Hi Folks,
Probably my most obscure Chapter title so far but for lovers of Greek mythology, you'll get it in a heart beat.
Hugs,
Chips xx
{~}
"Liverpool tomorrow." Brendan said and raised an eyebrow.
The Irishman couldn't wait. The Kilner project was well underway and the team were going on a field trip to the site and Brendan was planning to steal a few moments with Ste in private…
Ste burrowed in closer to him and kissed him.
"Yeah." He rubbed his nose unhurriedly against Brendan's cheek relishing in the hair there. "We'll have to go separately, right. Can't have Mel, Guy and them lot thinking summat's going on."
Words had a funny habit of messing things up. Here they killed the mood. Not even Gladys could make it better.
Brendan's hands lifted off Ste.
He sat up, stood up and looked down at his lover. Ste pushed against the Irishman's thigh with his foot as Brendan pulled the condom off his dick. He tossed it aside as Ste dragged the sole of his foot up Brendan's leg.
The Mancunian stretched out languorously from head to toe; muscles lengthening and joints extending. Shamelessly displaying himself; a body thoroughly used and sated by Brendan's touch.
He purred, "Where are you going?"
It took a moment before Brendan replied. Steven looked so centred, so peaceful, calm, boneless and relaxed with that lazy grin on his face.
There had been no malice intended with his words. And yet…
"Going up." Brendan said abruptly and pulled away from Ste's touch so that the lad's leg fell back to the floor tonelessly. "Shower then bed. Long day tomorrow."
Ste reached a heavy hand out to him and softly ordered, "Well help me up then."
Brendan didn't. He walked up to the black leather couch- the one that was far less used than its white equivalent ever since a blue-eyed escort put his imprint on the white one and embedded it as Brendan's favourite- and picked up a shopping bag on it.
"Here." He said as he held the bag over Ste's naked body.
"What's that?"
"A present." Brendan said. He chastised himself for the moment of apprehension that he felt because Steven's MO had, so far, involved constantly rejecting Brendan's favours.
Ste's acceptance of the bag came with a smile. He sat up, cross-legged, and carefully put the bag down on a bit of clean carpet.
As he looked into it Brendan gruffly said to him,
"It's stuff." He cleared his throat. "For you. For tomorrow."
Ste picked up a shirt costly enough to be able to afford him at least five of his regular ones.
He did not pick up on the shift in Brendan's mood.
He was riding high on positive emotions.
Brendan turned to head for the stairs.
{~}
Ste stirred in the morning. While still half asleep, he reached for Brendan.
The older man was already awake. In fact, he was clutching his mobile and looking pensive.
Ste rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Morning." He whispered and placed a kiss on Brendan's lips.
"Did I wake you up?" Brendan asked.
Ste smiled. "No. Don't think so. Who were you calling?"
"Work." Brendan said quickly then put his phone on his bedside table.
Ste kissed his chest. "Bit early, innit?"
Brendan was warmed by slumber and his body was welcoming so Ste pushed up against him and wrapped an arm and leg around him while Brendan lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
"Work never ends." Brendan murmured as he kissed the top of Ste's head.
The words transmitted as rumbled vibrations against Ste's cheek as he rested his head on Brendan's torso. He listened to the tap of the Irishman's heart and felt the rise and fall of his breathing.
He squeezed Brendan hard.
They had navigated through their first night in together as a 'normal couple' and came out the other end.
Even though the night hadn't been typical of an average date night the basic elements were there; the conversation, the flirting, the food and the sex.
It had been perfect.
"Last night was my first proper date night ever." He whispered.
It wasn't a lie.
The 'date' Caden had taken him on at the beginning of their 'non-relationship' had ended with running out of a restaurant without paying and Ste losing his 'gay virginity' in a cold back alley.
The two experiences were miles apart.
He nestled into Brendan.
He wanted to tell him something. Something big. Something about how Brendan made him feel but, just like at the retreat, Ste couldn't get the words out.
He had a mental block created by how the words had been previously received.
"I am so happy." He whispered by way of compromise.
Brendan's answer came in the form of an inscrutable look.
