Chapter Text
9 AM, Wall Street.
Nathan woke up, still groggy from sleep. He and his friends had celebrated last night because he had just applied for the job he really wanted. He didn’t remember much, but he remembered that he ate, drank, and danced like there was no tomorrow. The interview was today, but he really didn’t care. That was his nature. Going with the flow.
He lazily pawed at his phone on his counter. He snoozed one alarm, but it couldn’t be that late, right?
“What…? It’s already THIS late?!”
His eyes opened like he just sniffed a bunch of cocaine. Nathan frantically ran out of bed, he didn’t have enough time to comb out his messy and fluffy hair. Pushing up his tie, he threw on his Air Force 770s, grabbed a quick slice of peanut butter and jelly then rushed out the door. He quickly got on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and drove off. He could make it just in time.
On the top floor of a sleek, marbled floor, glass-walled building, lied the office of Theodore Vincent, the CEO. Morning light poured into the boardroom, cold and precise, hitting the lethal face card of the man sitting at the head of the table. A long polished wooden table stretched across the room, surrounded by stiff-backed managers in dark suits. At the far end, Theodore sat in his chair in the sassiest way ever, with his feet resting on the table, his hands behind his head.
Most people wonder why the CEO is interviewing the new employees. But Theodore Vincent only wants the best for the company, so he always does it himself.
Then, suddenly, the door banged open.
Nathan burst in, hair tousled, breath still heavy from a hectic run. The room stiffened, someone coughed to mask the awkwardness. Theodore’s tapping stopped. He just tilted his head, eyes dragging over Nathan’s open collar, the light sweat on his forehead, the audacity in his gaze.
“Sorry. The interview is right here, right? Mr. Thedore’s office?”
All he got was weird stares. The most intense stare was from the CEO himself.
“You’re late,” Theodore said, his voice was smooth but laced with a layer of cold steel.
Nathan smiled, half sheepish, half shameless. “Sorry, sir. I overslept.”
“Overslept, huh?”
“Well… Einstein said time is relative, right? Which means… you’re early, and I’m right on time…?”
Theodore stared at the newcomer for a while. He observed Nathan like a precious animal. Nathan had a lean and tall build, his attire casual, and his glasses a bit crooked.
Nathan held his gaze. There’s a beat of reckless silence before he asked:
“Have you stared enough?”
A few managers in the room flinched. But Theodore only huffed out a soft, amused breath through his smile - then shifted just slightly, crossing his legs where he sat on the table’s edge, leaning closer, voice dropping:
“Sure. You know what? You’re hired. You start right now.”
“Wait, what? Seriously?”
“Yeah.” He pointed to his managers. “You. Show him to his new office right now. Let’s see how this freshman would handle this work if he had answered my question so…slyly.”
Nathan thanked Theodore before skipping after the manager.
“That all happened so fast- Sir, I don’t know what you see in him. He doesn’t seem like a fit for our company. This is the first time-”
“Let him try, Phoebe.” He laughed at one of his managers.
After the meeting, word spread fast - the newcomer who showed up late has been promoted on the spot to personal secretary to the CEO. Some whispered that Theodore was just testing him, waiting for him to slip up. Others believed there was more to it.
Now, at 6PM, the sky was already darkening.
Inside the office was no one except for two people. Theodore sat on the edge of his massive cedar desk - not behind it, but on it, like he owned not just the office but the space between them. His tie was gone, top two buttons undone, sleeves rolled to his elbows, revealing his soft and lean forearms. He was reading through a slim folder Nathan just handed him.
/He stayed overtime on his first day. Impressive./
Nathan stood in front of him, only a step away - still in his slightly wrinkled shirt from his rushed morning, but now there was something strange: there was a glint of confidence in his eyes, one that made Theodore want to look away.
Theodore flipped a page, his eyes never quite leaving the words - yet every so often, he glanced up through his long lashes to study Nathan’s face. The silence was thick, broken only by the faint car honks of the city far below.
Finally, Theodore closed the folder with a soft thud.
“You know,” Theodore said, voice low, words drawn out like he was savoring them, “Most people would give up the first day.”
“I did well, didn’t I? I told you, I’m a fast learner.” Nathan chuckled. He headed closer towards his boss.
Theodore let out a quiet laughter, one hand resting loosely on his thigh. He leaned forward just enough that the space between them feels smaller. The tension charged.
“No. I want you to remember who you work for now,” he murmured, eyes flicking from Nathan’s plump lips back to his black doe eyes. “Personal secretary means you’ll be close. Very close. You’ll know things you shouldn’t. See things you shouldn’t.”
Nathan’s breath hitched for half a second, but he recovered it with a lazy smile, his voice more ominous than before. “I’m good at keeping secrets.”
Theodore’s gaze sharpened, but the corners of his mouth curve. He stepped forward slightly, letting no space between the two young men. His hand brushed the fabric of Nathan’s shirt, testing if the younger man will step back. He didn't.
“Sir?” It had been a long time since Nathan’s cheeks flushed. He had always been confident around girls at the bar. Ones he spent only a night without knowing their names. But his boss…?
“So eager to prove how much of a good boy you are, huh?” Theodore chuckled, almost a whisper. “Remember that if you break my trust, I won’t fire you. I’ll make you wish I had.”
Nathan’s response was slow, but still reckless. “Noted, sir.” He noticed the expensive cologne on his boss’s body.
Huy raised an eyebrow: “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, you just smell spectacular. I’m guessing… Yves Saint Laurent Men’s Cologne?”
“Hm. What are you, a canine dog?”
Nado stayed silent and laughed under his breath.
After a while, he said goodbye, and went on his way home. His mind replayed those moments again and again.