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  Before anyone could see it coming, Damien flew across the conference table, knocked the guy out of his seat and started punching him with both fists. “I’m not a fag. How I live my life, is no business of yours or anyone else’s in this room. You are the scum of the earth if you think I’m going to do this.”

  Nicholle, Ferris and Bennett pulled Damien off the FBI investigator. “I want this guy arrested for assault. You all saw what he just did,” shouted the investigator.

  “Rogers, shut up,” said Nicholle. “No one is going to be arrested. You shot off your mouth again and did this yourself. Frankly, if I were Damien, I’d file charges against you.”

  “I’m not working a case with a bunch of fags,” he shouted back to his supervisor.

  “Good, then you’re off the case. Get your ass out of here. And you’re on report, so don’t expect to be working any other cases for quite a while.”

  Rogers got up from the floor, did his best to reassemble his clothing and stormed out of the room.

  Damien broke loose from Ferris’ grip and pushed Bennett against the wall. “Don’t you ever touch me or come near me again. I thought you were my friend and you did this to me,” he said, holding Bennett with both hands wrapped around his neck. Bennett was struggling to breathe. He gasped for air when Damien let him loose.

  Turning back to the others Damien said, “You’ve got to be fucking nuts if you think I’m going to do this! Ferris this is wrong, just wrong. Who the hell are you to out me to them?” he said pointing to Nicholle and the tipped over seat where Rogers just sat. “Doesn’t confidentiality go both ways? I refuse to be a prostitute for you or anyone else. I quit.” He said as he walked from the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Looking at Cindy, he said. “My resignation will be on your desk in an hour. Please make sure Ferris gets it immediately,” then stalked off angrier than he had ever been in his life.

  “Well, that went well,” said Nicholle. “I expected an argument but nothing as bad as that. Bennett, can you add some light to this? You know Damien better than most of us.”

  “Lady, you’re out of your fucking head. You’re all fucking nuts, if you think either Damien or I are going to do this,” he said as he got to his feet. You have my resignation, too Ferris. I’ll be damned if I will be part of this.” Just before Bennett reached the door, he turned and said, “I really loved working here. It’s too bad you ruined it for me Ferris.” He turned and left the conference room slamming the door behind him.

  It took a few minutes for Bennett to find Damien. He was not in his office or the lunchroom. Sometimes when they wanted to have some privacy, they snuck up to the roof through the fire door. Everyone knew how to open the door without setting off the alarm, so it became a safe spot for a much-needed quiet space when things got tough at Valentech.

  Damien was leaning over the railing looking out on the city when Bennett approached. As he made his way to his lover and friend, Damien turned and shouted, “How could you be a part of this? I thought we meant something to each other.”

  Bennett placed his hand on Damien’s chest, only to get it slapped away. “Don’t touch me,” shouted Damien. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

  “I didn’t know,” said Bennett as he dropped his hand.

  “What do you mean you didn’t know?” asked Damien. “You were in there waiting for me. You texted me saying you had something to do this morning. Were you in there conspiring with them to make me into a prostitute?”

  “I admit I gave them all the information about Karl, but had no idea they were going to ask you to do that. Damien, I quit before I came looking for you.”

  “You did what? You love working here. How could you quit? This has nothing to do with you. It’s me they want to pimp out, not you.”

  “You know, for a really smart guy, you can be so dumb sometimes. They used me to get to you. It’s about both of us, not just you. If I can’t trust the people I work for, I don’t want to work here.”

  “Really, you really quit?” said Damien as he placed his open hand on Bennett’s chest. “I don’t want you to lose your job over this. You have to go back in there.”

  “No, I’m not doing that. We can work this out together, but I’m not giving up on what we’ve got going for Ferris or anyone else.”

  Both turned and leaned on the railing looking out at the skyline. Hundreds of buildings, some high-rises, but most two or three story structures surrounded them. This was an historic district so most of the smaller buildings were preserved or restored to their original splendor. The distant mountains framed the city as if someone had painted it for them.

