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6 months later…
During the holidays, we found an affordable home for Mom in Redding, hours away from Kismet’s office in San Diego, and moved fast to secure the spot and save money on the hospital stay. It didn't feel right to send Dad to a new place and leave Mom without nearby family support, so arranged to work remotely for a while. Thankfully, my manager was highly supportive of the alternate work arrangements.
Unfortunately, it meant I had to turn down a job that would have been a great stepping stone to my goal of getting to the New York office.
It also meant I had to leave Joy. Crushing my dreams of building something with her. Kismet is a nine hour drive away. In my limited experience, long-distance relationships only work if there’s a solid foundation to build upon. The situation, while not insurmountable, seems unlikely. But a guy could dream. Often late at night, waking up with my cock in my hand and visions of Joy’s red-painted lips surrounding it.
I’m trying to look at the positive side. I get to spend more time with my father, and my mother is improving a little with help from her physical therapist.
My laptop chirps, and I read the pop-up reminder on my screen: fifteen minutes until my work call with Henry, my new boss, since he took the position I declined. Still pisses me off. I grumble as I adjust my webcam and open the meeting invite to ensure I have the proper link.
I’m still angry with him about the Christmas gift, too. After I explicitly instructed him to purchase a tasteful gift for Joy, the asshole got her a set of fluffy pink handcuffs. God, it mortified me when she lifted her finger with the cuffs dangling for everyone to see and laugh at. How could I face her after that? Encouraged by Henry, I left the holiday party early to avoid embarrassment.
My computer chirps again with that mechanical trill, and the screen flickers to life as I log into the conference call. Voices crackle from the speakers, Henry’s deep baritone mingling with the high-pitched chatter of other Kismet employees attending the meeting.
I can’t help but think of Joy. I feel bad about how I left without speaking to her. Between finding a place for Mom, having her moved, and scoping out apartments for Dad and me, I just ran out of hours in the day. Even with hours of physical miles between us, I wish I could talk to her.
After the New Year, she’d sent me an image of a stuffed hedgehog wearing her handcuffs. I couldn't talk to her then, too embarrassed. But now, thinking back on it, I’m regretting my decision not to reach out and apologize for the gift and my hasty departure.
I try to push away thoughts of Joy as Henry’s face takes the priority spot on the screen alongside the others. After a quick round of introductions, it’s time to get down to business.
“Welcome, everyone,” Henry begins once everyone has identified who they are and what part of the company they represent. "File updates first, then I'll introduce a new project to Kris." He updates as we jot notes, leaving me curious about the new task. I try to keep my mind from wandering back toward Joy again while I wait for him to get to me.
We've each had our turn and now we're back to Henry. “We have a new project, which I’m assigning to you, Kris.”
I dislike Henry being my boss, but I can respect his position. I straighten in my chair. “Not a problem. Who will I be working with?”
“I’ll get to that in a minute.” He finishes with the others but asks me to stick around. When it’s just the two of us, he clears his throat. “We need a marketing plan for one of the new authors.
Marketing? This is perfect. It’s precisely the type of project that can help me get noticed.
“I’d like you and Joy Calvin to work together on this one.”
My brain and my tongue stutter for a moment. “J-J-Joy?”
“Is that a problem?” He’s staring at me through the camera.
Is this a game for him? Does he enjoy making things awkward for me? I lick my lips and focus on my words, pushing them out through my lips slowly. “Not at all.”
“Good. Joy has all the details. You have a meeting with her in”—he glances at his watch—“fifteen minutes. I’ll flip you the invite.”
“But…”
He leaves the meeting. The jerk. He knows what he’s doing. He’s setting me up. Since I moved away and he got the job I had turned down, we only speak when necessary. Unfortunately, because of our roles, that’s more often than I like. Sometimes I wonder if he deliberately tried to embarrass me in front of Joy and then encouraged me to leave the party early so he could make a play for her himself. Although, no office gossip has reached me in Redding to confirm that. I can’t believe he’d be so conniving or manipulative. Some people will do anything to get ahead.
My thoughts return to Joy as I disconnect from the video call. I’ve got fifteen minutes. I want to make things right between us. I want us to move past the awkwardness. Sniff checks on the pits, and I decide to brush my teeth. I add a touch of pomade to my hair to settle it down and confirm there’s no coffee stains on my shirt.
The computer rings, and, there she is.
Because I’ve been working remotely, I haven’t seen Joy’s face in about six months. She’s just beautiful as the last time saw her back in San Diego. She’s got her red hair up in a messy bun and wearing glasses that amplify her gorgeous eyes. Today, they look a little more brown than green.
“Kris? Are you there?”
I turn on my mic and my camera. “Sorry, yes, I’m here. Hi, Joy.”
“Wow, it’s been a while. You look great, Kris.”
“I didn’t know you wore glasses.”
