How’s your boyfriend holding up?” Maureen asks first thing the next morning. We walk in the front door together, and she hands me a cup of coffee from Espresso Patronum. It’s a conciliatory offering, I suppose, but her face looks sincere.

“He’s on a plane right now,” I say with a sigh. I woke up early to fix him a vegan sausage roll to eat on his drive to the airport and stuck around after he left to wash his sheets and get things tidy in his room for when he returns. It isn’t much, but since I can’t be there for him in person, it will have to do.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to approve your request,” she says, keeping her voice low. I try to tell her that it’s okay, but the words catch in my throat.

When I asked yesterday for the time off to go to California with Ted, Maureen approved. But once she put it on her shared calendar, the one that the other lead architects and Alexander can access, the approval was snatched away by a pair of perfectly manicured fingers. Alexander was at my desk reminding me that leave requests must be submitted at least two weeks ahead of time, or they will not be considered.

My response that “If only Dylan had been considerate enough to plan his heart attack in advance,” was met with stony silence.

I sit down to boot up my computer, but my eyes snag on an envelope tucked under my keyboard. I hold it up with a raised brow to Maureen, but she shakes her head to indicate she’s just as surprised as I am.

I slide out the letter, written on company letterhead, and my stomach plummets to my shoes.

From: Alexander Chavet, Principal Architect at CVM Architects

To: Kieran Jones

Re: Insubordination Notice

Your behavior yesterday when you were denied a time-off request was disrespectful and disruptive. As the CVM employee manual states, “An employee must request leave at least two weeks prior to the desired date.” The published rule was not only flaunted, but your behavior when denied was inexcusable.

Additionally, your work performance has continued to be unsatisfactory, you cavort with friends and family members in the workplace, and you are unwilling to be a team player when additional duties or hours are requested of you in order to allow the company to fulfil its mission.

Be advised that this is a formal and final disciplinary warning. If you continue to behave in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner, you will be terminated with no further warning.

The letter slides from my fingertips and floats to the desk, where Maureen promptly snatches it up and reads it herself.

“Of all the … this is not okay, Kieran.”

“It is what it is.” I shrug.

“If he tries anything, I will personally go to the board. This is bullshit.”

I lower my voice in the hopes that Maureen will do the same. “And say what, that I didn’t disregard company policy and ask for the time off? Because I did.”

Maureen scoffs. “You had good reason. And the rest is entirely untrue. I’m your direct supervisor and you have never turned in a poor work product. And you always stay late when needed. I just don’t need you to as often as Alexander did because I actually get shit to you on time instead of boinking my boyfriends in the supply closet.”

My mouth hangs open and I wave for her to quiet down. I don’t want her job on the line too. Jesus, you can’t say shit like that in the workplace. At least my workplace.

Ted: Made it to San Diego. Thanks for everything.

Kieran: You’re welcome. I’ll be thinking of you.

There’s so much more I want to say, but after being reprimanded once today, I’m not in the mood for a repeat.

I try to focus on actual work, but I overthink every single thing I do to ensure it’s perfect and that I’m not about to get canned. I might hate Alexander, but I need this job. Five o’clock can’t come soon enough.

Which is why I can barely hold in my groan when, at four-fifty, a text pops onto my screen from Alexander, instructing me to go to his office. Shit. I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming. Something prickling in the back of my neck tells me this isn’t going to end well.

“Close the door behind you.”

Well, that only makes the prickling intensify. But I do as I’m asked and then take a seat across from his desk. The leather feels cool under my palms, which rest at my sides on the chair like they’re ready to hold me up at the slightest hint of bad news. My ass remains on the edge, my body unable to relax back.

Alexander doesn’t seem to have that problem. I can only see his upper body, but he’s reclined so much that he has to look down his nose in my direction. He doesn’t speak, but stares at me and scratches or straightens out his pants underneath the desk. It’s hard to tell, since the desk is in the way, but his right arm visibly moves in rhythmic stretches, making me think scratching and not adjusting. Unless…

No. Fuck no, this cannot be happening.

