Nightwalker Ch. 8
Title: Nightwalker
Pairing: Ewan/Hayden
Rating: NC17
Summary: Hayden's dreams of becoming an actor didn't stand a chance in the unforgiving city of Los Angeles. Left with nothing in his wallet, and nobody to turn to, he was forced to work the streets just to get by. His life takes a dramatic turn one night when billionaire playboy Ewan McGregor pulls up to his side of the street.
If that wasn't a big enough hint, this story is an AU loosely based on Pretty Woman- at least at the start. It also rips off Moulin Rouge, Down with Love, and makes random Star Wars references.
Warnings: There'll be gritty parts, violence, pr0n, and coma-inducing fluff. I'll give you a mini warning at thestart of each new chapter.
Disclaimer: It's all up in here *thumps index finger to temple*
Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Chapter 8
Hayden looked around his new bedroom, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was still in the same place. Deciding that this wasn't some horrible practical joke, he took a moment to let the new surroundings sink in. The bedroom was a lot like Ewan’s, and about three times larger than Hayden’s old apartment. Painfully eclectic, Hayden wasn’t exactly turned on by the harsh angles and immaculate tones of the space. In fact, the urge to trash the room was sudden and urgent, and Hayden had to physically resist doing so by folding his arms close to his chest. The impulse wasn’t a result of anger or frustration- he generally didn’t express himself by breaking things. He just hated the lifelessness of the room, so huge and empty. Its only saving grace were the tinted windows that allowed industrially clean light to filter through.
Staring out at the view of finely manicured gardens, Hayden let his forehead rest against the cool glass. The scenery reminded him of those fancy parks he wasn’t allowed to play in when he was a kid- mostly because he used to have a mild case of pyromania back then, usually involving the largest dry shrub he could find. It was amusing- if not demented- to see something go up in flames and be consumed into ashes. Yet everything here was too beautiful to destroy. The flower beds were white, arranged in a swirl around a statuesque fountain, looking like the something out of a wedding magazine. Everything was precise, and polite, attempting an untamed appearance but in the end, coming across predictable and plastic. To Hayden it was all so foreign, and presumptuous, and holy shit that was a fucking huge swimming pool glittering an unnatural blue color. Hayden wondered idly if Ewan would teach him how to swim.
The thought caught him by surprise, and he laughed out loud at it, “Oh yeah, excellent idea Hayden. Then maybe you can bake cookies together, wear matching t-shirts, then pick out a golden retriever and name it Jude.”
Turning his attention back to the boxes on his floor, Hayden methodically overturned each, emptying the contents on the bed. It was mostly random odds and ends from his apartment. His old clothes were useless because he'd discovered earlier the walk-in closet that was already full. Other than that, there were some video tapes, magazines, a pocket knife, cigarettes, eyeliner, and a lighter. He didn’t realize what his eyes had been frantically searching for until he discovered that it wasn’t there.
“Shit,” Hayden growled, crushing one of the empty boxes in his hands and throwing it aside. It wasn’t there. His poster- it wasn’t there. A sharp pang tugged on his heart; his first instinct was to run back to his apartment and find it. Yet the unsettling images from last night were still fresh in his mind and he immediately recoiled from the idea. On some level he realized it was illogical to feel this much agony over a poster, but he felt like a limb had just been severed from him. If only he had it, he could hang it up on these depressing walls and make the place seem less alien.
“Fucking Ewan, losing my poster,” Hayden grunted, sitting heavily on the bed. He rationalized that he had been responsible for losing Ewan priceless family ring. He supposed the two evened out. Barely.
That’s when Hayden realized that something was sticking into his ass, and not in the good way. He pulled out a leather wallet from under him, figuring one of the movers had left it there. Only when he looked inside, he found a US social security card with his name on it. Interesting, since he wasn’t American. There was also a driver’s license with a crappy photo, a passport, and several other pieces of photo ID. His check was nowhere in sight, but in its place was a VISA platinum card. He had a vague feeling there was a lot more than sixty grand on it. Ewan certainly didn't believe in wasting time.
That's when Hayden started developing a headache. None of this was good. Well, obviously it was good, but if he couldn’t sustain it himself, it meant nothing. Hayden needed to find a job-a new job-and he needed to get out of here. For all that the man had done for him, Hayden still didn’t fully trust Ewan McGregor. Then again, if Ewan wanted to give him a free ride, Hayden wasn’t in any position to turn it down. Pride didn’t go very far when you had nothing.
The tension and anxiety he'd been supessing all morning hit him like a slap in the face. The next twenty minutes had been spent in the bathroom, throwing up. Hayden almost regretted losing his breakfast, but a combination of frayed nerves and fear meant that he couldn’t keep it down. Feeling a little miserable, Hayden cleaned up and showered, changing into new clothes but not feeling any better. His immediate thought was to call Ewan. This did in fact surprise him. He’d been through a lot worse than an upset stomach and he hadn’t needed anyone, yet now all he could think of was hearing Ewan’s voice. Hayden remembered how easy it had been to draw comfort from the man last night. He had felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders when Ewan had pulled him closer and whispered things Hayden couldn’t remember now. All he recalled was the ease he'd felt, knowing that someone was with him. It was the chaste physical contact that Hayden had needed. He wanted it all over again.
“No problem. Just call him and say you need a hug,” Hayden mumbled to himself sarcastically, daring to leave his room, just long enough to raid the kitchen again for breakfast: part 2. This time he struck gold, half a box of his favorite comfort food, Froot Loops. Hayden tucked the box under one arm, leaving both hands free to browse the newspaper he’d just snatched from the dining hall. A childish part of him was bursting to run around and explore the cavernous mansion, but he had more important things to do. Like find a job, get a life, stop obsessing over Ewan McGregor
Back in the cold comfort of his room, Hayden had taken one look at the stylish silver desk decorating the corner, and had promptly dropped to the floor. He rolled onto his stomach, directly in the spot of sun that had warmed the carpet under him. He spread the newspaper in front of him, reading comics and entertainment section before turning to the classifieds.
After extensive search, all he was qualified for was freelance telephone operator, the obscure description for which sounding suspiciously like a phone sex line.
“Well, it’s a step up,” Hayden said to himself, circling the add with a flourish before bringing the pen up to his lips again, nibbling at the end thoughtfully. He almost enjoyed this. The silence. Just the rustling of paper and the crunching of cereal to keep him company. It was easy to pretend he was locked up in a room where nobody would ever find him, or touch him, or hurt him.
“Mr. Christensen, there’s a-”
“AHH!” Hayden jerked upright, as a shadowy figure loomed over him. “Fuck, you scared the shit out of me!” He told the penguin suited man.
“I do apologize for the intrusion Sir, but there is an urgent call for you. Would you like to attend to it here, or would you rather I take a message?”
“Uh… no, I can get it, thank you…” Hayden said, quickly getting to his feet and taking the cordless from the man who nodded politely and left.
“Ewan?” Hayden asked uncertainly.
“HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN!”
Hayden jumped at the sudden sound, and the phone went tumbling from his fingers in the process. Definitely not Ewan. He quickly snatched up the cordless again, the furious voice in his ear was mid-sentence.
“…And don’t give me any excuses about being too busy! I’m in the middle of a show and even I find time to dial a number! Honestly Hayden, I expected more from you and I am thoroughly disappointed. When I left you a bag at the hospital I distinctly recall leaving you my number! Now I demand to know how you are doing, because the boys were of NO help. Ewan has the telephone manner of a wet napkin, and Jude gets tongue-tied after the first five minutes of speaking to me. Well? I’m waiting.”
“I-I’m fine,” Hayden said with a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief. He really hadn't expected to hear from the woman again, but the friendly voice brought a smile to his face. “I’m really sorry for not calling, Nicole.”
“Well you should be, but Jude managed to babble out some vague details about what happened last night, so I suppose you had other things on your mind.”
“He told you?” Hayden swallowed dryly.
