Chapter Five
Teller
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I was on the sales floor of the men’s intimates department after sitting in the breakroom to get away from the holiday muzak blaring over the speakers throughout the store. The place was packed with customers, and Christmas wasn’t for three weeks, for fuck’s sake.
Other than all the twinkling lights, festooned bunting hanging everywhere, and that damn music, I didn’t dislike the holidays, especially in my new position. The department head was much nicer than Mr. Kerry, which was a fantastic change of pace.
Shoppers were crowding the different departments looking for the perfect holiday attire to attend their parties and family functions, but new clothes didn’t usually include new underwear.
Being in the men’s underwear department did provide a bit of a buffer, thank heaven.
We’d occasionally get customers who drifted over to check out when they saw how open our registers were, but it was relatively quiet.
An older man had taken a few robes into the dressing room as I was returning from my break to allow my coworker, Paige, to take hers. “His name is Mr. Carver. He’s sweet, but he’s kinda handsy. Watch out.”
I walked into the fitting room, tired of waiting for him to come out. “Mr. Carver, how’s that robe working for you?”
The door of his dressing room opened and slammed against the wall with a bang. When Mr. Carver stepped out of the room, I gasped. The belt wasn’t tied, and he wasn’t wearing anything under it. Thank god Paige was gone.
He pranced out of the dressing room in his socks and black ankle boots and up to the three-way mirror outside the dressing room. “Oh my!”
I hurried to where he was standing, his naked body on display in three-D with no shame whatsoever. I’d never seen balls that long, and I didn’t want to offend any other customers, so I quickly pulled the robe closed and tied it with a creative knot.
Mr. Carver stepped back from me. “Does it make my eyes pop? I heard that on a television show.” He was turning left and right, and I was about to drop dead on the spot.
“Um… Your eyes pop for whom?”
“My neighbor, Sherry. She’s gorgeous. She just moved in, and I want her to see me as a sexy beast. I’m inviting her over for dinner tomorrow night, and I believe she might spend the night.”
Mr. Carver was a handsome older man, though he wasn’t my type. Based on his description of Sherry, I wasn’t his type either.
I walked to a nearby rack to retrieve one of the beautiful satin robes we were hyping as premier Christmas gifts for Dad and held it up next to him.
“What about a satin robe? I mean, if you’re trying to seduce her, we have some luxurious satin robes in beautiful jewel tones.
This sapphire one would definitely make your eyes pop. ”
“Oh, that sapphire would look good on you.”
I glanced in the mirror, seeing Briggs York standing behind us with a big grin on his handsome face. I hadn’t seen him since he came into the store the previous week. I’d been surprised when he didn’t make an appearance at O’Malley’s Pub on Friday or Saturday night. I’d actually missed seeing him.
“Mr. York. It’s nice to see you again. If you’ll give me a moment, I’ll assist you.”
“Sure. I’ll wait.”
Briggs walked over to a rack with briefs of all colors, picking up a three-pack in shades of blue. I had a feeling they’d look damn good on him.
He was more handsome than I remembered from our previous encounters. He made me nervous, what with his intensity. This time, when our gazes met, my knees nearly buckled.
“Mr. Carver, I think this is the best one for you,” I said as I held up the blue robe to block his ass from view of the rest of the customers when he took off the flannel one, not that they couldn’t see the full monty in the reflection of the three-way mirror.
Briggs walked over to the older man and nodded.
“I think these would be very flattering with the robe. Look—you’ve got three coordinating colors of sexy briefs to entice her with.
I’d say you’ve got a good shot at winning your chosen lady over.
I’m sure I’m not your type, but I’d say you were a sexy beast in that outfit. ”
It was all I could do not to laugh, but damn if Briggs York could talk anyone into anything. Hell, under the right circumstances, he could talk me into his bed in an instant.
Mr. Carver laughed and went back to the dressing room, closing the door. I turned to Briggs. “You’re a miracle worker. How’d you do that?” I pointed to the men’s briefs I was holding in my hand.
