Holy shit.
Oh fuck.
Breathe, Corey.I closed my eyes, and I could almost imagine the suggestion in Daddy’s deep
voice.
This wasn’t the end of the world.
“Hey man, you good?” I opened my eyes, shaking away the impending anxiety attack. The guy—
William’s fucking nephew—reached out, placing a steady hand on my shoulder. “Do you need to sit
down or something?”
“No, thank you. I’ve been running full steam since I got here this morning.” It wasn’t a lie, and
even if it was, I doubted he would call me out on it. I needed to change the subject, quick, before he
could pay me any more attention. “So, do you know what he was looking for? I can keep an eye out
for it when I’m unpacking and organizing and set it behind the counter if I find it.” I’d nearly offered
to give it to William, who could then pass it on, but I didn’t want to make things awkward. Inever
said anything that could bring attention to having met someone at the club.
“That’s pretty cool of you.” He went on to describe a limited-edition Pokémon figure I was pretty
sure we hadn’t gotten in yet. My district manager would have my ass on a platter if he found out I’d
offered to set one aside since that was against company policy, but I didn’t care. Now that I knew why
they looked so familiar, I felt even more connected to Chase.
“Give me your phone number and I’ll let you know if I find one,” I offered. He scribbled his
number on a scrap of paper and handed it over. For a brief moment, I considered telling him I could
give it to his uncle so they didn’t have to make a special trip back, but that would have meant
admitting I had figured out who he was when it was obvious he didn’t recognize me.
There was an awkward pause and I wondered if he’d realized I was the bartender from the kink
club who knew his uncle. When he waved and turned to fetch the dudebro dick roommates, I let out
the breath I’d been holding.
This wasn’t the first time my two worlds collided, but it wasn’t a frequent occurrence. And this
was the first time both of my jobs and my personal life were tangled together. I felt dizzy enough I
slumped against the boxes once the remaining trio walked out.
I needed Daddy. I knew I was blowing things out of proportion, and I needed him to tell me it
would be okay. I picked up my phone and ducked into the short hall leading from the sales floor to the