  “So what do we do now?” asked Damien. We just blew two of the best jobs in the industry.”

  “Let’s get out of here. Can we go to your condo? My mom always told me to let things rest and the answers will make themselves apparent in good time.” He pulled his friend and lover off the railing and walked toward the fire door.

  Just inside the stairwell, Andrea was waiting for them. “We need to talk,” she said as they approached. Neither spoke a word to her as they continued down the stairs. “Damien, we made a mistake. Please, can we work this out?”

  Bennett and Damien left the building without a word to Andrea or anyone else. They drove their respective cars to Damien’s condo and sat on the balcony in silence.

  News of a major argument between Ferris and Damien spread quickly. Valentech prided itself on being a family environment, which made this situation more complex. Never in the history of the company was anyone fired. People came to work there and stayed. They loved their jobs. When they found out that both Damien and Bennett quit, the place almost shut down with fear and apprehension.

  Karl had no idea what was going on. He returned from his family emergency to find everyone upset. When he learned of Damien’s resignation, his heart sank to the lowest level of despair he had ever imagined possible. Now what am I going to do? Waverley will kill me.

  Ferris lost two of his top performers and his company was in turmoil. He had to do something. Neither Damien nor Bennett was answering his phone, returning voice mails or texts. They were making it very clear they wanted nothing to do with Valentech.

  Three days passed and Andrea was furious, more with herself, then anyone else. She was opposed to the plans set out by Nicholle and Rogers. Ferris, though not in total agreement, wouldn’t stop them from trying to use Damien to get to Waverley.

  Bennett had clothes and toiletries in the spare bedroom closet and huge bathroom since he stayed at Damien’s condo most weekends. Neither set foot outside the door fearing meeting someone from work. Pizza, Chinese and most other foods were available for home delivery so they didn’t starve.

  When Bennett heard the nock on Damien’s door, he said,” it’s food time, I’ll get it,” and opened the door. There stood Andrea holding two pizza boxes and a bottle of soda.

  “I intercepted the delivery guy. He was quite pleased with the tip so he let me make the delivery. Can I come in?” she questioned.

  Not sure what Damien would say, he turned and called his lover. “Seems we have a special delivery, Damien, what should I do?”

  “What do you want Andrea?” he said as he approached the door. “You here to convince me to be your prostitute?”

  Bennett took the boxes and soda from Andrea and placed them on the dining room table. When he returned to the front door, Andrea was trying to convince Damien to talk. “No, I’m not here to convince you to do anything. I’m here as a friend. We made a horrible mistake listening to Nicholle and Rogers. I was opposed to it from the start, but they were very convincing. Ferris felt it was worth broaching the subject with the both of you, but never understood how they would do it. Nor did he expect to lose two of his best employees in the process. May I please come in? Standing in the hall is not the best way to have a conversation.”

  Bennett pulled Damien from the door. “Let her in and let her talk.” Reluctantly Damien moved, allowing
Andrea to enter his home. “You better be good, because Damien and I are making plans right now and those plans don’t include Valentech in any way. And since you violated our employee agreements, my attorney says our non-compete and confidentiality agreements are null and void,” said Bennett as he led Andrea to the table.

  Andrea sat opposite Damien and Bennett with two steamy pizza boxes between them. The tension was so high; the steam seemed to stop in mid air. Bennett broke the spell when he opened the boxes and said, “I’m hungry and I don’t enjoy cold pizza, much to the amazement of most of my friends. You want a slice, Andrea?”

  She grabbed a slice from the box and took a bite. Damien followed in silence. They ate for a few minutes when Andrea said, “I would totally understand if the two of you never came back to Valentech. We really blew this. Just give me a few minutes and hear me out. I have an idea that might just work. And it does not include you having sex with anyone, Damien.” Then she looked at Bennett and said, “Except with your lover here, I guess.”

