The Reluctant Assistant - Book One

Fall from Grace Part 22

"Cook!" Jackson called over the intercom. He hadn't seen him at all today, since he was off to his usual meetings or whatever it was that Raymond got up to. Again Jackson realized how invaluable Raymond had become. He seems to be everywhere all the time. Picking things apart during meetings that didn't make sense, things that Jackson wouldn't even have noticed, kept everybody in line, and still, he always referred to himself as an assistant.

"Junior?! You are not Cook." Jackson looked behind Glenn but couldn't spot Raymond. "Where is Cook." he knew he sounded like a child.

"He's gone home sir." Glenn moved closer to Jackson's desk, feeling bolstered by the fact that he could just tell the truth. This was no secret.

"What do you mean he went home? People don't just go home in the middle of the day!" He wondered whether Raymond was sick. Maybe all that food and beer was finally catching up with him.

"He - uh, he wasn't feeling too well, sir." So far so good, Glenn thought to himself, maybe he'd short changed himself on the bet.

"What do you mean he's not feeling well?" Jackson's eyes narrowed in on Glenn, fixing him to the spot. "And don't make me drag it out of you, because I'll kill you with my bare hands, Junior!"

Well, that was short lived, Glenn sighed. At least he won the bet! "Raymond was a bit upset today sir. He thought it best to take the rest of the day off." Glenn looked at a spot behind Jackson to try and avoid his gaze.

"Don't you dare do a Cook on me, Junior!" Jackson was getting irritated by the fact that Glenn had also adopted Cook's robot stare, but on Cook it was cuter. "Look me in the eyes and tell me what's upset him!"

"Eh-well, the rumours that are going about you two, seemed to have upset him. They're not very flattering. Everybody is talking about it, saying..." Glenn didn't want to finish this sentence. He knew Jackson was going to threaten it out of him, but he'd come to learn that Raymond had the final say in his job, which made him a little braver.

"What exactly are they saying?" Jackson's voice was cold a scowl on his face.

"Well-well, you know, that he's slept his way to the top and that he wasn't even qualified to begin with. That he's somehow hoodwinked you into giving him all this control in the company." Glenn thought he might as well jump all the way down the rabbit hole and see what comes up. "He caught two guys discussing it..." he trailed off. Holding his breath, waiting for what Jackson would do next. How did Raymond manage this kind of stress every day, he wondered.

"Get me their names, right now. I'll make sure to sort this out." Jackson was pissed off at what was happening. How could people think that of Raymond? He's worked his ass of to get where he is! "What Junior?!" he snapped when Glenn didn't move.

"If-if I may sir." Glenn started, looking over at Jackson whose scowl had turned even darker. He's going to put his head inside the crocodiles mouth, but he felt that a bit of advice was needed, even if it wasn't wanted.

"I don't think you should make too much of a fuss about this. This will just confirm everybody's suspicion that you're protecting him..." Glenn stopped, he's up to his chest now, when Jackson nodded, he continued, "I think it's best to let Raymond handle it in his own time. Firing staff because of a silly rumour will just draw more attention to him." Right, Glenn thought, only his ankles were sticking out. He held his breath waiting to be devoured by Jackson. He had said more than he'd wanted to, but even he knew that Jackson was a fool when it came to relationships, from what he's seen so far.

"Junior, you know you make some sense in between all that other shit you were talking about," Jackson admitted. His first reaction was to fire the hell out of anybody who said anything about Cook, then put their heads up as an example to all the other little assholes. But maybe what Junior said made sense. Let Raymond handle it in his time and he'll be the supportive boyfriend, as it should be.

"Today you get to keep your job Junior!" he grinned over at Glenn. "But we will never have a conversation like this." he warned. It's one thing talking about Raymond, but his personal life is not going to be someone's bedtime story. 

"Of course Mr. Dealer." Glenn nearly fell into one of the chair in relief. That didn't go as bad as he'd expected. Who was he kidding, he was already mentally booking his bus ticket home, but Raymond was a good guy, who maybe needed to fly under the radar for a while. He rushed out of Jackson's office, bolstered by the fact that he won the bet and that he was making some headway with Jackson.

--

Knocking on Raymond's flat door, Jackson wondered why he lived in a neighborhood like this. It's not like he was earning minimum wage. Knocking again, he heard the key rattle and stood facing Raymond in a Tigger onesy, complete with his jaw opening up, so that it looked like Raymond was being swallowed.

"Cute." Jackson laughed, leaning in to kiss him. Following Raymond inside, he knew he was never going to forget Raymond like this. "Are you okay Cook?" he looked worryingly at Raymond who sat down next to him.

"I didn't expect it to come out so soon. I knew there were going to be rumors, but when you actually hear them, it sounds so much worse, you know?" Raymond leaned against Jackson's shoulder, who immediately wrapped his arm around him. "The fall from Grace." he dolefully sighed.

"You can do no such thing." he put his finger under Raymond's chin to make him look up. "You are the captain of my ship, Cook. You are the only one I know I can trust, who I can believe would tell me the truth, you hold everything together for me. What does it matter what some assholes are saying? They're not even pissing in the same league as you." He wanted to make sure that Raymond realized his worth. Not something that can be quantified, but something that he's always seen, he realized. Even from their first time together.

"Do you need some time off from work?" Jackson pulled him in closer

"No, that would just make everything worse." he sighed. Mustering enough courage he said in encouragement, "I can do it! Right?" This time he as not as convinced as he's always been.

"My Cook, you've always done the impossible, nothing has stopped you before, and I bet nothing is going to stop you now.

"Wait, hang on..." Raymond pushed away from him, So that he could look at Jackson. "how is it that nobody is fired by now and how are you so calm? By now you should have thrown a tantrum from hell, causing everybody to start looking for a backup job." Raymond was surprised at how calm Jackson was. He was even supportive, without turning it into a Jackson pity fest.

"Oh, I figured that you wouldn't want to make a big fuss over the whole thing. So I thought I'd let you take the lead, as you usually do anyway." he laughed at Raymond. It wouldn't do well if word got out that he's taking relationship advise from his assistant's assistant. 

"You are doing well, boyfriend." Raymond kissed him on the cheek, before getting up and moving to the bedroom. Jackson immediately followed. "Hang on there buddy. I'm going to get ready." He stopped Jackson in the door. "I've got a bet to collect on with Tilly and Hector and pretend to be an adult for once in my life." He pushed Jackson out to wait in the living room.

"I've seen you naked before you know!" Jackson called out through the closed door. When the door opened, Raymond was standing in his black suit, hair sleeked back, looking like the rent version of James Bond, smiling at Jackson. He only had three suits, black, blue and grey, but he'd be damned if he didn't get a years worth of use out of them.

"What do you think? Will I pass for an adult?" he stretched out his hands turning around for Jackson to see. 

"Barely," Jackson joked, getting up to hold him. "What's this all about? You're getting all dressed up for wings and beer?" Maybe they took fandom to a whole new level, he thought. Some people were dedicated to sports, maybe Raymond and his friends had dedicated themselves to the consumption of wings and beer in the most ridiculous way.

"No dummy. You're my boyfriend now." Raymond couldn't believe he was saying these words. Where did his resilience go? What happened to I won't be that guy who'd cook up with his boss. "So Tilly has to pay up and take us all out for red wine and canapes at some swanky bar where adults go." He reached up to kiss Jackson.

I like being your boyfriend," Jackson smiled against his mouth, relishing in the moment until the doorbell rang.