Chapter 4
Chapter Four
When we finish eating, Noah cleans up our mess. I offer to help, but he turns me down. It only takes a few seconds to stuff everything in the to-go bag and put it in the trash.
“Will you invite me to your party now?” he asks.
I push my chair back and accept his outstretched hand as he helps me down from the seat. It’s not as though I actually need help, but it feels good to pretend I’m not quite capable of getting off the chair on my own.
I also like the way he holds my hand as he leads me to my playroom. I point toward the small table and then skip over to remove one of my dolls from her seat so Noah can occupy the space.
He moves the small chair out of the way and sits right on the floor, making me giggle. He’s too big for my table, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
“Would you like some tea, Sir?” I ask in my best British accent.
He nods, his expression serious. “Thank you, ma’am. That sounds lovely.”
I set a tiny teacup and saucer in front of him as well as both my other dolls and my seat. After that, I pour pretend tea from my teapot, careful not to drip any on the table.
“Would you like some sandwiches, Sir?” I ask, holding out a platter of nothing.
“Yes, please.” He reaches up to delicately remove one of the sandwiches. “What kind is this one?” he asks, holding up the pretend sandwich and examining it.
“Cucumber and cream cheese on rye.”
“Ah. Do you like this kind?”
I scrunch up my nose and lean in to whisper, “No, those are gross, but it’s not polite to say so to the hostess.”
He laughs. “Of course.”
Noah asks me a lot of questions about my Little while we eat our sandwiches and drink our tea. I’m always polite to finish chewing and dab my lips with my napkin before I answer.
I ask Noah questions about his job. I find out he’s a realtor both on the mainland and the island. He works odd hours and hasn’t felt like he could fully give enough of his time to a Little girl.
This information is disheartening because even though I refuse to let myself hope maybe this day could turn into more days just like it, I still hate hearing that he doesn’t think he can devote enough time to a Little.
“However…” he says, setting his tea cup down and meeting my gaze. “I’ve been busier on the island in recent months than ever before. More and more people have been in need of my services. I’ve decided to give up my apartment on the mainland and move to the island fulltime.”
I stare at him, not breathing or blinking. My heart is pounding. I’m not sure what this would mean for me. Does it mean I won’t ever see him again because he’s not going to come to the Dungeon anymore?
Noah leans back against the wall and reaches a hand out toward me. “Come here, Little one.”
I set my tea cup down with shaky fingers and crawl over to him. He smells so good. I don’t know if it’s his aftershave or his soap or a combination, but I want to climb onto his lap and run my nose along his neck.
He drops his legs out flat and pats his thighs. “Will you sit on my lap?”
I eagerly scramble to do so even though I’m worried every moment I spend with him is going to make it harder when I don’t see him anymore.
When I’m situated, he rubs my back. “I’ve been in a bit of a panic for two months. Do you know why?”
I shake my head, frowning.
“Because you stopped coming to the club, and I was worried I wouldn’t get to see you again.”
“Oh.”
He smiles. “I’ve known for a long time that you intrigued me, Little one. The reason I never approached you for more than an occasional scene was because I knew you deserved a Daddy who was more available and could give you more of himself. I’ve been too busy to devote enough of my time to a Little.”
I hold his gaze. I don’t think I’m even blinking. I’m not sure what he’s trying to say, but I’m not going to interrupt.
He rubs my back. It feels nice. I never get the opportunity to sit with a Daddy and have him hold me and comfort me. I’m too bratty at the club to end up in situations like this.
“Ever since I made the decision to move, I’ve come to the club as often as I could, hoping to see you, and every night you weren’t there made my heart sadder. I was so elated when I saw you in the restaurant the other day, I was unable to give my companion my full attention. I’m sure he noticed how many times I looked for you.”
My breath hitches. I’m stunned.
“Are you surprised?”
I nod. “Yes, Sir.”
He grins. “I know I’ve never given you a single indication that I could ever want more with you, but that’s only because I hid my feelings so well. And now…”
I sit stiffly on his lap.
He slides his palm up my back and picks up my hand with his other one. He brings my fingers to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I have to leave in one week.”
I blink. “Oh.” All the air seems to leave my lungs. He’s leaving, and it’s my fault that I didn’t get to know him better because I didn’t go to the club for two months. It’s sheer luck that we happened to run into each other the other day.
I also realize that if I had hesitated much longer in texting him, I would have lost even this opportunity.
“I’m going to go out on a limb here and make a very bold move.”
I cock my head to one side.
“Go with me.”
My eyes widen.
He smiles. “You heard me. Go with me to the island next week. If it’s too scary to give up your job so abruptly, take vacation time. Take two weeks. Go with me and see what you think. If you hate it, you can always come back.”
The room is spinning. Did Noah just ask me to go to the island with him? Next week?
He gives my waist a squeeze. “Say something, Amelia.” He grins.
“I, uh, I’m trying to make sure I understand what you’re suggesting.”
“I’m suggesting that you give me a chance to be your Daddy. I know it’s sudden and you’re trying to catch up, but I’ve wanted such an opportunity with you for a long time.”
“You have?”
“Yep.”
Go to the island… With Noah …
I lick my lips. Nothing has ever sounded more inviting in my life. It’s scary, but…is he serious? “You barely know me.”
He shrugs. “So, I’ll get to know you more every day. What do we have to lose? My gut tells me we’re compatible and could grow into a relationship that will last a lifetime, but if I’m wrong, what will we have lost?”
I chew on my bottom lip. He’s right about that part. Even if I quit my job entirely, I could always get another waitressing job. I don’t have any current clients waiting for a mural, and he seems to think I could get some new clients on the island.
“I might not be able to make enough money at first to help pay my part of the rent,” I point out.
He shakes his head. “I wouldn’t want you to work at all for a while, Little one. You’ll need to focus on finding your inner infant and making sure she’s right for you. If you decide to stay with me, we’ll figure out together how much you’d like to work. I’m sure lots of Daddies and Mommies would be excited to hire you to paint. But Amelia, working will never be something you’ll do in order to pay your part of anything. You’ll be my Little girl to take care of. I don’t need a second income. You’d save your money for the future.”
My mind is reeling. I can’t fully process all this.
He pulls me closer and sets his lips on my neck. “Take a chance, Little one.”
I chew on my bottom lip. I’ve never heard a more appealing offer in my life. It’s scary. Am I even awake? Maybe I’m dreaming, and I’m going to wake up and find myself alone, having imagined all of this.
I look around my special room. “What would happen to my apartment?”
“I’ll pay the rent on it for a while until you’re sure you want to stay with me.” His hand slides up to my neck.
“I could take some of my things?”
“Yep. We could pack up whatever is important to you. Keep in mind, you won’t need clothes. We’d keep all your pretty dresses here on the mainland for when we visit.”
My brow furrows. “I won’t need clothes?”
“Nope. Littles on the island only wear diapers, T-shirts, and shoes.”
My eyes widen. “All the time?”
“Always. The most important thing about Littleworld is that every age-play visitor follows the same dress code. It keeps things simple. There is no jealousy, and modesty is equally non-existent.” He tugs on one of my pigtails. “You can have hair bobbles, though. I’ll fix your hair for you and put pretty things in it.”
I chew on my lip again. Apparently there’s a lot about the island and Littleworld I didn’t know. I only had a vague understanding that the island was reserved for deeply regressed age play.
“What do you say, Little one?”
I face him and decide to go for it. “Yes.”