The Power of Weakness

Chapter 4

Back in his office, Meyer struggled to stay focused. All the effort he'd put into clearing his mind was negated as soon as he saw that pastel clad elf sitting on the bench. Like that morning, the sight of her made his tie feel too tight and his jacket too warm. He finally succumbed to the discomfort and removed them, hoping that once they stopped being a hindrance he could concentrate on his work instead of imagining an affair with the unsuitable woman. 

Such thoughts were uncharacteristic of him. For one thing, they had the same employer. There wasn't a policy against dating within the Fairfield companies, but office romances had the potential to become very messy. Not that Meyer had ever been interested in romance.

Growing up, he hadn't been allowed enough time or headspace to even think about puppy love. He attended all-boys schools so there weren't girls around for him to be interested in, but if he had formed a crush, he would have been left on his own to figure out what to do. The only comments Meyer's father had made on romantic relationships were reminders that they were forbidden. He did dole out some unbidden lessons and advice on sex, though.

The first one came when Meyer was in eighth grade. He and two classmates had been working on a group project in the Meyer family's basement when his father, Baron, showed up. He handed a heavy bag to one kid and a light one to another.

"Drink those first, chug them." Baron pointed to the heavy bag. "Then watch that." He pointed to the other.

When he went back upstairs the boys checked the bags, finding a six-pack of beer in one and a porn DVD in the other. The premise of the video was a woman sex-ed teacher giving private lessons to students who looked older than her.

His father considered relationships to be a distraction from important goals. Meyer agreed with that theory, so he had not planned on dating until after he'd graduated college and established himself in his career. He stuck with that until he was introduced to the notion that it could be leveraged into a business transaction.

Trevor knocked on Meyer's door and entered without waiting for a response.
"Boss, what do you--"

His eyes darted to the coat rack which held Meyer's suit jacket and tie. Knowing that they were only removed when something was bothering him, Trevor decided to hold off on any questions. The observant assistant turned on the air purifier, which would cool the air and provide white noise, before speaking again. 

"I printed the documents you need to review today." He placed them on a side table next to an overstuffed chair knowing that Meyer would unconsciously choose to sit there instead of behind his desk. "The prospectus on the company Huxley is interested in acquiring is in the blue folder and the first draft of the offer to Vergaris Tech is in the red one."

Meyer always read such documents for himself. He knew he had a good team, but it was his own instincts that led to his position as one of the top assets for Fairfield. Meyer finished his day feeling back on his game. He and Trevor left the office with a few others from the floor so they expressed the lift to the first floor lobby. The doors opened for a woman to step out and he spotted Ari as she passed by in a crowd of workers headed home. Meyer suddenly found himself in the basement garage, seated in the back of his sedan, without recalling the movements which brought him there.

"You haven't set a location for your four o'clock. Did you want to do it here or in the other office?" Trevor's eyes stayed on his tablet as he asked his boss a question the following morning. "We'll have to get--"

Meyer suddenly leaned forward and tapped on the driver's seat. "Let me out in front of the building again." He exited the car and closed the door before Trevor could follow him.