“I won't press you Honey, but if you ever needed to talk…”
“I won't, but it means a lot that you offered,” Hayden said honestly.
“Very well- now is there anything you need? I hate to be the one to say it, but Ewan and Jude are idiots. The only thing they know how to nurture are their bank accounts, and I don’t trust them to keep an eye on you.”
“I’m alright, really,” Hayden cracked a smile. “Jude made me breakfast, and Ewan… Ewan’s been great. Really great. I’m sort of staying with him now. I think. I’m not really sure why he asked me to.”
“Oh I have a vague idea, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Now, I have an ulterior motive for this call, and very little time in which to discuss it so I apologize if this blindsides you. Has my fax arrived yet?”
“Fax?” Hayden asked, just as the obscure machine on his desk whirred into life. “Okay... apparently I have a fax machine. I just got it Nicole.” Hayden continued picking up the papers.
“Good. Now I sent your portfolio to a friend of mine-”
“Portfolio?”
“From the magazine shoot you did, Love. Now hush and don’t interrupt,” Nicole chided. “She's the chairwoman of one of the most influential talent agencies in L.A. She’s represented everyone from football players to politicians to Golden Globe winners- one year under her wing and you’re instantly the hottest new thing on the market. Now her clientele is mostly exclusive, but every now and again she likes to challenge herself with a new face. It keeps her on her toes. Anyway, she told me to pass along this contract."
“Nicole…” Hayden frowned warily, scanning the papers. “How can she offer me a contract when she’s never even met me?”
“Oh… I may have possibly gushed about what little angel you were, and she wanted to scoop you up before anyone else did. I'm telling you, she can't wait to start whipping you into shape. Your interview is tomorrow, but it's just a formality. Still, wear a tie.”
“Are you serious? I've only ever been to one interview in my life Nicole, and Burger King didn't want me. Do you actually think this will work?”
"This is the way things work in this town, Darling. You get a break, and you MAKE it work because opportunities don’t come around too often, if ever. Well, in your case I suppose you could always ask Ewan to-”
"No!" Hayden said quickly. "I'd rather do this by myself. If I decide to. I can't believe you went through all this trouble Nicole..."
“Honey, I merely made a recommendation, no more than I would have done for anyone else I thought was deserving. I’d hire you myself, but the life of a full time model is very fickle. With a credible agency to back you up you’ll have all the flexibility in the world to pick and choose what kind of jobs you want to do.”
"I'm still not sure if I can do it. It’s not that I don’t want to- I do!- it’s just so far out of my league…"
"Hayden, you're living with Ewan McGregor. I think he owns the league," Nicole pointed out. "Now I want no more of this insecurity tripe. I expect you shed those excuses and doubts and make this decision in terms of your future. I won't lie to you- it's an ugly, competitive business you’d be entering, and you're going to get rejected more often than not."
"I could handle that," Hayden said immediately, knowing there were a lot worse things in the world than mere rejection.
"I know you can. So go over the contract, see if it’s something you could throw yourself into. They're not offering you the moon in terms of income, but believe me, for someone with only one photo shoot to his name, it’s pretty gosh darn impressive.”
“Believe me, I'm not picky,” Hayden smiled a little, the beginnings of nervous excitement fluttering in his stomach. “I want to say thank you, but it seems like an underwhelming response at the moment.”
“Well in any case, you’re welcome. Just remember to invite me to those fabulous VIP award shows you’ll be going to. Now I’ve got to dash, Darling- it’s lunchtime, and I think the models are fighting over Tic Tacs again.”
“Can I call you later this week?” Hayden asked quickly.
“You’d better. Give my love to the boys, and take care of yourself!”
~*~
Ewan had a migraine. The kind that crept up on you, exploded in hellfire, ravaged you completely, then receded incrementally with medication. The executive board of McGregor Enterprises had been avidly debating for the last two hours, yet their reasoning was circular and it all came down to one thing that his best friend and vice chairman had just hit upon.
“We're dead in the water without this contract. The manufacturing quota aside, those surveillance schematics are gold, and we need to get our hands on them before anyone else does,” Jude insisted.
“I agree,” an executive commented. “Once the contract with the U.N. expires we could always re-interpret the plans for domestic distribution, figure out how to put it to commercial use and make a killing in the public market. That's where all the money is.”
“But how far are we willing to invest?” Another asked. “Ewan, you can't bear the financial demands on your own. We’ll need to come up with one bloody brilliant pitch to the rest of the share holders, or this could blow up in our faces and pulling back our bid in the last minute would be an embarrassment to the company. It may be safer to drop out of the running now and save ourselves the trouble.”
“If we don’t get the contract, who do you think will?” Ewan asked rhetorically. Unsettled eyes turned to him, they all knew the answer.
“Exactly,” Ewan stated. “If this lands in the wrong hands, we could be elbowed out of the industry and lose some valuable clients. Hell, we could be buried within the year. That's something I refuse to let happen. Now, what are our other options?”
“Sienna Miller.” Jude stated.
There was a pause.
“So what are our other options?” Ewan asked again. At Jude’s pointed glare, Ewan sighed. “Fine, let's hear it."
"We get her to drop her bid on the contract," Jude said simply.
“Why bother?” A board member asked. “It’s not like she would have gotten it anyway. The front runners are McGregor Enterprises and McDiarmid Inc. We all know Miller isn’t even a close third.”
“Perhaps, but the she-devil has politicians in her pocket,” Ewan said gruffly. “If we give her something she wants, she’ll drop her bid, but not before putting in a good word on our behalf. She could turn the whole thing around for us."
"Problem is that Sienna is more likely to give her allegiance to McDiarmid that to us," Jude pointed out.
"So change her mind, offer her anything she wants. Whatever we lose to her will be worth it if she helps us win this contract. Besides, I'd love to see the betrayed look on McDiarmid's face when he catches us in bed with MillerCorp. Figuratively speaking.”
“Very well,” Jude nodded, sliding over stack of papers to Ewan. “Should I call her people, set up negotiations?”
“Don't negotiate. Jump on her first offer or else things will get sticky- and take care of it personally Jude. I don’t want anyone else dealing with her,” Ewan signed the documents in front of him before looking around the boardroom table. “And I’d like to remind you all that this deal had been two years in the making, so if anyone fucks up it’ll be their arses on the line. As always, nobody takes any of this to the press- we'll let the lawyers deal with that nightmare when the time comes. Now go home, people. Hug your children, make love to your significant other, and let the dog out, because after tonight your sole purpose for living becomes nailing this contract.”
“Something bothering you?” Jude asked once the meeting had dismissed and the room had emptied.
“No,” Ewan said, digging the tip of his pen into the table in front of him, cracking the fine finishing.
“Ewan, it's no secret that the McGregors and McDiarmids have a long-standing hatred, and Sienna's never been your favorite person... but I still think you made the right call here."
"Hmmm."
"Very eloquent. If you've got something on your mind, might as well spit it out before anything is official."
“It’s already official!” Ewan grunted, “I asked him to live with me Jude. You realize the only people I ever lived with were my parents, and they were never thrilled with the arrangement- hence the boarding school. What was I thinking, letting him move in? I guess I wasn’t thinking last night. Then he tried to kiss me when I left- did I mention that? I mean last night he clung to me like the world was about to end, then he starts accusing me of wanting a live-in whore, and I was so fucking angry! I might have said something about not having sex with him, which is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done. Did I mention he tried to kiss me? He got this glassy look in his eyes and tries to lay one on me right there. I'm fucking confused. He appreciates my help, but he doesn’t actually want any of it. He says he doesn’t want to have sex, but he wants to tongue wrestle instead? I mean, if we’re not fucking then I fail to see the point in making out. There’s no payoff in the end!”
“I was talking about... the contract.”
“Oh,” Ewan said stupidly. “No, I’m fine with the contract.”
“Good. I’m going to make the proposal to Miller, shouldn’t take long. Do you want to get an early dinner?”
