A Love Like No Other [MxM]

Chapter Two

Eddie’s feet kept tapping the floor on his ride up to his floor. He was nervous, and you could tell by the way he clutched his hot cup of coffee and how he kept rotating between biting and licking his lips. As soon as he got to his floor, he made his way to his cubicle and sat down, immediately dropping his head to rest on the table. He was pulled out of his state when someone placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Morning Eddie.”

It was Noah. Without bothering to raise his head, he mumbled a, “Hi, Noah.”

“Why are you like this?” Noah asked, dragging a chair to sit beside Eddie. Eddie raised his head, took a gulp of his coffee and turned to Noah who was looking at him with a worried expression.

“Samuel told me the boss wanted to see me, something about my idea and whatnot,” Eddie responded, taking another gulp of the hot coffee, ignoring the burns because it served as a good distraction right now.

“Be calm, Eddie. There’s nothing to be worried about; it’s not like Mr. Sheridan is the big bad wolf.” Noah spoke, holding Eddie’s gaze in the hopes that it would have a calming effect.

“He isn’t?”

Noah shook his head. “So just go up there, discuss your idea, remove all doubts about it in his head and leave when it’s over, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you, Noah.”

“You’re welcome. How was your night by the way?”

“It was all right; I had a great dinner and everything. How about you?” Eddie asked as he powers on his computer. The clock beside him read nine fifteen AM. “Alright, I guess? I ordered Chinese from this place down my street; it was excellent.”

“Do you cook?” Eddie inquired, staring at Noah with wide eyes. It’s not healthy living off take outs and frozen pizza. And he knows this, and not just because Matty had been drilling it into his head since Uni.

Noah chuckled. “I can’t. I tried last week, and I managed to burn burnt toast. It was as black as coal.”

Eddie laughed, his head thrown back as he did so, his nerves leaving. His eyes were closed as his body shook with his laughter, when he opens his eyes he found Noah glaring at him, he looked like he wanted to throw something at Eddie’s face. “I don’t like you right now.” “To make you feel better, I can’t properly cook. I know how to follow a cookbook, but most of the time it’s my best friend who makes the food. He’s a chef.” Eddie replied, eyes slyly gliding to check the time. Nine thirty.

“Lucky Monkey.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Monkeys are cute.” Eddie sticks out his tongue at his partner, like the adult that he was.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be, Edward?” Noah suggested, glare still set on his face.

“I know, I know. I’m getting up.” Eddie replied. He grabbed a copy of the file he submitted the day before, drank the remaining coffee, popped a mentos into his mouth and with a thumbs up from Noah, he left his cubicle and made his way to the elevator. His destination, the top floor.

There were six people with him in the elevator, each of them got off on various levels until Eddie was alone, soft music coming in through the elevator speakers, he watched as the different buttons lit at each floor passed, his nerves climbing his body. There was a loud ping, and the doors slid open. Eddie walked out, and his eyes widened. The whole level was white; the floors, however, were wooden, and there was a desk half the size of the one in the reception to the side. The entire floor had three doors and from what he could see –through the to the floor glass- one was a conference room, and the others were offices, one for the CEO and the other was unmarked.

The man behind the desk smiled at him as Eddie walked up to him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. How may I help you?”

“I’m Edward Sharpe from the Marketing Divison; I’m here to see Mr. Sheridan, the CEO.”

“Do you have an appointment?” the man asked, hands already typing.

“Yes, at ten.”

The man raised an amused brow. “It’s just quarter to ten.”

“I know, but I didn’t want to be late an-”

“Go on in.”

“Are you... are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Eddie thanked the man and walked briskly over to the door with the bold sign that read CEO and underneath it was E. J. Sheridan. He took a deep breath, tapped his file three times and finally knocked. It had felt like an eternity before he heard a voice say. Come in. Tentatively, he pushed open the door and stepped in, swiftly closing it behind him. The office itself was huge. On the east wing, there was a small conference room, in it a sitting room complete with a couch and loveseat. On the west was a large mahogany table with a computer on it, floor length windows and another door that Eddie is fifty percent sure led to a toilet.

Behind the mahogany desk was a gorgeous specimen of a man and when he stood up, it took almost all of Eddie’s strength not to let his jaw drop. The man was 6′4, with dark hair that was styled and pushed out of his face, strong jaw with a trimmed beard and piercing blue eyes that reminded Eddie of a frozen lake, the man packed muscles, a slim waist, firm thighs that had Eddie’s mouth almost watering. Dear lord what had he stepped into.“Mr. Sharpe.” The man spoke, voice deep yet soft like the wind. The man took out his hand.

