The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

Close Call Part 11

Raymond heard a car honking in the distance. He wanted the noise to go away, instead it kept getting progressively louder.

"Can you shut that off?" Jackson murmered beside him, pulling Raymond closer to his warm body.

It was only then that Raymond realised that they were in bed together, again. Trying to extricate himself from Jackson's tight hold, he grabbed his phone. It was 5 am and he had to get ready for work. Falling back down on the mattress, he thought of laying in for another hour, but he still had to get Jackson home. 

"Maybe just one more hour?" Jackson murmered, pulling Raymond down on the bed again, holding him in place. Within seconds he was back to sleep again. Raymond figured that if his boss gave him permission to sleep in, then he'd be the last person to say no. His phone slipping out of his hand to the floor as he fell asleep as well. 

It was three hours later that Raymond heard his phone buzzing on the floor. "Get off me." he tried to move, but Jackson was sprawled all over the bed pinning him down with his arm and leg. He pushed at Jackson again. "Hey Jackson!" he poked him in the side, soliciting a sleepy groan. "Get off me you big lug!" he pushed again with more success, sliding off the bed the rest of the way, reaching for his buzzing phone.

"Eh, hi Raymond?" Glenn's voice had him awake immediately.

"What? Did anything happen?" his mind raced over the day's schedule. "Shit!" he cursed realising that today they could not afford to be late.

"No-no." Glenn quickly assured him. "It's just that Mr Dealer's parents are here waiting for him. They've asked a few times now. What should I tell them?" he sounded uncertain over the phone. Raymond knew very well that trying to stall Jackson's parents was like trying to stop a high speed train with your bare hands.

"Don't worry. Tell them that Jackson'll be there within the next thirty minutes! Just don't serve them coffee, they turn into gremlins!" he cut the line jumping over to the bed to shake Jackson's shoulder, but he still seemed to be dead to the world. "Jackson! Get your ass out of bed!" he slammed a pillow on Jackson's back to wake him.

"Hey, what gives?" Jackson turned around sitting up in bed, the sheet falling down to his waist. Raymond let his eyes roam over Jackson's exposed body. Yep, definitely built like a god, he admitted to himself.

"Your parents are in your office as we speak!" Raymond was rushing around the room, trying to get his suit on while combing his hair. 

Jackson had jumped off the bed, grabbing his clothes and throwing them on as fast as he could. Once they were sitting in the car, Raymond felt as dishevelled as Jackson looked. They practically ran from the car into the lift. Jackson ran his hand through his hair, hoping it didn't look like he just got up. Then Raymond suddenly grabbed his shirt, starting to undo the buttons.

"Cook, as much as I would like to play along with you, I don't think we should get frisky with my parents in the building." he smiled, snaking his hands around Raymond's waist.

"Shut up!" Raymond commanded. "Your buttons are all wrong!" At that moment, the lift doors opened to reveal Glenn staring from one to the other. Raymond jumped back, pushing Jackson's chest to let him go. 

"Parents!" Raymond reminded Jackson and grabbed him by the arm, running toward his office.

"Jackson, my dear what happened? You look as if a train had just run over you?" his mother asked, noticing that Raymond was also in the same dishevelled state, both their faces flushed, slightly out of breath. "Did you boys pull an all-nighter again?" she continued looking from one to the other.

"Yes, that!" Jackson latched onto the lie in relief. It wouldn't go down well with his mother, if she knew he'd slept with Raymond. Especially since he's supposed to make him stay, not fall into Jackson's bed.