Don't Overthink It

Another Thursday afternoon, and another endless meeting I had to attend, but I managed to keep a vaguely interested expression on my face as the head of our team droned on, rehashing topics that could have been easily summarized in an email.
My gaze drifted across the conference room table to settle on Rory. He was less successful at hiding his boredom, actually squirming in his seat a little. Our stares met, and I raised an eyebrow, trying to communicate a mild reprimand. He immediately sat up straighter, but I saw the hint of a smile pull at the left corner of his mouth.
He was in his late twenties, about fifteen years my junior, and I'd become a kind of mentor to him, showing him the ropes in this business. He was hardworking and ambitious but not cutthroat. Not yet, at least. Part of me admired his integrity, while another part scoffed at what I considered his naivete.
And then there was another part of me that imagined driving my hard cock between Rory's full, lush lips. That part was winning out today, and I felt my dick stir in my pants. It wouldn't do to leave this meeting with a raging hard-on, so I was quick to jot down a few meaningless notes and bring my attention back to the topic at hand.
"What do you think, Patrick?" Matt, the head of our team, suddenly asked me. "Do you have anything to add?"
I hadn't been listening close enough to have anything of significance to contribute, so I simply gave him my most winning smile and said, "I think you summed it up perfectly."
Matt nodded, apparently in full agreement with my praise. Then he clasped his hands together. "I guess that's it then," he told us. "We'll regroup next week, same time."
Rory fell into step beside me as we left the conference room. "That was very productive, don't you think?" he asked under his breath.
I glanced over at him, taking in his chiseled features. He had thick, wavy chestnut brown hair, and his blue eyes were now playful as he looked back at me. I was taller, but not enough to tower over him. No, it would be quite effortless to cup my hand against the back of his head and bring his mouth to mine...
I forced myself to look ahead before I had a chance to indulge that line of thought any further. "You know that much of the day-to-day minutiae of this work is bullshit," I said to Rory in a low voice. "Still, you need to keep on Matt's good side. He could make or break you."
My words quickly chased the smile from his face, and he gave me an earnest nod. I didn't enjoy being a hard-ass, so I went on to add, "Your efforts haven't gone unnoticed, Rory. I know for a fact that the higher-ups are impressed with you."
Rory looked relieved, even grateful. "I have you to thank for that," he said. "When I first started here, I was completely clueless. Without your guidance, I'm pretty sure I still would be."
I waved a dismissive hand. "I only gave you a helpful nudge now and then." Though I'd already been planning for this moment during the meeting, I made a show of looking at my watch. "It's well after five now. Want to grab dinner?"
"Absolutely!" Rory answered without hesitation. This was the first time I'd invited him to join me for a meal outside of work hours; normally I drew a firm line between my business and personal life. But Rory tempted me. Every day we worked together, I had to keep myself in check, revealing no sign of my desire for him.
And I wouldn't have wasted my time feeding that desire if I didn't have a gut feeling that Rory would be willing to oblige me, at the right time and place. Sometimes he looked at me in a way that was almost worshipful, and last week when I arrived at the office in one of my best three-piece suits, ready for a meeting with an important client, I'd noticed Rory's gaze moving over my body. There was a hunger in that stare, though he was quick to avert his eyes when I caught him ogling me.
"Let me just call Heidi really quick to tell her I'll be late coming home," Rory went on now, holding up his phone.
Ah yes, his wife Heidi. I'd met her at a social function the office held several months ago, soon after Rory was hired. She was a tiny young woman; I guessed she was just shy of five feet tall. I thought she was pretty enough, with a heart-shaped face and large brown eyes that were a shade lighter than her hair. But throughout that evening, she'd stayed close to Rory's side, seeming nervous even as my wife, Eve, tried to draw her into conversation. Heidi's demeanor was the exact opposite of Rory's, for he was gregarious and friendly, skilled at making small talk.
"Give Heidi my regards," I told Rory as we reached my office. "I'll be waiting for you here."
"Sounds great." Rory didn't try to keep the eagerness from his voice, and I worked to suppress my grin. "I'll just be a sec," he added, as if he thought I might grow impatient and leave without him if he took too long.
