Chapter Eight
Ari
Blair met me outside Chained. He was one of the few daddies I knew well who didn’t have a little in his life. It generally meant that when we went to the little room, we were popular guys, since the single littles outnumbered us. I preferred not to be with anyone often enough to give them any ideas that we were more than just play partners for an evening, but I also tried not to say no if anyone approached me. Hurt feelings could happen, and nobody needed that.
There were several friends in the conversation area, and we stopped there long enough to have a drink and catch up. As almost always, there was one of Chained’s delicious big/little platters of apps on the table between the sofas, and the chickie nuggies and ranch were rapidly disappearing into the mouths of eager and adorable littles. There were also some kind of mini pies that seemed popular with them.
“PB&J handheld pies,” Bridger said. “Hudson will eat them all if I don’t keep an eye on him.” He fixed a stern glare on his little whose onesie was printed with a rubber duckie, and Hudson set down the treat in his hand. “Just take it slow, sweet boy. You don’t want an upset tummy, do you?”
“No, Daddy.” He swung his head left to right. “That happened before.”
“It sure did.” Bridger reached for a piece of broccoli and closed Hudson’s hand around it. “Have a little tree.”
Hudson eyed it and frowned. “It’s not really a tree.”
“Dip it in ranch, and it will look like a snowy tree.”
A bright smile preceded an enthusiastic dunk, and Bridger sat back and picked up his crocheting. He was a well-known designer of patterns for the craft and often worked on his projects while we visited. “Anyway, you guys going to the little room?”
“That’s the plan.” Blair tipped back the last of his bourbon and set the glass on the table. “Coming, Ari?”
“I am.” Standing, I said goodbye to the others and followed Blair across the main floor, past all the popular stations like the St. Andrew’s cross and the spiderweb. There was a fire-play demo going on, as well, which always drew a crowd. Chained was very careful about activities that had the potential for harm, which encompassed many things, and anyone who wanted to engage in something like fire play had to be approved in advance.
The skill involved wowed me. Imagine rolling a fireball up and down someone’s back without hurting them at all. And fire massage? Whew! Give me crayons and even glitter any day. Impact play took up the majority of the stations. Everything from spanking to flogging to whips —another dangerous form of kink that required a certification and a dungeon monitor standing by to make sure people stayed a certain distance away.
But we strolled past all of it and into the hallway leading to various smaller rooms, including our goal, the little room. Ms. Lily met us on her way out and we exchanged pleasantries before going on in. “It’s crowded tonight,” she said. “You’ll find lots of littles looking for a daddy to play with.”
She was right. We were no sooner through the doorway when Blair was approached by a little boy wearing short shorts and a tight tee that said Daddy’s Favorite . He was taken by the hand and towed off to play a game of Duck, Duck, Goose or something similar on the opposite side of the room.
First thing I did was look around for the little I’d seen on my previous trip, but he was nowhere to be found.
I spent some time coloring with a little girl before she wandered off to listen to a story one of the mommies was reading then helped hand out instruments for a rousing rendition of…well, I wasn’t sure what it was, beyond enthusiastic. It ended up getting some applause from the other littles, though.
As I was putting away the drums and tambourines and recorders and things, my attention was drawn to a muffled sound from behind the instrument box. I closed it and leaned around to find a little curled in a ball and sobbing. He was wearing overalls and a little cap and made my heart ache with his cries.
“Oh, buddy.” I sank down on the floor next to him. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
He buried his face in his hands and cried louder.
“Hey.” I sat close but not touching, determined to get to the bottom of this without making it worse. “I’m just going to hang out here if that’s all right? Keep you company until you feel like talking?”
“Scottie, come on.” A daddy I’d never seen here before came up beside us. “Quit being such a baby.”
My jaw nearly dropped, but I stopped it. The meanness in his tone had me wanting to stand up and teach him what it feels like to have someone be mean to you.
“It’s time to go home, Scottie.” He reached for the little’s hands and jerked them away from his face. “Don’t make me punish you.”
“All right.” I stood up and pushed between them. “I think you need to take a break.”
“Don’t tell me what to do with my little. I’m his daddy and I am the boss.”
What?
“Scottie?” I waited until he looked at me before going on. “Is this your daddy?”
He shook his head hard, strands of hair flopping over his forehead.
“I am for tonight. We’re on a date, and he agreed I am his daddy for the duration.”
“First date together?” I asked.
“Sure, but what business is it of yours? Trying to steal my date?”
“I—” I wasn’t sure what I was going to say, but luckily I was interrupted by Ms. Lily who I had never seen angry before.
“Monty, come with me.”
“Excuse me?” The poor excuse for a daddy towered over Ms. Lily, but she was not cowed. “Where are we going?”
“I am going to escort you out of the little room so we can speak privately.”
“You can talk to me here. I’m not going anywhere.”
This daddy had lost any sense he was born with.
“Fine, I was trying to save you embarrassment, but since you seem to prefer it, let this serve as notice that you are banned from Chained. I came into the room just in time to witness the behavior that made this boy cry, and what you’ve done since sealed it.” She lifted a finger in the air and two dungeon monitors appeared at her sides. “Please escort this person out and make sure his picture is in the file.”
You could have heard a pin drop. All play had ceased, and everyone in the room was focused on the conversation behind the instrument box. Although most of us were actually beside it at this point.
Whatever the mean not-a-daddy wanted to say or do, melted in front of the two tall broad-shouldered dungeon monitors, and he went meekly. “Typical bully,” Ms. Lily muttered before returning her attention to the little still sniffling on the floor. “Scottie, right?”
He nodded, taking a shuddering breath. I had not witnessed most of the scene, but even what I saw enraged me. Some people were not meant to be daddies.
“Honey, was he your ride?” Ms. Lily asked.
He nodded.
“Is there anyone else who can give you a lift home?”
From his expression, he couldn’t think of any, so I stepped up. No way I was going to make this very sad little search around for someone to take him home. Ms. Lily might have called an Uber or something for him, but he needed more.
“If it’s all right with Scottie, I’ll give him a ride.”
“You good, Scottie? Ari is a very nice daddy, and if you’re comfortable, he’ll make sure you get home safely, unless you’d rather I get you a rideshare?”
I held out a hand, letting him decide whether to take it. Tentatively, he accepted my grip and allowed me to help him up. Even after being so badly treated, he would rather be with a daddy than alone in a car. I was very glad I offered. He had street clothes in a locker in the big group changing room, so I waited while he changed then we headed for my car in the parking lot in back.
I got him to speak enough to give me his address, and on the way home, he shared a little of what led up to his tears. I let him speak, knowing he needed to let it out and fighting my own anger at what happened so I didn’t scare him. At his home, I walked him to the door and waited while he patted his pockets and then the tears started again.
“I f-forgot my keys. Or maybe I lost them in the changing room.” He was gearing up for another fit of sobbing, so I banged on the door, hoping someone he trusted would open it before he got too upset.
And someone did. Someone so completely adorable, in full-little outfit, they stole my breath.