Chapter 3

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After 7 days when he didn't show up to work, didn't answer his calls or his messages, Brendan went round there.

He'd decided on the casual approach, calling on him as his boss.

'What do you want?' A tall black man answered the door in a pink work - out outfit.

'I want to speak to my employee. I have a Duty of Care towards him. Is he there?'

'No. Duty of Care? You?' The slim man scoffed.

'Let me in. I have a right to speak to him as his employer.'

'You have no rights anymore where's he concerned. And if I were you, I'd get lost before he comes back. After what you did to him last time…I'd take a swing at you myself.'

So, does he know about us? Or just talking about when I hit him? Brendan worried half-panicking but on the surface, he smirked and looked Ste's friend up and down dismissively and shook his head.

'So, has he been bleating to you about me? What did he say exactly?'

Noah smirked. 'Wouldn't you like to know? He said enough.'

Maybe they would have come to blows and the Irishman would have enjoyed pummelling the arrogant twat into the ground but somehow he doubted it. Luckily, they were interrupted.

'Noah? Who's at the door? Who you talking to?'

'No-one. Just a pedlar selling some rubbish we neither want nor need.' He grinned at the visitor in challenge.

Brendan pushed him aside to his annoyance. 'Stop! He doesn't want to see you!'

Ste gaped at him from the door for of the living room and Brendan couldn't tell if he was pleased or scared to see him. 'It's OK, Noah. Can you just give us 5 mins?'

The latter turned on him with an exaggerated flout. 'Are you sure you'll be safe with this psycho? I'm not leaving you alone with him.'

'I'll be OK. Can you give us some space?'

'I was going for a run anyway.' He glared at Brendan who just grinned infuriatingly back.

After Noah slammed the door shut, they moved to the living room.

'Why are you here? I told you I don't want to see you.'

'I know you did but there's just one little problem.' He drew his finger quickly down the centre of his lips and was gratified to see Ste follow it.

'What?' Ste crossed his arms over his chest. Brendan noticed that he was keeping a safe distance between them.

'I'm your boss and you haven't been to work for a week.'

'That's because I quit. Stuff your stupid job.'

'Oh, come on. You're a hit with the ladies and the men.' He winked at him. 'I need you.'

Ste almost smiled …but not quite.

'I didn't come back because I was scared…scared what you would do.'

'I won't dock your wages for last week, how about that?'

'You know what you did! After we…you treated me like dirt afterwards!'

Brendan sighed. 'But did I hit you?'

'You would have done until I…'

'Did I hit you – yes or no?'

'No. But that doesn't mean I trust you not to!'

Brendan got out the wad of twenties from his trouser pockets and started licking the corners of the notes as he counted out 10 of them. He smiled as he saw Ste watching him eagerly but yet still wearing a defiant expression. He resolutely put the rest back in his pocket.

'Here.' He shoved them into his hands.

Ste's expression brightened slightly. '200 quid?'

'Will that be enough to make you come back to me?'

He gave him a funny look.

Brendan cleared his throat. 'I mean work for me?'

Ste pocketed the money in the back of his jeans. 'Maybe. But I still need the more for my kids. You give me double-pay for the next 2 weeks and I'll say I'll think about it.'

The other smiled. He knew he'd got him back. But back in what way exactly?

'OK. Whatever you want.' He laid particular emphasis on that last word and the boy's eyes flashed as he unconsciously licked his lips. How Brendan longed to seize those for himself.

'Start back at work again tonight?'

'OK.'

See you later, then.'

'Bye.'

'Bye.'

….

Chapter 3

When Ste came in on time that evening, Brendan thought to himself: Great! Now the dough should have softened him up a bit and now, I only have to work on getting him back into my bed

Brendan neither said nor did anything inappropriate. He just remained business like with his young employee apart from dropping a few innuendos here and there and then innocently explaining them away at Ste's looks of confusion which were adorable. He just couldn't resist.

And a few times he thought he wasn't looking Brendan swore that Ste was looking at him with unmasked desire.

