Between The Tides Of Pain & Rapture | MxM

Chapter 08

"We should go out tonight," Alex, the IT Department guy from Anderson's Estate, expressed with a gleeful laugh before nudging Nathan's shoulder. "I already asked Andrea, Sashia, and Arius - I told them drinks are on me -" he snickered. "I lied, and they're going. What about you? The more the merrier."

Nathan leaned back into the nylon chair and shrugged his shoulders. "I'll think about it and tell you back later," he said, eyeing Alex sitting lazily on top of his desk.

It had been a month since he started working at Anderson's Estate, and although the job had been strangely enjoyable from working with great people like Alex, Logan's displeasure for him grew.

To describe Logan's attitude as vindictive and heartless would've been an understatement. He had been constantly dissatisfied with Nathan's performance at work, and he always scolded him as one would to a child during Friday meetings for petty concerns, like taking too long a lunch break or coming into work a couple of minutes late. It seemed like Logan only enjoyed humiliating him in front of everyone. Luckily, from the years of his father's mistreatment, Nathan liked to believe that he had developed a thick skin, so he easily ignored Logan's biting words like they meant nothing despite the lingering embarrassment that colored his cheeks and watered his eyes.

As for what happened a month ago when Logan abused his authority, and pinned Nathan on the couch with force, Nathan's opinions about the situation might be likened to that of a brain-dead madman, for only a brain-dead madman would forgive and forget about something so awful, even if it came from a lover, much less a lover from the past one.

Fortunately - sometimes it felt unfortunate, Logan never tried to touch him again. So the minor mistreatment had been tolerable. Besides, Logan had hardly been at the office during the past month. They might've only encountered each other less than seven times, each more unpleasant than the previous. Yet, despite the regular venomous glare coming from Logan's eyes whenever he glanced in Nathan's direction when he passed by with powerful strides, Nathan's traitorous heart always yearned for him, and it ached knowing Logan, a man whom he once knew was nothing more than a fragment of his imagination; a memory sowed in the far end of his heart.

Alex snatched Nathan's phone from on top of the desk after a notification pinged. "What's this?" he asked chuckling, scanning the screen in front of him. "What the -" Immediately his eyes bulged wide.

Nathan knew what Alex was asking about; the notification came from a reminder of a gay male erotic story he had been secretly reading, Everything A BIG BAD WOLF Could Want, in his free time.

Instantly his heart spiked, and before a second thought crossed his mind, he leaped from the chair, intending to snatch the device from his nosy co-worker's clammy fingers.

"Give it back," he said in a panicked tone, reaching for the phone. Alex, a menace, drew back his arm - the other, jokingly pushing at Nathan's chest to keep him a distance, then his eyes wandered to the screen, seemingly trying to make out the display image. "Dammit Alex - I'm serious!"

While Alex did his best to keep Natha away, Nathan fought harder - sturdy arms flying, teeth grinding, he needed his phone back. And suddenly, from on top of the desk, when Nathan pressed closer, Alex lost his balance and went toppling backward, his back firmly meeting the cubical wall, and the phone dropped to the floor. In an awkward twist of fate, Nathan toppled as well, landing on top of Alex in a compromising position with his face smooshed into the other man's hard chest.

Nathan let loose an annoyed groan.

When Nathan lifted his face to stare up at Alex with an angry scold, Alex's cheeks colored and his body vibrated with laughter. "Okay - Okay," he said with gleeful eyes. "Here's your -"