Page 5 of Small Sacrifices
The next morning, Reid is woken up by his headache long before his phone alarm can blare through the room.
There's a relentless pressure-pain at the back of his neck and stretching all the way up above his temples.
For just a moment, he tries massaging his achy eyebrows, but the pain that shoots through his face tells him one thing: He's not getting to work without pharmaceutical intervention.
Past Reid knew this would happen, so there's a blister pack of ibuprofen strategically placed on his nightstand. He fills up his mouth with water so he doesn't have to feel the pill go down his throat, and then lies back down to let it take effect. When his alarm goes off, it mostly has.
Unfortunately, this leaves his head clear enough to remember the conversation he had with his parents. God, did that actually happen? He needs to figure out what to do about it. But getting ready for work takes precedence right now.
He opts for tea with his breakfast and packs sandwiches for lunch. In the last few minutes that he has, he closes his eyes and lets himself feel the warmth of the tea spread through his body. By the time he imagines it having spread to his fingers, at least his rapid heartbeat has calmed a bit.
As he reaches the door, Reid's eyes fall on the little plaque that his sister Briana gave him for his birthday.
It reads: "REMEMBER: KEYS, PHONE, WALLET.
" Every time he sees it, he smiles at the silly illustration of a panicked Reid patting down his pockets.
He runs his hands over the soft fabric of his dress pants, just to be sure. Keys, phone, wallet—it's all there.
When he does the same thing in line for the security check later, Reid immediately wants to scream. The ID. He clenches his jaw against the urge to scream. What is he even supposed to do now? Officer McNaulty had been very clear the day before.
"No," she says before Reid has even opened his mouth or thought of an excuse. "I went easy on you yesterday, but the rules exist for a reason."
"I'm sorry. But I have a very important meeting. Would it—"
"No."
Well, shit. The quiet discomfort swirling in Reid's stomach solidifies into a gnawing fear. This is bad. He can't be late for that meeting, not if he wants to prove himself. All the work he did to prepare won't matter if he doesn't show up.
As if that weren't enough, his headache flares up again. Reid pinches the bridge of his nose to concentrate the pain there so he can at least think, but that doesn't help much. There's no thinking his way out of this one, is there?
"Mr. Maxwell, I don't make the rules. I just enforce them. Please go home to fetch your badge if you want to be in the office before too long." Officer McNaulty's words are sharp, like she's expecting resistance.
"Is everything good here?"
A smooth voice cuts through Reid's spiraling thoughts so suddenly that he flinches.
And the second he looks up, he has to stop himself from doing it again.
Because that's… Oh no. Everett Mackenzie, the governor's older son.
For a moment, Reid freezes. It would be difficult not to.
Even a few steps apart, it looks like the guy is at least half a head taller than Reid.
Not to mention his face. High cheekbones, square jaw, and the kind of lazy smile that tells of opened doors and easy getaways everywhere.
Sweat prickles at Reid’s temples. This is just what he needed. The governor probably doesn't even know Reid exists, but now his son can tell him all about how he saw him try to circumvent the security measures put in place to protect his safety.
"I forgot my employee ID badge. Officer McNaulty has just explained to me that I’ll have to go home to retrieve it so she can let me in," he tries to explain. If he's going to get in trouble, it won't be for trying to shirk responsibility for his own actions.
But Everett just laughs. "Bullshit."
"No, I really—"
"Nah, I mean that Beth here can let you in without your ID," Everett says.
Beth here doesn't look like she agrees. Reid can feel his fingers grow clammy. What is he supposed to do now?
"I understand that procedure—"
"Screw procedure," Everett proclaims with a roguish grin. "Beth'll let you in. Right, Beth? I'm vouching for him."
"No," Officer McNaulty says. Reid is honestly impressed with her, even if it's not in his best self-interest. "You don't know him. You can't vouch for someone you don't know."
Reid can't help but agree. What is this supposed to be?
Some sort of test? Even people who know Reid don't tend to do him favors.
They either ignore him, or they take one look at him, decide he's weird, and are happy to have found a new target for their underhanded remarks.
And they certainly don't smile at him this widely.
