Time passes in funny ways.
The best days are the shortest.
The worst days are the longest.
Yet, there's always the same 24 hours in a day and within them, the same 60 minutes.
The next week would go by extraordinarily fast for Magnus and almost painfully slow for Alec.
Magnus settled into a routine at work and did his best to keep it an 8-5 commitment. Some nights that worked. Most nights it didn't.
It was after a week that Magnus announced by mass email that the annual Employee Appreciation Gala would go on as planned.
"The company is in crippling debt and you're having a party?" Alec asked when Magnus got home.
"We can't give up our traditions," Magnus said. "Or that's what the board told me."
"So you disagree?"
"I disagree because I've seen how much this will cost us," Magnus said. "But hey, why not add another drop to the overflowing bathtub."
Alec made a comment about Magnus' metaphors.
.........
Alec hadn't been expecting Jace to be at the Employee Appreciation Gala.
But when Alec got out of his taxi, Jace was leaning against one of the glass windows at the front of the skyscraper.
"What are you doing?" Alec asked, walking up to Jace.
"I'm here for the party," Jace said, with a shrug. He was dressed in a cheap suit, just like Alec's.
"Is that your suit from Homecoming?" Alec asked.
"Absolutely," Jace said. "You don't need a suit to be a fitness trainer."
Alec and Jace went inside.
To save money, the gala was to be held in the large open space on the first floor of the skyscraper, usually reserved for minor conventions or large business meetings.
"So where's your boyfriend?" Jace asked as they handed their tickets to a woman at the door. Alec almost tripped over himself in shock.
"What—"
"Come on, Alec," Jace said, hitting on the back. "I'm not stupid. I've seen you in love. And you look that way now."
"I'm not—"
"Stop denying it," Jace said.
"Did he invite you?" Alec asked.
"Well, you didn't so someone had to," Jace said. "There's free food. I'll see you later."
Jace disappeared and Alec was left alone in a sea of people he didn't know.
He searched for Magnus for half an hour but he was nowhere to be found. So he started looking for Jace, who was standing against a wall, talking to Clary, the secretary.
"Hi," Alec said.
"Alec, have you met Clary?" Jace asked.
"Yes," Alec said. Clary gave him a sour look. "Have you seen Magnus?"
"Mr. Bane is still upstairs," Clary said. "He was finishing some work."
Alec resisted the urge to scream.
"Thank you," Alec said. He gave Jace one last look before leaving. Was he really flirting with Clary?
He left the party, taking an elevator up to the 60th floor.
It was eerily silent.
The door to Magnus' office was open though, so Alec slipped inside. Magnus was sitting on the conference table, his legs swinging over the sides, watching the city outside the window.
The lights were off, with the exception of the little lamp on his desk. Papers were scattered throughout the room, marked with purple and red and yellow.
The computer flashed something and the red digital clocks on the wall, displaying various timezones, made the room look even creepier.
"Magnus," Alec said, carefully. Magnus' head snapped to look at Alec.
"Oh, crap," Magnus said. "The gala— I forgot."
"What's going on?" Alec asked.
Magnus hopped off the table.
"Nothing. Let's just—"
"Come on," Alec said. "This isn't nothing. This is chaos."
"There's an order to it all," Magnus promised. "I just—"
Magnus had started for the door, but Alec back up, closing it and holding it shut.
"Don't be childish," Magnus said. Alec didn't give up. "Fine. You really want to know?"
"I want to help," Alec said.
"I have to lay off 15% of the staff or cut everyone's pay by 15%."
"There's no other way?" Alec asked.
"The previous CEO did everything he could to cut costs everywhere else."
"So what are you going to do?" Alec asked.
"I— I don't know," Magnus said. "I mean, everyone is down there right now and I can't look them in the eyes knowing 15% of them will be without a job within the next month. What the hell did I get myself into, Alexander?"
"Can I give you a suggestion?" Alec asked.
"Anything."
"Leave it up to the department supervisors," Alec said. "Take some of the burden off your shoulders. Let them decide what's best for them."
Alec desperately wished he could see Magnus' face; to understand what he was thinking.
"I guess that's a good idea," Magnus said, after a silent minute.
"But for now," Alec said, "it looks bad if you're not at your own party."
Magnus let out a single sob and Alec rushed forward, hugging him.
"I don't want to do that to people," Magnus said, his voice cracking beneath the pressure of tears.
"It'll be fine, okay? It's just a rough spot. You can bring the company back and then rehire them," Alec said. "It's just temporary."
"I hope so," Magnus said. Alec took a step back and wiped the tears away from Magnus' face and straightened his bow tie.
"At least you're dressed," Alec said.
"I never turn down the chance to put on a nice suit and a good bowtie, Alexander," Magnus said, regaining his sense of humor.
Then they left the dark office for the more cheerful ballroom.
Magnus was an amazing actor.
He seemed unfazed by the scene upstairs, so Alec did his best to play along.
He heard his name being called as the evening reached it's height.
When he turned around, he saw the familiar face of Olivia Perdue.
"Olivia," Alec mumbled. He glanced back, but Magnus, who had been at his side all night, was gone.
"Alexander Lightwood," she said, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek. "Jace said you were around here."
"You saw Jace?"
"Flirting with some red-head," Olivia said. "Now that is someone I regret letting go."
"So, what are you doing here?" Alec asked. Olivia scared him. A lot.
"I'm a writer for Vogue now," she said.
"I'm not surprised," Alec said.
"I was hoping to get an interview with the mysterious Magnus Bane," she said. "You wouldn't happen to know where he is would you?"
"No," Alec said, carefully.
"What a shame," Olivia said. "So what are you doing here?"
"I'm just a friend," Alec said.
"I think someone might disagree with that," Olivia said.
"Wow, you haven't changed a bit," Alec said.
"Who hasn't changed a bit?" Magnus' timing was impeccably horrible.
"Olive Perdue," Alec said, introducing them.
"Magnus Bane," Olivia said, gleefully. "Alec has told me so much about you."
"I was gone for three minutes," Magnus said.
"He's very talkative," Olivia said.
"Funny. We must not be talking about the same Alec," Magnus said. Magnus looked at Alec who was on the verge of panicking.
"Well, I'll be honest with you, Mr. Bane. I'm here with Vogue and I'd just love to interview you," Olivia said. "Abrahm and Son's latest CEO." She said it like it as a headline.
"Well, I'll be honest with you, Miss Perdue. I'm not giving an interview right now," Magnus said. "Tonight isn't about me."
"Then would you mind telling me who it is about?" Olivia said, reaching for her handbag.
"Maybe another time," Magnus said. "So how do you know Alexander?"
"High school," Olivia said.
"She dated Jace," Alec said, finally cutting in.
"You know Jace?" Olivia asked.
"I know quite a bit," Magnus said.
"I'm serious about that interview, Mr. Bane."
"I'm sure you are," Magnus said.
Olivia just smiled, her big brown eyes shining under a heavy layer of mascara.
"Well, thanks for a great party," Olivia said.
Alec reached for Magnus' hand as discreetly as he could, pulling him away from Olivia's harsh gaze. He let go almost immediately.
"She seems like a charmer," Magnus said.
Alec glanced behind and saw Olivia approaching Jace and Clary.
He could tell simply from the way she walked that she was determined to drive a wedge in between them.