Face Down (Fuckboy Series Book 2) (FINISHED)

Chapter Two

The next day, it was just after lunch when Colton walked into the Casual Companions office for the mandatory meeting. He still hadn’t figured out what Barrick wanted to tell them, and he hadn’t had time to catch up with Aiden to see if he had the scoop. Knowing Barrick, it was probably more fine print to add to all the s**t they could and couldn’t do on the job.

As annoyed as he was about being called away to attend the meeting, he was in too good of a mood to let that damper his spirits. He had just finished a great date with Lawrence, who tipped him over a hundred bucks for just two hours of his time. That was the good thing about having regulars. Once you got to know someone and got in a good rhythm with them they had no problem showering you with attention, gifts, and money.

He didn’t mind going on dates with random people as long as the situation was right. Someone needed something from you, they got it, and then they were on their way because they didn’t want things to get too personal.

He’d been on a date like that a few days ago with a guy named Mitch. Mitch was newly single, but wanted his ex-boyfriend to think he had already moved on. He had wanted him there so that when his ex came by their old apartment to pick up a few forgotten things, it would look as if he had found someone new. Mitch, being a proud man, didn’t want his ex to see how truly miserable he was without him.

Colton was quick to realize that this service was used for more than just s*x. He didn’t mind being a stand in boyfriend or a lover. He’d already filled his schedule with a lot of those kinds of requests because they were easy. Most of the time he didn’t have to do much more than smile or nod. The date did most of the talking. All he had to do was agree to whatever they said and follow the story-line.

Colton stepped off the elevator and into Casual Companions’ corporate offices, throwing a smile at the receptionist behind the desk. “Hey, Maddie.”

“Hey, Colt,” she answered when she looked up at him. “Here for the meeting?” When he nodded, she checked the time and chuckled. “You’re early.”

Colton laughed as he took a seat in the reception area. “Yeah. I had a lunch date so instead of going home I just decided to come in. Besides, there was a lot of construction in the city and I didn’t want to be late.”

“Well, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind having you all to myself for a little while.”

Colton grinned, but he didn’t take her advances seriously. Maddie flirted with everyone who came through the office doors, regardless of their s****l orientation or preference. It was just part of her personality. Maddie was genuinely a sweet girl, and he liked her a lot. Besides, the flirtation was harmless.

“I bet you don’t,” he teased, then got his phone out to check his emails and kill a little time. He browsed through the requests and read a few jobs for later on that night. He didn’t have anything scheduled for the rest of the day and he wanted to keep it that way.

The ding from the door caught his attention forcing him to look up. He smiled a little when he recognized the man who walked into the office. It was Aiden, one of his friends and a fellow co-worker at Casual Companions. Aiden had taken him under his wing and taught him what he needed to do to make money in this business. He had been there to answer every question he could think of, no matter what time of day it was. They even hung out when they weren’t working which was nice. Plus, Aiden got along with Mason so he could drop by the house if he wanted to. Beyond just being someone he liked to spend time with, Aiden had helped him out of a pretty bad financial spot last month. He’d be forever grateful to him for that.

“Hey, Aid,” Colton called out, giving him a nod in greeting.

Aiden smiled when he saw him and returned his nod, but held up one finger, letting him know to give him a second. He walked past the waiting area and up to the desk, giving Maddie a beautiful smile. “Hey,” he said with a smooth voice as he let his leather jacket slide from his shoulders. “Do you know how long this meeting will run?”

“I don’t, sorry. It shouldn’t be more than an hour or so. Barrick only has two hours marked off on his schedule for it so...”

“All right. Just checking.” Aiden offered her a smile and then made his way over to sit next to Colton. He glanced over and shook his head as he spoke. “Been here long?”

“Nah, about ten minutes. I came early because of the construction and ended up not getting held up at all.”

Aiden laughed and leaned back in his seat. “Figures. You try to plan your day out so things go smoothly and life never seems to cooperate.” He grinned as he looked over at Colton, then hooked his head toward the back offices. “What do you think this meeting is about?”

“Not sure. I was wondering about that, myself.” Colton glanced at his phone and hit the button to shut the screen off, then tucked it into his pocket.

“Yeah. Hard telling when it comes to Barrick. He’ll probably lose his s**t about someone doing something stupid. That's usually the only time he calls a meeting.”

Barrick didn’t seem as if he was the type to lose his s**t, Colton thought to himself as he listened to Aiden speak. But then again, he had only worked here for a little over a month. Either Aiden was exaggerating, or he just hadn’t worked for Casual Companions long enough to see Barrick’s temper. If the latter was the case, he’d probably see it sooner or later. If Aiden was right, it would be sooner rather than later. The meeting was in fifteen minutes.

“He doesn’t seem like the type-”

“Let me stop you there,” Aiden said, interrupting Colton. “He can lose his s**t. I know he may seem like he’s a prude with a cob up his ass. Like he’s got everything under control. But just know that he doesn’t. The only reason I still work here is because I make damn good money. If it wasn’t for that, I’d be gone.” Aiden held Colton’s eyes, letting him know with one look he was serious.

Colton stared at Aiden for a few seconds after he finished speaking, trying to digest everything he had just said. He would have never thought Aiden had those views about the owner of the company. Then again, as close as they had gotten over the past few weeks, they still had only known each other for a short time. Same could be said about how much he knew about Barrick. The two of them, however, had worked with each other for a long while, so Aiden probably knew a side of Barrick he didn’t. He wouldn’t crucify Barrick based on what Aiden thought of him though. As long as Barrick treated him well he’d respect the man.

