Brian (Part 1)

     The stack of customers to call has grown, if possible, even larger. How can this be? Did I not call eighteen annoying and noncommittal people yesterday? Agh! I spin around in my desk chair, feeling the cool tiles ripple and bump under my bare feet. The door alarm chimes, and I stop spinning and turn back to the computer like I’m really doing something other than avoiding work.

      I look up, blush and look down as fast as possible. The man standing in front of my desk is quite possibly the most handsome man I have ever seen.

      “Can I help you?” I ask, trying not to let my voice shake.

     “Yeah, actually, you can. You see, I have an appointment with David at four o’clock. Is he here?” Oh god, he’s the new person?! Please don’t let me faint.

     “Yeah, hang on a sec, lemme get him. If you want to have a seat, I’ll be right out. And, uh, what’s your name again?” I’m stammering. God dammit, I know I’m stammering.

      “Brian. Brian Fitzpatrick.” He smiles at me and my knees go weak.

      “Alright, Brian Fitzpatrick, I’ll be right out.”

      I practically run behind the curtain to the back room and end up tripping on David’s eight year old daughter, Sylvia.

      “Oh! Sorry, Syl! Didn’t see you there. Are you okay?” I’m brushing her clothes off at the same time she is fighting off my hands and straightening her clothes.

      “Yes! I am fine. And what are you in such a rush about?” Sylvia has this annoying habit of emphasizing certain words that make her sound more mature.

      “The new employee is here and he is goooorgeous!” I say.

     “Is he, now? Then I’ll have to go tell Daddy that the new gooooooorgeous employee is here!” She spins around and flounces off to go tell her father that I have the hots for the new guy. I grab her arm, spin her around to face me and say, “You will not. I won’t have David knowing that I think the new employee is cute.”

     She pulls away from me and crosses her arms. “You’re not the boss of me!” She spits out.

     “No, I am not. But I am older than you, and therefore have more seniority. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to tell your dad that Brian is here.”

      “Hmph.” She rolls her eyes and plops back down into the wheeley chair at the back counter. I roll my eyes and knock on the back office door.

     “C’mon in!” David calls. I poke my head in the room and say, “Hey, David, your four o’clock appointment is here.”

      “Already? God, this day has flown, hasn’t it?” He asks. I nod my head, pretending like this day hasn’t dragged out past infinite boredom for me. “Can you go tell Sarah that I need her to touch up these photos,” he hands me a stack of proofs, “and that I need her to finish the Senior portrait orders up there? Thanks, doll.” He brushed past me and out into the hallway, where he gives Sylvia a kiss on the forehead and explicit orders not to bother me when I’m working. I run into the other back office, toss the proofs onto Sarah’s desk with a hurried explanation of David’s orders and then rush back to the front desk.

      On my way out, I hear Sarah say, “New guy must be cute.” Then a chuckle. Now, I’m really embarrassed.

      David likes to meet his new employees on the couch in the front room. It’s more comfortable and makes them feel more at ease, he says. I just thought it was awkward to be sitting on a couch with my new boss reclining on the other end. But, hey, whatever floats your boat. I go over to my desk, sit down and start straightening papers, pretending like I am not listening to the deep, sexy voice of the new guy.

      “So, David, what am I gonna be doing here?” Brian rumbles. God, his voice gives me shivers.

     “Well, Brian, mostly what I’ll be having you do is photo editing and maybe some consultations with customers…” David’s voice fades into the background as I stop pretending to be organizing and just stare lustfully at Brian. He makes eye contact with me, and I can feel my lower pelvic region contract briefly. Ah, he’s so damn sexy! But he’ll be working here, so starting anything would be awkward at best.

      “So a lot of the touch-up work will be removing pimples and red spots. But I think you can handle that.” David tells Brian.

     “Oh, yeah, I have an eye for beauty,” he winks at me, I swear to you he winks at me! “so that should be no problem.” Brian flashes his amazing smile at David. I try not to sigh.

      After a few more comments on the work Brian will be doing, David stands up and says, “Well, I think that’s it for the day. I have to drop my daughter Sylvia off at her piano lesson, but I’ll let Alex show you around.” He waves a hand in my general direction, then shakes Brian’s hand and goes to grab Sylvia.

      “Hi, Alex, I’m Brian. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” He walks over to my desk, sticks out his right hand and smiles at me.

      “Hi, Brian. Nice to meet you.” I grasp his hand with mine and feel a flutter in my lower abdomen. He pumps my hand twice and lets go, warm fingers sliding across my palm and over my fingertips. I think my hand is about to burst into flames from that touch.

      He leans on the chest-high counter next to my desk, looking incredibly relaxed and at ease. I want him. Oh, do I want him. I want to do unmentionable things to him and with him and have him do those things to me. He makes me all hot and bothered and wet. I suddenly realize that I have been staring at him for a good minute without speaking.

      “Um, I’m supposed to show you around, aren’t I?” I ask stupidly. Of course that’s what I’m supposed to do, that’s what David told me to do.

      “Alright, Alex, Brian, Sylvia and I are going to go, and Sarah has a class to get to, so will you two be alright by yourselves to close up?” David comes out of the back hallway and tosses his keys to me.

      I nod. “Yeah, sure, no problem. We’ll be fine.” I nod again.      “Good. Brian, I’ll see you tomorrow at ten, and Alex, eight thirty?”

      “Yep!” I say.

     “Yessir.” Brian says.

      “Good! C’mon Sylvia, we have a piano lesson to get to!” He ushers Sylvia out the door without another word. I get up and walk into the back hallway. “Aren’t you coming?” I ask Brian.

      “Oh, yeah, right. You’re showing me around.” He looks like he was a thousand miles away, and I brought him back to reality.

      “This way.” I crook a finger at him and duck behind the divider curtain. He mutters something that sounds like “Jesus” and follows me to Sarah’s office.

      I knock on her door and go in without waiting for a response. “Hey, Sarah! This is Brian, the new photo editor.” I wave Brian into Sarah’s office.

      “Hi, Brian, nice to meet you. I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have to get to class, and I’m already late. So I’ll see you both tomorrow!” She pushed past the two of us and out to the front room.

      “Well, that’s Sarah, and this is Sarah’s office.” I say, gesturing around Sarah’s tiny office like Vana White.

      “Okay. And is this David’s office?” He points to the other office in the back.

      “Yep. That’s David’s office. He’ll probably have you working in there tomorrow while he’s at the shoot.”

     “So I get the big boss’s desk for a day? Sweet!” He raises his hand to give me a high five, and I slap my hand in his. He grabs my hand and shakes it like some people do at then end of high fives. It makes my stomach flutter.

      “Hey, you okay? You have a funny look on your face.” He lets go of my hand and peers into my face curiously.

     “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… You’re not what I expected.” I say truthfully.

     “Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?” He asks in a very cute way.

      “That’s a very good thing.” I say, putting all my lust and pent up sexual frustration into those words.

      “Cool! Let’s go see the rest of the studio!” He grabs my hand and drags me out into the front room. The butterflies are having a grand ole time in my lower abdominal region. Damn!