Fic: Designer Original, Bill/Tom, PG-13, 1/1
Title: Designer Original
Author: ???
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction that did not actually happen
Warnings: slash
Summary: When Tom, an up and coming game designer needs his new, classier apartment decorated, the leasing agent suggests her friend Bill to do the job.
Recipient: xpoltergeistx
Author's notes: Happy Holidays Poltergeist. I really hope you enjoy this story!
Chapter One
“Hey Sasha, I’m showing an apartment on six in half an hour. If anyone is looking for me I’ll be up there.” Natalie Franz, manager to the Trimain Building told her coworker.
“Are you sure you want to take this one yourself? I’m totally willing to show Mr. Trumper around for you if you don’t want to waste your time with tours of the apartment and building,” Sasha offered
Natalie laughed. “I’m sure, besides I want to get a look at him in person myself.”
Natalie was the residential living manager for the upscale Trimain Building in the heart of the city. The building held offices, restaurants, stores, and apartments on the upper floors. It was the job of her and her team to show around any potential residents. Anyone interested in even viewing an apartment had to pass a substantial financial background check. The waiting list for one of the condos was long, and the apartments never sat vacant for very long. Anyone who was anyone either lived in one of the luscious condominiums of the Trimain Building, or wanted to.
Tom Trumper was no different. He had made a name for himself when he and several friends developed the Deadly Aim, a first person shooter game that took the main character through a desolate city filled with pitfalls and enemies. He had strayed away from zombies in his post apocalyptic game and focused on dialogue, building the story and clean visuals. Now, Tom Trumper was viewed as one of the people to watch in the gaming industry.
He graced the covers of magazines, both for his innovations as well as for his good looks and physique. He had recently become a target for paparazzi who scored shots of him on vacation without his shirt on. Women wanted to be with him, and everyone wanted to be him.
The thirty minutes went quickly, and reception was paging Natalie to inform her that Mr. Trumper was there to see her for his tour. Natalie clicked out of the room in her heels, smoothing her pencil skirt down over her hips. She put on a smile and greeted the handsome man with a handshake.
“You must be Tom Trumper.”
“I am, and you’re Ms. Franz?”
“Please call me Natalie. I’ll be happy to show you up to our available apartment.”
Natalie couldn’t help but notice how good looking Tom was in person. He was tall, 6’1 at least with a lean frame that boasted muscles she’d seen in the online vacation photos. His long brown hair was in a low, half ponytail, the rest hanging free around his shoulders. His clothes had a sophisticated urban flare to them; slightly baggy but with a nice fit. He wore a leather jacket and sneakers with his jeans and polo shirt.
She had read in many of the articles that Tom wasn’t ready to settle down, but that no one knew if he was dating exclusively or not. He concealed his private life well and no one had been ale to eek out any information on that front aside from a few ex-girlfriends in high school, but he was often seen at clubs and hot spots among groups of people so it was assumed that he was a player.
Natalie took her cues from Tom as she showed him around the building. He seemed to be relaxed and in no particular hurry, so she showed him around the building fully. There was a gym for the residents with a pool and sauna, plus the restaurant, along with the two stores and coffee house in the lobby of the building.
When they reached the sixth floor, Natalie showed Tom how the keypad lock worked and opened up to the lavish apartment. They immediately entered the spacious living space just off the small front hallway they stepped into from the front door. Tom tried to use his imagination to envision what it would look like with a full complement of furniture, but it wasn’t easy. The apartment was mostly bare at this time. They hadn’t filled it with furniture for staging, but Tom was sure that most potential residents had more of an eye for that sort of thing; they knew what they had in mind and didn’t need filler furniture to guide them. On that front, Tom was lost.
He continued on with Natalie toward the eat-in kitchen. It was small, but Tom didn’t care about that, he didn’t do much cooking himself. He knew he would be making plenty of calls down to the in-house restaurant for his meals.
Tom had seen enough, the condo was perfect for him, if a bit large. It was also sending just the right message, He wanted nice things, but he wasn’t flaunting his new wealth.
“I’ll take the condo,” Tom said, interrupting Natalie as she talked about the intercom system that linked his apartment to the front desk.
“That’s great. I just need you to sign a few things and give us a check for the deposit and you’ll be all set.”
“Do you have the paperwork here?”
“Of course. You can take it to your lawyer and read it over. You have seven days to return it with your deposit or we’ll offer the apartment to someone else.”
Tom took a checkbook out the inside pocket of his leather jacket and produced a pen.
“Who should I make this out to?”
“Oh, you’re prepared to pay already?”
“Yes, no point in wasting time. I want the space and you need a check and a few signatures. I can provide both now.”
“Don’t you want a lawyer to look over the paperwork?” Natalie was surprised, she’d never had a tenant so prepared to get the ball rolling.
“I can take a look at it myself in just a moment,” Tom assured her as he wrote the check.
Tom quickly scanned the contract and found it to be quite standard. He signed his name to the bottom and handed it back to Natalie along with the check.
“We’ll process your paperwork immediately, you can begin moving in as soon as you’re ready.”
“I just need your help with one more thing if you can,” Tom said looking directly at Natalie. Out of nervous habit, Tom wiggled the hoop through his lip with the tip of his tongue.
“Of course I will if I can.” Natalie swallowed with nervous excitement. She didn’t know what Tom would ask, but she knew what she hoped he would.
“I really don’t know what to do with a space this big. My friends say my old place is a disaster. Can you recommend someone who will help? Come in and pick all the furniture and whatever else it needs?”
“Oh,” Natalie was feeling flattered and embarrassed. She’d hoped Tom was going to use his smooth, playboy moves on her, but he just wanted a referral. “Yes, I have a friend who is an interior designer actually. Is it okay if I give your contact information?”
“That would be great, my secretary will schedule an appointment. Thank you for all of your help Natalie.”
“Of course Mr. Trumper. Do you need anything else?”
“Just for you to not call me Mr. Trumper. It’s cliché, but Mr. Trumper really is my father.”
Natalie laughed “OK, Mr. Trumper, well Tom. If you come by my office on your way out I’ll give you a copy of your signed contract, the combination to the door and the instructions on how to change it. We’ll need you to inform us of the new combination for our records in case of any emergency.”
“Great. Thank you for all of your help Natalie.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t forget to stop by my office before you leave.”
Chapter Two
“Bill. Drop everything you’re doing, I have a potential client for you,” Natalie said the moment her best friend Bill answered the phone.
“Great! Give me all the details.”
Bill sat down at his desk and grabbed a pen and a pad to make notes.
“It’s a new tenant here in the building. Two bedrooms, office, and the living dining room. He wants someone to do the whole apartment.”
Bill’s eyes widened. He was still getting his interior design studio off the ground and worked mainly from referrals. A referral from a tenant at the Trimain Building would definitely help launch his career, not to mention the sizable paycheck.
“So who is this new tenant who wants their entire apartment decorated?”
“Tom Trumper.”
Bill squinted in thought trying to recall where he’d heard that name, but couldn’t remember the specifics. Bill picked his tablet up off the desk and googled the name. He was surprised to find that this new tenant had his own Wikipedia page.
“Tom Trumper, born September 1st is designer and creator of bestselling first person shooter video game, Deadly Aim,” Bill read aloud. “Are you serious?! This is the guy who needs someone to decorate?”
Bill went back to the main google page and clicked images. The man was gorgeous. Bill was especially intrigued by the pictures of Tom on some yacht, sans a shirt. The blonde in a bikini standing in front of him wasn’t hard to look at either. Bill referred to himself as Pan-Sexual. He was interested in a person for the inside, not the outside. He was accepting of any person and how they chose to identify themselves, what they brought to the table was more important than their sexual orientation or genitals.
“Isn’t he smoking hot?” Natalie asked into the receiver.
“Unbelievably. I’ll take the job. He doesn’t even have to pay me.”
Natalie laughed. “Oh trust me, he can afford it. I would tell you what this place costs if it wouldn’t get me fired. Anyway, he wants you to set up an appointment for the consultation with his secretary. Let me dig out the number.”
Bill wrote the number down promising to call the secretary the next day. He continued to scan over the information google and Wikipedia gave him on Tom Trumper and he began to rethink his willingness to help. Tom seemed like a man’s man. If he wanted animal heads mounted on a wall, Bill was out. Men like Tom weren’t usually willing to change their styles or take suggestions. If Tom was set in his ways he may as well hire a personal shopper, or an assistant to do all of the work for him.
Bill chided himself. People had preconceived notions about him all the time, just after one glance. It wasn’t fair for him to do the same. He would go in, consult with Tom, and then decide if he could be of service or not.
---
Tom hurried out of his office past his receptionist at the desk.
“Tom?”
“Yes Hannah, what is it?” Tom said turning abruptly. He was in a hurry. The guys down at the writing department had found a hole in the plot of Tom’s newest game. It was his sophomore debut and people were expecting great things. If this game was a failure it could ruin his career just as quickly as it had begun. He had to get down there and help iron out the wrinkles.
“You have an appointment at two with the designer at your new apartment.”
“Yes, yes, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll set an alarm on my way downstairs. I’ll be with the writing department until then.”
Tom hustled out of his office and to the elevators to hopefully solve the last of the plotting issues for this new game.
---
Tom was never embarrassed to ask for help, but he was embarrassed he needed the help on this front. It was his apartment, a statement to show that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan. It should be his design, but having someone to do the apartment for him was really his best option if he didn’t want it to be a disaster.
Tom hustled into the building. He hadn’t been there in three days since he had signed the contract after seeing the apartment with Natalie. The meeting had been booked as quickly as possible and now here he was. Tom went up to the apartment and keyed himself in. He looked around the entryway and large living room and smiled. This was exactly what he had dreamed for his entire life. He just never thought he’d actually get it.
As Tom looked around again the intercom in the entryway signaled.
“There is a Bill Kaulitz here to see you. He says he’s the interior designer,” The man at the front desk said into the phone.
Tom scratched his head. He didn’t know the designer’s name, let alone that it was a guy. “Of course, send him right up,” Tom said into the receiver and released the button.
A few minutes later there was a brisk knock on the door. Tom pulled it open and was greeted with who he assumed was Bill Kaulitz. The man was tall, at least as tall as Tom’s six feet and two inches. He wore black slacks with a slight flare in legs. Tom could see a white shirt under the black leather coat the man wore. Tom was taking it all in when a voice spoke up accompanied by a hand extended toward him.
“I’m Bill Kaulitz, you must be Tom Trumper.”
“Yes, I am. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” Tom said regaining his composure and shaking Bill’s hand. He’d been checking the man out and he hoped Bill hadn’t noticed. “Please come in.”
Bill gave a small smile as he entered and wondered if he was reading Tom’s look correctly. Bill disregarded it as sheer curiosity. He had decided to tone down his look today, skipping the smoky eye makeup and tight pants for a slightly more conservative look. If he’d read Tom correctly based on what he’d learned from the internet, Tom would not be all together comfortable with his more, androgynous look. It was really too bad because Natalie had been right, Tom was even better looking in person.
