Life's a Dreamboat - 12. Chapter 12

Thomas has been advised that Adam admitted guilt and he is in jail.

His family still hate him but no one is allowed to contact him.

It is over.

Thomas is deflated that it had to end this way but he is free now and that is a very strange very nice feeling.

He has been resting at home and now he was healed and was back to work. Time does not fly when you are stuck in the house bored. It felt like ripping off a bandage coming back to work.

Reactions off people at work has been very mixed for the first few days. Thomas kept his head down at his desk and worked at his computer quietly. He was aware of the awkward silence around him, the sounds of keyboards just typing away around him. He later became aware of the obvious whispering when he would walk into a room and people would clear throats and look away.

This is the fourth day in now and, at least, things don’t seem to be getting worse.

Thomas gets up to go to the printer. As he stands there watching papers slide out, he hears a faint, ‘oh.’

He knows the voice. Looking up, he sees a startled Sharon.

Taking a breath, he gives a short smile and says, ‘Hi, I’ll be done soon.’

‘Oh, it’s fine, it’s fine, no rush,’ she murmurs, standing there, crossing her arms, pointing her chin down.

The sounds of paper continue to slide out.

‘I’m sorry I didn’t say…’ Thomas voices trails out, instantly wondering why he is apologising.

Sharon just shakes her head, ‘Don’t worry about it, it’s fine.’

She looks away, then looks at her feet. Thomas turns his attention back to the machine. He doesn’t know what else to say. The machine is finished.

Snatching the papers up, he gives another short smile at Sharon, ‘Um, all yours.’

‘Thanks,’ she gives a short polite smile back.

Thomas can almost hear Sharon’s sigh of relief when he leaves the room. Well, at least she is being polite and talking to him.

As Thomas sits back at his desk, he sees someone coming over.

Barry.

Clenching his jaw, Thomas looks up and gives an uncertain smile.

Barry stands there with a coffee in his hand, ‘Hey, Thomas.’

‘Hey Barry, is everything okay?’

‘Yeah,’ Barry then pauses. He grabs a chair, drags it over and sits down.

Thomas watches this, confused.

‘Do you need the paperwork?’ he asks, his stomach feeling very nauseous all of a sudden. ‘I’ve just printed it.’

‘Oh yeah, I’ll get that in a minute,’ Barry shrugs. He then lowers his voice, ‘I just wanted to say I get why you punched me at Christmas.’

Then stops Thomas. He tilts his head, almost wanting to laugh, ‘What?’

‘Yeah, the stuff I said about transgender, it wasn’t cool, I’m sorry, man.’

Thomas opens his mouth to say something and nothing comes out. He clears his throat and tries again, ‘Thanks Barry, that’s really nice of you, ah, thank you.’

‘I’m glad we are good,’ Barry sips his coffee. ‘I don’t go out there to deliberately offend people. I don’t hate anyone, especially not you, Thomas, you’re a good guy.’

Thomas gives a short smile.

Barry is actually trying today; Thomas gives him that. Despite his flaws, Barry is the only person who’s actually spoke to him about this too.

Before Barry can say anything else, Zack comes on to the office floor, he taps on the tops of people’s computers as he walks past, ‘Think we are slacking, guys, back to work now, come on. Come on, Barry, back at your own desk, you’ve got five files to sort.’

‘Killjoy,’ Barry mutters as he nods at Thomas. He gets up to go back to his desk.

Eventually after another week, Thomas overhears the whispers and this time it isn’t about him. His colleague Andy’s wife is pregnant and everyone is talking about the fact the baby isn’t his.

Andy is getting frustrated at work at the computers and people are avoiding him. Thomas doesn’t avoid him; they both sit in comfortable silence together. Thomas feels both guilty and relieved that people are moving onto someone else. He is just surprised how quickly they move.

He ends up telling Zack this when they are in the storage room together.

Thomas is holding the ladders for Zack while he places boxes onto a high shelf.

