1
ALLEN
The honey glowed under my kitchen lights as I pressed another label onto a jar. My handwriting was a little wobbly on this one because my wrist ached from hunching over the counter for the past three hours.
Wildflower Honey, Small Batch, and today's date.
People loved that artisanal touch, and I couldn't help the surge of pride I felt every time I finished a jar.
Beekeeping was my passion. The bees were happy, the honey was pure and delicious, and my little business was paying my bills. Slowly but surely, it was growing. That meant so much to me because it was the one thing I'd built all by myself that didn't require me to be someone I wasn’t.
My phone buzzed, so I wiped my sticky fingers on my jeans and checked it. It had to be Jeff bugging me about going out tonight. He was one of those best friends who didn’t believe in a good night’s sleep.Still on for tonight? 9pm at Velvet Key?
I smiled because he knew me too well. He probably sensed from three miles away that my eyes were getting blurry after labeling jars all day. As much as I loved curling up on my couch with a book at night, I desperately needed to get out of my house before I went stir crazy.Yeah I'll be there
He sent back a fire emoji.Wear something slutty.
It's Wednesday night. Nothing exciting’s going on.Thursdays through Saturdays were theme nights at the bar we liked, but Wednesday was usually quiet. Just some regulars looking to have a night out with their partners and friends.
Ya never know. Be ready for anything.Jeff was always the adventurous one. I was much more shy when it came to meeting people.
But he meant well.
The poor guy had been on a mission to get me laid for months now. He kept saying I was wound too tight, and I needed to blow off steam. He was probably right. It had been forever since I'd done anything more exciting than watch my bees dance or listen to podcasts about sustainable beekeeping.
Jeff understood me better than most people. He was a Little too, but he was much more confident about indulging that aspect of himself. I was still learning how to let my guard down with potential partners. Despite trying to only date guys who already knew that part of me, I’d had some bad experiences that left me a bit leary to try again.
But Jeff insisted I could have some casual fun without it turning into a relationship. I wasn’t convinced, but a night out would be good for me regardless.
I finished the last jar for the order I was working on and carefully packed all the boxes for the courier to pick up. By the time I updated my online inventory, it was almost eight thirty.
Wearing just my boxers, I stood in front of my closet and stared at all the practical clothes. Most of my shirts were oversized hoodies and soft tees that felt good against my skin whether I was lounging on the couch or in my bee suit. They were hardly what anyone would call “slutty.”
These were safe clothes…and if no one else was around, some of them were also Little clothes, even when I wore them to work under my clothes.
After moving a few things around, I found the dark blue shirt Jeff had given me for my birthday. It fit a little too tight for my liking and made my shoulders look broader than they actually were, but he’d approve of it, so I pulled it on and checked myself in the mirror.
My cheeks flushed as I remembered I could look kinda hot when I wanted to.
The bar was packed when I arrived. Warm bodies and loud music nearly caused a sensory overload as I weaved through the crowd until I spotted Jeff at our usual table near the back. He was already nursing a rootbeer and scrolling through his phone.
"Look at you." He whistled low when I slid into the seat across from him. "I told you that shirt was perfect."
"Yeah, yeah." I flagged down the bartender and ordered a Sprite. There were times we would go out and grab a beer, but whenhe had hookups in the back of his mind, we tended to stick with soda. "You act like I never go out."
"You don't." Jeff cocked his eyebrow without a hint of apology. "Last time we did this was months ago."
I couldn’t argue with facts. "I've been busy. Spring is big for the bees, and I had that huge order from that bakery in?—"
He raised his hand to stop me. "No more excuses. It’s time you get a little birds-and-bees action of your own." Jeff knew why I didn’t like to just hook up with random guys. But that didn't stop him from trying.
My drink arrived, and I took a long sip, letting the cold liquid settle the nerves in my belly. I was halfway through telling Jeff about my latest batch of honey when he froze and his eyes went wide.
"Don't look now, but there’s a Daddy at the bar who’s been checking you out for the last few minutes, and he isfire."
I wanted to turn and look at him, but I took a breath and resisted the urge, not wanting to turn things awkward. "What's he look like?"
"Tall, brown hair, nice arms." Jeff waggled his eyebrows in the ridiculous way he did when he thought he was being cute. "Beard. Flannel shirt. Total lumberjack Daddy vibes."
