Worlds Apart.

I don't remember the last time I had this much fun. Holy shit. Every event I've ever been too I've been pushed into the shadows by my wife.

Every. Single. Fucking. Event.

She had to show off this or she had talk about that. It was nauseating. She contributed nothing to my success, she contributed nothing to the advertising world (other than name dropping), and she absolutely didn't deserve the lime light these events gave her.

I didn't need her now though. Jarrett was a champ. He was kind, he wasn't too shy, but he also knew when to keep his mouth shut. His laugh wasn't nasally and horrible either! It was almost silky if that made any sense.

I knew I had reached my limit with alcohol though by the time it was time to go. I was about to jump the fun bubbly drunk line straight over into train wreck land. Jarrett was gods gift to me though, because as soon as he saw that I couldn't walk well, he threw my arm over his shoulders and held onto me. Grace on the other hand would have just left me hanging.

I really didn't care how the pictures of us would look in the morning, if there even were any that is. I had a magnificent time and no one was going to change that.

"So... Are you dropping me off at home? Or do we have more things to do?" Jarrett asked as soon as we were comfortably bad in the car.

"I need..." I hiccuped and laughed. "I need to go back to the office. Just for a minute I promise."

"Only a minute?" He chuckled and I didn't see what was so funny so I nodded.

"Yeah why? Is that too long?"

"No not at all, it just takes way more than a minute to get through the damn place."

I laughed way too hard at that. He was right, the building was ridiculous. I may have gone a little over zealous when I bought it, gutted it, and made it my own; but hey, I'm young and I wanted to show off. What can I say?

When we got to the office Jarrett helped me up to our floor and sat down on the couch in my office while I riffled through my drawers.

"What... What exactly are you looking for sir?"

"Call me Carter."

"What?"

"Carter. That's my name. When we're friends you can call me Carter. Work time is sir time."

"But... We're at work, so is it actually "sir time"?"

"Oh... I don't know." I laughed and sat down in my chair. "Fuck."

"What are you looking for? I can help."

"Uhm, I'm trying to find my over night bag. I usually keep it in my bottom drawer but I may have left it at home... I just need a tooth brush really. I have other suits here..."

"Carter... We don't have work tomorrow. The office is closed."

"Really? Huh..." I rubbed my face and tried to will the alcohol out of my system. I was making a complete idiot out of myself."

"Wait... Why do you need an over night bag? Are you not going home?"

"No. Well I dunno. I don't want too." I stretched out my legs and my foot hit something. Sure enough, it was my bag. How the hell did it get down there? "Oh! There you are." I grabbed it slowly before getting back up.

"Alright Mr. Hilton. Let's get you home." He gave me a weary look so I cocked my eyebrow at him.

"Where are you gonna go then?"

"Probably a hotel."

"Probably? Where else would you go if you're not staying at your house or at a hotel?"

"Back here. There's a blanket and a pillow in closet."

"Carter..."

"You sure do ask a lot of questions there Jarrett." I laughed and hooked arms with him as I lead him out of the building and back down to the car.

He kept glancing over at me during the ride back to his place, and it was really starting to weird me out. If he needed to say something, just say it. I don't have any patience sober, so why the hell would I have any drunk?

"Whaaaaat Jarrett?" I whined but he shook his head and leaned forward and talked to the driver for a second before sitting back down. "What did you just tell him?"

"Nothing, just relax. Sheesh." He laughed. "So before I get this confused... At work things go back to normal, completely professional and all that, but outside of it for events or whatever... Friends?"

"Yeah, I don't see why not. I like you, I hope you don't think I'm too much of a tyrant... Where are we going?"

"Somewhere with a bed." He chuckled. "But I don't think you're a tyrant. You're a good boss. People should know what's expected of them by now and how you'll react if those expectations aren't met. I don't understand why other people in the office complain about you; they do it to themselves."

I couldn't help but to smile at him, that was seriously the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. People give me compliments all the time, but they're all as meaningful as the time I was labeled "Sexiest Man of 2011". Just empty compliments that only boosted my ego for a moment. What he said was going to stick though. I was a damn good boss. I wasn't too hard, I just knew what I want, and people who stay with me longer than a year generally understand what they have to produce to meet my standards. I also wasn't heartless like they make me out to be. I understand what it's like to be human, and I know life gets in the way.

If I pushed them half as hard as I used to push myself, they would have all left me and built their own empires. So maybe I was a dick for not giving them all the tools they needed to have to become someone like me... But there are people like me, and then there are people who need to work for people like me, and then there are people like Jarrett who are just too good for this world.

Okay maybe that's the alcohol speaking, but there definitely was something special about him. I mean I knew it just from seeing his picture. Something about him just set him apart from the rest.