  Damien sat in total silence as Andrea explained her idea. When she finished, Bennett stood and said, “That was a very nice speech you just made. Thank you for coming over.” He opened the door indicating that Andrea was to leave. As she approached the door, he said, “Andrea, don’t get your hopes up, not after what happened.” He closed the door behind her.

  Chapter 8

  As he approached his lover, Bennett could see the distress in his eyes. His entire body seemed to be convulsing with small tremors. Bennett reached out, taking Damien’s hand, pulling him from the chair. No words spoken, he led him to the bedroom where he gently removed Damien’s shirt. He put Damien on the bed, and removed his sneakers, socks and moved to his shorts. Damien just sat there in his own world, letting Bennett do what he wanted with him.

  Bennett moved Damien to the pillow and pulled his shorts and briefs down his legs. Damien was naked staring up at the ceiling. Bennett quickly undressed and lay next to his friend. As his hand rubbed Damien’s chest, he could feel the shudders from his body. Damien was close to an emotional breakdown.

  “I love you with every fiber of my being. I knew you were the one for me that first day I met you. And I know you feel the same about me. I won’t ever hurt you, nor will I let anyone else hurt you, Damien.”

  Damien said nothing, but Bennett could see the tears welling up in his eyes.

  “It’ll work out, Damien. We’ll find a way to make this go away. I promise. No one is going to hurt you.”

  “I can’t do this Bennett. It hurts so much,” said Damien as tears flowed from his eyes. “I just can’t do this.”

  “Then don’t. We can find other jobs and move away from this mess.”

  “No, you don’t get it. You don’t understand any of it.”

  “Then explain it to me. Whatever it is, we can fix it and move on. I love you Damien and I can’t stand to see you suffering like this. Please help me understand what hurts so much.”

  “You deserve so much better than me. I have no idea what you see in me and even why you put up with me.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about Damien? You are a very special person. I find you passionate, loving, caring, and so many other things. The list is too long to recite. So why are you laying there telling me I should find someone better than you?”

  Damien lay silent for so long Bennett wondered if he was going to talk or not. Bennett kept his hand on Damien’s chest and waited.

  Damien’s whisper was so faint Bennett barely heard when he started to speak. “I met Michael in my sophomore year. He was in grad school. We began dating and it became very clear that we both wanted more. A few months later, we moved in together. Life was really good. Our love grew. At first it was just sex, but in time it became more than making love to each other. We transcended that level. It felt as if we were one with each other. Our lives intermingled totally. His friends accepted me into their circle as mine did him.”

  Damien sighed as tears streamed down his face. Bennett kept his hand on Damien’s chest to reassure him of his love.

  “We lived together for almost five years. He graduated and got a great job. I finished my degree and started my masters. I couldn’t imagine anything better then what we had. I so loved him and he kept saying he loved me. It was more than words. We were inseparable. When one of us was at work or school, the other felt an emptiness that had no cure.”

  Raine, my best friend and her partner Sheila used to laugh, telling me I was the biggest love freak they ever met. I guess I was. My entire life revolved around Michael and it seemed that his revolved around me as well. We did everything together. Our love continued to grow beyond anything I could have imagined.”

  Damien was sobbing now. His chest was shuddering and the tears were flowing in continuous streams. When Bennett tried to hug him, Damien pushed him back.

  “My masters program was intense. It was a thesis-based degree, concentrating on research into the genetic structure of cancer. I had this idea that a person’s genes determined the type of cancer they might contract. My thesis adviser made it very clear that such a theses would require solid proof, supported by undeniable evidence. I worked nonstop to get that evidence, studying thousands of hospital transcripts and patient records. Doing that took time away from Michael and me. Michael was totally supportive saying I had to do this and he would support me totally.”

  Damien’s shuddering was so strong now that his entire body bordered on convulsing. He grabbed Bennett’s arm, holding it to his chest for support.