Tom’s brown eyes were intense, but mischievous, and he was just as tall as Bill. His body type was perfect and Bill tried not to reach out and touch the random dreadlocks interspersed in Tom’s loose hair. Bill could smell a hint of Tom’s cologne and it was one of his favorites. Instead of dwelling, Bill looked around the apartment trying to get a feel for the areas he could see from here.
“So, Natalie tells me you need the entire condo decorated.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have any ideas of what you may like in any specific room? Any pieces you want me to incorporate?” Bill asked turning back to face Tom. He took his tablet out of a big bag he had on his shoulder. It was filled with sample books with everything from carpet and wallpaper samples to furniture that could be ordered from leading design outlets.
“No, nothing like that. All of my pieces are leftover from my college apartment. I never had the time or inclination to find better. I wouldn’t really know where to start.”
“Ok, are there any color schemes you want to utilize or any you want to stay away from?”
“Well nothing too bright, especially in the bedroom. I want it to be restful. I want to relax in here after a long day at work.” Tom looked around the living room and imagined himself there after work with a beer playing the latest version of the game he and his company were creating. “Leather, in the living room; and I’ll need a big television but if you could find a way to hide it, that would be awesome.”
Bill made a few notes in his tablet. Just then, Tom’s phone began to ring loudly in his pocket. He fished it out and looked at the readout.
“I’m really sorry, I need to take this.”
“That’s okay, can I look around at the other rooms?”
“Of course,” Tom said before turning his back on Bill who went in search of other rooms.
Bill pulled a digital laser measuring device out of his large bag and set all of his other items down. He lined the laser against the wall and used it to measure each room. He typed the dimensions into a program on his tablet that would create a 3D layout of the apartment. Bill left the final bedroom and walked toward the eat-in station in the kitchen. There was a serving counter with three high back stools placed neatly on the other side. It was the only place to sit in the unfurnished apartment. Bill saw Tom sitting at one of the chairs, frantically scribbling notes into a little notepad while still speaking with someone on the phone.
Bill sat down on the chair at the far end, leaving an empty one between them. While he waited for Tom to finish his call, he worked on a quick mock up of what he could do with the apartment, generating color schemes and furniture options from the digital copies of catalogs he carried in his bag.
Tom clicked the phone off and wrote a few more things down in his notepad before closing it and looking at Bill.
“I’m sorry about that; development problems with my game. We’re very busy trying to get it sorted.”
“That’s okay, it gave me time to measure rooms and create a draft for possibilities.”
Bill slid his tablet between them and showed Tom what he had been working on. Tom slid over into the empty chair bringing them closer to one another as he looked at the tablet.
“This is cool,” Tom said looking at the 3D model of his apartment, his hand brushing Bill’s slightly as he moved the tablet so it was directly in front of him. “This looks like something we would use for one of our video games.”
“You make video games, yet you take notes with pen and paper instead of digitally.”
“I can get my thoughts down faster on paper than I can type them. If I need to draw anything I can put it in right there on the page, and I don’t have to worry about it crashing or not saving properly. I’ll have the copy right here.” Tom said, patting the inside pocket of his leather coat.
“Yes, unless you lose it.”
“Well there’s that, but I haven’t lost one yet.” Tom knocked his knuckles on the counter in front of him.
“That’s Formica not wood.”
“There’s some wood I Formica right?” Tom said laughing.
Bill couldn’t help but smile back. Tom had a wonderful smile, warm and inviting with a hint of mischief in his eye. Bill was leaning toward him and hadn’t even realized it.
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.”
Tom shrugged and looked back down at Bill’s tablet.
“Would you like to go over some things I’ve come up with now or would another time be better? I have sample books with me as well. If you have the time we could start picking things out and having them delivered.”
Tom checked the time again. He had been there with Bill almost an hour and pressing matters at the office really needed his attention.
“Can we start going over things? I can get an idea of what your thoughts are and we can go from there. We may need to postpone for a bit.”
“Then let’s get started. So far I have some color schemes and furniture ideas. I measured all of the rooms so this is a true to size scale.”
“How did you measure them alone? Don’t you need someone else to hold the tape measure?”
“I have a digital laser measurer, I just put it on the wall and it tells me the height or length. I was even able to go from the floor to the ceiling. It’s very exact and I’m able to do it without a tape measure. It gives me a better idea if I need to purchase furniture for a space.
Tom was impressed by Bill’s ingenuity and he looked on intently as Bill explained his ideas often looking up from the tablet to watch the way Bill’s lips moved as he spoke. Tom was pleased to find the colors warm and inviting without being showy. The bedroom especially had grey walls with a red accent wall behind the bed. Tom would have never thought to put red anywhere in his house, but he really liked what Bill had come up with. It had a modern feel, but at the same time looked like a home you could live in.
“Yes to everything. Tell me what it costs and I’ll write the checks,” Tom said decidedly, picking up his cell phone and sticking it in his breast pocket with his notebook.
“But you haven’t decided on furniture?”
“The things you have in your model are fine, purchase that stuff. Everything. Have it all delivered. You do the set up and staging right?”
“Well, yes, but you haven’t seen any of the furniture in the catalogs, there may be something in there you like better. Or maybe there is something on the model that you don’t actually like.” Bill was flabbergasted. He’d never had a client hand the reigns completely over to him like this.
“I like it all. It’s what I wanted without even knowing what I wanted. Make it happen. I’ll give you the code to the apartment and I’ll let the front desk know that you will be coming and going and having things delivered. Do you need a check now to begin purchasing things, or maybe a credit card would be easier.”
Tom fished for his wallet and Bill’s head began to swim. He’d never had a client who was so easy to design for. Even Natalie had had a few objections and desires when he had designed her small apartment in the building.
Tom handed Bill the credit card. “I’ll call the card company on the way back to my office so they know you are using it. Have at it.”
“Um, okay,” Bill said, still surprised as he took the card.
“How long do you think it will take before I can move in?” Tom asked.
“Maybe two weeks. I can have the painters here in a day or two.”
“Perfect. Just keep in touch and let me know your progress. If you need anything at all, or there is a problem with the card, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Tom handed him a business card, jotting the door code on the back. He offered his hand for Bill to shake again.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Tom said looking directly into Bill’s eyes.
Bill could have sworn he saw Tom’s tongue briefly touch the metal loop through the corner of his lip, but he couldn’t be 100% sure.
Tom released Bill’s hand and gave him one last nod before hurrying toward the door.
Bill was still standing in the doorway as Tom entered the elevator. “I’m sure I’m in good hands with you,” Tom said as he pressed the door close button.
Chapter Three
Bill answered his phone on the second ring. He was sitting in his apartment checking out the websites for the stores where he would be purchasing Tom’s furniture. If they had new options he wanted to know so he could run them by Tom.
“Hey, Nat.”
“Come and have drinks with me. We’re heading to Nero, meet us. I want to hear all about your consult with Tom Trumper went yesterday.”
“I’m not up for a club tonight.”
“Ok, drinks and appetizers at Epic and then you can head home while I head to the club.”
“That sounds great.”
Bill decided if he was going to go out for the first time in weeks, he may as well look good. He slid into his tightest pair of black pants, a red tank top, and a black asymmetrical leather jacket to combat the slight chill in the air. Bill applied a smoky swipe over his eyelids and styled his short hair. Wedging his slimmest wallet with his ID, some cash and a credit card into his pocket, Bill headed out to Epic to meet Natalie.
---
Epic was a large bar that was never particularly crowded during the weeknights, but they had great drinks and even better appetizers. They featured local jazz bands or singer song writers on Thursday nights, so Bill was prepared to enjoy a few after work drinks.
Bill walked into the bar and looked around. He was surprised by the small crowd gathered at the bar, but he quickly spotted Natalie nestled into a seat at the bar, her first drink in front of her. She waved a hand in case Bill hadn’t spotted her from the door. He walked toward her, and smiled at his friend.
“I was starting to wonder if you would make it,” Natalie said, leaning in to kiss Bill’s cheek. “Order a drink and let’s pick an appetizer so we can talk about how things went yesterday.”
Bill did as he was told, ordering a rum and coke and helping Natalie decide on the flatbread pizza appetizer for the two of them to share.
“So how did your meeting with Tom go? Isn’t he so good looking in person?”
Bill sighed and sipped his drink the bartender brought over. “He is. And he was nice, but I just don’t know how to read him.”
“What do you mean? Is he giving you mixed signals about the decorating? You’re usually so good at convincing a client to agree with you.”
“Oh, it isn’t he decorating he’s giving me mixed signals about. He kept giving me these looks, and he touched me a few times, but the touches lingered a bit. Then he told me he was happy to be in my capable hands. It’s just the way he said and did things. I don’t know if he’s overly touchy or hitting on me.”
Natalie stopped her drink halfway to her lips and raised an eyebrow at Bill. “Are you serious? He never once touched me during the tour. He kept a polite distance and never made any innuendo or anything. He was the perfect if not hurried gentleman.”
“There was definitely something about the way he interacted with me.”
“Do you think he’s gay?” Natalie asked quietly, looking around to be sure no one was paying attention. “Everything I’ve seen or heard about has him with girls. The model type. I’ve never heard any inclination that he could be into guys.”
“Maybe I’m reading things wrong, I don’t know, and there’s no way for me to find out. I mean what do I say? ‘Hey Tom, it seems like you’re flirting with me a little. See anything you like?’”
Natalie laughed and slapped Bill’s shoulder. “Seriously though, how are you going to find out?”
Bill shrugged. “I guess I’ll never know. I’m not going to ask, and unless he volunteers the information, I will forever be in the dark.”
Bill and Natalie sat at the bar talking and eating appetizers while they watched the singer play. The guy was good with a soulful tone to his voice. Bill was impressed and that had him staying at the bar a bit longer than he had originally intended to. His eyes scanned the crowd gauging the reaction of the patrons to the music when he eyes met with Tom Trumper’s. Tom was sitting on a stool at the far end of the bar. Their eyes met and Tom’s lips turned up in a smirk.
Bill leaned over and whispered to Natalie.
“He’s here, but don’t look. Do you think I should go and say hi or something?”
“He who?” Natalie asked confused. She didn’t know which direction to not look in for the person Bill was talking about, so she kept her head straight.
“Tom, Tom is here sitting at the bar.”
Now Natalie did turn and look. Bill was thankful Tom was looking down at his phone and didn’t see the grin cross Natalie’s face.
“Yes, you should definitely go and say hi. You look hot tonight, if he’s interested you’ll know for sure.”
Bill gave his best friend a skeptical look, but stood from his stool and walked toward Tom’s end of the bar. His brain was telling him to nod and walk past Tom and toward the bathroom, but his feet were pushing him forward until he stopped next to Tom.
“Hi,” Bill said, not knowing what else to say. He felt stupid for not thinking of something else before he walked over to Tom.
“Hi yourself. You look great tonight.” Tom’s eyes tracked down Bill’s body. His clothes seemed to fit him like a second skin and the makeup was a new and slightly surprising addition Tom was enjoying very much.
Bill looked down, remembering what he had put on and that he had even done his makeup.
“Thanks. Natalie called and wanted to go out for a bit. What are you doing here?”
“I can’t hear you,” Tom shouted before taking Bill’s elbow in his hand and leaning closer so his face was next to Bill’s ear. “Now say that again.”
