Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Danny
Kylie on a road trip might just have been the cutest fucking thing he’d ever seen.
They’d stopped for gas just outside of Rawhide and he’d let Kylie buy about a hundred dollars’ worth of snacks even though they were only going to be on the road for a few hours.
Anything to make his bestie smile again.
Which she certainly was, now. Grinning, to be more exact, as she belted out song after song at the top of her lungs and danced in her seat.
By the time they made it to Bozeman and found parking, Kylie was practically vibrating, though he wasn’t sure if it was nerves, excitement, or an abundance of sugar.
Probably all of the above.
He was feeling a bit nervous, himself. Despite what he’d told Kylie back at the Ranch, now that they were actually in the city, he was second-guessing his plan.
They probably should have just called Addison so Kylie could talk to her, but everything he knew about Kylie’s Little side told him she needed their Mommy.
Not just her words or her voice, but her.
So yeah, he was probably going to be sitting gingerly the whole drive home, but it would be worth it if it helped Kylie feel better.
Unfortunately, their timing was a little off (not helped at all by the fact that he’d driven a tiny bit over the speed limit on the way to the city) and they realized as they stood outside the theater that the play wasn’t going to be over for another hour.
The sun was long since asleep in the sky, which meant the temperature had plummeted and standing outside to wait for their Mommy would probably get them in even more trouble.
“C’mon, Ky. There’s a bar like half a block down from here. Why don’t we go have a drink and stay warm while we wait for Mommy.”
Uncertainty flashed over Kylie’s features. “I dunno, Danny. Mommy’s going to be mad enough without us drinking without permission.”
“We don’t actually have a rule about that.” An oversight, he was sure, and one their Mommy would be correcting the second they got back to the Ranch. But for the time being, he could use it in his favor.
As he’d hoped, Kylie immediately brightened. “That’s true! Okay, let’s go!”
Hand in hand, they hurried down to the brightly lit bar. It wasn’t a dive, which he figured would also work in his favor. Taking his “little sister” into a large city without Mommy’s permission was bad enough without taking her somewhere dangerous.
Sliding onto side-by-side stools at the bar, they scanned the menu. “Oooh, a Big Sky Lemonade! I love lemonade. Let’s get that!” Kylie said, wiggling in her seat in what he thought of as her happy food dance.
The drink was equal parts lemonade and alcohol, guaranteed to knock them both on their asses. But if they each only had one and sipped at it for the next hour, it shouldn’t be too bad.
Setting the menu aside, he flagged down the bartender. “Two Blue Sky Lemonades, please.”
The woman behind the bar cocked a brow and asked for their IDs which they eagerly provided. After a careful check, she nodded and handed them back before turning to mix up their drinks.
“There you go. Enjoy.”
Picking up his cup full of bright blue liquid, he tapped his glass to Kylie’s. “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
The quote made her giggle, and she sipped at her drink, her eyes going wide as she let out a happy little hum. “Oh this is delicious.”
Before he could stop her, she’d downed half the drink.
So much for taking it slow.
Oh, well. As long as he took it slow so he could keep an eye on her, Mommy couldn’t get too mad at him.
Right?
Addison
She’d forgotten how much she loved the theatre.
Missoula and Butte were both much closer to the Ranch, close enough for a night out with her Little ones sometime, and she made a mental note to see if there was anything coming up they might all like to go see.
As much as she enjoyed their Little sides, she really had been looking forward to a more grown-up date with them and a trip to the theatre would certainly fit the bill.
As the lights came up, she stepped out into the aisle so her little troupe could walk ahead of her and she could keep an eye on them. As college students, they’d usually have a bit more freedom on trips like this, but as submissives at Rawhide U, that freedom was significantly more restricted.
“All right, girls. You know the drill. Straight to the hotel and then it’s lights-out for everyone.”
As expected, her announcement was met with plenty of sighing and a healthy bit of whining before they all agreed. Outside, they turned as one toward the hotel two blocks down. It was significantly colder than it had been on the walk to the theatre, so nobody tried to linger or draw things out.