“Crawl under the desk.”

Not what I was expecting. “Excuse me?”

“I’m giving you one chance, and one chance only, to save your job. You can crawl under the desk for me, right now, and I will destroy the insubordination letter and not file it with HR like I was planning. Or you can take your chances that you will perform perfectly, on time, without complaint, on every single minute task that is given to you for the rest of your time with CVM. Are you really willing to bet your career on it?”

“I’m in a relationship,” I say as I stand, which unfortunately gives me a better view to see that, yes, Alexander is rubbing himself through his pants. I think I’m going to be ill.

“With that slovenly man-child. I thought you were mature enough to understand the concept, but maybe I need to spell it out for you.” Alexander sits forward, but his hand still cups himself, now even more obviously than before. “I am not asking you to go steady. I am offering you a chance to save your job.”

Alexander pushes back from behind his desk, circling around to me. I try to take a step back, but his hand clasps around my neck as he strokes a hand down the front of my dress shirt. I shudder with disgust.

“I was angry when you rejected my advances,” Alexander says, still stroking my chest, “but I see now that you just needed proper incentive. Well, problem solved. So, get on your knees, boy.”

He tries to push against my shoulder to get me to kneel, but I shake myself, trying to get free.

“I told you. I’m with Ted. I’m not going to do anything with you.” I refrain from saying the rest of my thought, that I even if I were free, I would never do anything with him.

His grip turns fierce and I wonder if there will be bruises around my neck.

“The last time you turned me down, you were reassigned. You won’t be so lucky this time.”

“I’m okay with that.”

I stomp on his foot, surprising him enough to let go. I don’t bother with any of my personal belongings other than my book bag, just grab it and make a run for my car.

* * *

I must look as frazzled as I feel, because the second I step foot into the apartment, Ben asks, “What happened to you?”

I try to think back to when I last talked to Ben. I went straight to Ted yesterday after work, and when I came home to change this morning, Ben was already gone to work.

“Fuck, if you want the whole story, I think I’m going to need pizza and a beer.”

“Go change. I’ll order.”

As I slip my clothes from my body, not bothering to hang them up for next time, because there isn’t going to be a next time, the weight of what happened hits me. I’m unemployed. I have no way to pay for the pizza or the beer. All I have is a little bit of savings that I had set aside to try to get a new car. I sink to the bed in my boxers and bury my head in my hands. Why am I always such a fuck-up? Every time I think I’m finally at the point where the world around me would objectively see a grown-up, something like this happens that throws me back to feeling like a naïve kid.

My thoughts are too scattered for me to hear the knock at my door, so when Ben rests a cold bottle against the back of my neck, I jump.

“Ted got a little carried away?” He fakes a shiver, even though I have no idea what he’s talking about. “Thought you could use a jump start,” he says, nudging the beer forward until I take it from him, then combing through my dresser until a pair of sweatpants are tossed onto my head. “And get some pants on. I don’t wanna see your scrawny butt.”

I reach out and smack his leg.

“Ooh, if I had known you were kinky …”

He laughs his way out the door, and I shake my head after him. At least he made me crack a smile for a brief second.

Pizza has already arrived by the time I exit my room in my comfy sweats and old Ed Sheeran concert t-shirt. I must be in for it, because Ben has forgone any semblance of adulthood and has the pizza box open on the coffee table and a roll of paper towels to use as combined plate and napkin.

Ben scarfs and I nervously pick through the first half of the pizza as I tell Ben about Ted’s ex passing away and Ted leaving for California. He’s grabbing us each another beer from the fridge when he asks, “Why didn’t you go with him? I bet he would have appreciated the support.”

I wait until I’ve poured a third of my next beer down my gullet before I attempt a response.

“Do you remember what happened with my boss last year?”

“Not really, sorry. Just that he was an ass.”

“Still is. And ex-boss now.”

