“I still don’t know. What other kinds of Daddies are there?”
“Well…there’s the kind that likes you to play games, color, or play with toys.”
“What? Color? Like coloring books?”
“Yeah. It’s fun.”
Maybe there was something to this. Maybe with a Daddy like that, I could get some of my childhood back. That was what Rob was describing, anyway. And maybe I was underestimating Rob and what he would think of me if he knew what I liked to do. It sounded like he liked it too. It probably wouldn’t be exactly like being a kid again, but if I could even do some of that stuff, it would be better. Though I wasn’t sure how far I could go with it. It was all so scary, but ultimately, Rob was right. I’d never know if I didn’t try.
With a big sigh, I nodded. “You’re right. I’ll do it.”
“Yay!” He tossed his arms in the air in celebration, and his enthusiasm made me smile. “We can double date. It’ll be fun, you’ll see. I’ll call Daddy Preston and see if he can talk to his friend today.”
“Okay, then.” I sipped my coffee, trying to hide my smile. Maybe this could turn into something good.
I hoped…
The rest of the morning was spent talking about double dating and where we could go, but the Daddy in question still had no idea I even existed, and there was a big chance he might not say yes. Plus, I wasn’t sure if a Daddy was what I wanted because I didn’t want to be told what to do. I’d been very independent from a young age. I started working for my uncle at his house-painting company before high school. Once that happened, my parents seemed to forget I even existed. Not that they didn’t care or love me, they were simply more interested in their own social lives. I did my own thing and they did theirs, which was okay since I could take care of myself, but sometimes I missed havinga close relationship with them. Maybe this whole Daddy-thing would give me someone I could feel like that with, but that was really getting ahead of myself. I knew it, but a boy could dream anyway.
2
NATE
There were meetings for the Lactin Brotherhood all the time, but I didn’t go to most of them. Running my business took up most of my hours, but right now, I only had two jobsites running, so I felt I should at least make an appearance. If it was uncomfortable, I could easily bug out with an early-morning-meeting excuse. We were meeting at Top Golf. Though I didn’t care much for the game itself, there were at least food and drinks and watching the others play. I liked the fun, casual atmosphere even if the sport wasn’t for me.
After showering, I pumped to lighten the tension in my chest. The guys from Lactin would understand, but I didn’t want to deal with unnecessary leaking. My milk was stored into the freezer for either selling or donating later, and I pulled on a nice polo shirt and jeans, determined to enjoy a rare evening out.
The sign above the venue was shining in bright blue lights, calling out to passersby. Inside the lobby, the main bar was off to the right, which was where I found the majority of our party, sitting around the underlit counter. I joined them and ordered a beer.
“Hey, Nate. How are you?” One of my Lactin Brotherhood friends bumped shoulders with me. “Haven’t seen you around.” Preston Shockey was a pharmaceutical sales representative, and he made damn good money. He was also very outgoing and usually the life of the party, attending more of these meetings than anyone else.
“I’ve had a lot going on with work.” I shrugged it off since I was here now.
“I get it, but I was actually hoping you’d be here tonight. I was going to call if you didn’t show up.” He pointed at me with the index finger of the hand holding his bottle of beer.
“Call me? Why? What’s up?”
Preston ducked his head, looking shy, but then he leaned closer, lowering his voice. “I met someone, and he has the cutest roommate.” He pointed again. “Perfect fit for you.”
That got my head shaking, and I purposefully chuckled to soften my answer. “Not interested.”
“What? Why?”
I didn’t do relationships for many reasons. They required too much time that I didn’t have and dedication I couldn’t muster. Occasionally, when I had the time, I hung out at the club and acted as surrogate for some of the boys who didn’t have a Daddy, but that was because it was safe. It was people who knew exactly why I was there, so I didn’t have to explain or make excuses. I also didn’t have to take anyone home, and I never did.
No commitment.
No expectations.
“Nate, man. You never date anyone, but you’re such a cool dude. Hell, if I wasn’t a Daddy myself, I’d hit on you.”
While I preened under his compliment, now wasn’t the right time for me to venture into any sort of relationship. “I don’t have it in me to make that much of an effort.”
“But you’ll love this guy…” If I wasn’t mistaken, my dear friend had developed a whine.
“What’s in this for you? Can’t keep dating the roomie without hooking up his loser friend?”
“Geez, dude. It’s not like that at all.” He drained his beer and ordered another. “I’m going to keep seeing Bobby. I like him. Doesn’t matter if you take this guy out or not. But…” He held up that damn accusing finger one more time. “Gilly is nice. Big puppy-dog eyes that pull you in. Who knows, maybe he needs a little fun in his life, which is where you come in. He’s had a rough go of it from what Bobby says.”