We pulled up to some swanky looking hotel and I felt like I could breathe again properly. I was a little worried that he was going to take me home, which meant I was going to have to see Grace and deal with her but he didn't! He brought me here!

But then he got out of the car with me... He stopped to tell the driver something before practically peeling me off of the wall I had plastered myself to.

"Do you have a dragon wife at home too?" I asked and he laughed.

"No, I'm gay remember?"

"Oh yes. Me too really." I nodded and he gave me a surprised look before talking to the man at the counter. I couldn't focus on what they were saying so I just tossed my wallet to him and hoped he knew what he was doing.

When we finally got up to the room Jarrett helped me out of my shoes and laid me down. I tried patting the spot next to me on the bed but he shook his head and went over to the couch.

"So... Are you really gay?"

I looked over at him and smiled, what a stupid question, but he didn't know. I just kinda threw it at him.

"Do people normally lie about that sorta thing? I mean obviously people lie to keep it a secret like myself but I don't think of hearing that the other way around... Wait... Sometimes women do to keep men away right? Oh okay. But-"

"Carter." He laughed as he interrupted me. I was just trying to figure this out though! "So it's a secret? No one besides me knows?"

"And one other guy. But that's it. So please keep this under wraps." I tried patting the bed again for him. I didn't want anything sexual... Not that I'd turn that down at this point, but I hated sleeping in a big bed alone. That's why I always stayed on the couch.

"Your wife really has no idea?"

"Not that I know of." I lied. Maybe if he thought it was that big of a secret he'd keep his mouth shut.

I heard him huff so I smiled at the ceiling and patted the spot beside me again. I thought I had failed again but then the weight shifted on the bed and I had a Jarrett in my arms.

I don't know how much longer we had talked for and I don't know what compelled me to pet his hair, but this seriously was the absolute best night of my life. Way better than marrying Grace, way better than making my first million... It was just...

I was happy.

And it's been a very long time since I had been able to say that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning I woke up alone and I can't tell you how absolutely disappointing that was.

But next to me on the bedside table was a bottle of water and some ibuprofen with a note that said:

"Thought you might need these. -Jarrett "

Which undoubtedly made me smile.

So I took those and pulled myself together after a long hot shower.

Since today was Saturday the office was closed, so I was half tempted to go there and get some extra work done to prolong the inevitable but I talked myself down and made my way home.

And it was as if me opening that door was the biggest sin I've ever done, because before I could get my foot in, Grace started screaming.

"Who the hell was with you in those pictures last night?" She snapped and held up her phone as if I cared what pictures she had.

"My secretary thing." I yawned before collapsing on the couch.

"Thing? So what... Is he like your boy toy now? You guys are EVERYWHERE."

"Mmmm are the news articles calling me gay?" I asked, and my fingers were crossed so hard that I swear they would snap at any second. Grace was a woman of pride, so there's no doubt in my mind that she would leave me before I could leave her for a man. She wouldn't want the tabloids saying she turned me gay. Even though that's probably what they would say regardless.

"No, they're just wondering who your arm candy was." I smiled, because even though that wasn't what I was hoping for, it was kind of better. I hoped Jarrett was a blushing mess, because really there was no lie in that.

"That's more than they've ever said about you." I chuckled and she threw her phone at the back of my head then. "Okay I deserved that one."

"You two looked awfully cozy." She sneered. "Is there something more going on?"

"Nope. He's taken." I lied. "I was just his drunk boss and he was just doing damage control."

"Pathetic Carter. You are absolutely pathetic."

"Divorce me then Grace. Answer all my pathetic prayers and divorce me." I was practically begging now, but she just scoffed and stormed her way out of the house.

A good wife would have apologized for not being able to be there, and a good husband would have asked why she was so tied up the night before. But neither one of us cared. It was just fuel to our fire.

Once she was gone I went upstairs and got into some more comfortable clothes before settling on the couch with my favorite movie and a big bowl of pudding.

About halfway through the pudding and the movie I decided to pull out my phone I had been neglecting all day to see I had various missed messages, calls, and notifications from social media; but I blew past all those and opened up a new text with Jarrett. I owed him one, and a decent apology for being such a mess the night prior.

"Lunch tomorrow?" Was all I wrote, and thankfully my phone lit up a few seconds later.

"Sure! When and where?"

"I'll have the driver come get you around noon. See you then."

I smiled and went back to my pudding after that.

I wasn't going to apologize for anything other than the mess I was, because anything more than that would just be a lie.

He and laying with him last night was absolutely still the best feeling I've had in so long, and I planned on telling him that too. My marriage was already in the toilet so I don't really see a reason for me hide anything with him.

I mean of course I planned on keeping it somewhat professional, I was his boss after all, but if he felt at least an ounce of the same way, I wanted to know.

That way we could figure out our next move from there.