Ben’s fourth slice of pizza freezes on the way to his mouth. “You got fired?”

“When I asked yesterday for the time off to go with Ted to California, my request was rejected. Alexander gave some bullshit reason about requiring two weeks’ notice, when I know he has allowed others emergency leave requests. And when I complained, I got written up for insubordination.”

I take another swig of my beer, ignoring the pizza for now so I can get the rest of it out. I’m finally not shaking, but I’m still a little freaked out.

“Then this afternoon, he calls me in at the end of work. And tells me he’ll make it all go away for a blow job. He tried to force me. Grabbed me by the neck and everything. I got the hell out of there.”

“Wait, is that what those bruises are? I thought it was from fun times with Ted. Not your asshole boss.”

I shrug. I can’t see the bruises, so I’m not sure.

“Wait here.” Ben grabs his phone and shows me pictures of my neck. “Motherfucker.”

After a few back-and-forth exchanges of exclamations and expletives that included several fuckers and I’ll-kick-his-ass-es, Ben says, “Don’t worry. I’m going to do whatever I can to help you get him. I know Craig will too. And Zach’s great at business stuff, I bet he’ll be able to come up with ways to make that asshole pay.”

Having settled it within his own mind, Ben resumes inhaling his pizza. I don’t bother to tell him I don’t think it will help. Alexander is on the board and one of three principals of the company. I have no shot at going against him. Still, at least knowing I have support makes me finally able to stomach a slice.

“So why are you still here?”

Fuck. I didn’t think Ben would kick me out so soon. I thought I’d have time to find a job.

“I still have a little saved up. I won’t screw you over on the rent, I promise.”

Ben’s forehead wrinkles for a second, before he drops everything and pulls me into a hug.

“Dude. I meant why haven’t you left to be with Ted. I’m not kicking you out. I would never do that to you.”

I sag against the warmth of his body and the softness of his shirt, happy to be held by a friend, and shocked that there isn’t even a tingle of other feelings stirred up by Ben’s close proximity. It seems like my body and brain are fucking finally in sync.

“Hey,” he says, pulling me by my shoulders to look at him. “Once you get back from California, I’m going to do everything I can to help you with this work situation. That asshole can’t do that to you, and you’ve got all of us now. We’ll figure it out.”

I blink back the tears and focus on pizza. “Thanks. But I’m not going to California. Now that I don’t have a job, I really can’t afford it.”

I sulk with each greasy bite, wishing things were different. I feel like I’ve been stripped not only of my source of income but also my dignity. My whole life turned upside-down all because of one sick asshole.

I think Ben got up for more beer, but instead he returns to the couch with his phone and wallet in hand.

“Where in California?” he asks while tapping on the screen.

“Outside of San Diego. Why?”

I lean sideways to look, but he angles the phone away from me.

“What’s your full name as it appears on your driver’s license?”

“Ben, I cannot afford this.”

“Duh. That’s what credit cards are for.”

I shake my head. “I don’t even have a credit card.”

Ben walks to my bedroom, fingers still tapping away. I follow after him, but I’m too late to keep him from my wallet, which he rifles through as if this isn’t a total invasion of my privacy. Finding my license, he types in my name and clicks enter.

His work finished, he looks up at me with a shit-eating grin.

“It’s a good thing for you, then, that I do. I forwarded the confirmation to your email.”

It’s already done, but I’m still protesting. “I can’t believe you just did that. I have no job. No way to pay you back, much less a way to pay for rent now.”

Ben’s eyes soften from their glistening triumph. “Kieran. I told you. We’ll work it out. But Ted has always been there for us, and now he needs someone to be there for him. I have a sneaking suspicion you’re the only one that will do.”

I roll my eyes, but give in. Nothing I say will change his mind anyway.

“Don’t stay up too late. You’ll need to be out the door around four tomorrow morning to get to the airport on time.”

Ben closes the door while I’m still choking on that bombshell. Bastard’s timing is too good.