Bill shivered. He could smell Tom’s cologne again and it took all of his willpower not to stick his nose into Tom’s neck and inhale the scent straight from his skin.
“I said that Natalie wanted to have drinks for a bit. What are you doing here?”
Tom laughed, his breaths tickling Bill’s ear. “I’m meeting a few people from work. We landed a huge voice actor for our game. It will really boost notoriety. This guy has won several awards.”
“There are awards for voice actors?”
“Yes, it’s really an art. Haven’t you ever watched an animated movie or played a video game and thought about who it is voicing the character. A voice actor needs a lot of expression to really convey what the character feels and great animators to help it along the way. I have both, so we’re going to celebrate. They aren’t due for a bit longer, why don’t you sit down and tell me what progress you’ve made on the apartment over a drink.”
Bill looked behind him to Natalie who was smiling at some guy who was talking to her.
“Ok, but I really shouldn’t leave Natalie for too long.”
“I think she’ll be okay on her own for a bit,” Tom said, his gaze going to where Bill’s had been to look at Natalie. “What are you drinking?”
Bill took the empty stool next to Tom while Tom ordered their drinks.
He leaned close to Bill again and spoke, “Now, tell me how things are going at the apartment.”
“Well it’s only been one day, but the painters are due in tomorrow.” Bill thanked the bartender and sipped his drink before continuing. “They say it will take three days with priming and painting. I’m going to go around to a few furniture shops tomorrow.” Bill leaned forward wanting to test something. He placed his hand on Tom’s forearm and spoke again. “Since things are going well at work you should come with me and see if there’s something you like better.”
Tom looked down at Bill’s hand on his arm before looking up to connect his eyes with Bill. “No, I want everything you’ve already shown me.”
“Let me show you more. I promise it will be fun,” Bill said smiling.
“How can I say no to an invitation like that?”
Chapter Four
Bill stood in Tom’s apartment admiring the great job the painters had done. True to their word the job had been completed in three days and the paint was now completely dry. They had given Bill the go ahead to begin moving things in and hanging things on the walls. The furniture for the living room had been delivered and set up earlier that day; now all that was left was for Bill to hang artwork on the walls.
‘One room down,’ he thought as he worked.
He and Tom had gone shopping for furniture two days before and it had been more of the same from Tom. While he hadn’t been as touchy feely with Bill he had made several innuendos as they looked around the first two shops on their list. Tom had deferred to Bill on all decisions for the furnishings and they had selected great pieces. Tom had had enough shopping by the time they reached the second store and left Bill behind for his office and work he needed to complete.
Something during their outing had struck Bill as off in Tom’s behavior and Natalie was on her way up from her office to talk it over with Bill while he hung art on the walls.
“Ok, so what happened when you went shopping?” Natalie asked, jumping right in after Bill had opened the door.
“Well he only went to two stores with me and had next to no opinion about anything. There was an end table that was place with the couches he wanted that he hated right away, but otherwise there was no opposition or support from him either way. He told me to do what I want and the pulled out a credit card.”
“I think everyone wants a partner who will bow to their will,” Natalie said dreamily.
“I don’t think he’s like that all the time. He can’t be and run a successful business at the same time.”
“He probably isn’t in the bedroom either. He seems like the take charge kind of guy.” Natalie grinned at Bill.
“Anyway,” Bill said and rolled his eyes at his best friend and she giggle as he held up the first framed photo trying to gauge if he really did want the piece in the living room. “So you know how he’s been so flirty and physical with me.”
“Of course, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes at the club. I still can’t get over how close he was leaning in to speak to you. I would have fallen in his lap if it had been me.”
“Clearly it’s been too long for you, Nat.” She swatted his arm then crossed her own in a huff. “Anyway, he didn’t touch me a single time while we were out shopping. He was still really nice and a bit flirty, but only when no one else was within earshot.”
“What are you saying?” Natalie asked furrowing her brow.
“I’m saying I’m back to not knowing what his deal is. At the bar it seemed that I finally understood. I thought he was outright hitting on me, but while we were shopping one of the clerks said, ‘I wish my boyfriend would always just tell me yes when it came to decorating our place.’ I swear I saw him physically bristle. He explained that we weren’t dating and that I was the designer. Then he left very shortly after that. I haven’t heard a peep from him since.”
“So now you’re back to wondering if you were misinterpreting the signals again. I say you just kiss him and see what happens.”
“Yeah, what’s the worst that can happen if I follow your advice? Let’s see, my choices are, I lose my job, get punched in the face, or get kissed back. I don’t like the chances.”
“May the odds be ever in your favor,” Natalie said, giving Bill her best Effie Trinket impression.
The two erupted in a fit of giggles just as the door to the apartment opened.
~*~*~*~
Tom entered his apartment to find Bill and Natalie sitting on the floor laughing loudly. The laughing stopped the instant they noticed him there.
“Tom, I didn’t know you were stopping by today,” Bill said standing.
“I thought I’d come and check out the paint job and the living room since it was all set to arrive today.”
“Oh, well Natalie was just helping me hang some photos before she headed home for the day.”
“I’m just going to look around. Carry on,” Tom said turning toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
“I’ve got to go anyway, I’m supposed to meet Craig at seven for dinner and I really should go home and change,” Natalie said loud enough for Tom to hear as he walked away.
Natalie grabbed her purse and headed toward the door before turning back and mouthing the words “kiss him” at Bill.
---
“So what are you doing here so late?” Tom asked when he returned to the living room.
“I didn’t have the time earlier to hang up the artwork and I wanted to get it done so you would see a completed room if you happened to stop by.”
“Well it looks really great in here. I wanted to hook my gaming system up to the tv and give it a try. Why are you sitting on the floor?” Tom asked as an afterthought, one eyebrow raised as he moved toward the television across from where Bill sat.”
“Because you haven’t had the chance to sit on your own couch yet. I know it sounds stupid, but I think the tenant should always be the first.”
“Oh, well I don’t care about that sort of thing. You can be the first to sit on the couch, or use one of the new glasses I see you washed and put away in the kitchen. You should at least be comfortable.”
“Thanks.”
They were silent for a few moments as Tom fiddled with the TV and Bill adjusted a photo on the wall.
“Will you be here much longer?” Tom asked, flipping on the TV.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to get in your way. I can leave in a few minutes.”
“That’s not why I was asking. I was thinking about sticking around a while longer and ordering dinner. Would you like to stay and have something with me? You can get a sneak preview of my new game.”
Bill smiled brightly at Tom.
“That sounds like fun. What are you in the mood for?”
Tom grinned slyly, his tongue darting over his lip piercing. “I’ll let you decide.”
---
It was only 40 minutes later before they were sitting down together in Tom’s kitchen eating pizza and chatting casually about what work Bill had left to do in the apartment as well as Tom’s work. He was busy but not overly and there were sections of the game that needed to be tested out. The conversation quickly evolved becoming more comfortable between them. They talked and laughed easily as they shared a meal.
After cleaning up, the pair headed for the couch. Tom had asked Bill if he could stay for a while to see what he and his team had made. Tom was really proud of the games progress so far, but it was still a rough work in progress.
“Do you play any video games?”
“Besides the few I have on my phone? Not really. I had an ex who liked racing games, but I’ve never really gotten too into them.”
Tom clutched at his heart and threw himself down on the couch making sounds as if he were dying.
“Oh hush,” Bill laughed, pushing Tom’s legs off the couch so he could sit down next to ‘dying’ man. “Maybe you can be the one to change my mind.”
“Well let’s see.”
Tom booted up the game and explained the general plot to him. After ten minutes of guiding Bill through the controls he was playing the game on his own. Tom filled in the dialogue where there was none yet. Tom pulled out his notebook and took notes as Bill laughed and played his way through for another ten minutes before the game ended.
“Oh no, what happened?!” Bill asked startled when the screen when black.
“Why are you so upset? You don’t like video games.”
“But…I-” Bill began to protest.
Tom laughed, “That’s all there is. Well all that’s playable at this moment.”
“What were you over there writing?” Bill asked, leaning over so he could see Tom’s book.
Tom snatched it away from his prying eyes, then showed Bill the page he had been writing on.
“Just writing about the playability of the game so far. Little corrections that need to be made or things I think will enhance the game play.”
“You’re really cute when you’re scribbling in that little notebook.”
“Cute huh?” Tom asked with a smirk.
Bill took a moment to smile before leaning forward. When Tom leaned forward to meet him, Bill tilted his face up to connect their lips. Their lips moved slowly against each other, caressing each other. Bill pulled back to look at Tom for just a moment before their lips were joined again. Bill’s mouth opened to Tom’s and the kiss deepened, their tongues stroking for long moments.
Tom pulled away nearly panting. Bill had quite literally taken his breath away. Bill leaned his forehead to Tom’s catching his own breath.
“I wasn’t sure if you were really interested,” Bill whispered.
“Oh, I’m definitely interested,” Tom said, before kissing Bill again.
Chapter Five
Bill stood in Tom’s bedroom looking at the mess of boxes trying his best not to yell into his phone.
“I am looking at my receipt at it shows a charge for delivery and set up, yet I’m looking at a stack of boxes.” Bill listened for another minute. He had already said these things to the person on the phone with him now and he hated having to repeat himself. “Let me speak to your manager, since you don’t seem to understand I have a client who is moving in tomorrow and no bed for him to sleep in.”
Bill waited as he was transferred to the manager. He took a moment to explain, again, that he had paid for delivery and set up but had not received the set up. When the delivery men had left the apartment, Bill assumed they would return immediately with more furniture or tools. Instead they’d left and now Bill was on the phone trying to rectify the situation.
“No, three days is not acceptable. My client is set to move in tomorrow. The set up was paid for and I expected the set up when the furniture was delivered.”
Bill listened again as the manager made excuses. They talked back and forth until the manager promised to send someone over to complete the set up the next day. Bill angrily jabbed his finger against the screen of his phone to end the call.
“You’re sexy when you’re mad,” Tom said, coming up behind Bill.
“I didn’t know you were here,” Bill replied, leaning back into Tom’s embrace. He had gotten quite used to the feeling of Tom’s arms around him in the last two days since their first kiss. They had enjoyed several hours together each night since then.
“You didn’t hear the door open over all the shouting you were doing,” Tom teased.
“I wasn’t shouting. I was just making my case loudly.”
Bill turned around in Tom’s arms and looped his own around Tom’s neck to draw him in for a kiss. It quickly deepened as their mouths opened and moved together more urgently and it wasn’t long before Tom’s lips slipped down to Bill’s neck
“That phone call made you tense. You should let me help you relieve some tension,” Tom said into Bill’s neck.
“How do you plan to do that? I am pretty tense.”
Tom kissed Bill’s lips again, his hand stroking down Bill’s chest and stomach until his hand was hovering just above Bill’s belt. Tom hesitated for a minute not knowing if he should continue further down. Bill pushed his hips toward Tom. Tom gripped Bill’s arousal through his pants making Bill moan into the kiss.
“The movers will be here soon.”
“Are you telling me to stop?” Tom asked, pausing his actions. They had never touched this way before, and Tom didn’t want to push Bill to do something he wasn’t ready for.
“No,” Bill gasped, pushing his hips against Tom’s hand once again.
