CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
HANK
Elliot wakes me with coffee and yogurt in bed, and we cuddle together in the peaceful morning while I wake up.
I’m proud of him. It’s up to his parents now to decide how to move forward, and whatever happens, I know this isn’t the end of the work for Elliot. But he’s taken an important step, and it’s a step forward for our relationship, too.
I’m falling in love with this man. He’s sweet and surprising, and when I’m with him, life feels full of possibility. Even a quiet evening at home becomes richer, filled with affection and care.
Elliot and I are good for each other. My reasoning is catching up with what my heart knows. I want this relationship, and I want him.
“Are you working here today?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“I need to get home to check out some kaiju reference materials. The client likes them tied up to skyscrapers with rope bondage. Every illustration is a technical challenge.”
We make plans to call each other in the evening, and I drag myself out of bed and into the shower. I’m feeling productive today, and I manage to get out of the door early enough to brave a walk to work.
Some passing eyes linger, people clearly recognizing me, but I do my best to ignore it, gaze in the distance and sunshine on my face.
The attention will slowly fade. The situation at work, however, is going to remain complicated. Whether Elliot has a good relationship, a bad one, or no relationship at all with his parents, any scenario will complicate my life at the firm.
With threats to my job security lingering, I’ve started to consider my options. I’ve built myself a fantastic career here and invested in the firm. Any moves will result in a significant pay cut, not to mention the near impossibility of finding employment without the support of my former bosses.
And sleeping with my boss’s younger son will hardly earn me a glowing recommendation. If anything, Darryl Peterson will warn the rest of the accounting world that I’m a creep, too.
No matter how many times I review the conundrum, I still can’t find a graceful way through it.
As I sit at my desk and review my email, I see the weekly roundup from the regional accounting professionals association.
There’s a feature article on the last page that makes me positively wistful. It’s written by the head of data management and accounting for the regional office of the National Parks Service, a woman who also run the professional association. As she approaches her retirement next year, she reminisces on a long and satisfying career, including the accounting of a native plant nursery and data management for ongoing research and studies at the Parks Service.
By staying at my organization for decades, I’ve managed to build an efficient, precise system that benefits the Parks Service and the public good.
It’s the kind of goal I always hoped to accomplish myself, but the opportunity may be slipping away.
It’s time for the first meeting, so I grab my folder and head down the corridor.
Another busy morning has me going between video calls and conference rooms. Tired, I hustle back to my office when it’s lunch time, and find Angie waiting for me.
Quickly, I shut the door. “Is everything okay?”
She frowns. “You didn’t see?” She hands me her phone. “Elliot’s in the news again.”
My stomach sinks. Angie has her Reddit open, and it’s flooded with stories about Elliot’s illustrations, his name now linked publicly with his work. Apparently, a reporter reached out to him pretending to be a new client with a big gig, and managed to get enough information to blow Elliot’s cover.
“Damn it,” I curse under my breath. He didn’t want this. And it’s the worst time.
“Have you talked to him?”
“This is my first minute out of a meeting.” I go to my phone, which I left on my desk earlier today, and see some messages.
Elliot: hank, i have bad news
Elliot: sorry, i shouldn’t have bothered you at work. it can wait
Elliot: shit. maybe it can’t wait. my dad wants me to come in to the office
I blink at the phone. “Mr. Peterson is asking Elliot to come in to the office.”
