"What?" gasped Joe softly, his blue eyes widening. He didn't know what he had expected the company's CEO to say but it certainly hadn't been this!
"It's okay," Rick told Joe with a sad smile. "I promise, I won't bother you. I'm just sorry you had to endure the gossip and innuendos. I'll have Doug take over your training in the future." He paused as if waiting for Joe to reply but Joe found himself unable to respond at this point. "You may return to your office," Rick ended, looking down at the papers on his desk. "I promise, after today, you will hear no more about this."
Joe turned and put a shaking hand on the doorknob. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Rick liked him and not in the way you like a friend or brother but in an adult relationship way. He turned the knob and exited the room. Several employees stopped what they were doing to watch as Joe pulled the door closed behind him and continued down the hall to the elevator.
By the time Joe reached his office he had regained some of his composure and managed to finish out the day. After work, he stopped by the Burger Barn for a combo before heading to campus where his night school courses were held. By the time his classes were over he was exhausted. He made his way home and wearily flopped down on his bed; grateful he had been able to quit the waiter's job after his first month at Tyrell. He had homework but he had to close his eyes for a few seconds first. Blocking out the noise from the street below he was asleep before his eyes had finished closing.
"Oh no," groaned Joe, opening his eyes and being accosted by the bright morning sun. He glanced at his watch and sat up. He still had an hour and a half before he had to be at work and if he skipped his morning exercise he could get his homework finished. He hurried into the bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later he exited clean and dressed and sat down. He picked up his English book and got busy.
Joe needed to complete only two more algebra problems before his homework was finished but they would have to wait until the spare hour he had after work before classes. He tucked his books back into his pack and left his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Reaching the building where he worked, he took a deep breath and entered. Yesterday there had been whispers as he passed but today there was only silence. Rick kept his word, Joe thought. He knew from his short time working there that Rick was greatly respected and liked, but also feared. Rick was fair but he did not hesitate to fire someone if they disobeyed an order.
Joe set his backpack in his office then headed up to the top floor. He had thought about Rick's revelation almost nonstop and had decided after reviewing the failures he had endured with all his previous relationships, that Rick had really treated him better than any of his previous girlfriends. Even Iola, and that was saying a lot. For that matter, even Frank had not treated him with as much respect as Rick had. Rick had come to his rescue without making him feel small. When he was wrong, Rick had been patient but not condescending. Rick had accepted him at face value without any hint that he could improve anything about himself. As the elevator door opened, Joe held his head up high.
"I would like to see Mr. Tyrell," Joe said to the secretary.
The middle aged woman nodded and reached for the intercom. A few seconds later, Joe entered Rick's office and closed the door behind him.
"You realize that by coming here and asking to see me that rumors are going to start flying again?" Rick asked, lifting a brow questioningly.
Joe shrugged. "I never have cared what other people thought," he responded. Joe paused and took a deep breath. "Would you like to have lunch with me?" he asked.
Rick stared hard at Joe. "What exactly are you asking?"
"I don't know," admitted Joe. "I've come to value your friendship and I don't want to lose that. I have never considered..." he paused, unsure how to word his thoughts. "I've never thought about seeing a...a guy as someone more than just a friend. But I don't think I should let ignorance stand in the way of something that could potentially be a good thing."
"It's okay," Rick told Joe with a sad smile. "I promise, I won't bother you. I'm just sorry you had to endure the gossip and innuendos. I'll have Doug take over your training in the future." He paused as if waiting for Joe to reply but Joe found himself unable to respond at this point. "You may return to your office," Rick ended, looking down at the papers on his desk. "I promise, after today, you will hear no more about this."
Joe turned and put a shaking hand on the doorknob. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Rick liked him and not in the way you like a friend or brother but in an adult relationship way. He turned the knob and exited the room. Several employees stopped what they were doing to watch as Joe pulled the door closed behind him and continued down the hall to the elevator.
By the time Joe reached his office he had regained some of his composure and managed to finish out the day. After work, he stopped by the Burger Barn for a combo before heading to campus where his night school courses were held. By the time his classes were over he was exhausted. He made his way home and wearily flopped down on his bed; grateful he had been able to quit the waiter's job after his first month at Tyrell. He had homework but he had to close his eyes for a few seconds first. Blocking out the noise from the street below he was asleep before his eyes had finished closing.
"Oh no," groaned Joe, opening his eyes and being accosted by the bright morning sun. He glanced at his watch and sat up. He still had an hour and a half before he had to be at work and if he skipped his morning exercise he could get his homework finished. He hurried into the bathroom to shower. Twenty minutes later he exited clean and dressed and sat down. He picked up his English book and got busy.
Joe needed to complete only two more algebra problems before his homework was finished but they would have to wait until the spare hour he had after work before classes. He tucked his books back into his pack and left his apartment, locking the door behind him.
Reaching the building where he worked, he took a deep breath and entered. Yesterday there had been whispers as he passed but today there was only silence. Rick kept his word, Joe thought. He knew from his short time working there that Rick was greatly respected and liked, but also feared. Rick was fair but he did not hesitate to fire someone if they disobeyed an order.
Joe set his backpack in his office then headed up to the top floor. He had thought about Rick's revelation almost nonstop and had decided after reviewing the failures he had endured with all his previous relationships, that Rick had really treated him better than any of his previous girlfriends. Even Iola, and that was saying a lot. For that matter, even Frank had not treated him with as much respect as Rick had. Rick had come to his rescue without making him feel small. When he was wrong, Rick had been patient but not condescending. Rick had accepted him at face value without any hint that he could improve anything about himself. As the elevator door opened, Joe held his head up high.
"I would like to see Mr. Tyrell," Joe said to the secretary.
The middle aged woman nodded and reached for the intercom. A few seconds later, Joe entered Rick's office and closed the door behind him.
"You realize that by coming here and asking to see me that rumors are going to start flying again?" Rick asked, lifting a brow questioningly.
Joe shrugged. "I never have cared what other people thought," he responded. Joe paused and took a deep breath. "Would you like to have lunch with me?" he asked.
Rick stared hard at Joe. "What exactly are you asking?"
"I don't know," admitted Joe. "I've come to value your friendship and I don't want to lose that. I have never considered..." he paused, unsure how to word his thoughts. "I've never thought about seeing a...a guy as someone more than just a friend. But I don't think I should let ignorance stand in the way of something that could potentially be a good thing."