Business Agenda (Curiousity)

CHAPTER EIGHT - COOKIES?

Works always helped Troy to focus. His attention was only on his papers in front of him along with his laptop with spreadsheet running foreground, a glass of coffee on his right and an ashtray on his left. Until he received a call from his front desk.

"Yes, Agatha?" Troye asked while looking at his watch.

11.50pm.

"Mr Gutherzig would like to meet you, should I send him in or told him to wait until lunch break?" his employee asked.

"send him in," without thinking he immediately responded. His pants suddenly tighter. "f**k!"

He immediately scurried around the room hiding the ashtray inside his desk, organizing the pile of paper and spraying air-freshener, instinctively and immediately sat back down while thinking, "What the f**k am I doing?"

Not even a minute he sat; he heard a knock. "Come in!" Troye said.

"Hello," Kyle said somehow shyly suddenly a scowl on his face appeared as he closed the door, smelling the trace of cigarette almost hidden by the citrus smell, "Did you smoke here?" Kyle asked suddenly.

"uhh.." Troye was at loss for words don't what to say.

"you shouldn't smoke. It is unhealthy and you might die young," Kyle firmly said suddenly had a sense of déjà vu.

Troye just raised an eyebrow for his response somehow amused and had the same sense of déjà vu. While Kyle had a short pause, Troye saw that Kyle brought a big paper bag, his hair was rather messier than usual which is not a bad thing. He wore nice Steel Gray shirt hugging his nice body with black tie along with fitting darker grey pants. "out of every guy out there, only you can be so f*****g hot."

Then Troye heard though not as firm, "And this is an air-conditioned room."

Troye just smiled widely, "and what you propose so, you can help me to stop smoking?" he teasingly challenged Kyle with his arms crossed over his chest, his fitted black shirt stretched, showing bulges of his biceps & chest muscles.

"huh?" Kyle with a wide-eyed expression then said, "cookies?" while lifting the bag.

It's Troye's turn to have a wide-eyed expression, confused by the unexpected answer and watched Kyle step closer.

"May I put this on your desk?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure," Troye added while standing then sat at the edge of his desk. "cookies?"

Kyle then put the rather big sized paper bag on top of Troye's desk.

"So umm, my mom and dad requested me to brought these for your mom," Kyle asked.

"Huh? My mom?" Troye asked while seeing the assorted cookies inside the bag.

"uh, I don't know if it's true or not," Kyle started to fidget because he felt like it was a mistake to follow his parent's request, in his head was; "ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!"

"My dad told me that you told my dad that your mom would like some cookies?" Kyle explained or rather asking with his head slightly tilted.

Troye saw Kyle's nervous expression, gesture and listened to the tone of his voice which causing butterflies in his stomach and a slight tightness inside his chest.

"who would've thought I found a grown-man adorable?"

" why are you tempting me like this, Kyle?"

"Do you want me to kiss you, Kyle?"

Kyle just stared at Troye looking for an answer.

With a cough Troye remembered, "Oh yea, I remember. Your dad, yeah." Troye said, "I almost forgot it was a week ago." Then Troye eyed Kyle, "Only for my mom? Is there any for me, Kyle?"

Kyle didn't know what was going-on in his head, the way Troye said his name, his question & expression causing Kyle to blush. "Uh..." Kyle responded while taking one of the plastic cookie jars, "this one is for you."

While handling it to Troye; their hands brushed for mere seconds but causing a jolt of bolt in Kyle's body and other than a jolt of bolt Troye also felt a tingle on his d**k.

Both tried to hide it & masquerade the effects of each other's tension.

"You made this," Troye stated since he saw out of all the jars only this one didn't have bakery label.

Kyle was about to deny only to heard, "What is the name of the cookie?"

"uh Kyle's cookies?" Kyle heard himself said.

Troye laughed heartily then said, "Well Kyle's cookie is a good name. Though I meant, what is this cookie or is it a secret?"