“I can’t believe Hayden hasn’t called me,” Ewan said randomly. “Why hasn’t he called me? I think he’s ignoring me. Do you think he’s ignoring me? It’s been hours, what could he possibly be doing? Maybe he went out. No, I doubt it. Maybe I should call him. God, that’s so needy. I’m not calling him. He might be pissed because I didn't kiss him- I should have just fucking kissed him. Why doesn’t he just fucking call me? Do you know why he hasn’t called me?”
“I'll let you know what Miller decides,” Jude smirked slightly before leaving the room.
Ewan stalked off in the opposite direction, back to his office. He slammed the door behind him, causing a figure behind his desk to swivel around in the black leather recliner. Ewan met the pale blue eyes that glittered at him, and studied the alluring mouth that turned up in a crooked smile.
“Get out of my chair,” Ewan said bluntly, ignoring the presence as he made a bee line towards the bar- his office was nothing if not well equipped. It might as well have been a condo considering its size and the fact that it had a bedroom in the back. It was just as well since Ewan spent more time at work than he did at home.
“As I recall, you liked me in this chair,” Rhys smiled, stretching languidly in the seat, one long leg dangling over the armrest. "...And on your desk, and that couch, and up against the wall..."
“How did you get in here?” Ewan sighed, pouring himself a drink, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Seriously, get out of my chair.”
“You gave a security pass the last time, remember?” Rhys reminded, playing with the small key card in his hand.
“Hmmm. Time to get the locks changed.”
“You don’t mean that. Hey, can I get one of those too?” Rhys asked hopefully, slipping off the seat and sauntering over to the bar. Ewan took notice of his outfit that moved like a second skin as he walked. It was all denim, and leather, and sex. Though Rhys looked like he belonged on a pole, Ewan didn’t mind appreciating the view, especially with the day he'd had.
“You drink to much Rhys,” Ewan said with slightly less vehemence in his voice.
“No I don’t…”
“Yes, you do. I worry about you sometimes. If one of your brain cells dies then the other one would get lonely- and then where would we be?”
Rhys gave him a sad, predictable, pouty sort of look.
“Scotch alright?” Ewan relinquished with a sigh, turning back to the bar.
“Perfect,” Rhys grinned, looking over Ewan’s shoulder as the man turned to pour another drink. “No ice. You remembered?”
“No, just ran out of ice,” Ewan said neutrally. “So what exactly are you doing here? Sienna send you on some sort of excursion? I’m offering her a deal this afternoon so you’re wasting your time.”
“You think I’m spying for her? Stealing corporate secrets?” Rhys had a laugh in his voice, doing the shot and replacing it on the counter. “Another?” He asked, brushing his lips against Ewan's ear.
“No,” Ewan stated, “And if I was worried spying, you wouldn’t have been allowed into the building let alone my office.”
“Don’t think I could pull it off?”
“Well aside from having an IQ that rivals lint, have you ever actually used a laptop?”
“Yes.”
“Googling your own name doesn't count.”
“Oh… well… what does that have to do with anything?”
“I don’t know. Why are you still here?” Ewan ask, turning his back on Rhys to return to his desk.
“I wanted to see you,” Rhys said, his long arms slipped around Ewan’s shoulders, pulling him back. “After that explosion… I had to make sure you were really alright. Sienna would have had a fit if she knew I was here.”
“That’s touching, but maybe next time you could try convincing her not to blow me up?”
“I swear I didn’t know anything about it,” Rhys said earnestly. “I wouldn’t have thought Sienna capable of something like that, seeing as how little interest she has in blowing anything.”
“Things like that you need to keep to yourself,” Ewan grimaced.
“Still jealous?” Rhys asked, running his hand up Ewan’s tie and loosening the knot. “It’s not like I want to be with her you know. She just offered me more than you ever did. She even lets me live at her estate.”
“So if she’s so wonderful, what are you doing here with me? Won't she be upset?” Ewan pointed out. He felt Rhys’s nimble fingers releasing the buttons of his shirt, skimming over his chest persuasively.
“Well, she doesn’t have to know everything,” Rhys grinned, crushing their lips together unexpectedly.
Ewan’s hands gripped Rhys’s waist as the tall body crammed against him. He responded to the kiss instinctively, welcoming the familiar tongue that invaded his mouth and skillfully danced with his. With Rhys’s hips digging into him, it didn’t take Ewan long to get hard. It had, after all, been over a day since his last real fuck, and that was practically a record for him. Glancing down at his watch, Ewan figured he had time to screw around before packing it in for the day. It’s not like he was going to get any when he got home, and Rhys would definitely take the edge off having to be spend long sex-less hours with Hayden tonight.
“You want me?” Rhys asked urgently, stripping off Ewan’s shirt.
“Well it’s between you and my hand, so…” Ewan gripped the crop of dark hair, pulling the mouth down to his again, hungrily. There was never anything complicated about kissing Rhys. It was hot, and extravagant, and exactly what Ewan wanted- vastly different from the kiss he’d shared with Hayden last night. Hayden’s lips had been soft and pliable against his, trembling slightly with emotion, and tasting so faintly of tears that it had made Ewan’s head spin. The pain the memory brought took him by surprise, and Ewan had to break off the kiss as a result. He breathed harshly against Rhys's shoulder, clearing the striking thoughts from his head.
“Wow…” Rhys said breathlessly, “felt like you needed that.”
“You have no idea,” Ewan muttered. He gripped Rhys by the front of his jacket, forcing him across the space and into the back room. It was the only bed in the building, mostly for late nights at work, but on occasion Ewan used it for… other activities.
“Take your clothes off,” Ewan ordered, pushing Rhys onto the bed and reaching into the side desk to pull out the essentials.
“What’s gotten into you?” Rhys smirked, unbuckling his pants and kicking them off. “You’re never this… eager. Could it be frustration?”
“That about covers it.”
“Figured the blonde fling wouldn’t work out. What was his name again… Hymen?”
“Hayden.”
“Right, Hayden. Where did you pick him up anyway?”
“Around,” Ewan replied, tearing off the rest of Rhys’s clothing.
“Around where?”
“Just around,” Ewan said sharply.
“In L.A. you mean? I haven’t seen him at any of the usual spots… unless you picked him out of the gutter or something,” Rhys trailed off with a gasp as Ewan’s palm pressed almost painfully against his erection.
“Could we not talk about him right now?” Ewan suggested, stroking the smooth length in his hand, if only to distract the younger man from speaking. He liked Rhys a whole lot more when he wasn’t speaking.
“It’s j-just that he looked odd that’s all… fuck, that’s good Ewan… and something about him is just off. Maybe I’m just imaging it but -”
“Rhys, if you don’t stop yapping you’ll be imagining my cock up your arse,” Ewan warned, biting a path up his neck. He wondered absently if there was an ulterior motive for this questioning. But then, what could Rhys or Sienna want with the tragic boy who had nothing in the world?
“In that case, I’d much rather get fucked by the real thing,” Rhys said with a small pout, causing Ewan to lean to claim his mouth once more. It was a selfish kiss, the kind that raped and plundered, and didn't give anything back. The kind of kiss he'd never take from Hayden because the boy meant too much to him.
"Fuck," Ewan growled to himself. This wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped.
"What's wrong?" Rhys asked, but the exchange was interrupted by an untimely ringing.
“McGregor,” Ewan answered the phone without missing a beat.
“EWAN! I have an AGENT! Well almost- I got contract and it’s on paper, and it looks all official and serious and I’m not even sure how this happened because I was THIS close to working for a phone sex line and I hated you because you lost my poster, then I got sick and then the penguin man called me ‘Sir’ and was all like ‘you have a call’, and Nicole yelled at me, and I have a fax machine in my room and the interview is tomorr-!”
“Hayden! Stop!” Getting over his initial shock, Ewan was left with a bewildered smile. He’d heard puppies howl with more coherence, but he hadn’t realized how eager he’d been to hear Hayden’s voice until the boy was actually shrieking in his ear.
“Start from the top and slow down, alright?” Ewan urged, rolling off of the body under him and lying on his back.
