Chapter Twenty
Delicious & Vicious
Bowie: Did I overhear right, Frey is adopting a baby with Booker?
Bowie was a little hurt that Frey hadn’t messaged him privately to tell him about the baby.
The second Kari had gone to get changed, Bowie had opened up the group chat and, seeing nothing, he’d started a conversation.
He was desperate to find out more when what Kari told him made him feel uneasy for reasons he couldn’t pinpoint.
Monty: Overhear? Yep. She’s so cute.
Bowie: Who is she? Yeah, someone was talking about Booker.
Lennon: The baby, Emmy. Isn’t that the cutest name? Frey picked it, and it really suits her. Those deep green eyes of hers. She looks like an old soul when she stares at you. And don’t pull that one Bowie, we all know you’re in New York with Kari, so it has to be him you overheard.
Bowie: It is, but I’m lost. How did they go on a work trip and find a baby girl?
Bowie was lost, how did one go about finding babies? Had someone left it behind? Bowie sniffed and fought the urge to cry at someone doing that to a defenseless child, waiting for someone to answer him.
Hollis: I’m not sure this is the appropriate place to discuss this.
Frey: It’s fine Hollis. I helped an omega, Toby, give birth to his daughter. He died after the birth.
The air left Bowie’s body so fast he shook on the couch, his fingers all over the place as he worked to type a response, but nothing felt appropriate to say in such tragic circumstances.
Bowie: Oh no, how awful!
Frey: It’s so sad, we had the funeral for him yesterday. All the other omegas from the factory came. They are all like a family. Like us.
Bowie: Doesn’t the little girl have a family… a daddy?
Frey: They’ve found no one, or no one who wants her. And they can’t figure out who her daddy is… so me and Booker, we’ve signed the adoption paperwork this afternoon. She’s ours now.
Lennon: Does that mean that you and Booker… are a couple? I know he got real protective over you when he thought we’d upset you. But isn’t this all a bit quick, if you don’t mind me saying?
Frey: Confession time, we’ve kind of been dating for a little while. You know, figuring stuff out. But this… we both wanted.
Bowie: Wow, that’s news. Only what happens to Emmy if you don’t stay together? Figure it out? Who will get that little girl?
Frey: She’s mine! I was the first person she saw when she came into this world. I won’t ever let her go. The paperwork we signed says she’s mine.
Monty: Good for you Frey. She deserves someone like you in her corner after how her life started. Toby… he asked you for help and you’re giving it to his daughter, that counts.
Frey: Thank you. That’s not my biggest worry anyway, to be honest. It’s moving into Booker’s parents' home with all the other alphas. What was I thinking when I said yes?
Isley: You weren’t ‘cause how would anyone agree to do that? Eight alphas all in one place!
Hollis: Taylin lives with me, so that’s seven.
Lennon: No Isley was right, eight, with Derick Starling.
Hollis: Oh heck yes, I forgot about him.
Monty: I don’t know how. A silver fox like that, who could ever forget him?
Hollis: Lane can see the chat Monty!
Monty: Oops… it was a compliment, Lane.
Lane: He is a silver fox and hot in the sack. Frey, you’ll be fine, just be you and they’ll all fall in line.
Hollis: Please… nooooo he’s going to be my father-in-law, Lane.
Lane: That doesn’t change anything, he is hot and great in the sack. LOLOLOLOLOL
Hollis: Noooooooooooo
Frey: Let’s hope so, or else you might feel like you’ve come back to work when they all start bickering.
Lane: I can handle those boys, don’t you worry. The reason I popped in as I have a family meeting planned tomorrow night and I would like you all to come. I’d like to create a rota to assist Frey and Booker with Emmy, if you’re interested?
Frey: Oh Lane, you’re making me cry.
Bowie: Hormones… can you get that from adopting a baby?
Lane: Absolutely.
Bowie heard movement coming from Kari’s room and placed his phone down, blinking hard as he tried to not think about Frey and Booker not working out and what would happen to Emmy.
He knew better than anyone what it was like to be rejected.
He didn’t think Frey would reject the little girl, because Frey wasn’t like that.
But wasn’t it hard to care for a baby on your own?
He had heard one secretary talk about her no-good husband running out on her and leaving her with a small child.
She’d moaned a lot about the child, and Bowie had felt sorry for the boy.
He wondered if she might talk the same way in front of him without thinking of the harm she was doing.
