Chapter 3
Foster
I wake to a hand shaking my shoulder. “Come on, little one. Time to wake up.”
My eyes still feel heavy despite being asleep for what had to have been hours. The flight plan said five, which meant I’ve had the longest nap ever.
When I finally manage to get my eyelids to rise, I wonder if this is one of those dream within a dream things I’ve always heard of. There’s no way this is real.
“There you are,” the man leaning over me says. “I was worried I’d need to carry you off the plane. They might not take too well to kidnapping here.”
He chuckles at his own joke. I find myself smiling too, though I don’t really get the punchline. It’s only as I feel my lips turn up that I also notice what’s between them.
Oh, no.
My thumb.
I’m sucking my thumb in front of this very handsome stranger. Ripping the digit from my lips, I scramble to sit up.
A blanket falls from my upper body, revealing my teddy and the rumpled clothing I have on. Wow. I must have been really out of it.
“Easy, now. You had a hard sleep. You don’t want to move too quickly.” The handsome man tugs the blanket to his side, then motions toward my bear. “Why don’t you get him put away before people start walking down the aisles? I know you want to keep him safe.”
Safe. Yes, that’s it.
Not secret.
Secrets are bad. I don’t want Teddy to feel bad.
Wait — no! Little Foster is rearing his head at the worst time.
I silently tuck my bear away while making a point to not look back at the stranger. It’s embarrassing enough he caught me sleeping with my bear but add in the thumb and its level ten cat… catast… Poop! Why are words hard?
Problem. It’s a big, big problem.
“There we go. Do you mind if I help you get your bags? I think you might be a bit too drowsy on your own. It would really help me if I could help you.”
What a nice Daddy.
Uh. Not a Daddy. Just because someone is nice doesn’t mean they’re automatically into kink or a caregiver.
Maybe I remind him of someone. Or it could be that he’s going to kidnap me, and I’ll be on the news before the guys even realize I’m missing.
I whimper at the thought, pulling my bag closer. I don’t want to be fish food.
“What’s wrong, little one? I’m sure whatever it is can be fixed if you’ll let me help.”
My gaze moves to his. Little one?
There’s no way he means me. I’m not all that little. With enough weight around my middle to be called thick and sitting just below six feet, he can’t mean me.
Nothing about me is little.
“What?” I ask softly, my voice coming despite the desire to hide. I want to hide really, really bad.
He leans over a bit closer, his body hovering across the partition. “Let me help, little one. It would be wrong to assume the position without asking, so can I take care of you for the next bit of time? You don’t have to call me Daddy or anything. My name is Duval. Why don’t you call me DD?”
I giggle at the silly name. “DD?”
“Yes,” he says with a big smile. “That’s perfect. Now then, let’s get you moving, yes?”
When he holds his hand out again, I take it. There’s no fighting this pull he has on me.
He’s like a Little magnet. The Daddy vibes he’s throwing out just tug you closer even when you don’t think you should give in.
As soon as I’m standing, he reaches over for my bag. Once it’s slung on his shoulder, he motions to the aisle.
“Follow it down to the front. Wait for me if you get there first.”
I nod, then turn to do as he said. A few people have made their way down to the front since the doors are open. I’m thankful it’s not a lot though. I don’t like the crowds that come with flying.
Yet another reason I tend to stay close to home.
Big me starts to rise to the surface the closer I get to the entry. I’m happy to feel more balanced, but I’m also sad because the super-hot Daddy I just met is sure to notice.
He finds me waiting for him in the tunnel between the plane and our gate. His smile is tender when he spots me.
“There you are, little one. I was worried you wouldn’t be waiting for me. All those people held me back from getting to you sooner.”
His soothing voice reverses my journey back to big world and sends me hurtling straight into Little Foster. I blink at with wide eyes, my voice failing to work.
“Oh, you poor thing. Let’s get your bags, then maybe you can tell me where you’re staying. I’ll get you on the shuttle or to a car service.”
It’s not a question. He’s telling me exactly what to do, taking the burden I would have had about this process.
I can admit that part of my reluctance to travel is the chaos of getting to and from where you need to be. The plane ride is ok, and the hotel will be too. It’s all the in between that sucks.
Too many people. Too much noise. Too many options.
Why would I turn down the chance to have someone make all those decisions while they also shield me from whatever might come up?
He can be my travel Daddy.
Ohhhhhhh. That sounds like a good idea. Especially for Littles like me who are nervous travelers. It could be an entire company where people get matched up.
Focus, inner Little me shouts.
Big me is the idea guy. Sometimes he can get carried away.
Little me only wants one thing: DD’s attention.
And I most certainly have it if the way he laced our fingers together and led me through the terminal is any indication. People glance at us as we pass. I don’t think anything of it at first until some of them seem to stare longer than is polite.
Then there are a few who pull out phones and point them our way.
I frown at that. While business is decent, there’s no reason for anyone to point a camera my way. Not when I’m rarely recognized outside of my normal business circles.
Squeezing his hand, I wait for DD to turn. When he looks my way, I point to the various people still staring at us.
He blushes, then shrugs. “I’ll explain soon. Let’s get where we need to be, ok?”
I give him a firm nod, then follow again as he takes us to get our bags. It’s an entire process that’s far too long and annoying.
Eventually, we have everything we need and then he’s looking at me again. “Where are you headed, little one?”
His voice is soft enough so only I can hear him. While I wouldn’t have minded before, the fact that he’s getting so much attention definitely changes things. I’m glad there won’t be some viral video of him calling me that on the internet anytime soon.
I pull out my phone and open the email with my hotel confirmation. Is it insane to share this with a stranger? Absolutely.
Does Little me care one bit?
N - O - P - E.
That spells nope if you’re confused.
DD’s face lights up as he reads the screen. “Well I’ll be damned. Looks like we’re headed to the same place. Want to share a car?”
“Yes, please!” I nearly squeal in reply.
More time with him sounds like a dream come true.