"Are you? Really?"
There was something in Brendan's voice that made Ste search his eyes.
Why would Brendan doubt that?
"Yes. 'Course I am. Really." Ste kissed Brendan's jawline then the corner of his mouth. He nodded and smiled and whispered against the Irishman's mouth. "Really. Really. I'll show you how much."
He journeyed down Brendan's body, under the bed covers, over the man's hairy chest and lower, rubbing their bodies together as he kissed his way down south.
Brendan groaned as Ste's outline writhed under the thousand count Egyptian cotton; hands feeling, tongue teasing and lips sketching on him.
Ste gripped his dick. His voice was muffled when he said,
"Your cock makes me happy too."
Brendan smirked. He had learned early on how direct and verbal Ste got when he was horny.
Brendan could live with that.
Ste's mouth was on him, getting him hard. He lubed Brendan's cock with spit and deep-throated it. The wet sounds generated by the sucking and Brendan's quiet gasps and groans of pleasure cut through the otherwise silent apartment.
Steven panted as he came up for air momentarily only to get back to task a second later. He created an impossibly tight seal as he glided his mouth down Brendan's phallus over and over again.
Brendan watched the way Ste surged and fell under the sheets. He threw his head back and let the sensations take over.
When he was overwhelmed he pushed Ste down on him, until the lad's nostrils blew a breeze over the hair on Brendan's groin. It was so tight. So warm. So right. He kept Ste down until he felt the lad's throat tighten around him and Brendan thought he might cum right down his throat.
He would have actually shot one out had it not been for the lad gagging. He released the pressure on the back of Ste's head and Ste came up for air.
He threw the covers back and grinned at Brendan while fisting the man's cock and wiping his mouth of excess saliva with his other hand.
"You nearly choked me!"
Brendan gently pushed Ste onto his back and pinned his wrists to the bed. The bigger man kicked the bedcovers completely off then parted Ste's knees so that he could settle between them.
He leaned down to kiss the lad, nice and slow. Ste smiled against the insistence of Brendan's mouth on his. Ste indulged himself. His legs circled Brendan's waist, heels planting themselves on his butt to push the older man in closer.
He pulled away just enough to whisper, "Shouldn't we be getting ready for Liverpool?"
"We have ten minutes to spare."
Ste laughed. "Ten minutes! Brendan!"
"Fine. Fifteen." Brendan smiled for the first time since getting up. "It's called being efficient, Steven." Kiss. "Working to a deadline." Kiss. "Can you do that?"
Ste released one of his hands to grasp Brendan's cock. He stroked it went in for a deep passionate kiss.
"What are you waiting for then? Fuck me." Ste groaned. "Hard."
Brendan's eyes darkened with intent. "Careful what you wish for."
Brendan kissed Ste hard, bruising his lips. He settled back on his heels, grabbed lube and poured. It landed on his dick and, from it, some trickled onto Ste thigh.
He used the spilt lube to coat Ste's cock while the lad returned the favour. A jerk off. Watching the lad holding his cock in both his hands, warm and gliding, was a turn on. Those hands of his worked together on Brendan satisfying, enticing, seducing and pleasuring but there was no time for foreplay.
Brendan reached for a condom packet, ripped into it and took out the sheath out. Ste grabbed it off him and smoothly slid it onto Brendan cock then lubed it up.
Fifteen minutes?
No problem.
Ste held Brendan's cock in his hand at its base. Soon he would take it all. Deep in him. Knowing that made him go crazy with need.
Brendan took the bottle of lube from him. He pushed Ste's legs up leisurely as if they had all the time in the world when they didn't.
Fuck the self imposed fifteen minutes. Brendan wanted to savour this like one might enjoy a good wine. Quality had to be appreciated and never compromised.
He watched as Ste pushed his feet behind his own head so that his ankles settled behind his neck. A human pretzel.
That was a new trick. It made Brendan wonder what else the lad could do. He bookmarked that thought.
Their eyes connected. Steven's were fiery. Brendan ran his hands over his legs, from the souls of the lad's feet to his bum in a long slow 'hardly there' caress.
