Sense of Place

by N. R. Walker

  He followed me into the bathroom and as I threw the used condom in the trash, he slapped my ass. “I hate it when you’re responsible.”

  “I love it when you’re horny,” I said. I turned the taps on in the shower, and pointed to the water. “Now get in. I’ll make sure you’re all clean.”

  He stepped up close to me. “You’d better be thorough.”

  I pecked his lips. “Just do as you’re told, Jones.”

  He raised an eyebrow at me. “Bossy in the bedroom, I’ll take any day. Bossy out of the bedroom, not so much.”

  I laughed. “You’re the bossiest person I know.”

  “And you love it,” he replied, stepping in under the streams of water.

  “Is there any point in me arguing that?” I asked, stepping in behind him.

  His answer was short and sweet. “Not if you’re smart.”

  I pressed him up against the tiles and scraped my teeth against the back of his neck. “Oh, I’m smart,” I murmured.

  He moaned and his skin covered with gooseflesh, even under the hot water. “If you do that again, Tom, we’ll be ordering in dinner.”

  I smiled into the skin on his shoulder, but picked up the cake of soap and started lathering his body. I soaped him over, feeling every inch of his skin under my hands, and he soon turned around so he could kiss me.

  We made out like college kids in the shower, and still even had everything done for dinner by the time his family came back.

  And yes, Paula told us about the musical they’d just seen, while Andrew and Max rolled their eyes. I poured some wine, and as we served dinner, talk turned to the food, and I promised them that I was just the apprentice—Cooper was the one who did everything, I just did as I was told.

  “Tom very rarely does what he’s told,” Cooper said, taking a bite of his chicken.

  “Which is rather surprising, considering how bossy he is,” I replied to everyone at the table.

  Paula laughed at that. But then Cooper said, “Tom asked me to marry him.”

  I dropped my fork. “I what?”

  Despite the stunned silence at the table, Cooper rolled his eyes. “You know you have.”

  I looked at his parents. “I haven’t, not really.”

  “Well, okay,” Cooper added, “so they haven’t been a traditional proposal by any means.”

  His mother’s eyes were wide. “They? As in a few?”

  “Well, I keep saying no,” Cooper told her, as if he were talking about the wine.

  “I haven’t asked him,” I told everyone again. “He keeps telling me I have, but I’ve said no such thing.” I didn’t dare look at Andrew. He’d only just started to warm to me. I pushed my plate away, and decided that drinking wine was a much better idea.

  Max burst out laughing. “And that, boys and girls, is what we call a conversation-stopper.”

  Cooper laughed, and, more surprisingly, Andrew did too. “Good one, Grandpa,” Cooper said, which confused me even more. I was, however, one hundred per cent certain I would never understand the Joneses’ sense of humour.

  Then Cooper said, “Okay, so he hasn’t technically. I just thought I’d do a Grandpa. You know, keep the tradition alive.”

  According to legend, Cooper’s grandfather, at a family gathering once, stood up and announced he’d won a few million dollars, which he hadn’t. He just wanted to spark up conversation, see people’s reactions purely for entertainment purposes. And now, apparently, at most Jones family functions someone made some outlandish comment, just for laughs.

  “I’m guessing the sense of humour is hereditary,” I said, still preferring my wine.

  “Well, my father was a very funny man,” Andrew said. And so the conversation resumed around the table. I did notice Paula looking at Cooper a little weirdly, though he seemed oblivious, as they talked about some cousin I’d never heard of.

  Later that night, when Cooper was sound asleep beside me, and unable to sleep myself, I got up for a drink of water. Knowing Max was asleep on the sofa, I didn’t turn on any lights, and after I’d poured myself a glass of water, I noticed the door to the balcony was open.

  Thinking someone might have left it open, I stuck my head out to make sure I wasn’t locking anyone out, when I found Paula looking out over the city. I must have startled her, because she put her hand to her heart. “Jesus.”