‘Work and school are pretty much the same for gossip,’ Zack says over his shoulder. ‘People always move on quickly, it’s good you’ve just put your head down and got on with work, it’s the best thing. Did you not deal with gossip in school? Everyone has their fair share of it at some point, including myself.’

‘I was invisible in school,’ murmurs Thomas. He then adds, ‘Anyway, school was so long ago. That was twenty, thirty odd years ago for you, wasn’t it?’

‘Just throwing any age joke at me now, are we?’

‘You’re the one who said you were technically older than me.’

‘By a few years, I’m not ninety.’

‘Sure,’ Thomas snorts out laughing.

‘I’ll kick you in a minute, Thomas’

‘Oh, promises, promises,’ Thomas laughs, he then looks straight ahead.

‘Anyway, my point was that everything will be okay in the end,’ Zack pushes the last of the boxes onto the shelf.

‘Yeah,’ Thomas replies, holding onto the ladder as Zack climbs down. He pauses, ‘I, um, I got an email this morning.’

‘Oh?’ asks Zack as he takes the ladder off Thomas.

Thomas continues, ‘It was an offer of a job interview for that building across from ours. A management role for a finance area.’

‘Right,’ Zack says, putting the ladders away

‘I didn’t apply for anything though.’

Zack turns around and smiles, ‘Did you read over the role?’

‘Yeah, but I’ve never been a manager before.’

‘Well, you’ve technically been doing management work while you’ve been helping me, so I guess that was practise,’ grins Zack. ‘Deputising without the pay. Think you need the pay now.’

Thomas tilts his head, ‘You put me forward?’

‘You deserve this huge push,’ Zack says coming towards him. ‘It’s just about confidence. I know you’re good at numbers and it would be the perfect fresh start. I can help you prepare for the interview as well, I know the guys over there, you’ll like them, Thomas.’

Thomas doesn’t know what to say. First with Barry, now this, Thomas is not used to not knowing what to say.

He eventually clicks his tongue and says, ‘Thank you.’ he then says, ‘I might not get it.’

‘Yeah, but you’ve got something the other candidates don’t.’

‘Mm?’

‘Me.’

Thomas bursts out laughing, ‘Okay, big head, yeah, sure.’

‘Never knock down an advantage,’ Zack winks.

Thomas laughs a bit more before realising out loud, ‘I guess if I got it then you technically wouldn’t be my manager anymore.’

‘Yeah.’ Zack looks away, bashful. ‘When, not if, but when, you get the job, we can go out on celebrate meal. Or you know. Maybe a first real date? Whatever you want really.’

Thomas smiles at Zack, ‘You’re amazing, Zack.’

Suddenly, Zack stops him. Curving his hands around the back of his neck, Zack pulls Thomas towards him. He kisses him. He kisses Thomas so deeply that Thomas almost falls over. He then wraps his arms around Zack’s waist, instantly reciprocating the same passionate.

This is amazing. Zack pulls away and rests his forehead against Thomas’s.

Thomas can’t help but snatch another quick kiss.

Zack laughs a little, beaming, his eyes are shut.

‘You’re really good at that,’ Thomas whispers.

Zack opens his eyes a little.

Thomas reaches down and takes hold of Zack’s hand, ‘I know your results at the hospital are tonight, how are you feeling?’

Zack steps back but his smile doesn’t dimmer, ‘I am okay, actually. I mean it.’ He looks down and squeezes Thomas’s hand back. ‘I’ve been feeling better in myself, I don’t feel as awful as I used to be, so I’m prepared for what the doctors say.’

‘If it’s bad news and the chemo and operation haven’t worked, I will be here,’ Thomas pauses. ‘I will come with you to the appointment.’

‘I’m feeling stronger than ever,’ Zack smiles. ‘Have faith, Thomas.’

Thomas is so overwhelmed with how proud he feels of Zack that he kisses him quickly again.

They walk towards the door, hand in hand.



THE END.