Once he'd gone to his own office, I headed to the restroom to take a piss. While washing Şerifali Escort my hands, I examined my reflection in the mirror, trying to see myself as Rory did. I knew I was good-looking, but time was catching up with me. My face wasn't as youthful, yet I figured I didn't need to worry about that. I could aim for the distinguished look as I grew older. My blond hair hid the few strands of gray that had begun to appear, and like Rory, I got up early almost every day to work out, so my body was lean and muscular. But Eve said my eyes, which she described as piercing blue, were my best feature. "Those eyes," she once told me, when there was still some affection remaining between us, "can get you anything you want."
I was counting on that tonight.
When I returned to my office, Rory was waiting just outside for me, and as our eyes met, he smiled. "I'm all set," he said. "Do you need to call Eve?"
"She's out of town, won't be back till late Sunday," I informed him. My wife's absence had certainly factored into my planning, and I'd decided that now was the most opportune time for me to make a move on Rory. "Why don't I drive us to the restaurant, and I'll bring you back here later?"
"Are you sure?" Rory asked. "I don't want to put you out."
"It's no trouble."
As we left the office and made our way to my car, a breeze ruffled Rory's hair. I loved watching the man walk; he had a perfect stride, confident but not cocky. The early spring evening was unseasonably warm, and we shed our suit coats, draping them across the back seat of the car.
During the drive to the restaurant, Rory was eager to talk, mostly about work. I remembered having that kind of passion for the job, a sheer enthusiasm that made up for a lack of experience. When I drew to a stop at a red light, I took a moment to turn to him with a smile.
"What is it?" he asked, laughing a little under my scrutiny.
I held his stare for a few seconds longer, and my smile widened. "Nothing."
His expression held a shadow of uncertainty. "Sorry if I'm going on and on," he hurried to tell me, and I felt a twinge of guilt for throwing him off balance.
"You're not," I assured him, though he most definitely was. "I'm enjoying the conversation."
The relief was evident in Rory's face, but he made a point to ask me questions from then on. "How's Eve doing?" he asked.
"Hell if I know," I muttered before I could stop myself. Traffic began moving again, but a glance at Rory revealed his surprise at my remark. "Things have been... less than great between us for a while now."
"Sorry to hear that," he said quietly. I could sense that he was curious, but he didn't want to pry.
"She doesn't like me working so much," I explained.
"Ah, I see." Rory turned a little in the seat to face me. "You two have been married... what, ten years?"
I was impressed that he remembered a detail I'd once mentioned to him only as an aside. "Yep, and while I worked just as much ten years ago, she was fine with it at the start of our marriage. Or at least she told me she was. But things change, I guess."
Eve came from money, and while she kept busy running local charitable organizations, she'd never needed to work a day in her life. She didn't understand why I wasn't willing to be a kept man, content to let her pay for everything and control every aspect of my existence.
I noticed that Rory's expression had darkened a bit, and I wondered if he was contemplating the state of his own marriage. Though I was more than a little curious, I figured he might be willing to open up to me over dinner. I'd chosen a fine restaurant, with a subdued and somewhat formal atmosphere. When I pulled into the lot, I found that it was a little crowded but not packed. No need for reservations this early on a Thursday evening.
"I've never been here before," Rory remarked.
"It's a good place to bring clients." As we got out of the car, I heard Rory's phone chime, and he glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing. "Everything okay?" I asked him.
Rory gave me a chagrined smile. "Heidi just wants to know what time I might be home tonight," he confessed. "I thought we covered this when I called her."
I dared to draw closer to him, then inclined my head as if I were sharing a secret. "Well, how late you stay out tonight is completely up to you, isn't it?" I murmured.
His eyes widened a little, and I knew I'd caught him off guard yet again, but he hurriedly nodded. He tapped out a response on his phone and didn't hesitate to send it. "I told her I'd let her know when I'm ready to head home."
I nodded, not bothering to hide that I was pleased with him for finally growing a pair when it came to his wife. When we stepped inside the restaurant, I requested a table at the back, away from the other patrons. I hoped the privacy would make Rory more at ease.
