Proximate Cause - 1. Chapter 1

Elliot stirred, moving away from the bright sunshine streaming through the window. He opened his eyes, frowned, and looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. Eight a.m.

“Shit!” He bounded out of bed and into the bathroom. He took a shower and dressed in record time. The only thing on his mind as he grabbed his briefcase and coat was getting to the office in time for his morning meeting.

“Whoa! Where’s the fire?” Max poked his head out of the kitchen just as Elliot was about to open the door.

“I’m late! The alarm never went off!”

“You told me you didn’t need to be at the office until nine. I turned the alarm off so you could sleep in. I made breakfast. I thought we could eat together.”

Elliot sighed in exasperation. “You did what? I have a meeting at nine that I can’t be late for. I wanted to be at the office at eight.”

Max frowned. “Well, I’m not a mind reader. How the hell am I supposed to know when you change your plans without telling me?”

“I’m sorry, Max. I’ll make it up to you, I swear.” Elliot walked over to his frowning boyfriend and kissed him before running out the door.

“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past six months,” Max muttered to Elliot’s disappearing backside.

*****

Max set his half-eaten sandwich down on the counter he was leaning against. He contemplated the ’52 Chevy sitting on blocks in the corner of the garage. It had been months since Elliot worked on it. If he knew the changes that the man who walked into his and Elliot’s garage a year ago would bring, he would have tossed him out without a second thought.

Max had been surprised to learn how torn Elliot was between working as a mechanic at the garage and working as a lawyer. He hadn’t realized how much his boyfriend loved the law. When the man who was being sued by Elliot’s former employer searched for Max because he was the only person to win a case against them, Elliot agreed to take his case. He won, and that started a chain reaction of clients with similar cases.

As Elliot acquired more clients, he worked at the garage less and less until he stopped working there altogether. Now he had a thriving practice and even hired an associate. Max scowled when he thought of Nathaniel Hawkins. He may be a good lawyer, but the man was a little too enamored of his new boss. Elliot thought Max was nuts for being jealous of Nate, but Max was pretty sure he was going to strangle the little twerp one of these days.

He walked over to the old car he was working on and removed the carburetor, carrying it to his work bench. He sat at the bench and disassembled the car part, trying to figure out why it wasn’t working. He hoped it would distract him from thoughts about his boyfriend and his associate. It didn’t work.

An hour later his phone buzzed, indicating a text message from Elliot.

Elliot: Sorry babe, but this case is taking longer than I thought. I won’t be home until late, so don’t plan on me for dinner. Love you.

It took all Max’s strength not to throw the phone against the wall. They hadn’t had dinner together in over a month. He started to type a response but set the phone down, thinking better of it. He needed to calm down first.

He started to work on the transmission again, but when the wrench slipped, banging his finger painfully, he yelled and threw the wrench across the garage. He paced agitatedly for a minute before taking a deep breath. Something needed to change.

He picked up the phone and sent Elliot a return text. Things were going to change starting tonight.

*****

Elliot put his head in his hands and groaned. This case was really getting to him. It was very similar to Max’s case, so in theory it should have been an easy win, but his old firm was catching on to his methods, and it was getting harder and harder to find relevant case law to fight them with. He looked up when he heard a knock on the door and grinned when he saw the takeout containers.

“I hope you’re in the mood for Chinese,” the blond man said, setting the bags down as Elliot cleared space on the table.

“You are an absolute godsend,” Elliot said as he dug into the beef and broccoli. “What did I ever do before I hired you?”

“Work in abject misery?” Nate smirked. He pulled his chair close to Elliot and bit into an egg roll before scooping a large portion of lo mein onto his plate.

“This is great. Where did you get it from?”

“A little hole-in-the-wall off of Main. They have the best Chinese food in town.”

Elliot moaned appreciatively. “No argument here.”

“I think the facts in evidence speak for themselves.”

Elliot laughed and then coughed violently as he choked on a piece of broccoli.

Nate patted his back in concern, changing the pats to slow circles as his coughing fit subsided. Elliot took a drink of water and bumped shoulders with Nate, smiling at him.

“Thanks –“

“What the fuck, Elliot?”

Elliot sat up, startled. Nate smirked at Max and removed his hand from Elliot’s back slowly.

“Max! What are you doing here, babe? Didn’t you get my text?”