  “Michael was a total top. He prided himself on being able to get me off without me touching myself during sex. I had no issue with bottoming for him since I am versatile and really enjoyed what he did to me. As I said, it was way beyond sex. It was a bonding like nothing else. My schoolwork took over so much of my time that I was exhausted most nights when I did manage to get home. I frequently just fell into bed sound asleep before my head hit the pillow. Michael never complained.”

  Bennett managed to get a bit closer to the shuddering body next to him, hoping Damien would not push him back. Damien continued to stare at the ceiling.

  “Whenever Michael told me he loved me he said he would never hurt me nor let anyone else hurt me.”

  “Oh my god, I just said that to you, Damien. I had no idea.”

  Damien continued, “One day I managed to get some free time and decided to surprise Michael with a really good home cooked meal. I went shopping for all the things he liked. It was going to be a great evening of food, wine and pure lust filled sex. When I got home, I heard sounds coming from our bedroom. I knew both voices. Michael was in our bed with my best friend Craig. That wasn’t the worst part, though. Michael was yelling for Craig to fuck him harder. Michael never bottomed for me in five years, now he was yelling for Craig to fuck him harder.”

  Damien closed his eyes laying in silence for several minutes as if picturing the scene he just spoke. With his eyes closed he continued, “I knew I couldn’t go into our bedroom and see this happening, so I sat on the couch and waited for them to finish. I heard them reach their climax. A few minutes later I heard them talking about being in love. Craig asked him how he was going to tell me about it. Michael’s answer was that he would do it and that I would understand that it was over for us. He had no idea I heard all of their conversation.”

  “I just sat there in total disbelief. I couldn’t even move if I wanted to. I was rooted to the couch. Craig and Michael came out of our bedroom naked, holding hands. They saw me sitting there. Craig freaked out running back to the bedroom, grabbed his clothes and got dressed as he stumbled down the hall. He ran from the apartment leaving the door open. It was almost comical in a way. I wish I could have laughed. Michael stood there looking at me, saying nothing for a long time.”

  “Then he sat in the chair opposite the couch. Hands on his knees, he looked at me and said, ‘so I guess you heard what just happened.’ I looked at him, stood up, took my knap sack with my
laptop and walked out the already open door. He didn’t follow or call after me. The really sad part of this was that Craig and I were best friends since middle school. We knew we both were gay, but never crossed that line.”

  “What happened to Michael and Craig? Did they get together after that?”

  “Yeah, they did. Michael lost his lease and moved in with Craig. I understand they stayed together for a year or so then had a major falling out. I lost track of both of them after that.”

  “I’m so sorry Damien. I had no idea you went through this. I don’t know what to say or if there is anything I could say.”

  “Thank god for Raine and Sheila. They took me in and made my intervention their mission. I was a total mess for over a week. I didn’t eat or bathe. I just stayed in the bed in their guest room, staring at the ceiling. Raine contacted my professors and my thesis advisor telling them I had a family emergency and would be back as soon as possible. I was a good student so they agreed without prejudice. They could have dropped me from the program and I had no say in the matter, but they didn’t. Raine can be very convincing.”

  “Sheila and her posse of lesbian friends took it upon themselves to get all of my stuff from the apartment. Raine convinced her attorney friend to have my name removed from the lease and to get half the security deposit back. The landlord was a good guy, always looking out for his tenants. When they explained what happened, he was furious saying he was going to evict Michael as soon as he could.”

  On the sixth day Raine and Sheila came into my room telling me what they had done. They said it was time for me to start living my life again. Then the most embarrassing, humiliating thing that ever happened to me in my life happened. They pulled me from bed, took all my clothes off even with my resistance and dragged me into the shower. Both got naked and washed me from head to toe. I was so freaked out I took the soap from Sheila shouting that I could do it, but they wouldn’t take that for an answer. When they finished washing me, they toweled me dry and sat me down in their living room. Thankfully they left the towel around me.”