Author: Domino.
Title: Where there is a will….
Email: zahfat@yahoo.com
Summary: AU. M/M story with a
totally different concept. M/M both human – no aliens,…just
read – you’ll see what I mean.
Disclaimer: Not Mine….
Chapter 1
The door
opened and a
voice barked out
an order for
the reports from
the doorway, before slamming
shut again. The new
girl cringed as
the loud sound
vibrated through the
office.
“He’s not
always like that,” the
woman in the
next desk felt
obliged to say. She
was about 45
years old, well dressed, and
had a soft
pleasing voice. Her name was
Sarah. She had been
working there for
about 25 years, and
knew everything that
went on in the
place.
Across the room, another woman, even
older sat. Michelle, had been there
from the beginning. She was
as old as
the building, and had been
working in the
same office from
its opening.
There were
no walls to
talk at the Resa, only
Sarah and Michelle – best friends
despite the age
difference of more
than a decade, and
working together for
over quarter of
a century.
“Only when
they fight,” Michelle added, trying
to console the
frightened new employee. Their bosses
reputation was more
important than their
own, and they didn’t
want her to
get the wrong
impression.
“Of course, they do
fight all the
time,” Sarah mused.
“Ever since
they were kids,” Michelle, a proud
smile on her face.
“He’s bark
is way worse
than his bite. He’s really
sweet most of
the time. So is
she.”
The new girl looked
unconvinced. And as they
considered it their
duty, Sarah and Michelle
felt it was
only fair that
Mary knew all
the facts. After all
everyone else did.
“Its because
of the wills
they are fighting
so much,” Sarah said
in explanation.
“The wills?” Mary questioned, drawn in
spite of herself.
“Don’t start
there. Start at the
beginning,” Michelle
admonished her friend.
And so
the two began
the tale, work forgotten
yet secure in the knowledge
that despite their
bosses grumpy moods, they
were safe from
their wrath. Their statures as
almost fixtures in
the place ensured
this.
“It all
started before the Resa opened its
first hotel, way back
to two little
boys who grew
up together in
an orphanage. They were
best friends, all each
other really had. Both were
intelligent, street smart but
more that that, they
were dreamers. They protected each
other, and made plans
together,” Michelle started.
Mary gave
up all pretence
of working, and listened
to the fascinating
life story of the
Resa and her
bosses.
“It took
many years to
build their dreams, and
the friendship that
began when they
were just little
kids cemented over
the years until
they finally began, in
the accumulation of
all their hard
work, the construction of
the very first Resa hotel.
Their partnership
survived many things
over the years , loss, life, wives, family, death –
but two
things the friends
held dear besides
their lifelong friendship. The first
was this. The hotel. This hotel. The first
hotel in the
entire Resa chain. It
took two years
to build it
the way that
they wanted it, and
they were involved
in every aspect
of its creation – from the most
basic construction to the advertising.
From the
very first Resa came
many all over
the States, and even
further afield.
Still the heart
of the empire
lay here, where both
of them lived, where
they ran their
company, and where they brought
up their families.”
Sarah paused
for effect, and studied
Mary to see
if she was suitably impressed. Exchanging a
glance with Michelle, she
stopped and Michelle
took over.
“The second
thing they loved
came first in
their hearts – the two
of them. Their children. The apple
of their eyes. Maybe it
was their backgrounds
in the orphanage, but the
children meant everything
to them. No one
ever doubted their
love for them. What
made it even
more remarkable was
that the kids
practically grew up
without mothers.
Michael’s mother was a
showgirl, a gold-digger. It took
his father a
while to wise
up, but eventually he
bought her off, divorced
her and fought
and won, as was
rare in those
days custody of
Michael.
Maria’s mother was possible
even worse. They never
divorced, but she spent
hardly any time
with her daughter, preferring instead
to roam the
high society life
and leaving Maria
in the care
of the hotel
staff, and her father.”
Michelle stopped
speaking, and like a well played
orchestra, Sarah took over, “The
result was two
kids who grew
up entirely motherless in
a hotel and
extraordinarily close to
their fathers.”