Briggs chuckled. “I’m not as old as him, but I want to look good. When one is trying to seduce a love interest, it’s important to feel confident and sexy. For him to walk out of the dressing room without anything on, he’s got the confidence thing down. He just needs a little help with the sexy.”
I giggled. “You’re right. So, what can I do for you?”
His grin was gorgeous. “Have a late dinner with me?”
“Tonight?” I was going to say yes, but I wanted to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
“As soon as you clock out.” Briggs grinned.
“It might be close to ten-thirty. We’re on holiday hours now.”
Briggs nodded. “That’s not a problem. I’ll be back to pick you up at ten-thirty, and I’ll give you a ride home tonight. No rideshare needed.”
I was powerless to say no, so I nodded and took Mr. Carver’s purchases to the register. When he stepped out of the dressing room, I looked for Briggs, but he was nowhere to be found. He’d said he’d be back, and I couldn’t wait.
I walked out of the store at ten-twenty, finding the sexy man leaning against a beautiful luxury sedan with a confident smirk. He had a commanding presence, that was for sure.
“I hope you didn’t wait too long. I had to clean out the fitting rooms in my area before I could leave.”
Briggs smiled and walked around to the passenger side of his vehicle. “No worries. How was your day? If it began the same way as it was going when I walked in, I feel for you.”
I giggled. “Thank you. Not so, uh, naked, but it was a day.” Hell, working at the store was a chore, but everyone had a job they hated. I wasn’t special.
When I slid into Briggs’s fancy car, I prayed I wasn’t making a deadly mistake. He winked at me before closing the door, and I buckled my seatbelt, bracing myself for whatever came next. Briggs got in, and my pulse quickened. His scent in the confined space was intoxicating.
“How about your day? Do you work in the office every day? I’m not exactly sure what you do.” I hoped to hell human trafficking wasn’t his profession…or serial killing handsome young men.
“I own commercial real estate around the world as investment properties. Today wasn’t bad at all because my new co-president started.
He’ll share a lot of the burden with me, which I’m happy to let him do.
I’ve known him for years. He worked for me before he left to be a prosecutor here in St. Louis County, but he’s come back to York Properties and is eager to get to work.
Uh, you might know him. It’s Barrett Tarry, Maizie Brown’s Daddy. ” Briggs side-eyed me at the stoplight.
I choked on spit for a second as the sound of my heartbeat echoed in my ears. My little status was something I guarded closely. Did he know I was a little? Was his plan to blackmail me?
“Yes, uh, I’ve gone to Leather & Lollipops as Maizie’s guest several times. It’s, uh… It’s a unique club.” What the hell else could I say?
If I told Briggs that I liked drinking from sippy cups and watching princess movies as I fell asleep, would he pull over and kick me out of the car on a dark highway?
If he knew I had a chest of drawers filled with training pants that I bought using my Bloomfield’s discount, what would he think?
What if I told him I made myself sleepers, onesies, and short sets from used clothing I bought at thrift stores to support my kink? Would he walk away and never look back?
Being a little girl seemed to be more acceptable at the club than being a little boy.
When I deeply regressed, I played with blocks, colors, and coloring books.
If I didn’t go as deep, I enjoyed playing with race cars on a track, playing tag or hide and seek, playing with building sets, and making things with clay.
Sometimes, I just played video games and read comic books like a teen.
I could be energetic or lazy as a sloth.
I didn’t think any Daddy would want to sign up for the many moods of Teller Buchanan.
We pulled into the parking lot of a fancy steakhouse that appeared to be closed. “Uh, Briggs, I think we’re too late. I’m fine with a burger from Steak & Shake.” I pointed to the local burger franchise across the parking lot that claimed to be the home of the original smashburger.
Briggs smiled. “I think we’ll be okay, though I do love a steakburger on occasion. How do you feel about White Castle?”
“If I’m home alone, I love them. They aren’t really date-friendly, but if I’m going to settle in for a movie marathon with Maizie, I’ll get the Crave Case.
