Call Me Sir - Part 1

All characters are 18+

“If I wanted monkeys, I’d hire them” Gideon explained calmly, “I have no need for monkeys”.

“I understand Mr. Huxley, I really do, but the deadlines are simply impossible to meet!” The young woman was clearly distressed. Her blonde hair was poking out in areas and her pristine suit was showing damp patches under her arms. She needed this job.

“Carter and his team submitted the proposals yesterday, Charlene, it’s not a case of the deadlines being impossible, it’s a case of your workflow being… Insufficient”.

Gideon sat back in his leather chair and pressed his fingertips together. The meeting had already eaten into his lunch break and the sight of tears in the woman’s eyes meant that he’d spend another ten minutes in here if he didn’t end it now.

“You can consider this your termination” he said coldly, “perhaps somewhere a little slower paced would suit your… Expertise”.

Charlene let out a choked sob. This couldn’t be happening. She’d put everything into this job. How many of her son’s birthday parties had she missed? How many times had she sat up working all night in order to keep this horrid man happy? She wouldn’t leave like this, she couldn’t.

“I’m sorry Mr. Huxley, but I think you’re being totally unfair here” she said, patting her wet cheek with a handkerchief, “I have given my all to this business. I’ve been here from day one and I will not be thrown to the side like this!”.

Gideon inhaled deeply and checked his watch.

“Your ‘all’ hasn’t worked” he told her simply, and it was evident that he was stifling a yawn, “please collect your belongings Charlene, don’t embarrass yourself like this”.

The man stood up, revealing his six foot three height. He gripped the edges of his suit jacket and clasped the button closed in the centre before looking back at the middle aged woman and flipping his arms.

“What?” He asked impatiently, and Charlene began to sob harder.

Gideon strode across his luxury office and opened the door, he beckoned the woman out with his hand and enjoyed the sweet scent of coffee that was brewing from down the hall as he waited.

“Please” she whispered, her mascara now trailing down her face, “without this job my son won’t go to college, I won’t be able to afford the rent, please, Mr. Huxley, don’t do this”.

The man studied her like a lab rat before raising a brow.

“Are you quite finished, Charlene?” He asked and she shook her head into the wet handkerchief and walked briskly from the room.

“And my name is Charmaine!” She shrieked back, and stormed toward the elevators.

Gideon rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. The woman had it easy, had his father still been in charge, her dismissal would have been much more animated. He passed the reception desk before Samantha called him back.

“Mr. Huxley, Mike Ranger called from Gaiety & Sons, they’ve extended the deadline for another month, apparently there was a mix up with their accountant and they only gave a week for the proposals to be drawn up”.

Gideon shrugged.

It was better to keep his workforce on their feet, and Charlene or whatever her name was had been slacking for months. That’s what the man told himself anyway, though he hadn’t actually met her before, or had he? He wasn’t too sure, but it didn’t matter either way, by the time he reached the elevator, the woman had disappeared from his mind.

Out on the street beneath the multi-million dollar office tower, the city was alive with businessmen and women. It was rare for Gideon to venture out this side of the tower, normally his lunches were delivered straight to his office, and he’d be sure to find out why it hadn’t happened today. Alas, he was here now and so the thirty-six year old submerged himself in the crowd and ventured toward the closest coffee shop.

He’d spent the best part of his adult life working under his father in the family business, Huxley Financial. It had been the brainchild of his grandfather, and had passed down through the generations to him. It was a cut throat industry, there was no doubt about that, but the Huxley’s blade had always been slightly sharper than their competition’s, which was likely the reason for their continued success.

Just like his father, and his father’s father before him, Gideon ruled his empire with an iron fist. He did not suffer fools gladly, nor did he permit them in his company, and if people considered him rude or ignorant for it, then so be it. Why should a man of his calibre and status, concern himself with the opinions of people who could only dream of his position?

He had always been a stern man. Even as a child, Gideon Huxley was described as a stone faced loner. The vast majority of people he encountered were dull, brainless idiots who were simply beneath his level of intelligence. It was nothing personal, he simply refused to waste time on those who were meaningless.

The coffee shop swam with the scent of brewing beans. The man could drink six or seven coffees a day, and had grown a passion for the stuff.

“One Espresso, one Americano” he told the young waitress, and looked off out the window before realising that the woman was staring at him.