Thankfully, the awkward silence ended when the door dinged once again. Colton shifted his attention to the door, recognizing the two guys who walked in. They were Aiden’s friends and fellow workers. He had been invited to lunch with them all several times.

Aiden nodded toward the bigger of the two guys, then reached his hand out to bump fists with Jaime. “Yo, I wondered if you’d make it.”

Jaime laughed and checked in with Maddie before heading back toward them to take a seat. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure if I’d make it back into the country in time. But here I am.”

“How was Paris?” Aiden asked.

Colton looked over at Jaime as he sat down with them. Jaime didn’t look like the average Casual Companions Fuckboy. Whereas most of them were athletic, clean cut, suave, almost business-like or executive looking, Jaime had the look of a UFC fighter or modern day Viking. He was six foot six inches tall, blonde, bearded, muscular, and looked like he could crush people with his bare hands.

He remembered asking him once why he was allowed to keep his beard when Barrick required everyone else to be clean shaven. Apparently, he told Barrick that his clients preferred him with a beard and he would cater to that, as his contract stated. Colton was sure Barrick didn’t like it, but Jaime must have been right if he’d been allowed to keep it. Then again, Jaime didn’t seem like the type of person who would allow someone else to dictate his life, even if it was just his appearance.

“You know,” Jaime answered Aiden as he took a seat, “Paris is Paris.”

“No, I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been there, remember?” Aiden chuckled, then glanced over at Colton and spoke. “You remember Jaime, right?” When Colton nodded, Aiden hooked his head over at the guy who was still standing at the desk talking to Maddie. “And Brice is over there trying to get a piece of ass.”

Colton laughed as he looked over to the man in question. Brice had a slender build and was a little shorter than both he and Aiden, standing a few inches shy of six foot. He had a pair of chocolate colored eyes and a mop of curly brown hair. Dimples and a perfect smile completed the boy next door look. “Yeah, I remember them,” he answered as Brice flashed his dimples to Maddie before heading in their direction. “Nice to see you guys again.” He shook both their hands and sat back in his chair once again.

“Any luck this time?” Aiden asked Brice as he nodded his head in Maddie’s direction and gave Brice a grin.

Brice chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as he poured himself into an open seat. “She’s just playing hard to get.”

“For the last year?” Aiden laughed, joined in by Jaime who propped himself against the wall beside Brice’s chair.

“You laugh now,” Brice said as he stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankle. “But just you wait. She will be mine one day. Oh yes, she will be mine.”

Jaime grunted and shook his head. “If you say so.”

Brice flipped him off and laughed, then looked in Colton and Aiden’s direction. “So what’s the meeting about? Anyone know?”

“No idea,” Aiden responded. “I was just saying that Barrick is probably calling everyone in so he can go off on us about something stupid someone else did. You guys know what I'm talking about, right? He just wants to wave his d**k around and prove his superiority in whatever way he can.”

Jaime growled a little and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m getting about sick of that s**t. Next time he yells in my direction I’m going to knock his f*****g ass out.”

Colton frowned as he listened to the guys go back and forth about Barrick. Their voices were low, but he knew Maddie had to hear their conversation. He didn’t know whether she'd run back to Barrick and tell on them so he didn’t join in. Instead, he sat there and listened.

Aiden, Jaime, and Brice grumbled about Barrick for a few more minutes but finally fell silent when Maddie loudly cleared her throat, letting them know she could hear them. If she could hear them, then anyone else in the waiting room could, as well. She looked down at her computer, letting them know that she was going to ignore what she’d just overheard. That didn’t mean anyone else would, though, so they stayed silent so none of them would get in trouble for talking s**t at the office.

One thing that Colton had learned a long time ago was that you didn’t s**t where you ate. These guys were going to learn that the hard way if Barrick overheard them s**t-talking him. This was the very reason he had stayed out of it in the first place. These guys weren't going to f**k with his income and his bills, no matter how much he liked them.

“Why so serious?” Tyson said, grinning at the Joker pun as he looked around at the guys. They had been so busy looking glum that they hadn’t noticed him slip into the office.

“It’s a Barrick meeting,” Aiden said in a quiet voice, as if that was a sufficient explanation.

Colton smirked and nodded at Tyson as he went around greeting everyone. Tyson was the last of the group of guys Aiden hung out with. Unlike everyone else, who had athletic to muscular builds, Tyson was slim and slightly shorter than Brice. His light blonde hair was spiked up and slicked back into a pompadour and his green eyes were set behind a pair of black square rimmed glasses. He was wearing a plaid button-down with a bow tie in the typical hipster fashion. Like each of them in their little clique, Tyson was straight but dating guys. Unlike the rest of them, however, Tyson had a girlfriend.

As the five of them spoke amongst themselves, the lobby quickly filled with more people. Men and women of all races, colors, sizes, and s****l orientations waited in the reception area for the meeting to begin. Heterosexual, homosexual, trans-gendered, and everything in between, stood there like a live ad for everything Casual Companions offered.

Finally, at five past three Maddie stood and directed them all toward the back offices. “You guys are going to be in the big conference room at the end of the hallway. There should be enough seats in there for everyone. If not, let me know and I’ll bring more. Drinks and snacks are served at the back of the room, so please help yourselves.”

Colton fell into the crowd as they made their way back to the conference room, overhearing a few of the conversations that were going on around him. He noticed that no one was happy to be there. He wondered why, but then when he recalled Aiden’s conversation with Jaime and Brice he had to wonder if they all had the same idea about Barrick.

As he took his seat, Colton wondered if he would leave here with the same outlook as everyone else had. He knew one thing though, whatever Barrick had to say he wouldn’t fight him on it. He needed his job, and he planned on keeping it.