CHAPTER 6

 

Joel walked a few steps behind Lucas as they made their way to the office building where his former employer was situated. The building was a modern high rise, all marble, and glass with the occasional chrome detail thrown in. All around them, people were milling about in a hurry to get to work or somewhere equally important. It was clear this was part of the business district, at least if the number of sharp suits and serious faces was anything to go on. In contrast, their own more leisurely tempo made quite a few of their fellow pedestrians give them sour looks, but Joel felt like nothing could bring him down from the high he was on at the moment. Looking up at the building, almost tall enough to make him dizzy, Joel thought about the past weekend and couldn’t help smiling.

Amazing. There was no other way to describe the three days they had spent together in the city. Waking up well rested and only slightly sore in all the right places was only made better when Lucas came in with breakfast in bed. Apparently, Lucas’ parents had been there the day before, filling their kitchen with food, which meant Lucas could feed him croissants and strawberries for breakfast. It didn’t matter at all that there only were instant coffee available. He knew better coffee was in his near future. For now, he was just happy to wake up slowly in the big bed and hear Lucas lay out his suggested plans for them to see as many of his favorite spots around town as possible.

They had started off with a nice run in Central Park in the midmorning sun, ending up at an outdoor gym. They stood there watching the people working out on the different kinds of equipment. Many of the guys were standing about in between workouts, pushing out their chests and generally trying to look imposing or perhaps even intimidating. Without even trying, Joel towered over them. He felt Lucas put his arm across his shoulders as if marking his territory. Just when Joel was about to call him on his caveman behavior, Lucas leaned in closer.

“Go on… Show them how it’s really done.” Lucas whispered in his ear while trying to nudge him over to the various bars. Joel first thought to tell him, no, but then decided they deserved to have some fun. Just as he took a few steps forward, Lucas put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.

“Take your shirt off…” His boyfriend’s grin made him smile, but he shook his head. That was so not going to happen. He had limits. At least in public.

He went over to one of the bars, stretched a little and then reached up. The bar was a bit too close to the ground, apparently meant for shorter people. By bending his legs, he would, however, be able to get a good workout. Grabbing the bar, he started an improvised routine of pull-ups, chin-ups, and some hanging leg lifts. Being stiff from the long flight, it felt really good to get his muscles working and Joel lost himself in the exercise, enjoying the pleasant burn in his arms, shoulders, and abs. After a while, he noticed most of the people at the gym had stopped their routines to instead watch him. Self-consciously, he dropped to the ground and scanned around for Lucas, finding him leaning against the equipment with a naughty smile on his face. Looking discretely at the other people present, he was embarrassed to realize quite a few were openly ogling him. As Lucas came up to him, the pleased look on his face told Joel this was exactly the effect he had hoped for. Standing in front of everyone, he grabbed Joel’s face and kissed him. For a split second, Joel thought about pulling back, but then realized they weren’t doing anything wrong. He could give Lucas this childish satisfaction.

“Everyone here wants you and you’re all mine…” The mumbled words together with the hot breath against his ear sent shivers through him and made him wish they were back home already. He couldn’t help moaning quietly and judging from the look in Lucas’ eyes they would need another long shower upon returning to the apartment. As he suspected, the shower turned into an afternoon session in bed, which left both of them ravenous yet satisfied. Joel knew sitting would be an interesting experience for the rest of the day, but being able to please Lucas like that made it worth it.

The rest of the long weekend continued like living a movie as they moved about the city on foot or in cabs. There was so much to see and take in during their excursions it almost made Joel’s head spin. They ate in restaurants which Joel felt almost intimidated to visit, but with Lucas by his side, it turned into an adventure. They went to diners which Joel thought he recognized from TV. One important order of business was setting Joel up with a phone (“So I can keep tabs on your sweet ass” as Lucas put it) and filling it with as many naughty pictures as possible leaving Joel blushing whenever he pulled it out. Somehow, being back in New York had spurred Lucas’ dominant side and had made him very creative with the use of the rope and the cuffs they had brought with them. All to Joel’s enjoyment. Although, he still wondered if the neighbors had heard them. There was a distinct difference between having very loud sex in the middle of nowhere and here in a building with all too thin walls.

