Chapter 6
(Gage)
When two worlds collide
“I know you’ve got to be exhausted,” Gage said as he caught up with Zachy after the final skit had reached its conclusion and they’d broken down the last of the mini sets and packed everything away.
Zachy leaned directly in front of a big industrial fan, sweaty hair plastered to the back of his neck and shoulders, a dark blue stain on the front of his tank top from where he’d sweated through.
“What were they thinking?” Zachy groaned. “A skit every ninety minutes is so fuckin’ extra. We couldn’t even take our costumes off until lunch break. All we could manage was to take off the heads so we could drink water that wasn’t even cold by the end. That last bottle was so warm it was like it had been sitting in the sun all day. It was awful. Bleh!”
He stuck his tongue out when he said it, nose scrunching up as he sank a little further down on the wall like he was giving serious thought to curling up on the floor in front of the fan and spending the rest of the evening that way.
“They were probably just looking at it as an opportunity to entertain the fans, forgetting there are real people inside those heavy costumes,” Gage offered, not that it was a good excuse, but having spent his life in and around performance industries, he knew how tempting it was to push the talent to provide the best fan experience.
“Ugh,” Zachy groaned. “I just want a shower and clothes that don’t smell all sweaty and gross.”
“Did you bring everything you needed for tonight and tomorrow?” Cooper asked.
“Uh-huh, I figured that would be easier since you said I could crash in your spare bedroom tonight.”
“This way we can both sleep in an extra half hour in the morning,” Gage said as he took in Zachy’s flushed, sweaty face and the way he swayed a little when he tried to straighten up and push away from the wall. “I think we’re both gonna need it.”
“Hmmm, sleep.”
He practically purred the words, a soft, serine look crossing his face as he closed his eyes and let the wind from the fan blow over him.
Chuckling, Gage reached out and lifted the long, heavy strands off the back of Zachy’s neck and held them up so the air could reach his skin.
“Hmmm, that’s nice.”
“I bet, but no falling asleep just yet. We need to find food and you definitely need a shower,” Gage said. “I promise to turn the air conditioner up as high as it will go for the ride to my place, but we really should get moving before you pass out here and force the custodial crew to sweep around you.”
The big, heavy sigh he let out was followed by a weary whine. “O-kay.”
“Just think of it this way, tomorrow you get to have all the fun you want at the waterpark, and you won’t have to worry about it being too hot. The weatherman says the high will be in the mid-eighties. Not bad for the last week in October.
“As long as we still get snow for Christmas time it can be warm every other day,” Zachy said. “Sometimes I really miss living where it’s warm year-round, but I’d never think of moving back as long as the show was still running, though sometimes I wish I’d gotten cast to play a different part.”
“Really, which one?” Gage asked as Zachy shoved away from the wall and found his footing, trudging along beside him as they headed down the corridor to the door that led out of the restricted spaces. They’d still have to skirt the edges of the crowd, and the concession area, to reach the parking garage, but at least the end of the peopling part of their day was in sight.
“Oh my god I’d love to be Oswald,” Zachy gushed. “His feathers are so pretty and he’s always getting to teach the kids something fun. I would have loved to be Peter Porcupine too. I just think it’s such a fun, roly-poly costume. Everyone is always rolling him places and discovering different things they can make from his quills. It’s cool. It’s a whole different take on porcupines. Most people just see them ambling along and think ouch-possum before running away from them.”
“Ouch-possums,” Gage said, chuckling as he really thought about how a porcupine looked and decided that was the best description he’d ever heard for one. “I’ll never think of them by another name.”
Even tired, Zachy’s smile was bright, though Gage had to slow his strides because the boy truly was worn out and dragging as they entered the crowded expo space and headed left, towards the parking garage.
“Zach! Zach! I thought that was you! Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
As Zachy froze and brushed the hair out of his eyes, Gage turned to see the angry Daddy from the club bearing down on them, a big black bag clutched in one hand.
“I thought you were going to be too busy working today to come with me,” the guy, Gage was pretty sure Hank and Mimzy had said his name was Cooper, stated as he stopped in front of Zachy and stared down at him.
“We just finished,” Zachy said.
“Oh. Well, you could have called me. I still have your ticket.”
“I didn’t need a ticket,” Zachy huffed as he squirmed.
He looked uncomfortable, especially when he glanced between Gage and Cooper. Had he not told his Daddy about Gage’s plan to take him to the Wet n’ Wild event? If that was the case, Gage wasn’t sure how to feel about it, since the last thing he’d ever want was for his boy to lie or deceive him and not let him know if he was going on an outing with another Daddy. Or maybe they’d already broken up and this was one of those first time seeing one another after the relationship imploded sort of thing.
“Umm okay,” Cooper said, clearly looking uncomfortable now as well.
