porter_inc (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
porter_inc) wrote2006-12-24 01:13 pm
porter_inc) wrote2006-12-24 01:13 pm
Entry tags:
Topic 158: Talk about a memorable (or unexpected) kiss at a holiday party.
Christmas 1997
Will had only been working at Hamilton-Fairhaven for a little over two months when the annual office Christmas party rolled around in all its brandy-laced glory. As the newest member of the staff, Will found it difficult to settle in and enjoy himself, though. Since day one, there had been some resentment from his co-workers due to the fact that he had been guaranteed a job straight out of grad school simply because his father was very good friends with the Hamilton of Hamilton-Fairhaven. No one seemed to care that Will was under even more pressure to prove himself because his father was his direct superior and held higher standards for him than any other employee at the bank. Still, Will had come to the party, Talia at his side, out of duty to his dad and his employer. As expected, he'd been snubbed by everyone he'd seen so far, while his father was treated like a conquering hero. Granted, Tobias Porter had the power to fire any one of them if they pissed him off, so much of it could have been ass kissing. Will just wondered why no one was even interested in his ass, let alone willing to kiss it. He blinked at that thought, then shook his head, just happy he hadn't said it out loud.
"We shouldn't have come," he whispered to Talia as they stood at a long table containing possibly every hors d'oeuvre known to man.
"But your father wanted you here," Talia whispered back as she checked out the shrimp balls.
"Yeah, but--"
"Are you still worried about everyone not liking you?" Talia rubbed his back and kissed him on the cheek.
"They don't like me," Will said. "Thanks to Dad and old man Hamilton, they hate me."
"Sweetheart, they don't hate you," she said, trying to reassure him. "They don't know you, that's all. Once they do that, they'll love you as much as I do."
Will couldn't help but smile at that. For all the doubts he'd had about Talia when they'd gotten married, she really was his number one fan, and their marriage was already four and a half years strong.
He turned to face her and slipped his arms around her waist. "I've got an idea," he smiled, pulling her closer. "Why don't I make up some excuse and get out of here? We could have our own little party at home."
Smiling up at her husband, Talia put her arms around his neck and shook her head. "As tempting as that is, you have to do this, darling. Don't let them run you off."
"Okay," he said softly. He knew she was right. Just because they wanted to act like a bunch of children who didn't like the new guy, that didn't mean he had to stoop to their level and run away. "Okay," he repeated. "We'll stay. But you really need to make it up to me later." He leaned down to kiss her, and she surprised him by returning the kiss as if they were alone in their apartment and not in the middle of an office party. Her hands touched places she shouldn't be touching in public, and Will was fairly certain she would have let him have sex with her on the table. This despite the risk of getting stuffed mushrooms and prosciutto-wrapped melon balls down the back of her dress. By the time the kiss ended, Will's face was flushed and he was more than ready to drag her out to the car for a quickie.
"Talia..." He wanted to ask her why she'd done that, but just then his father walked up to them. From the look on his face, it was clear he didn't appreciate the very public display.
"William, am I going to have to ask the two of you to leave?" Tobias asked.
Will swallowed hard and looked at his dad, suddenly feeling five years old again. "I--"
"Tobias," Talia said with a smile as she touched her father-in-law's arm, "I was a little overwhelmed by the holiday spirit, so I got carried away."
Tobias's lip twitched a little, then he smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Just don't do it again, all right? There are more appropriate places for that kind of thing."
Will and Talia both nodded obediently, and Tobias, satisfied with that, walked away.
Before Will could ask his wife again why she'd done that, one of his co-workers leaned over and whispered, "You know, we usually wait to do that stuff after all the bosses leave." He gave Will a pat on the back, and that was when Will noticed that the rest of them were looking at him with amusement now instead of contempt. A few of them even tilted their glasses his way in a silent toast before sipping their drinks.
Just like that, the ice had been broken.
Surprised, Will looked at Talia. "How'd--"
Talia pulled his head down to whisper in his ear. "As much as these people love your dad, they probably figured you were as much a stick in the mud as he is. Now, they know you're one of them."
That made Will giggle, and he hugged her tightly. When his father shot him a look, Will let Talia go just as quickly.
"Can this be considered a Christmas miracle?" Will grinned.
