Hector walked out of the giant, impressive corporate building, feeling like he was on top of the world. The workday had just ended, and he had been told privately by the CEO of the company, who was visiting that day, that old man Groggins was retiring and Hector would be filling in as Regional Manager of Rizzle Printer Company’s branch in New York City.

As he looked out at the receding sunlight giving way to a cool, dark evening, his hands began to twitch with excitement. This was his night.

The elevator opened and a voice called out to him.

“Hector! Wait up!”

That was Hector’s life-long childhood friend, Mitchel, dressed in something he had not been wearing this morning when they had walked to the office together.

“Mitchel, what in God’s name are you wearing?”

“Oh, you mean this?”

Mitchel, a 26-year-old, tall, muscular and handsome dirty-blonde haired man was dressed in a suave suit and tie, with the suit and shirt underneath drawn back, exposing a lot of his chest area.

“It’s the sexy businessman look,” he explained. “This is the night celebrating my promotion to Vice President of Operations for the whole company. Oh, and yours to Regional Manager of the New York City branch!”

Hector hated the way Mitchel emphasized his promotion over his. While it was true his new director position was a much bigger deal than Hector’s own, Hector thought his friend could have at least shown some class. But as usual, Mitchel wanted to be the star of the show. He had been this way since they were kids. Mitchel usually had beaten him in everything: looks, getting his first girlfriend, popularity, grades in school, and position in the company they both worked for now. In fact, Mitchel was not going to be Hector’s boss, but his boss’s boss. In the words of his admiring colleagues, Mitchel was going to be “the youngest VP of operations ever” Hector himself, also 26, was considered exemplary for becoming Regional Manager of a branch at his age. But Mitchel’s achievement completely eclipsed his own.

“Come on, man. This is supposed to be a classy event. You can’t show up looking like that.” Hector admonished politely.

“Pfft.” Mitchel scoffed. “Girls love the look of rugged professionalism. Tonight is going to be the best night of my life, and it would only be second-rate if I didn’t end it with a bang.”

He made popping noises with his mouth and mimicked a small explosion with his hands. “So, yeah. This is necessary.”

“Women are the last thing on my mind tonight,” Hector said, relishing in his future. “I feel like I’ve finally been noticed by the higher-ups. After 5 years of taking Groggins’s crap, I’ll be the one calling the shots in this branch. I have so many plans to make our branch the number-one-selling, and Rizzle Printers the premier printer company in New York. We’ll expand more quickly and be able to hire more people, and I’ll finally be—” Hector was cut short by Mitchel putting two fingers on his lips.

“Let me stop you right there, bud. Don’t nerd out at the company party, okay? Or I’ll be the only one making it a night to remember!”

Mitchel laughed as he zoomed past Hector with just his natural stride, with Hector trying to match his speed, but falling short. Always behind him, walking in his shadow.

Later that evening, the company party began. It was thrown to celebrate some recent promotions and used as a social networking event for the company as a whole. All the top executives and even the C-Suite of the company were in attendance. Employees from the nearly one hundred branches scattered across the nation had flown in for this exclusive event held in a rented-out hotel in downtown New York City.

“Man, can you believe how many people are here?” Mitchel asked incredulously when they arrived.

“There must be over 1,000. The big wigs really went all out for this. I mean the entire hotel is rented out tonight.” Hector concluded, rubbing his chin.

“And we’re the guests of honor.” Mitchel grinned, adjusting his shirt to expose a bit more of his chest. His eyes lit up and widened when he looked around and spotted a familiar face. In his line of sight was a gorgeous slim-figured brunette whose dark orange dress was a tight fit on her busty figure.

“Oh, that’s Barbara from accounting! She’s first on the list,” he said, pulling out a small mirror and fixing his hair. “See ya around, nerd. If you need me, I’ll be in Room 3207.”

Hector knew that the main event for the party was starting in 10 minutes, so Mitchel was probably just on his way to introduce himself and set up the rapport so he could score later that night. Hector thought there was no way a woman would give a man a pass to sleep with him after chatting for a little while, but Mitchel had made the seemingly impossible a reality on multiple occasions.

