I'm the new guy, I can't afford to look weak…
I hug Lexi tighter, his sweet eyes staring up at me. "
“What a mess, huh?" I whisper. Lexi doesn't judge, just cuddles back. But the crew... Mikey and Taylor were cool about it last night, but in the sober light of day?
Breakfast will be awkward stares, teasing, questions.
No thank you.
Decision made. I skip breakfast. I’ll head straight to the site, make an early start. Show them I'm serious about the work—that I'm not just some hungover Little who needs babysitting.
Yeah. That’s the play.
I’ll prove my worth with actions, not words.
I swing my legs out of bed, ignoring the throb in my head and the one in my briefs too.
Shower first—cold, to kill the boner and wake me up.
Then coffee from the lobby machine, and out the door.
The site's a short walk; I can be there early, forklift ready, beams moving before anyone else arrives.
As I strip off my briefs and step under the spray, Olivier pops into my head again. That lunch box promise. Was he serious? Or just flirting? My cock stirs despite the cold water, and I groan.
“Focus, Danny,” I grumble. “Work first. Prove yourself. Then... maybe see if that reward's waiting.”
I dry off, pull on fresh work clothes—thermals, sweater, high-vis jacket—and grab my keycard. Lexi's back on the couch, safe and sound.
"Wish me luck," I tell him.
Lexi winks with those jazzy eyes. Or maybe that's the hangover talking LOL!
Down in the lobby, the crew's voices drift from the breakfast room—laughter, clinking plates. I duck my head, snag a to-go coffee, and slip out the front door.
The cold air hits like a slap, clearing my head a fraction.
The site's quiet when I arrive, just the wind whipping through the skeletal frames and piles of materials. I fire up the forklift, the familiar rumble grounding me. Bags of sand first, then those steel beams Xander mentioned.
My muscles ache a bit from yesterday, but the work feels good—purposeful.
By the time the first trucks pull in, I've got a good chunk shifted, organized, ready.
Mikey's the first to spot me, hopping out of his ride with a grin. "Danny! Early bird, huh? Skipping breakfast to show us up?"
I force a laugh, hopping down from the forklift. "Nah, just couldn't sleep. Figured I'd get a head start."
Taylor pulls up next, clapping me on the back. "Good man. How's the head?"
"Throbbing," I admit, waiting for the stuffie mention. But he just nods, grabbing his gear.
Xander arrives last, eyeing the progress with approval. "Danny, we missed you at breakfast. But, hey, I’m not complaining. You're killing it already. Keep this up, and you'll be running the site in no time."
Relief floods me.
No awkward questions.
No teasing.
