Behind Closed Doors

Did you hear that Sebastian King is back?” The chubby girl asked the cute golden haired girl sitting to Alex’s right.

Alex's ear perked up. He had come to know their names as Jenna and Chloe, two of the most talkative women on this floor of SK law. It was a miracle they were able to get any work done.

“Yes!” Jenna's eyes lit up, as she twirled a pen between her fingers. “I rode the elevator with him this morning and he is as hot as ever!” Jenna sang

Alex pretended he wasn’t listening, but the name Sebastian King was all he needed to hear to lose focus on what he was doing. He kept his eyes on his computer screen, scrolling past case notes he wasn’t reading.

It was a week since Alex started working at SK law. If there was anything he knew about Chloe and Jenna, it’s that they had all the office gossip at their fingertips. He was extremely grateful to the universe for putting him right between them. Never a boring day with these two

So Sebastian was back. Alex had not stopped thinking about him since the day he saw that picture of him kissing a man. He had googled him once, and found the picture as well as other impossibly handsome pictures of Sebastian. And now he was back. The office was massive though. With three floors and countless departments, Alex figured that the chances of running into Sebastian were slim to none.

But then the phone on his desk rang. Alex took it.

“Rodriguez” the voice on the other end said, by way of greeting. It was his supervisor, Ruby

“Speaking” Alex said

“You’ve been reassigned” she said “To Sebastian King. You’ll be assisting him on the Cuverland’s case. I’ll send you the files shortly” she said and hung up

Alex stared at the phone in his hand. He was speechless. What were the chances that from everyone in this gigantic office, he would be assigned to Sebastian. Yes, he had been handling the Curverland’s IP fillings but it wasn’t like it was the kind of work any other competent paralegal couldn’t do. It had to be a joke. A mistake. But the records arrived in his inbox three minutes later. His heart thumped loudly and nervously as he thought about the fact that he was going to be in the presence of Sebastian King.

Even though the office was cold, Alex was sweating. He took a napkin from his chest pocket and dabbed his forehead.

Fifteen minutes later, he found himself in front of Sebastian office, heart pounding, palms sweating:

He knocked softly.

“Come in” a deep rich voice came from the other side of the door

Alex took a deep breath and gently opened the door.

The office was clean and modern, with massive glass windows overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking, but not half as much as the man standing before it.

Sebastian was standing facing by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, like a military officer waiting for battle.

“Mr King” Alex said, trying to keep his voice steady

Sebastian turned and for a moment, Alex forgot how to breathe. He looked even more gorgeous in real life. Tall, with dark brown hair, piercing grey eyes, and lips that looked like they were made to ruin a man’s life. He assessed Alex

“Ruby told me you’ve been handling the Cuverland’s IP fillings” No greeting. No pleasantries. Not even a handshake Just straight to the point: “I’ve gone through your work. It’s efficient” Sebastian said

“Thank you sir”

“This is a very discreet case, as you know, they are being sued for copyright infringement, everything single record will need to be filed carefully” he said

Alex was desperately trying to listen but he was lost in the charm of the handsome man in front of him.

“Ye..yes sir”

Sebastian looked down at some paperwork, flipping through pages with clinical precision. But Alex wasn’t seeing the documents. He was trying to not stare. Trying not to think about what it would feel like to be pinned under those hands. To have that sharp voice in his ear. To taste those sultry lips.

Focus, Alex.

Sebastian was still talking “We’re under pressure. Court date is in 4 days. We’ll need to work through the night”

“Yes sir” Alex wished he could say anything other than “yes sir” but his brain wasn’t exactly working at the moment.

Sebastian didn’t seem to be paying him much attention. Beneath his handsome exterior, Alex could detect a tiredness in his voice and he wondered if it had anything to do with the scandal involving him kissing another man. Or was it ‘the nasty divorce?’

“Come see me at seven this evening” I’ll send coordinates”

Coordinates. That sounded… like an apartment. Not the office. Alex’s heart pounded with anticipation and a hint of fear.

“Coordinates. Understood,” he said, nodding firmly.

“ You’re dismissed,” Sebastian said, not even sparing him a glance. Alex hesitated, waiting for a handshake, a nod, something, but Sebastian didn’t look up again.

With a tight jaw, Alex turned and left the office. His chest burned with irritation. it occurred to Alex then that Sebastian was cold and dismissive. The kind of rich bastard that steps all over people.

The man was an asshole. That much was clear.

But God, he was beautiful.

He slowly walked out of the office, his vision blurry.

He couldn’t believe he was going to be meeting Sebastian King alone tonight. He walked back to his desk, barely conscious of his legs moving. The moment he sat down, his phone buzzed.

Unknown Number:

Location: 415 Madison Ave. Penthouse 21. 7 sharp. Don’t be late.

All day, he buried himself in preparations. He cross-referenced Cuverland’s case files, printed outlines, and rechecked every clause in the motion timeline. He even changed shirts and sprayed some cologne in the men’s room before leaving at six thirty sharp.

He stood in front of the elevator a few minutes later, staring at his reflection in the polished steel doors. His golden hair was well brushed smartly to one side of his face and his blue eyes shone through the elevator glass. His tie was straight. His shirt looked crisp. He looked professional. Prepared.

And yet his heart was still beating loudly against his chest and his palms were still sweaty.

What was it about Sebastian King that felt so scary?