They ended up resting either side of Ste's hole which was presented to Brendan; pink, puckered and perfect. It twitched under his gaze. Ste rubbed lubed fingers over it then made a grab for Brendan's dick.
"Are you trying to speed me up?" Brendan growled.
Ste groaned impatiently so Brendan engulfed him, kissed him and smeared more lube over his opening. The lad was bound to feel a little sore at first after how hard they had gone at it the night before so the key was keeping it slick and slow.
Brendan was gentle with his first push in to breach Ste's tight ring. The pressure was heavenly but he paused when Ste winced.
"Relax." Brendan whispered and kissed him softly. "You know it'll feel good."
Ste kissed him back.
He settled into Brendan's arms and made a sound that may have been a 'yes'. He gripped Brendan's hips and released a moan that stirred Brendan's senses but the Irishman didn't move, wouldn't move until Ste gave him the go ahead.
Thank goodness he didn't need to wait long.
He felt the lad relax under him. Both gravity and Steven's hands helped in pushing Brendan in further into him.
"Yes." Ste whimpered. "Oh my-"
Brendan looked at Steven's rigid dick. It gave veracity to the lad's words.
Ste was hungry for him.
Brendan gripped his shoulders and used them as counter traction, pushing in deeper and deeper, seeing Ste struggle to keep his eyes open, and yet trying to, when Brendan started to fuck him.
Ste's eyes rolled back in his head.
Brendan caught sight of the sharp edges of his canines when his mouth opened to expel sighs of heated passion. He briefly dipped down to moisten the lad's lips with his tongue. His hips didn't stop moving for even a second. Ste's cock bounced and clear sticky precum flowed from its tip. His balls rose up towards his body, heavy with seed. They jiggled with every slap of Brendan against him.
Brendan's cock disappeared into his tight head; going in deep and causing him to lose his senses. Then it would just tease his entrance with the head of his cock until Ste writhed with need.
Brendan lay on him and moved Ste's feet onto his shoulders.
Ste's moans grew louder as his hip rotations got wilder, staccato and more purposeful.
The Irishman gripped Ste's hair hard and pulled so that he could run his tongue hungrily over the fast beat of the lad's carotid and then his chest. Ste dragged his fingers over Brendan's scalp but his touch was gentler, tamed into submission and quiescence by Brendan's cock in him. He combed through the hair to cajole; to guide Brendan back to his lips, to echo with their tongues what their groins were doing; colliding, gliding, penetrating, receiving, moving together as one so that they were indistinguishable entities.
Ste wanted to ride him. He wanted to set the pace that would make Brendan cum.
"I want to be on top."
So Brendan pulled out.
Ste quickly moved them into position. He climbed on top of Brendan. Their eyes locked as he guided Brendan's cock back to his hole. They felt opposite ends of the same experience as he slowly lowered himself down on it.
It was arguable who was doing the fucking now that Ste had control. He bit hard on his lower lip as he felt the brush of cock on prostate. It was enough for him to scream so loudly that Doug might have heard him from the other side of town.
He rubbed his fingers over his perineum as he rose and fell on Brendan's dick. Every muscle of his was tense from desire and exertion. Brendan's hand glided over him and Ste rocked over him.
"Fuck, Steven." Brendan said. "Fuck."
Ste settled balls deep on Brendan and soaked in the feeling of being completely impaled by him. He closed his eyes and gyrated his hips, like a lap dancer. The movement accentuated the fullness he felt; the completeness and connectedness.
His head flung back as Brendan touched him. He moaned in delight.
"You are so beautiful." Brendan whispered.
Ste opened his eyes and looked down at Brendan.
Brendan was mad or something, Ste thought, because he wasn't beautiful. He wasn't being modest. He just knew he wasn't. He had been told the contrary many a time in the past. He was told that he was too skinny, his features too 'pointy', his looks too unconventional, his lashes too long- 'like a girl'.
And Caden had been right.
But there was something about how Brendan was looking at him that made Ste not protest his statement.
Instead he smiled.
His own cock was pointing skywards, twitching; moments away from erupting.
