Working for the Man, Chapter 2
Title: Working for the Man
Fandom : Moonlight
Characters : Mick, Josef
Rating : R, for some sexual content and strong language.
Summary: Flashback to 1969. Mick takes a job at Kostan Industries before he
becomes a PI. Can Mick and Josef's friendship survive a boss-employee
relationship? A light and fluffy stand-alone fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; no copyright infringement intended.
A/N: Thanks so much for the interest you’ve shown in this fic. I’ve written flashback scenes in my other stories, but an entire story has turned out to be more fun for me than I had imagined. In the series, we got glimpses back in time to Mick in the forties, fifties, and eighties, so it’s cool for me to try to fill in the blanks that were the “lost years” of the sixties and seventies. Also, since this is the late sixties, keep in mind that sexism was rampant in the workplace, and unfortunately, Mick and Josef are men of their times. I do not espouse those beliefs, but I’ve tried to make office attitudes realistic in this fic-please don’t be mad at me for it, lol.
I hope you continue to read, enjoy, and review! This chapter is very long; another case of me getting carried away.
Chapter 2
MICK
I woke up in my freezer at about two in the afternoon, looking forward to a new day for the first time in months. I’d be working for my best friend, and I couldn’t think of a better person to work for. He was always so witty, and we could have endless conversations about anything. If a guy could have a guy soul mate (in a completely masculine and butch way), Josef would be mine. At least that’s what I thought, until I opened my closet, that is. Hanging on the rack were five suits, each of varying shades of conservative, five plain white dress shirts, and on the shelves were all the accessories, including belts, shoes, and even socks. I sniffed around, wondering how Josef or some lackey had gotten into the house without my knowing about it or sensing it. I guess some things would always remain a mystery where Josef was concerned.
I knew it would be a losing battle to show up at work in my favorite bellbottoms, so I reluctantly removed a suit. It was navy blue, but had a faint plaid pattern on it. I chose a different tie than the suggested one that hung with the suit. Instead of the muted solid red, I chose the yellow paisley from off the grey suit. I sighed, but tried to look on the bright side. At least there was no red piping on anything.
After a shower and pint of AB positive, I put on my newest uniform. The lapels were fashionably wide, as was the tie, and the entire ensemble was obviously of high quality. I shouldn’t have been surprised that it fit like it had been tailored for me. Josef worked in mysterious ways. I stood before the full-length mirror, admiring my new persona. It had taken a couple tries to get the tie right-I hadn’t worn one regularly since my Army days-but I had to admit I looked pretty damn good. The only thing that clashed with the look was my hair. It was about two inches past my collar, and all one length. It was nice that my curly hair was finally in style, and I didn’t have to fight it with Brylcreem to keep it in place when fashion or the military dictated I keep it tamed down. Still, it somehow diminished the professional look. I went to the bathroom, wet my comb, and slicked it straight back. There. That was better. I looked business-like, but still hip. I slipped on my new cashmere (!) socks and the black wingtips that were polished to a high gloss, took a deep, unnecessary breath, then went out to the metallic green,‘67 Mustang convertible Coraline had left parked in the garage. Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, I drove downtown to Kostan Tower.
****
Josef was genuinely glad to see me, especially in the suit. I stood in his office while he sized me up, even twirling his finger so I would turn around. On that, I drew the line. Employee or not, I was not his giant Ken doll.
“So, Boss,” I asked him, “what’s my job?” He sat back down behind his large mahogany desk, the LA skyline behind him like an ad in Business Week, indicating that I sit in one of the chairs in front of him.
“Actually, it’s lucky that I have two recent openings to fill.”
“Lucky?”
“Well, lucky for you, anyway. I caught my personnel manager doing the old suck and fuck in the supply closet. The sex I might have forgiven; the unauthorized use of one of my prime freshies-completely unacceptable. But he won’t be dipping his quill into that well again.”
I had the sneaking suspicion of what that meant. “Josef. What did you do to them?”