Kyle swore that he didn't understand why lately he always acted like a fool in front of Troye. Blushing profusely, "ah it's Dried Blueberry Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie."

"That sounds mouthful," Troye said, "Kyle's cookie is a much better name."

"uh thanks?" Kyle responded.

"Can I taste Kyle's cookie?" Troye said.

"is he...? No, why would he?" Kyle breathed out a small gasp involuntary, then proceeded to say, "Ah it's yours anyway."

"Oh?" Troye said while opening the jar, "Kyle's mine?" Troy continued while took one cookie.

"That can't be right. "Then Kyle said, "uh, yeah all yours. The cookies and not..."

"This is really good," Troye said before Kyle's finished his sentence while took a bite of his cookie, "

Troye genuinely thought the cookie to be delicious. He liked the way the cookie had this sour & bitter twang on it, the crispiness and the softness of the chocolate chips that melted in his mouth.

"yeah?" Kyle smiled, glad that Troye liked it.

"yeah!" Troye answered, "have a bite too." While he took another and extended his hand to give Kyle the two pieces of the cookies.

"ah I already tasted it," Kyle said raising his hand for a no-gesture.

"come on, please?" said Troye with puppy eyed expression. "Enjoy this with me."

Kyle found himself unable to refuse also extended his right hand to take the cookies. Again, their fingers brushed though this time with a linger.

"mhmm," Troye said while munching another cookie, "really great, right?"

Kyle just smiled in response with his mouth full of the cookie.

Troye clasped his hands to get rid of the small amount of cookie crumbs while said, "Thank you, I really like Kyle's cookie." With a smile.

"glad you like it," Kyle said still munching then swallowed the cookie, "I made it for you for my gratitude."

Troye saw there were some crumbs on the corner of Kyle's mouth. He instinctively extended his hands towards Kyle's handsome face to wipe them off. The sudden gesture & touch of Troye made Kyle's body stiffen, goosebumps all over his body as if received an electric jolt and felt blood rushing to his face.

"Are you still a baby or something?" Troye said softly with a small chuckle while still rubbing his thumb on the corner of Kyle's mouth with a linger on his bottom lip.

Troye still felt that this is wrong. So wrong. If only Kyle was a woman, he'd immediately grab his face towards him & kissed him passionately.

But still, Kyle's skin on Troye's finger made him burn with desire.

"Though this is wrong, so unlike myself, why does your skin feel so hot?" Troye said to Kyle inside his head. "Why does your lips so inviting, Kyle?"

"I have never think could be this attractive, why are you making me like this?"

Then suddenly Troye's door abruptly open, Leliana followed by Matthew behind her entered the room, "I am up for some Indian..." Leliana said excitedly at first to see her brother and Kyle there, "food?"

Troye and Kyle only a few inches apart, their 10cm height difference were eliminated with Troye half-sitting on the edge of the desk with his right hand on Kyle's left cheek. Leliana tilted her head and as fast as she entered the room, as fast his brother yanked his hand away from Kyle.

"KNOCK!" Troye exclaimed.

"What's that?" Matthew said while approaching the two with his eyes on Kyle.

"uh," Kyle said his face was still rather red, "cookies."

Heard the word cookies, Leliana attention shifted, "Cookies?" while she approached closer to the three rounding Troye's desks.

"yeah, cookies." Said Troye.

"Ooh these are so pretty!" Leliana said looking at the bunch of jars of cookies with different shapes and colors then saw there was a jar that had been opened. She was about to take one, only to be yanked away from her reach.

"No," Troye stated simply.

"What? Why?" Leliana asked while pouting.

"Can I open one of these?" Matthew asked directly to Kyle, knowing that the cookies are Kyle's since he thought that Troye wont bought it intentionally for himself.

"uh," Kyle responded, didn't know whether he should answer and stared at Troy who was still dodging Leliana's hand still trying to get the cookies. "it is Troye's."

