Caged Slave (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 31

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After a very Merry Christmas, the New Year's vacation passed by in a blur and all too soon, it was back to work again. Just as things were truly getting busy, Mew headed to New York for his business trip. Gulf felt all of his strength drain out of him all at once.

"Ah...he's gone," he sighed.

Gulf wasn't personally involved in the contract with Jefferson, but he did make all the flight and hotel arrangements for Mew's trip. And as Mew's secretary, it was also Gulf's job to set up detailed meetings with the New York headquarters and keep in touch with the Jefferson Company. It was a bit of a let down once Mew left.

Although Gulf was jealous of the three project team members who got to go to New York, he knew that if he went, they wouldn't be able to stick to just business. He was sad to see Mew go, but he realized that the best thing he could do as Mew's secretary and lover alike was to just wait
patiently for him to return.

Even so, having Mew gone for 10 whole days made Gulf much less interested in work. In the first three days of Mew's absence, there wasn't anything for Gulf to do and he felt himself losing his motivation.

"Come on, Gulf," Taniguchi said. "When the cat's away, the mice should play."

Taniguchi kept encouraging Gulf to take two or three days off, but New Year was barely over, and Gulf also had to think about his finances. And even though Taniguchi wouldn't understand, Gulf saw no real point to taking off when Mew wasn't around to share it with him.

"Thanks, but while the cat's away, I think I'll try to get as much work done as I can."

"You're really a hard worker, aren't you?"

"It's my one redeeming feature," Gulf joked, to brush aside Taniguchi, who put on an expression of exaggerated shock.

Yet if Gulf had known what was to come, not only would he have gone along with Taniguchi's suggestion and taken some time off, but he might never have come back.

TBC