Tom used both hands to unbuckle Bill’s belt and let the other man lean against him as he slipped his hand under Bill’s waistband.
Chapter Six
It had been two weeks since Bill had finished the job at Tom’s apartment and a new one had begun, this time for a den remodel. His new clients weren’t nearly as compliant as Tom had been, and trying to help them turn the vision for a perfect den into reality wasn’t going as easily as he had hoped.
It wasn’t easy for Bill and Tom to find the time to meet often in that time with them both busy at work. They managed to fit in a lunch date one day between stops to furniture stores for Bill and it hadn’t been enough for either man. Before things had gotten so busy they were able to spend some time in the evenings together having dinner and laughing.
Bill checked the time and found it was only 5:30 in the evening. If he was lucky Tom was on his way home now unless things had gotten bad at work. He took out his phone and sent Tom a quick text.
‘Where are you?’
It was only a few minutes before Tom replied to his message.
‘On the elevator up to my apartment. I’ve been thinking about you a lot today. I wish I could see you.’
Bill grinned. Maybe his plan could work. 15 minutes later Bill was knocking on Tom’s door. Both men grinned widely when they saw each other.
“What are you doing here?” Tom asked, pulling Bill over the threshold.
“Well you’ve been thinking about me, I’ve been thinking about you, I figured I would surprise you and stop by.”
“This is a great surprise.” Tom leaned forward to kiss Bill, who opened to him willingly. They hadn’t put any kind of label on their relationship, but going days without kissing Tom just seemed wrong.
When they kiss was broken Bill grinned.
“So how about we order Chinese food and maybe watch a movie? Or we can skip the movie,” he said slyly.
“I really want to, but I’ve got a console launch party to go to tonight.”
“Oh, I had no idea you had such big plans for the evening.”
“It’s a big deal that isn’t a big deal. I’m expected to make an appearance at these things since my new game will be coming out on it and several other platforms.”
“No, of course I understand,” Bill said slightly deflated.
“We have enough time for dinner if that’s okay. Then I’m going to need to hop in the shower and get dressed.” Tom put his arms around Bill and sighed. “What do ya say, do you want to spend the next 90 minutes with me?”
“It’s better than zero minutes,” Bill said, pouting slightly.
“I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Bill leaned in for another kiss before heading to the kitchen for a food menu.
---
Bill sat in Tom’s lap grinding his hips against the other man when the main intercom sounded. They had ordered dinner 30 minutes prior and the person taking their order hadn’t been kidding when she promised the food would be there in half an hour.
Tom groaned and gripped Bill’s behind tighter in his hands.
“Don’t leave, we don’t need to eat, but we need a lot more of this.”
Bill laughed, and gave one more swivel of his hips before pulling away from Tom to stand. He pressed the button and told the man at the front desk to let the delivery up.
“You have to answer the door, he won’t notice your boner past your ridiculously large pants,” Bill joked.
Tom’s eyes went down to Bill’s obvious arousal. “I think we have enough time to eat and fool around. I can lick sweet and sour sauce off your--”
The loud knock sounded on the door, interrupting Tom’s sentence, but Bill could fill in the blanks. He went to the kitchen for plates and cutlery while Tom answered the door.
---
They dug into the bag and found that the California rolls they’d ordered hadn’t been put into the bag. Bill called back and the woman apologized, promising to send a driver over immediately with the missing item and a coupon for their next order.
“I’m too hungry to wait, I say we get started,” Bill suggested.
“Or we can get back to what we were doing before he interrupted us.”
“How about we eat, then do a little multitasking in the shower if there is enough time after dinner. I’ve been dying to try out the 360 degree shower heads.”
Tom grinned, “Eat quick then,” He replied and opened the first carton.
There was a quick tap on the door ten minutes later.
“Do you mind grabbing the door?” Tom asked from inside the freezer as he grabbed some ice for his drink. “It’s probably our sushi.”
“Sure. You know it’s really too bad neither of us has used that beautiful kitchen for anything besides eating,” Bill said over his shoulder as he headed for the door. “Maybe I’ll cook for you one of these days.”
“You can cook? I may have to keep you forever,” Tom joked.
Bill pulled the door open to find a brunette woman standing at the door. She was dressed in a tight, just shorter than knee length black dress, holding a red clutch that matched her red shoes. Bill looked confused.
“Hello.”
“Hi, is this 623? I’m looking for Tom,” the brunette said.
“What’s taking so long?” Tom asked from the kitchen.
“I think someone is here to see you,” Bill said opening the door a bit wider.
Tom looked around Bill’s shoulder and actually blushed a little. “Ria.”
“I’m a little early. Am I interrupting?”
“Um…” Tom looked at Bill who had a very expectant look on his face.
“Doesn’t appear you are,” Bill said stepping back away from the door.
“I’m Ria, Tom’s girlfriend. Who are you?” She asked with mock politeness.
“I’m Bill. I designed the apartment for Tom. We were just having a little dinner, but I actually need to head out. It was nice meeting you Ria. Have a lovely evening out.”
“We will, thanks.”
Bill reached for his coat that was tossed on the couch and Tom grabbed his arm.
“I can explain,” He whispered so Bill could hear him.
“Is she your girlfriend?” Bill asked looking Tom directly in the eyes.
“Not exactly.” Tom scratched the back of his neck and peered at an obviously angry Bill.
“Well she seems to think she is and now when I think about it, everything makes perfect sense now.”
Bill slung his coat over his shoulder and moved for the front door to leave.
“Bill, just let me explain it all to you. We’ll do dinner again tomorrow night and I’ll explain everything.”
“You know, I really don’t think I want to hear your explanation.”
Tom followed Bill out the front door and shut it behind them so Ria couldn’t hear them.
“I’m in a precarious situation and I need you to understand that. She’s someone I go out with sometimes. The demographic we aim for to buy my games want to see me with a hot chick so she comes with me for events and things like that.”
“And that’s why we rarely do things out in public or go out to dinner? Is that why you got defensive at the furniture store and wouldn’t touch me? Because you didn’t want people to know you were gay, or bi, or whatever?”
“It’s not exactly like that Bill.”
“Then send her home and I’ll change and go with you to this party instead.”
“It’s just not that easy Bill.”
“Actually Tom, it is. You either want to be with me all the time or not at all. There isn’t room in your closet for both of us and I’m quite claustrophobic.”
Bill turned away from Tom and headed for the stairs. Tom was about to go after him when the door to his apartment opened. Tom turned toward the door to see Ria stepping out.
“Tom, hurry up, you still need to get dressed and everything,” she said, reaching for his arm.
Tom heard the click of the door that led to the stairwell shutting and Bill was gone.
Chapter Seven
Bill had been ignoring Tom’s calls for three days. He was still hurt and feeling a little used. He hadn’t told Natalie anything besides he and Tom had ended whatever it was they had barely started. Natalie tried to grill him for details, but he hadn’t said anything more He agreed to meet Natalie out that evening for dinner and drinks, maybe even a little dancing to get Tom off of his mind. As soon as he got to the door of the restaurant Natalie hugged him immediately.
“Billy, tell me what happened. I thought things were going to well between the two of you.”
“Yeah, me too, until I found out he had a girlfriend.”
“What?!” Natalie asked with wide eyes.
“We were having dinner at his place. I’d surprised him and he told me he had some launch party to go to for a work thing, but that he had time to have dinner with me. Well we’d barely started eating when some chick came to the door claiming to be his girlfriend.”
“What did he say?” Natalie asked scandalized.
“Basically that she’s his beard. That his demographic wants to see him with hot chicks.”
“So that’s just it? You two are over?”
“I guess so. Easy come, easy go,” Bill shrugged.
“I can’t believe you are feeling so nonchalantly about it.”
“I won’t lie Nat, I’m hurt. I thought we had the start of something really great. I wanted to spend so much more time with him and now the whole thing is just over. It sucks.”
“Well if that’s how you feel I think you should talk to him again. You seemed to really like each other. You were having so much fun with him, Bill.
“No matter how much I liked him I’m not going to be his boyfriend on the down low if that’s even what we were. We never put a label on what we were doing. It was really too early for that. We were just having a good time together.”
“You’re not even willing to try to talk this over with him?”
“What’s the point? I’m not going to sit around at home while he takes some floozy out with him to events.”
“I guess you have a point there, but maybe there’s more to this than you realize.”
“Can we change the subject please? I want a Tom free evening from here on out.”
Chapter Eight
Tom rushed through the lobby of the Trimain building toward Natalie’s office. She had called him a few minutes earlier asking him to come to her office. When the number flashed on his caller ID he was puzzled and worried there was some kind of emergency like flooding or a water main break.
Tom was directed by one of the other employees to go right into her office as she was waiting for him. He gave the door two quick raps before opening the door. Tom was shocked to find Bill standing in Natalie’s office checking something on his cell phone.
“Bill,” Tom said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.
Bill’s head snapped up, eyes wide as he held the phone tightly. Realization dawn on his face.
“Let me guess, Natalie called you.”
“She told me to hurry over there was something we needed to discuss.”
“Meddlesome bitch,” Bill muttered mostly to himself, but Tom heard. “She clearly wanted to get us in the same room to talk.”
“Well I’m happy she did, because I’ve been trying to reach you and you haven’t returned any of my calls or messages.”
“That’s because we don’t have anything to talk about, Tom.”
“You’re not even willing to hear me out? I’ve done a lot of thinking over the last week. You were completely right to be upset.”
“Yes, I know I was.”
“Bill…”
“But I was a little wrong too,” Bill admitted. “I shouldn’t judge you for being in the closet. You have your reasons and you know them better than I do, but I just can’t regulate a relationship with you to only the private moments. I need someone who wants to go out with me. Hold my hand in public, someone who isn’t ashamed of our relationship. Maybe you’ll feel that way too one day, but I can’t wait around for that day to come.”
“I know, and you don’t deserve to be hidden away like some dirty little secret. I’m not ashamed of the feelings that had been growing for you. I don’t know what our relationship can be, but I do know that I don’t give a shit what fans of the games think when it comes to my personal life,” Tom said earnestly.
Bill could tell Tom meant it, at least for now he did, but what would happen when it was time for another event? “That’s easy to say, Tom but I need a lot more than words.”
“I knew you would say that and there’s a gaming convention next weekend. I’m doing a panel and signing autographs for a few hours. How about you come with me? It’s not exactly a launch party and the audience isn’t as big as Comic Con, but we can walk around together. We can even hold hands,” Tom said adding a scandalous gasp to the end of his sentence. I like you a lot Bill, and I’m willing to change everything to give us a chance.”
“What about Ria?”
“That ended that evening. I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore and I went to the launch party alone. I didn’t have any fun, by the way.”
Bill laughed. “Good.”
Tom stepped to Bill and put his arms around his waist. “So what do you say?”
Bill leaned forward and connected their lips. He’d missed Tom’s kisses. He pulled away before they had the chance to deepen the kiss. “I say let’s give this a real try.”
Tom smiled and leaned toward Bill only to lean his forehead against Bill’s.
“We have an audience,” Tom said. “Natalie is peeking in through the window.”
“Then let’s give her a real show,” Bill said grinning, before joining their lips again.
Author: ???
