Page 21 of My Dear Mr. Corporate

“Drop by the office,” he told me. “You can’t miss it in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter. My name’s on the building. I’ll leave word at the front desk to send you up when you get there.”

“I can meet you in the lobby,” I suggested.

“No, I want you to come up. Sit on daddy’s lap and let me show you around my office.”

I laughed out loud which I was sure Tate intended. He always knew how to cheer me up. My God, he had come a far way from the surly cabin man in the mountains. It was like being back in civilization had sanded him down. He still had a bit of the mountain man in him which was such a turn on.

“Will you be wearing pants when I sit on your lap?” I teased him, Keith pushed to the back of my mind.

“You really want to tempt me, Bry? I can get rid of the pants if you like but you’d have to bring lube. I don’t keep that stuff at the office. No reason for it.”

I smiled. “Good to know or I’d think you’re banging your assistant. That seems to be the rage these days.”

“You’re the only guy I want to bang,” he growled through the phone. “Do us both a favor and get the lube.” He clicked his tongue. “On second thought, don’t bring the lube. I’ve been holding all this back in for so long, when I finally do fuck you, we need the wide expanse of space at my property where no one will hear your screams.”

His words sent heat simmering through me. “Alright. No lube. Do you want me to go there now?”

“Yeah. Now’s good. As soon as you get here I’ll quit working. I’ve been over these ledgers for a while and they’re not making sense. I think I need to quit them for a now.”

“Okay, I can be that distraction. See you in thirty minutes.”

“Get here in twenty and I won’t spank your ass the next time we have sex.”

Holy shit. A memory flashed through my mind of Tate slapping my ass as he fucked me back in the cabin. “Just to be safe then, I’ll see you in thirty-five,” I told him.

He chuckled, the sound warming me. “Just get here already.”

“Okay, daddy,” I purred and hung up the phone. Keith and I had played a lot of things, but daddy role play had never been one, so I felt comfortable teasing Tate that way without the memory of my ex muddying everything.

I arrived at Tate’s office in twenty-five minutes. I wasted ten minutes sitting in the parking lot and staring up at the sign with his name on it. That name reminded me that he was not just the man I was in love with. Tate was important and had influence in this city. Once when I was on the Internet I had punched in his name. The results shouldn’t have surprised me, but it had. I had skipped out the accounts of his wife and daughter’s deaths, not wanting to learn about that tough time in his life through the eyes of another. When he was ready he would tell me more although he had explained already at the cabin. It was so sad she had not been able to accept his bisexuality, and the way she had died in that car crash with their daughter was painful.

Other than the online news archives bringing up information about his wife’s death, I had discovered he was a man who gave back to the community. He had a foundation which built homes for homeless and disadvantaged people all around San Diego. He had even spearheaded a project abroad to provide homes to dozens of people. What I had liked about that particular story was that he hadn’t just sent money and other people to do the work for him. He had gone along. I hadn’t been able to miss his wife and daughter there with him on that mission either.

When I had ensured I would be spanked the next time we had sex, I entered the office building. The most unexpected thing was seeing the pictures on one wall. I wasn’t able to resist going over and staring at the generations of Rosenbaums who had passed down this company from one person to another. The portrait which was at the helm was of a man who had a slight resemblance to Tate. His name Victor Rosenbaum confirmed him to be Tate’s father. I knew his relationship with his father had been a close one.

“Fascinating isn’t it?” a man beside me asked.

I glanced sideways at him and found he was an older attractive man with dark hair. I guessed him to be in his fifties and he filled out his expensive suit well.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be able to trace one’s family back all those generations,” I said, agreeing with him. “I can’t even trace myself back to my father. It must be great to have such legacy, to know where you belong.”

“Every Rosenbaum on this wall has run this company at the time of death or retirement,” the older man remarked, his tone whimsical. “You mark my words, one day my portrait will hang on this very wall and nothing will be able to stop that. Nothing.”

I turned to study the man with a frown. As though just hearing the words coming from his mouth, he smiled as if that would erase his statement, then hurried away to the elevator. I shook my head at the odd man and proceeded to the front desk. I was given instructions on how to find Tate’s office. I took the elevator to the top floor and once I got off, turned left and counted the doors. Not many offices were on this floor, but the receptionist had told me that the door wasn’t labeled.

I passed a door with the name Simon Rosenbaum, C.E.O. That must be a relative of Tate’s. I’d never anticipated running into any of Tate’s relatives while here but now I wondered if the odd man I had run into downstairs was this Simon. It would make sense to think that if he had the title of C.E.O. Except I thought Tate was the C.E.O. With all my own crises I hadn’t listened much to Tate’s explanations of what he was doing, although I was aware he was checking the company’s accounts and trying to catch up to his two missing years.

I found the unmarked door right next to the C.E.O.’s. I knocked, prepared to ask for more directions if I had made a wrong turn. But then I heard Tate bark from inside, “enter.”

“You seem in the mood to play boss and employee,” I remarked opening the door and entering the office. I stopped short, my eyes wide open in horror as I realized Tate wasn’t alone. The man from the lobby was inside the office with Tate. He looked as shocked as I was to see him. My cheeks heated, and I turned apologetic eyes to Tate but found his eyes were full of laughter. I glared at him. How could he be laughing when I had just embarrassed myself?

“Sorry, I had no idea you had company,” I remarked, ready to flee. “I can wait for you in the lobby.”

Tate shook his head and stood. “Nonsense. Come on in. This is my Uncle Simon who took care of the company as though it was his own when I wasn’t around. Uncle Simon, this is my partner, Bryan. I’m trying to convince him to work for us, but he won’t hear the end of it.”

“Hi, how are you?” his uncle greeted me with his hand outstretched as though we hadn’t just met in the lobby. “I don’t blame you. Families don’t usually make the best business partners.”

“I’m fine thanks,” I answered. “That’s what I’ve been telling, Tate, but he’s too stubborn to listen.”

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