The Secret Admirer |BL|

Chapter 1 - The Little Blue Box.

                         All content © 2011 OmnipotentSadist, Nic, Australia

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Something was not quite right.

The feeling of imminent danger was all around Marcus.

He could sense it twenty-five days before Christmas, like an untold omen. Something was in the air.

Little did he know that it would be true; that it would sustain so much significance and would change the course of his entire life.

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The noise and hassle of the streets below did not penetrate through the airtight windows of one of the largest and top tier law firms in New York City. Inside this magnificent, twenty story building where people that worked hard and were blissfully unaware of anything beyond their social recognition.

Each one of them woke up every morning -some before others- and made their way to busy, hectic work places with steaming coffee in their hands.

Twenty-five days before Christmas, and some of these people –on their phones to their loved ones— wouldn't even take Christmas off to celebrate it with their families. For them work was, and always will be more important.

The illusion of a seemingly ordinary day was casted to the onlookers of Manhattan; and that morning, like any other, people were dressed in their office attire made their way into a particular law firm, at 42nd Street Manhattan, ready to start another day.

Amongst all the morning chaos was Marcus Berkley. His black dress pants hung loose, white shirt had its sleeves rolled up; the back tie hug to a side. Marcus wasn't much to look at. He would have put more work into his appearance, but this morning he had thought 'why bother', he wasn't trying to impress anyone.

As the elevator doors opened with a noticeably loud 'ding', and revealed to him the not-so-joyous office of the Dalton & Meriden Law Firm. He sighed and hung his head low. He was not usually the kind of person to start his day with a depressing sigh and an awful slouch. But this was a particularly different day. Right after the long had weekend, his two year long relationship ended. He wasn't sure which was more depressing; spending Christmas single or having to spend it with his over enthusiastic middle class family.

As he made his way out from the cold silver elevator and in to the warm atmosphere of the office, he took off his heavy coat and slung it over his arm.

"Good Morning, Marcus!" Chirped, a musical voice from his side. He recognized the voice immediately. He'd know that that flirtatious voice anywhere. It belonged to a certain sexy, tall, red head, with flawless skin, who worked as a PA at the firm.

"Morning, Anna," He greeted, and walked past her. It was not that he was not interested in being hit on by the gorgeous woman, today just was not the right day. Besides she wasn't his type. She was too out there, too loud, too attached; he liked her, but it was nothing more than admiration of a friendly manner.

The clicking of her four inch black platform heels followed him at a fast pace, "Don't be so glum sweetie!" She said, tilting her head. Marcus hung his coal-black coat on his spinning chair and sat down, then swung around to face Anna. She was dressed finely, as usual: tight black pencil skirt that hugged her in all the right places and a black and white polka dotted silk top that sublimely let her Playboy bra show; he could only raise an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not being glum." He stated, "I just want to get through today and go home and forget about Karen."

"That woman is a bitch," Anna muttered, under her breath to herself and smiled at Marcus hoping that he hadn't heard her, "Anyway, did you hear about the Secret Santa thing? I wonder who I'll end up getting this year!" she asked, leaning back against the white unsteady cubical wall.