TAGS: Rosekiller, Office AU, ?Succession AU?, MicroFic
M/M, Evan Rosier/Barty Crouch Jr.
The view from the ninth floor was decent. Not as good as the thirtieth floor, certainly. One day, though. One day heâd be on the top floor. The C-suite. It was the ultimate goal. Hell, it was his birthright! Maybe his fatherâs name wasnât on the building but heâd help start the company from the ground up.
Evan Rosier had spent three years in junior management training at Crouch & Co. Heâd earned a decent spot in middle management and his department had exceeded every metric the last three quarters. The open VP position was all but his.
He sipped his venti Irish coffee while he pulled at the knot in his tie, loosening it a bit. It had been a long day and it was going to be an even longer night reading reports and making edits. He ran his fingers through his tousled hair and heard a light rap on his open office door. Evan spun in his office chair, leaving the view of the setting sun over the busy streets below.
In the doorway stood his secretary, an elderly witch with spectacles who knew his father when he was CFO. He had a notion to force her to retire but she seemed the type that secretly held the entire company together and if she left, everything would fall apart. At any rate, her shaky hands made her pour too much whiskey in his coffee and she kept her mouth shut.
She announced a visitor and he didnât quite catch their name. A tall, lanky man wearing an impeccably tailored tan trenchcoat stepped into his office and began meandering around, eying the art on the wall.
âErm, can I help you?â
Evan paused, waiting for him to continue. He gave a frustrated sigh when nothing followed.
âWell, when you can verbalize what you need, please do come back to see me.â He sat and began rummaging through papers.
âWhat I need, Evan Rosier, is your help to overthrow my father as CEO and put me in his seat.â
Realization dawned on Evan. He knew exactly who was slowly pacing around his office with his hands casually clasped behind his back. Barty Crouch Jr. The son of the CEO and due to inherit the company after him. He looked to be the same age as him and Evan seethed at this. Born with a silver spoon and dripping with entitlement. Not that Evan came from a poor family but at least he worked to get where he was. Barty literally strolled directly into his position.
âAh, well, Mr. Crouch-â
âBarty, Iâm sure when your father steps down youâll be able to take that seat without my help.â
âThat old fool will never step down. The only way Iâm becoming CEO is over this dead body.â
âThatâs definitely the other way to gain control, through inheritance. But luckily, your father seems in excellence health.â
âYes, unfortunately.â Barty said carelessly while picking up a stress ball and squeezing it.
Evan raised his eyebrow at this but couldnât help but study his strong hand gripping the stress ball, veins growing hard against taut tendons.
âYou can help me though, and I know you will.â
Barty nodded and lowered his chin but kept his eyes trained on Evan. With a smirk he said, âI can give you what you want.â
Evan gulped and his Adamâs Apple bobbed. That look paired with the suggestive tone of his voice sent a tingle up his spine. Barty wasnât a pretty boy but he wasnât hideous, Evan noted. He definitely wore his clothes well but had all the fairness of someone who had been coddled all his life and the attitude to match. But this aspiration, this desire, he had for his fatherâs position as CEO told Evan that he had ambition.
âAnd what is it that I want?â
âYou want what I want. Your fatherâs position.â
âMulciber Sr. Is CFO-â
âAnd it should be you! Iâve been keeping an eye on you. On your performance. You run circles around Mulciber with a quarter of the power and influence. Think what you could do if you were CFO!â
Evan had thought of it. Nightly. Itâs all he wanted. His heart raced at the thought of it. He resigned to the thought of having to twiddle away years of meaningless busy work before heâd get a shot at becoming CFO. But damnit, he wanted it.
âWhat if I said youâre right and I did want that. Then what? Whatâs your plan?â
âHere.â Bart slid a business card across Evanâs desk. âOn the back is a date, time, and place. Be there, and we can talk business.â
Evan flipped the card and made an effort not to react to the name of one of the most expensive restaurants in the city that heâd been trying to get reservations at for months.
âItâs a date.â Evan said with a smirk. Barty faltered after he said this but recovered and paced quickly out of his office.
What in Merlinâs name was Evan getting himself into? A treasonous dinner with the CEOâs son? One dinner. Thatâs all it was. He would hear him out and if he didnât like his plan, no harm no foul. He was still on track for his promotion. Heâd be the CFO sooner or later, but sooner was preferable.