Chapter 5 

Grabbing his phone, Mateo did one last check of his outfit. This was an assistant job at a posh hotel so he wasn’t entirely sure what to wear, but he had a neat black blazer and smart black trousers, so he was wearing those. He also had a white shirt on, but he felt distinctly uncomfortable. 

This wasn’t Mateo’s style at all. But oh well, if this is what he needed to wear for a job which paid this much, then he was willing to put on some smart clothes. It wasn’t like the Monteros were struggling for money, but Mateo’s grandparents back in Spain were getting very old yet his grandfather remained working.

He wanted his family to be able to retire, so if a golden opportunity to help them was offering itself to Mateo on a silver platter, then of course he was going to take a bite. 

[Ready to go, Matelito?] Emiliano asked, patting his son on the shoulder. Mateo nodded, glancing back at his father. He was met with a kind smile, and Mateo became even more glad over his decision to take the bodyguard role as well.

He didn’t want his father to have to keep working until he was as old as his grandfather. He wanted his family to be in a position where they would be able to retire when they wanted to.

The drive to the hotel was fairly quiet; Mateo wasn’t the most talkative of people and neither was Emiliano, although both could hold a conversation perfectly well. It was merely a matter of preference. 

As Emiliano pulled up in the staff parking lot, Mateo gave him one last smile. [Thank you for driving me. I’ll drive myself tomorrow, so you don’t have to worry about that. Have a good day, papa,] he said gently as he waved his father goodbye. Emiliano nodded, waving his son off before driving back home again.

Mateo took a deep breath before walking into the hotel, smiling politely at the receptionists there. “Hello sir, do you have a room booked?” One of the receptionists asked and Mateo shook his head slightly awkwardly. “No I um, I was hired? As the new assistant?” He replied with as much confidence as he could muster in this moment.

“Oh! Are you…Mr Montero?” The receptionist asked and Mateo quickly nodded, pulling out his driver’s license as proof when asked. The receptionist frowned slightly and Mateo instantly cringed externally and internally, pulling back the card, glancing down at where it said in bold capitals ‘MISS MATEO MONTERO’. 

Mateo had his name legally changed a while ago, but it was a little trickier to get his passport and legal documents changed, so he was stuck with this for now. Great, I’ve accidentally come out to someone already and I haven’t even met my boss yet, he thought with a wry smile.

“Uh, Miss?” The receptionist tried timidly before catching the look on Mateo’s face and the person cleared their throat awkwardly. “Mister. My apologies. Well, I’ll just call someone now and have them take you to Mr Hargrave.”

Mateo tried to keep his sigh inward but a little still managed to escape. “Thank you. Um. Could you not…tell anyone about what it says on my licence, please?” He asked, hoping that he had come across an ally rather than a transphobe. Luckily, the receptionist smiled brightly and nodded. 

“Of course. I’m sorry for getting it wrong earlier, I wasn’t sure if it was the name or the…personal title which is yet to be corrected.”

Mateo smiled slightly, although it was genuine. “Thank you. And that’s alright, I forgot for a moment that it still…says that”

The receptionist smiled, the desk phone in their hand as they pressed a number. “I completely understand, my gir- my um, friend, transitioned a few years ago, and the process is rather challenging, from what I understand. Oh- James, Mr Montero is here. Could you bring him to Mr Hargrave?”

Mateo smiled again, before the receptionist’s other words began to sink in. The first time, he hadn’t recognised the name which had been brought up; he’d been too focused on the information he’d accidentally outed himself with.

But now, it was dawning on him. Mr Hargrave. Where have I heard that name before? He thought, peering up at a man as he smiled politely, reaching out a hand to shake Mateo’s. He glanced up, recognising one of his interviewers, and he smiled brightly. The man had been very kind.

“Mr Jamison, it’s good to see you again,” he said honestly, shaking the man’s hand. “Oh no need for the formality, everyone just calls me James, isn’t that right, Haley?” He asked jovially, glancing in the receptionist’s direction. Haley nodded, smiling at the two of them before turning back to the desk as a customer arrived.

“May I call you Mateo? We’ll be working together a lot I expect; I’m not Mr Hargrave’s assistant, but I have worked closely with him for a long time,” James explained, leading Mateo in the direction of the hotel lift. 

“That’s fine, I don’t mind. Mr Hargrave, I uh- is that a common name, here?” He asked, trying to figure out if this was the same Mr Hargrave from two weeks prior or someone else. James glanced at Mateo out of his peripheral vision, his gaze narrowing ever so slightly.

“Why do you ask?”

Mateo cleared his throat, leaning against the side of the lift. “I met a Mr Hargrave a little while ago, and I was wondering if there’s any way it could be the same man,” he answered honestly. James laughed slightly, closing his eyes for a brief second. “I highly doubt there’s many Thai Hargraves out there; it’s not exactly the most common name in Thailand from what I’ve heard.”

Well that confirms it, Mateo thought with a slight smile. At least he’d be able to see how bench-guy was doing after his concussion. 

“Ah yes, sounds like the same Mr Hargrave then,” Mateo mused, watching as the lift doors opened again to reveal a new floor of the building. “I didn’t realise you and Mr Hargrave knew each other; I’m surprised he hired you for this job without telling you that he’s your boss,” James wondered aloud, leading the way for Mateo out of the lift and down a hall.

Mateo shook his head, glancing along the walls, which were all the same cream wallpaper with delicate flowers which was the same design as the wallpaper behind the receptionists. 

“We don’t know each other; we only met once and I never gave him my name. It was merely a coincidence,” Mateo explained, watching as James knocked on a dark wood door and entered shortly after, gesturing for Mateo to follow after him.

It was time for Mateo Montero to meet Jedidiah Hargrave officially.