Uncovered Desires
Episode 9 - Snitches Get...
George turned sharply away from the knot of guys chuckling and craning their necks around Kevin. The sudden spike of irritation in his chest burned hot, fueled by a mix of cheap envy and the half-empty Long Island Iced Tea still sweating in his grip. He needed a breather. Wandering back into the house and away from the pool patio, he slipped past the guest bedrooms to check the catering staging area and make sure nobody was swiping the silver or breaking glassware.
His phone buzzed violently in his hand. It was David!
George muttered a curse under his breath, swiping to accept the video call before guilt could take root. On the screen, thousands of miles away in the Philippines, David’s face appeared in crisp high-definition, his brow furrowed immediately.
"Why wouldn't you answer my video calls earlier?" David’s voice came through tinny and sharp over the speaker, his eyes darting past George’s face to take in the blurred, bare bodies in the background. "George... are you naked again? Is that a party? Who are those people behind you?"
Before George could scramble for an excuse about a neighborhood barbecue getting out of hand, he noticed Jason wheeling himself toward him.
He was a gorgeous guy, rolling his chair smoothly to a halt right in front of George. His jaw was set, his knuckles tight against the chrome wheels. Jason didn't care about David on the screen; he had blood in his eyes.
"You might want to check on your hired help, George," Jason said, his voice dripping with venom. "That chef of yours, Brandon? I just saw him coming out of the bathroom with that Kevin guy…he seemed to be getting a lot more hands-on with Kevin than he is with his catering trays. Last I checked, playing around with guests isn't what you're paying him to cook and serve."
George felt the blood rush straight to his ears, the alcohol amplifying his rage a hundredfold. Professionalism? In his own house?
"Excuse me for one second, David," George snapped at the phone, cutting the video feed with a harsh thumb-swipe.
He stormed back out toward the kitchen where Brandon was standing, stirring the food in the hot plates, his bare feet slapping hard against the stone tiles. Jason stayed behind, but still where he could see what was happening. George marched up to Brandon, his voice booming over the music.
"You're done!" George snarled, standing on the opposite side of the serving table. "Get your gear and get off my property. You're fired, effective immediately…and don't even bother opening your mouth to defend yourself. And as for the balance I owe you for this gig? Consider it your severance pay for being a useless, unprofessional amateur."