Music playing in Azrael's office. I like Piazzolla music.
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Shrugging off my coat, I enter the elevator to go up to the thirty-third floor. Winter has set in around D.C., and it's not exactly to my liking. Being from a warmer place I suppose leaves you rather uncomfortable in the chill of somewhere else.
As the elevator doors shut and I begin to rise up, I take my coat and fold it over my arm. I think today Azrael and I didn't have any meetings, so it should be a rather quiet day.
Quiet days would sound appealing in most cases, but right now it's not exactly so in my opinion. If the day is quiet, that means to me that nothing between Azrael and myself is happening. That is, we're not making any progress.
I wanted to by now to at least have asked Azrael out. We've entered past the first week of December, and by now it's clear in my mind that Christmas is running close. I've talked with my family on the phone every weekend and moment that I have to spare, and they do ask if I've made any progress. Dia, Mallord, and Beth have been very interested. I guess as the first sibling in a relationship that any of us have had, it's exciting to keep up with the news.
I've thought of ways of getting close to him, like scheduling meetings more with other CEOs so that I can be in the same room as him. Or maybe eating lunch with him in his office. But even trying to eat lunch with him seems to bold for me, and to me asking to eat lunch together is as big of a jump as trying to ask him out.
The elevator stops and I step out. Outside, the weather is grey and very windy, which stirs up the cold air. My coat keeps some of that air abated, but it still hits my face and bites there. If I can take Azrael back to Texas for Christmas, we could escape this weather.
Walking into the office of mine, I sit down at my desk and start to get ready for the day. I'll stop by Azrael's office after I take a look at my email and also try to calm down after commuting.
The hour doesn't pass quick enough as I wait, and I try to think of exactly how I should approach Azrael.
Hey, I want to take you to my home again for Christmas, it that's okay with you Azrael. By the way, I really like you so if you could take this as our first date that'd be great. I also saw your body the last day in Texas and wanna run my fingers down your body and through your hair. Speaking of, wanna buy an engagement ring together?
I huff out air from my mouth and think defeatedly that I need to find a way to actually realize my ambitions. If I were to ask for a promotion or pay raise from Azrael, not that I need one, I could find a way to accomplish that. That is, I could put in material work and receive results. There's a way to succeeding in those tasks.
But in the case of Azrael, I don't know exactly what I need to do to succeed in asking him out for a date. And then, the success of marriage with him.
Do I want to marry him? It's obvious to me that I want to. At this point because I've been working with him for the correct amount of time I know about his personality and better yet, his character. So dating if I managed to ask him out and he said yes would be for the purpose of formalizing a romantic relationship between us. I know enough, I think, about Azrael to say that he's the match for me. His character I can confide my love in.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, I smile a little as I stand and walk over to my door and step out of my office. After the knock and being told to enter, I step into Azrael's office.
Inside, some music is playing on Azrael's computer, some piano music that's relatively upbeat. Azrael sits at his desk, but there's a lady in his office as well sitting on the desk with crossed arms. I can tell that before I walked in they were conversing as friends.
The woman has dark ebony skin and wears a light grey blazer over a soft red sweater and a wool skirt that comes down to her knee. Instead of heels she wears tennis shoes and high socks. It's winter so that would make sense. It's not fun being chilly.
"Hogarth, good morning," says Azrael with a smile, turning in his chair to look at me.
"Good morning," I reply as I walk over to them and his desk, "how was your morning?"
"It was very nice," replies Azrael, then gestures to the lady, "I'm pretty sure you're wondering who this is. This is Janet from PR. She just came up to have a chat with me."
"Call me Jane," says Jane as she reaches out a hand to me.
She doesn't smile when she shakes my hand, but her face softens to indicate no hostility. She strikes me as a woman who's not all smiles but with the determination of a strong person. That is, she's tough as doornails.
"Jane was also telling me that there's some danger from the Collection," continues Azrael.
"He knows about them?" asks Jane to Azrael, gesturing to me with her thumb.
"He does," says Azrael with a nod, "it's an unfortunate aspect of being an assistant of mine."
Not really. If I'm near you I'm willing to know anything.
"Well," says Jane as she look back at me with a raised brow, saying to me, "look out for Azrael."
"Is there some issue?" I ask, fearing some impeding danger.
"There is," says Jane with a slow single nod, "some emails were sent to our department that were alluding to action being taken by the press to attack Azrael and Garner Inc. With animadversion masquerading as journalism. That's the weapon of their industry, as it always has been."
"They'll slander us?"
"Supposedly."
"But I was just telling Jane," says Azrael, "that we have a few friends in other sectors that could assist in our defense."
"I didn't know that the press was in the loop," I admit, thinking how I rely on many publications that are crucial in my daily life for understanding the world. They're what I use often, and I'd hope they were honest.
"Oh, they definitely are," says Azrael, and Jane nodes, "to run around doing horrendous treacherous activities shy from the public requires a shroud of words and unquestionable doctrine put out into the world."
