Chapter Eight
Briggs
Holy hell. The place was a full-fledged dump. The old plaster was falling from the ceilings and walls. The baseboards were busted and filled with a million nails where someone had tried to keep the pieces on the walls, and the likelihood of asbestos and mold was higher than the national debt.
It was easy to see that Teller was a proud man. His surroundings were clean and his personal belongings were well organized, but I could definitely see there was more to his story. If it took the rest of my life, I’d find out all the wrongs he’d endured and do my very best to make them up to him.
Getting my car couldn’t wait because I wasn’t able to do anything without it, so I called the parking garage under my office building and asked them to bring the Merc to Teller’s place. After that, I phoned the restaurant in my hotel and made a reservation for us at noon.
The shower was running, so I went out to the hall and down the stairs to Maizie’s apartment. I knocked on the door, and a moment later, Barrett answered. His clothes were disheveled, and his face was flushed. “Hey, Briggs. Everything okay with Teller?”
“Yes. I’m having my car brought over. He needs to run some errands, and we’re going to get lunch.
I’ll drop him off at Bloomfield’s for work.
Do I need to swing by and pick up Maizie?
Everything okay?” He was holding a pillow in front of his crotch, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.
“It will be in a minute. I’ll run by the office and get the files we talked about on Monday after I drop Maizie at Bloomfield’s.” The last thing on his mind was work—as it should be when someone was with the person they loved.
“I’ve already asked Madeline to send them to my hotel. We can meet for lunch over the weekend and go over everything. I’ll make notes in the files. Anything you need from me?” I asked.
Barrett glanced over his shoulder and turned back to me with a smirk. “No, but thanks. I think I’ve got everything I need.”
We shook hands, and I went back upstairs to check on my baby boy. We were starting at square one, and I wasn’t going to skip anything. We both deserved to enjoy the beginning of our relationship, and I wanted to make at least a million memories with him. He was unlike anyone I’d ever met.
When I returned to the apartment, I heard a hairdryer through the bathroom door and smiled. Teller always appeared so put together that it had been a surprise to see him looking disheveled when he’d opened the door. He was fucking adorable in those footed pajamas.
I wondered if he had more of those pajamas or if he wore other styles as well. I wouldn’t go through his chest of drawers out of respect for his privacy, but I would check out the things in the open.
I walked over to a small bookcase to see toys: small metal cars, trucks, some modeling clay, several action figures, some games—Chutes and Ladders, Hungry, Hungry Hippo. Compared to the littles I’d met before, Teller’s selection was relatively small.
I glanced around the large room that was his entire living space, taking in the old plasma-screen television precariously balanced between two milk crates with a gaming system stashed below one of them. It had all seen better days.
There was a stack of comic books that appeared to be organized by universe, character, and series number. They were dated a few years ago, so not current, but they were in good condition. I doubted they were sought-after editions, but it was a sign that there were many levels to Teller’s little.
Taking in the entire scene, I noticed that his toys didn’t appear new. They had been lovingly played with by children or other littles before Teller came to own them. A part of me hated that for him, but he didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would complain or turn up his nose.
I examined a nice pair of loafers sitting by his closet door. They’d been resoled, and the leather upper, though polished beautifully, seemed to have been worn before Teller came to own them. They were a quality brand, even if they weren’t new. I expected nothing less of my little fashionista.
As I glanced around the little apartment, I could see everything he owned had probably belonged to someone else before Teller acquired it. I knew he didn’t want things from me, but he deserved only the best. From that minute forward, he would only get the best.
“I’m almost ready,” Teller said as he bounced onto the side of the bed, pulling on his socks and those black shoes.
“You look very nice. How late do you have to work?” I asked. I needed to call my mom and let her know to set an extra place for dinner tomorrow.
“Uh, probably until midnight. We have to clean up and get the store ready for Black Friday. It opens at seven, and nobody wants to come in at five to do it. I’m working the morning shift on Black Friday—seven until two, then I’m working at O’Malley’s from four until eleven.
” He took a shoe brush and swiped at the tops of his shoes a couple of times before he stood and adjusted the rust sweater he’d tucked into his pants.