"Why not?" Talia said with a smile as she grabbed his hand. "Now, come on. Let's go mingle with your new friends."
Will had only been working at Hamilton-Fairhaven for a little over two months when the annual office Christmas party rolled around in all its brandy-laced glory. As the newest member of the staff, Will found it difficult to settle in and enjoy himself, though. Since day one, there had been some resentment from his co-workers due to the fact that he had been guaranteed a job straight out of grad school simply because his father was very good friends with the Hamilton of Hamilton-Fairhaven. No one seemed to care that Will was under even more pressure to prove himself because his father was his direct superior and held higher standards for him than any other employee at the bank. Still, Will had come to the party, Talia at his side, out of duty to his dad and his employer. As expected, he'd been snubbed by everyone he'd seen so far, while his father was treated like a conquering hero. Granted, Tobias Porter had the power to fire any one of them if they pissed him off, so much of it could have been ass kissing. Will just wondered why no one was even interested in his ass, let alone willing to kiss it. He blinked at that thought, then shook his head, just happy he hadn't said it out loud.
"We shouldn't have come," he whispered to Talia as they stood at a long table containing possibly every hors d'oeuvre known to man.
"But your father wanted you here," Talia whispered back as she checked out the shrimp balls.
"Yeah, but--"
"Are you still worried about everyone not liking you?" Talia rubbed his back and kissed him on the cheek.
"They don't like me," Will said. "Thanks to Dad and old man Hamilton, they hate me."
"Sweetheart, they don't hate you," she said, trying to reassure him. "They don't know you, that's all. Once they do that, they'll love you as much as I do."
Will couldn't help but smile at that. For all the doubts he'd had about Talia when they'd gotten married, she really was his number one fan, and their marriage was already four and a half years strong.
He turned to face her and slipped his arms around her waist. "I've got an idea," he smiled, pulling her closer. "Why don't I make up some excuse and get out of here? We could have our own little party at home."
Smiling up at her husband, Talia put her arms around his neck and shook her head. "As tempting as that is, you have to do this, darling. Don't let them run you off."
"Okay," he said softly. He knew she was right. Just because they wanted to act like a bunch of children who didn't like the new guy, that didn't mean he had to stoop to their level and run away. "Okay," he repeated. "We'll stay. But you really need to make it up to me later." He leaned down to kiss her, and she surprised him by returning the kiss as if they were alone in their apartment and not in the middle of an office party. Her hands touched places she shouldn't be touching in public, and Will was fairly certain she would have let him have sex with her on the table. This despite the risk of getting stuffed mushrooms and prosciutto-wrapped melon balls down the back of her dress. By the time the kiss ended, Will's face was flushed and he was more than ready to drag her out to the car for a quickie.
"Talia..." He wanted to ask her why she'd done that, but just then his father walked up to them. From the look on his face, it was clear he didn't appreciate the very public display.
"William, am I going to have to ask the two of you to leave?" Tobias asked.
Will swallowed hard and looked at his dad, suddenly feeling five years old again. "I--"
"Tobias," Talia said with a smile as she touched her father-in-law's arm, "I was a little overwhelmed by the holiday spirit, so I got carried away."
Tobias's lip twitched a little, then he smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Just don't do it again, all right? There are more appropriate places for that kind of thing."
Will and Talia both nodded obediently, and Tobias, satisfied with that, walked away.
Before Will could ask his wife again why she'd done that, one of his co-workers leaned over and whispered, "You know, we usually wait to do that stuff after all the bosses leave." He gave Will a pat on the back, and that was when Will noticed that the rest of them were looking at him with amusement now instead of contempt. A few of them even tilted their glasses his way in a silent toast before sipping their drinks.
Just like that, the ice had been broken.
Surprised, Will looked at Talia. "How'd--"
Talia pulled his head down to whisper in his ear. "As much as these people love your dad, they probably figured you were as much a stick in the mud as he is. Now, they know you're one of them."
That made Will giggle, and he hugged her tightly. When his father shot him a look, Will let Talia go just as quickly.
"Can this be considered a Christmas miracle?" Will grinned.
"Why not?" Talia said with a smile as she grabbed his hand. "Now, come on. Let's go mingle with your new friends."