"Okay, first order of business, every day is casual Friday"
Alfred said this with a grin. His hands lingering in the air as he exaggerated the quotes around "Casual Friday" .
"Does, everyone know what this means?"
He was receiving blank stares from the lot, his anxiety rising.
"So instead of having to wear a stuffy suit all day long, you can show up to work in jeans and a polo, or shorts and a t-shirt. Just keep it appropriate. Now that I m going to be taking over for Matthew, things are going to be a lot different around here."
Matthew sat back, a blank stare had fallen over his face. He looked around glancing at all of his employees, well not really his now, but Alfred's employees. They sat with anticipation. All attentive, listening and responding to Alfred as if he was some sort of god that fell from the sky.
"Hey, Mattie! I m just calling to let you know I m going to be coming into your office today! I've got some ideas that I know will just increase production a ton, so I m going to be taking over from here on out!"
Alfred continued, he rambled enthusiastically, not caring enough to hear Matthew s concerns.
"So, what d'ya think Mattie boy? If it s your income you re worried about don t even stir! You are still a vital part of this company and you will still be receiving your monthly check..."
He spewed his words out, no emotion. Matthew could tell that he was reading from a script.
"So, basically, you re f-firing me?"
Matthew sat back at his desk, the corner office with the killer view.
He grabbed the name plac that lifelessly lay at the edge of his desk. Carefully he picked it up, staring with soft eyes at the name, Matthew Williams , engraved into the marble.
"Oh, of course not! I m just going to be doing some work reforms. Just, just think about it as a vacation!"
Two hours. Alfred's speech on his so called "work reforms" went on for two hours. Matthew hadn't listened of course, he had read the potential work reforms memo Alfred sent out a week ago.
Nothing had changed. Nothing at all. Casual Fridays every day and an extra half an hour for lunch, should not be considered work reforms. They all ate it up. They all gave Alfred the eager eyes he wanted to see.
They went crazy. Crazy as if Matthew was some kind of hero. As in like he came and everything was somehow how different. Some whistled, everyone clapped, and everyone was standing as Alfred stood in the midst of it all.
Matthew sat and stared. He stared at how happy Alfred seemed to be. Alfred was able to just come in and say a couple of meaningless words and everyone was on his side.
It had taken two months for people to start remembering Matthew's name.
*
"I don t know about you but, this is all total bullshit. I mean, Casual Fridays everyday? That s not a work reform!"
Matthew was jolted out of his lethargic trance. He looked up, a lean man in a well fitted black suit stood staring down at him.
His hair was almost as pale as his skin, and he had an effortless bed-head look that worked.
Matthew had never noticed him.
"Who is this guy anyways? He is so completely self-infatuated. I thought you were doing a fine job and then this loser shows up and decides to make some stupid work reforms ? Vital, he said, vital!"
"That's my brother..."
Matthew said this with no emotion. A moment of silence passed. Matthew looked up and noticed that the pale man he had never seen in the office before was contemplating what to say next.
"He's kind of a jack-ass."
The man stepped back in surprise. A mischievous grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. A burst of laughter erupted from within him.
Matthew laughed softly, still sitting, looking up at the laughing man. The obviously taller man reached his hand out to shake. Matthew stood quickly grabbing his hand.
"I'm Gilbert." , the man said pointing, with his free hand, to the name tag, purposely, and ironically pinned upside down on his blazer.
"Matthew."
Matthew said this quietly
"Oh, I knew that, you've been my boss for all of three years now!"
Three years? Three years. This man had been working for him for three years now, and he had never even noticed him.
It was usually the other way around.
"It's too bad you're leaving. I really liked you"
Gilbert said this with a smile and walked back to his desk.
Flirting? Was this man flirting with him?
No.
A blush began to form on his cheeks, he stood there, a slight grin on his face.
"Mattie! You can go ho-, wait a second, you got this dumb-struck look on your face. You only get that look when you re embarrassed or- oh my god. You re blushing Mattie boy!"
Blah. Blah. Blah.
The office was silent. The employees gawked with open mouths. Except for Gilbert. Gilbert grinned as he continued his work. Matthew shot a side glance at the man he had just spoken to.
The blush intensified and Alfred was still rambling.
"Alfred."
Blah. Blah. Blah
"Alfred."
Blah Blah.
Matthew started towards his office. The blush still remaining on his face. He grabbed his stuff and he was gone. The warmth in his cheeks still lingered when he got home, a permanent grin pulled at his lips.
