Now See Here! (m/m)

Can't See Straight

A/N: it's Saturday again, so here's the next chapter! Thank you for your support!

Now See Here!

Chapter 4: Can't See Straight

"What do you mean you're not coming?" Mark groaned into the phone.

"We number crunching grunts aren't invited to your fancy-schmancy kick-off," Lance explained. "It's just for the executives and you customer-smoochers."

"But you can come as my plus one!"

"Bro, your boyfriend won't like that."

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"Let's just say that when the handsome openly gay boss starts taking an interest in a cute up-and-coming copywriter who no one can remember having seen with a woman, people start talking."

"They do?"

"They do."

"Fuck."

"Well, you could stop hanging out with him, I guess. Didn't you hit the gym together yesterday again?"

"Yes, but… I don't want to."

"He forced you to go to the gym? The bastard!" Lance snickered.

"No, idiot, I meant that I… don't want to stop hanging out with him…"

"Mark and Jake, sitting in a tree-"

"Oh grow up! He's just… nice. He's nice. Yeah. And pretty funny. And interesting…"

"And now I'm jealous."

It was Mark's turn to snicker. "Maybe the two of you can fight over me?"

"No way, in that case you're his. I'm not going to risk my beautiful face meeting that guy."

"Well, for a little while I felt really appreciated…" the blond sighed as he leaned back in his chair, stroking Felix's ears. "But damn, I really thought they invited the whole company to this thing…"

"Nope… the only grunts who are going are those who work directly with this new account… pity… I mean, a gaming company? That's so coooool!"

"It's slightly better than a crazy old man making smelly cheese."

"Huh?" Mark then told Lance about the phone call earlier that day. "I'm so glad I'm only dealing with numbers…" his friend sighed. "But you're okay to go on your own, right?"

"Yeah… It's not at the office, though, it's at a hotel…"

"Why not ask Jake, then?"

"What? As in a date?"

"Of course not; as a friend. At least to meet up with you there and help you orient yourself a bit."

"I… I couldn't do that, he's going to be busy with the managers… he can't waste time dragging me around. Besides, I'm not helpless. I'll make it. And Meg will be there, so…"

"Well, in that case you're pretty much set," his friend chuckled, "Although you'll be spending your evening listening to stories about her dog."

"Could be worse," Mark shrugged. And it turned out that it could.

_____________________________________________________

After the last weekend it sounded a bit bigoted, but Mark didn't like drunk people. At best they were just loud and jolly, at worst their inner bullies came out and even adults could become quite cruel. He was now faced by something different, though.