“Well, I fired her. I was much less…forgiving of him.”
I didn’t ask any more questions, but knew his vague answer probably meant my predecessor’s corpse was currently rotting in the desert, being nibbled on by the fishes, or a new addition to La Brea. I was suddenly second-guessing my newfound employment.
“So, is that what I have to look forward to if I screw up?”
He smirked. “Just don’t piss me off, and we’ll never know.”
He got up and walked around his desk. “You want to see your new office?”
I nodded and followed him out his door, past the empty secretary’s desk, and on down the hall. A gorgeous redhead sat in a desk outside what was apparently my office. She rose at our arrival.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Kostan.”
“Hello, Nyla. Here is your new boss, Mr. St. John. You will assist him in all ways possible, as well as provide any refreshment he might require.”
She smiled radiantly, nodding at me politely. “Very nice to meet you, Mr. St. John. If there is any way I may assist you, you need only ask. You can buzz me anytime on your intercom.”
I smiled in return. Josef was a genius. All the upper level secretaries apparently were hired for their double duty in their clerical work, as well as freshie duties. I would certainly enjoy the perks of this job.
“Thank you, Nyla. And please, call me Mick. Mr. St. John was my father.”
I knew Josef likely didn’t approve of the informality, but if I were to be feeding off her, I’d like to be on a first-name basis.
“Very well…Mick. Welcome to Kostan Industries.”
Josef led me to a small office, complete with metal desk, phone, comfy padded chair, and several tall filing cabinets. I even had a window. On the door was a black plaque with gold engraving: Personnel Manager.
“Now, your first order of business is to find me a new secretary.” Josef indicated a stack of files on my new desk. “I pulled these from the steno pool, since I’m a strong believer of promoting from within. Well, with the exception of you, my friend.”
I looked at the files, a slight feeling of trepidation over the responsibility of picking one of Josef’s most valued assistants. “What kind of traits are you looking for in a secretary?” I felt compelled to ask. I remembered his last one-Linda-voluptuous, stylish, sensual. I’m sure she was competent in her blood supplying capacity; not so sure of her business skills.
“Hmmm…good question. Loyalty-most important quality I’ve found, especially lately. Good typist, takes accurate dictation. Not one of these women’s libbers who won’t fetch me a drink. And willing to make herself available to feed my uh…muse, at a moment’s notice.”
“And you trust me to make this important decision, right off the bat?”
“Well, narrow it down to two for me-I’ll make the final choice. Think you can handle this?”
I grinned. “Or die trying.”
He laughed. “It’s going to be so great having you around here, Mick. And telling you what to do-just an added bonus. Now, stop wasting time and get to work. Have Nyla call down to Clerical when you want the girls sent up.”
“Yes, sir, Mr. Kostan, sir,” I said dryly.
He nodded in approval. “You catch on fast. Ass kissing is both encouraged and expected.”
Before he could get out the door, I stopped him, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude. “Josef, I just wanted to thank you for this chance. I was slowly going insane in those meaningless, dead-end jobs. I won’t let you down, I promise.”
“You’re welcome. Believe me, it does my poor, dead heart good to see you in fine men’s apparel for a change.” My only reply was a raised eyebrow.
He left me alone to get to work.
****
Everyone was eager to cooperate with me. I guess Josef must have told the entire office I had carte blanche, so I had only to ask and it would be done. My secretary, Nyla, had made sure there was a row of chairs lined up outside my office, and presently they were filled with candidates from the steno pool, each one of them more beautiful than the last. Josef obviously had some sort of policy for the women who worked there.
“Send the first lady in, please,” I said to Nyla via the intercom.
“Yes sir. Elizabeth Broderick.”
A curly-haired brunette tapped lightly and entered. I rose and offered her a chair. We both sat and I opened up her file.
“So, Miss Broderick, I see you’ve worked downstairs for five years.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You type 100 words a minute-very impressive.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Tell me what you know about Josef Kostan.” This was where the fun would begin. She hesitated, uncertain of exactly what I wanted her to say. I was trying to decipher their level of loyalty to him.
