We all laugh at that, including Rachel, because we've all been roped into something or another for the club. She isn't one of the owners but she works as the event organizer for kink nights. She is a Mommy herself and her and her boyfriend are here often, especially on nights like these. She's thirty-eight and he— if I'm remembering correctly— is only a few months younger than her. Unlike Austin's smaller frame, Rachel's Boy is slim but muscular. He's about two inches taller than Rachel too. The few times I've met him, he was polite.
"Are you going to be able to take off this weekend, still?" I ask Rachel.
"Yeah, we'll be there. We'll have to come back early Sunday morning, though. Luke has to work the Sunday night shift, unfortunately."
We continue to talk about what we want to do over the weekend at the campground. It's going to be cold, but the owner has promised that the cabins have heating and there are plenty of places indoor to hang out during the day. I'll have to be in work mode Friday evening and most of Saturday to go over the land and numbers with the owner. It's a big client if we can make a deal and it would be amazing for the business.
I see Garrett's eyes dart behind me a few times before I'm curious enough to look. I think maybe he's just watching the others in the room, but then I spot a guy, standing by the door. He looks rail thin, even in the baggy clothes he's wearing. Hiseyes are scanning the room and there's no one around him. He looks… lost. "Do you know him?" I ask, turning back to Garrett.
"No, but he's been standing there for a couple minutes. He didn't come in with anyone and I've never seen him before. Rachel?"
"Not familiar to me," she says. Her voice is soft and she looks almost worried for him. "Maybe he just stepped into the wrong room?"
"I'm going to go talk to him." Garrett stands up and I reach out for his hand.
"Let me know if you need anything," I say. If the kid is regressing and meant to be here, Garrett might need help navigating that.
"I'm no stranger to Middles and Littles," Garrett says. It isn't defensive or condescending. He's just stating a fact. "I'll be okay for one conversation. He just looks…"
"Sad." Rachel finishes the sentence and thought in my own head.
Luke comes up then and Rachel walks off to take him to the bathroom. There are toilets in the changing rooms, but with how crowded the room is, chances of one being free is slim. There are more bathrooms down the hall from this room and I watch them walk out into the hallway. Garrett is standing about two feet from the younger man but they're facing each other, talking. That has to be a good sign. Maybe his friend will get lucky tonight.
"Daddy!" Aussie's voice travels to my ears just before he barrels into me and wraps his arms around my neck. "Look at what I drawed."
My Boy pulls back and hands me a piece of paper. It's a colorful hand turkey. His hand takes up most of the paper and he's colored it in with all his favorite colors: blue, green, orange, pink, and the glittery silver. There are stickers and smaller drawings all around the rest of the paper. He points to every single one. "We supposed to draw everything that we're thankful for. That's Koka and you and your house and the candle is our date nights and chicken nuggets, and ice cream."
"This is amazing, baby. Can I keep this?" I look up at him and I know my eyes are shining with unshed tears.
"Yes, Daddy. That's for you because I love you and I love everything we do together."
Chapter Eighteen
"Areyousurethisis okay?" I ask once again, standing at the mirror. I run my hands down my shirt and fidget with the bowtie around my neck. The shirt is a pale blue button down, bowtie a soft pink. Remi surprised me with yet another gift, this one a new pair of dress shoes and matching belt. The shiny brown stands out nicely against the black trousers.
"You look handsome, baby." Remi walks up behind me and lays his hands on my shoulders. He runs them down my arms and then back up before kissing the side of my head. "Everyone is going to love you. You'll most likely get pulled away the second we walk in the door."
I know he can see my eyes widen at that. He lets out a low chuckle and spins me around so I can't continue to fuss at how I look. His arms wrap around me and I melt into his warm embrace. "You are perfect, Aussie. They're going to love you."
I bite my bottom lip, still worried but trying to believe him. He's wearing a nice outfit himself. A dark blue button up witha suit jacket and black pants like mine. He's recently dyed his beard, covering his age he said, and he went to a barber yesterday. The lines are clean. He looks amazing.
"We have a long day ahead of us," Remi says. "Let's get going, okay? We'll need to stop by your place and check on everything."
"And grab my stuffies!" I call out when he's by the bedroom door. I have Koka, Kola, and Barry with me, but I want to bring Pam-da and Elle too. And Rascal and Pennie, the rabbit and penguin Daddy got me last weekend. We're going to have a whole weekend of Little time with friends. Quinton and his Daddy are coming, Rachel and Luke, and Garrett says he's bringing his dog. Remi says he was talking to someone at the club on Tuesday, but Garrett wouldn't tell him what happened after they walked out of the room together.
"And grab your stuffies, of course. We'll need to make sure we pack everything we need this weekend because we won't be able to come back and there's no store near there."
"Yes, sir." I playfully salute him before he disappears down the hallway. I give myself one more check in the mirror before heaving a deep breath and walking after Remi.
He helps me into my coat and then opens my door for me since I'm holding the quiche that we made together. It's a twenty minute drive from his house to his mom's and we spend the time between talking and listening to the radio. It's cold outside, but the sky is clear and there's no wind. For late November, it's not a bad day.
The house Remi pulls up to is nice. It's two stories, like his, but is wider. The front lawn is mostly dead grass by now and the driveway is connected to the front porch by a stone walkway. The porch spans the whole house and has a swingon one end and a table and chairs on the other. A white railing goes all the way around to keep anyone from falling the two feet to the ground.
"It's nice," I say, glancing over at Remi. "This is where you grew up?"
"Yep," he says with a smile. A smile that tells me he's thinking of all the memories he made growing up. "I'll show you my old bedroom. Mom turned it into a craft room years ago. There are still embarrassing baby photos of me and my siblings all around the house, though."
"I can't wait to see them," I say honestly. I wait for him to come around and open the door for me. His mom is standing on the porch when I turn back toward the house. She's petite, with silver hair and a warm smile. Her dress goes to her shins, a deep maroon color that brings out the brown in her eyes. The same eyes as Remi.