  “Sorry,” I said softly, grateful I’d worn sleep pants and a shirt to bed. “I was just checking I didn’t lock anyone out here, or if the door was just left open.” Then I added, “I was just getting a drink.”

  “I was just enjoying the view,” she said with a smile. “It’s so quiet up here.”

  Not sure if I should, but not wanting her to think I was ignoring her, I walked out and leaned against the balcony railing, overlooking the city. “It’s really beautiful.”

  She smiled, and sighed, and for a long moment we both just stood there and admired the city lights. Paula had been a little quiet since Cooper’s marriage statement at dinner. “I’m sorry about what Cooper said about us getting married,” I offered quietly. “I haven’t asked him. Not officially. But he keeps alluding to the fact as though I have.” Paula didn’t answer me, so I added, “I just didn’t want you to think I was being misleading or that we were hiding anything, because we’re not.” She still didn’t say anything, so I thought I’d aim for funny. “He keeps telling me I’m proposing, but then turns me down, so I can’t win anyway.”

  Paula looked at me then, and smiled. But she still never said anything, and I realised I’d probably said too much.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it,” I said, taking a step towards the door. “Goodnight.”

  Before I walked back inside, she said, “He used to do that, as a kid.”

  I stopped, and looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

  Paula looked back out to the city, but said, “When he was younger, he used to do the same thing. He’d twist the story all round, as though buying him a new bike was my idea, then tell me I didn’t have to. Or the time for his birthday, he wanted a new phone or a new laptop, he’d bring it up in conversation, I’d say something about it and he’d tell me I was bad at keeping secrets about what I was getting him.”

  I chuckled quietly. “That sounds like him.”

  Then her smiled died. “It’s hard for me to watch him grow up. No matter how accomplished he is, or how successful he is, he’s still my little boy.”

  “He’ll always be your son,” I told her honestly. “He loves you very much.”

  “He loves you too,” she said, looking back out to the city before looking at me.

  “Yes, he does,” I told her simply.

  She gave me a sad smile. “He wants you to ask him to marry you.”

  I ran her words through my head a few times, and still wasn’t sure how she had come to that conclusion. “Pardon?”

  “He wants you to ask him to marry you,” she repeated. “That’s why he keeps bringing it up. That’s what he does. Whether it’s a new bike, a new phone, a computer…that’s what he does. He keeps talking about it like it’s your idea.”

  I looked back out across the neon-lit sky, so Paula wouldn’t see the surprise on my face. But then she startled me by laughing. “He told me you bought him some Prada boots. Was it your idea, or did he suggest them as though it was your idea.”

  I smiled. “It was his idea.”

  Paula smiled. “See? That’s what he does.” Then she looked back out over the New York skyline. “You don’t seem too deterred by the idea.”

  “I’m not,” I told her honestly. “But for what it’s worth, he might think he’s ready, but he’s not.”

  Paula laughed again. “Oh, Tom. You know he always gets what he wants, right? Whether he works hard for it, or simply demands it.”

  I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I guess.”

  She nodded knowingly and sighed again, looking out over the city. “For what it’s worth, Tom, I’m not opposed to it either.
I thought I would be, but I’m really not. I just want him happy, and I can see that he’s happy with you.”

  I gave her a smile. “Thank you.” I bade her goodnight, and slid into bed with Cooper. Even though he was sound asleep, I kissed the back of his head and smiled as I fell asleep.

  Chapter Ten

  We said goodbye to Cooper’s family at the airport, and he grinned the entire trip home, and for most of the afternoon. He was still buzzed about having his family here and the acceptance they seemed to show in regards to our relationship.

  I didn’t tell Cooper about the conversation I’d had with his mother. Though I had to admit, I liked knowing. I liked knowing that this man wanted to marry me, even if he didn’t know that I knew.

  I pulled out my laptop and sat at the dining table, when Cooper walked over and kissed the side of my head. “Whatcha doing?”

  “I need to catch up on work,” I explained. “I haven’t been in the office for four days.”

  “Surely they can’t be pissed at you for that,” he said.

