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Candy raised an eyebrow at Malcolm but he ignored her. He was thinking about how small this party was going to be, just a few neighbor kids and the rest just grown ups. It didn't seem right not to invite a person Paula knew and liked.
That was why Malcolm was going to invite Derrick to her birthday party and not for any of his own, selfish reasons. He wasn't sure if Derrick was likely to come. That was why he decided to call him out of Paula's hearing. He didn't want her to be disappointed if he couldn't be there. He hoped that Derrick might find time to stop by at least
To get some privacy, Malcolm went out on Candy's tiny balcony to talk. He knew he should text but he couldn't resist a chance to hear his voice.
Getting his phone out, he took a minute to breathe the cold air and steady his nerves. He had never called Derrick for a personal reason. Since they sucked each other off in his office, Malcolm hadn't spent any time with Derrick alone. They had a hectic day at the office with people going in and out, and then Derrick went on a business trip.
Malcolm didn't know where they stood. Most likely, it was just a one time thing, but the memory of it flashed hot and vivid in his mind and made him hope there would be more.
This phone call wasn't about that though. It was for Paula. Despite that, Malcolm felt a surge of heat flood his whole body when he heard Derrick's deep voice and how he said his name.
"Derrick," Malcolm breathed. "I was just planning Paula's birthday party..."
"Paula's birthday is coming up?" Derrick asked.
"Yeah, and I'm inviting you to the party. It's next Sunday. Do you think you can make it. Will you be back from your trip?" Malcolm asked since Derrick often stayed longer on his business trips than planned.
"I'll make sure I'm back in time," Derrick said. Malcolm was surprised that he accepted the invitation, but he wasn't done. "Would you like to have the party at my place?"
"I appreciate the offer, but your house is way too big. There won't be a lot of guests."
"Oh," Derrick said like he thought that was terrible.
Malcolm told him, "Paula isn't used to being around too many people, a small party is just the right size for her."
"Right. I'll definitely be there," Derrick told him. Then he sent Malcolm a picture of a small but very fancy cake from a very fancy bakery. "Would Paula like something like that?"
"Of course she would but..." Malcolm started to say.
"I'll put in the order if you don't mind, and deliver it myself. Would that be all right?" Derrick asked.
Malcolm thought about it and since it was for Paula, he couldn't tell him not to do it. "That would be wonderful, thank you," he said.
"Thank you for the invitation. I'm looking forward to seeing you both," Derrick said and those last words gave Malcolm a thrill.
After he hung up with him, Malcolm told himself not to read too much into it. Derrick was just being nice. He felt flushed from talking to him so he stayed on the balcony another minute to cool off. That gave him a chance to check out the website of the bakery and he couldn't find any prices listed anywhere. He knew that meant the prices were through the roof.
Heading back in, he shared the good news with Paula. "Derrick is going to try and come to your party," he told her. He didn't want to over-promise in case Derrick got delayed.
Candy eyed Malcolm suspiciously, but Paula was very happy. Candy had her making invitations, and now Paula announced, "I'm gonna make an invitation just for Mr. A." She was looking forward to her birthday party even more now.
While she was hard at work making the invitation for Derrick, Candy texted Malcolm. "Don't think I didn't notice you calling Mr. A by his first name all of a sudden. We're talking later."
When Paula fell asleep on Candy's daybed with its million mismatched toss pillows, Candy sidled up to Malcolm and he knew what was coming. "What has been going on and why don't I know every last dirty detail already?" she asked and nudged him with her shoulder.
Malcolm shushed her though she was already whispering. The fact that he hadn't told Candy about Derrick told him how mixed up he was about him. Malcolm couldn't bring himself to tell her what happened or how out of control his feelings for Derrick had gotten because his feelings scared him.
"Is this because we work together? Are you afraid I'll gossip about you at the office?" she asked.
"No. That's not it," Malcolm told her. Actually that hadn't occurred to him. He hadn't spent any time worrying about office gossip or rumors. He wasn't even sure if he should. It was like there was no room left in his brain for anything except wondering how Derrick felt about him, if he maybe wanted to be with him for real and then to doubt himself over the whole thing. Maybe Derrick was worried about being talked about though.
"I'd thank you for trusting me if you weren't so spacey," Candy told him. "So what's been going on?"
"I wish I knew," he sighed. "But he's coming to Paula's party and that's nice of him."
Candy made a face at him. "You don't deserve a hot boss."
Chapter 10
