Chapter 11
I’d already planned something special for our first official date night, but Leith had been such a good boy over the past few days that I knew he deserved a reward. When I picked him up at six, he was waiting on his newly fixed front porch, rocking in the porch swing I’d hung the day before. He’d been shocked when I’d shown up with it, but I’d bought it second-hand from Tru and Wyatt Janson. They’d bought a new one and were looking for the old one to go to a new home. Kyle had heard about it and put me in touch with the Jansons.
Leith wobbled when he stood up, but I only made it halfway up the steps before he righted himself. He bent to pick up the cane he’d dropped and was grinning widely by the time I made it to him. I kissed him soundly before raising my brows.
“So you like the swing, huh?”
He chuckled and lightly smacked my chest. “Yes. You were right, Daddy.” His eyes went wide. “Jay. I can’t casually drop Daddy tonight.”
I leaned down and spoke in his ear. “You can call me Daddy all you want as soon as we get to my place.”
He gripped my forearm hard as he shivered. Damn but I loved his reactions. He fell so easily into the sub side of himself, it was beautiful to watch. Almost from the start with me, he’d allowed that side to come out. I would never take it for granted. And I looked forward to the day where that was our 24/7. It would never be a total power exchange between us, but we certainly had the roles we were both most comfortable in.
Kyle was going to cackle when I told him I was hopeful for the future.
“Where are we going tonight, Jay?”
Leith’s voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I heard the deliberate way he said my name, as though he was trying to cement it in his mind. He’d rarely used it the past few days, preferring the honorific instead. Truth be told, so did I. I wouldn’t have cared if he called me Daddy in public either, but I knew it made him uncomfortable. Not that I blamed him. People were incredibly judgmental.
“Dinner wherever you’d like, followed by meandering down Main Street, if your leg is up for it. If not, then we’ll just head back to my place.” I hoped his knee would be able to handle it, because my surprise hinged on that walk. Not that we couldn’t drive to the destination, but it’d be more fun if we just happened to wander in.
He peeked up at me through his lashes. “Anywhere I want?”
“Angel’s choice.”
I would never get tired of his laugh, but especially this one, when he sounded just so fucking delighted. Joy looked really good on him, and I silently vowed to make sure he had as much of that in his life as he could handle.
“Would you happen to know if Kyle is working tonight?”
“He always works Fridays,” I responded without thought. Landry’s Fall didn’t really have a tourist season, since there was always something to do. But winter, when there was skiing, and the summer when camping and lakefront activities were popular, were the busiest times. Kyle worked all weekend, every weekend, to help his father run the diner. Unless he was visiting Xavier, that was. Then his question caught up with me, and I squinted down at him. “Why?”
“Such a suspicious Daddy,” Leith purred, somehow making it sound suggestive. If I wasn’t actually suspicious, I would have teased him back. As it was, I kept glaring until he relented. “I have those cuttings for him, as a thank you. Also I have a velleity for Swansie’s chicken fried steak.”
I scratched my cheek. “Is that a hankering?”
Leith shrugged, and let go of me to go back inside, probably to get said cuttings. “A mild desire, more accurately. If you’d rather eat somewhere else, I won’t object. We can stop in at the diner during our stroll instead.”
I was fine with eating at Swansie’s. To be honest, I’d grown up on their food, spending even more time there after Kyle and I became friends. It was a comfort thing for me, and I was always happy to eat there. Besides, Kyle would be far too busy to hassle us. Much anyway.
Leith returned a moment later, two small pots and a water-filled glass bottle held carefully against his chest with one arm. I rushed over to help, taking all of it from him. I wanted him to have both hands as he went down the steps. I tucked both pots in my arm, then lifted the bottle to look at it closer. I recognized the leaves as ones that matched his beloved plant, and there were some spindly roots floating in the water.
“Did you give Franziska a haircut?”
Again with that delighted laugh. “Just a little one. As I said before, Kyle doesn’t have this varietal. He has a Snow queen, a global green, an N’Joy, several golden and even a Cebu blue pothos, but not a Marble Queen. To be honest, I don’t know why not. It’s not as though it’s rare. Or why I’ve never passed on a cutting in all the time I’ve known him.”
“Mhmm.” I didn’t know what half of that meant, other than to assume they were different types of the same plant. I gestured to one pot with the bottle. “And this one?”
“Monstera Thai Con. When I went to chop and prop, I realized I had a section that was well rooted in the moss pole, so I just snipped that out, and potted it up. And that,” he said, indicating his other pot, “is Scindapsus pictus Silver Splash. Kyle has a Satin Silver, but this is a different variegation.”
I eyed him, a little surprised about that last bit, since it was a full plant and he’d said cuttings earlier. “That’s very generous of you.”
“Perhaps not. I had two.” He chuckled, then turned a full wattage grin on me. “And since I’m getting rid of a plant, it makes room for another.”
