ZED was on cloud nine for the rest of the day. This, of course, made it very difficult to focus on his work. It was amazing how something as unimportant as dating someone had suddenly become so important, purely because it was now possible. He had to reread the same sentence of the report several times, knowing that it sure as hell didn't say “means I might get to kiss you next time”.

It wasn't until he was standing in front of the mirror hours later, looking at his brand new Harrods tuxedo, that he finally came back to reality. His heart seemed to be taking lessons from a racehorse. Oh, do calm down, Zachary Higgins! It's just a Gala— with all the top people at your company and your boss as your date. Zed groaned loudly before rushing to the bathroom to take his fifth antacid in an attempt to calm his stomach and nerves.

To his great dismay, those same butterflies persevered as he climbed into the waiting car and had, perhaps, even multiplied by the time he arrived at the venue and greeted his boss. He walked about on autopilot, oblivious to his surroundings, as he repeated the same words over and over again to himself. Don't screw up. Don't say something stupid. Please for the love of God, don't mess this up…

Zed was deep enough in thought to almost miss his boss introducing him to a group of his peers. '...and this is my business associate, Mr Zachary Higgins.’

The words caught Zed so off guard that he almost missed the woman's outstretched hand. Dazed, he finally took hers lightly, shaking it in greeting. 'Yes, I'm— hello.' The woman laughed bemusedly, and his boss grinned in turn. It was then that Zed finally relaxed, making MacIntire seem to relax in turn as he continued to introduce him about the room.

After several more handshakes and just as many drinks, Zed fell comfortably into the role of MacIntire's peer. To his great astonishment, he was able to hold his own next to his employer and even make a few new points of his own. On a few occasions, Zed caught sight of his superior watching him with an expression of great pride.

As the guests began to filter into the ballroom, Zed's confidence got the better of him, causing him to bump blindly into someone. As he stumbled for balance, MacIntire reached over to brace his shoulders and stand him upright. With a small smile, the CFO held his shoulders for a moment to make sure he was steady. 'You alright, mate?'

Zed wasn't sure if it was alcohol, dizziness from tripping, the hands on his shoulders, or being called 'mate' for the first time by his boss that was making him so lightheaded. For a good moment, he just stood there before finally smiling. 'I'm fine. Fantastic.' MacIntire grinned, patting him on the shoulder as Zed apologised to the person he'd bumped into.

Unbeknownst to either man, the scene had not gone unnoticed by one guest in particular, watching from across the room. A guest who had been invited at the last moment because his previous plans had fallen through.

More drinks and talk of business eventually turned into friendly chatter and stories. Zed found himself giving and receiving light touches just to make sure MacIntire stayed close as they journeyed through the massive crowd after dinner. He thought nothing more of it than a friendly and considerate action. But to the average observer, they held the bearing of two old and dear friends. Or more.

During one particularly rousing conversation with an older gentleman from Production, Zed noticed an odd look of contemplation written on his boss’s features. 'Are you all right, Sir?' Out of instinct, he put his hand on MacIntire's, though he removed it the next instant, thinking better of it.

'Just fine, Mr Higgins. I was just thinking about how nice it is not to be tied down this evening. No one nagging me to dance or to freshen a drink for them. Just casual, social interaction. It’s a lovely change of pace, I assure you. It would be a very different story if I had brought—' Suddenly, his words were cut short, his face pailing as his eyes focused over Zed’s shoulder. ‘Oh shite.'

'What? What's—' But his question was answered as a hand quickly cut through the air between them to slap his employer across the face.

A sharply dressed man in a brightly coloured velvet tux now stood between the two men, his voice as hot as his temper. 'You son of a bitch! Showing up here with a date, and not a month after you dumped me! What happened to “I need space just to work on me”?!'

Zed was in total shock as his tipsy mind tried to understand the scene before him. The man now screaming red-faced at his employer was— a man! MacIntire didn’t seem surprised in the slightest by the drama now taking place. 'He's not my date, he's my assistant!'

'Oh! The assistant that you insist you're not having an affair with, even after you spend all of your time texting and calling him, night after night?'

'How many bloody times— personal assistant! He personally assists me! That means after hours!'

'Oh, I'm sure it does!'

Zed's mind raced, trying desperately to compete with the alcohol and keep up. With a great shake of his head, he was finally able to clear his thoughts. It was only then that he properly looked his boss's assailant in the face. 'Wait... Alastair? Alastair Crawley?!'

The man seemed to be suddenly stunned out of his drunken rage as he looked at the assistant. 'Zed?! What are you doing here?'

MacIntire frowned, looking from one man to the other. 'Higgins? How do you know Ally?'

'Ally—?' Zed's eyes became saucers as the entire situation suddenly clicked in his brain. 'Ally is short for—!?'

But his words were cut off as the man so-named screamed. 'You kissed him?!'

Before another word could be spoken, a solid and vengeful fist sped through the air to land heavily into MacIntire's jaw.

