Page 99 of The Best Bad Decision

That was way too much.

Atlee looked like he wanted to giggle but swallowed it back as a bashful expression creeped over his face. “I…I might’ve made it clear that I was taken and couldn’t be…couldn’t be threatened with the spoon.”

His gaze dropped down to the table again but he managed to keep going. “Several of those older women who all seemed to be married to the man with the spoon tried to ask questions but I mostly stuck with I’m taken and my Dom doesn’t share like that.”

Lord.

“You’re right. You’re very taken and I don’t share.” My slightly dramatic tone got a smile from him and seemed to give the confidence to peek up again. “I might show you off a bit in the right situation but that coffee shop will never be the right situation.”

There were others we could go visit on a Saturday, though.

He must’ve seen something on my face because he shifted in his seat and managed to take another bite. “What kind of place would be right to be…shown off? Just a bit.”

My curious boy.

“Well, there’s one thing I have to do before we go out anywhere like that.” I paused long enough to get another wiggle from him before ignoring it completely. “But after we clear that point up, there’s a coffee shop about an hour from here that’s got nearly as much color and drama but it’s well run and no one will chase you with a spoon.”

Some people needed a reminder about limits and public boundaries.

Atlee blinked for a moment but finally cleared his head and got back into the conversation. “Um, I think I might be interested in social situations with more interesting individuals than I’m usually around, but I’d like it to feel less like a circus.”

It was an accurate description but I rolled my eyes. “At least a real circus would open and close on a regular schedule.”

His frown was adorable and made him look like a confused puppy. “The last time I was in there they closed before I’d even gotten my coffee. It wasn’t even two o’clock in the afternoon.”

Atlee’s adorable confusion had me trying not to smile. “They took my order…got distracted…then everyone was told to leave because they were done for the day.”

I shrugged. “Yep. I’ve seen it happen a few times. I try to support local business, especially ones where I know the owners are in the lifestyle, but they’re insane.”

And not in a good way.

Face still scrunched up, Atlee sighed. “I think I’m at the point where I’d like a more well-run establishment to…get exposure to the community.”

I loved the way he described things.

“That’s a reasonable goal.” And it was one we could gradually stretch over time. “I think that other coffee shop I told you about would be a good place to start. They’re colorful and interesting but not in the same way.”

Atlee chuckled. “No being chased?”

I barked out a laugh that had a few people glancing toward us. “Oh, there might be some chasing but it’s generally the owner chasing after his Daddy to get attention.”

That had Atlee going still and blinking a few times. “I don’t think I’ve met anyone like that.”

I didn’t think he had.

“Most of the time you wouldn’t notice. He’s so feisty you’d think he was a Dom but he and the locals around the area are very open. They’ll respect our boundaries, though, and even at our most boring we won’t stand out.” People came from far and wide to see the insanity, so we’d just be another set of nosy tourists.

“Then once you’ve gotten used to that kind of casual openness, we can go somewhere a bit more private and slowly inch toward finding where your limits are.” It might take us a while to figure them out but research could be fun.

“You’ve…you’ve mentioned different options.” Atlee looked like he was doing his best to sit still but he was definitely getting wiggly as the conversation went on. “I’ve been thinking about it and I don’t think inching is the way we need to approach the situation.”

Oh.

Interesting.

Before I could decide how to tease him, his voice came out in a rushed whisper. “Not that I’m telling you how to manage that side of things.”

Worrywart.