Chapter 3
Chapter Three
I have some trepidation when I answer the door. It feels like I’m mixing my worlds. I’m only Little in front of people when I’m at the Dungeon. This is my apartment.
Noah holds up a brown paper bag. “Chicken nuggets, as requested.” He grins.
I step back and let him in, but I’m biting my lip, unable to speak. How will I eat? I’m so nervous that my stomach is flipping around.
Noah shuts the door at his back and reaches out to lift my chin. “You look so very pretty, Amelia.”
“Thank you, Sir,” I murmur. I do not know who this shy Amelia is. I’ve never met her. I wonder if she’s just nervous, and she will loosen up in a few minutes.
“Are you hungry, Little one? Would you like to eat first?” He nods toward my kitchen area on the other side of the open space.
I clasp my hands behind my back and rock on my feet. “I don’t know.”
He tickles my neck. “How about if I set the bag on the table, and you can show me around your apartment first?”
“Okay.” I follow him to the kitchen area. Why the heck am I so nervous? I know Noah. I’m totally out of my element. Freaking out a bit.
“You don’t usually have Daddies come to your place, do you, Amelia?”
I shake my head, sending my pigtails flying. “Never.” I glance toward the hallway where my bedroom and my special room are located. He’s going to see my Little space. I can do this. I’m already doing it. He’s here.
He glances around. “There’s nothing in your living room or kitchen that would indicate to anyone that you have a Little side, so I assume you have a special room?”
He’s perceptive. “Yes, Sir.”
“Will you show me, Little one?”
I nod and reach out impulsively to take his hand so I can guide him to my sanctuary. I hold my breath as we enter. I’m squeezing his fingers.
Noah looks around. “This is amazing, Amelia. I love it. I feel like I know who Little Amelia is much better already.”
“She’s not bratty or naughty,” I tell him.
“Mmm. Are you sure? She’s kind of messy.”
I giggle, surprising myself. He’s making this easier than I expected. “Well, except for that.”
“Does Little Amelia pretend to have a Daddy?”
“Sometimes,” I murmur.
“Does he make her put her toys away?”
I shake my head. I’ve never really thought about that. I wonder why not. “No, silly. He can’t make her do anything because he’s never here to punish her.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” Noah wanders in deeper, keeping my hand in his so I’m forced to stay next to him. “Did you paint this rainbow on the wall, Little one?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Wow. It looks professional.” He steps closer.
“I’m a muralist.”
He shifts his gaze to mine. “A muralist?”
I nod. “I paint things on people’s walls. Almost anything they want.”
“And you work at the restaurant, too?”
“Yep, because that’s steady income I can count on. I can’t always be certain Ellie will have enough jobs to pay the rent.”
“Ah. That makes sense. This is stunning and so professional.”
I smile broadly. It pleases me that he likes my work. It makes me feel all warm and proud inside, even though it’s kind of confusing mixing Ellie with Amelia. Amelia only colors pictures. Ellie is the artist. I wonder if other Littles keep their adult side so separated from their Little side as if they two are different people.
“So, there’s a theme in here. A rainbow theme. Everything is so colorful.”
“I like bright colors.”
“I see that.” He strokes a finger over the puffy sleeve of my bright yellow dress. “This is very pretty, by the way. I feel underdressed. You look like you’re going to a party.”
I glance down, feeling self-conscious.
Noah lifts my chin. “I didn’t say that to make you feel overdressed, Little one. I love that you’re wearing such a pretty dress. It tells me a lot about your Little. I do have a question, though.”
I bite my lip, waiting.
“Did you change into this after I spoke to you, or were you already wearing it?”
“I was already wearing it,” I whisper, hoping that doesn’t make me sound too weird.
He beams. “Good.”
“I like to pretend I’m going to a party,” I tell him.
“Ah. That’s fun. Except when you’re at home pretending, you never actually get to go to the party and see other people, do you?”
I shake my head. “No, but it’s okay.” I point toward the small white table I have in one corner of the room where I have propped up three of my dolls as if they’re guests at the party with me.
As Noah wanders around my space, I look at it, wondering what he’s thinking. In addition to my table, I have two bookshelves and a toybox. All the furniture is white. The rugs, beanbag, pillows, and curtains are colorful.
He returns to the mural. “If you lived on the island, you would never run out of work,” he comments.
My breath hitches. I’ve never been to the island where Littleworld is located. I’ve always wished I could go, but I’ve never been in a relationship with a Daddy who could take me. Littles can’t just show up on the island. They have to have a caregiver.
I’m aware some Littles find someone to sponsor them so they can go visit or experience the deeply regressed lifestyle, but I’ve never been brave enough to try that out. What if the Daddy and I didn’t get along?
Noah turns toward me. “Have you ever thought about going there, Little one?”
I nod slowly.
He smiles and strokes my cheek. “Maybe you would consider visiting with me?”
I stop breathing. He’s only been here a few minutes. I can’t believe he’s suggested something like that. It would be a dream. I feel like I’m dreaming.
“Let’s start with chicken nuggets, and then maybe you can invite me to your party.” He lifts a brow.
“Yes, Sir.” My confidence is building. Noah has shown no indication he is unnerved by my lifestyle. I remind myself he really shouldn’t be bothered since he lives parttime on the island. “Why don’t you have a Little girl of your own?” I ask, skipping along beside him on the way to the kitchen.