“Okay. Uh, pack up your stuff. You can stay with me tonight. We’re leaving to go to my parents at nine, and I want to be sure you get enough sleep.
I want you to be well rested, and taking the bus home at midnight doesn’t seem to be conducive to getting enough sleep.
” I studied his face to see if there was any hesitation.
His slow smile relieved the knots in my gut.
“You want me to go to your parents’ house? Why would you…? I’ve never gone to anyone’s… It’s a family holiday, and I’m not family,” Teller said, seeming unsure of what else to say.
I took Teller’s hand and led him to the couch, where I sat and then pulled him to stand between my legs. I placed my hands on his slender hips. “I should have asked instead of insisting, so I apologize.” I rested my forehead against his tight abdomen to take a breath.
Finally, I glanced up and met his gaze. “Will you go with me to my parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner? My mother is an excellent cook, and she’d be happy to have another guest at her table.” Maybe he wasn’t family yet, but if I had my way, he would be soon.
“I, uh, I’d love to. I mean, if it’s not too much trouble for your mother, I’d love to go with you to your family dinner.” He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I hugged him tightly in return.
After a moment, I pushed him back a few steps, stood, and kissed his forehead.
“Good. Let’s get going. We need to go to the bank and then get you some food.
We’ll make a list of groceries you want while we’re eating, and I’ll shop for you on Friday while you’re at work.
I’ll pick you up after you get off from— How will you get from Bloomfield’s to O’Malley’s on Friday afternoon? ”
“I’ll take the bus. The stop is in front of the store and drops me off down the block from O’Malley’s.”
God, he was going to be exhausted after working such a long day. “Okay. I’ll pick you up from the pub and bring the groceries with me to your apartment.” His brow furrowed, and I could see he wasn’t sure how to respond.
I reached out to caress the side of his neck. “You are important to me. I want to take care of you and make sure you have everything you need to thrive because I care for you very much.”
“Thank you.” Teller’s lips touched mine, and my world was exactly as it should be.
I anxiously paced the sidewalk outside Bloomfield’s as the employees drifted out at midnight. I saw Barrett’s Lexus park a few spots down from me, so I walked toward him.
“Who knew we’d be on taxi duty?” I joked.
Barrett laughed. “My little girl can’t drive. She doesn’t want me to teach her right now because she has one more semester of school, and she insists on doing it by herself.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know if Teller can drive. If he can, I’ll get him a car and the two of them can carpool together.”
Barrett returned my shrug. “Are you official yet?”
That was a good damn question. “I’m not sure. I’ll buy it through the company and issue it to you. You can do as you wish. If Teller can drive and has a license, then he can drive the two of them around. If he doesn’t, then we’ll get them a driver until one of them learns.” Seemed logical to me.
More and more employees streamed out of the building, but our two littles were nowhere to be found. “We can have brunch on Sunday, if you’re free.” Since Teller would be working, I needed something to fill my time because I was pretty sure I’d be a whiny bitch.
“Sure. Maizie works Sunday through Wednesday, and has classes on Thursday evenings, though they’re on break this week.
She’s planning to do an intense study session, and I’ve already been told I’ll be in the way.
I’m not doing anything anyway.” Barrett’s frown told me he also wasn’t happy about the hours Maizie and Teller worked.
“Why don’t you just pay for her schooling? Wouldn’t that free up more time for the two of you?” Again, it seemed like a logical solution.
Barrett laughed. “Oh, you think it’s that easy? I know Teller. Why don’t you tell him to quit his job at O’Malley’s and let you give him money to cover the salary and tips he makes on the weekends?”
“We just started our relationship. You’ve been seeing Maizie for a year, at least, right?” I thought that was what he’d told me.
“Yes, I have. I want to marry her, but she has threatened that if I ask before she has her degree, she’ll stop seeing me. Oh, here they come,” Barrett said as he pointed toward the side door of the store, where Maizie and Teller were exiting.
“Does Maizie happen to have a key to Teller’s apartment? I’d like to get him something he needs for Christmas, but I didn’t have the chance to really look around. Do you think she’d let me in for a little bit while he’s working so I can figure out sizes and look around to see—”
“You mean snoop?”
I was trying to be more eloquent than that, but, bottom line, he was right. “Yeah, in a word.”
