Bottom At Heart
Chapter 8

Heart, in all his years under Tracey’s care, had thought he knew all of her moods. As he sat at the conference table with Tracey, Dylan Michaels, the CEO of Wicked Entertainment, and Lisa, the PR Specialist, he found out he was wrong. He did not know all of her moods, and he was currently very sure that his life was about to be forfeited. Her gaze was flashing with fury, her Beta scent like a dark cloud.

When he had come back from his long drawn-out breakfast, then walk, then coffee date with Clar, he’d been unceremoniously grabbed at Wicked Ent.’s entrance and shoved into the elevator by Tracey, Floris trailing behind them like a scolded puppy. She had jammed the button for the top floor with such force, Heart had been shocked it hadn’t broken.

And now, he sat in the chair, fighting the urge to slump like a kid sent to principle’s office. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t think.

“Heart.” Oh dear. Dylan was using his “special” voice. His Alpha voice. Heart flicked a look over at the man, who was watching him with a very serious expression.

“Yes, sir?” He asked, trying to affect a bored tone to hide his unease.

“What were you thinking, if you were thinking at all?” Dylan asked, sitting back into his chair.

“Is this about Clar or about me ditching my schedule?” Heart clarified. Because this seemed like a very severe response for either option.

And just like that, the timer on Tracey exploding hit zero. “Of all the most stupid, most irresponsible things for you to do, how could you go and get seen dating that…that man! Of all the men in the world, Heart, the world! you had to go and get caught being sweet with him! Do you care about your image at all? About Wicked Entertainment’s image? What is wrong with you?” She yelled, slamming a hand on the conference table. “That man who held your hand so sweetly, Heart, is the heir to Desire Incorporated. His father is Clarence McKinley II. If his father isn’t a good enough reason to give the man wide berth, then that man’s frequent escapades in the tabloids, a different girl on his arm every week, should be an even better one!” She reached into her bag, throwing a thick stack of magazines onto the conference table. They were all stories about Clar and various women. “We already have to work hard to protect your image. I had thought you were better than most because you don’t go around with different people. But here you are, with the worst of the worst! Having breakfast! Honestly, Heart. What the fuck?” She demanded.

Heart reached out, pulling one of the magazines towards him. It had a picture of Clar, arms around a red head in a tiny dress. He looked up at Tracey, his gaze narrowing. “What does his father have anything to do with anything?” He asked, choosing to ignore Clar’s promiscuity for the time being.

Dylan cleared his throat. “Mr. McKinley II was, shall we say, reluctant to do this partnership regarding their new product. He was overruled by the other members of the board because of the focus group data and the preliminary production revenue. He is a very conservative man, with more than enough money to damage our company, should he so choose to. Added to that, his son, Clarence III, has a long, sordid history with women in the entertainment industry. So, given the fact that you and his son appear to be involved, he’s already left me multiple messages about us trying to damage his business by turning his son gay and disgracing the McKinley name.” Dylan leaned forward again, fixing Heart with a serious expression.

Heart felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn’t really thought about it that way. He probably hadn’t been thinking at all. All he knew was that Clar made him feel warm, safe. “What are our options?” He asked, shoving the magazines away.

Lisa spoke up. “They’re pretty limited, and they start with us holding a press conference and you saying you are not involved with Mr. McKinley III beyond a professional sense-”

“No.” Heart said, cutting Lisa off. All three of them looked at him in shock. He leaned back, crossing his arms. “I’m not doing that. I am involved with Clar. I want to be involved with Clar. So, take that off the table. Next option.”

“Heart, why the fuck are you so set on him?” Tracey demanded, glaring at him.

Heart looked down at the table, running his fingers on the chair armrest. “He makes me feel safe,” he said softly.

There was a moment of silence, then Lisa said, “If you go ahead with this Heart, you have to deal with not only being outed as gay, but your partner is also an Alpha. Can you handle that kind of backlash?”

Heart cut Lisa a look. “If my career is so weak that I can’t date exactly who I want to then you all haven’t done your jobs.” He said simply, his voice cold.

“Heart! No artist is untouchable. You know that.” Tracey snapped. She exhaled. Heart looked over at her, as she rubbed her forehead. “Fine. Fine. Date him. Then what? What if you break up?”

Heart shrugged. “Then we break up. We’re not dating for marriage. And besides, out of everyone to date, aren’t I the best one to be dating someone as notorious as this?” He pointed out. Tracey knew his three-month rule, which was one reason why she’d been so shocked seeing the image of Heart and Clar in a coffee shop, clearly making heart eyes at each other.

