Chapter 25 — Douglas

Twenty minutes wasn’t a long time, and it was made even shorter yet when Douglas had to hold himself back from slamming his fist through Kenneth’s face. The smug, celebratory look that quirked the corners of his cousin’s lips and glinted maliciously in his eyes was appalling. Douglas wanted to wipe that expression from his face.

“Get the hell out of my office,” Douglas snarled. He wanted to stay and confront Kenneth about the things he’d said, but his body urged him to run after Sebastian. Kenneth made the choice for him—he blocked the doorway, keeping Douglas in.

“It’s not your office anymore.”

“It is for the next twenty minutes.” Douglas’ hand twitched, and he almost let himself grab Kenneth by the collar. Only his love for Ian prevented him from doing so. He didn’t want his son to be implicated in the fight. “Get the hell out.”

“Do you want me to call your whore back?” Kenneth asked casually as he stepped out of the doorway. Ian started to cry, his shrill shrieks filling their ears and dragging Douglas back down to earth. “I’ll see if I can’t find him.”

“Leave Sebastian out of this.” Douglas had no idea what to think about what he’d learned, but he knew that he didn’t trust Kenneth. There had to be an explanation. “He didn’t do anything to you.”

Kenneth snorted but didn’t comment. He left the office, leaving Douglas to tend to his infant son.

All Douglas wanted to do was check out from the world and forget what had happened, but being a father overrode his needs. He turned away from the door and went to Ian’s side, unbuckling him from his car seat and lifting him up.

“You’re okay, little man,” Douglas murmured. He held Ian to his chest and patted his back. “You’re going to be fine. I know that I spoke in a tone I shouldn’t have, but sometimes adults need to do that. You’re not in trouble. You’re safe. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

Even if that meant parting ways from Sebastian.

Douglas squeezed his eyes shut, bouncing Ian gently in an attempt to calm him down.

“You and I are a team. We’re going to make this work. I know that it isn’t going to be fun, but we’re both going to have to be brave for each other, okay? I promise that I won’t let anything happen to you. No one’s going to hurt you. You’re not going to suffer a day in your life.”

Gradually, Ian’s shrieks died down. He babbled into Douglas shirt, trying out consonants in random patterns. Douglas was used to hearing the little sounds, and they still astonished him. His boy was growing up so fast. Before long, he’d be talking, and walking, and then he wouldn’t need Douglas as much as he did.

He wouldn’t need Sebastian either.

“No matter how much it hurts, you come first. I promise.” Douglas kissed the top of Ian’s head. “Can you be brave for me right now and settle down in your car seat while your dad gets his things? There’s not much. We’re going to be okay.”

“Douglas?” It wasn’t Kenneth who spoke from the doorway, but Eric. Douglas looked over his shoulder to find his friend standing there, face drawn. “I, um, I heard about what happened. Someone overheard the argument and it’s been making its way down the floors. I needed to come see if it was true.”

Douglas frowned. “It’s true.”

“Shit.” Eric stepped into the office. He folded his hands over his chest. “I can’t believe Kenneth would do that to you. Everyone on the lower floors is on your side. We’ve all seen what happened since you went on paternity leave, and we know that the new execs Kenneth hired aren’t helping. I know it’s not much, but I think that a lot of people are going to be quitting in protest of your dismissal. You aren’t going to disappear silently, that’s for sure.”

It was a small comfort but knowing that he had allies wouldn’t pay his bills. Douglas was smart with his money and he had enough savings to last for six months with frugal spending, but he hadn’t taken into account paying someone else’s salary.

“Let me help you. What can I do?” Eric took a look around the office. “I’ve got some boxes downstairs I could run and grab. How much of this office is yours?”

“Not much.” The furniture belonged to Kenneth, and so did most of the decorations. Douglas kept his space sparse. “The few trinkets on my desk, and a couple in my drawers.”

“So one box. I’ll go get it. You start collecting everything.”

