The Boss & The Assistant - Rewritten Edition of "The Boss"

Chapter 12 - Lafayette

 When October 1st arrived, the fall weather was upon us in great force. I was thankful. I enjoyed the cooler weather. Central Park was an array of oranges, reds, and yellows. Emerson said his favorite season was spring, but he loved fall as well. I found him on the balcony one morning, sitting in a fluffy robe, staring out into the park. He didn't have his phone or anything to distract him from his thoughts. He was just sitting there, quietly. I joined him and we chatted about the day's schedule. The next morning, before he woke up (which was usually around six-forty-five), I grabbed a hot coffee from the cafe next door and the usual iced coffee drink he liked. I perched on the balcony and when he woke, he joined me. 

This became a somewhat regular habit, only when we both stayed the night in the townhouse. It seemed like he would leave on the weekends more. In addition to coffee on the balcony, we often carpooled to the office together and then back to the townhouse after work. Occasionally, we walked instead. We had finished The Last of Us so we began The White Lotus over dinner.

Emerson managed to convince me to cook for him, saying he wanted some homemade salmon patties with cream corn and mashed potatoes. He was adamant that no restaurant made them the way his mother made them. I knew how to make them, so I did. He was helpful in the kitchen, despite not being the best cook. With proper instruction, he was quite capable. When we ate, he told me they were almost as good as when his mom made them. I felt flattered, enjoying the fact that he liked the food I cooked for him. I felt good when he thanked me.

The day after cooking, Emerson also insisted on bringing the leftovers for lunch. It was Wednesday, so we were going to eat together anyway. He plated our food and took it to the break area to reheat in the microwave. He brought it back to the reception area where we ate by the window. It was only a few minutes later when Michael entered.

"What are you eating?" he asked, eyeing our plates.

"Salmon patties," Emerson said. "Lafayette made them."

"You cooked? When?" he asked.

I didn't know why he was giving us the third degree. "Last night," I said.

Michael tilted his head. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, throwing up my hands slightly.

Emilio entered. "Smells good in here," he said.

"You two," Michael said. "What is this? I mean, I saw you unpacking this from your lunchbox Em, but Lafayette cooked it? You guys arrive at the same time in the morning, even though Lafayette usually sleeps here so he can keep his little hookups out of his house."

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked.

"I'm just curious," he said, but I knew what he wanted to know. He wanted to know if I was sleeping with Emerson, not because he cared about the ethics of it but because he wanted to pester me about the details.

"I'm homeless," Emerson said. "Mr. Jett's been letting me use his guest room until I move into my apartment in a few days. I didn't want anyone to know because it's kind of embarrassing."

"Well why are you homeless?" Michael asked.

"You can't just ask people why they're homeless," Emilio said.

"I had a falling out with my crazy roommate. It was quite scary. I could press charges, but I'd rather forget about it because it's not fun to talk about," Em said.

Emilio slapped Michael's arm. "See, look at what being nosy gets you," he said.

"I'm just curious. There's nothing wrong with being curious," Michael said.