Epilogue
OLIVER – TWO WEEKS LATER
“I can’t believe we finally did it,” I say breathlessly to my bestie, Valerie, clutching my diploma to my chest.
She smiles indulgently at me. “How does it feel to be a college graduate?” she asks.
I shake my head and look around at all the people milling around the football field where we just had the ceremony. “Incredible. But it’ll feel even better once we get out of these monstrosities.”
She laughs as I pluck at my purple gown, the same one we’re all wearing. While I understand that purple and teal are the school’s colors, it doesn’t stop me from feeling like we all look like a bunch of grapes.
That makes me think of my bracelet, and a rush of love courses through my body. True to his word, August did find me a bunch of grapes charm that he added to the collection I started with.
I only realize I’m staring at the thing all dreamy-eyed when Valerie chuckles. “You should probably go find them,” she suggests, then winks at me when I look guiltily back at her. “I need to track down my folks anyway. I’ll see you for brunch tomorrow?”
“You bet,” I tell her warmly. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. She’s already got an internship sorted out at a big finance company down in Indianapolis, and I couldn’t be happier or prouder of her. But I am going to miss her like crazy.
“Don’t make that face,” she cries with a laugh that half turns into a sob. She whacks my arm and scowls at me. “I’m only going to be an hour away. We’ll still see each other all the time. That is, if you’re not too busy with your new boyyyyfriends.”
“Oh, we intend to keep him extremely busy,” a mouthwateringly familiar voice floats from behind me. I spin around to see Tallis and August approaching us, hand in hand, looking sinfully gorgeous in tailored suits.
I love that they came to watch me graduate. I love even more that I’m not fretting if anyone is going to make assumptions about us.
I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it. If someone gets in a snit because that happens to be with two older men, I couldn’t care less.
I’m proud to be theirs.
“This must be the famous Valerie,” August says warmly, offering his hand out to my friend. “We’ve heard so much about you.”
“And I haven’t heard nearly enough about you two,” she replies, glancing at me with narrowed eyes. “Oliver is very stingy with the details.”
I choke on my own spit in horror, but my Daddies both simply laugh. “That’s because he’s a good boy,” Tallis says, raising a stern eyebrow at her. It only succeeds in making her preen, though.
“Okay,” she says abruptly, spinning back to me and placing a kiss on my cheek. “I really do have to go find my parents. Enjoy your evening and we’ll catch up tomorrow!”
“Bye,” I call after her fondly, but she’s soon lost in the crowd.
I take a second to look around for any familiar faces, especially my mom. I texted her earlier to let her know I’d meet her where I’m standing now, as I figured with thousands of people messaging after the ceremony, signal would be terrible.
I don’t see her yet, but I do catch the eye of Professor Knight who gives me a proud nod. I aced his class in the end and I’m going to miss his lessons. He’s standing arm in arm with his boyfriend who used to be his TA. I wonder what the story is there.
Could it be as outrageous as my own? I doubt it, but it turns out this town is a lot kinkier than I ever imagined, so who knows?
“Ollie?”
My heart leaps as I spin around and find my mom running toward me, arms open wide with tears streaming down her face.
“Mom!” I yell, crashing into her for a bone-crushing hug.
“Oh, baby,” she says, her voice wobbling with emotion. She leans back and cups her hands on either side of my face. “I’m so proud of you. All that hard work, all those years. You did it!”
“I’d have never got here without you,” I tell her truthfully, tears dripping into my grinning mouth.
I might have had my doubts about being anything special as a boyfriend, but my mom never once stopped believing in me. She sacrificed so much so that I could have a better life than she did growing up, and so I can follow my dreams, whatever they were or will be.
It means so much to me that I’ve already started paying some of that back to her. It’s her turn to live her life to the fullest now and chase whatever dreams she never thought she could have.
All because I met two wonderful men who don’t know when to quit spoiling me.
“Look at you!” I cry, stepping back to admire the new outfit she must have bought with the money I sent her.
August absolutely insisted that we treat her, so we arranged a couple of nights in a fancy resort and spa for her in Albertson so she wouldn’t have to worry about traveling today before or after the ceremony.
Besides, it’s about damn time she had a little pampering.
“Oh, never mind me,” she says shyly, even though she’s beaming at the praise. “Look at you!”
“I look like a grape,” I say, laughing and rolling my eyes.
“You look like a distinguished young man,” Tallis says firmly behind me. I think it’s kind of adorable how he hates me saying anything negative about myself.
Sometimes I do it on purpose just to get a spanking.
It’s kind of insane how quickly I’ve thrown myself into the kinky scene. But it turns out that this is very much the life for me.
And the men for me.
“Mom,” I say, vibrating with nervous excitement as I grab her hand and we face my Daddies. “I’d like you to meet Tallis and August Demir. My boyfriends.”