“The show we work for put on several performances,” Zachy explained. “We just finished the last one and were about to get food. Mr. Gage said I could stay in his spare room tonight since he lives on the same side of the city as the waterpark. It’s still okay if I go, right?”
Gage met Cooper’s gaze, just waiting for him to tell Zachy no, because there was no way Gage would be able to stay silent and not have some shit to say to him about it if he tried.
“It’s fine,” Cooper said, then held out his hand to Gage. “I’m Cooper, by the way, Zach’s boyfriend.”
Zachy’s lip lifted a little, like he was trying to force himself to smile, yet Gage could see that something about the introduction was bothering him.
“Gage. Do you have a moment? I’d like to talk to you.”
“Yeah, sure, okay.”
“Zachy, can you wait for me by the door to the garage? There’s a water fountain there. I’m sure it’s colder than that water you had to drink.”
“Okay,” Zachy said with only the barest glance between them before he scurried away.”
“That might not have been the wisest idea,” Cooper said the moment Zachy vanished into the crowd.
“Why not?”
“He has a bad habit of wandering off whenever something catches his attention.”
“Most littles do,” Gage declared. “But after the day he’s had I doubt I have anything to worry about in that regard.”
“We’re not sticking with that dynamic,” Cooper blurted. “Tomorrow is Zachy’s last event as a little. It’s caused too much trouble between us. I wish I’d never put it in his head that he was one. It’s been nothing but a nightmare ever since. Little Zachy has no impulse control and can’t grasp the concept of sitting still.”
“Maybe because it goes against his nature to stay in one place when he’s excited about something or sees the others around him racing about taking part in a bunch of activities,” Gage pointed out. “He’s not a pet, and even if he was, not all of them are capable of sitting and staying where they are put, especially the pups. They love to be silly and run around getting into things.”
“Look, I know you mean well and all and I appreciate you wanting to take him to the Wet n’ Wild event, but I wish you’d asked me about it first. I’d have told you that his behavior hadn’t warranted a reward.”
“Then it’s a good thing I didn’t waste my breath, not that your protests would have held any weight. I’d have invited him anyway. I saw him on demo night. He stayed on his chair the whole time he was watching me and never tried to go anywhere else or get into anything, even when they brought the Ecto Punch through the room. He could have easily grabbed a cup when the tray went past him, but he didn’t even try to reach for one.”
“I didn’t want him to have to keep getting up to go to the bathroom.”
“No, you just wanted him to sit there like a trained poodle while all the other littles ran and laughed and played and got cuddles from their caretakers while he got to watch and feel ostracized and alienated. Did you ever think about that part or how it would feel for him when you left him there by himself so you could go watch a demo and expected him to just sit there and do nothing until you came back?”
“I always reminded him to pack toys in his backpack so he wouldn’t be bored.”
“Toys in his backpack aren’t the same as ones he can share with others, but then you never give him the chance to do that, do you?”
“Wrong. I have let him play, and he wound up in arguments.”
“Were they his fault?”
When Cooper paused and blinked at him like Gage had just grown a second head, Gage immediately had his answer.
“You just assumed he’d been bad, didn’t you? You didn’t even take the time to get to the heart of the matter.”
“Maybe because he was screeching like a banshee and drawing everyone’s attention to what I’m sure was a little thing that didn’t require all of that chaos.”
“But you never asked him.” Gage asked, wanting to be sure he was clear on the events that had taken place.
“No, okay. I didn’t ask. I made him let go of the toy they were arguing over and apologize to the girl, then I took him home.”
Gage had to grind his back teeth a little to keep from snapping at the man, because that was such unfair treatment that a blind man would have known it wasn’t fair.
“One last question, and then I’ll let you get back to whatever the hell you were doing,” Gage said. “Did you ask where the toy came from?”
“What the hell difference does it make?”
Snarling, Gage pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled a long stream of profanities under his breath, though he was certain a few were loud enough that Gage wouldn’t have been able to miss hearing them.
“Look, if you think you can do better, go right ahead, but don’t come bitching me out the next time we see one another. I’m warning you now that if you do not keep a close eye on him tomorrow, he’ll make you hunt for him, and that is a hell of a waste to what’s supposed to be a relaxing day.”
“How about I do you one better and you put your number in my phone. I’ll send you video footage of his behavior, so you have no reason to question me when I tell you he was perfectly fine and no more rambunctious than any of the other littles at an event like that.”
“Works for me, as long as I get to say I told you so when you’re proven wrong.”
“Game on then,” Gage said as he passed his phone over.
It was honestly too easy. The other man’s competitive nature was going to provide Gage with the means of laying to rest once and for all whether the problem with Zachy was a Daddy or a little issue. Gage was certain he already knew the answer, as certain as he was that tomorrow would not be Zachy’s last day as a little, though it might be the final day of his relationship with the clearly inept Cooper, who didn’t deserve to call himself a Daddy, much less one to such a sweet, adorable little boy.