The setting was almost romantic, with soft ambient lighting and flickering candlelight Şerifali Escort Bayan at each table. I used to bring Eve here a lot, when we still wanted to spend time together. I remembered the evening she wore a dress with a plunging neckline, her red hair swept back from her face. My wife had turned plenty of heads that night, and though she was older now, she still attracted plenty of attention.
A waiter approached our table, and I looked at Rory expectantly. "I could use a drink," I told him. "How about you?"
"Yeah, sounds good," he said. After he ordered a Tom Collins, I requested a whiskey on the rocks, and when we were alone once more, he flashed me a somewhat guilty smile. "Heidi's not crazy about me drinking, so I'll have to make sure I don't overdo it."
"You mean she doesn't drink at all?" I asked.
Rory shook his head. "She comes from a religious family, and alcohol is very much frowned upon."
I raised my eyebrows. "Holy shit!" My own smile grew devious as I held his stare. "I hope I'm not corrupting you by suggesting that you have a drink with me."
"Not at all," he said with an embarrassed laugh. "I drank plenty in college, and I certainly miss having a beer at the end of the day, but I try to keep the peace, you know?"
"Oh, I hear you." Tilting my head, I narrowed my eyes a little as I regarded him. "You don't strike me as particularly religious, Rory."
He began to look uncomfortable, and I wondered if I should steer the conversation in a different direction. Before I could, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "I'm not, actually, and that's been the cause of some... conflict between me and Heidi. I guess she figured that after we'd been married for a while, I'd come around to her way of thinking, but..." He let the sentence trail off into silence.
The last thing I wanted was for him to be guarded and tense around me, so I made an effort to reassure him. "You two haven't been married all that long; some things tend to work themselves out over time."
"But you and Eve haven't worked out the issue she has with your job," Rory pointed out, and almost immediately he blanched at his words. "Shit, I'm sorry, Patrick. I didn't mean..."
"No, you're right," I said. "Some issues prove to be unresolvable. But maybe you and Heidi will have better luck in that regard." I didn't bother to tell him how resentment was so fucking caustic, eating away at the foundation of a marriage over the years. I had a feeling he would find out soon enough.
The waiter returned with our drinks, and I decided to order a steak, rare. Rory did the same, and only after the waiter collected our menus and walked away did my colleague pick up his drink and bring it to his lips. Upon taking that first sip, he actually closed his eyes in pleasure. "God, I really did need this," he told me. "I appreciate you inviting me out for dinner."
I smiled and took a sip of whiskey. The knowledge that Rory rarely if ever drank was helpful; I was already planning the moment when I would order another Tom Collins for him. My goal was to get him nice and relaxed but not falling-down drunk.
I let our conversation drift back toward work, a safe topic for the both of us. When Rory finished his drink, he looked down at the empty glass with an expression akin to surprise. I signaled to the waiter and quickly ordered another.
"Oh, I shouldn't," Rory said.
"Relax. I'll drive you home if necessary," I told him. "Just enjoy yourself for once."
His shoulders visibly loosened a little, and it was then I knew I had him. Still he muttered, "Heidi would have a fit if you were to take me home."
I set my jaw in a firm line. "Heidi needs to understand that in this line of business, you'll occasionally need to go to dinner after hours. You'll need to socialize and network."
Rory swallowed hard and looked down at the table, but he nodded in agreement. "You're right. I'm going to have to talk to her." When the waiter appeared at our table and placed the drink before Rory, he picked it up without hesitation.
Again I brought the topic of discussion back to neutral territory, not allowing things to get too intense. It was only after our meals had arrived and I was working on a second whiskey that Rory leaned toward me a little, lowering his voice even more. "You mentioned that things haven't been great between you and Eve. Do you think..." He seemed to struggle to find the right words. "Do you think you'll stay together?" I considered his question for several moments, and my silence unnerved him. "Jesus, I don't know what's wrong with me," he hurried on. "That's none of my business; forget I asked."
"We'll probably stay together," I said. "Out of convenience more than anything else." I normally wouldn't have divulged this kind of intimate information about my marriage, but I needed Rory to trust me, and in order to accomplish that, I had to appear somewhat vulnerable. He had to know he wasn't Escort Şerifali the only one in an unhappy relationship. "In many ways, Eve and I work well together," I continued. "But the constant power struggle is destroying us." I brought my glass to my lips but didn't take a drink as I thought about my wife. "I think she's fucking her personal trainer." Rory's eyes widened in shock, and I couldn't hold back a bitter laugh. "She's a walking, talking stereotype at this point. Unsatisfied older woman, lusting after a younger man..."
