Friends, Sexcapades and Love Affairs Ch. 08

His phone began to ring. Mike took it, thinking that maybe Jared wanted to wish him good night, but he almost dropped the phone when he saw who was calling.

For a few moments, he did nothing but stare at the screen, as his hands began to sweat.

"Yes," he answered in a strangulated voice.

"Micah," Ryan said at the other end.

"No one calls me Micah," Mike protested, his voice still weak.

"I'd like to call you that, sometimes," Ryan replied.

His voice was deep and cool, like movie star cool, and Mike could feel himself melting into the bed. "Why did you call?" he whispered as if hidden paparazzi could jump out of the shadows and record his conversation with his boss.

"I wanted to see if you were well."

"I am," Mike replied. "As well as I can be."

"Was it a bad hangover?"

Mike took a second to understand what Ryan was talking about. "Ah, I don't remember."

Ryan laughed softly. "It must have been this morning, so a very long time ago."

Mike snickered. "I got too sobered up last night, and then too depressed this morning to care about feeling it," he said without thinking.

"Depressed? Why were you depressed?" Ryan asked.

"Ah, um, I ..." Mike trailed off. His palms were wet now. "It's just how I am, I guess."

"Do you usually have crushes on your bosses?"

"Not really. And come on, the other Mr. Armstrong is like a hundred-year-old or something."

"Okay, he's my great-uncle, and he's old, indeed, but let's not make him more than he is. It might just get to his head that he's immortal."

Mike registered with some latency that Ryan was joking. He laughed, but then he tried to stop. He didn't even manage to laugh at someone's jokes right. "Ryan," he said slowly.

There was a short silence at the other end. "Yes."

"I ... can't stop thinking about you."

"That should be my line."

Mike gripped the phone tightly. "What should we do?"

"I wish I knew. I'm stuck. And it doesn't happen to me that often to feel stuck."

"It happens to me all the time."

"Then maybe I should learn from you what to do."

Mike sighed. "Don't get your hopes high. When I'm stuck, I just stay stuck. I'm lucky to have good friends who try to cheer me up and help me all the time."

"There will be a party at the end of next week. Everyone from the company will come."

"Ah, I heard. It's to welcome you as our new boss," Mike said as he remembered.

"Will you keep a dance for me?"

For a few moments, Mike thought he hadn't heard right. "A dance?" he whispered.

"Something just between you and me."

"Like a secret dance?"

"You could call it that, sure."

"But wouldn't people be watching?"

"Let that be my problem. Just say 'yes' so that I know I have something to look forward to."

"Wouldn't it be dangerous?" Mike remembered Adrian's ominous scenario. "People might see."

"We'll be somewhere alone. I just want a dance with you."

"Then, I must warn you. I have two left feet."

"It's all right. I have two right feet, so together, we will make two pairs."

Mike laughed. "So, you're as bad a dancer as I am?"

"I'm actually an amazing dancer, and I'm not bragging. You'll see."

"Ryan," Mike said after another short silence, "why me?"

"Why you?" Ryan sighed. "I don't really have an answer. Do you believe in attraction?"

"Like love at first sight?"

"Like that, yes." Ryan's voice was low and filled with promises. "In my life, I've been involved in several relationships. I've never felt the pull I feel toward you."

Mike stopped breathing for a long moment. "You mean it?" His voice was so quiet now, he wasn't sure Ryan could hear him anymore.

"Yes, I mean it. Mike, you don't have to feel compelled to say 'yes' to my request. It's not an order. This doesn't come from your boss so that you know."

"I do feel compelled, though," Mike replied. "Because I ... like you, too."

"Ah, good." Ryan exhaled. "It's a bit strange to confess like this over the phone. I'm glad you feel the same about me, Mike."

"Call me Micah," Mike said.

"Isn't it strange for you since all your friends call you Mike?"

"You're not my friend," Mike replied.

He didn't need to say what Ryan was. For once, Jared wasn't right; his crush had no chances to fizzle. There was someone else kindling the fire, so, at least, he wasn't the sole person responsible.

And that was making him happier than he could ever dream of being.

TBC