ODDS OF LOVE : What You See

Episode 8

 Arlington , Virginia - " You are not leaving the firm , Nigel , " Richard Norland declared sternly as he held the damnable letter in his hand. He sat rigidly straight in his leather chair behind his perfectly organized and polished antique desk. He looked at his secretary Nigel Hawthorne - Cyrus who stood across from him , a look of defiance glimmering within his very rare purple eye. The other missing eye was covered as usual by his rainbow sequined eyepatch. In a moment of curious weakness Richard had inquired what happened to the young British man's eye and Nigel had merely said quietly , " Stupidity. " He could not believe the man was trying to resign. He also couldn't believe exactly how upset that prospect made him. Not just losing him as a secretary. But losing him in general. The thought of not seeing the man every day was throwing his orderly lawyer's mind into a state of rare panic. " Is this about money ? If so I shall raise your wages from twenty dollars a hour to thirty. Is that settled ? Shall we dispose of this thing now ? " He waved the letter in the air casually. 

Nigel showed absolutely no expression on his gorgeous fine boned face. He lifted his head almost regally. The man looked like a young Greek God standing there , so proud and firm in his current decision , with his headful of platinum blond curls that Richard often found himself wondering how soft it was. " This is not a money issue , Mr. Norland. I .... I just require a ..... change. I am taking a position as assistant manager of the Cafe J in Bethesda. It should be a nice change of pace for me. " 

It might be a nice change of pace for Nigel  , Richard thought as he let the perfectly penned letter fall from his well manicured hand down to the desktop with absolutely no notice that it had even left his hand. But it would be devastating to Richard himself. Nigel was the perfect secretary.  He was worth every penny that he was paid. And more. He did his job extremely well. Too well at times. He was the envy of the firm. Many of his fellow senior partners had tried to poach the young man from him and Richard had instantly put a stop to it.  But it was not just the loss of him as a secretary that had Richard's own heart clenching painfully as he had read the letter. It was more. Yet he couldn't explain why. 

He suddenly wanted to leap up and fall to his knees and beg the man to stay. Stay with him. Why? He had had employees leave him before. What was so special about this one man ? 

" A restaurant ? You'll be bored in a week. They can not be paying you as much. " 

Nigel smiled slightly. " It's not money why I am leaving. "

Richard stood up from his desk and strode over to him. Which may have been a mistake. Why did the man smell so very intoxicating today ? Although he usually did.......

" Then why ? , " he demanded to know. 

" That is really none of your concern. " 

Richard looked him dead in his eyes. " I refuse to allow you to leave. "

Nigel's composure slipped just a little as he snapped out tersely in his coolly accented voice , " I am afraid you have no choice in this matter. I am not your property , Richard. " Then he hesitated and swallowed. " I am nothing to you. "

That was not true , Richard thought.  For the longest time Nigel had been something to him. He just couldn't figure out what it was. He wished he knew. Spencer , his damn genius brother , thought he knew what power Nigel held over him but his little brother was wrong for once in his life. Richard was not gay. He was not gay. 

" You are not nothing , " Richard almost whispered as he felt himself against his will moving closer to the man's body. Close enough that he could very nearly feel the man's heart beating so fast and furious. Close enough that he heard the little intake of breath that Nigel made." I don't know what you are , but it sure as hell is not nothing. I am not losing you to anything. Certainly not some damn restaurant in Bethesda. I will pay you fifty dollars a hour. To stay. "

Nigel's one eye snapped with passionate emotion as he said fiercely , " I am not a whore ! Your money can not buy me ! "

" Then ? Then what do you want ? Tell me , man. Tell me ! "

Nigel did not tell him. With only the slightest hesitance the younger slightly shorter slender man reached out to pull his soon to be former employer even closer. Richard sucked in a breath as Nigel's lips met his own , his tongue pushing through Richard's startled lips and entering his mouth. It was not a soft kiss. It was not a gentle kiss or a tender one. It was an insistent passionate needy demanding one. 

It was the best kiss of Richard Andrew Norland's life and he had been married and divorced three times.  

Richard's arms lifted up to reach around the young man and he kissed back as though the man's mouth was a life raft and he was drowning in the vast ocean. 

Then Nigel broke off the kiss and stepped back suddenly. " That is why I am leaving. I am gay. And you are not. The only thing I want from you you can not possibly give me. " 

Nigel with his flushed face and swollen lips lifted his head proudly and walked out of the elegant corner office suite , saying , " I will give you two weeks , Richard. "