  “I don’t care if they are,” I said honestly. “I’ve enjoyed this weekend, and I wouldn’t change it.”

  “You were amazing this weekend.”

  I smiled up at him. “I missed a lot of family stuff working so much. It’s about time I spent time on what’s really important.”

  “Well, work, then dinner, then you can do what’s really important.” Then he added, “You know I’m what’s important, don’t you? I meant that you can do me.”

  I laughed. “I got the reference, yes.”

  He leant down and nuzzled my neck. “You know, if you haven’t worked all weekend, another few hours won’t hurt.” He then rubbed my shoulders, massaging me with his fingers. “Leave it until tomorrow. We can lie on the sofa and watch some hockey or something. We’ve had the perfect weekend, don’t ruin it now with work. Let the likes of Robert Chandler ruin your day tomorrow. Spend today with me.”

  * * * *

  When I walked into my office on Monday morning, I wondered what would greet me. But Jennifer smiled, asked me all about my extended weekend, and how I had coped with Cooper’s parents. We chatted for a brief moment, she told me my coffee was on my desk, and it was business as usual.

  But then at three o’clock, Jennifer knocked quietly and let herself into my office. “Robert wants to see us both,” she said in a hushed tone.

  “When?”

  She looked at the clock on the wall. “Now.”

  Well, shit. I closed the file on my desk then Jennifer and I walked the short distance to Robert’s office. His receptionist buzzed us through, but before we got to the door, I stopped us. “Jennifer, whatever he says, it doesn’t matter. It will all be okay.”

  And with that, we walked inside.

  Robert sat smugly at his desk, and Peter Sleiman and Donald Croft sat at the side of the desk. As surprised as I was to see them, I gave them a smile and said, “Good afternoon,” as Jennifer and I both sat down across from Robert.

  They both nodded, but it was Robert who spoke.

  “I have asked Peter and Donald to sit in on this meeting, because I believe some interesting developments have come to light.”

  He then licked his fingers, like the uncouth slob he was, and turned the first page of the file in front of him. I recognised it immediately. It was Cooper’s approval for the Baurhenn job.

  I looked at Robert curiously. “How are those plans relevant to anything here?”

  Robert smiled at me, but then looked at Jennifer. “Jennifer, I need to remind you that you’re here in an official capacity, and what you say will be taken seriously.” He looked back down to the file in front of him. “Did you request the job files from archives for the 1994 Graham’s Corporation job Mr Elkin did here in Riverdale District?”

  “I retrieve a lot of files for Mr Elkin,” Jennifer told him.

  “These Brackett and Golding plans were used by Mr Elkin for personal reasons. He shared these plans and specifications with a Mr Cooper Jones, who then went on to win the contract to build for the Baurhenn Group. I wouldn’t have known this, only the plans that Mr Jones submitted for approval have a distinctively similar façade—elements that have Tom Elkin written all over them.”

  “I wouldn’t remember specific files,” Jennifer said. “Though if you have archives records of the request, then you already know.”

  He smiled again. “Yes, you’re quite right.”

  I sighed. “Those plans are available at the City Library. Hell, they’re probably online. You’d only have to drive down the damn street to see the façade, Robert. Any architect knows the city has design clauses and restrictions because it’s pre-1940 with the Preservation Committee, and anyone with half a brain would know that what was approved by city planners less than ten years ago would be approved again.” I shook my head at him. “You’re really clutching at straws this time, Robert.”

  Robert ignored me completely, and again turned to Jennifer. “Jennifer, were you aware that Brackett and Golding also filed submissions for the Baurhenn job? And that in fact helping another firm win a contract is a breach of policy?”

  “Oh, enough, Robert,” I said flatly. “For fuck’s sake, that’s enough. If you have something against me, if you’re that damn homophobic, you speak to me, not Jennifer.”

  “Tom, it’s fine,” Jennifer started to say.

  “No it’s not,” I answered. “It’s far from fine. He wants to get rid of me, and is using you as bait, and that’s far from fine.”