"Just one jar," He said while glaring at Leliana, "You can take one Jar but not this one."

"Why?" Leliana argued, "that one already opened anyway!"

Matthew ignored the bickering between siblings took one with a soft green colored jar of cookies and see the label 'CocoPandan Cookies' and under it 'Gutherzig's Bakery.'

"You owned a bakery?" Matthew asked Kyle, intrigued.

"you what?" Leliana said while looking at the jar that Matthew holds.

"No!" Kyle immediately answered, "It was my parent's bakery!"

"Here I thought you baked it," Leliana said.

"Oh he baked indeed," Troye corrected his sister wiggling his jar.

"So can I open this one?" Matthew asked again but to Troye this time.

"yeah sure whatever," Troye said, "just one!"

"So that one baked by you, kyle?" asked Leliana.

"uh yea?" Kyle answered her hesitantly.

"I want to try yours, Kyle!" Leliana said while glaring at her brother.

"nope, this one is off limit, miss." Said Troye holding Kyle's cookie rather possessively.

As Leliana about to argue back, they heard Matther, "Oh my this is good!" Matthew said while taking a bite of soft-green cookie. "I have never tasted this kind of taste."

Leliana's attention shifted again and moved closer to Matthew and saw the blissful expression of her friend s***h colleague. Troye was glad that his cookie was no longer under Leliana's attention immediately put it inside his desk drawer and locked it. Kyle saw it and just smiled and Troye who saw Kyle smiled returned the smile.

"What's cocopandan cookie?" Leliana asked while munching, "this has this vanilla taste on it but different and the aroma is nice. I assume coco is coconut? I can taste the coconut." Then she paused, "ugh this is so good!"

Matthew nodded in agreement while taking his third cookie.

"Uh, Pandan is like screwpine extract," Kyle tried to explain, "the green is all natural as well"

"Ooh Kyky now his stuff," Leliana said while taking another bite.

Another sense of déjà vu washed over Kyle again. "no one call me KyKy but why it sounds like I heard her say it before." Kyle's train of thought disturbed by Troye's voice arguing again with Leliana as he was about to taste the CocoPandan cookie but Leliana yanked it away from him in revenge,

"hey it was mine in the first place!" Troye said, "Kyle parent's made for mom."

"Mom?" Leliana asked while guarding the green cookie.

"My Mom," Troye said with more emphasis.

"Anyway what about our lunch?" Matthew interrupted. "It's 12.20."

"Oh yea we were planning to go to Seva," Leliana said to Troye, "It was only a 10 minutes' drive."

"Okay." Said Troye while fixing his clothes. "Let's go then."

Kyle just watched their interaction while following them out of the office; the others were turning right and while he took his left since he was not invited and planned to ask Melisandre out to have lunch together, encouraged by Josh last Saturday and today by Macy before coming here.

As he was about reach where Melisandre's cubicle located, he heard Troye's voice, "Kyle!" and suddenly his hand was grabbed by Leliana. She slid her hand in to Kyle's arms, dragging Kyle's body away from his original destination, he momentarily saw Melisandre stood from her cubicle before his body was being turned around in the opposite direction.

"Thought you were joining us!" Said Leliana.

"Uh," blushing Kyle responded while stared at Troye's direction. He saw that Troye's jaw & fist clenched. "is he mad at me?"

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Kyle never had an Indian food before. Leliana sat on his right, while Matthew sat in front of Leliana.

He felt like he was stuck ; The fact that his stomach couldn't handle spicy foods but also he was also sitting in front of Troye.

He didn't understand why lately his body reacted very oddly when he was around him, especially now their knees keep bumping at each other. Kyle was like permanently blushing.

The waiter was writing the order of Leliana & Matthew, Kyle was still confused as to what to order. Suddenly he felt a nudge on his feet, he looked up to see Troye smiling at him.