Pairing(s): Bill/Tom
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction that did not actually happen
Warnings: slash
Summary: When Tom, an up and coming game designer needs his new, classier apartment decorated, the leasing agent suggests her friend Bill to do the job.
Recipient: xpoltergeistx
Author's notes: Happy Holidays Poltergeist. I really hope you enjoy this story!
Chapter One
“Hey Sasha, I’m showing an apartment on six in half an hour. If anyone is looking for me I’ll be up there.” Natalie Franz, manager to the Trimain Building told her coworker.
“Are you sure you want to take this one yourself? I’m totally willing to show Mr. Trumper around for you if you don’t want to waste your time with tours of the apartment and building,” Sasha offered
Natalie laughed. “I’m sure, besides I want to get a look at him in person myself.”
Natalie was the residential living manager for the upscale Trimain Building in the heart of the city. The building held offices, restaurants, stores, and apartments on the upper floors. It was the job of her and her team to show around any potential residents. Anyone interested in even viewing an apartment had to pass a substantial financial background check. The waiting list for one of the condos was long, and the apartments never sat vacant for very long. Anyone who was anyone either lived in one of the luscious condominiums of the Trimain Building, or wanted to.
Tom Trumper was no different. He had made a name for himself when he and several friends developed the Deadly Aim, a first person shooter game that took the main character through a desolate city filled with pitfalls and enemies. He had strayed away from zombies in his post apocalyptic game and focused on dialogue, building the story and clean visuals. Now, Tom Trumper was viewed as one of the people to watch in the gaming industry.
He graced the covers of magazines, both for his innovations as well as for his good looks and physique. He had recently become a target for paparazzi who scored shots of him on vacation without his shirt on. Women wanted to be with him, and everyone wanted to be him.
The thirty minutes went quickly, and reception was paging Natalie to inform her that Mr. Trumper was there to see her for his tour. Natalie clicked out of the room in her heels, smoothing her pencil skirt down over her hips. She put on a smile and greeted the handsome man with a handshake.
“You must be Tom Trumper.”
“I am, and you’re Ms. Franz?”
“Please call me Natalie. I’ll be happy to show you up to our available apartment.”
Natalie couldn’t help but notice how good looking Tom was in person. He was tall, 6’1 at least with a lean frame that boasted muscles she’d seen in the online vacation photos. His long brown hair was in a low, half ponytail, the rest hanging free around his shoulders. His clothes had a sophisticated urban flare to them; slightly baggy but with a nice fit. He wore a leather jacket and sneakers with his jeans and polo shirt.
She had read in many of the articles that Tom wasn’t ready to settle down, but that no one knew if he was dating exclusively or not. He concealed his private life well and no one had been ale to eek out any information on that front aside from a few ex-girlfriends in high school, but he was often seen at clubs and hot spots among groups of people so it was assumed that he was a player.
Natalie took her cues from Tom as she showed him around the building. He seemed to be relaxed and in no particular hurry, so she showed him around the building fully. There was a gym for the residents with a pool and sauna, plus the restaurant, along with the two stores and coffee house in the lobby of the building.
When they reached the sixth floor, Natalie showed Tom how the keypad lock worked and opened up to the lavish apartment. They immediately entered the spacious living space just off the small front hallway they stepped into from the front door. Tom tried to use his imagination to envision what it would look like with a full complement of furniture, but it wasn’t easy. The apartment was mostly bare at this time. They hadn’t filled it with furniture for staging, but Tom was sure that most potential residents had more of an eye for that sort of thing; they knew what they had in mind and didn’t need filler furniture to guide them. On that front, Tom was lost.
He continued on with Natalie toward the eat-in kitchen. It was small, but Tom didn’t care about that, he didn’t do much cooking himself. He knew he would be making plenty of calls down to the in-house restaurant for his meals.
Tom had seen enough, the condo was perfect for him, if a bit large. It was also sending just the right message, He wanted nice things, but he wasn’t flaunting his new wealth.
“I’ll take the condo,” Tom said, interrupting Natalie as she talked about the intercom system that linked his apartment to the front desk.
“That’s great. I just need you to sign a few things and give us a check for the deposit and you’ll be all set.”
“Do you have the paperwork here?”
“Of course. You can take it to your lawyer and read it over. You have seven days to return it with your deposit or we’ll offer the apartment to someone else.”
Tom took a checkbook out the inside pocket of his leather jacket and produced a pen.
“Who should I make this out to?”
“Oh, you’re prepared to pay already?”
“Yes, no point in wasting time. I want the space and you need a check and a few signatures. I can provide both now.”
“Don’t you want a lawyer to look over the paperwork?” Natalie was surprised, she’d never had a tenant so prepared to get the ball rolling.
“I can take a look at it myself in just a moment,” Tom assured her as he wrote the check.
Tom quickly scanned the contract and found it to be quite standard. He signed his name to the bottom and handed it back to Natalie along with the check.
“We’ll process your paperwork immediately, you can begin moving in as soon as you’re ready.”
“I just need your help with one more thing if you can,” Tom said looking directly at Natalie. Out of nervous habit, Tom wiggled the hoop through his lip with the tip of his tongue.
“Of course I will if I can.” Natalie swallowed with nervous excitement. She didn’t know what Tom would ask, but she knew what she hoped he would.
“I really don’t know what to do with a space this big. My friends say my old place is a disaster. Can you recommend someone who will help? Come in and pick all the furniture and whatever else it needs?”
“Oh,” Natalie was feeling flattered and embarrassed. She’d hoped Tom was going to use his smooth, playboy moves on her, but he just wanted a referral. “Yes, I have a friend who is an interior designer actually. Is it okay if I give your contact information?”
“That would be great, my secretary will schedule an appointment. Thank you for all of your help Natalie.”
“Of course Mr. Trumper. Do you need anything else?”
“Just for you to not call me Mr. Trumper. It’s cliché, but Mr. Trumper really is my father.”
Natalie laughed “OK, Mr. Trumper, well Tom. If you come by my office on your way out I’ll give you a copy of your signed contract, the combination to the door and the instructions on how to change it. We’ll need you to inform us of the new combination for our records in case of any emergency.”
“Great. Thank you for all of your help Natalie.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t forget to stop by my office before you leave.”
Chapter Two
“Bill. Drop everything you’re doing, I have a potential client for you,” Natalie said the moment her best friend Bill answered the phone.
“Great! Give me all the details.”
Bill sat down at his desk and grabbed a pen and a pad to make notes.
“It’s a new tenant here in the building. Two bedrooms, office, and the living dining room. He wants someone to do the whole apartment.”
Bill’s eyes widened. He was still getting his interior design studio off the ground and worked mainly from referrals. A referral from a tenant at the Trimain Building would definitely help launch his career, not to mention the sizable paycheck.
“So who is this new tenant who wants their entire apartment decorated?”
“Tom Trumper.”
Bill squinted in thought trying to recall where he’d heard that name, but couldn’t remember the specifics. Bill picked his tablet up off the desk and googled the name. He was surprised to find that this new tenant had his own Wikipedia page.
“Tom Trumper, born September 1st is designer and creator of bestselling first person shooter video game, Deadly Aim,” Bill read aloud. “Are you serious?! This is the guy who needs someone to decorate?”
Bill went back to the main google page and clicked images. The man was gorgeous. Bill was especially intrigued by the pictures of Tom on some yacht, sans a shirt. The blonde in a bikini standing in front of him wasn’t hard to look at either. Bill referred to himself as Pan-Sexual. He was interested in a person for the inside, not the outside. He was accepting of any person and how they chose to identify themselves, what they brought to the table was more important than their sexual orientation or genitals.
“Isn’t he smoking hot?” Natalie asked into the receiver.
“Unbelievably. I’ll take the job. He doesn’t even have to pay me.”
Natalie laughed. “Oh trust me, he can afford it. I would tell you what this place costs if it wouldn’t get me fired. Anyway, he wants you to set up an appointment for the consultation with his secretary. Let me dig out the number.”
Bill wrote the number down promising to call the secretary the next day. He continued to scan over the information google and Wikipedia gave him on Tom Trumper and he began to rethink his willingness to help. Tom seemed like a man’s man. If he wanted animal heads mounted on a wall, Bill was out. Men like Tom weren’t usually willing to change their styles or take suggestions. If Tom was set in his ways he may as well hire a personal shopper, or an assistant to do all of the work for him.
Bill chided himself. People had preconceived notions about him all the time, just after one glance. It wasn’t fair for him to do the same. He would go in, consult with Tom, and then decide if he could be of service or not.
---
Tom hurried out of his office past his receptionist at the desk.
“Tom?”
“Yes Hannah, what is it?” Tom said turning abruptly. He was in a hurry. The guys down at the writing department had found a hole in the plot of Tom’s newest game. It was his sophomore debut and people were expecting great things. If this game was a failure it could ruin his career just as quickly as it had begun. He had to get down there and help iron out the wrinkles.
“You have an appointment at two with the designer at your new apartment.”
“Yes, yes, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll set an alarm on my way downstairs. I’ll be with the writing department until then.”
Tom hustled out of his office and to the elevators to hopefully solve the last of the plotting issues for this new game.
---
Tom was never embarrassed to ask for help, but he was embarrassed he needed the help on this front. It was his apartment, a statement to show that he wasn’t just a flash in the pan. It should be his design, but having someone to do the apartment for him was really his best option if he didn’t want it to be a disaster.
Tom hustled into the building. He hadn’t been there in three days since he had signed the contract after seeing the apartment with Natalie. The meeting had been booked as quickly as possible and now here he was. Tom went up to the apartment and keyed himself in. He looked around the entryway and large living room and smiled. This was exactly what he had dreamed for his entire life. He just never thought he’d actually get it.
As Tom looked around again the intercom in the entryway signaled.
“There is a Bill Kaulitz here to see you. He says he’s the interior designer,” The man at the front desk said into the phone.
Tom scratched his head. He didn’t know the designer’s name, let alone that it was a guy. “Of course, send him right up,” Tom said into the receiver and released the button.
A few minutes later there was a brisk knock on the door. Tom pulled it open and was greeted with who he assumed was Bill Kaulitz. The man was tall, at least as tall as Tom’s six feet and two inches. He wore black slacks with a slight flare in legs. Tom could see a white shirt under the black leather coat the man wore. Tom was taking it all in when a voice spoke up accompanied by a hand extended toward him.
“I’m Bill Kaulitz, you must be Tom Trumper.”
“Yes, I am. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” Tom said regaining his composure and shaking Bill’s hand. He’d been checking the man out and he hoped Bill hadn’t noticed. “Please come in.”
Bill gave a small smile as he entered and wondered if he was reading Tom’s look correctly. Bill disregarded it as sheer curiosity. He had decided to tone down his look today, skipping the smoky eye makeup and tight pants for a slightly more conservative look. If he’d read Tom correctly based on what he’d learned from the internet, Tom would not be all together comfortable with his more, androgynous look. It was really too bad because Natalie had been right, Tom was even better looking in person.
Tom’s brown eyes were intense, but mischievous, and he was just as tall as Bill. His body type was perfect and Bill tried not to reach out and touch the random dreadlocks interspersed in Tom’s loose hair. Bill could smell a hint of Tom’s cologne and it was one of his favorites. Instead of dwelling, Bill looked around the apartment trying to get a feel for the areas he could see from here.