” I wasn’t about to lie. We definitely didn’t have anything in common, so there was no reason to lie.
He was handsome and had a great sense of humor, so why not enjoy a meal?
“I understand that completely. So, are you hungry?” Briggs unbuckled his seatbelt and stared at me.
I had no idea how he thought he’d convince the staff to stick around for another hour, but hell, I’d give it a go if he wanted to try. I would be judging his powers of persuasion. “Starved.”
Briggs reached over and unbuckled my seatbelt before he got out. I opened the door and stepped out, adjusting my jacket before Briggs closed my door. “I’m glad you agreed to go to dinner with me. There are things I’d like to discuss, if you don’t mind.”
I reached into my pocket to be sure I had my phone in case I had to call a cab. I was still a little shaky about whether this was a good idea, but hell, I was hungry. “Shall we?”
We walked into the restaurant, and Briggs stepped up to the host stand. “York. Party of two.”
The young woman’s eyes doubled in size. “Oh, yes, Mr. York. Welcome. If you’ll follow me.”
I didn’t see a soul in the restaurant, but we didn’t stop in the dining area where servers were cleaning up tables and vacuuming the floor. We went back to the kitchen, which seemed really odd. I’d never been in the kitchen anywhere except for O’Malley’s, and hell, I worked there.
Briggs and I were seated at a nice table in a cozy corner of the sparkling kitchen at Gateway Steak, a newer steakhouse not far from Manchester Mall, where Bloomfield’s was located. I hoped to hell I didn’t get stuck with the check because it would take my whole month’s wages to cover the meal.
A good-looking man in a white chef’s jacket walked over to the table with a welcoming smile. “Good evening, gentlemen. I’m Chester Thane, and I’m the head chef of Gateway Steak. We’re honored to have you, Briggs.” He turned to Briggs, which surprised me.
Was I living under a rock? I’d never heard of Briggs York before he showed up at my jobs, so either Chef Thane knew him or he was a natural-born liar.
“Chef. It’s good to see you again. I was surprised when I found out you’d left Dallas,” Briggs responded.
The chef grinned. “New opportunities will take you places you never imagined. Now, any food allergies?”
Briggs turned to me and raised his eyebrows in question.
“No,” I answered.
“No for me too.”
The chef nodded. “I’ll have our bartender take your drink order.” The chef put his hands together and bowed before he walked away.
An assistant server came out with a basket of different types of rolls and soft butter. My mouth watered. The bartender came over with a welcoming smile. “I’m Seth. What can I make for you to drink?”
Briggs turned to me and touched my hand. “What would you like, Teller?”
“Uh, I’ll have an old-fashioned, please.” Never in my life had I tasted an old-fashioned, but it sounded like an adult beverage. I liked frozen drinks with rum and tequila, but it didn’t feel like that kind of place.
“Smoked? Rocks?”
I turned to Briggs, who winked. “Do you like a bonfire?”
“Yeah—yes. Why?”
He turned to the server. “Light smoke and a large cube. I’ll have a Maker’s neat, please.”
It sounded so sophisticated when he ordered the drink. I was a guy from Jennings Grove, as country as it got, and there was nothing sophisticated about me, but it was fun to pretend.
The server nodded and hurried away as Briggs held the basket of bread in front of me. I took a piece of some sort of cracker with onion and sundried tomato baked into it. It looked amazing and smelled better.
“Obviously, you arranged for this, right?” Fuck, they knew him and were ready for us. How could he not have called ahead, and how did I miss it?
Briggs took a slice of brown bread and slathered it with soft butter before he placed it on a plate.
“I won’t lie. I had them on standby because I wasn’t sure if you’d agree to have dinner with me.
I’ve known Chef Chester for a few years.
He’s a great guy, and when I found out he’d moved to St. Louis to be the executive chef in this restaurant, I called him.
He told me he’d host me when I found someone special to bring, and here we are. ”
Someone special? Was I someone special to him?