Max glowered at Nate. His plan to try and be nice to the good-looking associate went right out the window. “Didn’t you get mine? I texted you back telling you I was going to bring you dinner. I made your favorite.” He set the container on the table and turned to leave. “I guess you can have it for lunch tomorrow.”

“Max, wait!” Elliot leapt up and grabbed his boyfriend’s arm, stopping him. He put his arms around the larger man, hugging him tightly. “This is so sweet. I’m sorry I didn’t get your text. I put my phone in my drawer and kind of forgot about it.”

Max hesitated, then put his arms around Elliot, pulling the smaller man close. Nate narrowed his eyes as he observed his hot boss in the arms of his tattooed boyfriend. Max smirked and moved his hands up to Elliot’s chin, tilting his head up so he could kiss him. He ran his tongue along Elliot’s lower lip. Elliot opened up for him, and they made out until they both needed to come up for air. Max pushed Elliot’s hair behind his ear and whispered loud enough for Nate to hear, “I’ll be waiting for you tonight.” His hand lowered to Elliot’s ass, and he squeezed, eliciting a groan from his adorable boyfriend.

Elliot pushed away from Max, smiling. “I can’t wait.”

Max pulled Elliot in for one more kiss before walking out the door. Elliot returned to the table. His face was flushed, and he couldn’t stop smiling.

“What the hell was that all about?” Nate asked, picking at his food.

Elliot frowned. “What do you mean?”

“That was quite the show he put on.”

Elliot laughed. “Max isn’t known for his subtlety. I’ve been working so much we haven’t had a chance to spend much quality time together. I guess I need to change that.” He threw out his plate, closed the remaining containers, and took them to the fridge along with the dinner Max brought. He was looking forward to eating it for lunch the next day, but he was looking forward to tonight even more. He handed Nate a pile of papers. “Let’s see how quickly we can get out of here.”

*****

Elliot threw his briefcase down on the couch along with his suit coat. He kicked his shoes off, leaving them in the middle of the floor. He yawned as he undid his tie and headed up the stairs to the bedroom he shared with Max. He shed his shirt and tie onto the floor and padded quietly into the bathroom. He removed his pants and brushed his teeth before sliding under the covers next to his sleeping boyfriend. He nestled into Max’s side, and the burly mechanic snorted and opened his eyes. He drew Elliot close, kissing the top of his head. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand. One a.m.

“Why are you so late, sweetheart?”

“It’s this damn case. They come up with a rebuttal every time I refute one of their claims. It’s maddening.”

“Well, let me take your mind off it for a while…” Max ran his fingers through Elliot’s hair, angling his head downward so he could kiss him. Elliot’s tongue flitted along Max’s lower lip, and he allowed entrance to his boyfriend’s probing tongue. Max moved his hands to Elliot’s back, sliding them underneath his shirt and along his bare backside. He pulled the shirt over Elliot’s head and kissed his way down his neck to his chest, pausing to pay attention to the other man’s nipples. Elliot moaned and arched into Max, seeking closer contact. Max worked his way south, pressing his palm along Elliot’s dick, eliciting a long groan. He smiled as he kissed the bulge forming in his hot boyfriend’s boxer briefs. He stopped as a rather sudden urge overcame him.

“Shit. I gotta take a piss.” He kissed Elliot before getting out of bed. “I’ll be right back, babe.”

When Max returned, Elliot was curled around his pillow, sleeping. Max groaned in frustration and slid next to his quietly snoring boyfriend. He pulled him close, wondering when things were going to change.

*****

Elliot turned off the alarm, then yawned and stretched. Max stirred, but didn’t wake. Elliot’s heart ached when he looked at the sleeping man. He felt horrible for falling asleep last night. He missed being close with Max. They hadn’t been intimate in over two weeks. He knew it was his fault. He hadn’t anticipated the response when he opened up his practice. He thought that hiring Nate would allow him to spend more time with Max, but instead he just ended up doubling his caseload. Maybe it was time to hire another associate.

He got out of bed quietly, showered, and dressed. Max was still sleeping. He didn’t want to wake him, so he kissed him softly and headed to the office.

“Mornin’ boss.” Nate walked into Elliot’s office and handed him a cup of coffee.

Elliot smiled gratefully. “Thanks. I could use the caffeine.”

A frown briefly flitted across Nate’s features as Elliot took a sip. “Didn’t get much sleep last night?”

Elliot set the cup down and sighed. “I fell asleep as soon as I got home.”