“Good morning, Mr. Sheridan,” Eddie gulped as he took his boss’ hand in a handshake. Eddie let out a small gasp at the sparks he felt as soon as their hands touched. He immediately pulled back his hand and took a deep breath.

“Have a seat.” Mr. Sheridan, motioning to one of the chairs facing his desk, not looking affected in any way, unlike Eddie who couldn’t stop biting his bottom lip. Eddie took a seat and gingerly placed the file on the table.

“You’re new to this company. How do you like it so far?” Mr. Sheridan asked as he took his seat.

“It’s great. Everyone is nice and accepting and... yeah, it’s great.” Eddie answered, clasping his hands together to hide how nervous he was.

“I’m glad. Your idea impressed me yesterday. It was a different approach, how did you come up with it?”

They spent thirty minutes talking about the idea, the minimal change Mr. Sheridan wanted to add and what the cost of it would be. He was told to draw up an estimated amount the ad and billboards required. A few minutes into the discussion, the man at the desk outside brought in a tray holding two mugs of coffee and beside them was a tin of milk and a pack of sugar.

Eddie had watched as his boss poured only half a tablespoon of sugar into his cup of coffee and took a gulp. Eddie himself added two spoons and a dash of milk, stirring it before drinking. The meeting lasted for around an hour and twenty minutes. Afterwards, Mr. Sheridan walked Eddie to the door.

“I’m impressed, Edward Sharpe.”

“Thank you, Mr. Sheridan.”

The man leant down a little, eyes piercing with a glint in them as he said. “Call me Elijah, please.”

After the meeting, Eddie practically ran to the elevator to get back to his floor. He briefed Noah on what had happened, kept the part where their boss told him to call him by his first name to himself. It was around twelve thirty when the elevator pinged open, and someone ran up to him, their hands wrapping around his shoulders. He was about to push the person off when he recognized the familiar scent.

“Matty, what are you doing here?” Eddie asked as he spun around.

Matty slapped his arm and then pulled him into a hug, his hands going around Eddie’s neck. “Is that any way to greet your best friend who has come to take you out for lunch?”

“You’re taking me out to lunch?”

Matty pulled back and stared at Eddie, his head tilted to the side and a small pout on his lips. “Are you alright?”

“Am I alright? Of course, I am.”

“Anytime you repeat my question; it means something’s up. Now spill.” Matty says, flicking his long hair off his shoulder. Matty had on tight grey jeans, a blue sleeveless top and his long straight hair was free, the blonde locks cascading down his back, his green eyes stared at Eddie with curiosity, and he knows Matty won’t stop asking.

“Later yeah?”

“Alright. Let me just get a few things, and I’ll be ready.”

Matty followed Eddie as they walked back to his cubicle, Matty told Eddie about how his day was going already. How he almost fell when the heels of his favorite pair of shoes gave out from under him. When they got to the desk, Noah was waiting there, a Subway coupon in his hands.

“Eddie I’m not taking no for an- sweet Jesus. Who are you?” Noah asked Matty, staring at him with a look akin to wonder. He took a step forward, eyes wide. Matty smiled at the man, his finger playing with the choker necklace around his neck.

“Hi, I’m Matthew. Eddie’s best friend and roommate.” Matty said offering Noah, his hand.

“I’m Noah Woolf. Eddie’s co-worker and friend.”

Eddie watched them with amusement. Noah looked like he was racking his brains to find the right words to say while Matty stood there, pose relaxed as he blushed underneath Noah’s attention.

“Would you like to join us for lunch, Noah?” Eddie asked. It would have been wrong if he didn’t, and he didn’t want Matty to pester him about Noah, at least his co -worker would take Matty’s mind off Eddie for a bit.

“I would.”

The lunch followed in a similar fashion. Noah tripped over the words to say to Matty (you’re the prettiest cross- dresser I have ever seen), who blushed after every compliment and Noah’s attention. They were so sweet; it was a bit sickening, to be honest. As he ate his paella, his mind travelled to Elijah, and he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, nothing could, and that’s how he spent his day. Smiling like a loon and working as hard as he could without the letting the image of piercing blue eyes distract him from his job.