“So, Natalie tells me you need the entire condo decorated.”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have any ideas of what you may like in any specific room? Any pieces you want me to incorporate?” Bill asked turning back to face Tom. He took his tablet out of a big bag he had on his shoulder. It was filled with sample books with everything from carpet and wallpaper samples to furniture that could be ordered from leading design outlets.
“No, nothing like that. All of my pieces are leftover from my college apartment. I never had the time or inclination to find better. I wouldn’t really know where to start.”
“Ok, are there any color schemes you want to utilize or any you want to stay away from?”
“Well nothing too bright, especially in the bedroom. I want it to be restful. I want to relax in here after a long day at work.” Tom looked around the living room and imagined himself there after work with a beer playing the latest version of the game he and his company were creating. “Leather, in the living room; and I’ll need a big television but if you could find a way to hide it, that would be awesome.”
Bill made a few notes in his tablet. Just then, Tom’s phone began to ring loudly in his pocket. He fished it out and looked at the readout.
“I’m really sorry, I need to take this.”
“That’s okay, can I look around at the other rooms?”
“Of course,” Tom said before turning his back on Bill who went in search of other rooms.
Bill pulled a digital laser measuring device out of his large bag and set all of his other items down. He lined the laser against the wall and used it to measure each room. He typed the dimensions into a program on his tablet that would create a 3D layout of the apartment. Bill left the final bedroom and walked toward the eat-in station in the kitchen. There was a serving counter with three high back stools placed neatly on the other side. It was the only place to sit in the unfurnished apartment. Bill saw Tom sitting at one of the chairs, frantically scribbling notes into a little notepad while still speaking with someone on the phone.
Bill sat down on the chair at the far end, leaving an empty one between them. While he waited for Tom to finish his call, he worked on a quick mock up of what he could do with the apartment, generating color schemes and furniture options from the digital copies of catalogs he carried in his bag.
Tom clicked the phone off and wrote a few more things down in his notepad before closing it and looking at Bill.
“I’m sorry about that; development problems with my game. We’re very busy trying to get it sorted.”
“That’s okay, it gave me time to measure rooms and create a draft for possibilities.”
Bill slid his tablet between them and showed Tom what he had been working on. Tom slid over into the empty chair bringing them closer to one another as he looked at the tablet.
“This is cool,” Tom said looking at the 3D model of his apartment, his hand brushing Bill’s slightly as he moved the tablet so it was directly in front of him. “This looks like something we would use for one of our video games.”
“You make video games, yet you take notes with pen and paper instead of digitally.”
“I can get my thoughts down faster on paper than I can type them. If I need to draw anything I can put it in right there on the page, and I don’t have to worry about it crashing or not saving properly. I’ll have the copy right here.” Tom said, patting the inside pocket of his leather coat.
“Yes, unless you lose it.”
“Well there’s that, but I haven’t lost one yet.” Tom knocked his knuckles on the counter in front of him.
“That’s Formica not wood.”
“There’s some wood I Formica right?” Tom said laughing.
Bill couldn’t help but smile back. Tom had a wonderful smile, warm and inviting with a hint of mischief in his eye. Bill was leaning toward him and hadn’t even realized it.
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.”
Tom shrugged and looked back down at Bill’s tablet.
“Would you like to go over some things I’ve come up with now or would another time be better? I have sample books with me as well. If you have the time we could start picking things out and having them delivered.”
Tom checked the time again. He had been there with Bill almost an hour and pressing matters at the office really needed his attention.
“Can we start going over things? I can get an idea of what your thoughts are and we can go from there. We may need to postpone for a bit.”
“Then let’s get started. So far I have some color schemes and furniture ideas. I measured all of the rooms so this is a true to size scale.”
“How did you measure them alone? Don’t you need someone else to hold the tape measure?”
“I have a digital laser measurer, I just put it on the wall and it tells me the height or length. I was even able to go from the floor to the ceiling. It’s very exact and I’m able to do it without a tape measure. It gives me a better idea if I need to purchase furniture for a space.
Tom was impressed by Bill’s ingenuity and he looked on intently as Bill explained his ideas often looking up from the tablet to watch the way Bill’s lips moved as he spoke. Tom was pleased to find the colors warm and inviting without being showy. The bedroom especially had grey walls with a red accent wall behind the bed. Tom would have never thought to put red anywhere in his house, but he really liked what Bill had come up with. It had a modern feel, but at the same time looked like a home you could live in.
“Yes to everything. Tell me what it costs and I’ll write the checks,” Tom said decidedly, picking up his cell phone and sticking it in his breast pocket with his notebook.
“But you haven’t decided on furniture?”
“The things you have in your model are fine, purchase that stuff. Everything. Have it all delivered. You do the set up and staging right?”
“Well, yes, but you haven’t seen any of the furniture in the catalogs, there may be something in there you like better. Or maybe there is something on the model that you don’t actually like.” Bill was flabbergasted. He’d never had a client hand the reigns completely over to him like this.
“I like it all. It’s what I wanted without even knowing what I wanted. Make it happen. I’ll give you the code to the apartment and I’ll let the front desk know that you will be coming and going and having things delivered. Do you need a check now to begin purchasing things, or maybe a credit card would be easier.”
Tom fished for his wallet and Bill’s head began to swim. He’d never had a client who was so easy to design for. Even Natalie had had a few objections and desires when he had designed her small apartment in the building.
Tom handed Bill the credit card. “I’ll call the card company on the way back to my office so they know you are using it. Have at it.”
“Um, okay,” Bill said, still surprised as he took the card.
“How long do you think it will take before I can move in?” Tom asked.
“Maybe two weeks. I can have the painters here in a day or two.”
“Perfect. Just keep in touch and let me know your progress. If you need anything at all, or there is a problem with the card, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Tom handed him a business card, jotting the door code on the back. He offered his hand for Bill to shake again.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Tom said looking directly into Bill’s eyes.
Bill could have sworn he saw Tom’s tongue briefly touch the metal loop through the corner of his lip, but he couldn’t be 100% sure.
Tom released Bill’s hand and gave him one last nod before hurrying toward the door.
Bill was still standing in the doorway as Tom entered the elevator. “I’m sure I’m in good hands with you,” Tom said as he pressed the door close button.
Chapter Three
Bill answered his phone on the second ring. He was sitting in his apartment checking out the websites for the stores where he would be purchasing Tom’s furniture. If they had new options he wanted to know so he could run them by Tom.
“Hey, Nat.”
“Come and have drinks with me. We’re heading to Nero, meet us. I want to hear all about your consult with Tom Trumper went yesterday.”
“I’m not up for a club tonight.”
“Ok, drinks and appetizers at Epic and then you can head home while I head to the club.”
“That sounds great.”
Bill decided if he was going to go out for the first time in weeks, he may as well look good. He slid into his tightest pair of black pants, a red tank top, and a black asymmetrical leather jacket to combat the slight chill in the air. Bill applied a smoky swipe over his eyelids and styled his short hair. Wedging his slimmest wallet with his ID, some cash and a credit card into his pocket, Bill headed out to Epic to meet Natalie.
---
Epic was a large bar that was never particularly crowded during the weeknights, but they had great drinks and even better appetizers. They featured local jazz bands or singer song writers on Thursday nights, so Bill was prepared to enjoy a few after work drinks.
Bill walked into the bar and looked around. He was surprised by the small crowd gathered at the bar, but he quickly spotted Natalie nestled into a seat at the bar, her first drink in front of her. She waved a hand in case Bill hadn’t spotted her from the door. He walked toward her, and smiled at his friend.
“I was starting to wonder if you would make it,” Natalie said, leaning in to kiss Bill’s cheek. “Order a drink and let’s pick an appetizer so we can talk about how things went yesterday.”
Bill did as he was told, ordering a rum and coke and helping Natalie decide on the flatbread pizza appetizer for the two of them to share.
“So how did your meeting with Tom go? Isn’t he so good looking in person?”
Bill sighed and sipped his drink the bartender brought over. “He is. And he was nice, but I just don’t know how to read him.”
“What do you mean? Is he giving you mixed signals about the decorating? You’re usually so good at convincing a client to agree with you.”
“Oh, it isn’t he decorating he’s giving me mixed signals about. He kept giving me these looks, and he touched me a few times, but the touches lingered a bit. Then he told me he was happy to be in my capable hands. It’s just the way he said and did things. I don’t know if he’s overly touchy or hitting on me.”
Natalie stopped her drink halfway to her lips and raised an eyebrow at Bill. “Are you serious? He never once touched me during the tour. He kept a polite distance and never made any innuendo or anything. He was the perfect if not hurried gentleman.”
“There was definitely something about the way he interacted with me.”
“Do you think he’s gay?” Natalie asked quietly, looking around to be sure no one was paying attention. “Everything I’ve seen or heard about has him with girls. The model type. I’ve never heard any inclination that he could be into guys.”
“Maybe I’m reading things wrong, I don’t know, and there’s no way for me to find out. I mean what do I say? ‘Hey Tom, it seems like you’re flirting with me a little. See anything you like?’”
Natalie laughed and slapped Bill’s shoulder. “Seriously though, how are you going to find out?”
Bill shrugged. “I guess I’ll never know. I’m not going to ask, and unless he volunteers the information, I will forever be in the dark.”
Bill and Natalie sat at the bar talking and eating appetizers while they watched the singer play. The guy was good with a soulful tone to his voice. Bill was impressed and that had him staying at the bar a bit longer than he had originally intended to. His eyes scanned the crowd gauging the reaction of the patrons to the music when he eyes met with Tom Trumper’s. Tom was sitting on a stool at the far end of the bar. Their eyes met and Tom’s lips turned up in a smirk.
Bill leaned over and whispered to Natalie.
“He’s here, but don’t look. Do you think I should go and say hi or something?”
“He who?” Natalie asked confused. She didn’t know which direction to not look in for the person Bill was talking about, so she kept her head straight.
“Tom, Tom is here sitting at the bar.”
Now Natalie did turn and look. Bill was thankful Tom was looking down at his phone and didn’t see the grin cross Natalie’s face.
“Yes, you should definitely go and say hi. You look hot tonight, if he’s interested you’ll know for sure.”
Bill gave his best friend a skeptical look, but stood from his stool and walked toward Tom’s end of the bar. His brain was telling him to nod and walk past Tom and toward the bathroom, but his feet were pushing him forward until he stopped next to Tom.
“Hi,” Bill said, not knowing what else to say. He felt stupid for not thinking of something else before he walked over to Tom.
“Hi yourself. You look great tonight.” Tom’s eyes tracked down Bill’s body. His clothes seemed to fit him like a second skin and the makeup was a new and slightly surprising addition Tom was enjoying very much.
Bill looked down, remembering what he had put on and that he had even done his makeup.
“Thanks. Natalie called and wanted to go out for a bit. What are you doing here?”
“I can’t hear you,” Tom shouted before taking Bill’s elbow in his hand and leaning closer so his face was next to Bill’s ear. “Now say that again.”