This morning, however, it was time to get back to reality and the reason why they were here in the first place. They made their way to the desk at the main entrance and Lucas said his hellos, chatting with the staff, three young guys in uniform who all looked to be of Hispanic descent. It was apparent he knew them all and they seemed genuine in their lamenting of his absence. He gave them a short summary of his whereabouts the past months (conveniently leaving out any details about the incident of the hired gunman showing up to kill them both) and they were fascinated that he could feel the need to actually leave Manhattan, let alone New York for an existence at the end of the world. Joel felt kind of stupid standing there trying to look like he belonged. Soon enough, the guys behind the counter noticed him and one by one they fell silent, staring at him while trying to act like they weren’t in fact staring. As usual, he had a hard time being inconspicuous. He gave them a hesitant smile and looked at Lucas.

“Oh, guys. This is Joel, my boyfriend. He’s Swedish. A cop…”

Joel didn’t have to look at Lucas to know he was wiggling his eyebrows. There was no mistaking the pride in his voice, though, and Joel felt comforted by that. To know Lucas was proud of him made him less self-conscious, even if he was a bit uneasy about being on display.

The security guys scrutinized him even closer and he could tell two of them really liked what they saw. Though he tried to control his reaction, he could feel himself blush. The red tint crept all over his face and even the tips of his ears started to burn. At the same time, he couldn’t help wondering if Lucas had flirted with these guys or perhaps more. Joel had tried to get comfortable with the idea of Lucas ‘playing the field’ as he put it, but it still made him ridiculously jealous and, worse, insecure to think of Lucas with anyone else.

“So we can go up, right? Ander is expecting me at ten.” Lucas glanced at the clock behind them as if suddenly noticing the time.

“Sure thing! See you later, man!” One of the guys must have pressed a button because the gates opened and they could go through. The guys did the collective wave thing and Lucas jerked his head back in a sort of goodbye. He turned towards the elevators, motioning for Joel to follow.

In the elevator, Lucas cornered Joel, pressing their bodies together and kissed him roughly.

“You have no idea how much I like showing you off like this…” Letting his mouth travel down the side of his throat, Lucas had him gasping in no time. Thoughts of their weekend together in Lucas’ apartment flashed through Joel’s mind and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to go back home and let himself be taken once more.

“Lucas, please…” Joel panted the words as Lucas kept up his assault on his neck. “I can’t meet your ex-colleagues like this…”

“Like what?” Even though Lucas knew what he meant, he still asked. Just for the pleasure of making him squirm from embarrassment.

“You know…” When Lucas kept on grinding against him and smiled wickedly, Joel moaned. He would have to say it to get Lucas to let up. “Hard. Horny…”

“Leaking…?” Looking him straight in the eyes, Lucas demanded an answer, even if he already knew.

“Yes…” And he was. He could feel it trickling out of him.

“Just hold that thought and I’ll take care of you when we get home.”

Lucas gave him one last kiss and with a practiced and well-timed move turned towards the elevator doors just as the little ‘ding’ sounded, signaling the doors were opening. Joel couldn’t help but wonder just how many times before Lucas had done something like that in this very elevator.

They stepped out of the elevator and walked straight into an office. On a large sign just above the reception desk, he could read ‘Roberts, Ander and Tierney’. The efficient looking young woman behind the desk broke into a wide smile upon seeing them.

“Mr. Berg! So nice to see you! It’s been too long!” At that moment, an unidentified emotion drifted across her face, but it was gone almost as quick with the smile firmly back in place once more. Joel wondered if she knew the whole story. He guessed she did since the case had apparently caused quite the scandal among law firms in the US. “We’ve all missed you.” The last bit was said in a way that convinced Joel she was actually telling the truth. It seemed his boyfriend was kind of popular at work.

This impression was strengthened as they made their way through the office after talking for a few moments with Izzy, the receptionist. All through the offices, they bumped into people who were genuinely pleased to see Lucas again. It didn’t matter if it was another fellow lawyer or some other member of staff. After one particularly overenthusiastic welcome back from an elderly lady, perhaps an assistant, Lucas glanced over at Joel.

“It helps a great deal if they like you. Work gets so much easier…” He winked at him.

“Well, it seems to have worked…” Joel couldn’t help but sound a little sarcastic.

“It’s not like that! I like these people too! It’s a great firm to be with. We always say ‘Once a RAT, always a RAT.” Seeing Joel’s confusion, Lucas chuckled. “Roberts Ander Tierney… R A T! The naming partners don’t really like it, but it sort of stuck.”

He stopped in front of a door with the name Ander on it and knocked. A muted voice from the inside let them know they could enter. When entering, Joel had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. The room was the quintessential lawyer office, with books and papers everywhere. Piles and piles of them were placed on almost every surface available in the room. Behind a huge desk sat a thin man with dark, slicked-back hair dressed in an expensive looking suit. He smiled when he saw Lucas and appeared a bit confused when he noticed Joel.

