The Contract

by D. C. Hall

  “What are we talking about?” Williams ran his hands over Nathan's thighs before cupping his ass. His eyes were half lidded as he looked up at the other man.

  “What do you think about camping?” Nathan asked. The soft look on Williams's face was replaced with confusion.

  “I've never been.” He responded. “Why?”

  “There's a meteor shower coming up soon. I thought you might like spend a weekend with me where my family used to go camping.” His cheeks were red as he asked. “Well, it wouldn't really be camping. I’d rent one of the cabins for us.”

  “You wouldn't rather go with your family?” Williams asked. Nathan's eyes darted away, and the color in his cheeks got brighter. He looked like he’d been caught in the act of something. Williams kept his comment about Nathan being flustered to himself.

  “Well, I mean… I'm sure they'd like it, but I thought that since we… I mean we haven't… we have…” his stomach felt like it was doing flips. What was wrong with him? A tug at his tie made him stop.

  “I'd love to go with you.” Williams said. He pulled his tie gently until he was close enough to give a quick peck on the lips. Nathan started to calm back down, but he still didn't understand why he had gotten so flustered. He laid his head in the crook of the other man's neck and felt Williams's arms around his waist. He sighed and closed his eyes. It felt good to be in his arms.

  Williams let one hand leave his waist to brush through Nathan's hair before kissing his temple. Nathan snuggled a little closer. It made Williams's chest tingle. He had been planning to go back to his book, but that didn't seem so important now.

  ***

  Williams heart was racing. He was going to give a speech in front of his workers. He had never even talked to them before. How was he supposed to make an announcement. Nathan had held his hand in the car on the way there. The stress coming from the rich man was palpable. Now, they were standing in the middle of a mass of people in the factory. Williams was almost shaking from the attention placed on him. Nathan stood next to him like a hired guard. His cold look was back.

  “I’m sure you've all been wondering what would happen since my father passed.” Williams started.

  “A little louder,” Nathan whispered. The comment was meant to help Williams, but it just sent a slight panic through him. He wasn’t good enough. Why was he doing this?

  “I know I haven't been the most hands on boss so far, but I want that to change.” His voice cracked at the end. No one really noticed, but he felt like he was about to have a panic attack. His hands shook at his sides, and his chest tightened. He looked over to Nathan and whispered, “help me.” There was a flash of softness over his face before he was back to the cold accountant. He stepped forward and cleared his throat.

  “What our boss is saying is that he's been reviewing what his father has left behind. Williams has come to the decision to give you all a raise.” That got a few murmurs in the crowd. “In exchange for the raise, all he asks is that if he comes in to learn about our products, that you be patient and teach him. Thank you.” He finished. It was short and to the point. After a moment, the crowd dispersed and went back to work.

  Nathan and Williams went back to the car. They were about to leave for the weekend. Nathan was about to put the car into gear but stopped when he looked at Williams. He was breathing heavy and looked uncomfortable.

  “Are you okay?” Nathan asked. Williams shook his head.

  “I couldn't even make a speech.”

  “It's okay. Most people aren't good at public speaking.” He took his hand and squeezed it.

  “My father was great at it.”

  “You’re not him.”

  “You’re right. I’m not him. I won’t ever be him. And I won’t ever be able to accomplish what he did.” He was fully panicking now. “He didn’t have to mess up the business to make me fail. I’m going to do it on my own.”

  “Williams.” Nathan said to no avail.

  “I should have sold the place, but that would be like saying I hated my father.”

  “Williams!” It was no use.

  “What if I did hate him? He hated me. He made sure to say it. He just didn’t get rid of me because he didn’t want the bad publicity.”

  “Eugene! Look at me for Christ’s sake.” He grabbed the front of Williams’s shirt and pulled him around. He finally had his attention. “You can do this. You may not be good at speeches, but you have other skills. You’ve been learning for the past couple of months. And you’re going to keep learning.”