Hayden continued in the exact same high-strung tone, albeit slightly slower, “Nicole called after you left, and she sent those magazine photos to a friend of hers, this like HUGE celebrity agent, and she was interested. In me. Me. As in ME. I’ve been sitting here just staring at this contract for the last couple hours, waiting to wake up, but I’m relatively sure it’s real. It’s fucking unbelievable, Ewan.”
“I’d say so. I leave you alone for a few hours and you go and get yourself an agent? It happened pretty fast don’t you think?” Ewan said cautiously.
“I said that! What you just said- I said that too, but Nicole said they said that they agreed with what she said, and she said they should scoop me up before anyone else said they want me. That’s what she said they said at least.”
Ewan tried not to grin. Really, he did, but something about the self-satisfied, slightly hyperventilating tone in Hayden’s voice was too irresistible. It made his stomach flutter in a way he’d only experienced during experimental drug use back in college.
Breaking into thoughts, a forgotten form pressed against Ewan just then.
“Come ON, I need you…” a sultry voice breathed against his skin.
“Hang on a second, Hayden,” Ewan said, holding the mouth of the cell phone over his chest.
“It’s Hayden,” Ewan informed unnecessarily, turning to Rhys with a warm smile. “He got himself an agent, and now he’s all excited. Isn’t that cute?”
“Adorable,” Rhys deadpanned. “Can you hang up now?”
“I can’t believe he called just to tell me that,” Ewan continued in slight disbelief. “Well, I figure he doesn’t have anyone else to tell, but it’s still sweet how he gets excited and goes into these long run on sentences that I can’t quite decipher because his words are just so blurred together and bubbly, but still quite charming in a unique sort of way which is exactly what he is you know- charming and unique.”
“Ewan, do you want to talk to him, or do you want to fuck me?” Rhys said, understandably irritated at this point.
“Both. Don’t move, I’ll be right back,” Ewan promised, absently patting Rhys’s waist before leaving the room and returning to his main office.
“Ewan! You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry Hayden. I was in the middle of something,” Ewan said, throwing his shirt back on.
“Meeting?”
“Sex.”
“Slut. Couldn’t last ten minutes without getting some, huh?”
“Brat. You’re not so innocent yourself.”
“Hey- I did it to feed myself. What’s your excuse?”
“I have a void in my self confidence that can only be filled with orgasms.”
“Whatever- I’ll take that ‘congratulations Hayden’ any time now. Whenever you feel like it. Right now is good for me.”
“Congratulations Hayden,” Ewan smirked. “You do realize I could have gotten you any job you wanted with a phone call, but if you insist on doing things the hard way...”
“I think you’ve done enough for me at this point.”
“Say that again with less sarcasm.”
“No.”
“You’re a lot meaner over the phone. Now I assume you didn’t just call to brag about the new agent?”
“Actually I needed help with these legal papers and shit. You wouldn’t believe how many pages I have in front of me.”
“Well please tell me you haven’t actually signed anything yet?”
“Of course not! That’s the part I needed help on.”
“Good. I’m glad you at least respect my abilities in contract negotiations. First thing you need to do is ask 30% higher than whatever they were offering. Then when they refuse, you make like you’re playing the field a little until they hit you with a counter offer that you-"
“Ewan! I’d work for jello at this point, that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh. Okay, then what?”
“I’m stuck figuring out what color pen to use on the forms. I mean, I could go with black, but that’s seems so formal, and I don’t want them to get the wrong idea about me. So then I decided on a blue, but you know, there’s royal blue which seems like I’m trying to hard, then there’s this icy sky blue that I love, but it doesn’t really pop out on the page you know? Then I thought of going outside the box and doing it all in this fabulous hot glitter pink- unless that looks like I’m trying too hard. What do you think?”
“Uhhh….”
“You think this is nuts, don’t you? You think I’m ridiculous for thinking this will work out? Fuck, you’re right. I can’t do this. I think I’m going to throw up again.”
“Again?”
“SHIT!”
“What?! What happened?”
“I just wrote my first name in the box where they asked for my last name. Now I’ve ruined it. I should be shot. What does DOB mean?”
“Date of birth.”
“Oh, right. I knew that one. Ewan?”
“Yes Hayden?”
“You coming home any time soon?”
Ewan had never actually choked on his own tongue before, but there were two valid reasons for his momentary brain flatulence. Firstly, Hayden had said ‘home’ giving the distinct impression to the listener that it was also HIS home. Secondly Hayden had actually asked for something.
“Um… sorry, you said you were busy,” Hayden said quickly, mistaking Ewan’s silence for annoyance. “I can figure this out myself. Come back when you can. Take your time. Or don’t. Whatever you were going to do is fine. Not that you need me to tell you it’s fine, because you don’t. I’ll see you later. Or not. Will I? Seriously, what time will you be back?”
“I’m already out the door,” Ewan informed with a grin, snatching his briefcase and throwing on his jacket as he walked. “Give me twenty minutes, alright? Traffic’s a bitch in heat this time of day.”
“Okay,” Hayden said with a smile in his voice. “Oh hey! You want to do me a favor?”
Again, Hayden had asked for something. Ewan thought he was going to bleed to death from happiness.
“Anything,” Ewan stated.
“Get some Froot Loops on your way back. I’ve cleaned you out already.”
“Fruit… loops,” Ewan said slowly. “I don’t know what that is.”
“Cereal.”
“Cereal,” Ewan said slowly. “I don’t do cereal, Hayden. That’s what the staff is for. You want an island in the Bahamas, I could do that.”
“What am I going to do with an island?”
“What are you going to do with cereal? At least island is practical.”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that. Are you getting my Froot Loops or not?”
“Not. Ask one of the staff to go out and get some, seriously that’s what they’re paid to do.”
“You want me to ask them to go out just to buy me Froot Loops? How diva is that? You’re already on your way, and it’ll take three minutes of your life.”
"But convenience stores are so middle class." Ewan cringed, then said hopefully, “Island! We can name it after you, and declare nude beaches. It’ll be great.”
“No island! Froot Loops. Come on Ewan, I’m having cravings.”
“Really? Then maybe I should pick up that pregnancy test instead. Considering the amount of action I’ve gotten from you, I seriously doubt it’s mine.”
“You’re such a freak.”
“You say that now, but when the kid turns out looking like the pool boy-”
“Ewan!”
“Fine, I’ll get your fucking Fruit-Loops, but only if you promise to put that contract away until I get there.”
“But-”
“No! Working yourself up into a panic isn’t going to do any good. Just relax, have a drink, jerk off, take a nap. I’ll see you soon.”
Ewan hung up the phone, heading down the blustering hallway. As always, he had people rushing after him, asking him to take a call, or sign something, or generally pestering him. Fortunately, Ewan had refined the art of brushing people off. He quickly made it to the main elevator that had immediately cleared for him: partly because he was the boss, and partly because he was wearing a crazy sort of grin. Double checking for his car keys, he was left with a vague notion that he’d forgotten to do something… but Hayden needed Fruit Loops, and Ewan couldn’t think of anything else.
"Hey- wait!" Jude called, narrowly slipping through the closing doors.
"You again- first the shower, now the elevator? We know you're secretly in love with me Jude but have some dignity."
"Good, you're in a pleasant mood, that'll take the sting off what I'm about to say," Jude informed, looking a little disconcerted. "We've got a problem with Sienna."
"Impossible, how could she turn down an offer of: 'you can have whatever you want.'"
"She didn't turn it down. It's what she asked for that's a problem.
Ewan rolled his eyes, "Jude I told you, if you try negotiate with an idiot it'll turn out messy. Just give her whatever she asks upfront and leave it at that. Nothing she wants is more important than closing this contract, not when the stability of our company is at risk."
Jude shook his head, "You don't understand Ewan. She doesn't want shares, or stocks, or a planet named after her. She wants Hayden."
Chapter 9
~*~
Please comment...? *offers cookies* ...okay I lied, no cookies. Okay, fine, one cookie, but you have to share it.