Bill shivered. He could smell Tom’s cologne again and it took all of his willpower not to stick his nose into Tom’s neck and inhale the scent straight from his skin.
“I said that Natalie wanted to have drinks for a bit. What are you doing here?”
Tom laughed, his breaths tickling Bill’s ear. “I’m meeting a few people from work. We landed a huge voice actor for our game. It will really boost notoriety. This guy has won several awards.”
“There are awards for voice actors?”
“Yes, it’s really an art. Haven’t you ever watched an animated movie or played a video game and thought about who it is voicing the character. A voice actor needs a lot of expression to really convey what the character feels and great animators to help it along the way. I have both, so we’re going to celebrate. They aren’t due for a bit longer, why don’t you sit down and tell me what progress you’ve made on the apartment over a drink.”
Bill looked behind him to Natalie who was smiling at some guy who was talking to her.
“Ok, but I really shouldn’t leave Natalie for too long.”
“I think she’ll be okay on her own for a bit,” Tom said, his gaze going to where Bill’s had been to look at Natalie. “What are you drinking?”
Bill took the empty stool next to Tom while Tom ordered their drinks.
He leaned close to Bill again and spoke, “Now, tell me how things are going at the apartment.”
“Well it’s only been one day, but the painters are due in tomorrow.” Bill thanked the bartender and sipped his drink before continuing. “They say it will take three days with priming and painting. I’m going to go around to a few furniture shops tomorrow.” Bill leaned forward wanting to test something. He placed his hand on Tom’s forearm and spoke again. “Since things are going well at work you should come with me and see if there’s something you like better.”
Tom looked down at Bill’s hand on his arm before looking up to connect his eyes with Bill. “No, I want everything you’ve already shown me.”
“Let me show you more. I promise it will be fun,” Bill said smiling.
“How can I say no to an invitation like that?”
Chapter Four
Bill stood in Tom’s apartment admiring the great job the painters had done. True to their word the job had been completed in three days and the paint was now completely dry. They had given Bill the go ahead to begin moving things in and hanging things on the walls. The furniture for the living room had been delivered and set up earlier that day; now all that was left was for Bill to hang artwork on the walls.
‘One room down,’ he thought as he worked.
He and Tom had gone shopping for furniture two days before and it had been more of the same from Tom. While he hadn’t been as touchy feely with Bill he had made several innuendos as they looked around the first two shops on their list. Tom had deferred to Bill on all decisions for the furnishings and they had selected great pieces. Tom had had enough shopping by the time they reached the second store and left Bill behind for his office and work he needed to complete.
Something during their outing had struck Bill as off in Tom’s behavior and Natalie was on her way up from her office to talk it over with Bill while he hung art on the walls.
“Ok, so what happened when you went shopping?” Natalie asked, jumping right in after Bill had opened the door.
“Well he only went to two stores with me and had next to no opinion about anything. There was an end table that was place with the couches he wanted that he hated right away, but otherwise there was no opposition or support from him either way. He told me to do what I want and the pulled out a credit card.”
“I think everyone wants a partner who will bow to their will,” Natalie said dreamily.
“I don’t think he’s like that all the time. He can’t be and run a successful business at the same time.”
“He probably isn’t in the bedroom either. He seems like the take charge kind of guy.” Natalie grinned at Bill.
“Anyway,” Bill said and rolled his eyes at his best friend and she giggle as he held up the first framed photo trying to gauge if he really did want the piece in the living room. “So you know how he’s been so flirty and physical with me.”
“Of course, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes at the club. I still can’t get over how close he was leaning in to speak to you. I would have fallen in his lap if it had been me.”
“Clearly it’s been too long for you, Nat.” She swatted his arm then crossed her own in a huff. “Anyway, he didn’t touch me a single time while we were out shopping. He was still really nice and a bit flirty, but only when no one else was within earshot.”
“What are you saying?” Natalie asked furrowing her brow.
“I’m saying I’m back to not knowing what his deal is. At the bar it seemed that I finally understood. I thought he was outright hitting on me, but while we were shopping one of the clerks said, ‘I wish my boyfriend would always just tell me yes when it came to decorating our place.’ I swear I saw him physically bristle. He explained that we weren’t dating and that I was the designer. Then he left very shortly after that. I haven’t heard a peep from him since.”
“So now you’re back to wondering if you were misinterpreting the signals again. I say you just kiss him and see what happens.”
“Yeah, what’s the worst that can happen if I follow your advice? Let’s see, my choices are, I lose my job, get punched in the face, or get kissed back. I don’t like the chances.”
“May the odds be ever in your favor,” Natalie said, giving Bill her best Effie Trinket impression.
The two erupted in a fit of giggles just as the door to the apartment opened.
~*~*~*~
Tom entered his apartment to find Bill and Natalie sitting on the floor laughing loudly. The laughing stopped the instant they noticed him there.
“Tom, I didn’t know you were stopping by today,” Bill said standing.
“I thought I’d come and check out the paint job and the living room since it was all set to arrive today.”
“Oh, well Natalie was just helping me hang some photos before she headed home for the day.”
“I’m just going to look around. Carry on,” Tom said turning toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
“I’ve got to go anyway, I’m supposed to meet Craig at seven for dinner and I really should go home and change,” Natalie said loud enough for Tom to hear as he walked away.
Natalie grabbed her purse and headed toward the door before turning back and mouthing the words “kiss him” at Bill.
---
“So what are you doing here so late?” Tom asked when he returned to the living room.
“I didn’t have the time earlier to hang up the artwork and I wanted to get it done so you would see a completed room if you happened to stop by.”
“Well it looks really great in here. I wanted to hook my gaming system up to the tv and give it a try. Why are you sitting on the floor?” Tom asked as an afterthought, one eyebrow raised as he moved toward the television across from where Bill sat.”
“Because you haven’t had the chance to sit on your own couch yet. I know it sounds stupid, but I think the tenant should always be the first.”
“Oh, well I don’t care about that sort of thing. You can be the first to sit on the couch, or use one of the new glasses I see you washed and put away in the kitchen. You should at least be comfortable.”
“Thanks.”
They were silent for a few moments as Tom fiddled with the TV and Bill adjusted a photo on the wall.
“Will you be here much longer?” Tom asked, flipping on the TV.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to get in your way. I can leave in a few minutes.”
“That’s not why I was asking. I was thinking about sticking around a while longer and ordering dinner. Would you like to stay and have something with me? You can get a sneak preview of my new game.”
Bill smiled brightly at Tom.
“That sounds like fun. What are you in the mood for?”
Tom grinned slyly, his tongue darting over his lip piercing. “I’ll let you decide.”
---
It was only 40 minutes later before they were sitting down together in Tom’s kitchen eating pizza and chatting casually about what work Bill had left to do in the apartment as well as Tom’s work. He was busy but not overly and there were sections of the game that needed to be tested out. The conversation quickly evolved becoming more comfortable between them. They talked and laughed easily as they shared a meal.
After cleaning up, the pair headed for the couch. Tom had asked Bill if he could stay for a while to see what he and his team had made. Tom was really proud of the games progress so far, but it was still a rough work in progress.
“Do you play any video games?”
“Besides the few I have on my phone? Not really. I had an ex who liked racing games, but I’ve never really gotten too into them.”
Tom clutched at his heart and threw himself down on the couch making sounds as if he were dying.
“Oh hush,” Bill laughed, pushing Tom’s legs off the couch so he could sit down next to ‘dying’ man. “Maybe you can be the one to change my mind.”
“Well let’s see.”
Tom booted up the game and explained the general plot to him. After ten minutes of guiding Bill through the controls he was playing the game on his own. Tom filled in the dialogue where there was none yet. Tom pulled out his notebook and took notes as Bill laughed and played his way through for another ten minutes before the game ended.
“Oh no, what happened?!” Bill asked startled when the screen when black.
“Why are you so upset? You don’t like video games.”
“But…I-” Bill began to protest.
Tom laughed, “That’s all there is. Well all that’s playable at this moment.”
“What were you over there writing?” Bill asked, leaning over so he could see Tom’s book.
Tom snatched it away from his prying eyes, then showed Bill the page he had been writing on.
“Just writing about the playability of the game so far. Little corrections that need to be made or things I think will enhance the game play.”
“You’re really cute when you’re scribbling in that little notebook.”
“Cute huh?” Tom asked with a smirk.
Bill took a moment to smile before leaning forward. When Tom leaned forward to meet him, Bill tilted his face up to connect their lips. Their lips moved slowly against each other, caressing each other. Bill pulled back to look at Tom for just a moment before their lips were joined again. Bill’s mouth opened to Tom’s and the kiss deepened, their tongues stroking for long moments.
Tom pulled away nearly panting. Bill had quite literally taken his breath away. Bill leaned his forehead to Tom’s catching his own breath.
“I wasn’t sure if you were really interested,” Bill whispered.
“Oh, I’m definitely interested,” Tom said, before kissing Bill again.
Chapter Five
Bill stood in Tom’s bedroom looking at the mess of boxes trying his best not to yell into his phone.
“I am looking at my receipt at it shows a charge for delivery and set up, yet I’m looking at a stack of boxes.” Bill listened for another minute. He had already said these things to the person on the phone with him now and he hated having to repeat himself. “Let me speak to your manager, since you don’t seem to understand I have a client who is moving in tomorrow and no bed for him to sleep in.”
Bill waited as he was transferred to the manager. He took a moment to explain, again, that he had paid for delivery and set up but had not received the set up. When the delivery men had left the apartment, Bill assumed they would return immediately with more furniture or tools. Instead they’d left and now Bill was on the phone trying to rectify the situation.
“No, three days is not acceptable. My client is set to move in tomorrow. The set up was paid for and I expected the set up when the furniture was delivered.”
Bill listened again as the manager made excuses. They talked back and forth until the manager promised to send someone over to complete the set up the next day. Bill angrily jabbed his finger against the screen of his phone to end the call.
“You’re sexy when you’re mad,” Tom said, coming up behind Bill.
“I didn’t know you were here,” Bill replied, leaning back into Tom’s embrace. He had gotten quite used to the feeling of Tom’s arms around him in the last two days since their first kiss. They had enjoyed several hours together each night since then.
“You didn’t hear the door open over all the shouting you were doing,” Tom teased.
“I wasn’t shouting. I was just making my case loudly.”
Bill turned around in Tom’s arms and looped his own around Tom’s neck to draw him in for a kiss. It quickly deepened as their mouths opened and moved together more urgently and it wasn’t long before Tom’s lips slipped down to Bill’s neck
“That phone call made you tense. You should let me help you relieve some tension,” Tom said into Bill’s neck.
“How do you plan to do that? I am pretty tense.”
Tom kissed Bill’s lips again, his hand stroking down Bill’s chest and stomach until his hand was hovering just above Bill’s belt. Tom hesitated for a minute not knowing if he should continue further down. Bill pushed his hips toward Tom. Tom gripped Bill’s arousal through his pants making Bill moan into the kiss.
“The movers will be here soon.”
“Are you telling me to stop?” Tom asked, pausing his actions. They had never touched this way before, and Tom didn’t want to push Bill to do something he wasn’t ready for.
“No,” Bill gasped, pushing his hips against Tom’s hand once again.
