Chapter Four -- Happy Birthday To Me!
"Is this all?"
Aidan raised his eyes from the papers they had been perusing together until earlier. Trying to keep a professional attitude about the whole deal was tough. But after a lot of deliberation with himself, he had decided that he could not try doing something inappropriate with Heathcliff. The man was off limits. Plus, he didn't look that interested. The teasing had been, after all, nothing but teasing,
"Yes, it is all," he said, placing his hands neatly over the papers.
"May I offer you anything? I can make you something," Heathcliff offered.
Aidan stood up. Spending too much time together with the guy was bound to make him do something foolish that he was indeed going to regret later. Was he that desperate that he was willing to humiliate himself by throwing himself at Heathcliff Stone, a celebrity that could not care less about him and ALSO had plenty of handsome guys to choose from? The man would just say 'no'; he was sure that was going to happen.
"No, thank you," he said and offered his hand to say goodbye in the manliest manner he could think off.
Heathcliff took it in his and held it. Aidan kept a frozen professional smile on his face.
"It's a real pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Stone," he said.
Heathcliff smiled. "What's with the formalities? I thought we were friends."
Aidan knew he should withdraw his hand, but he couldn't.
"I think it's better this way. I hope you have nothing against it."
Why was he talking like they had done something together, something that was frowned upon? Nothing had happened, much to his chagrin. Heathcliff pulled him closer, using his superior strength, and looked him in the eye.
"Kid," he said, challenging him.
Aidan could feel the warmth from his hand which was the only part of his body in close connection to Heathcliff, spreading up his arm. His host's bulged bicep as he was holding his arm flexed was too distracting. Heathcliff had maneuvered their hands that they were now linked together, as if they were two players, congratulating each other after a fight.
He knew his way out of this. He had seen movies and whatnot. The way to do it was to be casual, yet keep the professional boundaries.
"Okay, Stone, you got me. I'm a kid. I'm ... What? Eight years your junior? Laugh all you want."
Yeah, that was kind of it. Some playful banter like between acquaintances, without being real bros, or anything remotely similar.
"No one's laughing, Spark," Heathcliff replied, but his eyes were lit with amusement now. "Sure you don't want to hang out? I might have an orgy planned later, and this is your only chance to foil it."
Aidan inhaled. "I don't buy that."
Damn, it wasn't right for Heathcliff Stone to smell so good. Maybe he could stop breathing when the man was around. Or he could put more distance between them, right now.
"Maybe some other time," he added quickly.
"What? Do you really want to be part of some orgy? I'm afraid you might steal the show." Heathcliff's eyes glinted with mischief.
Aidan rolled his eyes. "Are you for real?" he groaned, and finally pulled his hand free.
"No. I'd never drag you to an orgy. You're way too stiff, and by the time you loosen up, the party would be over. Just to make something clear. Are we done with the 'Mr. Stone' crap? Call me Heathcliff, or Heath."
"Or Stone." Aidan shrugged.
"Okay, if that's how you like it." Heathcliff nodded. "See you around then?"
"I'll let you know. The ad is coming up nicely. We'll make a star out of you."
"I'm already a star, kid," Heathcliff said with too much self-importance to be taken seriously.
Against himself, he snickered.
"Ha, got you," Heathcliff pointed at him.
"Yeah, you got me." Aidan grabbed his suitcase. "See ya," he said brightly like he meant it.
On his way out, he pretended he could not feel Heathcliff's gorgeous eyes following him. It was, most probably, just his imagination and wishful thinking.
***
"Am I really supposed to keep an eye on the guy while he's celebrating? He's most probably with his friends, his family ..." Aidan tried to protest.
For the love of everything he held dear, he needed to keep away from Heathcliff Stone, as much as he could. Being sent to crash the man's birthday party was just the damn opposite of what he was trying to achieve, which was to keep a leveled head and accept that nothing could happen between him and the sexy fitness guru.
"Spark," his boss stopped him. "The man has two million followers on social media. He has millions of hits on his videos, and that's even more people if you add all the visualizations together. Do you have any idea how much money we save in advertising? You know, I suppose, how an advertising budget works. We're paying this guy a fraction of that. Only a fraction. So, if I want you to go down to his house, and make sure that he keeps his dick in his pants, especially since his birthday won't go unnoticed by tabloids, then that is something you do."
Aidan opened his mouth a few times, wanting to contradict the man a little. But, after all, that was his boss, and no matter how bluntly he was putting it, that was the truth. Ultimately, his job was to prevent Heathcliff from ending up in the headlines, especially if those headlines were going to contain some X-rated details of the man's personal life.