"May I recommend?" Troye said while putting down the menu that was being held by Kyle so now, it was lying on the table for both of them could see.

Kyle just nodded in response.

"If you don't want anything spicy, I'd recommendBiryani," he said while flipping the pages and pointed the picture of rice menuto Kyle. "Samosa is my favorite for the appetizer, we can share if you want;the filling whether veggies or meat." He also pointed another picture in themenu of triangle shaped food. "and the desert should be Kulfi, an ice cream."

Kyle found himself staring intently at Troye, rather fascinated. Then he heard Leliana,

"Ooh someone is being a Mr Cool, Calm & Collected today," Leliana teased her brother.

"No need to have a full course lunch!" Matthew informed them & while pointing at Troye, "We are expected to be at the office anyway. You and me supposed to have a meeting at 2.30p."

"So have you decided what you'd order?" Leliana said leaning her body towards Kyle, their shoulder touching.

"Are you in a heat or something?" Asked Troye somewhat irritated.

Leliana pretended not to hear and just placed her hand on top of Kyle's chest.

Troye groaned internally.

"um, Samosa & Biriani?" Kyle said to Leliana but eyes glancing to Troye to check whether he said the correct ones or not.

"You know you just ordered Troye's favorites," Leliana said, "If you don't like it, you can always eat mine." Leliana added smiling teasingly.

Now Matthew & Troye groaned audibly.

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While waiting for their foods;

Troye was having a business call outside, while Matthew just streamed some finance news. Kyle & Leliana was busy with their own phone.

"How so far?" Kyle received a text from Macy.

"how what far?" Kyle replied.

"Your lunch date, doofus.

Melisandre, hello?" Macy replied.

"Uh change of plan." Kyle replied.

"wtfym change of plan?" Macy replied.

"lunch with Troye, Leliana & Matthew instead." Kyle replied

"You what!?

"*VOICE MESSAGE* 12 seconds*" Macy replied

"can't play it

Brb food served." Kyle replied.

At the same time, Leliana texted Antoine.

"You might hav a headstart

But I have the advantage of being a woman ." Leliana.

"wtf r u talking about." Antoine

Leliana took a candid shot of Kyle, only to be seen by Matthew who raised his eyebrow. She then sent it to Antoine with caption, "Lunch Date."

"oh it's on b!"

"u'll lose. He is str8 as a pole." As Leliana sent it he remembered the way Troye's hand on Kyle's cheek. She replayed the image in her head, it was almost endearing.

"it was like Troye was caressing Kyle's cheek and Kyle was pressing his cheek more towards Troye's hand... ugh I guess I was watching too much romcom."

"food's still not here yet," Just as Troye suddenly arrived the waiter also brought their orders, "oh speak of the devil."

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"is it good?" Troye asked rather softly at Kyle, "Do you like it?"

Troye's & Kyle's food are the exact same with the Sambosas already eaten.

"yeah, I like it. The spices are very strong." Kylie replied while took another spoon of Biryani rice.

Troye just smiled rather proudly. While Leliana silently ate and tried to listen.

"Did you know that McKerry drugged you?" Matthew suddenly said to Kyle.

Both Leliana & Troye almost choked on their food.

"what?" Kyle asked innocently while looking at the three people around him.

"You truly don't remember?" Matthew added.

Kyle just stared at Troye and shook his head, "No," then continued to Matthew, "What do you mean?"

Leliana then interjected, "We can talk about this after lunch." While glaring at Matthew.

"Is this regarding last Saturday at the Gala?" Kyle asked started to get a bit panic and embarrassed that everyone seemed to know what was happened but him.

Troye saw the distress look of Kyle and instinctively put his hand on top of Kyle's. Only to realize what was he doing and retracted it back. Albeit the touch was short lived, he was rather calmer.

"There was possibilities that you were being drugged at My gala,"Troye said, "We just found out about it. Well, Leliana did."

