interview go? Did you get the job?" she inquired.

 I frowned. "Yes, I did get the job, but it was not what I expected."

 She opened the dishwasher door "Okay, tell me more."

 "Well, I thought I was going to be his personal assistant, but it turns out I'll be his private assistant."

 "And the difference is?" She added a dishwasher tablet.

 "Well instead of running regular office errands, I would be running private errands, always at his beck and call whenever and wherever he needs me. I'd have to take care of every aspect of his personal life, plan and go with him on business and personal trips, escort him to dinner, make him coffee every morning, the list is really long." I took another plate and removed all the leftover salad on it.

"I've never known you to be someone scared to complete a task or do a job." She was right, everything I'd ever done, I had done head-on without letting my fears pull me back, but this time, it was very different.

"Well, it's not the job that scares me so much, it's my boss." As much as I hated to admit it, that was the truth. I knew I had to turn down this job, he was too much of a control freak, and I was not sure I could handle that.

"He's an asshole?" She asked, matter of factly.

"More like a knobhead with a stick up his ass." And a sexy face and a hot body I added silently.

 "So he's an asshole." She took the plate I was holding and put it in the dishwasher.

I nodded. He was definitely an asshole. A handsome, hot, and powerful asshole that I would bang without question.

"But that's not all that scares you, is it?" she asked, but it was more of a statement.

"Well..."I chewed on my bottom lip "It's a little more than that," I released a breath and admitted, "I don't like the way my body reacted to him, and I'm afraid these stupid feelings are going to get me into trouble if I work with him."

She dropped the last plate in the dishwasher and came to join me at the sink. "Honey, you can't beat yourself up for the way you feel. It's natural to like someone, especially when they are good-looking. That does not make you stupid at all."

"You should have seen how stupid I looked drooling over him today," I said, and an image of him standing by me in his office flashed in my mind.

She laughed lightly and said, "This is actually a good thing, you know. In all the years that I've known you, you've never come to me with something like this, and I think this would be good for you. Don't get me wrong, but you're always working, and you never let anyone in your life. The only men in your life are your best friend and your dad."

"What about Daniel," I said flatly.

"And Daniel too. But you get my point. I know you are an independent woman but sometimes, you need to let loose and cut yourself some slack, and you need to get laid." she said maintaining eye contact.

"So it's okay if I throw myself at my boss and sleep with him?"

"Yes, it's okay" she came closer to my ear, "you do need a good fuck." she whispered mischievously

I was sure my jaw would fall off with the way I was grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you so much, Juana. I feel so much better already, at least now I don't feel as stupid as I was feeling earlier today."

She put her hand over mine and said, "No, thank you for being comfortable enough to share this with me. You make me feel like a mom again. And, just know that no matter what you do, I'll always be here for you. When do you get to start?"

"Tomorrow morning, I have to bring him coffee in bed," I spat the words out. 

"See even the universe wants this," she said coyly, "you get to start at the bed."