  “But I-“

  “No but nothing. You are a talented individual, and if you want to do this, you can. You can learn to do anything you set your mind to. Do you understand me?”

  “…Yeah,” he answered quietly. He had calmed down a bit, but he still felt horrible. He felt Nathan lift his chin gently to meet his eyes.

  “Now, I want you to look me in the eyes and repeat after me, okay?” Nathan said his gaze was intense but comforting.

  “Yes,” Williams responded. The fingers left his chin and moved down to clutch his hand.

  “I can do this.” Nathan said firmly. Williams stayed silent for a long time before responding meekly.

  “I can do this.”

  “Good. Say it again.” Williams sighed, but Nathan wasn’t going to let up.

  “I can do this.” He didn’t know why this was making him feel better.

  “One more time.”

  “I can do this.” The words came easier. Nathan smiled and kissed his forehead.

  “Feel better?”

  “Yeah,” he answered. Nathan seemed content. He finally put the car into gear, and they were off. “Thank you.”

  Where they were going was two hours away. Nothing eventful happened the first hour, just idle conversation. Nathan was a bit worried when he saw the caller id pop up on his car. Why was his mother calling him? He pressed the answer button.

  “Hi, mom.” Nathan said. Williams stayed quiet in the passenger seat.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” she answered. Williams thought she sounded like a nice woman.

  “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing.” Nathan knew there was something. “I just wanted to call and check up on you. You know, how’s the new job?”

  “You mean the job that I’ve had for six months?”

  “Yeah, that one.”

  “Mom, what are you really trying to find out?” Nathan questioned. Williams thought it was an odd interaction. There was a sigh from the other end.

  “Fine, are you sleeping with him?” she asked. Nathan went red in the face. Williams wasn’t sure if it was out of anger or embarrassment.

  “I’m gonna kill my brother.” Nathan said.

  “Well, don’t do it before Thanksgiving. I want to have dinner with everyone in the new house.”

  “No, promises.”

  “If you’d like to bring your boss, he’s more than welcomed.”

  “Mom, it’s June. Why are you even thinking about Thanksgiving?” Nathan asked. Why was she trying to invite Williams?

  “It’s never too early. Besides, I thought it might give you time to figure out your relationship.”

  “Its just casual.”

  “Whatever you say, sweetheart.” She responded. Nathan gave a loud sigh. “I just want to make sure that you aren’t going to get hurt.”

  “I’m not going to get hurt.”

  “And don’t hurt him either. It’s a two way street, Nathan.” He paused for a moment, glancing at the other man from the corner of his eye.

  “I won’t.”

  “Good, I’ll talk to you later. I’m guessing you’ll be calling Brad after this.”

  “Oh yeah, he’s getting an earful.”

  “Love you.”

  “Love you too. Bye, mom.” The call ended. “I should have known he couldn’t keep his mouth shut.”

  “Was she serious?” Williams asked. Nathan glanced over with a confused look.

  “About what
part?”

  “D-did your mother just invite me to Thanksgiving?” he asked, bewildered at the situation.

  “Yeah. I guarantee that if you want to go, she’ll try to figure out what your favorite dessert is and cook it.” Nathan responded. Williams had a different question forming.

  “Would you actually let me go with you?” he asked. Nathan stared at the road for a long moment with a furrowed brow.

  “I guess I would. I don’t see what the harm would be. They all already know that we’ve been sleeping together. You’ve already met my brother.”

  “What about everybody else? Would they not be mad?”

  “Not really. You’d probably get along with mom. She’s real artsy too. Dad would just say something along the lines of 'this isn’t what I meant when I said if you can’t beat em, fuck em.’ I really don’t think my sister would care at all.” There was another pause. “Would you want to go?”

  “No, I couldn’t do that. I would make dinner awkward.” He looked over when Nathan laughed. “What?”

  “It wouldn’t be awkward. Trust me. They’d see you as fresh meat.”