*
That night Matthew rented a movie and ordered in, all the while thinking about Gilbert. It had been a while since he was in a relationship, he was't even sure if he wanted one,and he did't know Gilbert, but he liked him. He liked the cocky attitude, the blatant humor, and the German accent. He liked the whole package. Gilbert was the exact opposite of himself, and he didn't mind. His phone buzzed on top of the counter, he lay on the couch only a few feet away, unable to pick himself up from the comfort the pillows and throw lazily placed on the couch provided. .
Alfred. Maybe it was Alfred, or so he thought, calling to tell him the job was too much to handle and he needed Matthew to come back to work immediately.
Slowly he stood up and walked to the counter. A slight hope filled him.
RESTRICTED
Usually, he let restricted, or blocked, numbers go to voice mail.
"Hello?"
He decided against it and answered.
"Hallo I'm-"
A thick German accent continued to ramble.
"H-hello?"
Matthew said timidly once more.
"Hallo Matthew! It s Gilbert from the office! You should buzz me up, I m standing outside and I have your Chinese food!"
He hung up.
Matthew stood confused, questions racing through his head. How? Just how?
Despite all of his confusion Matthew buzzed him up. Three quick knocks at the door were followed. Matthew nervously walked to the door.
Gilbert stood there with the box of chinese in hand, his suit still on.
"Hey Matthew! Don t worry, I know you re probably confused, I m not a stalker, unless of course, you're into that!" Gilbert said this winking at Matthew, causing him to blush.
"I'm just kidding! Ha! Your brother gave me your number and address! I wasn t planning on buzzing but the delivery boy and I arrived at the same time and he assumed I was coming up here! Quite serendipitous I suppose!"
Matthew stood silently.
Gilbert wasn't shy. He walked in, kicked his shoes off, loosened his tie, walked over to the couch with the food, and plopped down onto the couch without a word.
Matthew decided to play along. He told himself to not be so nervous. He walked to his fridge grabbed two beers and sat down next to Gilbert offering him the beer.
"You're such a great person! How did you know I need a bier?"
His accent was cute.
Matthew laughed lightly.
"I just knew."
The two ate the Chinese out of the boxes. They watched the stupid movie Matthew rented and by the end of it Gilbert was laying down next to Matthew, his head on his thigh.
11:42 P.M.
Suddenly Gilbert sat up. Quickly he looked at Matthew. He leaned in and kissed him, his tongue methodically playing over Matthew's teeth. Matthew jerked back sharply, not able to move quite as fast as he wanted under Gilbert's strong hold. Gilbert sat, staring apprehensively. Matthew didn't refuse, he sat and stared back. Gilbert leaned forward once more and grabbed his waist pulling Matthew closer to him.
The empty take out boxes fell to the floor.
Matthew tried to reach down to pick them up. Gilbert wouldn't let up.
"W-wait please!"
Matthew shouted.
"We can clean up later."
Gilbert's mischievous smile was the only thing Matthew could see. Gilbert continued kissing him, Matthew never refusing.
"Do you want to go to your bedroom or do you want to stay here?", Gilbert asked, placing kisses all down the length of Matthew s neck, trailing them up to the tip of his ear, then bringing them back down to his lips.
"Bedroom."
The two stood up, Matthew grabbing Gilbert s hand, leading him to his bedroom.
Gilbert switched the light on.
The room was plain, painted an off-white with only a large bed in the middle of the room and a matching dresser to the left of them. Matthew reached over from where they stood and switched the lights off. Gilbert stopped and pulled back, looking at Matthew the best he could in the dark.
"I won't be able to see you with the lights off."
Gilbert didn't say this in a cocky way, nor was he joking. He was genuinely distraught about the lights being off.
"It's been a long time Gilbert since I-I, I mean, I barely know you an-"
"Don t be nervous." , Gilbert said this reaching back and turning the lights back on once again.
Gilbert's confidence continued to blossom as the night progressed.
Gilbert grabbed Matthew's hand, leading him to the bed. They moved until the back of Matthew's legs were up against the edge. The two continued making out. Their tongues playing with one another.
Gilbert pushed Matthew lightly onto the bed, laying on top of him so that his legs were on both sides of him. His kisses began to trail downwards. He reached his hand under Matthew's shirt, feeling the warm skin against his cool hand. Slowly, he sat Matthew up and removed his shirt.
"Please, don t be so nervous."
