The atmosphere up on this floor was different, more sombre than the floor the PAs were allocated. On this floor, there were just the sounds of keyboards tapping and the distant noise of phones ringing, which were comforting to Bowie. It was the sounds of life in a place he’d discovered he wasn’t alone. This corridor held all the brothers' offices, and though he knew all the personal secretaries, he couldn’t say they were his friends like the PAs he worked alongside.
He eyed the open door at the end of the corridor, which he knew was Kari’s office. A familiar voice carried through the opening.
Kodi was loud, and Bowie was grateful it wasn’t Kodi he’d gotten with how he was always so over the top. It seemed he acted that way, with the shouty behavior when things didn’t go his way.
Bowie hated when folks shouted, it made his belly quiver unpleasantly and made him want to go find his bear to hold. As it was at home—he’d never be brave enough to bring it to work—he opted to rub his fingers back and forth over the soft piece of material inside his slacks pocket.
He heard his name, and he came to a halt. Memories of other times he’d heard folks talking about him made bile rise in the back of his throat as he listened outside the door, color draining from his face.
“Aren’t you a little pissed to have gotten allocated Bowie?”
There was a pause, then Kari answered, “Why would I be pissed about that?As I said, we got those interested in the area of the company we manage.”
Bowie’s lips trembled at how he couldn’t make out if Kari was, in fact, happy or not when Kodi continued, “You got Bowie bro, the one who is always a step behind, fucksake he’ll be more of a burden.”
He didn’t wait to hear what Kari’s response was. Spinning around, he ran back to the elevator, grateful the doors opened immediately when he pressed the button. Inside a second later, he sagged against the wall, sucking in a breath and holding it, hoping it would prevent the tears from falling.
Once, someone had told him that those who listen at doorways never hear good about themselves. Bowie hadn’t really gotten it. How did they know that was the moment someone was gonna talk about them? It was confusing right until then, when he was sure that Kodi didn’t know he was in the corridor. The achy feeling in his chest was proof of that. Kodi’s words slapped at him, making him feel small.
He sucked back a sob when the elevator doors opened back on the floor where his office was. Bowie didn’t hesitate and walked straight to Frey’s door. The little fox had befriended him on hisvery first day. He was everything Bowie wished to be. Confident, sassy and pretty.
He tapped at the door and heard Frey call out so he slipped inside and shut the door behind him, not wanting anyone to hear him confess he wasn’t wanted.
“You busy?” asked Bowie, praying that Frey would say no.
Frey gave him a scrutinizing look and, a moment later, pushed the piece of pie that was next to his elbow toward Bowie. “You look like you need this.”
That was Frey all over, caring and able to pick up Bowie’s mood without him having to say a word. As he stepped forwards, his sneakers caught on the rug, lurching him forward. The wide-eyed look Frey had as he jumped up and grabbed hold of Bowie’s arm would have been comical if he weren’t so upset.
“Bowie,” Frey exclaimed, looking a little paler than he had a moment before.
“Sorry,” Bowie mumbled, choking back the tears, wanting to fall at the genuine concern Frey was displaying towards him.
“It’s okay,” Frey assured, even when he still sounded stressed
Bowie went with Frey when he tugged him down into the empty seat, shoving the plate into his hands, minus the fork. “Want to tell me what’s got you upset?”
Frey perched his ass on the corner of his desk.
Bowie felt the weight of his stare as he kept his on the plate he held. He shrugged his wide shoulders. Then, unable to stop himself when he needed to talk, he peeked up at Frey from under his eyelashes.
“I heard Kari and Kodi talking…” He struggled to finish because he’d been listening outside a door and that was bad.
“Were they talking about us? Who Hollis assigned them?”
A loud sniff and nod were Bowie’s answer, the tears getting harder to hold back.
Frey sighed and came off the desk, wrapping his arms as best as he could around Bowie’s broad shoulders, avoiding the plate he clung on to. “What did they say?”
Tension crept through him, and he stiffened in Frey’s arms, willing himself not to lose it. “Kodi said he felt sorry for Kari getting the dumb one.”
Frey jerked back, nearly knocking the plate out of Bowie’s hand. His eyes said exactly how pissed he was, even before he screeched, “He said that!”
“Sort of,” Bowie mumbled, picking up the pie and taking a huge bite, trying to eat his upset. It hadn’t worked in the past, but it didn’t stop him from trying.
Bowie saw how Frey’s eyes narrowed on him, but he asked softly, “Either he said it, or he didn’t?”
“He said I was always a step behind everyone,” he mumbled around the mouthful of pie, hating that it was true. He swallowed the mouthful and continued, “That makes me dumb.”
