Chapter Six
Briggs
I sensed doubt in Teller’s eyes as the staff fussed around us. He still had no idea what to think about me, and I wanted to do everything I could to put him at ease.
For sure, I went hard at life. I tried to get everything out of it that I could, but I had no idea someone like Teller could be in my future.
He made me realize I wanted things again that I hadn’t wanted in years. Whether he’d be up for any of it, I didn’t know, but he’d admitted that he’d gone to Leather & Lollipops, so I was holding out hope. “You have questions, so ask them.”
Our drinks were delivered, and Teller’s was dramatic in presentation. When Seth took the glass cloche off the tray and removed the small woodchip bowl, the area smelled like a damn campfire. I loved the scent.
Teller picked up his glass and gave it a sniff. “Oh!” He took a sip and smiled. “That’s good.”
I held my glass high and touched his. “Here’s to new friends.”
“Wow, that’s really good,” Teller said, his sweet smile touching my heart.
It was my hope to show him how great life could be with me. I knew he was a little—or I thought I did. Maybe I was wrong? God knew I wanted to uncover the truth as soon as possible.
Salads came, and we chatted about my business, where my buildings were located and how many I had, and what I wanted out of my business ventures in the future. That was a good start to the getting-to-know-you tour.
When the steaks and sides came, I directed the questions to his future. “What would you say your long-term goals are for your career?”
He wiped his mouth and smiled. “I think I mentioned that I want to be a fashion designer, but that’s my reach dream. Right now, my goal is to continue to put a roof over my head.”
“And why do you think fashion designing is a dream? Goals are attainable, I can assure you. You just have to work toward them and keep your eyes on the prize. I’m not going to sit here and continue to quote platitudes.
Tell me why you don’t think you would be given the chance to create your own fashion line.
What kind of clothes are you interested in designing? ” I asked.
When we finished our entrées, the chef cleared our dishes. “I have a homemade pumpkin spice gooey butter cake with cinnamon whipped cream or apple pie à la mode. Can I tempt you?”
“Bring both,” I ordered. “And I’ll take a latte. Teller, would you like coffee or tea?”
“Uh, tea, please.” Chef Chester nodded and stepped away.
“So, do you have a stalker ex with a restraining order out there?” Teller was attempting to change the subject. It was adorable.
“No restraining orders, but I’ve had a couple of relationships that didn’t work out for one reason or another. You?”
We talked about our pasts, though I did more talking than Teller, explaining to him about Riley without actually admitting that I was a Daddy Dom.
I wanted to get to know him without the pressure that piece of information brought, and that was what we were doing.
He didn’t mention anything about being a little either.
He was gorgeous, and he made me smile. That was enough for now.
After we finished our desserts, it was close to midnight. “I need to go to the men’s room. Is that okay?” Teller asked, which I didn’t expect.
I stood and walked around the table to pull out his chair. “I’ll be here.”
Teller walked away, and I watched his sexy ass the whole time. There was a chuckle behind me, and Chester laughed. “He’s gorgeous. Have you locked him down, or is he still available?”
Chester Thane was a notorious cock hound. He’d been married to a nice guy when he worked in Dallas, but Chester had a wandering eye, and his husband at the time wouldn’t put up with his bullshit. I wouldn’t either.
“He isn’t available. Why don’t you have Christmas decorations up yet?” Taking Teller off the market wasn’t my place, but I wanted my chance before a sexy chef got involved.
Chester laughed. “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet. These people all rush to beat the holidays. I have no desire to do anything before December first.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I understand. So, can I get the check?”
“I’ve got it. Just tip the servers,” Chester insisted as he walked away.
I reached for my wallet, finding my pocket empty. I shoved a hand into my pants’ pocket to find nothing there either, and I realized I’d left my wallet and cash in my hotel room. What the fuck was— My brain was filled with Teller Buchanan and couldn’t function properly.
When Teller returned, I cleared my throat. “Hey, how much cash do you have on you?”
Teller’s face went pale. “I knew it! I fucking…” He pulled out his wallet and handed me four twenties.
“That it?” I knew I shouldn’t have said the words when they were leaving my mouth.
He looked down, his face flushing at my hasty comment. He was a young guy, and he worked three jobs. I wanted to kick my own ass for making him feel bad.
“I can go to the ATM at the credit union next door. How much do we need to pay the bill? I should have known.” He stood and stormed out of the kitchen.
I hurried to go after him. I was an asshole of the worst order.
Teller was rushing across the parking lot, cursing up a blue streak. “I can’t fucking… I knew it. I knew it. Son of a bitch.”
“I’ll pay you back. I just forgot my wallet and my cash at my hotel. I’m embarrassed to hell, and I’m sorry I asked.”
Teller took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. “How much?”
“If you have three hundred, I’ll get it back to you tomorrow.”
He didn’t turn to me. Teller moved in front of the ATM and inserted his card. When three hundred dollars slid out of the machine, he handed the money to me. “That’s all I’ve got. I expected there was some sort of catch when you asked me for dinner. Please don’t come to any of my jobs again.”
Without waiting, Teller hurried away. I went back into the restaurant and gave the money to the host before rushing out again to find him getting into a cab.
Fuck me.
“What crawled under your saddle?” Madeline asked as I stomped off the elevator on Wednesday morning, huffing and puffing as I walked by her and into my office.
I dropped my briefcase beside my desk and took off my topcoat, tossing it onto the wingback chair in front of my desk. She followed behind with a stack of files.
“Do I look like a liar?” I took off my suit coat and walked over to the door, placing it on the hanger before I turned around to glare at my assistant.
“Uh, I’m not sure how one can pick out a liar from a crowd. What’s going on?” She took my topcoat, hung it in the closet in my office, and closed the door before sitting in the chair where the coat had been tossed.