Then Bowie sometimes wondered if it might be a good thing to do that, because then there was little surprise when they got cast out.
“What’s with the big sigh, Babycakes?”
Kari stood wearing his outdoor coat, a bag clutched in his hand and his hair brushed back off his face. Bowie’s attention was drawn to the deep blue of his eyes. He knew that the concern he noticed was for him.
He sniffed loudly. “I messaged in the group chat and Frey mentioned he was only figuring stuff out with Booker.”
Kari came and crouched in front of him. “And this worries you, why?”
“What happens to the little girl if they don’t figure it out?
I know what it’s like to be rejected. It’s not nice, and it hurts…
a lot.” He wiped the back of his hand over the end of his runny nose.
He didn’t mention how many times he’d been cast out, Kari didn’t need to know how much of a reject he was.
“But this is about Frey,” he added quickly when Kari wore that expression that said they were going to talk about what was upsetting Bowie.
Kari searched his expression, and the bridge of his nose wrinkled. “I’m sensing you don’t want to talk about this right now, is that right?”
“We’re going to Ty’s… I want to do that.” He was nervous about it, but it was a better option than tearfully rehashing things that could not be changed. A part of him didn’t want to tell Kari just how unlovable he was. No, that was not what he wanted to talk about.
The hesitation was noticeable before Kari rose and held out his empty hand. “Alright, but this conversation is just on hold, for now.”
He glanced over at the small work area. They’d moved the chair so they could sit next to each other and Bowie’s coat was still over the back of one of them. “Will that coat be long enough for you to feel comfortable walking to the club from here? It’s only two blocks over.”
“I think so.” Bowie let go of Kari and went to retrieve it.
Kari followed, placed the bag down and helped Bowie put his coat on. Every time he did that, it caused a heady feeling that was becoming quite addictive.
Bag back in hand, Kari nodded towards the door, his smile warm. “Time to go play.”
Bowie figured Kari was excited with how he marched down the busy sidewalks, chatting about what to expect, alleviating some of Bowie’s anxiousness around the unknown.
This was Kari, the daddy, the side of the man that made Bowie feel ten feet tall and mostly invincible when he showered him with loving attention.
Though he’d initially thought his animal was wrong, it definitely was loving.
He was coming to see just how much happiness Kari found in Bowie’s joy when they played together.
It was amazing to feel so treasured, and he wanted to share that with his friends.
Only, when he thought of explaining himself, he came out in a cold sweat at what they might think of him being ‘Little’.
Because he had acknowledged to himself there was a Little inside him that liked Kari being his daddy.
“Here we are.” Kari squeezed his fingers as he slowed and sidestepped a couple who weren’t looking where they were going.
The club had windows that Bowie couldn’t see through, but the building didn’t look seedy.
Music filtered through the door—something melodic with no heavy beat—and Bowie caught the scent of chocolate.
Kari pulled open the door and they stepped into a foyer that was decorated in soft pastel colors. The thick carpet underfoot was a deep rose color. Pretty.
The walls held pictures of New York in black and white, all quite dramatic.
It was the attractive man wearing a colorful top, his hair full of sparkles that matched his cheeks, that held Bowie’s attention.
He was sitting at a counter messing around on his phone, and behind him were a cloakroom and a door that looked like it was the entry into the club.
When he noticed them, he smiled widely, revealing crooked front teeth with a small gap. “Hello, welcome to Ty’s. Have you got a booking number or tickets?”
Kari squeezed Bowie’s fingers before letting go as they stopped at the counter. He tucked the bag under his arm, reaching into his trouser pocket to pull out his wallet.
“I have tickets.” He pulled out two and laid them down.
The man glanced at them. “I see this is your first time here, gentlemen.”
Kari slipped his free arm around Bowie. “It is. This is Bowie and I’m Kari.”
“Hi, I’m Sweeny, and this is my club.” Sweeny turned his full attention to Bowie. “It’s nice to meetcha Bowie. Are you a Little?”
The forthrightness wasn’t off putting because the guy was so smiley. “I am.”
He bounced on his seat. “Someone is coming to take over for me in twenty minutes, would you like to play with me? I love making new friends.”
His eagerness was contagious, and Bowie, who was never very good with strangers, found himself nodding shyly. “Okay.” He glanced at Kari, seeing him watching the interaction with interest. “Is that alright… Daddy?”
“Of course, Babycakes.”