The Secret Admirer (BL)

Noise and the hustle of the busy streets below did not penetrate the airtight, large panel windows of one of the largest, top tier, law firms in New York City. Inside this magnificent, twenty story building, people worked hard and were blissfully unaware of anything beyond their social recognition. Each one of them woke up every morning -some before others- and made their way to this busy, hectic, work place with steaming cups of coffee in their hands. It was a routine that people rarely broke out from.

Twenty-five days before Christmas, and some of these people –on their phones to their loved ones– wouldn’t even take Christmas day off to celebrate it with their families. For them work will always be more important. The work crowd all dressed up in black suits, ties and pencil skirts made their way into this particular law firm ready to start another day.

From the outside, it seemed as if it was like any other day, little did they know that everything they knew was about to change… especially for one single individual.

Amongst all the morning chaos stood Marcus Berkley.

As the elevator doors opened and revealed to him the not so joyous office of the Dalton & Meriden Law Firm, he sighed. He was not usually the kind of person to start his day with a sigh and an awful slouch, but this was particularly different day. After the long weekend, his two year long relationship ended. He wasn’t sure which was more depressing; spending Christmas single or having to spend it with his over enthusiastic middle class family.

As he made his way out from the cold silver elevator on to the warm atmosphere of the office, he took off his heavy coat and hung it on his arm.

“Good Morning Marcus!” chirped a musical voice from his side. He did not need to turn to know that that flirtatious voice belonged to one person and one person alone: a certain sexy, tall, red head with flawless skin who worked as a PA at the firm.

She studied him from head to toe. His black pants, his white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and back tie were not much to look at. He would have put more work into what he was wearing, but this morning he had thought ‘why bother’, he wasn’t trying to impress anyone.

“Good Morning Anna,” He greeted as he walked past her. It was not that he was not interested in being hit on by the gorgeous woman, today just was not the right day. Besides she wasn’t his type. She was too out there, too loud, he liked her but it was nothing more than admiration of a friendly manner.

The clicking of her four inch black platform heels followed him at a fast pace. “Don’t be so glum sweetie!” She said, tilting her head. Marcus hung his coal-black coat on his chair and sat down, then swung around to face Anna. She was dressed finely as usual: the tight black pencil skirt with the black and white polka dotted silk top that sublimely let her Playboy bra show; he could only raise an eyebrow at her.

“I’m not being glum. I just want to get through today and go home and forget about Karen.”

“That woman is a bitch,” Anna muttered under her breath. She whispered it to herself and smiled at Marcus hoping that he hadn’t heard her. “Anyway, did you hear about the Secret Admirer thing? I wonder who I’ll end up getting this year!” she asked, then leaned her back against the white wall unsteady cubical wall.

“It’s already being another year huh!” Marcus looked up at her, flashing a crooked smile.

“They are doing the raffle thing today ‘ya know, whoever gets me better get me something good’ she said, fisting her hand. Marcus threw his head back laughing, and Anna playfully slapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey guys! Rose wants everyone in conference room 6, in five.” Said a blond dressed in a red top, peaking over the cubical wall while flashing five with her long manicured fingers. Marcus looked up at her and smiled nodding.

Without another word he stood from his chair and walked down the hall with Anna closely following him behind. He suddenly paused in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. A shudder passed through him, the sense that he was being watched was strangely all around him.

When they walked into the conference room they were immediately met with half of the convincing department and HR manager Rose.

Rose, was a short brunette with the gray re-growth. Nodded at them in recognition Marcus and Anna took their seats around the large yellow wooden table. For the next twenty minutes, Rose explained to them the importance of their ‘Secret Admirer’ tradition and how it was about making the work place a ‘second home’, “We are like family” she had said.

“Remember people, not over or under thirty dollars, and please people make them good...” Rose announced, as everybody scrambled out from the room and headed back to their own offices and cubicles.

When Marcus returned to his own work space and turned his chair around, he was met with a small curious looking blue box with a striped varied blue ribbon wrapped neatly around it. It was placed on his chair, hidden from anyone who walked past his cubicle.

The box was addressed to him and it was from: ‘Secret Admirer’ –or so it noted.