Brendan sat up to embrace him keeping Ste fully seated on him. Ste embraced him back. He rocked against Brendan faster and they kissed messily, dirtily and sloppily.
Brendan came. Then Ste did within seconds.
It wasn't the first time he had cum 'hands free' with Brendan. He didn't know how Brendan managed to make him do that but it was the most intense feeling- for a few seconds every pleasurable sensation centred on that sensitive point located in him.
They shared their orgasms with their bodies connected, kissing.
They came down slowly; like living statues breathing heavily together, wrapped in each other.
The fondling grew lazy and the kissing even lazier.
Ste whispered,
"How long was that?"
"What?" Brendan said breathlessly, dazed.
His arms were still full of Steven and Steven was still full of his cock.
"Under fifteen minutes?"
Brendan laughed and looked at the bedside clock.
"Twenty-six minutes." He pecked the lad.
"We went over." Ste pouted.
"Jesus! You're complaining?" Brendan smiled in disbelief.
Was Steven that competitive and target driven?
"I don't like it when I don't stick to my goals."
Fucking hell.
"Over achiever." Brendan whispered but he was beaming… on the inside.
This young man was a find. So like him in some ways, yet polar opposite in others.
Brendan kissed him and got a guttural groan in response.
Ste murmured. "I'm not complaining, right. That were fun but now we're running late…"
He gave Brendan a quick kiss then climbed off him. He slowly slid the condom off the man's cock and landed it in the bin.
Brendan smiled as he fast-forwarded to the next time he would meet Mary. He knew that he would be in for a grilling over who he was 'entertaining' in his bed.
Surprise! It's Caden/Steven.
She'll be over the moon.
"I'll be late meeting Guy." Ste said as he started to crawl out of the bed.
Brendan grabbed him by the waist and pushed him back onto the sheets.
Ste landed on his front and giggled when Brendan blew raspberries on his round butt cheeks.
"Gerroff me! Brendan! I need a shower!"
Brendan gave his arse a sound slap that echoed through the room.
"Ouch!" The lad said as he rubbed his bum and turned over to catch Brendan standing up and grabbing a bath towel.
"I'm showering first, Steven. Unless you go next door." Brendan's smile was sly. "You just lie there looking sexy otherwise."
Ste fell back into the bed and pressed a hand on his stomach. "We can shower together. It will be quicker… and energy efficient."
"It will take longer." Brendan said.
There was no way they would stop at cleaning each other. Their reunion was still too fresh. They were at the beginning of the 'I want to jump your bones 24/7' phase of their relationship.
"Yeah. You're right." Ste's smile said it all.
"We can get breakfast on the way to the station to make up time." Brendan suggested.
He was driving up to Liverpool. Ste, on the other hand, was going up by train with Guy, something Ste dropped on him just before they fell asleep the night before.
"What to do you mean 'we'?"
"I'll drop you off at the station." Brendan said.
Ste stood up. "No, you can't, Brendan."
"Why not?"
"What if Guy sees you? How are we going to explain that? He'll figure things out."
"He won't."
"You don't understand. It's like he's got sixth sense or summat. He totally figured Paul out."
Brendan frowned. "What about Paul?"
Ste paused. He couldn't lie to Brendan outright but he didn't want to betray his friend's confidence either so he said, "Nothing important. Look basically it's better if I take a taxi. Don't you think?"
Brendan was quiet for a moment.
"Don't you think, Brendan?" Ste repeated and took his hand
"I'm grabbing a shower." Brendan said and pushed his hand away before heading for the bathroom. "Do what you want."
{~}
The train was pulling into Liverpool Lime Street station but Ste hadn't noticed.
He was preoccupied.
Brendan had turned from playful and seductive to acting a bit funny when they parted ways this morning.
"So I'll see you at the other end." Ste had said to him near the front door. He teasingly added, "Mr. Brady, Boss."
He reached up for a goodbye kiss but Brendan evaded it and said, "May as well start as you mean to go on today."
"Mate. We're here." Guy said, clicking his fingers in front of Ste's face. "We've got to get off before the train sets off again."