A couple of weeks later, Ste came in to work holding the hands with a young girl. She didn't look old enough to be able to drink legally in his bar, Brendan thought while they idly chatted.

He smiled at her while plans rattled around his brain. When they kissed right in front of him, he still kept smiling even though he was sorely tempted to tell the young couple to break it up and order Ste to get back to work.

'Glad you moved on.' He told Ste once she left.

He gave him a sharp look. 'I don't need your approval, Brendan. I do what I want.' He crossed his arms across his chest and spread his legs in defiance. It was one of the hottest things the Irishman had ever seen.

'Do you now?' Brendan laughed and moved closer to him so that lips almost brushed. Ste didn't back away and even closed his eyes in anticipation.

'Get back to work!' He ordered him without warning and put on a sterner expression than he felt. He was actually doing cartwheels in his head.

Ste gave him a stricken look as he blushed furiously and turned back to washing glasses.

'I'm going to the races tomorrow with some mates.' (Brendan didn't have any – not in Hollyoaks anyway but Ste wasn't to know that) 'I need you to mind the bar tomorrow.'

'But it's my night off! Me and Rae were going to have a night in.'

'I want you to watch this place for me. I trust only you, Steven.' He held his eyes for a moment, luring him in.

It worked.

Ste shook his head to clear it. 'Who else is on the rota? What about Rhys or Jackie?' But he was relenting. Brendan could feel it.

'They're not available.'

'Well, I'm not available, THEN!'

'If you want to keep your job, you will be, Steven.'

'You can't threaten me.'

Brendan sighed and sat at the bar as he tried a different tack. 'Can you just do me this one favour? It's only one night and I'll make it up to you, I promise. There's some serious money to be made on the horses and I can't miss out.'

Ste sighed. 'OK, just this once. But Rae isn't going to be happy about it.'

'Are you under her thumb, Steven? Don't let women control you. I don't.'

There was a glint in Ste's eye as he laughed back at him and put the washed glass aside. 'Yeah? Then what about you and Cheryl?'

'That's different.'

'She's still a woman, isn't she?'

'She's my sister. Not the same.'

'Yeah, whatever.' Ste shrugged. 'OK. But you better give me a night off or something.'

'Or something.' Brendan smiled at him, his mind whirling. He'd heard about their plans tomorrow night when they thought he wasn't listening.

But he was.

He always listened.

…

The next night, Ste arrived on time to work the shift but Brendan all done up to the nines didn't move.

'They've cancelled! Damn them!' He threw his Nokia phone down onto the bar in fury.

'Calm down.' Ste went up to him and picked it up. 'You're lucky it didn't break.'

'Now, I've got to go by myself. How will that look?'

'Why did they say they're not coming?'

'Some urgent business to attend to.'

'What? All of them?'

'They're all in the same business.'

'Right.' Ste looked non-plussed.

'I suppose I could lock up tonight – Wednesdays are slow anyway…' He looked at Ste questioningly. 'Maybe you could go with me?'

'Will you still pay me what you said you would?'

'That goes without saying.'

Ste smiled in relief. Rent was due in a few days. 'But I ain't dressed!' He looked down at his faded jeans and T-shirt despondently.

'Don't worry, I think I got one of Joel's suits in the office somewhere. He leaves it there for meetings with clients. Should fit you more or less.'

'Oh right.' Ste tried to reign in his excitement. He was getting a night off after all – Rae hadn't been pleased but she said she understood – and he was going to go to the races! He only hoped that his boss didn't expect him to place bets alongside him because most of the 200 quid had gone on paying bills and on filling up the fridge and buying nappies, etc.

'Quick, quick, then. Get dressed!' Branden rushed excitedly to show him where the suit he'd just rented for the night was. Ste unzipped it from its plastic protector and took it off the hanger. He started to pull his jeans down after his took his top off but Brendan was still there watching him.

He turned round. 'Do you mind?'

'Of course.' Brendan's trance left him as he considerately closed the door behind him. Meanwhile, Ste smiled to himself, he knew he looked good but was blissfully unaware of the trap that had been laid carefully for him.