Nate turned so his boss wouldn’t see the smile spreading over his face. “By the way, we have a court date for the Sanders case finally. They can fit us in Thursday.”

“Thursday? No! That’s the one day I said I couldn’t do! It’s Max’s and my anniversary! I barely see him as it is, I can’t miss that day!”

“It’s the only day they could do, and I had to bribe a clerk to even get us that.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t hear that.”

“Sorry, boss. I just know you’re anxious to get this case resolved. The next available date wasn’t for two months.”

“Shit. I’ll have a talk with Max tonight. Maybe we’ll get lucky and it will be decided quickly.”

“Yeah. Let’s hope,” Nate said as he left the office.

Elliot slammed his hand on the table in frustration. He had the entire evening planned, and now it was going to be ruined. Max was going to be crushed. Things were strained enough between them without adding in this. He picked up his cell phone, thinking he should just get the bad news over with.

Before he could dial, the phone buzzed in his hand and he almost dropped it.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hey, El. I missed you this morning.”

“You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake you.”

“You can wake me any time, babe. I miss you.”

Elliot sighed. “I know. I miss you, too. I’m so sorry I fell asleep last night. I was really looking forward to spending time with you.”

“Me, too.” Max paused. “I don’t suppose you’ll be home for dinner tonight.”

“Probably not. This case is such a bear. We finally got a court date, though, so I’ll make it up to you after Thursday, I swear.”

“Thursday? I thought we had plans on Thursday.”

Elliot put his head in his hands. He hadn’t meant to just blurt it out like that. “Sweetheart, I was just about to call you. It was the only court date we could get. There’s a chance that it will be over with quickly and we can keep our dinner reservations, but I’m not overly optimistic about it. I just hope it doesn’t drag on for days. I’m so sorry, Max. Believe me, this is the last thing I wanted.”

“Wow, El. I thought our anniversary meant something to you. I guess I was wrong.”

Elliot listened to the click and dial tone in stunned disbelief. He knew Max would be upset, but accusing him of not caring really stung.

“I just got the pretrial paperwork. Guess who we’re going up against?” Nate waved a pile of papers.

“Now’s not a good time, Nate. Give me a minute.”

“What’s wrong?” Nate set the papers down on the table and walked over to Elliot’s desk.

“I told Max about our anniversary. He didn’t take it well.”

“That sucks.” Nate moved to stand behind Elliot. He put his hands on his boss’ shoulders and massaged them. “I’m sorry you have to deal with all this.”

“Mmmmm... that feels good.”

Nate finished and patted Elliot’s back. He didn’t want to lose the physical contact with his hot boss but decided not to press his luck.

“So what did you want to tell me?”

“It looks like the big boss himself is handling this one personally. Mark Sellers is listed as the attorney on record.”

“Oh, great. There’s no way this is going to be settled quickly. He’s had it out for me ever since I quit his firm and bought Max’s Garage.”

“We’ll win. Take a look at this case I found. It’s pretty obscure, but I think we can make it work.” Nate ruffled through the pile of papers he put on Elliot’s table and handed him the copy of the case. Elliot skimmed the summary and smiled.

“I think this is perfect.”

*****

Elliot threw out his coffee cup and walked into the courthouse. Nate waved to him after he passed through security.

“What judge did we draw?”

“Adams.”

Elliot exhaled in relief. Adams had ruled in his favor on several cases in the past. “Is Mr. Sanders here yet?”

“Yeah. He’s in the bathroom. He’s a nervous wreck. I just hope he holds up on the stand.”

Their client exited the bathroom just as the bailiff opened the courtroom door and called out “Would the litigants in the case of ‘Sellers vs. Sanders’ please enter the courtroom.”

Mark Sellers looked at Elliot, Nate, and Mr. Sanders smugly as he entered the courtroom ahead of them. Elliot smiled at his client reassuringly. Nate followed his boss and client, his eyes travelling to Elliot’s ass before he reminded himself he needed to concentrate on the case. The bailiff closed the door behind them.

*****

Max sat on the bench across from the courtroom where Elliot’s case was being tried. He fidgeted and squirmed. He hated sitting still, and he hated wearing suits, but he wanted to be there for Elliot on his big day. Their big day. Max had done a lot of thinking since the phone call when Elliot told him about their cancelled anniversary plans. The past few days had been hell. Max was furious about the cancelled plans, and he let Elliot know it. He slept on the couch and went to the garage before Elliot awoke. He ignored all of his boyfriend’s calls and texts. He knew that Elliot was miserable, too, which only helped marginally.