“I haven’t found the right Little girl yet.” He surprises me when he grabs me by the hips and lifts me onto one of my kitchen chairs as if I couldn’t have done it by myself.
I giggle. It feels good to laugh. It feels good to let myself be free with him. He’s so handsome and so broad and tall that he makes me feel tiny even though I’m not nearly that small. I’m five-six, which is pretty average for a woman, but he’s like six-four, almost a foot taller than me.
As he reaches for the bag of fast food he brought, he glances at me. “Also, I’ve been traveling back and forth between the island and the mainland a lot. That’s a hard life for a Little girl. She would have to go with me every time.”
“Why couldn’t she stay on the island?”
He pulls out a small cardboard box, opens it, and sets it in front of me. It has chicken nuggets in it. “Littles do not stay alone on the island. They live a twenty-four-seven regressed lifestyle. They’re never left unattended.”
He holds up a few sauces. “I wasn’t sure what sauce you might like, so I grabbed three different ones.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Sauces are yucky.”
“Noted.”
I scoot forward on my seat, letting my legs swing. “Littles are never unattended?” That seems unattainable.
“Nope. Never.”
“What happens when their Daddy goes to work?”
“They go to daycare.”
“Oh…”
He hands me a carton of fries and takes a seat next to me. “Catsup?”
I shake my head.
“You eat all your foods without sauces, huh?”
“Yep. I’m kind of picky.” I don’t tell him exactly how picky I am. I rarely tell anyone that.
Noah sets a cup in front of me with a straw. “I got you lemon-lime soda. Is that okay?”
I grin. “It’s my favorite.” It’s the only soda I drink.
“That’s a relief.” He winks at me before pulling out a hamburger for himself and taking a huge bite, chewing and swallowing before he reaches for his soda.
“My friend Lacey moved to the island recently to be with her Daddy.”
“I know. Brian is one of my friends. He used to stay at my apartment here on the mainland when he visited. He was interested in Lacey for a long time before she finally really noticed him.”
“Yeah. She was too shy to really talk to Daddies. I’m so glad they finally got together. I don’t think she had a good home life.”
“She certainly did not. I’ve heard about her situation from Brian.”
I pick on one of my nuggets. “I hope she’s happy and safe now.”
He sets a hand on top of mine. “She’s very safe, Little one, and, from what I’ve seen, thriving and so happy.”
I smile. “Good. She’s a nice girl.”
“What about you? Do you think you’d thrive on the island?”
I shrug. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have a Daddy to take me there.”
“What if you did?”
I nibble on the corner of my nugget. “That would be heavenly,” I whisper without looking up. It would be like a dream come true.
“You could certainly keep your job as a muralist if you wanted. Would you miss your waitressing job?”
I lift my gaze to meet his, scrunching up my face so tight it makes him laugh.
“I guess that’s a no .”
“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who said they loved waitressing so much they hoped they could do it forever,” I joke. In a sing-songy voice I add, “Oh, I just love sore feet and swollen ankles. And the pay is to die for. And all the customers are so kind and friendly.”
He laughs so hard his body shakes. “Good point.” He eats another gigantic bite of his burger before pointing at the nugget in my hand. “How many bites does it take to eat a chicken nugget?” he teases.
I meet his gaze as I take another teeny tiny bite out of it.
He laughs. “Sassy girl.”
I giggle. “You asked. I think I can make it like ten bites.”
“For one nugget?” His brows rise as he continues chuckling.
I shrug.
“No wonder you’re so skinny. I assumed it was because you work your booty off delivering drinks, but if you eat like a little elf, too, that explains things better.”
My cheeks heat, and I look away.
Noah reaches over and sets a hand on my free one. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“I know I’m kind of skinny,” I murmur. “Like I said, I’m a picky eater.”
“Have you tried any protein drinks?”
I nod. “They’re yucky.”
“Mmm. I bet you’d like the formula Little girls drink on the island. I’ve never met a single Little who didn’t like it.”
“Formula?” The word has implications. “Do Littles drink it from a bottle?” I know Regression Island is exactly as the name implies—a place where Littles live more regressed, but do they use bottles?
“Yep. Always.”
“You mean they only take bottles? They don’t eat any foods?”
“Not at first. The formula helps Littles acclimate to their lifestyle. No matter how much time Littles spend in their Little space on the mainland, they can’t fully be prepared for that level of deep immersion. Even Littles who spend most of their time regressed here are in for big changes on the Island.”
“Do they wear diapers all the time?”
He nods. “Always. Littles don’t even have access to bathrooms on the island.”
I gasp, my eyes widening. I also squirm on my seat. I’ve read books with Littles who play that young. I’ve thought about it sometimes, and heck, I’ve always known the island was reserved for deep regression. But I didn’t know the specifics. I squeeze my thighs together because the thought of having a Daddy take care of me so deeply makes my panties damp.
Noah gives me a slow grin. “You like the idea.”
My cheeks heat further. Why should I be embarrassed? “Yes.”
“Do you spend any time in a younger headspace like that, Little one?”
I shake my head. “No. I mean I guess I do in my mind but not outwardly.”
My hand trembles as I take another bite of my nugget. I’m still working on the second nugget.