Mary nodded
her head, fully engrossed
and jumped as
the intercom beeped
calling her attention
to the other
grumpy boss, as she
demanded her files. Michelle delivered
them, and the other
two waited for
her return before
continuing.
“Michael and
Maria were not
far apart in
their ages, a few
months maybe. They grew
up together and
spent most of
their time together. Half of
the time was
spent fighting and
arguing. One
might almost say that they
enjoyed it. But what
made them special
was the rest
of the time. When they
were best friends. You
wouldn’t dare say
a bad word
about the other
in their presence
without receiving a
fight. They
defended each other, supported each
other through everything.” Sarah said.
And as for us, we
were the hotel. We watched them, loved
them, like everyone else
her, like their fathers.
From the time
they were babies, as
they grew up, as
they fought, made up, lived,” Michelle continued, her voice
getting slightly emotional.
“They were
being groomed, from the
beginning. To
run the hotel
chain. The
empire. And
they loved the
place, loved the hotel. It was
their home, after all. But
both of them
were stubborn and
while they knew
they meant to
do this, they didn’t
quite appreciate the
idea of having
their futures decided
for them. The hotel
was all either
knew, all either had
and could count
on, so the thing
they fought most
was their father’s
desire for them
to marry. To unite,” Sarah said, before
Michelle took over
again.
“You see, the
thing is, their fathers
like everyone else
could see the
love between them. It
was like an
electric charge, you could
feel it in
the room. But the
one thing that
everyone forgot, was the
heart of the
problem. You could not
have met two
people more disillusioned
by love. The rejection
by their mothers
when they were
little affected them
greatly, and the failures
of their parents
marriages even more. Both
of them were
totally against the
concept of love, and
more that that – they
didn’t believe in
marriage. And their fathers
knew this.”
“They knew
that forcing the
kids into anything
wouldn’t work, a lifetime
of experience having
taught them this, but
at the same
time watching the
children live in
denial wasn’t easy. Unfortunately, they ran
out of time. Before
they could watch
the kids fulfil
their greatest dream, there
was an accident, while they
were on the
way to the
Chicago Resa
– no survivors,” Michelle’s voice
broke.
Sarah discreetly
wiped a tear
from a cheek, before
continuing in a
strong voice the
rest.
“These were
men that planned
for everything. And they planned
for this.”
“The wills?” Mary asked, curiosity overcoming
her.
“The wills,” Sarah replied.
“They knew how far
they could push, how
far to ensure
the fine line
between making sure
that the kids
were open enough
to develop their
relationship or a
complete rebellion. In the will, they placed
a codicil – everything was given
to them, but for one
condition.”
Tag teaming, Sarah put
in, “For two years, they
would remain here, run
the place, live here – and
the clincher of it all, they
had to be
together in the
joint suite upstairs. If
they had to go on
business to one
of the other
chains, they had to be together. They weren’t
allowed to be
apart from each
other for more
than 8 hours. Or…”
“Or?” Mary questioned.
“Or…and no
one really knows
what the or
was,” Sarah answered, “But I
assume its bad.”
“The irony
of it all
was, when the accident
happened, Michael and
Maria turned to
each other for
comfort, that is until they
found out about
the will and
the conditions. Then all hell
broke loose. The two
of them backed
of each other
so fast, heads
were spinning. And ever
since then, and for
the last 6
months, they live together, fight all
the time, work together
running the Resa and
live in complete
and total denial.
“Plus, they’re both real
grumpy with all
that sexual tension. The
only good thing
that came out
of this situation
is when they
buried themselves in
work to avoid
everything else, they managed
to somehow between them
to finish the
new hotel. As of
this moment, the Resa Chain
is at the
largest its ever
been. One things for
sure, the two of
them make a great team
working and… otherwise.”
“I just
wish they would
get it over
with already. They’re driving the
rest of us
nuts waiting,” Sarah said.
“Get what
over with?” a deceptively
soft voice questioned.
Sarah gulped, Mary ducked and
Michelle went bright
red.
“Yes, do tell,”
another voice, equally sweet
chimed in.