Before he made it even halfway to Barbara, Mitchel was stopped by a group of 3 women.

“Mitchel, hi!” a mid-30’s blonde woman said, giggling with her friends.

Mitchel flashed a dazzling smile and a slight wave as he said, “Sorry, I don’t think we’ve met.”

She twisted her hair and smirked playfully. “Oh, you don’t know us. We’re from Scranton branch, Mitchel from the New York City branch. Your name’s come up on the Guests of Honor list.”

“Oh, has it now? What’s it saying about me?”

“Oh that you’re now just one promotion away from being COO! At least that’s how I see it,” a late 20’s brunette butted in. She started leaning closer to Mitchel, slyly touching him every now and then.

There he goes again. Women just seem drawn to him. Meanwhile, I’m having zero luck on dating apps.

Mitchel noticed that Hector was casually looking this way, not talking to anyone so his brain hatched an idea. One that would get these women off him and help out a friend at the same time.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Hey, Hector!”

Hector got slightly embarrassed at having his name suddenly called out but walked over anyway. On the way, he nearly tripped on himself but played it off. Mitchel had to hold in his laugh.

“Ladies, this is my good friend, Hector. He’s a bit shy, but you’ll never meet a harder worker. Hector, why don’t you entertain them for a bit? I’ve got to go—uh, shake some hands with the suits. If you’re still around in the after-party, let’s grab some drinks.”

Mitchel took the long way around, trying to shake the longing stares the women sent his way, passing some higher-ups and exchanging a few handshakes, before eventually circling back to meet Barbara.

Hector was left alone to strike a conversation with women who seemed to have lost all interest in staying once Mitchel excused himself. But, for some reason, he felt motivated. To end his streak of bad luck in romance, right here and now.

Come on. I got this.

He tried to gather the same courage as when old man Groggins would make him deliver the morning speech. He huffed out his chest, trying to match what he had seen Mitchel do, and cleared his throat.

“So, ladies, it turns out I’ve been promoted too—” he said, giving his best attempt at a dazzling smile. He cut himself short as he saw the women turn around and start to walk away.

The brunette sighed. For one second, she turned her head.

“So uhm… can you let one of us know if Mitchel is free later? Thanks.”

Just like that, the women went their separate ways.

Hector was dumbstruck, rejected so quickly that it took him a while to realize what had happened.

He glanced at Mitchel, whom he noticed had found his way to Barbara and seemed to be having an infectious conversation, filled with laughter and natural, mutual attraction. He couldn’t help but feel jealous.

He makes it look so easy. What’s he got that I don’t?

Hector started feeling out of place at the party that had made him a Guest of Honor. He began to wonder what the point of being here was. Luckily, his feeling of discomfort only lasted a few minutes, as he heard a fork strike a wine glass.

“Your attention, ladies and gentlemen.” someone announced in the center of the room, where all the executives were gathered. “We’ll now have a word from our ship’s captain, our very own CEO.”

The CEO was a bald man, well-dressed in a suit and tie, with a natural air of confidence that might originate from former days in the navy. He was smoking a pipe.

“Thank you all for coming. This party was a way to thank some of our folks for their long years of service. And to clear the old to make way for the new. Among, the ones leaving, there are two very dear to my heart who have given their all to Rizzle Printers for over 20 years. Hutchin Groggins and Reginald Boater!”

A round of courteous applause broke among the audience as two old men with slick-back hair, the few strands of hair left after old age, went up to shake hands with the top brass.

“And now, in their place are two promising young lads, whom I’ve had my eye on for a while now. Both from our New York City branch, they’ve set ripples in motion to take Rizzle to a new age of prosperity among the next generation. Please welcome Hector Diggle and Mitchel Adams!”

Hector froze, feeling his heart stop. The CEO had just said his last name wrong. But he was too embarrassed to try and correct him.

Kiggle, not Diggle!

He felt a pinch in his waist by Mitchel.

“Don’t stand around like an idiot. Come on!” he whispered tersely.