Pairing: Ewan/Hayden
Rating: NC17
Summary: Hayden's dreams of becoming an actor didn't stand a chance in the unforgiving city of Los Angeles. Left with nothing in his wallet, and nobody to turn to, he was forced to work the streets just to get by. His life takes a dramatic turn one night when billionaire playboy Ewan McGregor pulls up to his side of the street.
If that wasn't a big enough hint, this story is an AU loosely based on Pretty Woman- at least at the start. It also rips off Moulin Rouge, Down with Love, and makes random Star Wars references.
Warnings: There'll be gritty parts, violence, pr0n, and coma-inducing fluff. I'll give you a mini warning at thestart of each new chapter.
Disclaimer: It's all up in here *thumps index finger to temple*
Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Chapter 8
Hayden looked around his new bedroom, then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was still in the same place. Deciding that this wasn't some horrible practical joke, he took a moment to let the new surroundings sink in. The bedroom was a lot like Ewan’s, and about three times larger than Hayden’s old apartment. Painfully eclectic, Hayden wasn’t exactly turned on by the harsh angles and immaculate tones of the space. In fact, the urge to trash the room was sudden and urgent, and Hayden had to physically resist doing so by folding his arms close to his chest. The impulse wasn’t a result of anger or frustration- he generally didn’t express himself by breaking things. He just hated the lifelessness of the room, so huge and empty. Its only saving grace were the tinted windows that allowed industrially clean light to filter through.
Staring out at the view of finely manicured gardens, Hayden let his forehead rest against the cool glass. The scenery reminded him of those fancy parks he wasn’t allowed to play in when he was a kid- mostly because he used to have a mild case of pyromania back then, usually involving the largest dry shrub he could find. It was amusing- if not demented- to see something go up in flames and be consumed into ashes. Yet everything here was too beautiful to destroy. The flower beds were white, arranged in a swirl around a statuesque fountain, looking like the something out of a wedding magazine. Everything was precise, and polite, attempting an untamed appearance but in the end, coming across predictable and plastic. To Hayden it was all so foreign, and presumptuous, and holy shit that was a fucking huge swimming pool glittering an unnatural blue color. Hayden wondered idly if Ewan would teach him how to swim.
The thought caught him by surprise, and he laughed out loud at it, “Oh yeah, excellent idea Hayden. Then maybe you can bake cookies together, wear matching t-shirts, then pick out a golden retriever and name it Jude.”
Turning his attention back to the boxes on his floor, Hayden methodically overturned each, emptying the contents on the bed. It was mostly random odds and ends from his apartment. His old clothes were useless because he'd discovered earlier the walk-in closet that was already full. Other than that, there were some video tapes, magazines, a pocket knife, cigarettes, eyeliner, and a lighter. He didn’t realize what his eyes had been frantically searching for until he discovered that it wasn’t there.
“Shit,” Hayden growled, crushing one of the empty boxes in his hands and throwing it aside. It wasn’t there. His poster- it wasn’t there. A sharp pang tugged on his heart; his first instinct was to run back to his apartment and find it. Yet the unsettling images from last night were still fresh in his mind and he immediately recoiled from the idea. On some level he realized it was illogical to feel this much agony over a poster, but he felt like a limb had just been severed from him. If only he had it, he could hang it up on these depressing walls and make the place seem less alien.
“Fucking Ewan, losing my poster,” Hayden grunted, sitting heavily on the bed. He rationalized that he had been responsible for losing Ewan priceless family ring. He supposed the two evened out. Barely.
That’s when Hayden realized that something was sticking into his ass, and not in the good way. He pulled out a leather wallet from under him, figuring one of the movers had left it there. Only when he looked inside, he found a US social security card with his name on it. Interesting, since he wasn’t American. There was also a driver’s license with a crappy photo, a passport, and several other pieces of photo ID. His check was nowhere in sight, but in its place was a VISA platinum card. He had a vague feeling there was a lot more than sixty grand on it. Ewan certainly didn't believe in wasting time.
That's when Hayden started developing a headache. None of this was good. Well, obviously it was good, but if he couldn’t sustain it himself, it meant nothing. Hayden needed to find a job-a new job-and he needed to get out of here. For all that the man had done for him, Hayden still didn’t fully trust Ewan McGregor. Then again, if Ewan wanted to give him a free ride, Hayden wasn’t in any position to turn it down. Pride didn’t go very far when you had nothing.
The tension and anxiety he'd been supessing all morning hit him like a slap in the face. The next twenty minutes had been spent in the bathroom, throwing up. Hayden almost regretted losing his breakfast, but a combination of frayed nerves and fear meant that he couldn’t keep it down. Feeling a little miserable, Hayden cleaned up and showered, changing into new clothes but not feeling any better. His immediate thought was to call Ewan. This did in fact surprise him. He’d been through a lot worse than an upset stomach and he hadn’t needed anyone, yet now all he could think of was hearing Ewan’s voice. Hayden remembered how easy it had been to draw comfort from the man last night. He had felt an immense weight lift from his shoulders when Ewan had pulled him closer and whispered things Hayden couldn’t remember now. All he recalled was the ease he'd felt, knowing that someone was with him. It was the chaste physical contact that Hayden had needed. He wanted it all over again.
“No problem. Just call him and say you need a hug,” Hayden mumbled to himself sarcastically, daring to leave his room, just long enough to raid the kitchen again for breakfast: part 2. This time he struck gold, half a box of his favorite comfort food, Froot Loops. Hayden tucked the box under one arm, leaving both hands free to browse the newspaper he’d just snatched from the dining hall. A childish part of him was bursting to run around and explore the cavernous mansion, but he had more important things to do. Like find a job, get a life, stop obsessing over Ewan McGregor
Back in the cold comfort of his room, Hayden had taken one look at the stylish silver desk decorating the corner, and had promptly dropped to the floor. He rolled onto his stomach, directly in the spot of sun that had warmed the carpet under him. He spread the newspaper in front of him, reading comics and entertainment section before turning to the classifieds.
After extensive search, all he was qualified for was freelance telephone operator, the obscure description for which sounding suspiciously like a phone sex line.
“Well, it’s a step up,” Hayden said to himself, circling the add with a flourish before bringing the pen up to his lips again, nibbling at the end thoughtfully. He almost enjoyed this. The silence. Just the rustling of paper and the crunching of cereal to keep him company. It was easy to pretend he was locked up in a room where nobody would ever find him, or touch him, or hurt him.
“Mr. Christensen, there’s a-”
“AHH!” Hayden jerked upright, as a shadowy figure loomed over him. “Fuck, you scared the shit out of me!” He told the penguin suited man.
“I do apologize for the intrusion Sir, but there is an urgent call for you. Would you like to attend to it here, or would you rather I take a message?”
“Uh… no, I can get it, thank you…” Hayden said, quickly getting to his feet and taking the cordless from the man who nodded politely and left.
“Ewan?” Hayden asked uncertainly.
“HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN!”
Hayden jumped at the sudden sound, and the phone went tumbling from his fingers in the process. Definitely not Ewan. He quickly snatched up the cordless again, the furious voice in his ear was mid-sentence.
“…And don’t give me any excuses about being too busy! I’m in the middle of a show and even I find time to dial a number! Honestly Hayden, I expected more from you and I am thoroughly disappointed. When I left you a bag at the hospital I distinctly recall leaving you my number! Now I demand to know how you are doing, because the boys were of NO help. Ewan has the telephone manner of a wet napkin, and Jude gets tongue-tied after the first five minutes of speaking to me. Well? I’m waiting.”
“I-I’m fine,” Hayden said with a mixture of embarrassment and disbelief. He really hadn't expected to hear from the woman again, but the friendly voice brought a smile to his face. “I’m really sorry for not calling, Nicole.”
“Well you should be, but Jude managed to babble out some vague details about what happened last night, so I suppose you had other things on your mind.”
“He told you?” Hayden swallowed dryly.
