The Desire Variable - Vol. I

【26】Priority Number One

When I came in on Monday, I went straight to the Troll's Lair, unsure what I should do exactly. As I got there, I noticed my computer had been taken away, and Oli, Mace, and Steven had already clocked in.

"So," Steven started, spinning his chair to face me, "not even been here for a month, and you're already working upstairs with the boss?"

It was a joke, I knew it was one, given the glimmer of amusement in his eyes, but it still made my heart clench. From their point of view, it must have looked very suspicious. It was indeed very odd that after only a few weeks here, the boss was already keeping me close to him.

"Trust me," I said, eager to clarify things, "I'd rather be here with you guys than upstairs with him."

"Well, that's nice to hear," said a deep voice from behind me.

Ah, shit... Of course, the man was standing right behind me. I slowly turned around, worriedly glancing at Lex. He didn't give me any attention and instead turned to the guys. "When the rest of your colleagues arrive, I want all six of you to come upstairs, to the conference room. We are going to rearrange a few things for the weeks to come, and I'd like everyone to be on the same wavelength." Without another word, he left us.

I turned back to the guys, and they didn't seem too confused about what was happening. "I tried to explain the situation the best I could," Oliver told me. "They can't wait to see this app you've created."

I smiled proudly. I could see Oliver was also excited about this. He liked the app and was happy for me. Seriously, how could a supportive guy like this, handsome, funny, charming, and nerdy, still be single? It seemed crazy to me, but I wouldn't jinx my luck by asking myself this too often.

Oli and I hadn't been able to reschedule our date this weekend. He already had had plans for Saturday evening, and his Sunday was spent at the vet because Princess Twilight Sparkles had been acting weirdly. We had agreed to do this next Friday. It gave me one more week to prepare myself psychologically.

The night that Lex had dropped me home, I'd woken up sweaty and horny from yet another wet dream. It hadn't lasted as long as the first one, as I'd immediately known whom my subconscious had conjured. The time we'd spent together had ignited something within me, and I found myself daydreaming about my boss more often than before. I was still amazed by how efficiently I was able to wake myself up when these unwanted dreams occurred. My resolution to resist the man was strong, even when sleeping.

I dreaded the fact that Alexander was the object of my fantasies, the one I couldn't shake, while Oliver remained the friendly figure, the one I could count on. It was certain that with all this built-up desire and frustration, when I would finally let go, it would be like a dam breaking, and I wouldn't be able to hold anything back. I fully intended on throwing that tsunami of feelings on Oliver, come Friday night.

Brian and Joseph arrived, and when they had put their things down, all six of us went up to the conference room. There, we found Lex speaking with a man I hadn't seen before. He was slightly shorter than Lex, but still tall by any count, and his body was leaner, more svelte. Both men couldn't be more different, as the stranger had blond hair, stylishly combed and plastered backward, and his face was neatly shaved, unlike his companion. He was devilishly handsome, but not in the same way as Lex. Alexander was dark and mysterious, while the other man was luminous and refined. His very fine traits almost gave him an aristocratic vibe, and with just one look at him, one could tell he came from a rich family; a filthy rich one. The other big difference was that he was wearing a suit, without the jacket, but had a waistcoat on. Alexander was back to his usual T-shirt and jeans. The contrast between the two men was striking, which made the familiarity between them somehow surprising.