"Heidi wants to start a family," Rory blurted out. "Like, right now. That's another reason we're struggling so much. I told her I need to focus on my career, that we have plenty of time, but she's obsessed."
So there it was, I thought. The rift between Rory and his wife that would only grow wider. Our table in that restaurant had taken on the air of a confessional, and now that we'd shared some of our deepest secrets, I could start chipping away at Rory's self-control.
"Forgive me for saying this, Rory, but you two seem completely incompatible," I told him. "How on earth did you decide to marry this woman?"
He looked crestfallen at my words, and I worried I'd been too blunt and that he would clam up. But he merely shook his head, as if he shared my bewilderment. "It was different when we were dating," he said quietly. "She was more easygoing and spontaneous."
"So she was adventurous in bed, at least?" I dared to ask before taking a bite of my steak.
Rory began laughing even as he blushed. "You're not gonna believe this, but she wanted to save herself for marriage."
"Bullshit!" I cried, then quickly lowered my voice. "You mean she actually made you wait till your wedding night to fuck her?"
Rory downed the rest of his drink. "She did," he admitted. "And part of me was honored that she chose me to be her first, but..."
"But?" I was dying to hear the rest of that sentence.
"But now that I'm putting the brakes on knocking her up right away, she's withholding sex altogether, and I'm going out of my fucking mind." His voice was close to a growl, and I could sense the frustration coming off of him in waves.
I beckoned the waiter over so I could order one more drink for Rory, and this time he didn't protest. We didn't speak for a brief period, focused on finishing our meal, but once the table had been cleared and we were both sipping our drinks, I decided it was time to discover just what the evening might hold in store for us.
"Sometimes I think I should have avoided women altogether and continued fucking men exclusively," I said, keeping my tone completely nonchalant.
Rory almost spat out his drink, and he began violently coughing as he set the glass down on the table. It took all my effort to hold back a grin.
"You okay?" I asked, taking the opportunity to reach across the table and place my hand on his forearm. I noticed he didn't pull away.
"Sorry," Rory apologized to me, and then to the waiter who came to check on us. Glancing up at the waiter, I knew the man must have figured out by now that this was no longer simply a dinner between two colleagues, but he remained completely unfazed while making sure everything was alright. "I'm fine," Rory assured him.
After the waiter headed toward the front of the restaurant, Rory fixed his astonished stare on me. "So wait, you're saying you're..."
"Bisexual? Yes," I answered. All the while I understood I was taking a risk by confiding in him. I doubted he would betray me even if he chose to rebuff my advances, but it would be far better if he admitted an attraction to me as well.
He gaped at me, truly speechless. Finally he managed, "I had no idea."
"Well, I certainly don't go around advertising it," I said with a smile. "And to be honest, I've had only a few male partners." That wasn't a lie. I'd slept with a good friend of mine while we were both in college, but I had chalked it up to experimentation. When I was in my mid-twenties, I had a brief but intense relationship with an older man, and I credited him for making me accept the fact that I was attracted to both men and women.
Then there was the husband of one of Eve's friends; our first illicit encounter had taken place when we managed to sneak away during a holiday party. It had happened after Eve and I had stopped fucking, when I felt as sexually frustrated as Rory did now. I continued to see this man on occasion, when both our schedules permitted it.
Now as my stare held Rory's, I raised an eyebrow. "So you've never considered playing for the other team? Not even once?" I asked.
Rory averted his eyes. His face was flushed, and I watched with mild amusement as he tugged at the collar of his shirt. "Um, I fooled around with a guy in college. Once," he quickly added.
I didn't press him for details. Instead I asked, "Did you enjoy it?"
He still wouldn't look at me. "I mean... yeah," he said, sounding reluctant to admit it. "But it was just a one-time thing. I had a girlfriend at the time, and I haven't been interested in any other guy since then."
I made a regretful sound. "That's a shame," I told him. "If you were interested in me, I think you and I could have a lot of fun in bed."