“Nice try, baby boy,” I drawled, handing him back the bottle as we made it to the truck so I could open the door. Then I reclaimed the bottle so he could climb up. Once he was seated and belted, I handed over all the greenery. “Your collection could do with some major downsizing.”
“Major might be a stretch,” he said with a pout. I laughed heartily as I shut the door.
* * * *
My prediction came true. Swansie’s was hopping, and there was a wait to be seated, but I wasn’t above using my connections to get us a table before everyone else. Although, the second Kyle laid eyes on the two of us, and then the plants, he let out a squeal I was sure could be heard down the street. So perhaps it was Leith’s bribery that got us a table.
Even though we were seated in Quinn’s section, that didn’t stop Kyle from flouncing over from time to time. He was in his element, with the dining room packed, his dad and honorary uncle cooking like mad men, and so many people to talk to. He didn’t have a lot of time to bother us, but every time he so much as passed by, he batted his eyelashes and gave a swoon-worthy sigh.
At least the food was good and the company outstanding.
I usually lingered after I finished my food, drinking coffee or picking at dessert, because I loved the atmosphere of Swansie’s. But today we didn’t. As soon as we were finished, I paid the bill and hustled Leith out the door. Not only because there was still a line of patrons waiting to be seated, but because I was ready to get to the next part of our evening.
“How you feeling?”
Leith flexed his leg a little, then slid his hand through my elbow. “If you’ll allow me to hold on, I’ll be fine.”
“Baby boy, you can hold on to any part of me you like,” I said quietly, my voice full of gravel.
Leith sucked in a breath, fingers squeezing, and then let out the tiniest little moan. He glanced around, but though there were people walking by, no one was paying us any attention. Still, he whispered, “That’s not fair, Daddy.”
“Never said I was fair. What I do recall is a sweet submissive angel with a fondness for edging.”
“We’re in public,” he shout-whispered.
“So?” I backed him up against the brick wall of Sweet Treats, the bakery three shops down from Swansie’s, and stared into his eyes. “You’re wearing jeans. Which look fine as fuck on you, I might add. Your ass is a work of art. But they’re tight enough not to let anything show. You might get a tad uncomfortable, but no one else will know.”
“But…I can’t…I mean…”
He wasn’t one to stumble over words. Hadn’t since that first time we met. I gripped his chin. “What’s your color, angel?”
He took a breath. He swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing. His eyelashes fluttered. “Chartreuse.”
It was a good thing that I dealt with about a thousand colors of paint in my job, or else I might not have realized what he meant. He was still green but tipping into yellow territory. I could work with that. “Okay.”
He blew out a breath and his smile was a little shaky. He stuck two fingers between the buttons of my shirt and petted my chest hair. When he spoke, it was hardly more than a whisper. “I like it. I do. The whole thing. But it’s pushing boundaries. Not in a bad way, but it’s a lot to wrap my head around.”
I wanted to push him. But only to his limits, not past them. “You’re such a good boy. I’ll only tease a little then. Get you to the starting line but not rev the engine.”
A laugh burst out of him and I grinned back. He dropped his head to my chest, pushing his face against the fabric, and I was glad I went with the fancy short sleeved button-down Kyle made me buy last summer because it was super soft. Leith’s laugh started out a touch unhinged, but quickly settled into something closer to joy.
After a few minutes, I kissed the top of his head. “Ready to keep going?”
“Yes.” He let out a final chuckle and he shook his head, but he was smiling so I wasn’t worried. I rearranged us so I was on his left—I didn’t want someone who wasn’t paying attention to bump into his bad side—and threaded his hand back through my elbow. With me supporting him, he didn’t need the cane, so he tucked it under his arm.
It was hard for me not to beeline straight to Once and Floral. The shop was primarily a florist, but they had a decent selection of houseplants, too. I might have asked Kyle where the best place to get them was. It turned out, Leith’s favorite shop was Kyle’s as well, and was actually in Lake Placid. I’d checked their hours though, and we wouldn’t have time to make the twenty-minute drive after dinner before they closed. Thankfully, they both frequented Once and Floral, as well as The Market, which sometimes had interesting houseplants.
Though I wasn’t exactly steering, two blocks down, I thought it was clear where we were going. Leith certainly knew where we were. I heard an excited little hitch in his breath but a moment later, he buried his face against my biceps. There was enough ambient noise that it took another few seconds for me to realize he was chanting, “I’m not looking, I’m not looking,” under his breath.
I slowed, and since Leith was practically attached to me, so did he. I kissed the top of his head and rubbed my nose in his hair. In a quiet voice, I murmured, “Good boys get rewards.”
It took a good thirty seconds for the words to penetrate. Leith whipped his head up so fast he nearly clocked my nose. Thankfully I was good at dodging. Came with the territory when you worked construction. I snorted out a laugh. He didn’t seem to care about that either.
“Truly?”