“Ummm…it
was nothing…” Sarah stuttered, and picked
up a stack
of papers and
nervously shuffled through
them, avoiding the penetrating
glances of her
bosses.
Michael and
Maria exchanged a
look, and immediately all
their earlier annoyances
of the day’s
fight and this
rather revealing
conversation they’d overheard
fled in light
of the joint
amusement of their
secretaries extreme discomfort. Part of
them even managed
to find some
humour in what
they both recognised
as the truth
of their relationship, even if
it was something
they were not
willing to admit
yet.
It was
an unspoken agreement
that time was
now running out. For
6 months the
two of them
had been avoiding
what they knew
had to happen
eventually. Fighting, arguing
was their way
of dealing with
the tension, the small
tendrils of attraction
that enwrapped them
in a web everytime they were
together.
They had been fighting
more recently. The new
hotel was at
the end of
it’s final stages, and
in two days
there would be
a grand opening
- a huge lavish
affair in New
York City, where invitations
had been given
to everyone who was
someone – from politicians, movie
stars, financiers to entrepreneurs. It was
to be the
party of the
season and invitations
were sought after
and rare.
Without saying a word, they
both knew. It was
the end of the
line for
them. With the New
York Resa ready
for customers, they had
lost the excuse
they had both
been using to
avoid their feelings
and their father’s
wishes.
It was
the sudden good
mood that made
them ignore their
secretaries indiscretions,
and continue on, ignoring
what had happened. Ignoring was
what they were
best at after
all.
Chapter 2
The Co Jet
was ready to
leave at 2 o’clock. Because of
the work, last minute
instructions, and final finishing
touches the two
were leaving late.
In the plane, a
luxuriously outfitted jet
with numerous rooms
including a kids room
built especially for
them when they
were younger by
their fathers. A room
that both Michael
and Maria never
had the heart
to change, a room
that now lay
empty, waiting an interminable
wait for their
children, a room that
they avoided because
of the memories, the
reminders of the pressures
of their relationship.
The kids room
was built right
in the beginning
for the two
of them, a request
coming from the fact
that their father’s
hated being away
from them, and usually
took them along
on business trips.
Now that room
lay empty, for their
kids and despite
the state of
denial the two
lived in, it never
occurred to them, or
anyone else that
they might have
those children with
anyone else.
The rest of
the plane consisted
of an office
complete with all
the modern necessities of
for mobile headquarters – fax, computers, etc. It was
fully equipped and
had been used
many times while
they traveled. It composed
of 2 desks, side
by side and
separate area for
a secretary.
On the other
side was a
lounge/bedroom area complete
with a full
entertainment center for
relaxation, and a number
of books and
videos for their viewing
pleasure, even if they
never agreed what
to watch. The couches were
huge and easily
converted into beds.
In the
back of the
jet, there was a
kitchen or galley, made
up of a
refrigerator, freezer, microwave, stove, various gadgets
and most importantly
stocked with both
of them’s favorite
foods. Next to that
was a bathroom
and shower, rather large
considering its whereabouts.
Also on
the plane were
a number of
closets, filled with numerous
necessary items including a
number of sets
of clothes for
Michael and Maria. They
used these when
they were short
of time and
changed on the
plane. Recently it had
become habit particularly
since they attended
a lot of
formal occasions and
with the will’s
requirements and their
work, time was limited.
With the plane
came a pilot, co-pilot and
a stewardess who
also acted as
a secretary, although both
Michael and Maria
were capable of
flying it, having taken
flying lessons years
earlier.
All in all
the plane was
built as a
home away from
home. It was designed
as a fully
functional office and
home with everything
one needed. In fact, more
often than not
the two of
them tended to
stay on the
plane using it as a
hotel rather than
setting up somewhere
else when they
traveled. It gave them
that extra time to
arrive just before
they had to, and
cut out all
the time consuming
things one had
to do when
traveling.
TBC.
A/ N – It does end a bit abruptly as I did stop
in the middle of nowhere, but I decided to post this on my site anyway. Enjoy. Hopefully this will give me the
inspiration to complete this.