Memphis
He left while I was sleeping.
Likely because I woke up several times and lay awake listening to the breaths from the other room. He rested well in my bed, and I hoped it would help him be less tired the next day. The last time I closed my eyes, I was planning to make breakfast for my guest, if he was interested, before we headed out for our days.
But, he left quietly and considerately, taking the keys from the table where I’d left them and leaving a note sweetly thanking me for helping him and apologizing for putting me out. I didn’t feel the least bit put out. And the note had the most adorable cat doodles.
I’d overslept, so I didn’t get to go up to the rooftop pool and greet the dawn or even visit the building gym before I needed to get to the office for a meeting. My job, putting together funding with companies looking to expand, was the sort where clients were never kept waiting whether in person or online. Too much money flowed through our office on a daily basis to allow a miss. And usually, I enjoyed my work. Using strategies to make both sides of an issue happy and feel successful was pretty incredible. On that day, however, I had to struggle to keep my mind on the matters at hand instead of wondering about where Ridge was and what he was doing. Did he get enough rest at my house? He must have left very early, and while I appreciated his note, I wished he’d waited for me to wake up. Or woken me to say goodbye.
A week later, my neighbor had returned and I had not encountered the cat sitter in between. I wished I’d exchanged more information with him, but maybe he’d take care of what’s-his-names pet and/or pets again. A guy could hope. Maybe it was just one of those ships-passing-in-the-night situations. I might not know where to find him, but if he had any desire to see me again, he knew where to find me.
Telling myself that every day had started to have a mantra-like quality, although without the peace of mind one would expect from such a chant. Time to tamp it down and go on with life, leaving the cat sitter as a pleasant memory and a good deed. In the interest of doing so, I made plans to meet a couple of daddy friends for a casual evening at Chained. Most of the time, my daddy friends and I enjoyed visiting the little room. Their littles enjoyed the activities, and I could fill in for any single littles who wanted a daddy for the evening. It was fine, but playing with random littles had begun to get less fulfilling. Tonight, their littles also had something else to do, so Jovan and August were joining me on their own. With any luck, they would help me convince myself not to think about the little anymore. He was in and out of my life. The. End. My sensible friends would have my back.
Leaving the office, I stopped by the apartment to shower and change into club clothes. Even for sitting in the conversation area, I preferred not to show up in a business suit. That was daytime me. And by the end of the day, it smelled like the office air. Closed windows, A/C, people’s lunches, and coffee. Might just have been in my head. But I still wanted that shower. Going up in the elevator, I answered a couple of emails on my phone then called the workday finished. Finally.
The quiet hallway outside my apartment held a calm that continued into my unit. With my busy days, I wanted a space where I could shut out the noise of the world. But as I approached my door, I found a bakery box waiting for me.
I hadn’t placed any orders, and if I had, the doorman would have brought it up and placed it inside the apartment. Thinkingit might be a mistake, I picked it up and opened it to find another thank-you note. And the most adorable cat-shaped pastries.
Carrying the box inside, I considered what to do. I wanted to thank him but didn’t know how to reach him. And asking the neighbor I didn’t know might seem odd since I didn’t have a cat—and wasn’t prepared to lie about it. Blowing out a breath of frustration, I headed for the shower and, twenty minutes later, was on my way down in the elevator, now really needing advice from my friends.
Chained was busy, as usual, but Jovan and August were seated in our usual spot, and they had a neat whiskey waiting for me.
“Memphis!” Jovan stood and held out his hand, pulled me in for a hug. “I was so glad you suggested this. Ernie is off with a bunch of littles at some kind of restaurant arcade, and I was at loose ends anyway.”
August lifted his glass. “Sit. We ordered appetizers.” Chained had a great kitchen for a kink club, and I didn’t regret skipping dinner. “What have you been up to?”
“You’re not going to believe it.” I sat in a butter-soft brown leather armchair and picked up my glass. “I possibly met a little.”
“Possibly?” Jovan arched a brow. “We’re going to need details.” Sometimes daddies could be the worst gossips. But also, the most supportive friends.
“And after I finish this drink and have a second on the way, I will give them all to you.” I tipped the glass back and lifted it in the direction of a passing server. “All right, then. The details are a stranger in dinosaur pajamas who spent the night in my bed.” I couldn’t suppress a grin at their expressions.
August cleared his throat. “A little more information please? Because those give me a really odd picture.”
Jovan nodded, a frown crinkling the skin between his brows. “What he said.”
So I launched into the story of the cat sitter who got locked out and ended up falling asleep in my place. And how I’d spent a whole week trying to not obsess over him, only to get a box of cat-shaped pastries and a note and still no way to contact him. “And I thought it was nice, but what is the message he’s trying to send? Here’s a thank-you gift and I never want to see you again or…well, if he wanted to see me again, wouldn’t he have given me a phone number to call him at? Or something?”
They looked at one another, and their original surprise or shock or whatever it had been had clearly been replaced with amusement. “Should we tell him?” August asked.
“You go ahead.” Jovan wasn’t even hiding his smile at this point.
“Look, I’m guessing that Ridge thought you’d just ask the guy across the hall for his info. Did he realize you don’t know him?”
“I don’t think so. Wait, did I tell you his name?”
“I’m not sure. But, we know him.”
Jovan put in, “He’s friends with Ernie and Hal. If you want, we can ask them to find out if he will let us give you his contact information.”
“Yes, please.” Daddies did make the most supportive friends. And if he was friends with Ernie and Hal…odds were good he was also a little.
“We’ll let you know.” August picked up his drink. “So what else is going on with you?”
As if anything else mattered.
Chapter Seven