Tom used both hands to unbuckle Bill’s belt and let the other man lean against him as he slipped his hand under Bill’s waistband.
Chapter Six
It had been two weeks since Bill had finished the job at Tom’s apartment and a new one had begun, this time for a den remodel. His new clients weren’t nearly as compliant as Tom had been, and trying to help them turn the vision for a perfect den into reality wasn’t going as easily as he had hoped.
It wasn’t easy for Bill and Tom to find the time to meet often in that time with them both busy at work. They managed to fit in a lunch date one day between stops to furniture stores for Bill and it hadn’t been enough for either man. Before things had gotten so busy they were able to spend some time in the evenings together having dinner and laughing.
Bill checked the time and found it was only 5:30 in the evening. If he was lucky Tom was on his way home now unless things had gotten bad at work. He took out his phone and sent Tom a quick text.
‘Where are you?’
It was only a few minutes before Tom replied to his message.
‘On the elevator up to my apartment. I’ve been thinking about you a lot today. I wish I could see you.’
Bill grinned. Maybe his plan could work. 15 minutes later Bill was knocking on Tom’s door. Both men grinned widely when they saw each other.
“What are you doing here?” Tom asked, pulling Bill over the threshold.
“Well you’ve been thinking about me, I’ve been thinking about you, I figured I would surprise you and stop by.”
“This is a great surprise.” Tom leaned forward to kiss Bill, who opened to him willingly. They hadn’t put any kind of label on their relationship, but going days without kissing Tom just seemed wrong.
When they kiss was broken Bill grinned.
“So how about we order Chinese food and maybe watch a movie? Or we can skip the movie,” he said slyly.
“I really want to, but I’ve got a console launch party to go to tonight.”
“Oh, I had no idea you had such big plans for the evening.”
“It’s a big deal that isn’t a big deal. I’m expected to make an appearance at these things since my new game will be coming out on it and several other platforms.”
“No, of course I understand,” Bill said slightly deflated.
“We have enough time for dinner if that’s okay. Then I’m going to need to hop in the shower and get dressed.” Tom put his arms around Bill and sighed. “What do ya say, do you want to spend the next 90 minutes with me?”
“It’s better than zero minutes,” Bill said, pouting slightly.
“I’ll make it up to you. Promise.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Bill leaned in for another kiss before heading to the kitchen for a food menu.
---
Bill sat in Tom’s lap grinding his hips against the other man when the main intercom sounded. They had ordered dinner 30 minutes prior and the person taking their order hadn’t been kidding when she promised the food would be there in half an hour.
Tom groaned and gripped Bill’s behind tighter in his hands.
“Don’t leave, we don’t need to eat, but we need a lot more of this.”
Bill laughed, and gave one more swivel of his hips before pulling away from Tom to stand. He pressed the button and told the man at the front desk to let the delivery up.
“You have to answer the door, he won’t notice your boner past your ridiculously large pants,” Bill joked.
Tom’s eyes went down to Bill’s obvious arousal. “I think we have enough time to eat and fool around. I can lick sweet and sour sauce off your--”
The loud knock sounded on the door, interrupting Tom’s sentence, but Bill could fill in the blanks. He went to the kitchen for plates and cutlery while Tom answered the door.
---
They dug into the bag and found that the California rolls they’d ordered hadn’t been put into the bag. Bill called back and the woman apologized, promising to send a driver over immediately with the missing item and a coupon for their next order.
“I’m too hungry to wait, I say we get started,” Bill suggested.
“Or we can get back to what we were doing before he interrupted us.”
“How about we eat, then do a little multitasking in the shower if there is enough time after dinner. I’ve been dying to try out the 360 degree shower heads.”
Tom grinned, “Eat quick then,” He replied and opened the first carton.
There was a quick tap on the door ten minutes later.
“Do you mind grabbing the door?” Tom asked from inside the freezer as he grabbed some ice for his drink. “It’s probably our sushi.”
“Sure. You know it’s really too bad neither of us has used that beautiful kitchen for anything besides eating,” Bill said over his shoulder as he headed for the door. “Maybe I’ll cook for you one of these days.”
“You can cook? I may have to keep you forever,” Tom joked.
Bill pulled the door open to find a brunette woman standing at the door. She was dressed in a tight, just shorter than knee length black dress, holding a red clutch that matched her red shoes. Bill looked confused.
“Hello.”
“Hi, is this 623? I’m looking for Tom,” the brunette said.
“What’s taking so long?” Tom asked from the kitchen.
“I think someone is here to see you,” Bill said opening the door a bit wider.
Tom looked around Bill’s shoulder and actually blushed a little. “Ria.”
“I’m a little early. Am I interrupting?”
“Um…” Tom looked at Bill who had a very expectant look on his face.
“Doesn’t appear you are,” Bill said stepping back away from the door.
“I’m Ria, Tom’s girlfriend. Who are you?” She asked with mock politeness.
“I’m Bill. I designed the apartment for Tom. We were just having a little dinner, but I actually need to head out. It was nice meeting you Ria. Have a lovely evening out.”
“We will, thanks.”
Bill reached for his coat that was tossed on the couch and Tom grabbed his arm.
“I can explain,” He whispered so Bill could hear him.
“Is she your girlfriend?” Bill asked looking Tom directly in the eyes.
“Not exactly.” Tom scratched the back of his neck and peered at an obviously angry Bill.
“Well she seems to think she is and now when I think about it, everything makes perfect sense now.”
Bill slung his coat over his shoulder and moved for the front door to leave.
“Bill, just let me explain it all to you. We’ll do dinner again tomorrow night and I’ll explain everything.”
“You know, I really don’t think I want to hear your explanation.”
Tom followed Bill out the front door and shut it behind them so Ria couldn’t hear them.
“I’m in a precarious situation and I need you to understand that. She’s someone I go out with sometimes. The demographic we aim for to buy my games want to see me with a hot chick so she comes with me for events and things like that.”
“And that’s why we rarely do things out in public or go out to dinner? Is that why you got defensive at the furniture store and wouldn’t touch me? Because you didn’t want people to know you were gay, or bi, or whatever?”
“It’s not exactly like that Bill.”
“Then send her home and I’ll change and go with you to this party instead.”
“It’s just not that easy Bill.”
“Actually Tom, it is. You either want to be with me all the time or not at all. There isn’t room in your closet for both of us and I’m quite claustrophobic.”
Bill turned away from Tom and headed for the stairs. Tom was about to go after him when the door to his apartment opened. Tom turned toward the door to see Ria stepping out.
“Tom, hurry up, you still need to get dressed and everything,” she said, reaching for his arm.
Tom heard the click of the door that led to the stairwell shutting and Bill was gone.
Chapter Seven
Bill had been ignoring Tom’s calls for three days. He was still hurt and feeling a little used. He hadn’t told Natalie anything besides he and Tom had ended whatever it was they had barely started. Natalie tried to grill him for details, but he hadn’t said anything more He agreed to meet Natalie out that evening for dinner and drinks, maybe even a little dancing to get Tom off of his mind. As soon as he got to the door of the restaurant Natalie hugged him immediately.
“Billy, tell me what happened. I thought things were going to well between the two of you.”
“Yeah, me too, until I found out he had a girlfriend.”
“What?!” Natalie asked with wide eyes.
“We were having dinner at his place. I’d surprised him and he told me he had some launch party to go to for a work thing, but that he had time to have dinner with me. Well we’d barely started eating when some chick came to the door claiming to be his girlfriend.”
“What did he say?” Natalie asked scandalized.
“Basically that she’s his beard. That his demographic wants to see him with hot chicks.”
“So that’s just it? You two are over?”
“I guess so. Easy come, easy go,” Bill shrugged.
“I can’t believe you are feeling so nonchalantly about it.”
“I won’t lie Nat, I’m hurt. I thought we had the start of something really great. I wanted to spend so much more time with him and now the whole thing is just over. It sucks.”
“Well if that’s how you feel I think you should talk to him again. You seemed to really like each other. You were having so much fun with him, Bill.
“No matter how much I liked him I’m not going to be his boyfriend on the down low if that’s even what we were. We never put a label on what we were doing. It was really too early for that. We were just having a good time together.”
“You’re not even willing to try to talk this over with him?”
“What’s the point? I’m not going to sit around at home while he takes some floozy out with him to events.”
“I guess you have a point there, but maybe there’s more to this than you realize.”
“Can we change the subject please? I want a Tom free evening from here on out.”
Chapter Eight
Tom rushed through the lobby of the Trimain building toward Natalie’s office. She had called him a few minutes earlier asking him to come to her office. When the number flashed on his caller ID he was puzzled and worried there was some kind of emergency like flooding or a water main break.
Tom was directed by one of the other employees to go right into her office as she was waiting for him. He gave the door two quick raps before opening the door. Tom was shocked to find Bill standing in Natalie’s office checking something on his cell phone.
“Bill,” Tom said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.
Bill’s head snapped up, eyes wide as he held the phone tightly. Realization dawn on his face.
“Let me guess, Natalie called you.”
“She told me to hurry over there was something we needed to discuss.”
“Meddlesome bitch,” Bill muttered mostly to himself, but Tom heard. “She clearly wanted to get us in the same room to talk.”
“Well I’m happy she did, because I’ve been trying to reach you and you haven’t returned any of my calls or messages.”
“That’s because we don’t have anything to talk about, Tom.”
“You’re not even willing to hear me out? I’ve done a lot of thinking over the last week. You were completely right to be upset.”
“Yes, I know I was.”
“Bill…”
“But I was a little wrong too,” Bill admitted. “I shouldn’t judge you for being in the closet. You have your reasons and you know them better than I do, but I just can’t regulate a relationship with you to only the private moments. I need someone who wants to go out with me. Hold my hand in public, someone who isn’t ashamed of our relationship. Maybe you’ll feel that way too one day, but I can’t wait around for that day to come.”
“I know, and you don’t deserve to be hidden away like some dirty little secret. I’m not ashamed of the feelings that had been growing for you. I don’t know what our relationship can be, but I do know that I don’t give a shit what fans of the games think when it comes to my personal life,” Tom said earnestly.
Bill could tell Tom meant it, at least for now he did, but what would happen when it was time for another event? “That’s easy to say, Tom but I need a lot more than words.”
“I knew you would say that and there’s a gaming convention next weekend. I’m doing a panel and signing autographs for a few hours. How about you come with me? It’s not exactly a launch party and the audience isn’t as big as Comic Con, but we can walk around together. We can even hold hands,” Tom said adding a scandalous gasp to the end of his sentence. I like you a lot Bill, and I’m willing to change everything to give us a chance.”
“What about Ria?”
“That ended that evening. I told her I didn’t want to see her anymore and I went to the launch party alone. I didn’t have any fun, by the way.”
Bill laughed. “Good.”
Tom stepped to Bill and put his arms around his waist. “So what do you say?”
Bill leaned forward and connected their lips. He’d missed Tom’s kisses. He pulled away before they had the chance to deepen the kiss. “I say let’s give this a real try.”
Tom smiled and leaned toward Bill only to lean his forehead against Bill’s.
“We have an audience,” Tom said. “Natalie is peeking in through the window.”
“Then let’s give her a real show,” Bill said grinning, before joining their lips again.