  “…Huh?” Williams was genuinely concerned by that comment.

  “We play games every year and do stupid stuff. They’d enjoy getting someone new in on it.”

  “Oh… Your family sounds completely different than mine.”

  “You never really mention them.”

  “There are reasons for that.”

  “That bad?” Nathan knew he shouldn’t have asked, but he did it anyway. Williams took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.

  “Well, I have an aunt that I haven’t seen in years who is completely apathetic to everything. You’ve heard some things about my dad. And my mother is somewhere right now probably sipping wine and wondering why the sunset looks so distasteful.”

  “What’s wrong with a sunset?” Nathan questioned. Williams shrugged.

  “I’ve never figured it out. But that’s enough about them. This is supposed to be a fun trip.” Williams said. Nathan looked like he was contemplating something.

  “Maybe you should meet my family, even if it isn’t a holiday. It sounds like you could use a different perspective from a familial stand point.” Nathan stated. He knew that he had Gertrude and Theodore, but they also worked for him. It might be best to get a new perspective.

  “What are they like?”

  “They’re a little hectic. They’re all concerned with making something. Dad loves to write. Mom paints. My brother wants to start his own business, and my sister wants to paint nails. By the way, it’s tradition at Thanksgiving, she paints everyone’s nails. If you go, there is no avoiding it. You just better have a color or two picked out.”

  “And you went with being an accountant?” Williams asked. Nathan frowned.

  “You don’t have to say it like that.”

  “That’s not how I meant it.” He leaned forward and put his hand on the other man’s thigh. “I just mean that you picked something so practical.”

  “I like numbers. And I’m good at it.” He felt a soft squeeze on his thigh. “Besides, in a family full of artists and dreamers, somebody has to do what practical, right?”

  “If it’s what you want.”

  “It is.” Nathan said. “I mean, I might could use a hobby, but I’m happy with my job.” There was a long silence between them. “I was supposed to be calling my brother to cuss him out.”

  “Have fun,” Williams said with a chuckle.

  “We’re almost there. It can wait.” Nathan stated. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be doing it later. He had every intention of following through. It was fifteen more minutes before they came to a spot to turn. Williams wasn’t going to say it, but this was the first time he’d been out of the city. So, wooded areas were completely foreign to him. They traveled on the path into the trees further and further.

  Williams shoved the idea out of his mind that if this had been a book he was reading, it would have been the start to a horror. He knew Nathan wouldn’t consider killing him. They had a pretty good relationship. Whatever their relationship was. He was brought back out of his head when he saw a few squirrels running along the branches.

  “What do you think?” Nathan asked. They had pulled up in front of a small cabin. There was a fire pit, a few chairs, and a hammock out front. Williams just observed it for a moment.

  “It looks cozy.” He said.

  “It is.” Nathan said, hopping out of the car. Williams followed close behind. “I’ll get out suitcases in a minute. I want you to look around.” He was clearly excited. He grabbed the other man’s hand and pulled him up the stone walkway. Once to the door, he fished the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. The way Nathan opened the door and walked inside made Williams feel like the man was coming home.

  The place gave off a calm vibe to Williams. He’d never really been in a home this small. It was nice. The mansion was great, but with how large it was, it could feel cold and foreign at times. He glanced over to see Nathan looking at him expectantly with a smile.

  “It seems very peaceful.” He said, ignoring the feeling he had in his chest. It happened sometimes when Nathan smiled like that. He blamed it on the fact that he hadn’t been showed much warmth in his life. He never imagined he would get that from Nathan when they had first met.

  “You should see it in the winter. We used to come out here when it would snow. It’s nice to just curl up next to the fireplace and relax.”

  “I bet it would be.” He watched Nathan move over to the fire place and brush away some of the dust.

  “When I was little, I used to think I was going to get a lot of money and buy this place.” He said quietly. Williams moved over to an arm chair and sat down.

  “You could now.” He could see that Nathan was contemplating what he had said.