“Well…he’s the president of the company, obviously. He’s very powerful, extremely rich, and quite charming.”
“Very good description,” I told her, and she beamed. I decided right then not to tell Josef any of the answers to this question. His ego didn’t need that much stroking.
“Do you know what a freshie is, Miss Broderick?” She blanched a little, but kept her composure, for the most part.
“Yes, sir.” She gulped.
“And would you be willing to serve in that capacity to Mr. Kostan?”
She looked a little panicked. “I would have to do that?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but that’s really not my bag. I mean, I could really use the promotion, but”--she lowered her voice-“he would be drinking my blood!”
I tried not to smile. “I’m afraid that’s part of the job description. I’m sorry, Miss Broderick, but it seems you aren’t the right fit for this position.”
She rose, obviously agitated. “Do I still get to keep my job in Clerical?”
“Of course. Don’t worry. Go on back to work now.”
“Thank you, sir. Sorry, sir.”
“No problem. Have a good day.”
I sighed. I could already tell it would be a long evening.
And so it went on for about fifteen interviews. I had one who fit the bill-efficient, beautiful, freshie- willing. Good recommendations. I just needed one more option for Josef to pick from. I looked at the last file of the day, secretary sixteen. If I didn’t find another potential secretary with this one, I would talk to Josef about looking outside the company for another girl. The last file was for a young woman named Penny Smith. She had a business degree from UCLA, was an excellent typist, and had outstanding evaluations by her supervisor. I wondered what such an educated woman was doing in the steno pool.
My old school manners had me rising to my feet as Penny Smith walked in, and the appearance of this woman about made me fall back into my chair. She wore a tight black skirt, modestly falling below her knees, black stockings, patent leather high heels, and a short-sleeved pink sweater. It too was modestly cut, but her figure within it was amazing. She had the body of Marilyn Monroe, curvy and mouth-watering. What was even more wondrous was how her appearance above the neck so contrasted with what she looked like below.
Her hair was golden blonde, but pulled back into a tight bun. She wore black horn-rimmed glasses, which further magnified already giant blue eyes. She wore no makeup except understated pink lipstick, which made her full, sensuous lips seem naked and recently kissed. Her face and hair were no-nonsense and professional, but she had the body of a goddess. The mystery of what her hair might look like down, the sense that she was hiding something behind those nerdy glasses, made her totally intriguing. When she opened her mouth to speak, I thought I’d been hit by a sledgehammer. Her voice was breathy and bedroom sexy.
“I see Kostan didn’t waste any time replacing that pig, Martin.” Her voice was so seductive, it took me a minute to fully understand her words. I hadn’t felt this bowled over, this sexually attracted to someone since Coraline. Coraline. Married man. Right. I cleared my throat.
“He was a pig, eh?”
One perfect, dark-brown eyebrow rose in surprise. “You haven’t been in this company long, have you? Yeah, Martin hit on every girl in this building. He was a real sleazebag.” She paused, looking me up and down with her intelligent eyes, and I think she was liking what she saw. I felt her gaze like a caress, and swallowed hard.
“He ever come on to you?” I asked. If I weren’t a vampire, I knew I’d be blushing like a schoolboy right now.
“He tried. Vampires may be strong, Mr. St. John, but they still have balls that can be kicked.” She looked at a smoothly buffed fingernail in amusement. So, that was the mystery of her. She was perceptive, intelligent, and gutsy.
I chuckled. “I’m sure he deserved it. Well, you don’t have to deal with him anymore. What do you think of Josef Kostan?”
“I’ve never actually met the man. I’ve seen him from a distance, and he certainly knows how to pick out a suit. From what I hear, he’s a womanizer, freshie addict, and a smart ass. But he treats his people right-so long as they don’t cross him. Those who do, tend to disappear mysteriously. Sort of like Martin…” Her words trailed off meaningfully. Of course, I wasn’t about to comment on my suspicions where Martin was concerned. She sure had Josef pegged though.