I sighed. I hadn’t slept worth a shit the previous night, trying to figure out what Teller meant with his tantrum. I forgot my wallet. I forgot my cash. I would pay him back, but he didn’t seem to believe me.
I opened my desk drawer and grabbed the cash and my wallet. “I asked to borrow money from my date last night, and he now thinks I’m some sort of deadbeat con man. I’ll be back. Get Barrett to go through all of that when he gets in. I need to clear something up with my date. I’ll be back.”
I grabbed my suit coat off the back of the door and stormed out of my office, heading to the garage. Once I was in my car, I hit the Bluetooth button on the steering wheel. “Call Barrett.”
It rang twice. “Hey, Briggs. I’m just pulling into the garage,” Barrett answered.
“I need directions to the building where Maizie lives. I want to see it.”
“I’ll pick you up and take you. Be there in a second.”
I jerked the keys from the console tray and stepped out of the car as Barrett’s Lexus pulled next to my Mercedes. He rolled down the window. “Hop in.”
“Thanks.” I slammed the door, and Barrett sped away before I latched my seatbelt.
“You didn’t bring me coffee?”
“I didn’t bring me coffee. Get us to the Shitty Arms, and I’ll buy you breakfast after I straighten out something.” I was fuming, and the adrenaline kept me pissed. That wasn’t good.
I turned to Barrett as we pulled out of the garage. “I have a question, and please don’t give me that bullshit of it’s not your story to tell. You know Teller Buchanan, Maizie’s friend, correct?”
Barrett merged onto the highway toward Hillsdale Heights. “Yes, I know Teller. We’ve taken him to Leather & Lollipops with us. Why? How do you know Teller?”
“He waited on me at Bloomfield’s, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
He mentioned he worked at O’Malley’s, and I went there to see him.
It’s a long story, but I’d love to take him on another date.
I took him to Gateway Steak last night, and I forgot my wallet, so I had to borrow money from him to tip the servers, and he thinks… Well, he thinks I’m a liar.”
Barrett chuckled. “Did you lie to him?”
“No. I didn’t lie. I forgot… He seems to think I’m some sort of opportunist out to get money from him. I can’t figure out where I gave him that impression.”
Barrett laughed as he turned onto a dead-end street and stopped in front of a rundown building. I gave him a double-take, unsure if he was taunting me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Tell me you don’t let your little girl live here.” The structure was peeling yellow brick with a broken terracotta roof and a security door with plywood covering the center because the window was busted out.
“Fucking hell, I haven’t been here for a while because I send a car service to pick her up and bring her to me since she usually gets off work earlier than me.
Maizie told me things were getting better, and I took her word for it.
I had no idea it was this bad.” His mouth was open, much like my own.
“Look, Briggs, I want my girl to move in with me, but I can’t kidnap her.
The rent for their studio apartments is nine hundred dollars a month.
There are four of those, two up and two down.
The other apartments are a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom, one of each on each floor.
It wasn’t this bad two weeks ago when I brought her home from a weekend in Chicago. ”
I exhaled before I exploded. It wasn’t my place to criticize how he cared for his little girl, but no way was my boy going to live in this fucked-up disaster.
Stepping out of the car, I leaned against the side, taking in the sight of the neighborhood before I concentrated on the building. There were broken glass bottles on the sidewalk and in the grass. “How long has it been like this?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll find out. I’m not happy about this either. I’ll be getting to the bottom of it in a minute. She kept this from me. Which isn’t cool.” Barrett stormed up the sidewalk and pressed the buzzer for the intercom system by the front door.
“Hello?” It was Maizie’s voice.
“It’s me. Open the door right now.”
Barrett was pissed. So was I, but I didn’t have the right to pitch a fit the same way my friend did. If I had that right, a sexy young man would be over my knee in a heartbeat.
I turned to Barrett. “Which one is Teller’s?”
“Two-oh-three.” He pointed to the numbers on the door of Maizie’s apartment. One-oh-three to confirm that my boy was a floor up.
When it opened, the girl’s face was pale. “Daddy?”
I hurried up the stairs to the second floor and knocked on two-oh-three. Twice. Finally, there was movement inside.
When the locks opened and the chain came off the door, a very angry Teller snarled at me. “What? Oh, it’s you.” He started to close the door, but I put my foot in the way to stop it.
“Yes, it’s me. First, here.” I handed him four hundred bucks before I forced my way inside. He wasn’t thrilled, but he didn’t fight me.
“How long has that security door been broken?” I pointed toward the floor. No doubt, he knew what I meant.
“It, uh, it just happened… Wait. What the hell are you doing here? Why do you think you have any right—”
I didn’t overanalyze anything. I took him in my arms and pressed my lips against Teller’s. He stiffened for a moment, but I didn’t let go. He moaned before molding his mouth to mine.
After a few stunning seconds, Teller pulled away. He didn’t slap me as I’d expected, but he was spitting mad. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” He was still holding the money I’d given him, so I thought maybe—just maybe—I had a chance.
“I’m not a liar, I swear. I honestly forgot my money last night, and it will never happen again. I’m sorry you drew your account down, but we’ll fix that.”
His hands went up. “No, no! I’m not asking… I’m not looking…”
I kissed him again. “You’re not looking for a sugar daddy, and I know that without asking, Teller. You work too damn hard to make your own way in the world, and I’m impressed. I also want to prove myself to you. Will you let me?” God, I hoped he said yes.
I scanned his body to see a sleeper with a long zipper. Pumpkins decorated it, with fall leaves here and there. It was adorable. “Did you make this?”
His face turned bright red. “Yes. It’s one of my own designs.”
“Is this what you want to do? Do you want to design little clothes for adults?” In that moment, it was as plain as the nose on my face.
“How did you know?”