Accepting You

Chapter Forty Nine

"Daniel," Yusuf called out as he poked his head around the office door.

Yusuf pushed the door wider and stepped onto the floor.

The paralegal he had bumped into while exiting the lift had been right. The private client department was empty except for the small trainee Yusuf was after.

Daniel's body was partially hidden by desk dividers. Still, by the way his feet were positioned, lifeless but upright against the floor like a ballet dancer on pointe, and the way the beginning of his torso was slumped over the desk like a deep breath, Yusuf could tell he was sleeping.

Yusuf stood next to Daniel's body and called his name out louder.

Daniel lifted his head, and once his snoozing brain registered the face of the junior associate beside him, he chaotically pushed his chair backwards and stumbled onto flat feet.

Yusuf watched the trainee messily tuck parts of his creased shirt into his trousers.

Daniel pulled his black socks that had fallen and gathered around his ankles until the logos at the top disappeared and reached his knees. He smoothed his hands over the front of his blazer until Yusuf told him to stop, fearing the kid would give himself a fabric burn.

"Hi–I mean–g–good evening," Daniel greeted Yusuf. His face turned into his signature red as he pulled his mouth apart, brace rubbers tightening in protest. "I wasn't sleeping! I swear, I was just...," Daniel's voice quietened as he thought of an excuse.

"Resting your eyes?" Yusuf quirked up a brow and gave Daniel a relaxed smile. "It's no big deal. Besides, it's not a proper workday if you haven't napped at your desk...or hid in the toilets for the last hour or two so no one disturbs you."

As they widened, tiny specks of glitter seemed to appear in Daniel's eyes. "You've really done that?"

Yusuf nodded, noticing Daniel's shoulders were scrunched up at his neck. "Of course. If you haven't, you're not doing your training contract right."

"Although," Yusuf pointed at a reflective dark cube in the corner of the office, "it's not trainee exclusive."

"The partners?" Daniel gasped.

"They're humans, not machines," Yusuf chuckled. "Plus, no one has that many meetings in one day."

"Wanna know a secret?"

Daniel nodded eagerly.

Yusuf stepped closer to Daniel, and although no one else was on the floor, he still lifted the file in his hand and used it to cover their faces.

"It's all in the blinds."

"The blinds?"

"The blinds."

Yusuf swivelled his head around and purposely eyed the doors, even though he wasn't expecting anyone to surprise them. It was past seven, and according to the paralegal rushing out, nothing was deemed urgent because the clients were already dead.

The dead could wait another day.

"When a partner is having a meeting, they'll just close the door. Soundproofing. That's all they need," Yusuf explained.

He then dropped his voice to a whisper as though the walls would swallow their secrets and later reveal them in echoes onto a busy floor. "When they're having a nap, they also close the blinds."

"Ahh," Daniel sang understandingly.

Yusuf dropped the file to his side. "Anyway, I'm not sure whether I should be glad I caught you." He switched his gaze onto the clock. "What are you still doing here?"