But, at the same time, Aidan could not deny that it was making him feel a little dirty to do what he was told. A part of him, a righteous one, was revolting against it. Why was anyone's business who Heathcliff welcomed into his bed?
***
"Working hard or hardly working?" Heathcliff teased him, the moment he saw him.
"Sorry, I practically invited myself over. Happy birthday," Aidan said with a perfunctory smile while handing the host a bottle of wine. "I hope this is okay."
"It surely is." Heathcliff took him by the shoulder and guided him inside. "I was expecting something less formal, though," he pointed at Aidan's clothes.
"It's a new suit," Aidan explained.
"Still, just as formal as the others I saw you in. Seriously, were you born in a suit?" Heathcliff asked.
Aidan felt a tiny bit dizzy only taking in his host's scent. Heathcliff looked amazing in casual clothes, a pleasant shade of blue that was making his eyes look even more magnetic. Aidan wanted nothing else but to lose himself in those seas of blue and get closer.
He caught himself just in time.
"I see you have a lot of guests," he noticed.
"Yes, please feel free to mingle."
If Aidan had known how to mingle, he would not have had a V-card to worry about. So that was easier said than done.
With a sigh, he took in the crowd by the pool. Heathcliff's list of friends was truly glamorous. Aidan could bet that the net worth of everyone strung together was enough to buy an entire neighborhood, if not a small town. They weren't necessarily billionaires or A-list celebrities, but they were well off enough, and Aidan felt there like a fish out of water.
But it was a good and well deserved cold shower he was getting right now. He had no place in that world. That is why he wasn't on the list of invites, and there only on a mission from work. A somewhat sleazy task that was making him feel a bit ill to the stomach, but the kind of thing on which his job was depending on.
Heathcliff left his side to talk to other guests, like the good host he was. Aidan shrugged and grabbed a glass filled with some bubbly liquid. Maybe if he drank a little, that was going to settle his nerves.
***
Heathcliff had been a tad surprised to see Aidan knocking down his door, but he was glad the young man was there. Except for a few quick encounters over ads and whatnot, they had not had a lot of time to talk over the last week. He had barely managed to get Aidan to stop acting as formal as the suit he was wearing.
Heathcliff had an idea what was happening. Aidan was a tiny bit pissed. Ever since that night, when he had summoned him for an evening workout session, Aidan had been a little bit of a porcupine, the corporate version.
For the moment, Heathcliff had thought it to be for the better. He was getting a bit too interested in a young man with who, by the nature of their business relationship, he was not supposed to get involved with.
Also, he had expected Aidan to take some steps and express his desires if any were there. He had thought that giving the guy room for maneuver would make him a little less of a scared bunny.
But Aidan Spark had tried to be nothing but professional throughout their meetings, and Heathcliff was starting to wonder whether maybe his gaydar and his charm were bound to fail one time in a million.
He tried to catch a glimpse of Aidan, scouting the area, after some recent acquaintances had grabbed his attention. He was nowhere in sight, unfortunately. If there was one thing Heathcliff truly wanted for his birthday, he had an inkling that his present had just walked over his threshold. Or maybe he was trying to appease his somewhat wounded pride by what looked like Aidan's total disinterest in his person.
"Hey, Heath." Someone caught him from behind.
"Hey, Randy?" he said questioningly while turning and taking in the handsome brunet who was still keeping his hands on his waist.
"Hey, nice to see you recognize me. I suppose that's progress." Randy flashed a nice smile at him. "I've just got back from Italy. It was all business, unfortunately, and I didn't have enough time to indulge in either Italian cuisine or Italian men. Of course, when I saw your invite in my e-mail, I told myself that there is something here that entire Italy can't offer. Or, better said, someone."
Randy was wiggling his eyebrows in a very suggestive way that left no room for guesswork. Heathcliff could feel the familiar stir in his groin, looking at the guy. Randy was a particularly talented rider, as far as he could remember. While he liked it on top, he wasn't a top. And that was the kind Heathcliff liked best. Also, the attempt at seduction, as much as it was the same old, same old, was more than welcome. Heathcliff seriously needed to get laid.
Seeing how he hadn't gotten laid in a while now, ever since Aidan 'Bubble Butt' Spark had walked into his life, he could allow himself a small indiscretion. After all, it was his birthday.
So, taking Randy's hand and inviting him on a tour of the grounds, he decided that it was the right time to put an end to his self-imposed celibacy.
***