"Sorry. Coming." Ste picked up his rucksack and followed him out of the train.
As they headed for the taxi rank Guy said,
"What's with the frown?"
"Nothing."
"Is it because you'll have to face Simon again since your break up?"
"What? No!"
It would have been but Ste was sure that Simon wouldn't turn up today; not after Brendan's warnings to stay away from Ste.
"I get it if that's it. It can be awkward coming face to face with an ex."
"It's not that. I'm worried about work." Ste lied as he thought about Brendan and what his problem was.
"When you say 'work' you mean Mr Brady."
Ste acted as if he didn't recognise the name. "Who?"
An overkill reaction in response to feeling like their relationship might be exposed at any second.
"You're funny." Guy said. "Ste, he likes our work. More to the point, he loves you."
Ste started to panic. "No he doesn't."
I love you, Steven.
"Does too. He handpicked you for the rebranding."
Oh. That's what Guy meant.
Ste smiled. "He did, didn't he?"
It felt good to know that Brendan enjoyed his body and respected his mind.
"Look at you! All blushing!"
"I'm not!"
"Ey, can you believe he is single?" Guy said.
"Who?"
"Mr Brady. Keep up, Ste."
Ste was careful with how to reply. "How do you mean?"
"Here you've got a rich, smart guy with good looks and from what I can see a nice body. We'll gloss over the personality. He needs work on that. The point is he is an eligible bachelor. So why hasn't someone snapped him up?"
Guy smiled so Ste smiled.
Of course they were smiling for different reasons.
Ste said, "I dunno. He's our boss. I try not to think about him like that."
"Well I do and Mel has a theory." Guy said. "Do you want to hear it?"
"Do I have a choice?" Ste replied.
"No!" Guy leaned in conspiratorially. "She reckons that it's because Mr Brady is mending a broken heart."
Ste's heart slowed then sped up in his chest until it was a rapid thud. Of all the things Guy could have said, Ste had not expected that.
"Why does she say that?"
Guy said, "There was a guy that he dated and lived with for years apparently. Mel never got to know him but she used to see Mr Brady and him together out and about in Chester."
Ste's brain went into overdrive. "Are you sure?"
He recalled the day that Brendan's sister had turned up to her brother's apartment unexpectedly and he had overheard them talking.
'What do you want me to say? That I'm falling to pieces? I'm not, Chez.'
'It's okay if you are, you know. It's understandable. We are all going through it. I miss Vinnie too.'
Guy's stomach grumbled. "I know we just had breakfast but I could murder a pain au chocolat right now."
"Did you say they lived together?" Ste asked, lump in throat, ignoring his friend's hunger.
"Yeah." Guy said. "Why?"
So Brendan had been in a serious relationship.
Ste wasn't upset about that. They had both lived lives. It stood to reason that Brendan had shared his life with someone else at some point in his past.
Ste was upset because he had lied about it.
He had lied to Doug under direct questioning. He had lied to Ste.
'I don't do boyfriends'.
He had lied by giving Ste the impression that he had never felt as deeply for anyone else before.
He had said that he prided himself on being truthful.
How ironic.
How deceitful.
"Did Mel tell you when they split up?" Ste asked.
"She's not sure but she reckons it was in the last few months. You seem interested all of a sudden." Guy said and raised an eyebrow.
"I like a bit of office gossip."
"Unless it has to do with you. Am I right?" Guy laughed as his stomach grumbled again. "Do you reckon there will be a bakery near where we are going or should I grab something here before we go?"
Ste didn't know and he didn't care.
"By the way, that outfit is banging." Guy said. He scrutinised Ste closely. "I meant to say earlier."
"Thanks." Ste said feeling numb and hollow.
"Where did you get the trousers?" Guy asked as they joined the queue for the taxis.
Ste searched for a plausible answer. "Oh. Um. A shop in town."
Guy grinned. "Yeah. That's definitely not Primark."
Ste agreed. "No."
"It doesn't even look high street. More like Bond Street."
Ste felt like Guy was using his third eye.
