Julian (in Brown's body) stood in front of the executive washroom mirror, fingers gripping the edges of the porcelain sink. The bathroom was silent. Marble. Polished. Clean. But inside him? Was storm. His reflection was still Brown Caldwell. Still rich. Still cold. But the eyes staring back at him were drowning. He hadn't slept. He hadn't eaten. The whole mix-up got him in real trouble. Most times, he keeps having flashbacks to the night Joshua accompanied him to bed. That night replayed like a dream he couldn't wake from Joshua's hands, his voice, his lips whispering, "You feel like him." He splashed cold water on his face. "Ahh", the words rushed out of his lips from fury, but it didn't help. He whispered to the mirror, voice cracking: "You can't keep doing this. You're not him. You're not Brown. And you'll never be Julian again… not like this." The door opened behind him. He froze. Joshua walked into the room perfectly; he didn't carry the face of 'what we did that night, was it cool?' rather, he came in normally.
Their eyes locked into each other for a while as he stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey," Joshua said quietly. "Are you okay?" Julian stiffened. "I'm fine." "You don't look fine."
A pause, a moment of brief silence, filled the air. Julian turned slowly, meeting his gaze. He didn't mean to let it show, the shake in his hands, the ache in his jaw, the tears that hadn't yet fallen, but it dwelled in his eyes. But Joshua saw it anyway. "That night…" Joshua started. "Was that real? Or am I losing my mind?" Julian's throat tightened. He wanted to lie. But he couldn't. "It was real," he whispered. "All of it. And none of it." Joshua stepped closer, looking at his eyes, he saw a familiar eye, but a strict face looked back at him "You remind me of him. I don't know how, but you feel like Julian." "do you still mean Julian Blackwood?", Brown aske, "yeah I do..", Joshua said but Julian interrupted him, "Julian works here, so…", he tried to deny it, "I know but I still feel something like, how do I put this…a soul switch, like you are just different, you behave like him, you kiss like him", Joshua persisted, then after a moment of silence, he broke it, Julian closed his eyes.
"Because I am Julian Blackwood", Joshua blinked. "What?"
Julian caught himself too late. His chest heaved. Panic. Shame. Joshua studied him. His eyes were soft, but filled with hurt.
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth all this while?" Julian couldn't answer. He just walked out with his head lowered in utter shame.
Way down to the fifth floor, Brown (in Julian's body) leaned on the glass railing, watching the city breathe below. He dressed more sharply today, sleeves rolled, charm dialed up. He looked like a man with a mission and plans, the evil type. Joshua passed by, distracted by a lot of things, still trying to process what Julian (in Brown) just told him. Brown (in Julian) followed him behind. "Rough day?" he asked casually. Joshua tensed. "Not your business." Brown smiled. "Everything is my business around here." He stepped closer. Not threatening, it was smooth and calculated. "You should be careful," he said quietly. "You've been spending a lot of time with Mr Caldwell." Joshua's jaw clenched. "And?", "Besides, I'm his intern", Joshua added. "You don't strike me as someone who survives fire for long." He left Joshua standing there, rattled, confused… and curious.
Joshua is fully convinced that the person inside Julian Blackwood's body is different, and the person inside Mr Brown Caldwell's body is Julian Blackwood.