Marcus Stared at it, his mouth opened in confusion. He didn’t know what to think or what to say. As he took the light box to his hand he opened the address card on it. It only had his name and the words ‘Secret Admirer.’ He read them out loud to himself for a moment before hesitating to open the box.

It was perplexing; He wondered if he really should open it, whether he was meant to open it now. But, it really didn’t matter. After all, it was addressed to him. Hesitantly he opened the box that. When he ripped away the wrapping paper, he was taken back with what was in his hand, it was a box. Well, there is nothing special about a mere box; it was the emblem and the brand name that that shook him; Tiffany & Co.

That couldn’t be right. He let out a laugh before opening the box. Someone’s playing a trick on me, how nice, he thought unpleasantly. It’s probably empty he thought, while giving it a quick shake next to his ear, he was sure it had a ‘fooled you’ note inside or better yet an ‘I. O. U’.

When he opened the box, he realized that it wasn’t a trick. Inside the blue box was the Midnight Titanium and sterling silver Caliper Cuff. It was exactly prized at $715. Marcus knew this. He had been staring at it in one of the magazines he had found in the office. It was exactly his style, elegant with a touch of black.

A small folded piece of paper fell from inside the box. The scented paper contained a note:

Dear Marcus,

Hope you like it.

Yours Truly,

-Secret Admirer.

That simple, single sentence caused him possibly the most heart thumping moment in his life. Marcus was afraid to touch the item inside the box. As much as he wanted to, he was afraid to. He closed the box quickly and pulled the address card again and looked at it.

It smelled of strong perfume, a familiar perfume, but he couldn’t put a face to the scent. The feeling of being watched returned... What the hell is going on? He asked himself.

Questioned bubbled in his mind, it would have had to have been someone from the office. No one else would have had the opportunity. He went over to the perky blonde that was in the next cubicle.

“Hey, did anyone go in there while I was gone?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

Britney looked confused then shook her head in a firm NO.

“Sorry, I don’t know Bub; I didn’t see anyone go in there.” She said sweetly butting her lashers.

All day that day he kept glancing over at the box. The whole event was rather distracting to him. It killed him inside not knowing who sent it. Though, he found it strangely flattering. The need to know who it was just grew. At one point, he was sure that he would go crazy thinking about it.

“What are you staring at Marcus?” The melodic voice that belonged to Anna came from behind him. Her voice snapped him out of his trance, but he didn’t turn around to look at her, he just stared at the box.

“What is that?” She asked cautiously. She tip-toed over to Marcus’s side, her eyes widened and she gasped, “who gave you this?” She asked, her voice cracking in excitement. He handed her the card which she studied, “Bullshit!” She exclaimed, throwing it onto the desk.

. . . . .

Nine O’clock. By this time, almost everybody in the city below had gone home. It was quiet and cold, with the night wind blowing the trees making them sway and the leaves rustle. Inside the office however there was a hushed delicate silence that seemed so virginal. There was no one to be seen in the building, except for the cleaners that vacuumed and mopped the floors of the entire building. The overweighed security guard that sat in the back, in a small room surrounded by flickering security monitors would probably be of no help if something were to happen. He was half asleep, and when he was awake he would be stuffing himself with fatty starchy food that would probably make normal people gag.

The lights flickered as they went off and came back on spontaneously. Marcus sat at his table, going over his work one last time. Doing over time was not one of his favorite things. But, it was good money, and to him money was better than anything else.

By the time he was done it was half passed nine; he picked up his coat and took the elevator down. As he stepped out from the front doors, he was greeted by the chilling coldness of the outside. He shivered and ran to his car as drizzle fell upon him damping the outer surface of his coat. He felt a stare on his back. Pausing in his tracks, he looked up at the building. It was quiet and haunting. He could not shake away the feeling that he was being watched yet again.

A man shrouded in the darkness of the night stood on the very top floor of the Law firm. On the glossy tiled floors, his shadow fell. His hands were stuffed into his pockets; a smirk his lips. He stared down at Marcus as the unsuspecting man continued to walk to his car, unknowing to Marcus that he was in fact being watched.