I’m so proud of myself that I didn’t pause or even stutter before saying the word. It might have only been a few weeks, but I’m working really hard on being confident enough not to second guess that I’m worthy of this.
I’d already told her that I’d started dating a married couple when we made it official after the toga party. She was a bit confused at first, but once she understood that nobody was cheating and that all three of us were already in love, she was a thousand percent supportive.
And when they sent her that money and she realized I’d got myself a pair of sugar Daddies…woah. She was beyond delighted, telling me I was the most special boy in the whole world, and I deserved nothing less than to be spoiled to within an inch of my life.
It finally occurred to me in that moment she’d been telling me that since I was born. It was only ever me who didn’t believe in myself and tried to make myself smaller. Thankfully, I met a couple of daddies who wouldn’t stand for that.
I love that, much like Tallis’s mom, she had never been anything but supportive of me. My biggest champion and my constant support. I hate that August doesn’t really have that, but I already know my mom is going to adore him just as much as Tallis’s.
And that’s before I’ve had a chance to tell her that August has paid off my student loans.
I still can’t quite believe it myself, but it’s true.
His and Tallis’s truly priceless gift, though, is giving me time to work out what I want to do as a career.
I want to aim high, just like they have. Now I’ve got the freedom to do that.
Whatever I did in that past life, it must have been next level to be so blessed in this one. Maybe I rescued a whole basket of puppies and an orphanage.
“Oh,” my mom says breathlessly, looking August and Tallis up and down appreciatively. “Aren’t you both so handsome! Ollie, I can’t even find one decent man and you’ve bagged yourself two! I’m jealous!”
I laugh and shake my head. “Tallis, August, this is my mom, Kim.”
“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” Tallis says, taking her hand and kissing the backs of her fingers. My mom blushes and giggles, probably looking a lot like me for a second.
“You raised an exceptional son,” August adds when it’s his turn to greet her, which he does with one of his famous bear hugs.
“Oh, I’m not sure how much I did,” she says bashfully as they part, shaking her head. “He’s always been an amazing kid.”
“I can see where he gets his modesty from,” Tallis says with only a hint of exasperation, making me laugh. “You’re joining us for dinner, Ms. Carver?”
“Yes, if I’m not intruding?” my mom replies, glancing at me.
“Of course you’re not!” I cry, mildly horrified.
“We can’t wait to get to know you better,” Tallis says warmly.
My mom looks pleased as punch. “That sounds lovely,” she says.
“Shall I meet you at the restaurant? I’m sure you boys want a moment to yourselves.
” She winks and waves at me before I can object.
But when Tallis and August don’t protest, I wonder if she picked up on something from them that I missed.
There are less people on the field now as I turn and face my Daddies with a quizzical look on my face. “Are you going to suggest a quickie in the locker room? Because I can tell you right now it doesn’t smell great in there.”
August bursts out laughing while Tallis shakes his head. “Such a naughty boy. I don’t know if you deserve any presents if you’re going to be cheeky.”
“You love him being cheeky,” August says, elbowing him lightly in the ribs. “But, yes. We have a couple of presents for you, Oliver. Would you like them now?”
I’m still getting used to their insane generosity, so I shoo away the urge to tell them that they didn’t need to get me anything and that them being here is enough. “That’s so kind, Daddy,” I say softly, stepping closer to them. “I’d love them now. Thank you.”
Without wasting any time, he produces a box from his pocket. Inside is a charm for my bracelet that looks like a stack of books. The spine of one of them says ‘Graduation’ and another one has the year. I fight a lump in my throat as I hold out my wrist for him to add it to the collection.
Then Tallis reveals an identical box, and I wonder if he also got me a charm. But that’s Daddy August’s ritual for me, and I should have known my Master would have something of his own to offer.
It’s a key.
My eyebrows jump up as I look from it back to them both. “You’re giving me my own key to the house?” I guess. When they grin and nod, my insides feel like the Fourth of July.
“You’re going to need one if you’re going to move in,” August says with a wink.
I laugh and shake my head. “I knew it,” I crow.
“Did you now?” Tallis asks skeptically, but I have to roll my eyes.
“Well you kept vetoing every apartment I tried showing you. It did make me think you might have an alternative plan in mind.”
“So that’s a yes?” August asks hopefully. It’s so sweet how such a brilliantly successful man can also act like a cute kid with a crush. The way he makes me feel so special still blows my mind. Like he’s there waiting on tenterhooks to hear my response because I matter that much.
Both him and Tallis prove to me every day that I do.
“That’s a yes,” I assure him, squealing as he scoops me up in a hug so fierce my feet leave the ground.
I don’t care that I’m young. I don’t care that this has all happened fast. These two men are the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I’m not going to get in the way of my own happily ever after.
I’m all in. I want forever with them, like an all-you-can-eat buffet that never ends. Life is great.
And I’m here for every delicious bite of it I can get with my two Daddies.
Thank you for reading Oliver, Tallis, and August’s story!