"Wait," Kyle said, "I still cant process this."

"As I said, lunch first talk later," Leliana said to the three guys, "Empty stomach won't do any of us good." Then proceeded to Matthew, "aren't you have meeting on 2.30pm? it's 1.14pm already."

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"are you ok?" Troye asked as he put his seatbelt on.

"huh?" Kyle said, "I was just thinking about what you said back the," Kyle added while position him on the passenger seat.

Leliana decided to go with Matthew instead of hitching with Troye & Kyle on Troye's car.

"You are not lying, right?" Kyle asked Troye, "No, forget I asked that. I should be thankful."

"If not telling you that we most likely had s*x together and I find myself wanting to try again but sober is lying? I am lying." Troye thought unconsciously gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"um sir?" Kyle muttered under his breath while biting his lower lip.

"don't do that." Troye thought loudly.

"don't do what?" Kyle asked even more confused.

"just call me by my name," Troye said then thought, "and don't bite your own lip. It makes want to kiss & bite it myself." Troye continued, "No, I am not lying, What I told you last Sunday was what I can recall, I was drunk as well, you know."

"Yea..." Kyle bit his lower lip again fiddling his black tie. "I just had this sense of... like there's something that I kinda need to remember. Like I am missing something, like another detail which maybe is embarrassing and my mind or my drugged drunken mind refuse to remember." Kyle sighed.

"If you think it was important, maybe you will remember again," Troye said staring the front window. "But then again, some people just forget what they have done when drunk; drugged or not."

Troye paused and added, "And trust me there was nothing you have done embarrassing for me."

Kyle just stared at Troye and smiled rather relieved.

"As I have told you, I am like really suck at drinking and every time I got drunk, I always regretted it in the next morning. I really hate it when my conscious unable to control my actions." Kyle said.

"Well, let loose for sometime is great for your psyche, you know?" Troye said.

"um.." Kyle said kind off agree, "I mean if it was in front of the people you know dearly would be OK but in front of strangers that'd be too embarrassing."

"well, we know each other dearly now," Troye said while smiling, "aint we?"

Kyle thought he was started to get better but Troye's response made him blush.

*ding*

He heard notification from Troye's phone & he looked over at Troye to see Troye frowning.

"what's wrong?" asked Kyle.

"They asked us where are we." Troye said then laughing, "guess we spent more than 15 minutes here." Then Troye started the engine and maneuver his car out of the parking lot.

"Anyway please say my thanks to your parent for the cookies," troye said while driving. "will surely deliver it to my mom tonight."

"No problem," Kyle said smiling. "Hope your mom liked it.

Troye nodded and said while turn his head a moment to Kyle, "And my special thank you for the Kyle's cookies."

Kyle just blushed while staring at Troye in broad daylight, Kyle just realized how handsome Troye is;

His green eyes seemed to be always in focus,

His well-shaped lips,

His thick eyebrows,

His jet black hair slicked to the back with few strands falling over his eyebrows,

His well-trimmed stubble,

his tanned skin glowing as the sun shined on him through the car's window,

his muscular arms strongly gripped the steering wheel,

How muscular his chest is, that the seatbelt that wedges between his chest is almost not visible.

"Is this what Macy always see?" Kyle thought. "or any girl, for that matter?"

Kyle then sighed, "he should stop smoking."

"What?" asked Troye blushing after hearing Kyle sighed, "Was there anything on my face?" he added while adjusting the rearview mirror to check his face.

Kyle repeated what's on his mind unconsciously loud, "you should stop smoking."

Then as he realized what he was saying, he covered his mouth. "who am I to told him what to do."

Troye was just silent for a while, "Then you oughta bake me more cookies or cook me something."

Confused Kyle just look at Troye and muttered, "huh?"

"well," Troye said while running his fingers through his hair with his left hand, "to stop an addiction you need to add another addiction."

"I think I might be addicted to Kyle's cookie."

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