"Not to mention the fact that if the press and government are working together," says Jane, "there's so much that could be accomplished within a country. And since it's as such in this country, they can try to sway other people."
"What sector specifically is blocking the press from hurting us?" I ask curiously.
"Communication technology," replies Azrael and Jane in unison.
"James?" I ask.
"Yes," they both reply, and also smile a little.
"He seems quite useful," I note.
"He can be sometimes," says Jane.
"But he still gets on my nerves," says Azrael.
"Well, however much he gets on your nerves," says Jane as she gets of the desk of Azrael's and walks toward the door, "I have to get back to my deskwork. So see you later, Azrael, Hogarth."
"Alright then," says Azrael, and Jane walks out of the office leaving us two.
"So," says Azrael as he turns to me, "I have the work for you right here."
And saying so he hands a stack of paper with the blue binding clip on it already.
"Thanks," I say as I look through it.
"And also," he says as he gives me a sheet with the schedule of today to next week, which is the middle of December, "here's the agenda for the rest of this week and the coming one."
"Thanks," I say as I look at it. I notice quite a few events occupying the days ahead. Mostly meetings.
"There seems to be quite a few meetings coming at us," I say as I observe the schedule more and confirm my understanding.
"There is," says Azrael as he nods
"And if you look here," says Azrael as he points to Wednesday of next week, where a single event is placed starting one hour before and ending one hour after noon, "you'll notice a very important meeting."
"Why is it important?" I ask with curiosity.
"That's the meeting," says Azrael with a sigh, "of the Collection."
I stand next to his desk for a moment thinking.
"Wait," I say as I raise a hand, "putting it here in the schedule means...you're going to attend it?"
"Well," says Azrael, "I thought that you would be there as well. But if you feel you're not up for it, you can excuse yourself from it."
"No, that's not what I meant," I say as I shake my head, "it's just that, I thought you didn't want to attend that meeting."
"I don't," admits Azrael, "but it's time to say to their face that I'm not going to be a part of their activity. I've up until now been silent to their communications and only made it aware to them that I'm alive."
"But that aside," I say, "you've not said anything?"
"Nothing at all," replies Azrael, "but recently, I've started to change my life a great deal with your help. Change my lifestyle and make it better. So I thought I'd improve other aspects of my life as well."
Azrael smiles a little, tilting his head.
"You've been a very good influence on my life."
I feel a breath start to catch in my breath, but manage to not get caught in my throat and say, "I'm glad I'm of help."
It's so often that Azrael leaves words and things that burst wonderful sparks in my chest that I almost step forward and grab Azrael in hug that would squeeze Azrael with my whole being. It might not be much but the love I can give is something Azrael deserves.
Azrael nods, and I take it that I should leave to my own office. After stepping out of Azrael's office, at the other end of the hall I notice that Jane is coming out of Levi's office. She spots me and then closes Levi's office door.
"Hey, hot stuff," she says and points to me, "come here."
"What's wrong?" I ask as I walk over, slightly scared that she might say something harsh.
"It's about Azrael," says Jane, stopping in front of me.
I see now that she's not sitting on Azrael's desk that she's slightly shorter than me, and taller than Azrael. Her dark brown eyes look into mine.
"Look," says Jane as she puts her hands on her hips, "I know you like Azrael and-"
"Wait," I say as I interrupt her and protest what she's saying, "I never said that-"
"Cut the crap," interrupts Jane herself, "I can see you like him, so just get with the program already."
"Um," I say as I try to protest, but Jane squints here eyes and I stop doing so, saying, "okay."
"What I wanted to say," continues Jane, "is that if you're going to pursue a relationship with Azrael, you better be careful of how you do it."
"That much I'll do without being told," I say a little indignantly.
"There's more you need to know about Azrael," says Jane pointedly, "Azrael has a secret. I can't tell you about it, and he doesn't know I'm aware of it. But you'll one day know that secret that Azrael despises himself."
I stand in silence just staring at her.
"Before you know that secret," continues Jane, "you try and get involved with Azrael but dump him once you know it, I'll see to the final chapter of your life."
I shiver, but don't let it show.
"So," I say as I gain some understanding of what Jane's saying, "you want me to figure out this...secret, before making a move on him?"
"That would be a correct statement."
Jane stares at me with her strong tough demeanor before smiling, which I am taken back by.
"This may sound as if I resent you," says Jane as she reaches out and pats my shoulder, "but I am grateful for what you've done. And if anything, I want you to succeed in wedding Azrael. Don't deny it. I know you want it."
"You're just trying to help me," I clarify.
"Yes," says Jane, "as that secret is something you will want to know before starting anything."
"Well," I say, "hopefully I'll be successful in finding it."
Jane smiles more, and even chuckles.
"You've been successful in making him so healthy and better. You'll succeed in the secret, and beyond that."