Third Encounter

Flynn’s mind made an attempt to recover from the shock revelation. He needed to verify some important things first.

“If you have no business connections to your parents, then it would not bother me that your parents run my biggest rival company. However, if you are connected to them in a business sense, it would make it difficult for me,” he said slowly.

It was a unique situation and there were quite a few things for him to consider before coming to a final decision.

Lucas’s qualifications were perfect and it was strange that he would go through all that training and not be interested in working for his parents’ company that he was presumably set to inherit at some point.

“I don’t. I’ve only just come back, they did say I could have a job at their company if I wanted it, but I have turned them down. I want to do things myself and not have it handed to me,” Lucas explained.

Flynn’s estimation of Lucas rose even more. He was a kind  and hardworking person and it was a shame he could never do anything to get closer to him. Lucas wouldn’t even be romantically interested in him anyway.

The moment was interrupted by a brisk knock at the door and then the door was flung open by his cousin. Sarah never waited for an answer and could always be heard coming.

“I heard that you’ve been in here for a while with someone which is a good sign given everyone that came before him,” she said eagerly. “Have you made progress?”

Lucas turned round to look at her.

“He wants to hire me for two roles,” he informed her with a hint of pride.

Sarah’s perfectly primped eyebrows rose very high up her forehead and he knew he was going to get a barrage of questions when Lucas left. His cousin was loud for her short height which was something that hadn’t made its way to him. 

“You must be a very important person to get that treatment from my cousin,” she commented. “Is this true?”

“It is,” Flynn replied. “He is the child of Mr and Mrs Albury though. He does say he doesn’t have anything to do with them in a business sense.”

Sarah’s eyebrows went even higher and an odd look passed over her face briefly before it returned to normal.

“I see,” she said slowly. “Are you sure you want to work here instead of at Albury’s Confections?”

“I’m willing to do anything for your cousin,” Lucas replied smoothly with an accompanying wink.

Flynn’s eyes narrowed. Was… Lucas flirting with him?

Was Lucas gay?

Sarah squealed at the line so it had to be flirting. His cousin loved pairing people up. She normally avoided involving him though. Sarah was good at picking up when he was secretly irritated. 

“If you are still happy to work here, I will get a contract sorted with Sarah and you can come around tomorrow,” he said evenly.

He just knew that he wasn’t going to get much sleep that night. His mind was going to be too busy analysing everything that Lucas had said and reading into it.

“I am perfectly happy to work here,” Lucas replied. “I’ll leave you two in peace now then.”

***

“The cake is amazing,” Sarah commented in awe after trying a bite. “It’s no wonder you changed your mind and offered him both jobs.”

Flynn preened at her comment. He always did like compliments.

“I know potential when I see it. However it wasn’t quite what was planned, we did want a separate master chocolatier and patissier so the workload would be even,” he observed.

“We will just have to hire an extra member of staff to fill the gaps,” Sarah replied. “Could I take some of the cake home with me?”

Flynn moved the cake away from her and started bundling it back in its box. Sarah was like a bloodhound when she wanted something.

“I want to get the butler’s opinion on it,” he said.

Sarah snorted and flicked her long black hair scornfully at him.

“No, you just want to eat it all,” she corrected. “I’ll be surprised if you let Henry have more than one slice.”

Henry was his butler and had been living with him since he had moved out of his aunt’s house after finishing school. Henry had been his parents’ butler and was always a source of comfort and advice to him that had been especially useful during his early challenges running the company.

“Henry doesn’t like cake enough to have two slices,” he retorted.

Sarah reached for her cup of tea and took a healthy sip before speaking again.

“There’s the elephant in the room that we need to discuss.”

Flynn knew exactly what she was talking about.

“We do have to consider that Lucas Albury is working as a spy for his parents, I have heard that the Albury family is eccentric.”

His cousin put down her teacup carefully and wiped off her mouth with a tissue. That normally signalled that she meant serious business.

“I am assuming that you realised this all before me and have a plan of action. Although, I don’t think he’s working as a spy, it all felt genuine.”

Flynn was inclined to agree with her. Lucas hadn’t come across as someone working as an industry spy. Instead he seemed more interested in flirting with him. 

Was that more dangerous?

“There are some points to consider about the benefits of his parents sending him in as a spy. They should be able to guess that we are opening up a business on the high street that involves handmade chocolate- we’ve been actively recruiting for staff. We have also purchased a location which is something they could find out through ordinary means. We haven’t told Lucas anything confidential yet and we aren’t going to until he’s signed a watertight contract. There’s no reason for him to be a spy,” he said.

“Because when he does gain insider knowledge, he will be under a very strict contract,” Sarah summarised.

“Precisely.”

Sarah looked over the remains of the chocolates whilst Flynn finished his slice of cake. She didn’t speak again until he had finished the cake.

“Lucas seemed to be keen on you. Very keen,” she said.

Flynn had never told her that he was gay and he lived with the fear that she would notice due to their close working. Lucas could prove to be the end of his secret. His mind picked the answer that would keep her distracted for the time being.

“Make jokes like that again and you can’t have any more cake.”

Sarah pouted and turned the conversation back onto business matters. The next half an hour saw them drawing up Lucas’ contract. The contract followed a normal standard until it came to the confidentiality section. Flynn added in the strongest deterrents he could come up with.

The contract was handed back to Sarah for a final check. Her eyebrows were far up her forehead by the end of it.

“So if he passes information on, he has to pay a million pound fine and he can’t work in a similar position in another company for another 2 years?”

Flynn shrugged.

“We both know it’s legal and we need a strong deterrent.”

***

“Did you hire the person who made this cake?” Henry asked gently.

Flynn looked into the eyes of the person who had been caring for him since he had been born and nodded. He felt like he could never hide anything from him. If Henry had worked out he was gay, he had been kind enough not to say anything.

“I did hire him,” he answered. “His chocolates are just as good. The cake was just the part that I brought home with me.”

“I think you made a good choice based on the cake,” Henry replied and looked hopefully at the cake stand. “I think I might actually have another slice.”

Flynn moved the cake stand out of his reach.

“You don’t like cake much, it will be wasted on you.”

Henry smiled at him.

“You never change,” he commented. “But, is there something you aren’t content with? You seem on edge and I thought finally finding someone for the position would relieve your worries.”

Henry really did know how to read him.

“The person I hired is called Lucas Albury.”

“The son of Frederick and Maria Albury?” Henry asked.

Henry was very quick on the uptake and was always providing him with valuable insights. He hoped that he would be as sharp as Henry was one day.

“He is,” he confirmed. “He turned up for the interview and he was clearly the best candidate there. He has accepted the role of both chocolatier and patissier. I’m just concerned about his leaking secrets to his parents.”

That was the narrative he was going with. It was a more expected thing for him to worry about. He didn’t want Henry to notice he was worried over Lucas’ attractiveness.

Henry didn’t take long to see through his front.

“You aren’t worried about that, you know it can be covered with a contract. There’s something else you’re worried about.”

“I haven’t worked out what it is yet…” he said and cut a slice of the cake for himself.

He busied himself by eating more of the cake and that seemed to be working as a distraction until Henry spoke again.

“Is Lucas Albury attractive?”

Flynn looked up sharply. There was a faint smile on Henry’s face. 

His heart stopped beating briefly. Maybe Henry did know a lot more about him than he was letting on. His reply would have to be careful.

“If you consider it by conventional standards, then he can be regarded as being attractive,” he replied cautiously. “Meredith gave me a rundown of her opinions and he was apparently the best looking candidate.”

“You’ve met him before,” Henry said mysteriously. “It’s very interesting to know that you’ve met again based on what happened last time you met.”