"Oh, come on!" Everett dramatically flops against the wall and looks up at Officer McNaulty through his dark lashes. "Can't you just let it go this once? Look at him—he's harmless!"
Reid is nodding before he can stop himself.
While the officer looks at him, she holds herself just as tightly as before.
But there's a softness in her face that Reid doesn't understand.
How well do these two know each other? Well enough to actually be on a first-name basis with each other—or is Everett just disrespectful?
"No. He needs to learn his lesson."
Reid closes his eyes and resists the urge to scream.
He has learned his lesson. As soon as he gets home, he'll add a note about the ID to his sign by the door.
But that's not what she means, is it? His parents were the same when he was growing up.
Telling her it's never going to happen again won't achieve anything.
She doesn't want him to learn; she wants him to suffer the consequences.
"I'm baking my famous cookies today. I could bring you a plate."
"You want me to risk your father's safety for some snickerdoodles?" The officer sounds more amused than insulted. Friends, then. They're bickering. Reid picks at his cuticles. He shouldn't be here for this.
When he chances another look at him, Everett's grin is impossibly wide. "Well, I could bring you donuts if you'd rather. You are a cop, right?"
Reid needs to leave. Before this blows up, before he wastes even more time. This isn't good. But if he doesn't want to just run away, he'll have to interrupt their conversation to say goodbye, and that's not very polite. What's he supposed to do about that?
Officer McNaulty snorts a laugh. It sounds harsh somehow, dismissive. But that doesn't seem to deter Everett one bit. If anything, his grin broadens. Reid winces when the other man grabs his arm.
"Come on, we'll just make our escape. Don't worry about her, she'll get her cookies," Everett says and then proceeds to drag Reid into the building.
But Reid worries. A lot. He tries to pull away, but Everett simply slings his arm around Reid's shoulders.
And that's… no. That's too close. He can feel the warmth from his body bleed through his blazer, can almost make out the imprint of four fingers on his left biceps.
It's too familiar. Which makes the urge to throw the guy off even stronger, but Reid doesn't dare.
It's clear that Everett has some agenda, Reid just needs to figure out what it is.
As Everett walks him down the corridor, Reid fights the urge to shrink away from the touch.
It's collegial, he tells himself. A buddy-buddy sort of thing.
He's seen similar camaraderie at college, it just wasn’t directed at him.
No matter how much he wants to, Reid can't shove Everett away and reject the touch.
Even if the guy doesn't belong here, he probably holds a lot of sway with people who could fire Reid.
Come to think of it—what is Everett doing here?
As far as Reid remembers, Everett is doing his master’s degree at California State University.
Shouldn't he be in class? If, for some reason, he's visiting his father this early in the morning, he could take a different entrance.
One that avoids the usual morning rush. But Everett knows McNaulty, so maybe that's why he chose this entrance. Because he knew she'd let him through.
Reid is so lost in thought that he doesn't notice when Everett starts speaking to him. Only when he steps in front of Reid to make some sort of wiping motion in front of his eyes does Reid snap back into consciousness.
"Sorry, what?" he asks. It's not the meticulous politeness that his mother raised him to exhibit at all times, but he hopes it’s enough. Everett himself hasn't proven to be particularly polite either.
As if to further his point, Everett snorts. "You really need to sleep more, huh?"
"Excuse me?" That's a weird subject for a conversation with a stranger, even for someone as extroverted as this guy.
At least now, said guy has the grace to look sheepish.
And maybe… is that a blush? Everett's skin is darker than Reid's, an amber tan that he must have gotten from his mother.
But there's some pink dusted on his cheekbones that definitely looks like a blush.
Asian people blush, Reid tells himself. Don't be weird.
It's just that it doesn't make sense. Why on earth would Everett be blushing?
"Ah, sorry," he says and extends his hand for Reid to shake. "Everett Mackenzie."
Which is hilarious, really. The governor's son introducing himself by his full name to an intern, not far from his father's offices.
If anyone is supposed to know who he is, it's Reid.
But he bites down on his smile and the cringe at someone else's hand closing around his and says, "Reid Maxwell. It's a pleasure."