“Still with the family. Hold on.” I waited a minute. “Hey. Had to step outside. I’m being tortured here with everyone throwing Bible verses at me, thinly veiled as friendly advice ordid you knowstatements…ugh!”
“Mm…sorry.”
“What’s your sitch?”
“Just left. Tony pulled his shit again.”
“Same ol’?”
“Yes and no. He had a video of me posted by someone from Afterglow. Did you see it?”
“No. What? How bad?”
“Not really bad, but you know me…my ass was on full display.” I chortled sardonically because what other response was there for this situation?
“Perfect. Damn. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Can you meet me at the club?” Afterglow was my big splurge. I needed it for so many reasons, and right now, the most important one was on demand. I needed some playtime.
“If I can. I’ll try and get out of here, but you know my folks…” I did know them. Unfortunately. His father was the pastor’s brother at the church they all attended. And his mother led several women’s groups. It all seemed very 1950s country housewives. Tucker had a lot of aunts, uncles, and cousins, but he was an only child. I often wondered if it was because they simply couldn’t have more kids, or if it had been on purpose.
None of it mattered. “Okay. Hopefully, I’ll see you there. I think we both need some moral support right now.”
“You bet, dude.”
I headed into town and straight to the club. The owner had decided to open for Christmas in case anyone needed a place to go. Many of us considered Afterglow a second home, and it was needed. And I was going to take advantage of it.
Hell, outside of becoming an influencer, all I really wanted was a daddy. Someone to put their arms around me and reassure me he’ll always be there, and everything would be fine. But I didn’t have that. Didn’t know what actually having a daddy was like. And at this rate, I never would. The only thing I could do washold on to whoever would let me for the moment. But even that was a mistake most of the time.
There were a few people at the club but not many. A couple of guys lingered around the long bar that took up most of that side of the room, and one guy sat alone at one of the few tables in front of it.
Music played softly, and I danced by myself, but after waiting for Tucker for nearly an hour, I had two choices. Go into the back and play—probably also by myself—or go home.
Fuck this shit. I was here and needed a release. I crossed the dancefloor and entered the back rooms, known asNo Limits. There were a lot of BDSM rooms with tons of sex toys and such, and even some plain, normal bedrooms. Something for everyone, I guessed, but honestly, where I was headed was the Littles Room.
After I did the required breathalyzer test, I headed down the hall. I knew the way by heart. I passed the glass windows that looked into the area where littles could play and opened the door. I pulled off my jacket and flung it to the floor.
There was one girl in the corner, sitting cross-legged and playing with a doll. And no one else. I kicked over the LEGO table, and when she looked up at me, I stuck my tongue out at her.
She scowled. “You a bad boy.”
“I don’t care.” I stomped over to the shelves where toys were stored and pulled a basket down, dumping all the miscellaneous things in there onto the floor. “Rawr. I’m a dino.” I held my hands up like claws and growled, before yanking down more toys. The door opened but I ignored it.
Feeling a bit possessed, I continued my rampage. I felt like Stitch in that cartoon I liked. He was made different. Created for destruction. Misunderstood. He escaped and felt all alone in the universe. That was a story I could relate to.
Eventually, he found his family. But where was my chosen family? Even Tucker couldn’t bother to support me today. I stomped through the toys, roaring, but a tear had escaped. I didn’t know whether to rage at the world or curl up and cry.
The door opened again. “Joey. You need to go home.”
“Don’t wanna.”
Big Jake, the dungeon master, stood there with his big tatted-up arms crossed over his chest. About the only rule for playing inNo Limitswas that you had to listen and obey Big Jake. Period. If you didn’t, you could be suspended or have your membership revoked. Uh-oh.
I looked at my feet. Another tear fell. “I sawry.”
“I know, Joey. This isn’t like you, but you need to go home now. Be a good boy, and I won’t tell Brax about it. Okay?”
Brax, aka Braxton Caruso, was the owner. No one wanted to be in trouble with him. “Okay. I go.” I looked around. “What about dis mess?” I needed to clean up.