Chapter 9.5: Mac - Left Swipe

MAC sat on a chair at the edge of the ballroom, completely crestfallen, cradling his throbbing jaw with the ice pack that his assistant had fetched for him. The two men now sat next to each other, the younger man chuckling under his breath. 'Augustus James.' He shook his head with a shit-eating grin.

'What on earth are you on about? And how the hell do you know Ally? And how the hell did he know—' He couldn't bring himself to say it, citing the pain in his face as the reason for his halt in speech.

Higgins sighed very deeply. 'That was who I had a coffee date with this morning. The man I've been talking to on that app.'

As Mac took in the information, he simply continued to stare at the floor, kicking himself for not seeing it earlier. 'Which means, that you're—' Higgins didn't reply, but simply nodded. Mac leaned back into the chair, catching sight of the other man out of the corner of his eye, but no more. 'So... when I said what I said. Before I left for Paris—'

'I figured that you were either straight and 'Ally' was short for Allison... or that you were jumping to conclusions because you weren't interested.'

'I'm not. Interested, that is. No offence.' A pang of guilt rippled through him as he said the words. He hoped to heaven that he wasn’t burning a bridge he couldn’t rebuild.

'Not offended, no. But, that does mean I'll have to go back to drunkenly texting strange men. Because I think it's safe to say that Alastair just left swiped me.'

Mac gave a small huff of amusement, trying not to smile as it hurt far too much. 'You were spared. Trust me. Plenty of other fish.'

Higgins nodded. 'Plenty of other fish. For you, too, you know. I can always show you how to use ShagAppy.'

An amused grin passed over the visible half of Mac's face. 'May take you up on that one day.'

A very pregnant pause filled the air as Mac nursed his physical and emotional wounds. Finally, his assistant broke the silence. 'I'm sorry you had to go through that.'

The other man scoffed, regretting the act immediately as it had caused a piece of ice to rub painfully on his growing bruise. 'My own fault. I really don’t blame him in the slightest. Impromptu outing to Paris, ending a week’s silence with a fancy restaurant— he thought I was proposing with a Parisian ring. When he found out I wasn't, he started screaming, “you cock, you giant cock!” Hence, the painting on my house of a—'

'Giant cock.' The sentence was finished in unison as Higgins began to laugh.

'Ally always was one for drama. I certainly won't miss that about him.'

'What will you miss?'

There was a long moment of thought before he responded. 'Comfort, I guess. The comfort of knowing he's always there, no matter what. Because, he most certainly isn't now.' The pain in the air was now palpable, causing him to sink a bit lower into his seat.

'So, then, why did you do it? Dump Alastair, I mean?'

His assistant’s blunt question threw into sharp relief what was actually being said between the two men. The conversation had just flowed, so unlike any interaction they'd had to date. He'd become so comfortable after the evening’s events, and copious amounts of liquor, that he'd all but forgotten who he was speaking with. But now, Mac realised exactly how dangerous this conversation had the potential to be. With a sharp scoff, and as much dignity as he could muster, Mac rose from his chair, dropping the ice pack into his assistant's hands. 'Mr Higgins, I am not in the habit of sharing my personal life with employees. Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll nurse my wounds in private, thank you!'

A haughty huff, and Mac marched from the ballroom, trying hard not to think about the true irony of his own statement.

SATURDAY, Zed spent the day nursing his hangover, snuggling with his cat, and absentmindedly scrolling through singles’ profiles. The events of the previous evening were somewhat muddled by drink, but the ending was quite clear, replaying over and over in his mind. Only a few weeks before, the image of his boss being decked would have brought him great amusement. Now, however, it pained him in a way he couldn't quite explain.

The afternoon had turned into a lazy day of lounging, seltzer water, and swiping potential dating opportunities. There were quite a few more left swipes than usual, making up nearly eight of every ten candidates. He wasn't sure if this was due to the disappointment that had been the previous day, or to the increasingly thinning pool of decent men in the world. That was, of course, until—

The friendly-looking smile of his employer nearly made him choke on his drink. After the initial shock of seeing him smiling had finally worn off, he clicked the profile.

Augie MacIntire - age 35. About: successful businessman, looking for someone to pass the time with. Born: Chelsea, London, 31 August. Likes: intelligent conversation, golf, and watching cricket matches. Dislikes: rugby, small talk, and hates cats. Interested in: men.

Zed's eyes stayed glued to the screen for much longer than he wished to admit, trying to wrap his extremely hungover mind around what he was reading.

ACROSS town, a similar situation was being played out by the man who dislikes cats. The dashing, dark haired Welshman smiled up at Mac from the electronic display, clearly in mid-laugh.

Zed Higgins - age 30. About: average guy, compassionate, a bit quirky and fun-loving, looking for someone to fill the void. Born: Anglesey, Wales, 15 May. Likes: walking in the park, lazy Sundays, and playing a bit of cricket. Dislikes: the shore, rugby, and rude waiters. Interested in: men.

Both men stared for longer than they should. Both men read and reread the other’s profile. Both men considered how their Swipe might affect the status quo.

Neither man swiped left.

Neither man swiped right.