  Robert was still smiling, as though it was just the reaction he was after. “Tom, it’s also been brought to our attention that you may have used the Brackett and Golding contracts you’ve completed to purchase real estate in districts you knew were undergoing development.”

  I think my mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious. You taught me how to do that, Robert, remember? When I worked with you when I first started here, you told me it was a smart financial decision to follow developmental trends.”

  “No, I never,” he lied outright. Then he changed the subject again, swiftly putting the emphasis back on me. “And then there’s the little problem of you…and your intern.”

  “Oh, that’s enough, Robert. Enough.” I shook my head. “I’m not even going to justify that with an answer. The problem here is that I’m gay, but of course you can’t say that trying to fire me, can you?”

  “The problem is with your work ethic and bringing this company into disrepute.”

  I laughed at that. “I’m done.” I stood up. “I’m so fucking done here.”

  Jennifer stood up beside me. “You’re what?”

  “I’m done. I quit. Hereby tender my resignation, citing Robert as a homophobic asshole and I’m better off somewhere else that doesn’t confine creativity and expressionism.”

  Jennifer shook her head. She didn’t say anything, but she looked worried, scared even.

  I put my hand on her arm. “I know you don’t want to work for anyone else. But this way you don’t have to. You can come work for me.”

  Then I turned back to the other two men seated at the table. “I’ve done nothing wrong, but I won’t stand for this. You can have my termination papers drawn up and forwarded to my lawyer.”

  Jennifer stood beside me and looked to the other men sitting with Robert. “Gentlemen, Robert’s already familiar with his legal firm, he can give you those details. In case he’s forgotten, it’s the same lawyers who took care of a little problem for Robert about fifteen years ago when he got his intern pregnant. You remember that, don’t you, Robert?”

  Robert’s face went red, his eyes bugged out and he sputtered something unintelligible. I couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter that escaped me. This was news to me.

  Jennifer folded her arms. “Did you forget I’ve been here as long as you, Robert? I’ve seen every single thing that’s gone on in this office for the past sixteen years, including your indiscretions with numerous young female staff. More
recently, how you’ve snooped for information on Tom, trying to ruin his career for your own satisfaction, how you’ve intimidated staff to try to leach details. I’ve seen it all, and you’ll do well to remember that.” Jennifer sniffed, and raised her chin and spoke to Peter and Donald. “I’ll be happy to testify to anything I’ve just said. But you can finalize my papers and entitlements and forward them with Tom’s papers to his lawyer.”

  I looked back at Robert, who was now looking a little pale. “You, Robert, are a disgrace to this firm.” And with that, Jennifer and I walked out of his office. We packed up our belongings, to a hushed disbelief across the entire office floor.

  And with a strangely enlightened feeling, we walked out of Brackett and Golding for the last time.

  * * * *

  I heard the familiar sound of keys at the front door, and I laughed. “Cooper’s home,” I said, and Jennifer started to giggle.

  Cooper walked in, and stopped when he saw Jennifer was in our living room, sitting with me on the sofa. We were both grinning like idiots so he smiled cautiously at us. Then he saw the two empty bottles of wine, and the half-empty third, and looked at me. “Celebrating something?”

  “Kind of,” I said, and Jennifer giggled again.

  “We’re unemployed,” she added cheerfully.

  Cooper dropped his satchel along with his jaw. “You’re what?”

  “I prefer the term ‘newly self-employed’,” I amended.

  Jennifer laughed again, and Cooper sat down next to me, ignoring our drunken merriment. “Tom, what the hell happened?” he asked. “Did something happen with Robert?”

  “Well, yes,” I said. “He called Jennifer and I in for a meeting with Peter and Donald and threw accusations at me. First, that I’d helped you secure the Baurhenn contract because it ‘looked like my work’. Which I told him was bullshit. Then he accused me of profiting personally by using Brackett and Golding information to purchase real estate in areas about to be developed. Which is kind of true, but it’s not illegal and anyone with half a brain and the financial backing can do it. But then,” I continued, “then he tried to blame Jennifer, and I drew the line.”