"Mr Brady must be paying you well." Guy commented. Before Ste could answer Guy said, "Ey look! It's Priya and Matt."
Two of their work colleagues were heading out of the station and towards them. They must have been on the same train from Chester to Liverpool.
Guy waved to get their attention. "This is brilliant. We can share a ride to the docks and split the bill."
{~}
At the former Kilner shipping site construction of the main building of Brendan's project was almost complete. Despite rain putting a halt to proceedings for a few days Brendan was very pleased with progress.
Melanie updated him and Paul as they walked through the site in hard hats, weaving through builders who were hard at work.
They walked out of the building and towards a temporary cabin that would house the project meeting in a few minutes.
Melanie said,
"The team will join us soon. They're having a look at the work by the waterfront. I thought it was a good idea to get them down to Liverpool to get a proper feel of how the place is going to look and get an idea of scale."
"It's huge." Paul said looking back at the building.
Melanie smiled. "It will officially become one of the biggest of its kind in Europe. It will be the biggest in the UK."
"Nice." The PA said.
"Yeah. So the team will present you their latest work, Brendan. Once today is done we should be able to finalise our marketing campaign."
"It needs to go live next month, Mel. We need to generate buzz well before the official opening." Brendan said.
"That won't be a problem." Mel said. "That was the time frame we were working towards. It's looking good, don't you think?"
"Yes." Paul said.
"What do you reckon, Brendan?" Melanie asked clearly hoping for positive feedback.
"That you are a miracle worker." Brendan said simply. "Always knew I did right hiring you."
"Aw, Brendan! That is the nicest thing you have ever said to me!" Melanie said in surprise.
Paul smiled. "He's a changed man … He has stuff to smile about now…"
He gave his boss a cheeky look.
Brendan gave him a sharp look.
Paul smiled even more.
"Well then this might make you smile as well." Melanie said. "I invited a special guest to come along since without him none of this would have happened."
Brendan's heart sank as Melanie smiled at him and they reached the PortaKabin.
If Walker was here Brendan was going to beat him to a pulp.
"It isn't Simon, is it?" Paul said nervously.
While he didn't know the ins and outs of the bust up he knew that there was no love lost between the Irishman and the Brummie.
Melanie smiled as she let them walk into the meeting room first.
The man, who had been sitting and waiting for them, stood up.
"Surprise, Brendan."
{~}
The whole project was so much bigger than Ste had imagined.
As he was shown through the whole construction site with the other people tasked to work on the Kilner project he suddenly appreciated how important his role was in it. He was part of a team who had to sell the idea of this venture to a mass audience of consumers. He had to make them believe that they wanted to use this product.
If they got their job wrong and failed to attract punters then Brendan's investment would go up in smoke.
It felt like an awesome bit of responsibility to have.
"Are you sure you don't want to do the presentation?" Guy asked him and swallowed nervously as they were ushered towards a cabin on the site that was to be the location of their meeting.
"Positive." Ste said as they walked in with their fellow fifteen team members. "I told you. I've got my presentation for the rebrand tomorrow. I couldn't prepare for both. And anyway, this gives you a chance to shine."
"I'm bricking it, mate."
"You'll nail it." Ste said reassuringly. "You're good at presenting."
They took their seats around a large table.
Guy gave him a small smile. "Ethan has heard it like a thousand times."
Ste looked up and straight away his eyes connected with Brendan's.
His smile was instinctive even after Guy's revelation. There was just something about Brendan that made him feel okay.
None the less, they needed to talk. About Brendan's freeze in the morning. About why he deliberately kept a significant past relationship from Ste. And Ste had to be honest with Brendan about the police investigation into the malicious mail.
It was only fair.
He noticed that Brendan was looking very uncomfortable standing near Melanie and Paul…
And a third person.
He was unexpected, standing as he was to Brendan's right.
He filled Ste with instant dread.
{~}
"Surprise, Brendan."
Melanie was beaming as she looked between the two men.
"Edward." Brendan said as the old man approached him with a smile on his face and arms extended ready for embrace. "What are you doing here?"
They hugged it out.