Max had decided that morning that the past three years meant too much to him to allow himself to remain angry with his busy boyfriend. He put on his only suit, bought a bouquet of flowers, and put Elliot’s anniversary present into his pocket. Even if he only got to see the man he loved for five minutes during a break, he was going to make the most of it.

He looked at his watch and frowned. Seven-thirty. He hoped he didn’t have to wait too much longer. That bench was damned uncomfortable! An hour later he was pacing up and down the hallway when the courtroom doors opened. A small man in a nice suit exited with a big grin on his face. Following him were an exuberant Elliot and Nate. Max smiled, walking toward them.

Nate pumped his fist and yelled “Yeah!”, then spun around, embracing Elliot, who returned the embrace, patting Nate’s back. Nate brought his hands up to Elliot’s face and kissed him. Elliot’s eyes widened, and he pushed his associate away.

“What the hell, Nate?” Elliot gasped when he saw Max barreling toward them. The look of fury on his face left little doubt as to what he thought. “Max! No!”

Max grabbed Nate by his shirt and raised his fist. “Get your hands off my fiancé!” he yelled right before being tackled by two security guards.

“Wait! Stop!” Elliot shouted. “Don’t hurt him!”

The guards handcuffed a subdued Max and helped him roughly to his feet. “Do you want us to have him arrested?” one of the guards asked a pale and shaking Nate.

Elliot looked at Max, confused. “Fiancé?”

Max dropped down to his knees. “I love you, El. Marry me, babe.”

The guard to Max’s right scowled and hauled on his arm. “Get up.”

The other guard smacked him, and he let go of Max. “Knock it off. They’re having a moment here.”

Elliot helped Max to his feet and slid his arms around him. “I love you, too.”

“Will you marry me?”

Elliot pushed away from Max and looked into his eyes. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“You ask me again when you’re not being arrested for assaulting my employee.”

Max laughed. “Deal.”

“So is that a ‘yes’?” asked a woman from the crowd that had gathered around them.

Elliot nodded, smiling. “Yeah, that’s a ‘yes’.”

The crowd erupted into applause.

“Let him go.”

Everyone turned to look at Nate. “I’m not pressing charges. Let him go.” He sniffled, then ran out of the courthouse.

*****

Elliot knocked on Nate’s office door. The blond-haired man was packing books into boxes. “What are you doing?” he asked, handing him a cup of coffee.

“Packing my office. I assume I’m fired.”

Elliot took a book out of Nate’s hands and placed it on the desk. “You’re a great lawyer, Nate. I’m not going to fire you.”

Nate looked at him, then cast his eyes to the floor. “I’m sorry.”

“I have to admit, I was pretty shocked. I had no idea you felt that way.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding me? All those late nights working together? The deep conversations? I massaged your shoulders, for God’s sake.”

Elliot blushed. “I thought you were just being friendly. I mean, you know I’m in a serious relationship.”

“Well, you were spending a lot more time with me than with Max. I guess I deluded myself into thinking you felt the same way. I should quit if you’re not going to fire me. I’m not sure working here is such a good idea anymore.”

“Why? I thought we were friends, Nate. I hired you because we have the same ideals. The firm you worked for is just like the Sellers’ firm. You were sick of screwing the little guy, too.” Elliot paused. “We make a good team, Nate. Business is going so well that I wanted to talk to you about hiring another associate. I’d hate to have to look for two. Think about it, and let me know what you decide.”

“What about Max?”

“What about him?”

“Won’t he be upset if I stay?”

“Nah. We had a long talk, and he’s on board. He won’t promise not to get jealous, but he has promised not to kick your ass.”

Nate laughed. “Well that’s a relief. I don’t have to think it over. I’d like nothing more than to stay.”

Elliot smiled. “Good.”

*****

“So we have three whole days together?” Max asked, nibbling on Elliot’s earlobe.

Elliot giggled. “Yup. Nate’s holding down the fort and setting up interviews with potential new associates.”

Max snaked his hand through Elliot’s hair, drawing him in for a kiss. “So what do you want to do during our time off?”

Elliot turned and straddled Max, resting his forehead against his burly fiancé’s. “You.”

“I like the sound of that.” Max stood up and carried Elliot upstairs to their bedroom.