“I won't press you Honey, but if you ever needed to talk…”
“I won't, but it means a lot that you offered,” Hayden said honestly.
“Very well- now is there anything you need? I hate to be the one to say it, but Ewan and Jude are idiots. The only thing they know how to nurture are their bank accounts, and I don’t trust them to keep an eye on you.”
“I’m alright, really,” Hayden cracked a smile. “Jude made me breakfast, and Ewan… Ewan’s been great. Really great. I’m sort of staying with him now. I think. I’m not really sure why he asked me to.”
“Oh I have a vague idea, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Now, I have an ulterior motive for this call, and very little time in which to discuss it so I apologize if this blindsides you. Has my fax arrived yet?”
“Fax?” Hayden asked, just as the obscure machine on his desk whirred into life. “Okay... apparently I have a fax machine. I just got it Nicole.” Hayden continued picking up the papers.
“Good. Now I sent your portfolio to a friend of mine-”
“Portfolio?”
“From the magazine shoot you did, Love. Now hush and don’t interrupt,” Nicole chided. “She's the chairwoman of one of the most influential talent agencies in L.A. She’s represented everyone from football players to politicians to Golden Globe winners- one year under her wing and you’re instantly the hottest new thing on the market. Now her clientele is mostly exclusive, but every now and again she likes to challenge herself with a new face. It keeps her on her toes. Anyway, she told me to pass along this contract."
“Nicole…” Hayden frowned warily, scanning the papers. “How can she offer me a contract when she’s never even met me?”
“Oh… I may have possibly gushed about what little angel you were, and she wanted to scoop you up before anyone else did. I'm telling you, she can't wait to start whipping you into shape. Your interview is tomorrow, but it's just a formality. Still, wear a tie.”
“Are you serious? I've only ever been to one interview in my life Nicole, and Burger King didn't want me. Do you actually think this will work?”
"This is the way things work in this town, Darling. You get a break, and you MAKE it work because opportunities don’t come around too often, if ever. Well, in your case I suppose you could always ask Ewan to-”
"No!" Hayden said quickly. "I'd rather do this by myself. If I decide to. I can't believe you went through all this trouble Nicole..."
“Honey, I merely made a recommendation, no more than I would have done for anyone else I thought was deserving. I’d hire you myself, but the life of a full time model is very fickle. With a credible agency to back you up you’ll have all the flexibility in the world to pick and choose what kind of jobs you want to do.”
"I'm still not sure if I can do it. It’s not that I don’t want to- I do!- it’s just so far out of my league…"
"Hayden, you're living with Ewan McGregor. I think he owns the league," Nicole pointed out. "Now I want no more of this insecurity tripe. I expect you shed those excuses and doubts and make this decision in terms of your future. I won't lie to you- it's an ugly, competitive business you’d be entering, and you're going to get rejected more often than not."
"I could handle that," Hayden said immediately, knowing there were a lot worse things in the world than mere rejection.
"I know you can. So go over the contract, see if it’s something you could throw yourself into. They're not offering you the moon in terms of income, but believe me, for someone with only one photo shoot to his name, it’s pretty gosh darn impressive.”
“Believe me, I'm not picky,” Hayden smiled a little, the beginnings of nervous excitement fluttering in his stomach. “I want to say thank you, but it seems like an underwhelming response at the moment.”
“Well in any case, you’re welcome. Just remember to invite me to those fabulous VIP award shows you’ll be going to. Now I’ve got to dash, Darling- it’s lunchtime, and I think the models are fighting over Tic Tacs again.”
“Can I call you later this week?” Hayden asked quickly.
“You’d better. Give my love to the boys, and take care of yourself!”
~*~
Ewan had a migraine. The kind that crept up on you, exploded in hellfire, ravaged you completely, then receded incrementally with medication. The executive board of McGregor Enterprises had been avidly debating for the last two hours, yet their reasoning was circular and it all came down to one thing that his best friend and vice chairman had just hit upon.
“We're dead in the water without this contract. The manufacturing quota aside, those surveillance schematics are gold, and we need to get our hands on them before anyone else does,” Jude insisted.
“I agree,” an executive commented. “Once the contract with the U.N. expires we could always re-interpret the plans for domestic distribution, figure out how to put it to commercial use and make a killing in the public market. That's where all the money is.”
“But how far are we willing to invest?” Another asked. “Ewan, you can't bear the financial demands on your own. We’ll need to come up with one bloody brilliant pitch to the rest of the share holders, or this could blow up in our faces and pulling back our bid in the last minute would be an embarrassment to the company. It may be safer to drop out of the running now and save ourselves the trouble.”
“If we don’t get the contract, who do you think will?” Ewan asked rhetorically. Unsettled eyes turned to him, they all knew the answer.
“Exactly,” Ewan stated. “If this lands in the wrong hands, we could be elbowed out of the industry and lose some valuable clients. Hell, we could be buried within the year. That's something I refuse to let happen. Now, what are our other options?”
“Sienna Miller.” Jude stated.
There was a pause.
“So what are our other options?” Ewan asked again. At Jude’s pointed glare, Ewan sighed. “Fine, let's hear it."
"We get her to drop her bid on the contract," Jude said simply.
“Why bother?” A board member asked. “It’s not like she would have gotten it anyway. The front runners are McGregor Enterprises and McDiarmid Inc. We all know Miller isn’t even a close third.”
“Perhaps, but the she-devil has politicians in her pocket,” Ewan said gruffly. “If we give her something she wants, she’ll drop her bid, but not before putting in a good word on our behalf. She could turn the whole thing around for us."
"Problem is that Sienna is more likely to give her allegiance to McDiarmid that to us," Jude pointed out.
"So change her mind, offer her anything she wants. Whatever we lose to her will be worth it if she helps us win this contract. Besides, I'd love to see the betrayed look on McDiarmid's face when he catches us in bed with MillerCorp. Figuratively speaking.”
“Very well,” Jude nodded, sliding over stack of papers to Ewan. “Should I call her people, set up negotiations?”
“Don't negotiate. Jump on her first offer or else things will get sticky- and take care of it personally Jude. I don’t want anyone else dealing with her,” Ewan signed the documents in front of him before looking around the boardroom table. “And I’d like to remind you all that this deal had been two years in the making, so if anyone fucks up it’ll be their arses on the line. As always, nobody takes any of this to the press- we'll let the lawyers deal with that nightmare when the time comes. Now go home, people. Hug your children, make love to your significant other, and let the dog out, because after tonight your sole purpose for living becomes nailing this contract.”
“Something bothering you?” Jude asked once the meeting had dismissed and the room had emptied.
“No,” Ewan said, digging the tip of his pen into the table in front of him, cracking the fine finishing.
“Ewan, it's no secret that the McGregors and McDiarmids have a long-standing hatred, and Sienna's never been your favorite person... but I still think you made the right call here."
"Hmmm."
"Very eloquent. If you've got something on your mind, might as well spit it out before anything is official."
“It’s already official!” Ewan grunted, “I asked him to live with me Jude. You realize the only people I ever lived with were my parents, and they were never thrilled with the arrangement- hence the boarding school. What was I thinking, letting him move in? I guess I wasn’t thinking last night. Then he tried to kiss me when I left- did I mention that? I mean last night he clung to me like the world was about to end, then he starts accusing me of wanting a live-in whore, and I was so fucking angry! I might have said something about not having sex with him, which is possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done. Did I mention he tried to kiss me? He got this glassy look in his eyes and tries to lay one on me right there. I'm fucking confused. He appreciates my help, but he doesn’t actually want any of it. He says he doesn’t want to have sex, but he wants to tongue wrestle instead? I mean, if we’re not fucking then I fail to see the point in making out. There’s no payoff in the end!”
“I was talking about... the contract.”
“Oh,” Ewan said stupidly. “No, I’m fine with the contract.”
“Good. I’m going to make the proposal to Miller, shouldn’t take long. Do you want to get an early dinner?”