Mitchel took the lead, as he shook hands with the CEO who welcomed him like a proud father. Hector couldn’t help but notice how magnificent his friend looked. His perfect hair, robust shoulders, tall stature, and a warm yet commanding demeanor. He looked like a real leader. Something Hector always wanted to be. He almost seemed to glowing, a radiant brilliance pouring out of his body, manifesting from his natural confidence.

No, that wasn’t right. Hector quickly rubbed his eyes. For a second, Mitchel really was glowing! He was sure of what he saw, but it had passed as quickly as it had come.

When Hector made it up to the CEO, the old man was less than enthusiastic to see him. A quick, firm shake was all that was afforded to him. The CEO seemed more preoccupied with watching over Mitchel.

Once they had both shaken hands with all the suits, Mitchel started giving his acceptance speech.

“My fellow managers, salesmen, accountants, and everyone in between, I am proud to accept the position to lead the operations of our fast-growing company as your Vice President of Operations alongside our COO, Craig Aldrin. This is one for the books, folks. Expect great things because great things are coming.”

The crowd seemed captivated by Mitchel’s words. Many had placed their wine glasses on nearby tables so they could clap wholeheartedly.

“What a wonderful speech from our new VP!”

“He’s a charmer, that one!”

Finally, it was Hector’s turn. He swallowed a hard gulp, but he was determined not to be outdone by Mitchel this time. This was his moment. For two years, ever since Groggins had announced his planned retirement, he had spent nights going over exactly what he would say if he were chosen, practicing in front of the mirror, making sure his every gesture reflected a leader. And he was chosen!

I got this!

His right hand was now shaking, but he had anticipated that he would be nervous, so he had written it on a small business-card size piece of paper just in case. He pulled it out of his shirt pocket and unfolded it.

“Everyone, I am humbled to be c-chosen as the n-new Regi—onal Mana—ger for the—” he said, but then quickly stopping short. The sound of his voice, all the fidgeting and movement from the audience, the music in the ambient speakers, seemed to break in fluidity, as if his own consciousness were in a live broadcast with technical issues. It was like all his senses were cutting off and on again.

He was met with confused stares.

“Why’s he talking like that? Is something wrong with him?”

“This is the guy that was chosen to be Regional Manager?”

Hector felt the tides of favor turn against him. He didn’t want to lose. Not now. Not when Mitchel’s speech had just been a total improv and his had been carefully worked on for months.

He quickly shook his head and continued. “—for the New York City branch of Rizzle Printers. I have many plans to enable Rizzle to meet the growing demand of the next genera—“.

Again, the whole world seemed to be breaking into static.

What’s going on?

Hector was afraid, wondering if he was losing his mind. He took a glance over at Mitchel, who also seemed to be trying to clear something out of his ears. As if he could hear what Hector was hearing, while everyone else was staring at Hector with less and less patience.

The CEO took the microphone away from Hector, trying to recover the audience’s good mood.

“I think our boy had too much to drink.” he gave a hearty laugh. “Anyway, let’s clap for—”

His voice got further away.

The entire world seemed to shrink away from Hector’s vision.

He could no longer hear anything. He could no longer see anything. Everything around him had vanished, turned into a black void that hid everything, including his hands from his eyes.

For a second, he swore there was a small light with the voice of a man, saying something directly to him and only him.

But he couldn’t tell what was said, and a heavy drowsiness came over him. He fought it with everything he had.

I need to go back…

He wanted desperately to get back to the party and deliver his speech. If there was ever a time to resist with all his strength it was now!

My speech… this is… my turn to shine.

He struggled. And struggled. Gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists before the lull returned.

And he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Hector had a strange dream. It seemed so real. The voices he was hearing almost seemed to be adjacent to him. They were whispers that hoped to not disturb a fragile sleep.

“Do we kill him?”

“No, the pope wants him alive. Besides, what if the rumors about him are true?”

“We can just tell His Holiness he never woke up. And we have the son of Helsae. Surely, he would ward off any curse.”

“And risk getting executed, or worse, banished from the empire? We do not know if either will awaken, so leave him be for now. We shall examine him if he wakes.”