“But—”
“‘Sides, I promised you, didn’t I? I got you into this mess, I’ll get you out of it.”
Olivier chewed nervously on his lip. Eric pulled him close, brushing his wrists all over Ollie’s skin.
Ollie had never returned the bonding mark, and Eric understood Ollie’s fear. But deep down, he wished Olivier would mark him. It wasn’t enough for Olivier to be his—he wanted to be Olivier’s, too.
His heart aching with longing, Eric shoved the thought aside, tugging Ollie to the bedroom to get dressed.
Forty-five minutes later, Eric pulled up at the Total Sounds branch on Prime Road, slipping in through the backdoor. He flicked on the lights, got the computers going. Fixed himself a cup of coffee. Minutes later, someone knocked on his office door.
“Come in,” Eric said, looking up from his computer.
Julia eased into the room, eyeing him nervously. She was a brunette and a beta, part of his staff on the morning shift. Probably the only person who showed up for work as early as Eric.
“What’s wrong?” Eric asked.
“I lost my locker key,” she said, fishing out her bright pink wallet. “I knew I had it here last night. I must’ve gotten drunk or something—it’s missing. I can’t open my locker.”
“I’ll get it for you.” Eric grabbed his ring of spare keys, heading with her to the employee locker room. “Which one is yours?”
Julia pointed hers out, breathing a sigh when he opened the locker for her. “Will I have to pay for a replacement?”
Eric was about to say yes, because it was company policy. But at the apprehensive look on her face, he shrugged. “I’ll cover it.”
“But—but... you made Bick pay for his!”
“Bick’s lost his key nine times.” Eric rolled his eyes. “This is your first time, so I’m giving you a free pass.”
“Thank you!” Julia beamed, looking as though she wanted to give him a hug.
Eric cracked a smile. “Just don’t do it again. I’ll get you a new key at lunch.”
He waited for Julia to get her things. Glanced at the Best Employee nomination chart on the wall. Golden star stickers had been stuck next to each name, for every time a customer or coworker voted for them.
At the very bottom of the list, someone had scribbled down Eric’s name. There was a row of stars next to it, too—almost as many as the top nominee of the month. Eric snorted.
“What?” Julia turned. “Oh! We didn’t see the team leaders’ names on there. Bick went and wrote your name down. I’m not surprised that you got so many stars.”
“I’m not even a team leader! Just your regular old regional manager.” Eric laughed. “Why are you guys putting me on the nominations?”
“Because we like you!” Julia grinned, then blushed. “Sorry, that came out wrong. I mean, you’re the best manager I ever had. Bick’s told me about the times you covered for him so he could fetch his son from childcare.”
Eric shrugged. “That’s basic human decency, Julia.”
“And not everyone has that.” She smiled shyly, then closed her locker and handed him the key.
When Eric returned to his office, there was a spring in his step. His coffee had cooled a little, but he didn’t mind. He logged back into his computer. Opened up his email.
Right on top of the complaint emails and company updates, there was a message from his boss.
Breach of conduct: Eric Lancaster.
Eric froze, reading the subject line a second time, then a third. Those at the corporate office couldn’t have known.
For months, Eric had been careful with erasing his trails at the workplace. He’d been sending a select few customers to Ollie’s shop each week, coaching Ollie in private on how to win their loyalty.
He’d adjusted Ollie’s ads so not all of them showed up alongside Total Sounds’, and he’d helped Ollie with a few other methods of advertisement that Total Sounds didn’t employ—signs on street corners, fun little guitar-shaped coasters in the mail.
And it had all been working.
He clicked into the email, his heart heavy with dread.
Eric, an anonymous source has tipped us off that you’ve been working with the competition in Meadowfall. I’ve enclosed some pictures. Should you fail to cease this behavior, your position at Total Sounds will be terminated.
Eric’s ears rang. He scrolled down the email, finding five attached files. Four were pictures taken from outside Olivier’s Strings on different days, Eric behind the counter. The fifth was of him and Ollie standing in the doorway of Olivier’s Strings, Eric’s arm around Olivier’s waist.
He breathed out slowly, fighting the urge to slam his fist into the wall. Who tipped them off?
The pictures shouldn’t have meant anything. Eric could’ve just been friends with someone at Olivier’s store. Hell, he could’ve been using his connections to Total Sounds’ advantage. It didn’t necessarily mean he’d been working against his own company.
Except Eric didn’t have power here—the corporate office could just as easily replace him with someone else. Someone who would be ruthless with squashing out Olivier’s shop.
Heart pounding, Eric wrote back.
That’s my omega. I’ve been acquiring supplier information from him.
It wasn’t wrong. Eric had found out which suppliers Ollie had been using, and then told him what the cheapest suppliers were.
Ollie had cut down on his cost prices significantly. He’d been stocking up on products that Total Sounds didn’t carry, and that helped a lot in winning an audience for his shop, too.
His inbox chimed with a response.
Is this why your sales figures aren’t meeting the mark for a third Total Sounds branch?
Eric rubbed his temples. Yeah, it was. Except no one was supposed to know that. And if he continued to miss his targets... what would happen?
Your position will be reviewed by the HR manager, his boss wrote. I’ll get back to you shortly. For now, you’ll carry on as the regional manager for the Meadowfall branches.
Eric stared at his screen, the words burning into his retinas. Was he going to be fired? Maybe. But he was twenty-six,
