Ease [Cashton/Muke]

Chapter sixty three

"I was bored." Michael announces, stepping out of the lift and into the top floor foyer. Luke was attached to his right arm, eyes wide and interested.
"Dear lord, give me strength." Maggie mumbles to the ceiling before she stands up and approaches the two surprise guests. "It's Wednesday."
"Do you get paid to know that?" Michael teases.
"I get paid to ask questions like 'Michael what are you doing here' and 'this has gotta be the Luke I've heard about but why isn't he in school' and 'get out of this office'."
"The last one wasn't a question."
"No but I'm questioning all my life choices so that's gotta count for something." She supplies.

"Now," Michael raises his voice, making Maggie roll her eyes. "I already answered your first question, I'm here because I'm bored. Yes this is Luke but he has free periods at school this afternoon. And lastly, no I don't want to get out. Where's my muffin?"
"What the fuck? I have work to do." Maggie replies, walking back to her desk.
"My muffin runs this company." Michael clarifies.
"Calum has assured me that neither of you have done drugs since you both nearly failed your first year of uni because you were high but right now I'm not so sure would pass a drug test." Maggie shakes her head.
"He's right but also I wouldn't drive high anyway. How lowly do you think of me?" Michael shakes his head.
"You're right, maybe not that low." She gives in.

Silence engulfs the room as Maggie goes back to working but it barely last sixty seconds before Michael grows impatient again.
"So-"
"He and Ashton have gone to meet a real estate agent over lunch." Maggie gives him the information he's looking for.
"A real estate agent?!" Michael's eyebrows nearly shoot through his hairline in shock.
"Yes." She says flatly, glancing at the clock before continuing. "He'll be back soon, can explain it himself."

"Well in the meantime," Michael holds the conversation, "this is Luke. Luke, this is Calum's assistant Maggie."
"Hi, it's a pleasure." Luke beams, as charming as ever, sticking a hand out to shake.
"Oh. Lovely to meet you." She shakes his hand, attempting to hide her surprise at his advances just a little. He certainly was as cheeky and charming as Calum had described him. Michael sniggers a little from the side but she ignores it.

Luke and Michael sit in Calum's office while they wait and Maggie spares them occasional glances, deciding to text Calum when she knows he'll be close.

Maggie - Calum: Are you on your way up?

Calum - Maggie: Yeah just parked why

Maggie - Calum: You've got a walk in

Calum - Maggie: Oh shit I'll be there ASAP

Maggie - Calum: You don't need to worry

Calum - Maggie: What do you mean

Maggie doesn't reply back but Calum steps out of the lift a few minutes later looking a little frantic.
"Who is it?" Calum stresses, Ashton already en route to his office like he knew Calum was about to be in a meeting. Or so they thought.
"They're waiting in your office." She says casually.
"They're what?" Calum asks confusedly, because the only people allowed in Calum's office unsupervised were the people who had full security clearance.

"Oh hey, you're back." Michael grins when Calum steps back into his own office. Calum sighs in relief but grumbles at his assistant.
"Maggie."
"Oh relax, I was just having fun." She snorts. "In the words of the trashbag who waltzed in here unannounced, 'I was bored'."
Calum shakes his head as he closes the door and sits down at his desk, "so what brings you here?"
"Well Luke has frees all afternoon so I picked him up and thought we'd drop by. We have a product drop next week so regardless of who I bring, if they're not already on the security clearance list then my security team will have a fit. I don't have time for that lecture right now."
"Right, well we don't have much in terms of entertainment." Calum informs them.

"Entertain me with the story of you going to visit a real estate agent instead of having lunch." Michael says offhandedly.
"Oh, so Maggie mentioned that," Calum chuckles. "Yesterday Ashton told me he wanted to move house and so today we met with an agent."
"Just like that?" Michael raises his eyebrows.
"He informed me that my house seems like a bachelor pad and that he could never imagine living there long term. I figure if we've gotta move then may as well do it now." 
"If your place is a bachelor pad then mine is the playboy mansion." Michael laughs.
"But I'm the only bunny." Luke smirks under his breath.

"Are you right there?" Michael turns towards Luke.
"Yes, I promise. That was just me thinking out loud." Luke answers easily.
"I didn't say I minded." Michael says, leaning in to kiss him shortly after.
"So you two-" Calum is cut off by his phone ringing and Maggie sending him a pointed look through the window.
"I hate to break up the party," she starts, "but Louis Tomlinson is on the phone. Wants to talk to you and Ashton together."
"Sure, can you go get Ashton and I'll shoo these two out?" He replies.
"Yep." Maggie puts her phone down and then is striding down the corridor.

"Duty calls?" Michael asks, already standing up.
"Sort of. Louis needs to chat with Ashton and I. Don't imagine it'll take long. You're more than welcome to show Luke the garage if you want." Calum answers.
"You'll like that, won't you?" Michael looks at Luke.
"If it's full of pretty things." Luke giggles on his way out the door.

Ashton steps into Calum's office and sits in his dom's lap easily, Maggie back at her desk to take Louis off hold.
"Hi Louis, what can we do for you?" Calum starts off.
"Hello, thank you so much for making time for me. I'm in quite the situation at the moment but it provides Ashton with a great opportunity if he's willing to help me out. Which he doesn't have to of course." Louis gets straight to the point, evidently stressed by his current situation.

A/N: merry Christmas if you celebrate, hope you're well. Lots of love this festive season, we'll see what Louis' situation is tomorrow :)

-Grace Williams xo