A Daddy for Damian by Joe Satoria

11. DAMIAN

SATURDAY

Kristopher’s word swirled through my mind again, it was regular occurrence. Every time we were alone, he gave me something to think about.

It was almost like he was teasing me, leaving me on edge, and then waiting for me to want him. I already wanted him, and he kept blowing hot and cold. Although he did say he was trying to be a different person.

Throughout it all, it felt like he cared. He gave me a credit card. He had someone drive me. His touch was always soft. He wanted to give me dessert because we missed it. He was even flying me out to Germany, and apparently, he didn’t even need me while he was there.

Sipping down a strawberry daiquiri while I expressed everything to Emile, my best friend since high school, except for my brother, but he didn’t count, we were twins, nearly conjoined at the hip.

“He sounds fun,” Emile said, wiggling his brows at me from across the table. “And he’s paying for drinks, right?”

I had his credit card, and he told me to buy myself something. “This round of drinks,” I said, gesturing to both of daiquiris.

Emile was a short guy, crew cut hair and always had tanned skin. But that was because his family lived in the south of France during August. “I’m jealous of you. You’ve got this new job, a hot guy who wants you, and you just came out to your family.”

“Three weeks ago,” I reminded him, “and I’m still not sure how my mum feels about the whole thing. I think she still assumes one of us will end up with a girl and have children.”

“That’s why I’m not coming out,” he said, slurping on the straw. “But it’s fine, because I can live as a faceless dating profile for the rest of my life.”

“Ah, the headless man,” I chuckled.

Emile played sports and had the physique and body to show for it. We’d also had our own fumble, but nothing more than that. “Nobody’s complained yet.”

“Yeah, they don’t have any reason to complain,” I chuckled. “So, on Monday, I get to book our tickets to Berlin. Are you definitely coming?”

He nodded. “Absolutely.”

“Good,” I said. “Because this is probably once in a lifetime. I mean, assuming I make it to next month unless he fires me.”

“Or you quit.”

That’s exactly what he’d said. He’d said I could quit at any time, and I thought it was strange to hear, but there was probably a truth in that, I might quit, especially if we continued to flirt or whatever it was that we were doing. I didn’t know if it was called flirting, or if it could even be classified as flirting, but I knew that it wasn’t something I could do long term.

“You saw the pictures I sent you of him?” I asked, whipping my phone out on the table.

“Yeah, I told you it sounded too good to be true.”

“Oh, and imagine if I turned him down.” I clicked my tongue. “We wouldn’t be getting a free trip to Berlin next week.”

Emile raised his brows at me once more, wiggling them while he sucked down on the cocktail. “Maybe he can get the second round of drinks too?”

After last night, the way he made me feel. I’d say the second round on his card was a high possibility. I could still feel the way the rope was slick against my skin, not quite tight, but not loose at all, it was nice.

As we ordered a second round of strawberry daiquiris, our order of mozzarella bites arrived.

“You think the two of you will—” Emile gestured with his hands, one of them in a hole and the other poking that hole. “Because imagine if you were.”

I had already imagined it. It was a day, and I’d already spent longer than that thinking we would. “I doubt it,” I said. “Apparently he’s done it with assistants in the past, and he doesn’t want to do that anywhere.”

Emile puffed out his cheeks. “Shut up,” he said. “You met on a dating app, he employed you, and what—” he scoffed, “he doesn’t want to hook up?”

That was my line of thought too. I grabbed a mozzarella bite and dipped it into the spicy tomato sauce. “It’s also the fact he keeps flirting with me too,” I said.

“Blue balls.” He tutted back.

“I masturbated twice last night,” I admitted to him, cupping my hand to my mouth at the admission. “I couldn’t get him off my mind, and I just kept.”

“Cumming?” he giggled back. “Wow, think you might actually like him.”

I did like him, because he filled me with a weird confidence. Every time he was around me, there was something nice to the way he made me feel, and that was somewhat intoxicating. I really liked it.

“Maybe I need to find someone to work for,” Emile mused, “is he looking for another employee?”

“No,” I said, immediately. “Plus, you’re busy with college. You’ve got your whole electricians course thing, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “Starting in October,” he said. “And it’s not electrician. It’s my apprenticeship. I get to work for a company, and work. Like an actual job.”

“And I’m not?”

Emile tutted. “You’ve had a job for a day,” he said. “And from the sounds of it, it’s an easy job.”

He was right. It was easy. I didn’t think I’d liked to have done anything where it involved getting too messy, not like any of the courses the local college offered. I didn’t want to lay bricks, and I didn’t want to do plumbing or accidentally electrocute myself a hundred times a day. “It’s difficult though,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.

“Difficult not fucking your boss.”

That was the real difficulty. “I think you’ll actually meet him when we’re in Berlin. But he’s mine, so, don’t even think about it.”

“Only if he’s got those ropes you were talking about.”

I thumped him with my foot beneath the table. “Don’t talk about them,” I said. “It was strange.”

“You said you liked it.”

“Yeah, but it was strange too.” I grabbed another mozzarella bite, stuffing it inside my mouth to avoid myself from saying anything else.

Emile let out a whine after sucking too hard and getting brain freeze. When we were in high school, I was in love with Emile, and I was sure he loved me too. I mean, we’d been many of each other’s firsts.

First kiss, and wherever else our mouths and hands reached.

We would never have worked out. Not because we didn’t like each other, but because two bottoms don’t make a top—among other things, we were closeted teens back then.

“So, who have you been seeing lately then?”

Emile had shifty eyes, looking around the bar we were in. “Absolutely nobody,” he said. “I’ve been having a dry period. Like, three weeks, nobody has caught my eye. I think everyone is boring me.”

“I’m basically in a dry period too,” I grumbled, feeling myself slouch back into the chair.

“Yeah, right. You’ll be sleeping with your boss before the end of next week.”

I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to be betting on that, or even putting it out there into the world. I’d only just started working for him, I didn’t need to complicate it further by having sex with him.

“And he’ll be paying for a third and fourth round or drinks,” Emile continued. “It’s just a hunch.”

“I hope he doesn’t mind,” I grumbled. Although after ordering from the menu here and seeing the cost he’d spent on wine yesterday at the restaurant, I doubt he’d even see the expenses I’d charged to his card.

“So, you agree,” Emile said, raising both arms. “Another round?”

We hadn’t even finished the second round, but I agreed. It was Saturday, and I needed another drink. It was like a reward.