Gilbert said this again, the two sitting up. The lights on. Gilbert could feel Matthew's tension in the air.
Gilbert began to tug at the waist of Matthew's lounge pants when suddenly, Matthew was overcome with a burst of confidence. He didn't let Gilbert advance, instead, he sat up, eye-to-eye with Gilbert slowly peeling his blazer off, taking the tie off from around his neck, throwing it onto the ground next to them. Gilbert smirked. He sat there, compliantly letting Matthew do what he wanted. Matthew then moved closer, his breath thick with lust.
With both hands he lifted the shirt that was tucked into his pants. He started at the top and began to unbutton his way down. He was nervous. Extremely nervous. He fumbled over the buttons, the burst of confidence beginning to waiver.
Gilbert grabbed his wrists and moved them to his sides, he unbuttoned his shirt quickly, tossing it to the ground in one swift movement.
He moved forward wrapping his arms around Matthew. He kissed him and continued to kiss him, their tongues tangling. Matthew could taste the beer that lingered lightly in Gilbert's mouth, slightly bitter.
Gilbert's breathing was beginning to get choppy.
Skin to skin, Gilbert could feel the heat exuding from Matthew.
"Sit."
Matthew listened and did what he was told. Sitting at the edge of the bed. Gilbert stood, standing in front of him. He approached Matthew and could tell he was nervous.
"Don't be nervous"
Gilbert said this in almost a whisper, his tone lowering as he did so.
He knelt down and with both his hands he pushed Matthew's knees apart. Gilbert reached forward, hooking his finger around the waist of his lounge pants again. He took them off, leaving Matthew in nothing but his briefs.
Next his hand hooked around the waist of Matthew's briefs, he could feel him tense under the touch. Slowly, Gilbert stood up, stripping into nothing but his underwear.
"We're even."
Gilbert lightly rubbed the obvious bulge in Matthew s briefs.
He glanced upward, shooting Matthew a reassuring smile. He began to pull Matthew s briefs down, revealing his entire body.
Gilbert was impressed.
Gilbert softly stroked at Matthew, whose eyes were now shut, a blush spread across his entire face. He continued.
Back on his knees now he sat in between Matthew's legs, he placed his lips at the tip of his erection, kissing it softly, slightly opening his mouth just so the tip was getting wet with his spit.
Matthew released a soft moan, his body still stiff.
"Do you like that?" Gilbert asked in a whisper
Matthew nodded.
Gilbert took this as approval and took half his length into his mouth. His hand at the base of his erection, stroking at what he couldn't put in his mouth. Matthew let out a loud moan, the blush on his cheeks intensified.
The moans that erupted from within Matthew were loud, with each and every one Gilbert s confidence grew, his pace getting quicker.
"Are you going to come?"
Gilbert took his lips off of Matthew and slowly rubbed his throbbing erection.
With his eyes shut tight, a bright blush still on his face, Matthew nodded and with that he muttered in a quiet but rushed tone, "F-faster please!" He whined the "please"out not giving him time to even ask Gilbert twice.
Quickly Gilbert sheathed Matthew's length with his swollen lips and continued. As his pace quickened Matthew put his hand atop Gilbert s head running his fingers through his hair, grabbing a thick chunk of it as he near completion.
Gilbert looked up at Matthew, Matthew returned the look and lightly said, "I'm coming."
Gilbert unsheathed him replacing his mouth with his hands, his spit doubling as lube. Quickly he stroked at Matthew, as he finished, come dripping onto his hands and unto Matthew s lap, he stared at the shy boy his head was thrown back in ecstasy, releasing the last bit with a slight heave of his stomach, Gilbert stood up, bent over and lay Matthew down, joining him on the bed.
In Matthew's euphoric stupor he was filled with confidence he quickly leaned forward kissing Gilbert forcefully.
"We've made a mess." , Gilbert said this with a smile.
Matthew blushed and did the same.
"Thank you, or, um, yeah, thank you, I m not really sure if I m supposed to thank someone after something like that..."
Gilbert let out a laugh revealing all of his teeth, he reached around and held Matthew in his arms putting his hand behind his head securing him by grabbing hold of a large chunk of hair, he brought Matthew's lips down to his and the two continued to kiss, their tongues mingling once again.
"You're welcome", Gilbert said this with a smile. The two laying, disregarding the mess, kissing each other once again.
Despite the whole "casual Fridays" reform, Matthew didn't seem to mind it much now. After all, without it, he would have never met Gilbert.