I looked up from my monitor and watched intently at Josh, the new hire. I was sure he did not remember me from our encounter a few weeks ago when I was stopped at a random metal detector barrier and got searched, only to reveal that I was wearing a metal cock cage - stupid, I know. The man behind me at that time was none other than Josh himself, who saw me indicate my crotch area to the officer, put two and two together and smirked - the nerve! - at me as he himself passed the detector with flying colors.
Josh was talking with his supervisor, already laughing and making jokes with the surly guy, who treated the rest of us like dirt. Not so our egregious little Joshie, making friends everywhere he went. Now he was making his way down our office, right into where I was ensconced in my safe cocoon. He noticed me looking - gawking, really - and made a turn. "And who do we have here?"
"Oh, it's Gerald, one of our senior relations officers here, I think you two would make good friends." Like hell. "Gerald makes the meanest cakes, you're sure to taste them at our office parties."
"Sounds fun, looking forward to taste... your cake, Gerald." He pointed at my husband's photo beside my screen. "And who's this handsome man?"
I was disarmed by his charm and half-stuttered, "My husband, we've been married for five years."
"And does the lucky man has a name?" He smiled warmly. When I remembered it later it almost look like he was snarling, like a wolf with a victim in its maw.
"Mason. My husband's name is Mason."
"Mason." He relished the name, much like how he was devouring the photo of my handsome husband. "What a wonderful name, for an undoubtedly wonderful man."
His supervisor was babbling something about his seat, which will be beside me, the configuration of the desks and desktops and whatever, while I was entranced by his incredibly blue eyes that bespoke of summer skies. He was taller than me by a hair, and the act of having to look up into his eyes made my sub insides melt. Then he gave me a grin, as if aware of the effect he was having on me. Suddenly the fact that he knew I wore cock-cages didn't matter, didn't matter at all.
"Hope we'll be best of colleagues."
And that was what he exactly was for the first six months he worked. We were seldom put in the same team, but whenever we were we had the best of times. It was a professional relationship, and he was a total mensch about it. Sometimes I covered for him when he screwed up, but most of the time it was the other way around. So in thanks I usually presented him with little candies, protein bars and such. In fact he and I were the designated office boyfriends, just because he and me were the two gays.
I did not know then he was in it for the long game. That the best of colleagues was aiming for my husband.
In retrospect I should had realized it after the office Thanksgiving party. A few of the guys were manning the barbecue, including a few partners and husbands. That would include Mason, my tall hunky husband, who as a line chef at a restaurant downtown was always welcome at our do's. It was the first time Josh and Mason met, but seeing them talking later you would think they had known each other forever. It sure helped that Mason was looking even more delicious than usual, with his dark blue plaid shirt and his sleeves rolled up, showing his thick masculine arms that sweated like hogs in the heat of the barbecue.
I was manning the desserts counter, because hahaha the gays, but also because I had killed myself for two days making most of the selections available. At times I peered at where Mason was handling the grill like the pro that he was, and four out of five times I would see Josh hovering about, looking bemusedly at my husband like he was a snack, which I guess Mason was. I'd lie if I say I did not like it - my office boyfriend admiring my real husband.
"Just where did you find your husband?" Josh whispered to me later. That question raffled me, as if I was not as good as Mason or something. I wore a cock cage for the guy, so yes, I deemed myself worthy of my husband. But he really looked like a God at the grill then, a total ten - maybe a twelve - so I entertained Josh' line of question.
