“You know him?” John’s grip tightened and I could feel the tension building in his body.
“Yeah, he’s…” I looked to Ryan, unsure what I was supposed to say. Tanner had told me Ryan wanted to stay on the East coast because he didn’t have to hide who he was here, but that didn’t mean anyone knew he was gay and in a relationship. Not that it should matter since he and I wouldn’t be doing anything.
“I’m his former roommate’s partner,” Ryan explained when I failed to come up with an explanation. “His very concerned former roommate, I might add. I came down here tonight to see if you were working because he’s losing his mind right now. You might want to give him a call when you’re put back together, so he knows you’re alive.”
“How did you know I work here?” This night was surreal.
I was vaguely aware of Doctor B—I should probably figure out his real name—whispering something to Daddy before disappearing down the hall.
“If you’d like to continue this conversation, we were headed to the aftercare lounge,” Daddy told him. He didn’t wait for an answer, he just spun around and marched to the end of the hallway.
Once we were behind closed doors, he carefully set me on my feet, making sure the blanket stayed over my private parts. Doctor B came up behind me and helped Daddy slip my arms into the—ooh, it wasn’t a blanket, it was a robe. He kissed my shoulder and I stiffened, waiting for Daddy to freak out.
It turned out he meant it when he said he could be possessive sometimes.
The door opened, and all three of us turned to see Ryan saunter in. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored suit and tie, not exactly the typical garb around here. Daddy sat, pulling me onto his lap. Doctor B waved on his way out the door. I kind of wished he’d stayed just in case things turned ugly.
IneededDaddy to understand Ryan meant nothing to me. Hell, until right after the new year, he held the same regard as chewed bubble gum on the sidewalk in the middle of summer.
Ignoring Ryan, I turned to Daddy. “He’s not lying to you, Daddy. He’s Tanner’s boyfriend. I knew he lived somewhere around here, but not exactly where.”
“Is it true that you haven’t called Tanner to let him know how you’re doing?” I curled into a ball on Daddy’s lap. It was bad enough I felt like shit that he’d been worried enough to send Ryan looking for me, but it sounded like Daddy was upset, too.
“Yes, Daddy.” I choked, realizing what I’d just called him. “Oh, shit.”
Daddy nearly vibrated with anger. I peeked one eye open and saw Ryan crouching down in front of us. “Don’t feel bad, Maverick. Even if you hadn’t said the word, I would have known he’s your Daddy.”
I uncurled myself and sat up. That was a colossally bad idea, because with all the shit going on, I’d somehow forgotten about how full my ass was. Now, I had one pressing against my prostate, and the other two knocking at the back door, trying to get out. I squeezed my legs together, hoping we could get this over with soon so I could get dressed.
“Can you… Please don’t tell Tanner about this,” I pleaded. “He’s already going to be mad at me, but I want to be the one to tell him about us.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Ryan reassured me. Daddy’s body relaxed a little, but not much. “What you have here is between the two of you. How much you tell the rest of the world is your choice. But if you do tell him, it might help him to not feel so alone.”
“Because I left him out there all alone?”
“No, Maverick. Just talk to him. Tell him about you and see what he tells you, okay?” Ryan stood, offering a hand to Daddy. “Sorry for the poor first impression. I’m Ryan Schmidt, and you are?”
Daddy stilled his hand less than an inch from Ryan’s. “Schmidt, you said?”
“Correct. Is that an issue?” Uh oh. I’d known Ryan long enough to recognize his challenging voice. We might not have seen much of each other in a long time, but some things never changed.
“What’s going on?” I asked when Daddy burst out laughing. Ryan wasn’t any help, either. He seemed just as confused as I was. “Daddy, are you okay? You’re not having a nervous break, are you?”
“No, sweetheart, but I’m pretty sure I figured out how Ryan knew where to look for you.” He looked up at Ryan. “Or would you prefer that we call you Mr. Schmidt?”
“Ryan’s fine,” he assured Daddy.
“Wouldsomeonetell me what in the actual fuck is going on before I throw a hissy fit?” I barked out, not enjoying being on the outside of whatever they were talking about.
“When it came time to upgrade, Jack decided to take up a friend’s offer to invest in the expansion,” Daddy explained, nodding towards Ryan. “It wasn’t common knowledge who the investor was, and we were told he wouldn’t be here much of the time because he has other ventures. But when you hang out as much as I did before I met you, you wind up overhearing things.”
“Wait, you mean to tell methisis the club you bought into?” My mouth fell open. As Tanner’s Nana used to say, it’s a small damn world. “But why didn’t he tell me? He knew I was coming out this way and staying with my friend who managed a club.”
“He may not have made the connection,” Ryan explained. “I haven’t told him what type of club this is yet. And I’m assuming I can trust you to let me tell him in my own time?”
“For sure.” After all, he wasn’t telling Tanner about my Daddy or that he’d found me naked, coming out of a role play room at a kink club. But we both needed to talk to Tanner soon, otherwise he would throw a fit of epic proportions when he found out. “But if you’re not really involved, how did you know I’d be here?”
“Oh, that’s easy. Jack kept talking about this new boy Sam had hired and how much the customers love him. It’s not like you have an incredibly common name, so that was a good clue. When Tanner was worried, I called Jack and asked what your last name is. Before he finished asking why I was inquiring about you, I was in my car on my way down here,” Ryan explained. “But I assure you, running into you by the back rooms was a total fluke. Since I was here already, I figured I might as well wander around and see how things are going for myself.”