“What?” He asked sharply.

“Um… What size would you like sir?” She asked politely, and the man shrugged impatiently.

“I don’t know?” He spat, “big?”

“Venti?”

“Is Venit big?”

The young woman giggled slightly and nodded before hurrying off to prepare his order. This was what he meant. Idiots, idiots everywhere.

After a frustratingly long time, she returned with two cups and placed them on the counter. Gideon paid with his phone, declined a tip and reached for them.

“Be careful” the barista smiled, “they’re hot”.

“Of course they’re hot” Gideon quipped, “it’s coffee”.

Her smile faltered slightly, before her eyes landed on the screen and she twirled a red strand of hair around her finger flirtatiously.

“Aren’t you going to give me a tip?” She asked with a seductive wink.

“A tip for what?” He asked, “you put a cup under a coffee machine and pressed a button”.

He picked them up and turned on his heel.

“Well how about a date then?”

It wasn’t the first time he’d been propositioned. He was a very handsome man indeed. His mother’s family originated from Italy, giving him the sun kissed olive skin that seemed to appeal to every second person. He was impeccably groomed too, visiting his stylist twice a week and having himself pampered regularly enough that every pore on his skin and every hair on his head and face was flawless.

“Absolutely not” he replied, and left.

He’d speak to Samantha when he returned to the office. Whoever was responsible for his lunch not being delivered would most certainly hear about it. It wasn’t that he was lazy, it was simply a case that somebody had a job to do and they failed to do it. That was the foundation for everything that Gideon Huxley did, and everything he expected other people to do, too.

He strolled back toward the office building, but his mind was elsewhere. The coming weekend would be an interesting one. He was leaving for Chicago in the morning where he’d spent the afternoon with two potential clients. Normally he’d leave such matters to Carter, but this was a big one. If he could sign them, the business would surpass even the higher end of the initial forecast. It wasn’t something he could leave to anybody else.

Sunday would be slightly more laid back. He’d visit his parents in Michigan and return home in the evening. His father had gotten worse since they’d last spoken, according to his mother anyway, yet the man still liked to know what was happening with the company, even if he didn’t remember much of it to begin with.

As Gideon rounded the last corner, the coffees in his hand exploded and drenched his Stefano Ricci suit as a feral looking individual crashed into him and bounced back onto the ground.

The heat from the coffee burned into his skin as he held the wet shirt out away from his body and stared down at the dishevelled idiot with bitter fury in his eyes.

“Do you know how much this fucking suit costs?!” He roared, causing a few glances from passer bys, “you silly little fuck!”

The man on the ground was no man at all, but a boy of perhaps eighteen or nineteen. He was scruffy, with dirty fingernails and a dirtier face, and now that Gideon glared at him, he noticed the trail of blood dripping from his nose.

“Oh no!” He laughed, “you’re not pinning that on me, you little worm. Is that what you do? Run into wealthy looking people and then claim that you’ve been assaulted or something?”

The young man got to his feet and wiped away the blood. He glanced back over his shoulders, and stared back at Gideon.

Through the dirt, he was actually quite good looking, with windswept blond hair and piercing blue eyes.

“You don’t look wealthy” the boy scoffed, and Gideon’s jaw clenched.

The teen made to walk around him, but he grabbed him by the arm and squeezed.

“So what, you think you can just cover me in coffee and walk away?” Gideon slithered, “those coffees cost me nearly ten dollars!”

“And what do you want me to do about it?” The young man spat, yanking his arm away and looking back over his shoulder once again.

He was breathless, and clearly paranoid about something, but that wasn’t of Gideon’s concern.

“Come on” the man said, holding out his hand, “you spilled it, you can pay for it. Ten dollars, now”.

“Get fucked” the kid scoffed, “if you’re so wealthy then what’s ten dollars to you?”

“That’s not the point you little shit!” Gideon hissed, “you’ve caused this, now pay for it!”

“With what?” The boy laughed, holding out his hands and gesturing to the tattered clothing on his body, “does it look like I have ten dollars?!”

It didn’t. Gideon pursed his lips and looked off into the distance before cursing to himself.

“Fucking junkies” he growled, and his eyes landed on a gang of young men hurtling down the street toward him.

The boy scarpered, leaving a pool of coffee on the floor and on Gideon. At this rate, he’d fire the swine who hadn’t brought him his lunch.