“You’ve been very good and followed all the rules. I want to make it clear that you won’t be rewarded all the time for doing what you’re supposed to. But we’re new, and I know it’s not easy when you’re establishing habits. So I’m very happy to reward good behavior.” I steered us closer to the door, out of the path of people on the sidewalk. “I also want it to be known that this is not because you parted with a plant today. That does not justify a new purchase. This is a reward only.”
He pushed up on the toes of his right leg and kissed my cheek. Then he whispered, lips against the shell of my ear, “I understand. Thank you, Daddy.”
“Let’s go in.”
Compared to most of the other shops on the street, Once and Floral was pretty empty. There was only one other person browsing the cut flowers, and a man behind the checkout counter. He perked up when we walked in.
“Welcome to…Oh! Leith! It’s so nice to see you. It’s been a while.”
“Hello, West. Good to see you.”
“You look like you’ve mostly healed up. I’m glad to see it.” West rounded the counter and approached us, stopping just a few feet away, wide smile on his face. “Now, tell me. Who have you been cheating on me with and what did you get?”
Leith laughed, deep and from his toes, and West joined in. I didn’t get the joke, but I knew it didn’t have anything to do with a real relationship, so I just watched Leith fondly as he started rambling about his recent purchases, trips to the shop in Lake Placid, and apparently something that he ordered.
West’s eyes went wide. “A mint Philodendron Florida Ghost? I wasn’t even aware there was a mint variegation. Please tell me you got it for a good price.”
Leith nodded. “It was only a three inch pot, so it was fifty dollars. She’s thriving in my greenhouse cabinet. I’ve only had her two months, and she’s already putting up a new leaf!”
West seemed to think that was awesome. I could only stare at them as they continued to talk about plants, most of what they said going far over my head. I was stuck on the fact that he’d paid fifty dollars for a three-inch plant. Who the hell would pay that much for something that could die even if you did everything you were supposed to? It was a piece of greenery for fuck’s sake!
Leith and West’s conversation was interrupted when the other customer wandered up to the counter with two huge flower bouquets. West squeezed Leith’s arm and turned away, throwing over his shoulder, “Take a look at what’s just come in. I think you’ll find something you like.”
Then the fucker winked. At my boy.
With a tug, Leith led me over to a rack of shelves on the far wall. Unlike the rest of the shop, this was all potted plants. So much green with only an occasional pop of color. Leith immediately started perusing the shelves, cane out for support, forgetting I existed.
“Leith?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you really pay fifty dollars for a plant?”
He turned just his head, caught whatever it was on my face, and drew out the word, “Yes?”
I stepped closer, keeping my voice down. “Is this Florida whatever the most expensive plant you own?”
A beat passed. Then another. Then, “Not precisely.”
I nodded, my gaze never wavering. “What’s the most expensive plant?”
“The Thai Con.”
It took a second to connect the words to the plant that he’d given Kyle a piece of today. He’d pointed out the mother plant to me one day last week, and there was no denying it was nice looking. It had huge leaves that had splits in them, the green background splashed with yellow, and was a good four feet tall. It took up one corner of his living room and had its own dedicated light.
I nodded. “And how much did that cost?”
“First it’s important to know that that particular varietal is quite rare. When I bought mine four years ago, it was rarer still. The price has come down quite a bit in the last several years as it’s become more widely available—”
“Leith.”
“A hundred dollars,” he muttered.
“Christ,” I bit out.
“For a one node cutting.”
I had to process that for a few seconds. I’d heard him ramble enough about plants to realize what that meant. He’d just talked about it in the car, though he’d been referring to the cuts he’d taken of Franziska and how a node had to be present in order to grow roots. All I could do was hang my head and breathe. I’d said his plant buying had to slow down because he had so many. I knew he had to spend a good deal of money in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t exactly a cheap hobby. But for fuck’s sake, that was a lot of money for a tiny piece of green he hoped would root and grow.
“Da-Jay? Do I still get a reward?”
My heart cracked wide open. I’d never heard him so unsure of himself. I snapped out of my thought spiral and gathered him in my arms, hugging him tightly. I was relieved as he squeezed me back.
“Of course you do. One has nothing to do with the other.” I leaned down and nudged his face with my nose to get his mouth in kissing distance. I kept it chaste, and then stepped back, giving him a wink. “I just didn’t realize I had to give you a budget when I decided on this as a reward.”
Leith chuckled and most of the tension seeped out of his body. “You don’t have to worry about that. Nothing West has here even comes close to that amount of money. Not that he doesn’t have amazing plants. Just not particularly rare ones. Anyway, from now on, I have to get permission to get plants, don’t I?”
I grinned. “Yes, you do. Now, what are you picking?”
Leith pulled away from me to go back to searching the shelves. It took another half an hour, and he was favoring his leg, before we walked out of the shop with a Philodendron Pink Princess because “my last one died on me, so I’d like to try again.” I was twenty-five dollars poorer, but my boy was pleased as punch.