  “I couldn’t move after my parents just moved closer.” He answered.

  “I get that.” Nathan finally sat down in the other seat. He let out a breath and leaned back. “You have a lot of memories here, don’t you?”

  “You have no idea. We’d come out here almost every holiday.” He paused for a moment. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”

  “You want to show me the rest of the place?” Williams asked when he thought the other man was starting to get into a funk. Nathan perked back up. They stood and walked over to the next room. There was a bunk bed and a toy chest in the corner.

  “My sister would sleep on the top, and me and Brad would sleep on the bottom.” He turned to open the door across from them. “And this is where my parents would sleep.” There was a large comfy looking bed with a nightstand on either side. “I kind of thought we could both stay in here, if that’s okay with you.” Pink colored his cheeks.

  “I’m fine with that.” He smiled, but Nathan’s seemed to fade after a moment. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I just thought seeing this place would make me feel happier. It’s weird. It’s like I’m homesick for this place even though I’m here.” He responded and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Maybe you just miss the memories that you made.”

  “I guess that could be it.” Nathan watched as the other man moved closer to him. Williams put his hands on Nathan’s hips.

  “You know how to make yourself feel better, right?” Williams asked and Nathan sighed before putting his arms around Williams shoulders. “You just have to make more memories.” Nathan smiled at that before yelping. He had expected a kiss, not to be picked up off his feet. His legs wrapped around Williams waist as he felt arms tighten around him.

  “This wasn’t what I thought you had in mind.” He had never thought that Williams would be able to hold him up so effortlessly. Williams turned towards the bed and laid him down gently.

  “I guess you don’t like being picked up?”

  “It's fine. It's just that I’m six foot four. I'm not used to my feet leaving the ground.” Williams chuckled as Nathan pull
ed him closer. He felt a finger run over his neck. “I never noticed that before. What happened?” He had found a small scar on the other man’s neck. He could feel Williams tense in his arms. “If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to.” Williams settled back down.

  “Thank you.” He muttered. Nathan ran a hand through his hair before settling again.

  ***

  They decided to go for a hike. Nathan had swapped over to a t shirt and jeans while Williams wore a t shirt and shorts. Those had both been brought for him. He hadn’t actually owned anything like that until now. Nathan had guessed that correctly and bought some for him.

  Nathan was starting to lose his breath while they went up a steep hill. Williams seemed unfazed. It seemed odd to the accountant.

  “How are you doing so well?” he asked, leaning onto a tree. He breathed deep as Williams turned to look at him.

  “It's just walking.” Williams responded. Nathan rolled his eyes. “I used to be a gym buff. I stopped going like a year and a half ago.” He said before tugging the shirt he was wearing down a bit. Nathan had picked out a size too small. He felt like his belly looked big in it. “Not that you can tell it now.”

  “No, I can tell.” Nathan finally caught up to him. “You’ve still got a lot of muscle.” Williams smiled at that. “That doesn’t mean you have to show me up so bad though.”

  “You’re doing fine.” Nathan was taking another breather while Williams continued up the path.

  “I’m gonna blame me being out of breath on those shorts you’re wearing.” Nathan said and Williams stopped and turned.

  “You’re the one that bought these.” He responded with a blush. He had known that they were tight over his butt, but he hadn’t really thought about the view they were giving Nathan. “Is that why you picked these?”

  “No, but I’m glad I did. I might have to get you some more of those to wear back at your place.”

  “You’re trying to get Gertrude to kill you, aren’t you?” That got a chuckle from the other man who caught up to him again. Nathan wrapped an arm around his waist.

  “It’d be a hell of a way to go.” He leaned over and kissed his temple. He pulled his arm back around before taking Williams’s hand in his. They kept walking at a leisurely stroll as the path flattened out. They were hyperaware of the feeling of the other person’s hand in their. Sure, they had cuddled and kissed, but this was different. It just felt nice.