Until Lucy Goode stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a happy squeal slipping from her lips as she bounced on her toes. “Professor Renard, you didn’t tell us Kylie was coming! Why didn’t she come to the show with us?”
“What? Kylie isn’t here, she’s back at the Ranch.”
Frowning, Lucy shook her head and pointed at a large, well-lit window in front of her. “No, she and Danny are right there.”
They weren’t. Of course they weren’t. She’d given them very specific instructions not to leave the Ranch while she was so far away.
And yet… there they were. Heads thrown back in laughter right before they each downed a shot of some kind of clear liquor.
Fury bubbled in her chest, but she did her best to swallow it down as she yanked open the door to the bar. “Wait right here. I won’t be long. And if a single one of you is not waiting in this exact spot when I get back, I promise you will be writing lines until your hand falls off.”
With that dire warning issued, she stormed inside, forcing her expression to stay as neutral as she could manage as she walked up to the bar. “What is going on here?”
“Mommy!” Kylie’s happy, drunken squeal echoed through the bar a moment before she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Whoops,” she whispered through her fingers, “I forgot we’re not at the Ranch.”
Ignoring the curious stare from the woman behind the bar, Addison took each of her wayward Littles by the arm and dragged them over to a somewhat private corner. “You two are in so much trouble. But clearly you aren’t in any state to discuss it right now. Have you paid your tab?”
“Umm.” Eyes somewhat glazed, Danny glanced over at Kylie, his nose scrunching in consideration. “I think the nice bartender lady still has my card.”
“All right. Come with me, both of you.”
Forcing a smile she didn’t remotely feel, Addison dragged them back to the bar. “My… Daniel would like to close out his tab.”
One brow arching in a look that would have done any Domme proud, the bartender glanced between her and Danny. “That true, Daniel? Are you ready to close out?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Thank you for all the drinks, they were delicious.”
The bartender eyed them all curiously a moment longer before nodding her head and turning to produce a shockingly high bill as well as Danny’s debit card.
Addison helped him figure out the tip—a generous one, because it wasn’t the bartender’s fault her Little ones had disobeyed her so blatantly—then once more took them by the arm to guide them outside.
Luckily for her students, they’d all seemed to pick up on the fact that she was not at all happy to find her boy and her girl drunk in a bar in the middle of the city, and they kept their mouths shut as Danny and Kylie stumbled out the door.
And they held their silence all the way to the hotel, where they quickly said their goodbyes at the elevator and went their separate ways.
Hopefully they’d continue being smart enough to not go making any mischief the rest of the night. Because as furious as Addison was at her own wayward Littles, she was not inclined to be understanding of her students breaking the rules as well.
When they reached her room, she pointed to the king-sized bed. “Sit. Both of you.”
They did as they were told, giggling the entire way, and she didn’t bother to hold back her sigh as she crouched to untie Kylie’s shoes. “You are both in so much trouble, I hope you know that.”
“But, Mommy, we weren’t being naughty! We just—”
“Kylie Anne, if you know what’s good for you, then you will keep your excuses to yourself.
” With her babygirl’s shoes removed, she shifted her attention to her boy.
“Both of you will. I don’t want to hear another word out of either of you until you’ve sobered up tomorrow.
Did you even bring a change of clothes?”
“Yes, Mommy. Ummm.” Danny screwed his eyes up again, clearly trying to remember. “Oh! There’s a bag in the car!”
“And where is your car?”
“A parking garage somewhere. Near the theatre.”
Goddammit. “Where are your keys?”
Digging in his coat pocket, he produced his car keys with a triumphant flair and handed them to her. “You two are to stay in this room. Do not leave, do not open that door for anyone, or I promise you will not sit comfortably for a month. Am I making myself crystal clear, Daniel?”
That threat seemed to sober him up a bit. Eyes wide, he nodded solemnly. “Yes, Mommy.”
“Good. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She wasn’t entirely sure it was the best course of action to leave them there, but they would need their things in the morning. Ignoring the pit in her stomach, she grabbed her purse and Danny’s keys and headed out into the hallway.
For tonight, her most pressing worry was making sure they were both safe and as comfortable as could be.
Tomorrow, though… tomorrow was going to be a reckoning.