Page 17 of The Butler

“Fuck! I don’t know.” I placed my hands behind my head. He was right. What if it came up later and Dek and I were in a relationship? “What do you think, Bob?” I usually did whatever the fuck I wanted but now I was hesitating.

“I think you should do what smart people do. Let thiswhateverdevelop organically,afterhe’s done working for you.”

“You’re right.” And he was, as usual. “Have you met him?” I asked.

“Yes, with you on the helipad, remember?” he reminded me. “And you’re not lying, he’s hot. Just your type too.”

“Should I relieve him of duty and then ask him out?” I asked, trying to think about company policy and public blowback.

“No. For fuck’s sake don’t do that,” Bob said. His eyes dropped to the beer resting in his hand. A dead giveaway he had more to share even though I’d agreed to forego the background check. “He’s a good worker isn’t he? Quick learner? Sharp as a tack?” he asked.

“Bob? What do you know about him?” I smelled a secret or an investigative newsflash.

“I’m not spilling anything unless you want the complete report, but I will tell you this about Mr. Dalton.”

I held my hand up. “Wait! Wait! Hold on a sec,” I whispered.Did I truly want to know the information?I had requested the background check, but what if it was weird or he was dangerous? “Is it bad?” I asked. I bit my lower lip. Why was this so important to me? I barely knew this young man.

“Do not dismiss him, Linc. Since we both know he’s a good worker, why open yourself up to another lawsuit?” he urged. His brow furrowed and he let out a long sigh before continuing. “But, that isn’t the entire story, Linc. Mr. Dalton needs this job. Do him the favor and let him work. The kid is clean, but he’s broke as fuck.”

“Hmm,” I mumbled. We had hired him at Starr’s request, so I doubted he was trying to shake me down. If it was my wallet he wanted, he could simply grab it off my nightstand. In reality, why was I checking his background? He had shown zero interest in me so it couldn’t be me or my money he was after. “Shred the file, Bob.”

“Thank you, Linc,” he said smiling. “Smart move, besides the kid seems very nice.” He stood and headed for the door but stopped before exiting and turned toward me. “I know I said you shouldn’t pry, but as a side note, he is Stanford educated, Summa Cum Laude actually, so I’m not exactly sure why he’s here.” He stood by the door silently staring at me before adding. “Protect yourself, Linc, but play fair, ok?”

After Bob’s visit I decided to nap before my afternoon workout. He’d given excellent advice and that was the main reason he was my primary counsel and trusted with the keys to my kingdom. His words about Dek being broke invaded my thoughts, preventing me from finding deep sleep. I could fix that. Hell, I could change his entire life. He’d never have to work again if he was mine. Something about his personality made me think that Dek probably wasn’t the type to be kept. His work ethic was too strong to hide things like laziness or a need to be spoiled. I’d wager money that he’d never been spoiled. There was something in his words and actions that told me he was different from the Hollywood social climbers I’d been associated with.

A quiet tap sounded on the door. This would be Dek. I’d told him to tap softly and if he heard no response, just go ahead and enter. He stood in the doorway letting his eyes adjust to the darkened room. It took him several seconds, but he eventually saw me lying on top of the comforter, staring at him.

“I’m sorry, sir. Did I wake you?” he asked.

“Do you ever plan on calling me Linc?” I teased. I threw my legs over the side of the bed, sitting upright, and stared at the wall for a moment before standing. My briefs were showing a bit of a tent with me half erect. I noticed his eyes scan the ill-timed bulge before he caught himself leering and turned away. “I was just going to work out, Dek.”

“Yes. Let me gather your gear, Linc,” he said.He did listen.“I’m behind a bit this afternoon and should’ve had your clothes ready by now.”

“Busy out there?” I asked, thumbing at the door. Dek headed for the walk-in closet and disappeared into it, but I could hear him through the open door.

“Karl was seasick most of the day, so I’ve been pitching in with laundry. I apologize for being late.” Karl was a young interior worker from Wisconsin. Apparently the ocean was a bit much for his land legs. “I’ll get caught up while you’re working out,” Dek added.

He came out of the walk-in and set my gym clothes on the bed. I watched him carefully as he attempted to untie my gym shoes. I had a terrible habit of stepping out of them without untying them.

“Sorry about that,” I said, motioning to my shoes.

“You’re going to stretch them out this way, Linc. These are expensive, you know.”

I laughed at him. “Yes, Dad. I do know.”

Dek instantly blushed and grinned at me. “Sorry about the lecture. My friends say I act like a mom. But, I had little growing up so I’m a bit weird about stuff like pricey tennis shoes being ruined.”

“You worked laundry today?” I asked, going back to the previous discussion. “You don’t have to do that, you know. Your job is my butler.”

Dek’s mouth opened like he was about to defend his decision to help out on the boat, but it closed. “I apologize, sir. I was worried things would get behind.”

“You always do that, Dek.”

“What’s that, sir?” he asked.

“See? There you go again,” I pointed out. His face always changed to concern when alerted to a possible deficiency on his part. “When you think there may be an issue, you automatically call me sir.”

“Well… you are the boss. It’s hard to see you any other way, sir.” He fumbled with the last shoelace and couldn’t look me in the eyes. “I really . . . I mean . . . I need this job is all… I’m… well…”

---