“I can’t believe Hayden hasn’t called me,” Ewan said randomly. “Why hasn’t he called me? I think he’s ignoring me. Do you think he’s ignoring me? It’s been hours, what could he possibly be doing? Maybe he went out. No, I doubt it. Maybe I should call him. God, that’s so needy. I’m not calling him. He might be pissed because I didn't kiss him- I should have just fucking kissed him. Why doesn’t he just fucking call me? Do you know why he hasn’t called me?”
“I'll let you know what Miller decides,” Jude smirked slightly before leaving the room.
Ewan stalked off in the opposite direction, back to his office. He slammed the door behind him, causing a figure behind his desk to swivel around in the black leather recliner. Ewan met the pale blue eyes that glittered at him, and studied the alluring mouth that turned up in a crooked smile.
“Get out of my chair,” Ewan said bluntly, ignoring the presence as he made a bee line towards the bar- his office was nothing if not well equipped. It might as well have been a condo considering its size and the fact that it had a bedroom in the back. It was just as well since Ewan spent more time at work than he did at home.
“As I recall, you liked me in this chair,” Rhys smiled, stretching languidly in the seat, one long leg dangling over the armrest. "...And on your desk, and that couch, and up against the wall..."
“How did you get in here?” Ewan sighed, pouring himself a drink, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Seriously, get out of my chair.”
“You gave a security pass the last time, remember?” Rhys reminded, playing with the small key card in his hand.
“Hmmm. Time to get the locks changed.”
“You don’t mean that. Hey, can I get one of those too?” Rhys asked hopefully, slipping off the seat and sauntering over to the bar. Ewan took notice of his outfit that moved like a second skin as he walked. It was all denim, and leather, and sex. Though Rhys looked like he belonged on a pole, Ewan didn’t mind appreciating the view, especially with the day he'd had.
“You drink to much Rhys,” Ewan said with slightly less vehemence in his voice.
“No I don’t…”
“Yes, you do. I worry about you sometimes. If one of your brain cells dies then the other one would get lonely- and then where would we be?”
Rhys gave him a sad, predictable, pouty sort of look.
“Scotch alright?” Ewan relinquished with a sigh, turning back to the bar.
“Perfect,” Rhys grinned, looking over Ewan’s shoulder as the man turned to pour another drink. “No ice. You remembered?”
“No, just ran out of ice,” Ewan said neutrally. “So what exactly are you doing here? Sienna send you on some sort of excursion? I’m offering her a deal this afternoon so you’re wasting your time.”
“You think I’m spying for her? Stealing corporate secrets?” Rhys had a laugh in his voice, doing the shot and replacing it on the counter. “Another?” He asked, brushing his lips against Ewan's ear.
“No,” Ewan stated, “And if I was worried spying, you wouldn’t have been allowed into the building let alone my office.”
“Don’t think I could pull it off?”
“Well aside from having an IQ that rivals lint, have you ever actually used a laptop?”
“Yes.”
“Googling your own name doesn't count.”
“Oh… well… what does that have to do with anything?”
“I don’t know. Why are you still here?” Ewan ask, turning his back on Rhys to return to his desk.
“I wanted to see you,” Rhys said, his long arms slipped around Ewan’s shoulders, pulling him back. “After that explosion… I had to make sure you were really alright. Sienna would have had a fit if she knew I was here.”
“That’s touching, but maybe next time you could try convincing her not to blow me up?”
“I swear I didn’t know anything about it,” Rhys said earnestly. “I wouldn’t have thought Sienna capable of something like that, seeing as how little interest she has in blowing anything.”
“Things like that you need to keep to yourself,” Ewan grimaced.
“Still jealous?” Rhys asked, running his hand up Ewan’s tie and loosening the knot. “It’s not like I want to be with her you know. She just offered me more than you ever did. She even lets me live at her estate.”
“So if she’s so wonderful, what are you doing here with me? Won't she be upset?” Ewan pointed out. He felt Rhys’s nimble fingers releasing the buttons of his shirt, skimming over his chest persuasively.
“Well, she doesn’t have to know everything,” Rhys grinned, crushing their lips together unexpectedly.
Ewan’s hands gripped Rhys’s waist as the tall body crammed against him. He responded to the kiss instinctively, welcoming the familiar tongue that invaded his mouth and skillfully danced with his. With Rhys’s hips digging into him, it didn’t take Ewan long to get hard. It had, after all, been over a day since his last real fuck, and that was practically a record for him. Glancing down at his watch, Ewan figured he had time to screw around before packing it in for the day. It’s not like he was going to get any when he got home, and Rhys would definitely take the edge off having to be spend long sex-less hours with Hayden tonight.
“You want me?” Rhys asked urgently, stripping off Ewan’s shirt.
“Well it’s between you and my hand, so…” Ewan gripped the crop of dark hair, pulling the mouth down to his again, hungrily. There was never anything complicated about kissing Rhys. It was hot, and extravagant, and exactly what Ewan wanted- vastly different from the kiss he’d shared with Hayden last night. Hayden’s lips had been soft and pliable against his, trembling slightly with emotion, and tasting so faintly of tears that it had made Ewan’s head spin. The pain the memory brought took him by surprise, and Ewan had to break off the kiss as a result. He breathed harshly against Rhys's shoulder, clearing the striking thoughts from his head.
“Wow…” Rhys said breathlessly, “felt like you needed that.”
“You have no idea,” Ewan muttered. He gripped Rhys by the front of his jacket, forcing him across the space and into the back room. It was the only bed in the building, mostly for late nights at work, but on occasion Ewan used it for… other activities.
“Take your clothes off,” Ewan ordered, pushing Rhys onto the bed and reaching into the side desk to pull out the essentials.
“What’s gotten into you?” Rhys smirked, unbuckling his pants and kicking them off. “You’re never this… eager. Could it be frustration?”
“That about covers it.”
“Figured the blonde fling wouldn’t work out. What was his name again… Hymen?”
“Hayden.”
“Right, Hayden. Where did you pick him up anyway?”
“Around,” Ewan replied, tearing off the rest of Rhys’s clothing.
“Around where?”
“Just around,” Ewan said sharply.
“In L.A. you mean? I haven’t seen him at any of the usual spots… unless you picked him out of the gutter or something,” Rhys trailed off with a gasp as Ewan’s palm pressed almost painfully against his erection.
“Could we not talk about him right now?” Ewan suggested, stroking the smooth length in his hand, if only to distract the younger man from speaking. He liked Rhys a whole lot more when he wasn’t speaking.
“It’s j-just that he looked odd that’s all… fuck, that’s good Ewan… and something about him is just off. Maybe I’m just imaging it but -”
“Rhys, if you don’t stop yapping you’ll be imagining my cock up your arse,” Ewan warned, biting a path up his neck. He wondered absently if there was an ulterior motive for this questioning. But then, what could Rhys or Sienna want with the tragic boy who had nothing in the world?
“In that case, I’d much rather get fucked by the real thing,” Rhys said with a small pout, causing Ewan to lean to claim his mouth once more. It was a selfish kiss, the kind that raped and plundered, and didn't give anything back. The kind of kiss he'd never take from Hayden because the boy meant too much to him.
"Fuck," Ewan growled to himself. This wasn't going as smoothly as he'd hoped.
"What's wrong?" Rhys asked, but the exchange was interrupted by an untimely ringing.
“McGregor,” Ewan answered the phone without missing a beat.
“EWAN! I have an AGENT! Well almost- I got contract and it’s on paper, and it looks all official and serious and I’m not even sure how this happened because I was THIS close to working for a phone sex line and I hated you because you lost my poster, then I got sick and then the penguin man called me ‘Sir’ and was all like ‘you have a call’, and Nicole yelled at me, and I have a fax machine in my room and the interview is tomorr-!”
“Hayden! Stop!” Getting over his initial shock, Ewan was left with a bewildered smile. He’d heard puppies howl with more coherence, but he hadn’t realized how eager he’d been to hear Hayden’s voice until the boy was actually shrieking in his ear.