“Would you be available for freshie duties, should you be accepted for this position?”
She considered this a moment. “Yes, if it were a requirement of the job. But I won’t be taken advantage of. And I’d want a guarantee that I wouldn’t disappear should I ever leave this company.”
I smirked. “Mr. Kostan’s last secretary didn’t disappear, did she?”
She smirked back. I was beginning to love this woman. “Not that I know of. But then, Linda was an airhead and a whore. She would have deserved any punishment Kostan dished out. Screwing a guy in the supply closet is about the lowest you can stoop, don’t you think?”
I chose to remain noncommittal, having had a sudden visual of taking her on top of a pile of toilet paper and dust mops, her tight skirt pulled up around her waist. I met her eyes, hoping she couldn’t read the lust behind them.
“You’re not afraid to speak your mind, are you?” I asked, finally.
“No. Does that count me out of this job?”
I grinned. “No, it’s very refreshing. Actually, I think Josef will like you quite well. You remind me of him.”
“Really?” she said skeptically. “You must think I’m a smart ass.”
“Yes. But in a good way.”
She smiled in appreciation of my answer.
“Tell me, Miss Smith. Why would an educated woman like yourself be working in Clerical? With your business degree, it seems to me you could be much higher up in this company.”
“My father told me that a woman with a business degree was like nipples on a bull. I guess most of the men in the business world agree with him, so I figure the only way to earn my way to the top is to start from the bottom. I admit being executive secretary to the president of this company could be a way to get my foot in the door.”
I admired her honesty, and sympathized with her predicament. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to be a highly educated woman in the business world. I guess about as hard as an undereducated vampire.
I got to my feet and took her hand. It was soft and warm, but her grip as she shook mine was firm.
“Come back up here when you first get in to work tomorrow. Mr. Kostan will want to talk to you himself, I’m sure.”
“There’s a chance for me, then?” Her eyes sparkled behind the horn rims.
“I think Mr. Kostan will be as impressed with you as I am.”
I realized I’d been holding her hand a bit longer than was professional, and that amused eyebrow shot up again. I dropped her hand immediately.
“Nice meeting you, Mr. St. John,” she said in that captivating way of hers.
“My friends call me Mick.”
“And will we be friends, do you think?”
I smiled. “At the risk of being labeled a pig, myself, I was kinda counting on it.”
Her lips spread into a familiar Cheshire grin. “Good night…Mick…” she finally said, holding my eyes for a tension-laden moment. Then as if in remembrance of an unspoken joke, she left my office, her hips beneath that skirt making me groan inside my head, then aloud when the door shut quietly behind her.
I realized with surprise that I’d found a female version of Josef Kostan, and the idea that I was so over-the-top hot for her suddenly made me feel a little creepy inside. To get that idea out of my mind, I reached for the phone, pressing the button that would connect me directly with my new employer.
“Hey, Mick. You find me a secretary or two?”
“Mission accomplished. The two likely ladies will be in tomorrow to meet with you.”
“Well, good. How is your first day going?”
I thought a minute. “You know, I’ve actually been enjoying myself. But then, I doubt I’ll be talking to tons of beautiful women on a daily basis for this job.”
He chuckled. “Stick with me, my friend, and you’ll be up to your…neck in however many you like.”
“The temptation is unbelievable. But I’m married, Josef, remember?”
He paused a beat.
“You think Coraline’s sitting around waiting for you?” There was an edge to his voice that I didn’t like, mainly because he might be right.
“I don’t know,” I said softly. “But I intend to honor my vows until we ever officially end it.”
“You wanna make a bet,” he asked, his voice a little lighter.
“No.”
“Ha. Because you know you’d lose.”
“Shut up, Josef.”
“Is that any way to talk to your boss?”
“Shut up, Mr. Kostan.”
I hung up on him mid-laugh.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading-hope you take a minute to let me know what you think.