I chuckled. “Silly boy, of course it’s not, but until we have stuffies here for you, it’ll have to do.”
With that settled, he latched on, and I felt his body relax against mine. After a few minutes, he fell asleep, nursing and still snuggling with my arm.
7
GILLY
Meeting with clients was one of my favorite things to do. Not only because it brought in new business, but because it gave me the chance to show my creative side. Uncle Clay rarely had the patience for customers anymore, especially when it came to picking out colors.
“I don’t know…” Adair scrunched up her face. “What do you think, Mike?” She turned to her husband, but his blank face told me all I needed to know.
“You like greens, so look at this one.” I pulled up a swatch that was almost the same color as Nate’s room. “If it’s too dark for you, we could go a shade or two lighter, but it gives it a warm and cozy feel.”
“Hmm…” She picked up the sample. “It’s masculine but not overly so. I think I like it. Mike?”
“Yes. Good.” Her husband wanted this part over with and would likely agree to a Pepto shade of pink at this point.
“We can use a pretty cream for the ceiling and trim for a bit of contrast. With the natural light you get in here, it’ll look amazing.” The room she was having us paint was going to be used for his office and an extra guest room. We could have gone with something bolder if it was only an office, but as a place to sleep, that would’ve been a bit harsh. I loved the color on Nate’s walls, and apparently Adair did as well.
Once that was finalized, we scheduled a time for my team to complete the work. This wasn’t a large job, but with the contrasting trim, I felt two people should be on it. We’d wrap it up in half a day, maybe a second day if it needed an extra coat. With that settled, I headed back to Uncle Clay’s house. We used his garage as an office and storage space. He even had his own paint-mixing station. I wanted to make sure we had the tints we needed for this color and maybe mix up a batch before the end of day.
Of course, I didn’t have the right blue I needed, so I called around. I didn’t want to have to order and wait, but I didn’t want to buy it from a big box store either. That would cost more and eat into the profits. Finally, I found what I needed and drove across town to pick it up. When I mixed the paint, it came out beautifully.
I snapped a picture of the sample and sent it to Daddy Nate. I thought he would like that I used his color.
Me:Look at my pretty paint, Daddy.
Daddy:I like it, Gilly!
I still could hardly believe I had a Daddy and one that I could nurse from. I had never felt so peaceful and safe as I did with Nate, especially as I fell asleep using my Daddy as a binky.
Mind blown.
Before I got too wrapped up in that, I still had to head out to the Jacksons’ house to finish up the prep work. Then I might be able to get lunch before I hit the O’Neil job next to figure out how far the team had gotten so I could give them a status update. I was also the extra hand on any job as needed. Some jobs I took on alone to cut costs, and I still had to supervise and bring in new business too.
Me: I’m busy, Daddy. Talk later?
Daddy: I look forward to it.
By the end of the day, I was tired and wanted my Daddy. How had that happened already? We’d only been together a short while, yet here I was, craving his arms and my safe space.
At home, I showered, ate ramen, and then called Nate. It should be late enough for him to be home. I hoped.
“Gilly. How was your day?”
“Hi, Daddy.” I didn’t have to worry if Rob heard me. He called Preston Daddy all the time. But he wasn’t home, either. “My day was long, and I’m tired and grouchy.”
“Have you taken a bath? Brushed your teeth?”
“I took a shower and ate, but I didn’t brush.”
Daddy Nate made a growly sound. “You go brush then get in bed and call me back.”
“Yes, Daddy.” I hung up and rushed to do as he said and wondered what he had in mind. Part of me was hoping for phonesex, but another was too tired for that. After brushing, I crawled into bed and called him back.
“Good boy. Do you have your Ellie?”
“Oh. No.”