“I’ll ask her. If she lets me pay for her school, I’ll buy the car, and the two of them can use it. If she doesn’t, you’re buying.”
I nodded. “Deal.”
“Hey, baby girl, how was your evening?” Barrett asked as he pulled Maizie into his arms and kissed the top of her head.
She was a five-foot beauty with long blonde hair and big blue eyes.
Any straight guy would follow her around with his tongue hanging out, but I could see she only had eyes for Barrett.
“Teller, how about you? How was your evening?” I asked as I pulled his coat closed.
I’d gone home after dropping him off and was wearing an ivory hoodie with black jeans and a puffy vest, and Teller was wearing a navy pea coat that he’d had in his closet at his apartment.
I’d prodded him to bring the coat, reminding him it was much cooler at night after the sun went down, and I was happy to see him wearing it.
“Busy. People are absolutely insane. We didn’t even get to eat anything because we were so busy. I helped Maizie clean out the dressing rooms in the women’s department so she could leave. It was brutal,” Teller explained as he pressed his forehead to the middle of my chest.
I wrapped my arms around him and kissed the top of his head. “I’ll order in some food if you want. I’m not sure if anything’s open, but if there’s a place you want to try, tell me.”
“Ordering in sounds good, Briggs. Thank you.”
“Maizie, sweet girl, will you let me pay for your school so you don’t have to work here like this. You can space out your classes so you’re not so busy all the time, and I’ll take care of the expenses,” Barrett said as he held Maizie in his arms.
“Daddy, you know I love that you want to pay for my school, but I need to do it myself. It’ll only be a few more months, I swear.” She wrapped her arms around Barrett and buried her face in his chest. He stared at me over the top of her head and smirked, the fucker.
“Can you drive, Teller?” I asked as I guided him over to my Mercedes, giving Barrett the finger behind my back. He was a cocky fucker, but he knew his little girl.
“I can. Are you too tired to drive? I’m not so sure about driving your fancy car.” Teller squeezed my hand that was holding his.
I opened the passenger door for him, and once he was inside, I hustled around to the driver’s side and got in myself. “I’m fine to drive, sweet boy. I just wondered if you knew how,” I answered his question.
“I learned to drive from our neighbor in Jennings Grove. He liked to drink, and he got a DUI, so he asked me to take him and pick him up when he went to the tavern. I told him I couldn’t drive, so he taught me when my mother was at work.
After I learned to drive, I’d sneak out of the house—well, I don’t think you can call it sneaking out when my mom wasn’t home—but I’d take him to the bar and then bring him home when he was ready. ”
“Where is this driving instructor now?” I asked. I wasn’t jealous—not much—but I wanted to be certain Teller hadn’t been taken advantage of by the man.
“He died in an accident. When I went to RISD, there was nobody to drive him around, and he ran into a tree going home from the tavern. I felt terrible about it. I got a letter from a lawyer while I was at RISD that Mr. Landing had left something for me, but I ignored it. He didn’t owe me anything.
I definitely didn’t want that rickety old truck or his squirrel gun. ”
I chuckled. “Did you ever find out what it was?”
“Yeah. He left me a thousand dollars and his family album. The pictures were from his childhood, mostly him with his parents. The letter that came with the album said that Mr. Landing wanted the photos to go to someone who was like him and really didn’t have a family who cared about them.
I still have the book in a box in my closet.
The thousand dollars he left me kept me from living on the streets, which was a godsend.
Mr. Landing was a nice older man without a family, and he wanted me to feel like a part of his.
I still miss him.” It was a sweet story, and I was glad there had been some kindness to Teller along the way.
Our destination was the Windsor in Clayton. It was a nice hotel, and it had twenty-four-hour room service, so I could feed Teller. “My room has a large spa tub if you’d like to soak. Working that many hours must leave you physically exhausted.”
“Mmmm. That sounds great, Briggs.”
I took his left hand and placed it on my thigh, holding it with my own as I drove us to the Windsor.
I put car shopping on my to-do list, along with finding a place to live.
Putting the cart before the horse, I decided to get Teller to look at the listings with me.
If the angels smiled upon me, maybe I’d get Teller to live with me. That was the goal.