“Well,” I muse, somewhat dazedly, “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like that.” Gerald smiles knowingly, “Mr. Erikkson does have that effect on people.” “You mean he’s like a human hurricane to everyone he meets?” “That would be an apt descriptor for him, yes,” he nods, “Erikkson always had far more energy than one man should since the day I met him. He flirts with anything on two legs and legal age, turns his charm up to the maximum with the blink of an eye, and then astounds you with his intelligence and cunning wit the next. I have no idea how he keeps all that restraint under a respectable demeanor the moment he is in court. Mind you, his tongue will be sharp as ever, but he would have this air of absolute authority over him and believe me when I say that man does not have enemies in judges.” “I’m guessing that this is not a common feat for lawyers?” “No, it isn’t. You got no idea how utterly petty some judges could be, but never with Richard Erikkson. They eat right out of
“It’s not what it looks like!” I screech, thrusting my hands in front of me desperately in order to somehow reverse this misunderstanding, “I swear. I’m just taking care of something!”Apparently, that is the bad thing to say, because the man’s eyes widen, and an utterly horrified expression dawns on his face, and I expect him to clutch his imaginary pearls any second now. He shuffles back towards the door before gasping, “oh, God, have you no decency at all? This is a public building, sir, and you’re in a place where anyone can just wander in.” And then he growls, looking mad, “Are you one of those freaks who actually get off on people walking in on you? Is this it? Did you make me an unwilling participant in your sick fantasy?!”“Jesus Christ, man, you have some imagination,” I can’t help but say because what? Who the hell jumps to that conclusion first when he stumbles across a half-naked man in a bathroom? “And for the record, no! Of course not, I wasn't doing anything sexual!”“Y
After Gerald came to my rescue, the security guards declared that the incident was of no importance. The man who had burst in was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I disagree with this; he was just being a jerk for the sake of it. But that’s not something you can directly say, especially when you’re trying to maintain a ‘better than thou’ air around you and attempting to get the hell out of an unsavory situation. To be honest, I did not even want to continue defending my innocence after Gerald came, I just wanted to stop looking at the man’s face.The man was not happy of course, even when we exited the washrooms, he was trailing us, accusing me of trying to get away from my ‘wrong doings’ until finally, Gerald had had enough and threatened to call in the police for harassment charges if he didn’t let go.“Do you know who this is?” Gerald had asked him, tone icy and even as he held the other man’s eyes in a glare. He pointed at me, “his name is Jace. Jace Greyson.”The other man’s
Life returns to its normal state, more or less, after that.My replacement at Zelt Tech leaves for his own position rather than splitting his time between the two companies, thankful that I’ve returned sooner than he expected. I swear I do not know what my father was thinking, trying to make that poor man have the workload from two jobs, it’s a miracle he didn’t quit. But Gerald says the man owes my father a favor, and this was his chance of repaying it.“You do know you sound like some kind of mafia don when you talk like that, don’t you?” I notify my newly re-instated boss when I return to my old office, placing my belongings on the desk where they belong, who gives me a coy little look in return.My eyes widen as my blood runs cold, “please don’t tell me my father has ties to the mafia.”“Your father does not have ties for the mafia,” Gerald parrots dutifully, and turns to leave the office, “have a nice day, Mr. Greyson. It’s good to have you back.”“Wait, Gerald, tell me you’re pu
School is bustling on the first day of the new Fall semester, and I realize that after the Winter semester, I will be in going into my third year. That is a daunting thought, I admit because I can’t believe the amount of change that had occurred in my life during these past few months. I mean, when I came to King’s College, I was but a scholarship kid who had to work about two jobs to fend for myself. I was hurting, my fear of the world only coming second to my anger, hating my father and missing my mother, and getting beat up on an almost daily basis.It's bizarre to ponder upon how much I’ve changed. I got friends now, although they are an odd bunch. I’m not all that pissed at my dad, and contrary to my past belief, he does actually care for me. I got a best friend who is amazing, a pseudo-father figure who’s not afraid to call out my bullshit as well as come to my rescue should I find myself needing it, and I have a decent job that might have been given to me solely on nepotism, bu
My gaze travels up the hand. It is a very meaty arm if I do say so myself, veined as if it belongs to a boxer, clad in a short-sleeved shirt. Then comes a broad shoulder, connected to a thick neck. And then there is a square jaw, a gritting mouth, a flared nose, and eyes that are glaring at me so hard that I feel I should have perished under the diamond-cut hardness in them.I blink as this strange dude keeps glaring at me, bent towards me so his face is only inches away from me, unmoving like a rock. For a moment, I’m not certain what I’m supposed to do.This is highly unexpected. I notice that the cafeteria had turned silent, and my friends are all wearing the same signs of confusion I am.Before I can open my mouth, Louise asks, “hey man, what’s wrong?”He is ignored, and the only reaction he gets from the man is a nostril flare.How interesting. “Look, buddy,” I finally find my voice, “is there anything I can help you with?” I do not even sound peeved. I’m genuinely curious as to
It is a TA who had been assigned to monitor duties, standing next to Annabelle. Anabelle looks like she is about to cry, with her eyes all huge and shining, and her small stature convoluted into a posture that screamed baby bunny that needed rescuing. She is fiddling with the hem of her shirt, lower lip bitten and flushed red alarmingly.Was she that frightened about this whole ordeal? I didn't even realize. Had she not been chortling just moments ago?“What’s going on here?” The TA questions, looking between the bully and me, “this young lady came to me, all frightened because you boys looked like you were going to re-enact WWE right in the middle of the cafeteria. What’s wrong with you? Weren't a group of students just expelled last semester for fighting one boy?”“And that ‘boy’ would be me, sir,” I reply, taking a step away from the bully, knowing that if I appeared to be intimidating, I would be lumped up with him as well, “I was just minding my own business when this guy came he
When I tell Coraline about my new friends, she’s ecstatic.“It’s really good you have people to depend on while you're at school, Jace,” she tells me while we pore through the analytical reports from engineering division of the factory and make the supply inventory for next month, “I was a bit worried about you having no one at school to even talk with sometimes, and now you have three people who are even willing to stand up to a bully for you.”“Yeah, it feels good to have that kind of support, I guess,” I reply, “I have to admit, it might take some getting used to. A lot to be honest. Half the time I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”“Sometimes, I really want to go and punch everyone who made you feel so damned alone,” Coraline mutters darkly, “ever since you were only a kid.” She tilts her head at me, “you told me you didn’t have friends in school either, right?”“I was never an interesting child, to begin with,” I shrug, “I didn’t have any special talent, you know? I was p