Joshua knocks on the office door, but this time around, he's not looking at Mr Brown but the cold side of Julian Blackwood. He's staring into the eyes of someone else, someone colder. And he doesn't even know it yet. Brown Caldwell smiles. "Come in. We need to talk."
The door closed behind Joshua with a soft click, but the air inside the room shifted instantly; it was sharp, tense, heavy. Joshua moved forward like normal with a calm face, but something in his spine stiffened. His fingers gripped the laptop more tightly than usual. He felt it. Something was off. Deeply off. "Is everything alright, sir?" he asked, setting the laptop down on the desk. Brown studied him carefully, the softness in his eyes, the calm posture, the way he avoided confrontation. 'He looked weak,' he thought. But useful. "I've been thinking about you lately," Brown started or was it Julian's heart saying this? His voice was even, smooth, but there was something wrong underneath it. Joshua blinked, and an expression of shock overwhelmed his face "Me?" Brown smiled wider. "Yes. You seem… familiar. But I can't quite place it."
Joshua swallowed cautiously. "Well, I do work directly under you, so that might be it." Brown looked at him and leaned forward slightly in the chair, lacing his fingers together like a predator getting comfortable. "No. It's more than that." He added. Joshua's throat tightened; he stared deeply at him. The tension in the room was building like static. He'd only been in this office a handful of times, but he remembered how Mr Caldwell used to behave. Blunt, angry, dismissive. This version was different, but in a worse way, kind of.
"You… asked me to come for the redesign proposal?" Joshua prompted, hoping to change the subject. But Brown didn't even glance at the laptop. "Forget about the proposal for now." Silence filled the room as it had just been released from a cage. Then he stood up and walked closer to him. Joshua took half a step back as Brown walked slowly around the desk. Not rushed. Not aggressive. Just close. Too close, that Joshua could scent his cologne and his soft breath, 'what is he doing', Joshua thought, his heart was racing. Mr Brown is his boss, and he knows he doesn't have any affection toward him, but ever since Wednesday, he has changed. Brown circled behind him, as ifinspecting a painting or a piece of prey. "You knew him, didn't you?" Brown said quietly, as he whispered into his ear, Joshua froze. "Knew who?", "Julian Blackwood." The name landed like a slap.
"I", Joshua stuttered and blinked; beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "That name... it only sounds familiar. Why?" Brown stepped closer, now standing beside him. "You saved his number five years ago. On a phone you never used." He tilted his head. "Why?" Brown questioned.
Joshua's blood ran cold. 'How the hell would he know that?'
He turned toward Brown, confused, guarded. "Sir, I don't know what you're talking about." Brown stared at him for a moment longer, then backed off. "I see," he said calmly. "Well, I'll keep this brief. I want you to keep your distance from me from now on. No private meetings. No notes. No secrets," he said with a strong face, "and most especially, no notes", he concluded with a smile.
"Sir", Joshua started. "I'm not asking, Joshua." Now his voice dropped, quiet but sharp. "I'm telling you." Joshua stood still, caught between fear and confusion. He and Julian Blackwood were a secret; how did MMrBrown find out, and he knows how strict he is with gay people. And then… it happened. Joshua stepped back and dared to say directly to his face. "Who are you?" Brown didn't answer. He only smiled again; the kind of smile that made you question everything. "You may leave." Joshua didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed his laptop, nodded awkwardly, and exited the office without another word. But his heart was pounding. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
And whoever was wearing Brown Caldwell's skin… wasn't the man he used to know.
30 minutes passed by, as Brown still sat in the office thinking about his past with Joshua 5 years ago, he knew they had met before, he felt the connection immediately, but didn't rrecognise himtill… A message popped into his phone, which brought him out of his trance. he stared at the message for a while. It was from Joshua Austin, and he read.
"Something's wrong with you, Mr Brown or… with whoever you are today. I don't know how to explain it. But I think we've met before. Not here."