"How many times. Ted or Teddy. My mother called me Edward when I was in trouble." Ted said with a smile. "Melanie here called me to say you were coming up for the day and invited me to come along and have a look at site since she knows how well you and I get along."
Melanie smiled. "Brendan speaks so fondly of you, Ted."
Shit. Shit. SHIT. Brendan thought.
I'm in trouble.
Steven was going to be here any minute so Brendan had to make sure that Kilner left otherwise the old man's presence would blow the lid wide open on a series of lies and deceit.
No one among those attending, except Paul, knew that Brendan and Steven were seeing each other.
Kilner knew Steven as "Caden" and Kilner thought Brendan was dating "Caden". He did not know that "Caden" was actually Steven and that Steven now both worked for and was secretly seeing Brendan.
SHIT.
Brendan felt bad that he had lied to the Liverpudlian to acquire the shipping property. What had seemed like a white lie at the time had the potential to explode in his face now. A man with such a strong moral compass, like Kilner, wouldn't forgive or forget easily even though Brendan was in an actual relationship with Steven now.
Albeit, a secret one.
Not a normal one. Not one Steven wanted to come out and announce anyway. One that he seems quite happy to continue undercover.
"I like what you've done with the space. Very slick I must say." The older man said.
"Thank you." Brendan said. "You know it's always a pleasure seeing you, Ted. I have a thought. I've got an administrative meeting in a few short minutes." Brendan tried to convey how much of a snore fest it was going to be by faking a yawn and rolling his eyes. "It's a number crunching exercise. Not worth you sitting in on. Once I'm done we could meet up for a coffee and catch up. I'll be thirty minutes."
"More like forty." Melanie interjected.
"Forty then." Brendan said. "Paul can keep you company until I'm done."
"No need. I'll take a walk while I wait. Keeps me fit." Ted said with a grin. "I'll come back in just under an hour."
Just then the door opened and fifteen loud Clover Corp employees streamed into the room.
Brendan saw Steven straight away. He was with that friend of his engrossed in a conversation as they took seats.
"I've got my presentation for the rebrand tomorrow. I couldn't prepare for both. And anyway, this gives you a chance to shine."
"I'm bricking it, mate." Guy said.
"You'll nail it. You're good at presenting."
They took their seats around a large table near the door to the prefabricated cabin.
Guy said. "Ethan has heard it like a thousand times."
Brendan hoped that Ted wouldn't spot Ste but that was wishful thinking. The group was too small, the room too modest in size and Ted Kilner's eye sight too good to miss Ste.
As Ste's eyes connected with Ted's, the old man's brows furrowed in confusion.
Then he smiled.
Ste looked down uncomfortably; ears burning up.
Brendan spoke quickly when he saw Ted's mouth open assuming Kilner would address Steven.
"Morning everyone. Let's cut to the chase. This gentleman to my right is Ted Kilner. He sold this plot of land to Clover Corp and has become a dear friend."
There was a ripple of good mornings and Ted bowed his head in acknowledgement never once taking his eyes off Ste.
"He won't be staying for the meeting but I think he has been reassured by his visit today that his old property has been well looked after."
"It has." Ted nodded. "Well done everyone on your work."
Both Brendan and Steven sighed with relief as Brendan walked the older man to the door.
As they passed Ste, Ted tapped a hand on his shoulder, making the lad jump in his seat.
Don't say anything, Ste pleaded silently as he turned to face Ted. He completely avoided eye contact with Brendan who was standing right next to the man.
"How are you doing, young man?"
Ste swallowed against a dry mouth and throat. "Yeah. Good. You?"
Ted smiled and raised an eyebrow. "I'm realising that life throws unexpected surprises at unexpected times."
Guy and the rest of Ste's work colleagues looked at the exchange in wonder. Even Paul and Mel looked.
Ste tried to not look guilty.
Ted's face softened into a smile. "It's good seeing you again."
He winked at Ste and gave his shoulder a squeeze then he shook Brendan's hand. "I'm looking forward to our chat, Brendan. It looks like we've got a lot to talk about."
Then he was gone.