“Ah, Lucas! Am I glad to finally have you back! You’re a godsend!” He approached them with his hand extended.

“I’m pretty sure you’re paying me…” Lucas managed to keep a straight face, but Joel could hear he was seconds away from laughing. Most would be fooled though.

The man stared at Lucas and Joel wondered what had got into his boyfriend. Wasn’t that kind of rude? Then the small man burst out in a surprisingly loud laugh.

“Well, nice to know you haven’t changed all that much over at the North pole.” The man’s eyes wandered over to Joel. “And you are…?”

“Oh, sorry Mr. Ander. This is Joel, my boyfriend. I met him while trying to avoid a moose and generally stay alive.”

Joel could tell Lucas regretted his choice of words instantly, but it was too late. Mr. Ander lost his smile and instead looked remorseful.

“Ah, yes… Nasty business that. I do hope you believe me when I assure you the firm had no idea. I had no idea. Rogers was acting on his own. Completely on his own.” Ander sounded upset and all humor had left his voice. He looked at them with a frown on his face and shook his head. It reinforced what Lucas had said about the other partners being very upset about all that had happened. Or at least that it was made public. 

“I know. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe that. I would never put Joel through anything like that if I didn’t believe that.” Lucas sounded sure of himself, but Joel knew it was a front. Lucas had confided in him that he still wasn’t positive this was a good thing, going home and working on the case. With the money they were offering, it would be insane to decline. The client had let them know to spare no expense in securing a victory in the litigation. Lucas was going to reap some of the benefits from that.

“So, what are you going to do here while Lucas helps us on this case?” Mr. Ander turned to Joel with a renewed smile and just a little more upbeat attitude.

“Ehum… I haven’t really planned all that much. Just explore I guess…” The answer made Joel feel like a teenager, with no proper goal in sight. “I mean, there isn’t much I can do. For six months, I don’t really have the time to start studying and work is out of the question. I mean, I’m a Swedish police officer. Not much need for that here, even if I did manage to get a green card.” When he managed to sound at least somewhat grown up, Joel felt almost pleased with himself.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find plenty to do here. So many museums and art galleries to visit, shows to see, shops with all the latest fashions where you can buy just about anything you want…” Suddenly, Ander seemed to notice Joel’s puzzled look and realized he was talking to a man, not a wife. “I mean, there are showrooms for every car brand imaginable. Or you could go see sports. You like sports?” The reedy man tried to square his shoulders and even widened his stance as if to underline they were talking about masculine things now.

Joel looked at him and almost felt sorry for the guy. Hard to backpedal with your foot in your mouth.

“Yeah, I like ice hockey. You have some really good teams over here.” He decided to let the guy off the hook and pretend he hadn’t noticed.

“Yes, well, just let me know if you need help getting tickets. I know some people who can get you really nice seats.” The relief on Ander’s face was plain to see. He probably figured he had saved the situation undetected.

“I think maybe I should go talk to Pierce now? Get the latest updates?” Lucas was obviously trying to get back on track with the reason he was there in the first place.

“Yes, excellent idea! I need to get a move on myself here. Time’s wasted not billed!” Ander smirked at them. “See you later, Lucas. Nice to meet you, Joel. I’m sure you’ll feel at home here in no time.”

Lucas herded him out of the office and down another corridor.

“Sorry about that. Ander is basically a good guy, but he’s kind of old-fashioned. He knows I’m gay and date guys, but he still has the idea there has to be a woman somewhere and you don’t really fit into that…” Lucas shrugged almost apologetically.

“No problem. I think he was more embarrassed than me.” Joel tried to sound as if he didn’t care, but he couldn’t completely shake the feeling of putting Lucas in an uncomfortable position. Maybe it wasn’t a great idea to come to work with him today.

They continued down towards the end of the corridor and ended up outside another door, this one slightly less imposing. Lucas knocked, but this time he didn’t bother to wait before opening the door.

“Hey, Luke! Where are your manners?” An upset sounding voice was all Joel could make out, since he hadn’t entered the room yet. “I could’ve been doing something important! I could’ve been naked!”

At the last comment, Joel flinched and he took a few steps forward into the room. He heard Lucas and the other guy start to laugh.

“Oh, bitch, please! You haven’t seen any action in here since… Well, that still hasn’t happened, now has it?” In a nonchalant way, Lucas shrugged his shoulders and put a hand on his hip. Joel was surprised at the change in the man he loved. His voice and body language were suddenly very different. It was like he was watching Lucas try out for a role in a play. Not quite himself anymore.