“Start from the top and slow down, alright?” Ewan urged, rolling off of the body under him and lying on his back.
Hayden continued in the exact same high-strung tone, albeit slightly slower, “Nicole called after you left, and she sent those magazine photos to a friend of hers, this like HUGE celebrity agent, and she was interested. In me. Me. As in ME. I’ve been sitting here just staring at this contract for the last couple hours, waiting to wake up, but I’m relatively sure it’s real. It’s fucking unbelievable, Ewan.”
“I’d say so. I leave you alone for a few hours and you go and get yourself an agent? It happened pretty fast don’t you think?” Ewan said cautiously.
“I said that! What you just said- I said that too, but Nicole said they said that they agreed with what she said, and she said they should scoop me up before anyone else said they want me. That’s what she said they said at least.”
Ewan tried not to grin. Really, he did, but something about the self-satisfied, slightly hyperventilating tone in Hayden’s voice was too irresistible. It made his stomach flutter in a way he’d only experienced during experimental drug use back in college.
Breaking into thoughts, a forgotten form pressed against Ewan just then.
“Come ON, I need you…” a sultry voice breathed against his skin.
“Hang on a second, Hayden,” Ewan said, holding the mouth of the cell phone over his chest.
“It’s Hayden,” Ewan informed unnecessarily, turning to Rhys with a warm smile. “He got himself an agent, and now he’s all excited. Isn’t that cute?”
“Adorable,” Rhys deadpanned. “Can you hang up now?”
“I can’t believe he called just to tell me that,” Ewan continued in slight disbelief. “Well, I figure he doesn’t have anyone else to tell, but it’s still sweet how he gets excited and goes into these long run on sentences that I can’t quite decipher because his words are just so blurred together and bubbly, but still quite charming in a unique sort of way which is exactly what he is you know- charming and unique.”
“Ewan, do you want to talk to him, or do you want to fuck me?” Rhys said, understandably irritated at this point.
“Both. Don’t move, I’ll be right back,” Ewan promised, absently patting Rhys’s waist before leaving the room and returning to his main office.
“Ewan! You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry Hayden. I was in the middle of something,” Ewan said, throwing his shirt back on.
“Meeting?”
“Sex.”
“Slut. Couldn’t last ten minutes without getting some, huh?”
“Brat. You’re not so innocent yourself.”
“Hey- I did it to feed myself. What’s your excuse?”
“I have a void in my self confidence that can only be filled with orgasms.”
“Whatever- I’ll take that ‘congratulations Hayden’ any time now. Whenever you feel like it. Right now is good for me.”
“Congratulations Hayden,” Ewan smirked. “You do realize I could have gotten you any job you wanted with a phone call, but if you insist on doing things the hard way...”
“I think you’ve done enough for me at this point.”
“Say that again with less sarcasm.”
“No.”
“You’re a lot meaner over the phone. Now I assume you didn’t just call to brag about the new agent?”
“Actually I needed help with these legal papers and shit. You wouldn’t believe how many pages I have in front of me.”
“Well please tell me you haven’t actually signed anything yet?”
“Of course not! That’s the part I needed help on.”
“Good. I’m glad you at least respect my abilities in contract negotiations. First thing you need to do is ask 30% higher than whatever they were offering. Then when they refuse, you make like you’re playing the field a little until they hit you with a counter offer that you-"
“Ewan! I’d work for jello at this point, that’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh. Okay, then what?”
“I’m stuck figuring out what color pen to use on the forms. I mean, I could go with black, but that’s seems so formal, and I don’t want them to get the wrong idea about me. So then I decided on a blue, but you know, there’s royal blue which seems like I’m trying to hard, then there’s this icy sky blue that I love, but it doesn’t really pop out on the page you know? Then I thought of going outside the box and doing it all in this fabulous hot glitter pink- unless that looks like I’m trying too hard. What do you think?”
“Uhhh….”
“You think this is nuts, don’t you? You think I’m ridiculous for thinking this will work out? Fuck, you’re right. I can’t do this. I think I’m going to throw up again.”
“Again?”
“SHIT!”
“What?! What happened?”
“I just wrote my first name in the box where they asked for my last name. Now I’ve ruined it. I should be shot. What does DOB mean?”
“Date of birth.”
“Oh, right. I knew that one. Ewan?”
“Yes Hayden?”
“You coming home any time soon?”
Ewan had never actually choked on his own tongue before, but there were two valid reasons for his momentary brain flatulence. Firstly, Hayden had said ‘home’ giving the distinct impression to the listener that it was also HIS home. Secondly Hayden had actually asked for something.
“Um… sorry, you said you were busy,” Hayden said quickly, mistaking Ewan’s silence for annoyance. “I can figure this out myself. Come back when you can. Take your time. Or don’t. Whatever you were going to do is fine. Not that you need me to tell you it’s fine, because you don’t. I’ll see you later. Or not. Will I? Seriously, what time will you be back?”
“I’m already out the door,” Ewan informed with a grin, snatching his briefcase and throwing on his jacket as he walked. “Give me twenty minutes, alright? Traffic’s a bitch in heat this time of day.”
“Okay,” Hayden said with a smile in his voice. “Oh hey! You want to do me a favor?”
Again, Hayden had asked for something. Ewan thought he was going to bleed to death from happiness.
“Anything,” Ewan stated.
“Get some Froot Loops on your way back. I’ve cleaned you out already.”
“Fruit… loops,” Ewan said slowly. “I don’t know what that is.”
“Cereal.”
“Cereal,” Ewan said slowly. “I don’t do cereal, Hayden. That’s what the staff is for. You want an island in the Bahamas, I could do that.”
“What am I going to do with an island?”
“What are you going to do with cereal? At least island is practical.”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that. Are you getting my Froot Loops or not?”
“Not. Ask one of the staff to go out and get some, seriously that’s what they’re paid to do.”
“You want me to ask them to go out just to buy me Froot Loops? How diva is that? You’re already on your way, and it’ll take three minutes of your life.”
"But convenience stores are so middle class." Ewan cringed, then said hopefully, “Island! We can name it after you, and declare nude beaches. It’ll be great.”
“No island! Froot Loops. Come on Ewan, I’m having cravings.”
“Really? Then maybe I should pick up that pregnancy test instead. Considering the amount of action I’ve gotten from you, I seriously doubt it’s mine.”
“You’re such a freak.”
“You say that now, but when the kid turns out looking like the pool boy-”
“Ewan!”
“Fine, I’ll get your fucking Fruit-Loops, but only if you promise to put that contract away until I get there.”
“But-”
“No! Working yourself up into a panic isn’t going to do any good. Just relax, have a drink, jerk off, take a nap. I’ll see you soon.”
Ewan hung up the phone, heading down the blustering hallway. As always, he had people rushing after him, asking him to take a call, or sign something, or generally pestering him. Fortunately, Ewan had refined the art of brushing people off. He quickly made it to the main elevator that had immediately cleared for him: partly because he was the boss, and partly because he was wearing a crazy sort of grin. Double checking for his car keys, he was left with a vague notion that he’d forgotten to do something… but Hayden needed Fruit Loops, and Ewan couldn’t think of anything else.
"Hey- wait!" Jude called, narrowly slipping through the closing doors.
"You again- first the shower, now the elevator? We know you're secretly in love with me Jude but have some dignity."
"Good, you're in a pleasant mood, that'll take the sting off what I'm about to say," Jude informed, looking a little disconcerted. "We've got a problem with Sienna."
"Impossible, how could she turn down an offer of: 'you can have whatever you want.'"
"She didn't turn it down. It's what she asked for that's a problem.
Ewan rolled his eyes, "Jude I told you, if you try negotiate with an idiot it'll turn out messy. Just give her whatever she asks upfront and leave it at that. Nothing she wants is more important than closing this contract, not when the stability of our company is at risk."
Jude shook his head, "You don't understand Ewan. She doesn't want shares, or stocks, or a planet named after her. She wants Hayden."
Chapter 9
~*~
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