Eric left. In his absence, Douglas got Ian settled and strapped in, then collected what belonged to him. Ian kept him company by babbling and reaching out with his hands, and Douglas engaged with him as often as he could. He’d collected everything he wanted—the rest belonged to the company or wasn’t of value to him.

In the end, as long as he had Ian, he would be okay.

Eric returned not long after. He had a box tucked under his arm, small in size but still too large for the few belongings Douglas cared to take with him. Eric parted the top flaps and held the box for Douglas as Douglas transferred his belongings into it.

“I don’t know how much longer I’m going to stay, now that Kenneth’s pulled this stunt,” Eric admitted as Douglas packed up. “This place is going to shit. I wanted to see it through, but if you’re not there to keep me sane during lunch breaks? What the hell am I going to do?”

“I wasn’t there to keep you sane through lunch breaks until recently.” Douglas looked up at him, skeptical. “I know you’re my friend, but you don’t have to exaggerate.”

“I didn’t need to have anyone keep me sane through lunch breaks until recently. Kenneth’s gone off the deep end. I have no idea what to expect anymore.” Eric shrugged. “I’m going to look to see if there are other places hiring. I’ve got ten years of solid experience here. Most people jump ship far sooner. Any potential employer’s going to see a record like that and consider me a solid investment.”

“If I get in somewhere quickly, I’ll let you know about any available positions.” The fear was still there, rooted so deep in Douglas’ stomach that it was impossible to extract, but he didn’t let it get to him. The situation was scary for now, but he had a safety net. He could still make things work. “I don’t have anything else to do with my time now but look for jobs, so if I come across anything, I’ll send it along.”

“Thanks.” The items on Douglas’ desk were all packed into the box. Eric set it on the desk, then dropped a hand on Douglas’ shoulder. “But I’m the one who should be giving you support right now. I’ve still got a job… for now. If there’s anything I can do to help you, just let me know.”

“Do you think you could carry that box down to my car for me? I’ve got to carry Ian.”

“Yeah, of course.” Eric’s lips twitched. “But, um, actually, I think maybe we should pause for a second. What happened with the guy you hired to look after Ian?”

Douglas shook his head. His heart shrank. He didn’t know what had happened to Sebastian, but after what Kenneth had told him, it was no surprise that Sebastian had run.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay, but…” Eric trailed off, then shook his head and started again. “Whatever happened, whatever relationship you have, if he was good for Ian, there has to be some way to make it work. I know that you’re going to be home on your own now, and it’s not really my place to intervene, but since you came back you’ve looked so happy, and I’d hate for that to change.”

“You think my happiness is tied to him?” Douglas wasn’t out at work. He wasn’t out period. Now that Michelle knew, he knew he could be more honest about his love life, but Douglas didn’t enjoy the idea of broadcasting his sexuality to the world.

“I know it is.” Eric laughed. “I know love when I see it, and unless you just happened to meet some nice girl while caring for your infant son over the last three months, I’m going to go ahead and say your cute little manny is the one who’s making you look like that. I don’t know the details, and frankly, I don’t want to know, but I do know that you deserve to be happy no matter what Kenneth thinks.”

Douglas smiled. “Thanks.”

“So go home, figure life out, and keep me updated with what’s happening. I know that you’ve got a lot on your plate, but if you ever need someone to vent to, I’m here.” Eric tucked the box under his arm and nodded toward the door. “Let’s get going before security whoops our asses, huh?”

Douglas laughed. He lifted Ian’s car seat and took custody of his diaper bag, then did a quick sweep to make sure he wasn’t forgetting anything. He said his silent goodbye to the view from his office window and to the walls that had been his second home all these years, then he followed Eric out the door.

Nothing in life was certain. He’d built the best possible defense he could against the unknown, but no preparations were perfect. Douglas needed time to think. More than anything, he wanted to find a way he could keep Sebastian on as Ian’s manny, but the situation was bleak, and he wasn’t sure what he could do to improve it.

But he’d find a way. If he’d learned anything from working with Kenneth, it was that he wasn’t a quitter.