“No, that’s sadly true. I guess you’re right and that Christmas party doesn’t count since it was another room. Wasn’t anything special anyway so…” The man sighed and then burst out giggling.

“That was an awesome experience and you know it!” Lucas made an effort to sound upset, but he was having trouble speaking since he tried to contain his laughter. Instead, he walked over and gave the man a hug, mumbling something in his ear that Joel couldn’t hear. The other man returned the hug, only a bit too close for Joel’s comfort, nuzzling his face in the side of Lucas’ neck.

“So, bitch, how’s life treating your sorry ass?” Lucas still sounded different, like he spoke more through his nose than he usually did.

“There’s nothing sorry about this fine specimen. You’re just jealous the supply has been cut!” With a slap to his ass, Pierce turned and wiggled it in front of Lucas.

“Like I would need that now!” There was no mistaking the smugness in Lucas’ voice.

Joel stood there feeling like the odd man out, not understanding exactly what they were talking about. He studied the other man, noting he was shorter and slimmer than both him and Lucas. Dark blonde hair swept back ending in small curls at the back of his neck. He was pale but not in a sickly way. More like a natural paleness of a redhead, even though he wasn’t one.

Lucas turned towards him and with an elaborate hand movement, he made formal introductions.

“Pierce, as you figured out this is Joel…”

Joel picked up something in Lucas’ tone but didn’t have time to think it over before the man stretched out his hand. It took him a few moments, but then he grabbed his hand.

“Joel, this is Pierce. A… colleague.” Lucas acted almost embarrassed, but Joel couldn’t figure out why. “We’ll be working together on the case with Ander.”

“Doing most of the work, that is.” Pierce looked at him intently and Joel felt like he was under scrutiny. “I’ll handle the litigation side of things and Luke here will provide his knowledge regarding the background story of the business deal.”

Pierce’s dark blue eyes betrayed an intelligence that hadn’t been apparent as a first impression but rather obscured by his giggling and his mannerisms. Joel realized the man in front of him was probably not to be underestimated.

“Well, Luke, he is big, I’ll give you that…” Pierce let his eyes roam up and down Joel’s body as if appraising him.

“Hmm…” Giving Joel another once over, Pierce pursed his lips and then addressed Lucas again. ”But you know what they say, honey. Novelty wears off, whereas substance never fades…”

“Pierce! Bad boy…” Lucas laughed and glanced over at Joel with an almost embarrassed look on his face.

Although he still didn’t quite understand what was going on, the comments hit Joel like a slap in the face and made him feel uncomfortable. Still, Pierce had a wide smile on his face, looking all friendly. Maybe he was just trying to be funny. He didn’t like that Pierce called Lucas ‘Luke’, though, even if his reaction was completely irrational. They were colleagues and friends. Why wouldn’t Pierce have a nickname for Lucas? It was common enough? Right?

“So how are you finding New York? Settling in ok? It must be quite different from that place you come from. Luke tells me there’re only a couple of thousand people living there?” A crinkle above Pierce’s nose told Joel exactly what he thought about a place that small.

“Kiruna has almost 20,000 inhabitants…” Joel regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. Why did he feel the need to sound like some prissy school teacher? Seeing Pierce’s eyes glaze over as he appeared to stop listening made thing even worse.

Pierce turned to face Lucas instead, acting as if Joel had simply vanished. His smile deepened and at once seemed more genuine.

“So, how about we get started? You know I’d have liked to have you here already two weeks ago. We have some serious prep work to do.” He put his arm around Lucas’ shoulders and steered him to his desk. With their heads close together, the two men started talking enthusiastically about what needed to be done and when leaving Joel standing there not knowing what to do next. Was he supposed to just leave? 

“Hrm…” He cleared his throat, making them look up startled.

“Oh, Joel! Sorry, I’m just so excited to get going. Maybe I’ll follow you out now that you know where I am. I’ll see you later tonight at home, ok?” Lucas came back over to him and started ushering him out of the room, putting his hand at the small of Joel’s back. The familiar gesture suddenly seemed like a way to get rid of him and didn’t leave Joel feeling cared for at all.

Joel nodded, not really knowing what to say. It felt as if he had been dismissed, but at the same time, he told himself to stop being so stupid and needy. He knew Lucas was here to work, so why did it feel like he was dumped and quite unceremoniously at that?

Saying goodbye at the entrance, Lucas kissed him with a passion that made him forget his previous thoughts.

“Just make sure you don’t spend all day running around town. Save some energy for me. You’re going to need it…” The burning desire in Lucas’ eyes made his cock pulse and thicken. Stepping out into the busy street, he couldn’t wait for tonight.