She sighed. “Fine. We’ll hold something to get in front of this, and we have to replace a way to sooth Mr. McKinley III and keep him from setting our company on fire. Lisa, make the calls.”

Heart smiled at her timidly, inching his hand across the table to her. She glared at him, but took it. “Thank you, Tracey. I love you,” he said, sincerely, and she rolled her eyes.

“I highly doubt that,” she shot back.

Lisa looked up from her phone. “Okay, I have contacted a few of our favorite reporters to be here in forty minutes. We’ll give a statement, and hopefully we can curtail a lot of the gossip.”

Dylan nodded, and looked at Heart. “Call your boyfriend. Let him know that we’re going public whether he likes it or not.”

“Oh, he already wanted to go public. He told me he wants to date me openly.” Heart tried to fight the shy smile on his lips, but he wasn’t quite successful.

Dylan raised his eyebrows. “Really? Guess he isn’t as bad as I thought he was. I was certain he was going to try and bury you.”

“Just because he said he doesn’t mind going public doesn’t mean he meant it. Men say anything, as you well know, Heart,” Tracey cut in, narrowing her eyes at him.

Heart rolled his eyes, and stood, leaving the conference room to call Clar. Floris was outside the door. He looked up from his phone. “So?” He asked, shoving his phone into his pocket.

“I’m in big trouble and we’re having a press conference in forty minutes,” Heart relayed, pulling his phone out.

Floris sighed, shaking his head. “You really can’t do anything the normal way, can you?” He asked tiredly.

Heart stuck his tongue out at Floris as he searcher his contacts. Did he not get Clar’s number??? How the fuck? “Where’s the fun in doing things normally?” He asked absently, pulling up Desire’s webpage.

Floris was quiet for a moment, then, “Heart, are you sure? Are you sure about him?”

His question was soft, pained, and Heart looked up. Floris wasn’t looking at him, his face perfectly composed. He sighed, leaning in, pressing his face into Floris’s Scent Gland. Floris smelled so good. He smelled like home and familiarity and all things good. They’d been together for going on thirteen years. He loved Floris more than anyone, trusted him more than anyone.

But there was something about Clar. Something warm, something comforting, something made his Omega just absolutely at ease. Heart couldn’t explain it, the draw he felt for Clar. They’d known each other for less than a month but already Heart was sure: if left up to him, he had found the person he wanted to be with forever. These feelings were strong, almost frighteningly so. And Heart certainly didn’t trust them, not completely.

He pulled away from Floris, brushing the other’s lips gently with his. “I’m not sure, not completely,” he admitted, wrapping his arms around Floris, tucking himself into his favorite safe place. But as he felt Floris’s arms go around him, he knew that he had a new safe place: Clar’s embrace.

He looked up at Floris, caressing his face. “But I know that I have to pursue this. There’s something about him, Floris. Something I can’t explain. I don’t trust him, not just yet, but I know I will. I know I can.” He smiled gently, pulling Floris’s head down so they could touch foreheads. “You’ll always be the one I trust the most, Floris. You know all my secrets and all my issues. And you know I love you more than anything. And I know you love me too, so, let me figure this out for myself, okay?”

He felt Floris’s arms tighten around him, then he felt Floris’s lips on his, a short, brief kiss that hurt and warmed his heart. Floris had been the one to replace him all those years ago, alone, afraid, abandoned. And he had never left his side, not even once. Floris had been his everything.

The kiss deepened, and Heart smiled at Floris’s taste, the familiar taste that he’d grown up loving. Finally, Floris pulled away, pressing a kiss to Heart’s forehead. “You know I’ll always be here, by your side, Heart.” He murmured, and Heart nodded.

He kissed Floris’s jawline, stepping gently out of his best friend’s embrace. “I know.” And he did. No matter how far away he went, Floris was always there. Floris was his safety net. Always had been, always will be. That’s why Heart always had the confidence to fly. Because of Floris.

He stepped away, turning, walking down the hall, hating the feeling of his back to Floris, but knowing that he was walking towards something special.

He dialed the company number as he stood by a hall of windows, staring out into the company courtyard garden. He navigated the automated menu until he heard the familiar voice.

“Hello, Quinn speaking, how may I help you?”

Quinn had the prettiest voice. And he was a Beta too. Delicious. Heart smiled. “Hi, Quinn, this is Heart. I really need to speak to Clar. It’s a bit of an emergency. My company yelled at me and we’re going public at a press conference in,” he checked his watch, “thirty minutes.”